The Red Jacket Diaries blog

Sue Horner is a freelance writer in Oakville, Ontario, who blogs about writing, newsletters, communications and running an independent business in The Red Jacket Diaries blog.
Done anything scary lately?

Done anything scary lately?

It’s October, and Halloween costumes and decorations have been in the stores for weeks. What better time to talk about scary things? And by that I mean, doing what scares you. Over dinner last night, one of my friends confessed that she is afraid of doing...
Today we celebrate punctuation

Today we celebrate punctuation

What makes me crazy Are apostrophes in signs. Know the one’s I mean? That is my haiku in honour of National Punctuation Day, September 24. (OK, I know an apostrophe is not punctuation, so it’s more of a haiku in honour of general grammatical attention to detail,...
Learning means letting go

Learning means letting go

As the online portion of my two-year Professional Communications program cranks up, the biggest struggle is not fitting the work into my day or evening. No, it’s losing the feeling of competence I used to have. I’ve been running my own business for close...
September blues

September blues

While about two weeks remain before summer is officially over, you and I both know that if the calendar says September, summer is done. At least, that’s the case pretty much anywhere in Canada. So I’m already a little sad about that. Summer has always been...
Pick three for life balance

Pick three for life balance

After spending three weeks in academia, with no time to read newspapers or watch the news, let alone be active on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and such, it’s been interesting getting (slowly) back into the swing of things. Today, in between researching topics on...
Week 3 done; the journey has begun

Week 3 done; the journey has begun

Each day has been incredibly long, but three weeks here at Royal Roads University have indeed gone fairly quickly, as many predicted. Now my bags are packed, and the cab will arrive in about 20 minutes to take me and a few of my classmates to the airport. Home, here...
Week 2 down; 1 to go

Week 2 down; 1 to go

Whee! My husband was able to arrange work in Vancouver this week, with a side trip to Victoria over the weekend to spring me from the campus on Friday (I went “over the wall” as my classmate Max called it). Besides being happy to see him and another couple...
Week 1 down; 2 to go

Week 1 down; 2 to go

Aren’t peacocks handsome birds? Well, the males anyway. I love the brilliant blues and greens of their feathers.  And there are plenty of these creatures strutting around the grounds of Royal Roads University. Week two of my three-week residency starts tomorrow,...
Hello from RRU

Hello from RRU

I’m hurrying towards the school, brand new schoolbag over my shoulder; it’s full of freshly sharpened pencils and crisp sheets of blank paper. My heart is pounding. I can hear the bell signalling the start; I’m going to be late. That’s how my first day of kindergarten...