God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, is one of the oldest English Christmas carols, going back at least 500 years. Not many people sing it today because of scruples about “Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Those words conjure up a picture of old English gentlemen at their ease, their merriment fuelled by great flagons of wine. Except that … Continue reading Peace and joy in the subjunctive mood
Learning
Why? Isn’t always the best question.. or sometimes Odd is just odd!
Why? Isn't always the best question.. or sometimes Odd is just odd!. Worthwhile thoughts on child raising from a blog entitled Photo's, Hodgepodge and Miscellany.
Why parents need to be involved in their child’s education
Governor Jeb Bush of Florida was in Toronto at the end of October to speak on the educational reforms that have moved Florida schools from the bottom tier of educational achievement to near the top. He spoke to the Economic Club of Canada at the Royal York Hotel, the talk was well-publicized and co-sponsored by … Continue reading Why parents need to be involved in their child’s education
Who is the victim here?
A young mother comes into the coffee shop with her three-year-old daughter. - Do you want a doughnut? - No. I want to go home. - Mommy can buy you a chocolate milk. - No. I want to go home. Mommy sees some friends at one of the tables and goes to talk to them. … Continue reading Who is the victim here?
Self-esteem versus reality
I think of this topic every time I look for a birthday card for one of my grandchildren. It is difficult to find a suitable card, most are full of language stoking the little darling’s self-esteem. I would rather choose a goofy card than one that tells them how special, unique and wonderful they are. … Continue reading Self-esteem versus reality
Red Fife wheat for people with gluten intolerance
I remember as a boy picking a head of ripe whet, rolling it in my hands to thresh out the kernels, then popping the kernels into my mouth and chewing them. Pretty soon I would have a gummy wad in my mouth, somewhat like chewing gum. This was the gluten in the wheat kernels. Gluten … Continue reading Red Fife wheat for people with gluten intolerance
Things they didn’t teach us in school: W is a vowel
Most of the time w is used as a vowel. They didn't teach me this in school; I'm not sure it's being taught in school even now. Consider the following: Fawn / faun: aw has exactly the same sound as au. Can you think of any words in which aw is not a vowel sound? … Continue reading Things they didn’t teach us in school: W is a vowel
Getting the point across
My wife and I were getting ready to go to Saskatoon, an hour’s drive from our home. I thought we needed to leave by 9:30 to accomplish all we wanted to do. I busied myself getting ready, preparing the things I needed to take to the places I needed to go. My wife was busy … Continue reading Getting the point across
Spirit-led writing
The biggest publishing sensation during my younger years was On the Road by Jack Kerouac. He had taken a long roll of paper, aligned the top edge of the roll on the platen of his typewriter and never stopped typing until he had filled the roll from top to bottom. A publisher decided to take … Continue reading Spirit-led writing
To build and to plant
Starting this blog was an attempt to get myself motivated to do more writing, and to improve my communication skills. I want to be able to write like C. S. Lewis or G. K. Chesterton. Since I'm already 71, that may be beyond my reach. Still, I don't want to set my sights any lower. … Continue reading To build and to plant
Flatlander Faith 