What a sight met our eyes! The whole wide shoreline of the Salton Sea in southern California was littered with dead, dried-up fish! My husband and I had stopped there because it was a good habitat for migratory birds, but this was a view … Read more
Several years ago, at the University of the Nations, a YWAM (Youth with a Mission) base in Kona, Hawaii, I was a gatekeeper. My job was to screen visitors who approached the gate by car, and to let them through. As people drove up, I … Read more
Years ago, when we lived in the beautiful Slocan Valley in British Columbia, Canada, my husband and a fellow teacher decided to tackle a climb up to the New Denver Glacier. During our years in the village of New Denver, our kitchen window … Read more
One day, many years ago, after our boys had left home, I was in a melancholy mood and felt lonely for them. They were young adults, living their own lives, no longer under Mum's care. I missed just being able to chat with them and to know … Read more
Sweet cherries are not grown in Alberta, Canada, so when my husband and I travel to the neighbouring province of British Columbia, we sometimes buy a 20-pound box of them. We can't eat the whole boxful, so I like to bottle them for winter … Read more
A stone tower, 32 metres (104 feet) high, stands on Svatobor, a hill near the town of Sušice in Czechia. Reconstructed in 1935, it serves as an observation point, allowing hikers and tourists a stunning view of Sušice and of the … Read more
I have always loved scissors. A friend was getting rid of an old, heavy pair, but I couldn't bear the thought of the vintage scissors going into the garbage, so I brought them home. They were dull, but I reasoned that they would at least … Read more
While my brother and I were growing up, birthday parties were a big event, a highlight of our childhood. When I was turning seven and my brother was turning four, since his birthday was in May and mine was in June, we had a combined … Read more
One morning at the YWAM (Youth with a Mission) base near Tijuana, Mexico, the staff and students were taught self-protection moves. That area has a reputation for being rough, and tighter security measures, like a nightly patrol, had been … Read more