Month: December 2004

After a day of rain came a day that was bright but cold, with the last of the rain turning into a skiff of snow. I waited for the family to arrive for dinner and a celebration of the birthday … Read more

It has been said that Queen Victoria of England greatly loved her prince, Albert of Germany. She stuck beside him when the country reviled him for bringing a "heathenish" decorated tree to the Christmas celebrations. Even now, some people consider … Read more

A few years ago, as Clerk of Session, I received an early Sunday morning phone call. The elderly, visiting minister didn't want to travel that morning, because a heavy snowfall was predicted. I tried to get help with various parts … Read more

When I was a small girl I looked forward to going across our back yard and following the path over to my great uncle Lester's. It seemed that he did such interesting things, for he could fashion many things from … Read more

My idea of great travel involves no tent, no creepy-crawly scary (critters!), no campfires, and a really nice hotel with privacy, carpet, and a firm, yet cushioning, mattress. Not for me the grim, cold, barren sleep-outs. Mary didn't have such … Read more

I don't have gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but I do have treasures. This year I have decided to make memory books as Christmas gifts for our six grandchildren, from age nine to twenty-six. As I pore over treasures they have … Read more

"I'd never go in there," my friend said as we passed the charity shop. "My mother taught me never to wear something that was on someone else's back." Until that moment, I hadn't thought much about second-hand clothes for a … Read more

Our mailboxes overflow at this time of year with pleas to "Give generously". Our telephones and doorbells ring, and we are asked to donate to yet another good cause. Food banks need filling, and toys need collecting for kids who … Read more

December 1992 — my father died — a charter member of St. Luke's Presbyterian Church in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, an elder, a Sunday School superintendent, and a great dad. In the last couple years of his life, his disease (akin … Read more

I remember waking up one Sunday morning in December, and everything was quiet and still. No cars were heard outside, no buses were running, no people were making a noise. The sun was shining, but when I looked out of … Read more