We have invitations to three weddings posted on our fridge. We would like to be at all of them, but the only one we will for sure attend is the one that takes place tomorrow in our home congregation. This one involves a young man from Mississippi who is marrying a sister of our son-in-law. … Continue reading Marriage
Saskatchewan
Land of Living Skies
Our Saskatchewan license plates proclaim that this is the "Land of Living Skies," I suppose that refers to the gorgeous sunsets that we see pretty much every evening. In spring and fall it could also describe the flocks of migratory birds that pass over our heads. Especially in fall. In spring the birds are in … Continue reading Land of Living Skies
I am not a dog lover
Up until I was nine years old my parents had a black and white collie named Penny. He was the only dog I ever really loved, a constant companion in my wanderings over the hills and valleys of our southern Saskatchewan farm, and my protector. Later on we had a fox terrier named Trixie. She … Continue reading I am not a dog lover
Good people don’t go to church
It was different when I was a boy; then all the good people went to church. We didn’t come right out and say that those who didn’t go to church were bad people, but they were considered rather disreputable. Somewhere along the line the churches got the notion that their calling was to make the … Continue reading Good people don’t go to church
Remittance men
Remittance men began to appear in the Canadian West around 1880, in the early years of settlement. Well-to-do fathers in England groomed their oldest son to follow in their footsteps. The eldest son generally developed a mature sense of responsibility and found a ready opportunity to show his abilities. The second son often did not … Continue reading Remittance men
Red Fife wheat for people with gluten intolerance
I remember as a boy picking a head of ripe whet, rolling it in my hands to thresh out the kernels, then popping the kernels into my mouth and chewing them. Pretty soon I would have a gummy wad in my mouth, somewhat like chewing gum. This was the gluten in the wheat kernels. Gluten … Continue reading Red Fife wheat for people with gluten intolerance
Canada Day trivia
Who was the first Prime Minister of Canada? This is a tricky question. The first Prime Minister after Confederation in 1867 was John A McDonald. But the Act of Union of 1841 merged Upper Canada and Lower Canada (now Ontario and Québec) into the United Province of Canada. The first elected leader of the United … Continue reading Canada Day trivia
Don’t strike out at the pulpit
The story is told of a Scottish reverend who went out one day to visit his parishioners. When he entered a local shop, the proprietress immediately thanked him for the wonderful sermon that he had preached a fortnight ago. Now the reverend was wary of attempts at flattery, so he questioned her about the topic … Continue reading Don’t strike out at the pulpit
This blog’s first anniversary
June 13 was the first anniversary of this blog, a milestone that suggests a need to reflect on what I am doing here and where I want to go. As a side note, June 13 was also the date of our daughter's fourteenth wedding anniversary. That is an event much more worthy of celebration. It brought … Continue reading This blog’s first anniversary
Maybe snow isn’t so bad, after all
Where I live we suffered through a long winter and a spring that progressed at a barely discernible pace. The weather always gives us something to talk about here in Saskatchewan, mostly in a worried or complaining tone, but summer did eventually show up, just as it always has. Now we are in those glorious … Continue reading Maybe snow isn’t so bad, after all
Flatlander Faith 