When the light returns here in the far north of Canada after the long, dark days of winter, people feel such relief. Another cold, dark season is behind us. The long days of light, up to 22 hours of it, are spread before us. Jesus went … Read more
Author Archive
The Unravelling
My kitten, Earl, has certainly livened up my little household of dogs. He gets into things where the canines would never go, and thus, I am kept on my toes learning to think like a cat. His latest escapade took place in the bathroom as I … Read more
The New Addition
Earl Grey came to me after two other families had failed to collect him. He is a grey tabby, and he loves to get into everything. I have discovered him everywhere from inside my mop pail to inside a cloth bag that had been left on the … Read more
The Upcoming Move
In early May, we will be relocating to a lovely acreage in the Tawatinaw Valley, Alberta, Canada. As I think upon all that such a move will entail, I become more and more aware of what will need to be packed and what will need to find a … Read more
The Two Houses
My neighbour recently dropped by for a visit. She had never been over to our place, even though we lived across the street from one another. As she and her little boy walked up our driveway, she was astounded at the amount of light that … Read more
The Same Old, Same Old
Denver, my ninety-five-pound dog, has a habit. He routinely stands beside the dog food bin licking its outside. Day in and day out, the same old, same old: lick, lick, lick. By his behaviour, you would think that I starved him, even though … Read more
The Greedy Goat
Marshall, our goat, is a greedy goat. Whenever I throw scraps or take treats into the corral, he rushes ahead of everyone else and gobbles down as much as he can as quickly as he can. When Frank, the horse, and Lily and Agnes, our other … Read more
The Tarahne
The Tarahne is an historical boat in dry dock on the shores of Atlin Lake in the town of Atlin, British Columbia, Canada. Once upon a time, she sailed upon the waters of the lake, full of tourists, and being useful as she delivered goods … Read more
The Tension
I crochet many blankets for babies. Recently, I had just begun one when it occurred to me how well this particular colour went with my décor. I thus decided to pick up more yarn and increase the size of the piece. I now have a lovely … Read more
The Comfortable Horse
We all noticed that Frank, my horse, had been coming out of the barn less and less. He needed to be moved out of his comfort zone, so I put a lead rope on his halter and insisted that he move out into the yard. But I realized immediately … Read more
The Inspiration
Some time ago, a reader of the PresbyCan devotional responded this way to a devotional of mine that had appeared: "Thanks for continuing to put the world back together, one inspired thought at a time." As I read her words, God really … Read more
The Sandwich
First came two pieces of freshly baked bread. One slice was spread with a bit of butter, the other with a hint of mayonnaise. Next, thinly sliced turkey was layered, then tomato. Cucumber adorned the tomato. Extra-old white cheese topped … Read more
The Indescribable Gift
Another Christmas has come and gone. The children were enthralled with the tree and the piles of brightly wrapped gifts beneath it. They couldn't wait to start handing out presents and then to rip into their own as well as to help the … Read more
The Flames
We were halfway through our Christmas Eve carol and candle-lighting service when it happened. One of the burning Advent wreath candles ignited a spray of red silk poinsettias. Fortunately, a parishioner sitting in a front pew had the … Read more
The Question
My granddaughters each received a Christmas colouring and activity book from our church congregation. The girls were both delighted. One day as Ade, the elder, was working on a page, she asked me to read the caption beneath. It was … Read more
The Secret
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
The Barker
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
The Waiting Game
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 Aspens
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
The Barking Dogs
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
The Unfolding
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
The Technique
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
The Unfinished Work
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
The Green Candy
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 Broken Glass
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
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