At first I was only dimly aware of a discomfort in my side as I chatted with our Sunday guests. I tried to keep up my end of the conversation as the discomfort made itself felt more keenly. Half an hour later I could no longer ignore the pain; I told our guests I was … Continue reading In praise of a good nurse
Stories from my life
Angels in the night
This type of truck has become the standard form of grain transportation here in Saskatchewan and across most of Canada. It is called a Super-B train and can haul 46 tonnes, or 1,686 bushels at a time. The two trailers are connected by a fifth wheel hitch, making the unit very stable on the road, … Continue reading Angels in the night
Leadhead and the Golden Rule
I first took note of Norman when the camp leaders took us all on a hike to Lebret. He was a quiet boy, walking with us, yet alone. He seemed like the rest of us, except that he could not hold his head up straight. It tilted towards his right shoulder, almost resting on the … Continue reading Leadhead and the Golden Rule
It’s all my father’s fault
It seems that I've been trying to learn French all my life, always getting a little closer but never quite arriving. I can speak French, but with a wooden tongue (that's a French expression for someone whose pronunciation is somewhat lacking). I fear that my ears may be made of the same material, for I … Continue reading It’s all my father’s fault
Why Couldn’t I Be The Healthy One?
It was the morning after my father's funeral and my cousin Dennis and I were sitting at a table with my mother looking at old photographs. Here was a school phot from when I was in Grade 2 in a one-room school. There were two little boys in the front row, one bright-eyed, smiling and … Continue reading Why Couldn’t I Be The Healthy One?
Driving home beneath the lunar eclipse
We left out friends in Alberta just after 4:00 PM to return home to Saskatchewan. We stopped for supper at Provost and when we got back out on the highway this great white moon was straight in front of us and just above the horizon. There was a little bite out of the left size … Continue reading Driving home beneath the lunar eclipse
Making a faux pas
Today I stepped out of the place where I was working and started out for the nearest convenience store to find myself something to eat. Halfway there I made a misstep (a faux pas) and felt myself going face first towards the ground. My first thought was that I am going to be at a … Continue reading Making a faux pas
Sing Out!
Alf Soper was janitor of the school I attended as a boy. Once he had been a travelling repairman for a farm implement company, then the boss of some large construction projects. New he was old and content to tend the coal fired boiler that heated the two storey brick school, sweep the floors, carry … Continue reading Sing Out!
Do you really want to know how I’m feeling today?
Yesterday I stopped at the pharmacy counter in Walmart to pick up a prescription. There were several pharmacists in the back busily preparing prescriptions for others. I waved at the head pharmacist and said, "How are you Marc?" There was an almost imperceptible hesitation before he answered "Fine'" The clerk who was serving me smiled … Continue reading Do you really want to know how I’m feeling today?
The inward and spiritual grace
The following are statements from the Catechism found in the Book of Common Prayer, which was used for centuries by Anglicans around the world. Catechist. What do you mean by the word Sacrament? Answer. I mean an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given to us by Christ himself, as a … Continue reading The inward and spiritual grace
Flatlander Faith 