A few weeks ago, I was standing in line at my local drugstore when I overheard an interaction between a customer and the pharmacy assistant. "Mrs. X, how are you doing today?" I looked back to see who Mrs. X was because of the kindness … Read more

Oh, what a difference one tiny little letter made! My high school classmate, Annette, had just sent me an email telling about her upcoming surgery for shin cancer. Shin cancer? I'd never heard of such a thing, but knowing that Annette … Read more

John was working with the hired man, Murray, making ductwork in the shop, and I was working in the garden. The shop phone rang and John answered it. He came running to the garden to let me know that the neighbour's barn was on fire. He had … Read more

I went shopping recently and bought some chocolate and sticky toffee puddings for a quick Sunday lunch. I also bought a packet of sponge pot scourers to replace the worn-out ones that I use to clean the pots and pans. When I got to the … Read more

I learned a lesson the other day — don't throw around phrases that can hurt people. I don't mean the "sticks and stones may break my bones but names can never hurt me" kind of stuff (which really do hurt, by the way). I mean referring to … Read more

My grandfather had many admirable traits and a few that made life a bit difficult for his rambunctious grandkids. Grampy was a perfectionist. He was a boat builder who would tear out complete decking if things did not line up perfectly. … Read more

One of our main objectives as parents is to prepare our children to be successful adults. We're delighted when our children remember their "please" and "thank you" and learn how to be good team players. But, if our teenagers don't show any … Read more

My husband John and I farmed for many years. Each summer, we grew a huge garden. We had a small greenhouse to start some vegetables early. I loved to be out in the garden to weed and watch things grow. Seeds were planted and patience was … Read more

Sadly, I did it again. I unleashed my tongue when I should have bitten it. As my husband was leaving the house this morning, I made a remark to him that I was immediately sorry for, the moment after I had said it. His remark back to me … Read more

A few days ago, I attended a funeral for the father of a woman with whom I used to work. This woman's family doesn't live near me, so it was quite a long drive to get to the funeral; the return trip was about 730 kilometres (450 miles). It … Read more

Have you ever had a day when it seemed that everything went wrong? One Saturday, my husband and I attended an information session at the Huronia Museum, where we listened to an elder share her story of the indigenous way of life. We also … Read more

Having been involved in a church committee debate over the colour of paint, I was struck (and maybe stung) by Nan St. Louis' recent devotional, " Where are you? " which mentioned the negative effect on others of Christians who disagree … Read more

During the last week of February and the first week of March, we were on a Caribbean cruise. I am not at all nautically inclined, but I was fascinated by the maritime activities in the various ports that we visited. When we left our port … Read more

As of the middle of July, over 32,000 square kilometres of forest had been burning in Canada's summer heat, with the largest wildfires in Saskatchewan. Over 13,000 people had been forced to leave their homes. There is nothing like the … Read more

The reality is that there is a kind of green-eyed monster of envy in the world, which is not self-sacrificing, but rather self-serving and filled with self-motivation. Envy is evident when we want what others have, and it becomes … Read more

Over the past few years, I have attended three live animal programs. These shows included presentations by air, land, and sea animals. I saw everything from camels to mice responding obediently to the voice of their trainers. One of my … Read more

Caregivers are some of the most undervalued people that we can ever encounter. Over the past twenty-five years, I've seen many caregivers who look after their spouses, their parents, or their special needs children, and I have marvelled … Read more

In an old forest, the competition for growing space can be very severe. The large canopies of the big trees blot out the sunlight, so very little vegetation may be found on the forest floor. It is usually very easy … Read more

Our words can hurt others, often unintentionally, but they hurt nevertheless. Some years ago, I returned to live for a while in my parental home in England. My mother and I had always had a close relationship, but there were … Read more

Remember when grocery shopping was fun and the labels on the products actually told what to expect when you opened the package, bottle, or can? Dad and I would go grocery shopping every Friday evening. We carefully checked the list … Read more

As with other parents, my role often called for the function of peacemaker between my daughter and son during their childhood and teenage years. Now, I have the honour and blessing, with just a little amusement, of seeing my children … Read more

We enjoy the lake that is in our city as much as we can. Having a boat is an added bonus in our lives, and we are very grateful for the time we get to use it. On one particular … Read more

Our little dog, Peanut, is old. He also has only three teeth, which means that keeping his tongue in his mouth is a full-time job. Without his teeth, it is quick to slip out the sides of his lips, which … Read more

Recently, I was in a supermarket, buying a few trifles, for which I would pay with the few two-pound coins that were in my wallet. The checkout assistant drew my attention to one of the two-pound coins and said that … Read more

In the recovery program at our church, we emphasize the definition of insanity as doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. When I thought about it, I realized the truth of it. Reckless, careless drivers … Read more

Since the day of 9/11, we have become very familiar with the term "weapons of mass destruction". We heard over and over again the threat of harm to America and to mankind. This so-called threat led us into war and … Read more

"Miss Fannie always thought I was special," said Jane, as we reminisced about our childhood experiences. "It didn't matter whether others thought so or not. That she thought I was special made a big difference in my life." Jane also … Read more

Not long after the congregation which I formerly served had paved its parking lot, I happened to arrive at the church building on a bright, sunny spring day in the middle of the week, to discover that some of the … Read more

One night not too long ago, I watched on television an old movie, "Sink the Bismarck". The story retold the sinking of the German battleship during World War II. The Bismarck was considered to be the last word in ocean … Read more

Early last fall, we were blessed to be able to take the proverbial "once-in-a-lifetime" trip to Eastern Europe. Our first twelve days were on one of those bus tours that we said we'd never take "because it's only for old … Read more

"Buy something for yourself!" "Depressed? Treat yourself!" "For every 2-3 presents I buy for others, I buy one for myself." "Get a makeover!" "Get what you want this year. Mail your size and colour to us and we will notify … Read more

My granddaughter firmly attached her tongue to a steel pole at school the other day. It took great effort and several people to detach pole from child. When she could talk, she explained that she wanted to see if it … Read more

In my hometown there was an abandoned store, which used to be the company store, when the mining company owned the town. The vacant storefront became a meeting place for the neighbourhood youth. We would congregate on the old porch … Read more