Year: 2005

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

October is here again, and riotous colours pour across the Ontario landscape. The trees are sporting every variety of red, auburn, gold, and green. These, of course, are the expected shades of fall in these parts. Around the corner from … Read more

When we first came over from Scotland, our family brought many cherished personal belongings that reminded us of the "auld country". Amongst these treasures was an old hickory-shafted putter that I had owned since I was a child. I bought … Read more

It seemed that children were in every corner of the house. I was desperate for privacy and wanted my husband to expand our old farmhouse in any direction! I came up with dozens of totally impractical schemes that involved knocking … Read more

My mother had a medical problem for which she was required to leave salt out of her diet. She tried several of the salt substitutes on the market, but to no avail: a satisfying substitute was never found for the … Read more

I recently inherited a family heirloom: a pair of silver candlesticks and a pedestalled silver bowl my mother used to call a compote. I treasure these things because they were given to my parents by a grateful congregation my father … Read more

One day, the television in my mom's living room wouldn't work. My dad was at the factory, so I decided to fix it. I was fifteen years old at the time and reckoned it was my moment to do something … Read more

Recently, I was expecting an international student to arrive here in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. Before she came, she e-mailed me, so I would know what day to be at the airport, what time to be there, and the number … Read more

Time has not been kind. There are severe dents and chips on the surface marring its original beauty, and exposure to the elements has eroded the very heart of its character and charm. My current "fix-up" project is to restore … Read more

Last summer, I attended a most unusual wedding. It started out beautifully, with the pastor explaining the politically incorrect but thoroughly biblical pattern for a happy marriage from Ephesians 5. He told us that if husbands would love their wives … Read more