In the mall parking lot, I turned the key in the ignition. There was no response. I knew the battery had to be dead. The lights would not come on. "Dead" is a good word for the whole car when … Read more

We recently had a provincial election in Nova Scotia. Around the countryside, my attention has been drawn to the numerous signs of the prospective candidates. I noticed that some homes had signs planted on their front lawn. It was then … Read more

"That's the problem," my friend said, when we were visiting together one evening. We had shared a meal together, and then spent a couple of hours talking and sharing. Three times during our conversation, the phone rang. Two of these … Read more

At 14 months, our granddaughter is learning in three languages, two of which have been spoken to her since birth. The third "language" is sign language, which her parents have been teaching her since she was about 6 or 7 … Read more

Back in August, I wrote a devotional about a pair of beautiful Canada Geese that stayed all winter here in southern Georgia, in the south-eastern USA. Some of my Canadian readers responded by saying that they also had seen Canada … Read more

Except for two short culvert tunnels, our regular walking route was completely out in the open and on paved pathways, and was really pretty routine. Having hotter weather forced us to take a unique and more rigorous route, which leads … Read more

I don't think I'd have been of much use to a company if I'd had to work shift work. If I were wakened in the night when my children were small, I'd stumble about in the dark trying to help … Read more

With four distinct seasons in southern Georgia, the temperature is a popular topic of conversation. In every building are found two devices that keep us informed on its status. The thermometer reads it. It fluctuates according to its surrounding circumstances. … Read more

Yesterday was a fun day. I visited a number of people who needed a friendly smile and a kind word. My first visit was an hour spent with my ninety-six-year-old mama in a nursing home, where she is totally alert, … Read more

Yesterday I decided to return a movie on Digital Video Disk that I had rented. Returning from the store by my normal route, I quickly realized, as I entered the freeway, Highway 427, that I was in trouble. Nothing was … Read more

I gave the page a quick scan to make sure there were no mistakes. Wow! Here was a misspelled word the spellchecker had overlooked! I quickly corrected it by deleting the incorrect letter of the alphabet and inserting the correct … Read more

Years ago, I had a boy taking piano lessons who really didn't want to be there. His passion in life was playing hockey, and practising the piano was a restraint on his time for his game. After the initial hurdles, … Read more

This morning, I received two pieces of e-mail. One was the "pass on" story about the frogs that were challenged to climb to the top of a high tower. As the crowd watched and called out, "You can't possibly reach … Read more

When I pick up the telephone and hear a retracted little voice saying, "Hiiiii, Mrs. D.," I know that a favour is going to be asked of me. It has become a standard joke, and, recently, upon complying with the … Read more

One by one, they slipped out and blew away. The breeze from the open car window was systematically emptying the tissue box on the back seat. Sheet by sheet — and, in my mind's eye, blank page by blank page … Read more

My late mother-in-law always reminded me, "If you do a sewing job in haste, you'll have to pick it out with your nose." Her saying has proven true on more than one occasion, and for more things than just sewing. … Read more

The creative writing instructor in a class I attended recently stated, "If you want to learn to write, read the works of the great writers of the past." One student responded, "Why read the works of the past? They are … Read more

Back in my hometown, in the evenings, we would sometimes have games until it was time to go home. One favourite night-time game involved finding the other kids — while wearing a blindfold. Once when I was wearing the blindfold, … Read more

Fall has come and the time of harvest is here. Looking from my window to the garden, I can see that the last of the tomatoes have ripened, and they are shiny red, waiting to be picked. Though my garden … Read more

When my children were small, there was one lady at our church who always had a group of children by her side. Not only was she active as a Sunday School teacher and Junior Church co-ordinator, but she also greeted … Read more

Recently, I have been experiencing added joy and blessing, which really began about fifty years ago. Raised a nominal Christian, I knew nothing about tithing. A few months after our marriage, I accepted Jesus into my life as my personal … Read more

Throughout my life, especially while experiencing the loss of our parents, and including the past ten years as a volunteer with those who are terminally ill and bereaved, I've found God's comforting graciousness expressed in many, many wonderful ways. Recently, … Read more

Birdwood Nature Center is located north of Tallahassee, Florida, USA, just inside Georgia. It has 565 acres of wildflower meadow, old-field pine, hardwood forest, ponds, and swamps — all home to a myriad of birds and other wildlife. Open year-round, … Read more

"I flung it out!" I can still hear my aunt's Scottish accent as she voiced these words. She was replying to her sister's question about the whereabouts of her old chesterfield. The older sister had lived through the Great Depression … Read more

After only fifteen hours of work, my new pressure washer began to slow down. When I stopped it, I soon discovered that it had run dry of oil, and had overheated and seized up. The motor would not turn over … Read more

My Dad never got to open his new pressure washer last Christmas. He had a heart attack on Christmas Day, and died of a stroke after open-heart surgery a month afterwards. Much later, my Mom decided to trade in the … Read more

Over the past several years, I have enjoyed reading books about plants of the Bible. There are so many interesting stories about biblical plants, but often there are many controversies, as well, regarding the exact plant referred to in a … Read more

"Still in the dark," the news announcer said. "One hundred thousand people are still in the dark in Nova Scotia." The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announcer was reporting the news from Nova Scotia four days after hurricane Juan slashed through the … Read more

In a hurry, I took time I shouldn't have, just before going out for the afternoon. I had decided to mop the floors, just in case we brought a guest home with us. As I hurriedly did this, I was … Read more

Last year, I joined a water aerobics class at the local gym. This class is made up of older ladies, retired, and looking for a fun way to stay in shape. The class has turned out to be the highlight … Read more

Her body died today, August 26th, at 3:45 a.m. Judy, my sister, is gone. Our shared memories are now only mine. Prolonged illness, painful suffering and an early death at 52 were part of her worldly package. Cancer is so … Read more