Month: December 2006

They call them "fairy stones" in Scotland. One sees them in the middle of fields. The owner of the field works around them and tries not to disturb these very large boulders, for fear of bringing a curse upon his … Read more

My youngest child, Tucker, turned four on October 30th, and for the first time, he had a children's birthday party. He decided on a "Thomas the Tank Engine" theme, and since I know how to decorate cakes, I thought I … Read more

Recently, I had a kitchen disaster, when the frying pan I used burst into flames. I had put the pan on too high a flame, which caused the oil in the pan to overheat. When I put the wet vegetables … Read more

How often, upon doing something, or experiencing something, have you realized that something you'd done before prepared you for the experience at hand? All my life, I've walked, and for years, often did so with my dog or on my … Read more

A waiting room is a terrible place. Through the births of four grandchildren and many surgeries of my family members, I can testify to this fact. Sitting in a waiting room, one's emotions run the gamut from fear to hopefulness. … Read more

Years ago, when I was a small child growing up in Bermuda during the Second World War, gifts under the Christmas tree were few and far between. Times were hard; most gifts were hand-me-downs adjusted to fit the child's age. … Read more

Christmas Eve at our house has always been a time of high excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, it was not always for the right reasons. Our tradition for the 34 years my wife and I have been married has been to … Read more

"Son, why didn't you sing today?" Mama asked. "You love singing carols." She was right. I knew them by heart, having listened to her Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, and Nat King Cole Christmas albums over and over again. There are … Read more

Earlier this year, we had a power cut, and I had to make my way downstairs in the dark. Since then, I have invested in a torch. Surprise, surprise — we had another power cut just a few weeks ago. … Read more

The students in our little school were invited to visit another school some miles away. It was too far to walk. Our parents thought such a trip to be frivolous. (Every student was blessed to attend class because we were … Read more