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Shaking The Tree 2

The Lighter Side of 50

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Logo for Shaking the Tree. Sketch of 250 year-old Oak tree, with a blue circle encompassing parts of the image.
Shaking The Tree 2
The Lighter Side of 50

Latest from Lawrence


  • Photo of new Brenda Duke Greenspace park sign, set against a snowy backdrop.
    Community

    Once Upon an Alley in Hamilton

    January 28, 2026January 30, 2026

    I first met Brenda during an election, but I came to know her through the work that happens long after campaigns end; in alleys, gardens, and neighbourhood spaces most people overlook.

    Brenda believed that community was built by showing up, by listening, and by making room for people to belong again.

    This is a remembrance of her life and work, of the quiet spaces she made better, and of the kind of everyday service that makes a city feel like home.

    Read More Once Upon an Alley in HamiltonContinue

  • Quiet confessions - scene from Season 5, Episode 7.
    Film and Television

    Stranger Things and the Weight of What We Hide

    December 30, 2025January 12, 2026

    I came to Stranger Things late, expecting teenagers and monsters. What I found instead was nostalgia — and a story about vulnerability, acceptance, and the quiet courage it takes to reveal the deepest parts of who we are, on screen and in real life.

    Read More Stranger Things and the Weight of What We HideContinue

  • A group dressed in 80's outfits at a company gala.
    Work Relationships

    Friendships After Five

    December 14, 2025December 14, 2025

    In 27 years, I’ve only missed one Gala. Side-room karaoke, mile-long prize tables, DJs who kept us dancing until closing—I’ve got a memory for every decade. Winning a PS2 in the early 2000s even saved Christmas during my single-dad years.

    And at the kids’ parties, we watched our children grow up together—at Copps, community centres, Chuck E. Cheese, and Soccer World—tiny snow boots becoming bigger sneakers, and eventually, grown-up goodbyes.

    Read More Friendships After FiveContinue

  • Caroonized image of the first World Series game in Canada.
    Coaches Circle | Professional Sports | Youth Sports

    Memorable Moments in Baseball History

    October 30, 2025December 13, 2025

    From a 1992 World Series ticket won on a midnight radio call, to what that framed game stub means to me today — this postseason brought it all flooding back.
    It’s been thirty-three years since that first championship night in Toronto, and as this year’s Blue Jays chase history again, I’m reminded why we play, watch, and believe.
    Because the game — like life — is always bigger than us.

    Read More Memorable Moments in Baseball HistoryContinue

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