Month: August 2022

No one has penned the "if only" conundrum more appropriately than poet Robert Frost in the selection, "The Road Not Taken": Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And … Read more

When I was a very young girl, until I heard the lonesome steam whistle, I didn't know that a section of California's Northwestern Pacific Railroad tracks were six miles down the mountain from my grandparents' sheep ranch. The wind … Read more

Whenever I walked up to the main house in the morning to look after my granddaughters while my daughter went to work, I always put small treats in my pocket. There were two hard, green spearmint candies — one for Ade, who is the older … Read more

The society that we live in offers an abundance of choices — at times, too many to take in. I find big-box stores to be overwhelming to enter, with their cavernous ceilings and seemingly endless rows of goods piled high. Finding what I … Read more

The warning was clear: "Back off!" I'll never forget it. I had been calmly strolling down the farm lane when suddenly, I found myself being chased by a raging gander, spewing hisses and honks. He swiftly approached me with outstretched … Read more

I love the genial attitude of Paul when he is being interrogated by the local Roman rulers in today's passage. He knows that his life is on the line, but instead of remaining fearfully silent or pleading for forgiveness, he shares his … Read more

It is better to have a good neighbour than a distant friend. – Old Dutch Proverb The other day, I read that since the rise of social media, email, and texting with people all over the world, we have much less contact with the people near … Read more

"Here you go, ma'am!" The rental car dealer handed me the car keys and I happily drove away. I had been involved in a fender bender and now had use of a rental car as a loaner while my car was being repaired. Though totally satisfactory as … Read more

"One, two, three, eyes on me!" I would sing to my Grade One class. I needed to get their attention at the beginning of the lesson to give them instructions and to start teaching them. If they were noisy or if they had wandered from the … Read more

"My goodness, you walk your dog a lot!" My neighbour was walking his black Labrador for the third or fourth time that day. "It's a good way to get my steps in," he explained. "Getting my steps in" seems to be the current exercise craze. … Read more