Ade, my five-year-old granddaughter, arrived on my doorstep lugging a large package behind her up the snow-covered steps. A parcel had arrived for me, and she was the acting postman. Of course, when I opened the door to receive the … Read more

Kayley, one of my collies, is three years old now and is still a barker. She barks at anything and everything, despite my training, discipline, and frustration with her and this noisy bad habit. Collies do tend to bark, since they are … Read more

As winter approaches each year, many residents of Atlin enjoy playing the waiting game: putting off as many chores to prepare for winter as possible, in exchange for taking advantage of every good weather day that we still have left, so … Read more

The goats love to chew the bark of the aspen trees in the corral — and when they do, the trees die. Then, I have to either cut the trees down or pull the smaller ones out of the ground, which I have discovered is not an easy thing to do. … Read more

Our dogs were barking and barking. Every time I went out to speak to them about this, they would calm down but begin barking again as soon as I turned back into the house. Watching them through the window by the door, I realized that … Read more

I have several beautiful cutwork tablecloths — a fabric design that incorporates embroidery or lace with parts of the fabric cut out to accent shapes. When they are folded up in the drawer, they don't look much different than any of the … Read more

Years ago, I was given an oil painting that depicts a lighthouse. It is something that I treasure, and I hung it in a conspicuous place next to the back door, as it reminds me that the Scriptures are like a lighthouse to guide our lives … 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 started to scratch my head the minute that my daughter announced that my oldest granddaughter had picked up head lice: those creepy-crawly, hard-to-get-rid-of, teeny-tiny creatures that live in your hair and suck your blood. … Read more

My one-year-old miniature dachshund, Simon, is a great little fellow and has fit in well with my other dogs. He has so many positive qualities, but he is still not trustworthy. If I leave him alone in the living room for a few minutes … 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

My granddaughters always have a project in mind for me when I go up to the house to care for them. Recently, it was making masks, fashioned after their latest cartoon heroes. Once the masks had been made, we each had to wear one and … Read more

Recently, I received a commission for a piece of stained glass. At a friend's home, a gentleman had seen a glass that I had created a number of years previously, and he contacted me to see if I would consider doing a similar scene for … Read more

Our goat, Lily, has deformed hooves. This is a hereditary condition and has no cure. I just have to keep the very thick, overgrown hooves trimmed back as much as possible. In Lily's case, this problem also caused her feet to become very … Read more

Each time I take my granddaughters for a walk, I make sure that I check the stroller tires, as one of them has a tendency to lose air and become flat. As I was using the air compressor to top up the tires the other day, I, too, was … Read more

I had been trying for at least six months to make a change to my bank account. I had spoken with the bank numerous times and answered dozens of questions, filled out paperwork, and sent everything in, and yet, I had still not had … Read more

When I finished high school, my dad asked me what I thought that I wanted to do with my life. I told him that I was interested in studying writing, being a veterinarian, working with animals, or studying theology. All were things which at … Read more

Three-year-old Lindy is a late talker. Lindy hears and understands, but the part of her brain that hears sounds and interprets them into speech does not function as it should. It will thus take her much longer to learn to speak than most … Read more

I had walked up to the main house to start the wood stove, as my family was away and the temperature was quickly dropping. As I turned the handle of the back door, preparing to go into the porch and bring in a load of kindling, I heard a … Read more

A favourite game in our house is hide and seek. The girls just love it and want to play it regularly. They never seem to get tired of discovering me, tucked into a large dog kennel or behind the hot water tank. They never weary of my … Read more

When I worked at the hardware store, one of my jobs was to cut keys. People would arrive with a variety of keys and ask me to make duplicates for them. Duplicating a key required three steps: – Finding the right key blank to match the … Read more

When my brother built our greenhouse, he was wise enough to put in a main support that ran along the ceiling from front to back. The winter a year ago, with record snowfalls, we really needed it, for even though we kept the snow and ice … Read more

It was one of those days. Laundry was on the go. Bread for the market was on the go. Projects with the girls were on the go. The dogs were going crazy outside, barking at who knows what. The younger child was throwing a hissy fit again, … Read more

"Oh Mommy, why did this happen to me, and how long will it last?" These were four-year-old Ade's words when she caught the flu this winter. She was confused as to how she got sick and was concerned as to how long she was going to be … Read more

My two-and-a-half-year-old grandchild, Lindy, loves to sing, even though she doesn't yet speak, other than the odd word here and there. What better place to sing but at church? After all, everyone else is singing, so she loves to join … Read more

During the cold, snowy months, my gelding, Frank, does not get out of the corral very often. Once in awhile, though, I deliberately leave the gate open when I go in to feed and clean. When I do, Frank is quick to take advantage of the … Read more

We were headed to Whitehorse, Yukon, with three dogs and two kids under five. An unexpected snowstorm was making driving very difficult. My daughter, needing to find a rest stop, pulled into one that we have used frequently. I didn't … Read more

My granddaughter was busy playing with a Play-Doh™ ice cream sundae machine, which she had received as a gift. I could tell that she was getting frustrated with one aspect of the toy, so I went over to see if she needed help. She said … Read more

"But, but, but" is a common phrase in my world these days, with a rambunctious four-year-old who has her own ideas about things and how she wants to do them. She rummages through the utensil drawer and makes off with the pizza cutter for … Read more

My granddaughters and I, plus two of the dogs, had to spend the day in Whitehorse, Yukon. One of the dogs, Simon, was having surgery, which meant that we had to be on the road by 6 a.m. in order to arrive at the vet's by 8 a.m. The other … Read more

Recently, one of my dogs, Denver, had a veterinarian appointment. Normally, he rides in the truck bed under the canopy. But on this day, he was going to have to ride in the passenger front seat, something that he had never done before. … Read more

When we are zipping along the Alaska Highway, my granddaughters love it if I open the power-operated windows in the back seat so that the exhilarating air rushes in. They yell and scream with delight, especially during the winter months … Read more

Last Christmas, Ade was four, and she was obsessed with watching the movie, The Grinch, over and over again, even after Christmas had long since come and gone. The Grinch's heart was changed as he witnessed how all the evil which he … Read more