Prioritizing doesn’t work for me

My wife had her first round of chemotherapy on Monday and Tuesday. It went as well as one can expect this sort of thing to go – they were long, tiring days but she doesn't appear to feel any worse from it. After another round or two (the treatments will be monthly) her energy level … Continue reading Prioritizing doesn’t work for me

Robins and skunks on O’Malley Road

The songbirds are back: robins, meadowlarks and others – spring has come to Saskatchewan. Sometimes we can even tell it by the weather. Last Saturday was a beautiful sunny day with a high of 22° Celsius. That would be 72° in Americanese. This morning the ground was white again for several hours and the high for … Continue reading Robins and skunks on O’Malley Road

In praise of a good nurse

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

Who let these people in?

There is a fine Christian lady doctor of our acquaintance who believes Canada is letting in way too many people from Asia and Africa. She is originally from South Africa, but left when black people were allowed to form the government. She fears for Canada's future. She's wrong of course. The native people of Canada … Continue reading Who let these people in?

Is morning coming earlier?

  Most readers of this blog will now be on Daylight Saving Time. Here in Saskatchewan we didn’t set our clocks ahead. When I was a boy, the province was on Mountain Time and towns and cities could choose whether to go on Daylight Saving Time. In addition, the eastern half of the province lies … Continue reading Is morning coming earlier?

Looking for sense in the scent

My wife woke me at 7:00 AM Saturday, saying "We've got to get out of the house!" When the cobwebs had cleared from my brain, my nose told me the cause of her concern. The pungent odour of skunk was permeating the house. We live in a mobile home and were aware that a skunk … Continue reading Looking for sense in the scent

A 90 Year-Old Shares Life Lessons

Trouble with big sister

[This is another excerpt from When I was thirteen] Waubuno, Ontario  March 30, 1897 Today was Saturday, and I did quite a lot of work. I had a set-to with Jessie, though. She gets pretty bossy some times and then I get balky. When she starts to lord it over me, it makes me have … Continue reading Trouble with big sister

Writng tips #2: 10 tips for writing more simply

[I have borrowed, translated and adapted these tips from a French website. That explains the references to French authors, in case you were wondering. These tips are intended for use in writing for the web, but would be useful in many other types of writing as well.] 1. Thou shalt write short sentences. You are … Continue reading Writng tips #2: 10 tips for writing more simply

This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting

Jesus came down from the mountain where He had been transfigured and found a great crowd gathered around his disciples and a demon-possessed boy. At the end of the account, after casting the demon out of the child, He told His disciples "Howbeit, this kind cometh not out but by prayer and fasting." The disciples … Continue reading This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting