They call them "fairy stones" in Scotland. One sees them in the middle of fields. The owner of the field works around them and tries not to disturb these very large boulders, for fear of bringing a curse upon his … (read more)

My youngest child, Tucker, turned four on October 30th, and for the first time, he had a children's birthday party. He decided on a "Thomas the Tank Engine" theme, and since I know how to decorate cakes, I thought I … (read more)

Recently, I had a kitchen disaster, when the frying pan I used burst into flames. I had put the pan on too high a flame, which caused the oil in the pan to overheat. When I put the wet vegetables … (read more)

How often, upon doing something, or experiencing something, have you realized that something you'd done before prepared you for the experience at hand? All my life, I've walked, and for years, often did so with my dog or on my … (read more)

A waiting room is a terrible place. Through the births of four grandchildren and many surgeries of my family members, I can testify to this fact. Sitting in a waiting room, one's emotions run the gamut from fear to hopefulness. … (read more)

Years ago, when I was a small child growing up in Bermuda during the Second World War, gifts under the Christmas tree were few and far between. Times were hard; most gifts were hand-me-downs adjusted to fit the child's age. … (read more)

Christmas Eve at our house has always been a time of high excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, it was not always for the right reasons. Our tradition for the 34 years my wife and I have been married has been to … (read more)

"Son, why didn't you sing today?" Mama asked. "You love singing carols." She was right. I knew them by heart, having listened to her Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, and Nat King Cole Christmas albums over and over again. There are … (read more)

Earlier this year, we had a power cut, and I had to make my way downstairs in the dark. Since then, I have invested in a torch. Surprise, surprise — we had another power cut just a few weeks ago. … (read more)

The students in our little school were invited to visit another school some miles away. It was too far to walk. Our parents thought such a trip to be frivolous. (Every student was blessed to attend class because we were … (read more)

There were 37 people to recruit, and not much time. Complicating matters was the age factor — most possible participants were over 70 years old. Seniors putting on a Christmas play, and a controversial one at that! Wow! I must … (read more)

I've got my favourite bumper-sticker Bible verse on my car again. It's today's verse from Psalm 20. I printed it out in large letters and put it on the inside of my back window. Once again, when I'm stopped at … (read more)

It's getting near that time again — with children getting excited and wanting to hear the old, old story once again. The one I refer to here is "The Night Before Christmas", when not a creature was stirring, not even … (read more)

Our boys are beyond the age of toys — well, toys in the price range we can afford. They are into the electronic toys of today. So I am not sure why on this particular day I found myself thumbing … (read more)

Suddenly, I was awakened! The sound was scary: vicious winds and pounding rain! It was the third bad storm to hit British Columbia's west coast in ten days. The leaves had long since been whipped off the trees, and the … (read more)

The first seventeen verses of Matthew's Gospel wreak havoc with my computer's spell-checker. As I look at the passage before me, most of the names are underlined in red, simply because my computer doesn't recognize them and wants to fix … (read more)

One day recently, enclosed with my Chatelaine magazine, I received a brochure from the Royal Canadian Mint with the title, "Rejoice, in the spirit of giving", in fairly bold letters. Then, in smaller letters, the following wording appeared: "Distinctive holiday … (read more)

Did you know that tinsel was invented in Germany about 1610 and was made from real silver until the 1960s? Me neither! Every year, Mom tossed the old and purchased new because the old strands didn't have the same lustre. … (read more)

Most of us are getting caught up right now in the hype of Christmas giving. We've probably got lists, and stores to shop. We may have been searching online and getting things delivered to our home. We all want to … (read more)

What is the Christmas season like where you live? Here in southern Ontario, every town has a Santa Claus parade, declaring the holiday shopping season to be officially open. One local community even has a "Light Up Night". Storeowners welcome … (read more)

Ah! Christmas time! Part of Christmas is the music. I often sit listening, enthralled by those wonderful carols that we all have heard from childhood, and for which we know all the words for the first verse — and often … (read more)

The stories recently in the media about the shoppers in parts of the United States going out at midnight to do their Christmas shopping, only to be disappointed because the parking lots were already full, and about the women who … (read more)

All right! I admit it! I am a regifter! I disagree with the few social experts who insist that it is indelicate at the very least and downright rude at its worst. I regift. I learned it from no stranger. … (read more)

When we are in an airplane, we trust and hope that the landing approach will be a smooth one. What, then, about our approach to wherever it is we are going? If it is a vacation or a visit to … (read more)

Our church is currently doing an online study of C.S. Lewis' great book, "Mere Christianity". It was written during the dark days of World War II and is based on the weekly BBC radio talks he gave to the British … (read more)

For the first time in twenty years, I visited the town where I grew up. A great deal had changed. However, en route to the banquet I was attending, I passed the block where three funeral parlours still stand. Memories … (read more)

Most of the year, my street is dark. It is a curving road with lots of trees and shrubs — not a friendly way after darkness has fallen. But in early December, something happens to turn the darkness into light. … (read more)

In the winter, when daylight saving time brings darkness an hour earlier, some of our churches move the evening services back an hour so people can get home before darkness sets in. There are many reasons for this, one being … (read more)

Through this past year, many of us have had things for which we made preparations. Personally, I prepared myself for a graduation that took two years of effort before the day became a reality. Others have prepared for things like … (read more)

I remember that Friday well. It had been a heavy work week at the Long Term Care Centre. The flu virus had invaded our staff; dedicated caregivers filled the slack. We struggled to meet the needs of our residents adequately. … (read more)

Years ago, my husband bought me a brand new, full-length leather coat. I felt very special while wearing this coat. It was stylish. This coat had a zip-out liner, so I could wear it year-round. It was very warm with … (read more)