I’m having second thoughts about “environmentally friendly” light bulbs that produce little heat. I live in Saskatchewan and that heat was not a wasteful byproduct. On Christmas day this year the sun rose at 9:15 AM, set at 5:00 PM and the high for the day was -26° Celsius. We are saving energy on our … Continue reading Lament for the incandescent light bulb
Saskatchewan
Memories of Christmases past
December 24, 1955. At 11:15 PM my parents and I got into our old GMC half ton and drove into town and through it to the little white Anglican church on the north side. I was driving, even though I was only thirteen, almost fourteen. An RCMP constable attended this church, too, but he carefully … Continue reading Memories of Christmases past
Still missing Penny
Penny was the only dog I ever really loved. He was the family dog of my childhood, an old-fashioned shaggy farm collie, not a narrow-headed, pointy-nosed mutant like today’s purebreds. He was black in colour, with a white collar and chest, and a white stripe down his face, very mild-mannered in disposition, not at all … Continue reading Still missing Penny
Business and Church
I grew up on the edge of a small Saskatchewan town. There were four grocery stores and three churches. One store was owned by a cousin quite a few years older than myself, another by an old friend of my family, another was owned by a Catholic family and the fourth was the local Co-op. … Continue reading Business and Church
Illiteracy in Elementary and Secondary Schools
[The decline in the public education system did not begin yesterday. These paragraphs are excerpted from a book published almost 60 years ago. The difference today is that most people accept this as normal - they don't remember a time when things were different.] Is it possible that this timidity, this excessive appeal to "interest", … Continue reading Illiteracy in Elementary and Secondary Schools
Father Goose
I was working outside this afternoon, putting our water hoses away for the season and listening to the chatter of Canada geese from a pond about a half mile away. I couldn’t see the pond from ground level, there is a railway line between here and there that is built up high enough to block … Continue reading Father Goose
Are we accumulating friends or enemies?
I once read this statement and it has stuck in my mind: "Friends may come and friends may go, but enemies accumulate." It was probably said by some famous person or by a character in a famous book, but that part didn't stick. I think there are two reasons why it stuck in my mind. … Continue reading Are we accumulating friends or enemies?
Living waters or bitter waters? (Monday’s version)
“There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God,” (Psalm 46:4). Ezekiel and the apostle John recorded visions of clear, pure, life giving water that flowed from the throne of God. Jesus told a Samaritan woman that He could give her water that would forever satisfy the thirsting of her … Continue reading Living waters or bitter waters? (Monday’s version)
Three score and ten
We spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. So teach us to number our days, that … Continue reading Three score and ten
Illusions
I was awakened early one summer morning by a “tweetie-tweet-tweet-tweet - thunk!” directly outside our bedroom window, repeated over and over again. I finally got up and peeked through the blind. There was a yellow warbler on the outside window ledge. He would sing his song, then fly up toward the top corner of the … Continue reading Illusions
Flatlander Faith 