Month: January 2004

On a Sunday morning recently, our youth pastor's baby daughter was being baptized, and the parents chose to have their two-year-old daughter, Catherine, stand up with them during the baptism. Before the service began, Tammy, Catherine's mother, explained to her … Read more

I like my food — not that it is an obsession. The other day I sat down to eat pudding that I had taken from the fridge for my dessert. It was one of those bought creme caramels that are … Read more

One of our friends, whom I'll call Bob, has a passion for the game of Scrabble. He takes great delight in beating his opponents, but sometimes they have reason to complain about his interpretation of the rules. The argument begins … Read more

At first, our mailman thought it must be someone's birthday, but then he too offered condolences on the death of my sister. Many kind people remembered us with cards and letters. One of those cards has become especially important to … Read more

One recent morning, I cleaned the cooker. It had been looking reproachfully at me for some time. You know, likely, how it is: despite the best intentions, muck becomes stuck to the surface. Life passes by, and, slowly at first, … Read more

Have you ever accidentally overheard part of a conversation or one side of a telephone call that has stayed in your mind for months afterward? This happened to me when we were travelling in the Yukon in the spring … Read more

It was September already, and the curling season was fast approaching. While I had enjoyed this sport in the past, I was now having my doubts. I was a year older, I had gained some extra pounds while vacationing in … Read more

I had stripped the bed to launder the sheets. While I might have waited for this load of laundry to finish, and then transfer it to the dryer, I decided to use the spare sheets and complete the task of … Read more

For years I have been fascinated with my family's history. I've traced my family name, Ingalls, back to 1598, read about the struggles of the early settlers as they made their home on a lonely island, and discovered how one … Read more

So often in the daily grind of my life, I find myself faced with difficult choices and decisions. We all do! What to say, how to say it, where to go, what to do — What? When? Where? Why? How? … Read more