My cousin Ted turned 76 today. No, that's not Ted in the picture. It looks more like me, except that I can still stand up straight and I'm not nearly that skinny — yet. I'm working on it, but it's coming pretty slow. There was a day when I believed that anyone past thirty was over … Continue reading How did I get so old, so fast?
Whimsy
The bugs of summer are here
We congratulate ourselves sometimes that we live in a country where winter protects us from the kind of bug problems they have in some other places, say the southern USA for instance. Nevertheless, short though our summers may be, there are bugs that thrive in that season. Mosquitoes, grasshoppers and ticks, for instance. The vet … Continue reading The bugs of summer are here
Old age is not a disease
I had a birthday a couple of years ago. They come every year, for me as for most people, but this was the one that marked me definitively as being an old man. I told my family and friends that I did not want anyone telling me that I was 70 years young. I was … Continue reading Old age is not a disease
Cloven hooved rodents and Irish Spring soap
I was hauling a load of garbage to the dump this morning; a pickup truck was coming my way, returning from the same errand. Shortly before we met, a mule deer went bounding across the road between us. Yes, we live in the country where the deer and the antelope roam. Way too many of … Continue reading Cloven hooved rodents and Irish Spring soap
A wrench in the gears
Thursday afternoon I was driving my wife to the seniors home to cook supper for the residents, with plans to go into Saskatoon for a Toastmasters meeting that evening. We had gone less than half a mile down the gravel road that leads to the highway when were startled by a loud clattering from the … Continue reading A wrench in the gears
Changes, changes
I was maybe eight years old when Dad bought me a bicycle. He knew that he was only going to be able to buy me one bike, so he bought a sturdy full size bike and fastened blocks to the pedals so I could reach them. It was too big for me to mount in … Continue reading Changes, changes
Not do to, but do for
One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others. LEWIS CARROLL, The Letters of Lewis Carroll
Not how it’s supposed to work
Someone once described education as a process whereby information gets from the teacher’s outline into the student’s notebook without passing through the mind of either. -Douglas Wilson
Workplace hazards
The following ominous warnings came with a tool that I bought the other day. The bold face and capitalization are exactly as found in the instructions. Always Wear Protective Clothing and Equipment. Do Not wear Loose Clothing or Jewelry. They can be caught in Moving Parts. Protective Gloves and Non-skid Footwear are recommended. Approved Guards … Continue reading Workplace hazards
Start somewhere progress report
Well, I haven’t got as far with the weight loss project as I had hoped. After 30 days I was down six pounds. But hey, that’s still six pounds that I don’t have to carry around anymore. I am doing OK with the eating less part, not so well with the part of moving more. … Continue reading Start somewhere progress report
Flatlander Faith 