Flowers for Mom
Dear Mom, It’s been so long since we’ve talked. I never had the chance to say goodbye. We all expected you to come home from the hospital the next day. But that changed. Forever. I think of you often....
View ArticleHockey and heartbreak
You know you’re getting old when you can actually remember the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup. It was 1967 – Canada’s centennial. One way or another, the championship would be Canadian as...
View ArticleStand firm
A familiar sound assailed my ears as I walked to the mailbox several weeks ago. The shrill twitter was accompanied by a frenzy of splayed feathers and an exaggerated limp. The message seemed clear...
View ArticleStress less
As a teenager I worked in a small town restaurant. Usually it was fun waiting on tables, chatting with happy people and serving good home style food. I saved enough tip money to buy my first car. On...
View ArticleMaking memories
As daylight dwindled, I sat alone. The crickets chirped their lullaby. The campfire flickered gently. I savoured the peaceful evening and happily pondered the lively afternoon spent with our daughter...
View ArticleIn the nick of time
I woke up one morning last week convinced that it was Friday. As the coffee surged through my veins, I opened my iPad and noticed the date said Saturday. Several minutes passed before I admitted to...
View ArticleSimpler times?
Winter may not be my favourite season, but I do appreciate much of its unique beauty. In the summer I’m often awake early, waiting for the robin’s song to announce sunrise. But in the winter’s darkness...
View ArticleThe strange case of Robert Plant
My daughter Jessica showed up one day with a couple of plant stalks in her hands. “Do you want these, Mom?” she asked, “A woman at church gave them to me.” I examined the pieces – healthy green stems,...
View ArticleGot joy?
“So. Heidi. What gives you joy?” My new friend’s question wasn’t meant to be deep or probing, just a cordial segue into light conversation. Still, I had to think a minute before answering. “My...
View ArticleThe farmer takes a wife
A city kid, Jack dreamed of being a farmer someday. At the age of 21, against the odds, his dream was about to come true. With significant help from his parents and a rare opportunity, he would soon...
View ArticleTake comfort: you’re being watched
“You are being watched.” This ominous warning began each episode of Person of Interest. The science-fiction crime series ran for five seasons. The plot centred around “the Machine,” a sophisticated...
View Article‘Did you see me?’
A few years ago, Jack and I stayed in a vacation rental home in Florida. It was nice enough, but the ornate chandelier was thick with dust and cobwebs. Even Jack saw it. (This is a man who believes...
View ArticleOut of the blue
Norton and I wander down the path through the cornfield. Tall, lush plants wall us in. Tropical conditions this summer have been ideal for corn. It could be a bumper crop. Or it could be a repeat of...
View ArticleDown but not defeated
Steel-grey clouds cluttered the sky as I drove, interrupted only by a few scattered patches of bright blue. On the distant horizon shafts of rain plunged straight down from heaven to earth. In the...
View ArticleSit still!
My father often fell asleep on the sofa with the cat perched on his chest. As the TV droned on, Pa started snoring. Chainsaws couldn’t compete. The cat rose and fell along with Pa’s breathing. He...
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