Month: October 2005

I was looking at an old photo, taken in the fall some years ago, showing our family walking down a country road amid a blaze of coloured leaves. It brought back pleasant memories of days now gone by. A photo, … Read more

When my children were growing up, we lived on a farm, and we did not have a whole lot of things, but what we did have was a lot of love — and for that we were very thankful One … Read more

Over the years, I have received many gifts: at my birthday, at Christmas, and at other times. Some were expensive; all made my life a little happier, at least for a while. It occurred to me the other day that … Read more

When my children came down for breakfast, cheerfully singing a little tune, I cried out, "Sing before breakfast and cry before noon!" After all, I had learned that from my mom and my granny, so it must be a true … Read more

When I worked in medical records, an efficiency expert was brought into the department to streamline the assembling of the medical records. He pointed out each step, emphasizing the importance of each person's contribution and their role in the total … Read more

I once grew an apple tree from seed in my apartment in Glasgow. The bay windows in the living room faced south, so this tree flourished. I was very proud of it and even took it to the Maybole manse … Read more

I was driving down the Interstate and had an arterial venial malformation — a leak in my brain — and as a result, within fifteen seconds, I was totally unconscious. The end result was two brain surgeries and six years … Read more

What do an English-speaking grandma and a little girl who only speaks Spanish have in common? Not long ago, I would have answered, "Not very much." This summer, however, I found the courage to step outside my comfort zone … Read more

We recently took a trip in a hot air balloon. After a few missed starts due to weather, the perfect day arrived. I was expecting us to rise from the earth in a gush of heat and power which would … Read more

On the first Sunday of each month we celebrate communion in our church. On a recent occasion, I sat looking over the small crowd gathered for worship and thought how our congregation avoided this service. I felt disheartened. I had … Read more