After six years and 1,127 posts it is perhaps time to refurbish this site, and Canada Day, July 1, seems a good time to do it. The first thing I have done is drop the Antiquarian Anabaptist title. It seemed like a good idea six years ago but has begun to sound kitschy to my … Continue reading The blog formerly known as Antiquarian Anabaptist
writing
Epilogue
That is the end of the story I set out to write, but not the end of the journey. We spent 15 years in Ontario, 5 in Québec and have been back in Saskatchewan for 20 years. We are living in the Swanson congregation, where I saw no hope of finding work 40 years ogo. … Continue reading Epilogue
Writing and witnessing
There are two kinds of writers. First is the novice who has a burning desire to tell a story or to announce some truth. Feeling insecure in his ability, he adopts a formal tone, uses the most impressive words he can find, adds adjectives - lots of bold, beautiful, glorious, exuberant adjectives. He leaves nothing … Continue reading Writing and witnessing
Chapter 1 – Why couldn’t I be the healthy one?
My cousin Dennis has often been a friend in time of need, knowing just when to show up. He came over the morning after my father’s funeral and we sat around a table with my mother, reliving bygone days with the help of her old photographs. There were photos of my father breaking land, of … Continue reading Chapter 1 – Why couldn’t I be the healthy one?
Preface
Half a century ago a drunken young man announced to a couple of friends that one day he would be a Mennonite and wear a beard. His friends dismissed this as babbling inspired by the booze he had consumed. The young man himself was bewildered. The few Mennonites he had met, from his mother’s side … Continue reading Preface
Cloud based writing
One morning almost 60 years ago I entered a classroom to write my Grade 11 Composition final exam. I breezed through the first few pages, confident that I understood English grammar. The last page stopped me cold. It called for an essay on one of the topics in a long list. None of those topics … Continue reading Cloud based writing
If you are a writer . . .
If you are a writer . . . - you love words, you study words, their origins and all the nuances of their meanings. You don’t aim to dazzle readers with the knowledge you acquire, you want to be able to select the best words to make your readers see what you are seeing. - … Continue reading If you are a writer . . .
Juggling jobs
I am getting old, I call myself semi-retired, but it seems that I have more demands on my time than ever before, and I'm not at all sure that I'm managing my time wisely. I am a bookkeeper: A large part of my income is pension, but I still have five bookkeeping clients that I … Continue reading Juggling jobs
The origin of the Bible
[This is an attempt to write a Bible study lesson for twelve to fourteen year old children. I invite you to read it and tell me what you think. All helpful criticism, comments and suggestions are welcome.] People who do not have a system of writing pass on their history from generation to generation by … Continue reading The origin of the Bible
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
Flatlander Faith 