On a Sunday morning recently, our youth pastor's baby daughter was being baptized, and the parents chose to have their two-year-old daughter, Catherine, stand up with them during the baptism. Before the service began, Tammy, Catherine's mother, explained to her … (read more)

I like my food — not that it is an obsession. The other day I sat down to eat pudding that I had taken from the fridge for my dessert. It was one of those bought creme caramels that are … (read more)

One of our friends, whom I'll call Bob, has a passion for the game of Scrabble. He takes great delight in beating his opponents, but sometimes they have reason to complain about his interpretation of the rules. The argument begins … (read more)

At first, our mailman thought it must be someone's birthday, but then he too offered condolences on the death of my sister. Many kind people remembered us with cards and letters. One of those cards has become especially important to … (read more)

One recent morning, I cleaned the cooker. It had been looking reproachfully at me for some time. You know, likely, how it is: despite the best intentions, muck becomes stuck to the surface. Life passes by, and, slowly at first, … (read more)

Have you ever accidentally overheard part of a conversation or one side of a telephone call that has stayed in your mind for months afterward? This happened to me when we were travelling in the Yukon in the spring … (read more)

It was September already, and the curling season was fast approaching. While I had enjoyed this sport in the past, I was now having my doubts. I was a year older, I had gained some extra pounds while vacationing in … (read more)

I had stripped the bed to launder the sheets. While I might have waited for this load of laundry to finish, and then transfer it to the dryer, I decided to use the spare sheets and complete the task of … (read more)

For years I have been fascinated with my family's history. I've traced my family name, Ingalls, back to 1598, read about the struggles of the early settlers as they made their home on a lonely island, and discovered how one … (read more)

So often in the daily grind of my life, I find myself faced with difficult choices and decisions. We all do! What to say, how to say it, where to go, what to do — What? When? Where? Why? How? … (read more)

Lois Sweet's highly recommended new book, "Writing with Spirit", says all there is to say about writing. It covers everything from researching and interviewing to grammar and ethics, time management and selling. I can skim the text and choose … (read more)

When travelling in southern New Zealand near Dunedin, my husband and I went to see the royal albatross colony. These rare birds make their home on a rocky cliff at Taiaroa Head. According to the guidebook, it is "the only … (read more)

When I first moved to Thomasville as a young woman, I was extended an invitation to join the Junior Woman's Club. I was so excited. The invitation meant that my peers had accepted me as a social equal. I now … (read more)

In 1994, I had brain surgery to remove an arterial venial malformation (AVM) that doctors told me had probably been there since birth. The surgery caused me to have many of the symptoms of a massive stroke, including loss of … (read more)

Part of my childhood involved several moves in order for my father to find work. After one particular move, I remember telling my cat, Trail, how much I missed my friends and my other home. Once, we moved into an … (read more)

I have never been the athletic type who could control the physical body. In my senior yearbook, I was labelled "bookworm of the class". I considered this an honour, because this was where my interest lay. My favourite place in … (read more)

There have been times when I have dropped slices of bread into my toaster, and gone on with other preparations, expecting to hear the pop that informs me that the toast is ready, only to realize that, after having used … (read more)

We had been talking about forgiveness at our Bible Study, when one lady offered the following thought: "I know God can forgive me, but it's so hard to forgive myself for mistakes I've made." I had known her for some … (read more)

I stood in line, waiting, waiting, waiting — waiting, but still no movement. The people in front and behind began to huff and puff, and gradually, they muttered various obscenities and moved off. For some reason I was quite happy … (read more)

We faced it the Canadian way, with calm panic! Most of us were not prepared for the great blackout of 2003. We had little or no cash on hand. Because our local convenience store owner needed to be on hand … (read more)

At my mother-in-law's funeral, several of the guests were puzzled about her connection to the stringy, long-haired couple dressed in black, wearing matching leather jackets and metal jewellery. "That couple over there — are they in the wrong funeral parlour?" … (read more)

Last Thanksgiving weekend, my daughter and I joined the many others who were intently watching the salmon making their way up the Sauble River to their spawning ground. As we watched them swimming upstream against the current, I thought of … (read more)

Those who are old hands at grand parenting will well identify with the awe afforded those of us who are relatively new at the game. Without the responsibilities and commitments that come with having one's own children, we are given … (read more)

Earlier in the week, we had returned a lost cockatiel to its owner, only to discover that two cockatiels had been lost on the same day in our small town. As I agonized over the likelihood of the cockatiel being … (read more)

One Sunday afternoon last October, a lady came to the door, trying to get rid of a lost cockatiel, which had lit on her shoulder as she walked along. While we put a free "Found" ad in the local paper, … (read more)

By Epiphany, it is time to put Christmas away for another year. By that, I mean taking down the tree, the ornaments, and the things we traditionally fix in our minds as a part of Christmas. One of the last … (read more)

Part of Canada's great beauty is its winter snow. I like to admire it from my window — near the fireplace and a good book! Regularly, though, I must brave the elements and venture into the real world. The first … (read more)

Our renovations that began full-time last April are still continuing. When I look at our photo album — we've been keeping a good record of every phase of the project — I'm amazed at how far we've come, especially considering … (read more)

There's a place near my home in New Brunswick that attracts many tourists each year. The sign on the site encourages one to believe that the car will coast uphill backwards because the hill is magnetic. The directions advise the … (read more)

When we lived in Nova Scotia, newcomers to our home often had a difficult time locating us. They knew that we lived in the village of West Bay, and they would travel in the general direction of our home, until … (read more)

Traditionally, January 1st has been a time of new beginning for us. We look back at the old year, and we look forward down a road yet untravelled. There is a piece of slate in my possession that my grandfather … (read more)