Year: 2004

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