The picture in yesterday's post showed Canada's most famous ship, the Bluenose, a fishing schooner launched at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in 1921. The Bluenose won the International Fisherman's Race numerous times in the 1920's and 1930's, being defeated only once. It also set the record for the largest load of fish brought into Lunenburg harbour. … Continue reading The Bluenose
But that’s not what ships are made for
I once had a poster with a picture of a sailing ship at rest in a calm harbour. The caption read: A ship in a harbour is safe — but that's not what ships are made for. There have always been Christians who thought that the safest way to live a pure Christian life was to … Continue reading But that’s not what ships are made for
Bean counters – part 2
André was a big man, six feet tall and weighing over 300 pounds. He had had a painful childhood, much of it spent in an orphanage, but in the orphanage he learned how to cook. This was the one marketable skill that he carried into adult life and he discovered that there were mining camps … Continue reading Bean counters – part 2
Bean counters
People like myself (bookkeepers & accountants) are sometimes referred to as bean counters. The none-too-complimentary implication is that we spend hours at our desks sorting beans into little piles with no idea of what those beans represent. It isn't necessarily so. I used to work in the quality assurance department of a factory that made … Continue reading Bean counters
Reality, Respect, Responsibility
A modest proposal to revitalize the education system 1. Reality Education should be geared towards teaching children how to think, not what to think. This means equipping them to be literate, numerate and articulate. Those are the fundamental skills that will enable them to learn everything else they will need to learn in life. Children … Continue reading Reality, Respect, Responsibility
Let’s eradicate Black Friday in Canada
In the USA, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, the day that Christmas merchandise goes on sale for the first time. It's a big thing, usually the highest dollar volume of sales for the year. In Canada it obviously just a crass copy-cat attempt to pry a little more money out of shoppers' bank … Continue reading Let’s eradicate Black Friday in Canada
Thanks-living
$9.60 for a tonsillectomy
Saturday evening I was looking through some old papers and came across the following bill from when my tonsils were removed 71 years ago. Providence Hospital, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan July 10, 1946 Tonsillectomy Hospital 2 days X 1.50 3.00 Operating Room 5.00 Medicine .10 Laboratory 1.50 Total $9.60
The Day I Had to Bully My Father
Two years later we had a very dry summer. About the only things that flourished were the Russian thistles. Then they would dry up, break off at ground level and blow across the prairie landscape. Often they would collect in great masses along fence lines, becoming fire hazards. Dad liked to collect them in a … Continue reading The Day I Had to Bully My Father
Minimum Requirements For Farming
A wide-brimmed hat, one pair of blue jeans and $20 boots from the discount store. At least two head of livestock, preferably cattle, one male and one female. A new air-conditioned pickup with automatic transmission, power steering and a trailer hitch. A dog to ride in the bed of the pickup. A gooseneck trailer small … Continue reading Minimum Requirements For Farming
