"Here comes the sun, and I say, it's all right…." – George Harrison "Here Comes the Sun" is one of the few major hits George Harrison contributed to the Beatles, but the song showed what a marvellous songwriter he is. … Read more

Oftentimes, television advertisements promote products for people who are in — or want to be in — positions of influence. Their appeal revolves around the power to be lauded, to selfishly say by implication or directly, "I am worth it!" … Read more

Over the years, as I've been privileged to travel in a variety of countries, I've seen many unusual sights. One of the most memorable was when my sister and I stayed in Venice, Italy, for a few days before a cruise. We were walking through … Read more

Some years ago, my husband and I volunteered as ushers at our local theatre, hoping we could see some interesting shows. We did, but the best by far was Handel's Messiah. Handel originally composed The Messiah for the Easter season in … Read more

I got up this morning with a craving to clear out the girls' dressers and closets and to send a bunch of clothing to the Salvation Army. Only Alyson was witness to this, and she shed a few tears to see some clothes go the way of the black … Read more

My summer home is both small and old — 30 years old this year. The appliances have all been updated, but the kitchen sink is original and sometimes hard to get clean. The other day, I scrubbed it with my favourite cleanser, but there were … Read more

Young children can hide in the craziest places. "Levi, do you want to play hide-and-seek with Pop?" "Okay." "You hide, and Pop will find you." I sat in my recliner. He scampered off for the kitchen. "Ready or not, here I come," I … Read more

A stone tower, 32 metres (104 feet) high, stands on Svatobor, a hill near the town of Sušice in Czechia. Reconstructed in 1935, it serves as an observation point, allowing hikers and tourists a stunning view of Sušice and of the … Read more

I caught my breath just a little as I pulled out of my mailbox an envelope with a Portland Bureau of Transportation return address. Opening the letter, I was chagrined to find a citation for speeding. Over my many years of driving, I have … Read more

Back in the days when my daddy was still alive, he ordered from Amazon an 18-pack of super-bright LED flashlights featuring a compact design, constructed of high impact ABS casing in an assortment of colours. Each flashlight had a … Read more

Recently, I experienced a problem with my computer and a tech person was helping me. After some searching, he discovered the problem. He looked at me and said, "You have PEBKAC." My first thought was that my computer had a virus, because … Read more

Of late, I have become somewhat obsessed with the dawn, the morning clothed in ever-changing radiance, which I have captured scores of times with my camera — and still, I cannot do it justice. One of my favourite shots is of the first … Read more

Have you ever had questions that you wish you had asked your parents? As an only child, I have no siblings with whom to converse about various subjects. In a day when birth control was not what it is today, my parents had been married … Read more

As I write this, there are wars raging in various places. The ones most heard and talked about are in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. Dozens if not hundreds of people are being killed every day in the attacks. Meanwhile, so many people are … Read more

We all make mistakes in our lives, and there are things in our past that we often regret. Sometimes, it's about something that we've neglected to do or say, and other times, it could be something that we've said or done. For me, it was my … Read more

No one alive had ever witnessed it. On December 21, 2020, the first day of the winter solstice, two planets, Jupiter and Saturn, aligned so closely that they appeared almost as one, shining so brightly that we could see them with a good … Read more

When I sleep, I always dream, even if I am just nodding off. I can't help myself from doing it, and I have tried to understand why my brain won't shut off at night! I often dream that I am either in the twilight or walking in darkness. … Read more

Have you ever been tagged as part of a group of people? When I was in high school, the athletic guys and girls were known as the "jocks", the academically minded quiet ones were known as "the brains", and some of the tags weren't as … Read more

When Larry and I were younger, we used to go canoeing on the Current River. Usually, we had others to enjoy the ride with us. On one of our trips, we came upon a cave with a spring of water that fed the river. Several of us went in to take … Read more

When I was eleven years old, I attended children's Bible camp where I committed my life to Jesus Christ. At thirteen years of age, a friend of our family gave me a copy of John Bunyan's novel, The Pilgrim's Progress, written in 1678. I … Read more

All the costumes and props for the Sunday School Christmas play had been tidied up and put away. All except one, I thought. A wrapped gift lay in my drawer. I was in charge of the Sunday School, so I kept stuff in the old desk. *I wonder … Read more

Every Monday, six months of the year, I bake desserts for upwards of thirty or more people who receive meals from our local Meals on Wheels program. One woman, who knows where I live, once asked me how this was possible when I have such … Read more

I've just returned from the gas station, where I filled up the gas tank in my car for just under $20. Gas prices in the USA have been rising almost daily to the point where they're more than double what they were two years ago, so you may … Read more

I bought a new-to-me summer home a few months ago. It has fourteen Venetian blinds! I love being able to look out all those windows, but cleaning the blinds has become a bigger job than I had anticipated. I don't think that they've been … Read more

I love living in Arizona, but there is one notable downside: dry skin, particularly on my feet. Many of us wear sandals year-round, so it is an ongoing problem. But I think that I've finally conquered it with daily applications of lotion, … Read more

"I was here first!" It starts so early! This exclamation often ended in some pushing and shoving. The effort to be first in line seems to go way back in my memory. It seemed that to be first in line was some kind of great achievement … Read more

New global weather patterns make their presence felt and impose the requirement to change the way that we do life or else suffer the consequences: drought, wildfires, floods, and landslides, in addition to war, famine, and plague. … Read more

The topic was refugee sponsorship. The conversation was intense, and finally one of those at the meeting said, "Just once, right?" It might have seemed that way to someone new to the refugee crisis. The conflict in Syria had churches … Read more

Last year, COVID-19 restrictions made life tough for all of us. Here in Alberta, Canada, we couldn't get together for Christmas with our family as usual. Our visits were limited to brief encounters outside as my husband and I delivered … Read more

The festival of Sol Invictus, the "Unconquered Sun", on December 25th, was a time when the sun god, Sol, patron of Roman soldiers, was feted. It was a celebration inaugurated by Emperor Aurelian in 274 AD. Houses were decorated with … Read more

Are you ever amazed or surprised at what light reveals to your human eye? There is a small glass prism that sits on my kitchen windowsill. Sometimes, when the afternoon sunlight hits the prism just right, the bending of the light … Read more

I grew up in a small town, and even though I have lived in a big city most of my life, I still claim Mossyrock, Washington, USA, as my hometown. There were 32 of us in my high school graduating class, and none of us would be too … Read more

During this time of COVID-19, we are all being reminded to wash our hands well. This pleading by those who are trying to keep the general population safe reminds me of an experiment we Registered Nurse students had to do when I was in … Read more