With Borrowed Strength, Jewel's pastime

 Jewel takes refuge in her pretty little garden shed turned studio

Jewel, a furniture refinisher whose talent garners local attention, finds herself encouraged to submit a piece to a local art contest. But before her canvas can truly be completed, it demands a profound journey of soul-searching.

Meanwhile, her daughter, Jade, begins conversing with an "imaginary friend." Unbeknownst to them, Jade is a direct conduit to the supernatural, a living link to her lost twin beyond the veil. These manifestations are subtle yet protective, deeply tied to Jewel's emotional state. A burst of brightness might fill the room in moments of heightened emotion, while a fleeting chill in the air signals fear or threat.

As Jewel grapples with her art, a mysterious dark-haired girl keeps reappearing in the paint—a girl Jade affectionately calls "JuJu." With Jewel's nightmares worsening and Jade's connection to her "imaginary friend" deepening, the sightings become increasingly tangible. Jewel is then confronted with a breathtaking realization: love truly transcends the bounds of life and death.

With Borrowed Strength Prologue

Post 1

The rows and rows of fluorescent lights of the ferry's lounge hummed. The brightly lit interior was a stark contrast to the churning dark ocean outside that matched the rolling worry in Jewel's stomach. She hunched in a darkest corner of the lounge area on the upper deck, her arms wrapped tightly around her large belly. The oversized hoodie, pulled up to obscure her face, and hide her body, offered a meager shield for the purple bruises and the hollow of her eyes.

 

 TW

I'm writing a story that involves trauma, abuse, loss and eventually... the strength to rebuild and rejoice in all that life still has to offer.

Although it is fictional, many parts are very very real and reflective of personal events and emotions. It might be too much for some who have faced painful things, but it is the story of a woman who learns that healing is not forgetting, but finding new ways to live, love, and thrive.

Prolog

The rows and rows of fluorescent lights of the ferry's lounge hummed. The brightly lit interior was a stark contrast to the churning dark ocean outside that matched the rolling worry in Jewel's stomach. She hunched in a darkest corner of the lounge area on the upper deck, her arms wrapped tightly around her large belly. The oversized hoodie, pulled up to obscure her face, and hide her body, offered a meager shield for the purple bruises and the hollow of her eyes.

With Borrowed Strength, Arrival in Caribou Bay

 With Borrowed Strength

Jewel arrived in Caribou Bay a closed book, a survivor trying to outrun the echoes of an abusive relationship. She’d been pregnant with twins, but only one, Jade, survived. The silence surrounding her lost twin was Jewel's shield, a desperate attempt to bury the grief and trauma. All she wanted was normalcy, a quiet, unremarkable life focused solely on her surviving daughter.

Her refuge, a quaint garden shed transformed into a painting studio, quickly became a battleground. Jewel yearned to paint beauty and peace, to symbolize her new beginning. Yet, her subconscious, still held captive by her abuser, betrayed her. Her canvases became choked with dark, muddy colors, twisted figures, and oppressive shadows—a constant, painful reminder that she hadn't truly escaped. This relentless struggle with her art was a major source of despair and frustration, leaving her feeling utterly broken and lost.

With Borrowed strength

 Currently writing a new novel. join me in this new adventure

Escaping an abusive past, a young woman seeks refuge in the rugged town of Caribou Bay, transforming a garden shed into a painting studio. But as her daughter grows and finds an 'imaginary friend' Jewel notices odd things around their cozy home, with the vivid nightmares of her abuser, and recurring sightings of her lost twin force she is forced to confront a buried grief, reclaim her artistic soul, and accept the extraordinary truth that binds them.

"With Borrowed Strength” is a deeply emotional journey of healing, resilience, and the enduring power of family, even beyond the veil. It explores the insidious grip of trauma, the fierce protective love of a mother, and the profound, unexpected ways that loss can manifest as an unbreakable connection. The untamed backdrop of Caribou Bay holds a subtle magic, where love and grief intertwine with the supernatural, guiding Jewel toward a peace she never thought possible.

 

SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder

You may have heard of SAD before... or maybe you haven't. Maybe you have SAD. If you aren't sure about it, it is a actually a type of depression that is related to the changes in the seasons and the weather. SAD will usually start around the same time every year as the sunlight fades and autumn is approaching. It will continue throughout the winter. It saps all your energy and leave you feeling rather crumby. There might be days during the winter when the sun is shining brightly that a person with SAD might feel a small boost of mood and energy but the motivation is short-lived. People with SAD pray for the longer days and count down the days until the equinox.

I purchased myself a "happy lamp" to try and increase my daylight time with artificial sunlight. I try to remember to take my vitamin supplements but honestly, I hardly every remember... I look outside and cringe. I don't even find it cold out there in the Newfoundland winter, it is not temperature related. It is directly related to the lack of sunlight and the shorter days. We can't force the sun to stay longer... sadly... But we have to try and get as much sun as we can.

Having chronic pain disorder means that I am always tired. I send the kids to school and go back to bed for more sleep. I need more sleep! The problem with wanting to sleep more is I am missing out on some sunshine. I wish I was a morning person... I just like my bed WAYYYYY too much. But coupled with Seasonal Affective Disorder adds to the desire to stay in bed and let life just pass by. There is a lack of motivation and initiative that comes with SAD and I have a really hard time getting motivated.

The tips I get from therapy is to just start small. Don't make long term goals during winter. Take things one day at a time. Set a goal to do something good for yourself TODAY. Set your alarm and TRY to get up at a certain time. Don't forget self care. Wash your face. comb your hair. Has it been three days since your showered? Turn on the heat, get that shower! Stop delaying the self care and create your first opportunity for success today. (you would be surprised at how hard it is to take care of your self when you are suffering depression of any kind). Take those small successes like self care and build on that, once you are clean and refreshed you might get the urge to clean something else or do a load of laundry. You might even find the mood to go out for coffee. So start your day, you can take that first step into the bright glaring light of the bathroom and pretend it's the sun. (HAH just kidding we know that isn't the sun)

If you are not familiar with any type of depression, you can really be the support for a person just by trying to understand and lending and ear... and a cup of coffee.... always with the coffee!