Image by fkevin from Pixabay Our oldest grandson obtained his 1A license yesterday, which means he is qualified to drive a tuck like the one illustrated above. That brought back memories of when I worked in the Post Office in Moose Jaw almost fifty years ago. Most of the time I worked the night shift, which was when … Continue reading Asphalt cowboys
Stories from my life
How did we make it this far?
Nothing has been heard from this corner for ten days. I don’t have a good explanation for that, except that my mind has been elsewhere. Our 50th wedding anniversary is coming up in a few days and I have been contemplating how we got here and where do we go from here. In between all … Continue reading How did we make it this far?
What are we afraid of?
I was afraid of a lot of things as a boy, the two main ones being girls and dogs. Girls were different, mysterious; they didn’t look, talk or act like boys. The thought of actually speaking to one crippled my mind and my tongue. Yet there was always a girl or two that I could … Continue reading What are we afraid of?
Only an empty box
Agnes grew up 100 years ago on a farm in southwestern Saskatchewan. Her parents were members of a church which called itself Mennonite and worshipped in the German language. At home the family spoke a Low German dialect called Plautdietsch, and English. There were 14 children in the family, spaced about two years apart. Agnes … Continue reading Only an empty box
Memories of the 1998 Ice Storm
We had been to Saskatchewan to celebrate my mother’s 90th birthday. We left Moose Jaw on New Year’s Day, 1998 and arrived at our home at Acton Vale Quebec about 3:00 am Monday January 4. There was a gentle rain falling and by the time we were up and around in the morning it had … Continue reading Memories of the 1998 Ice Storm
We lost Rose
My phone rang this morning as we were getting ready to leave for church. It was brother-in-law Jim; his first words were “We lost Rose.” We were with the family yesterday around Rose’s hospital bed in Moose Jaw. We couldn’t tell if she knew we were there or not, but she was still breathing. Her … Continue reading We lost Rose
A refuge
A refuge, a place where I could escape the storms that beat around me; that’s what I needed. When one is young, many storms are more imagined than real. But my father’s anger was real. He was not violent, but when he lost his temper angry words rang throughout the house, seemed to be in … Continue reading A refuge
Why I am a member of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
I was looking for a home—a family. An inner longing was pushing me to search for a church where there would be truth and warmth. Sometimes in my mind I thought I had found it, but that inner longing told me—No, this isn’t what you need. I met many good people along the way, picked … Continue reading Why I am a member of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
Anchored in the rock
My father’s parents came from St. Lawrence County in upstate New York. They were dairy farmers because the soil there could not support any other kind of agriculture. That area is part of the Canadian shield, where the solid bedrock is often exposed, and never far below the surface. This is the kind of soil … Continue reading Anchored in the rock
Midsummer rambles and rumbles
I spent the past few days visiting the brothers and sisters of the congregation at Roxton Falls, Quebec and worshipped with them last Sunday. The purpose of the trip was to wok on the editorial revision of a church history book recently translated into French. The other three members of the French editorial committee are … Continue reading Midsummer rambles and rumbles
Flatlander Faith 