Life in a mill camp taught me as a child that the earth is filled with many odours. They ranged from mildly pleasant to putridly awful. For example, the fresh sap of freshly cut lumber appealed to me, while the smell of dust and the stale … Read more

Have you ever heard someone say, "Boy! If only I could turn back the clock!"? Well, in our area, we do just that this coming weekend. It always feels nice to have that extra hour. But that is not the … Read more

"Aw, shucks, I can't have that cake" doesn't work nearly as well as "I don't want that right now." "I can't" sets us up to feel deprived, while "I don't" makes us feel like we have a choice, which we do, as in all temptations. You see, … Read more

I was invited to join a family for a birthday supper. When we were all seated, a little toddler in his highchair stretched out his chubby arm to the centre of the table and stuck his fingers into the frothy … Read more

In the book of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher wrote about time — how there is a time for everything. I thought about how we often measure our lives by time. We beat time; we are pressed for time; we make up … Read more

"Come with us! This is a fantastic deal!" Several years ago, our friends were trying to persuade my husband and me to join them on a week-long cruise up the west coast of Canada to Alaska, USA. In the middle of May, the cruise line was … Read more