As I sit here at the computer contemplating the upcoming Christmas season, I note how the old or should I say “my” Christmas traditions are slowly being replaced by new ones. Not a bad thing, just different and it has taking me some time to get my head around these changes. Then just when I..
Thank you to all who entered the Goodreads giveaway for my book, The Sleepover. It was so heart-warming and rewarding for me to see so many of you from all across Canada show an interest in my story. Writing “The Sleepover” gave me pleasure on so many fronts. First, I wanted everyone to know about..
As Black Friday weekend approaches, I thought I would share with you observations I have made over the years about the way most men approach Christmas shopping. Now in their defence, circumstances over the past couple of years have forced dramatic changes upon them, but the genuine lack of interest in gift hunting has always..
Family Sayings: I have often wondered how our language, the words we use in our everyday life, came into being. Why is a chair called a chair, a friend named a friend, etc.? Well, our family like everyone else’s clan, has a few exclusive words or phrases that are used only by us. This jargon..
COVID has made everyone take a good hard look at their lives. The very first lockdown back in March 2020 hit everyone in the running lights. Mass layoffs, restricted movements, no school, etc. affected everyone. Young people, who had busy working and family lives suddenly found themselves stuck at home with just the spouse and..
With the celebration of Thanksgiving this weekend, I wanted to stop and think about all the things I am thankful for. It really comes as no surprise to me that my gratitude is mostly aimed at those who in the past and in the present have touched and influenced my life. As I get older,..
After Grandparents’ Day I turned my thoughts to my own grandparents who have long gone. I was only 14 when my Grandpa died and my Grandma joined him five years later. I am so grateful that I have wonderful memories of my times with them. Grandma always wore a house dress complete with a bib..
For the past year and a half, it seems everyone is upgrading or making repairs to their homes. At first, I wondered why this was happening at this particular time considering the price of lumber has gone through the roof, a shortage of building supplies exists and the wait lists for contractors to do your..
How many of us have said to our children, out of sheer frustration, “You just wait until you have kids of your own.” Well for many of us, that day has arrived and what a blessing it is. What a gift. Grandparents the world over are all alike. All of us think our grandkids are..
When we were in our early 50s Chuck would often say, “When I retire, I’m going to buy one of those big RVs and we can travel around the country and see the sights.” Now this might have been his idea of fun and adventure at the time, but it certainly wasn’t mine. “Have you..