JJ Ollerenshaw

I purchased a new clock, and its ticking seems loud to my husband. I am not bothered because I am hearing impaired. Whenever he mumbles "Tick, tock …" under his breath, I am reminded of nights spent with my grandmother. I often stayed … Read more

Do you ever enter a room, and then wonder why? (Please say that I am not the only one who does this.) What am I doing? I look around, puzzled. With an exasperated sigh, I go back to the place where I was before, hoping to trigger my … Read more

On Valentine's Day, like many others, I will wear something red. For a special date, a woman might wear that little black dress and pearls, or other "glad rags" (party clothes). In this world, fashions come and go. Sadly, modesty … Read more

What is going on here? Do you ever have that feeling when watching the news on television? It seems that everyone is perplexed. Terrorism, natural disasters, weather phenomena, "fake news", and now, in the United States, government … Read more

When I was a child, I longed for a bicycle. I grew up in an English town long since swallowed up by London. Because of the traffic, my two younger brothers and I were restricted to the backyard. I wanted a bike so that I could visit my … Read more

As my husband and I celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary today, I am reminded that we were not engaged prior to our marriage. On our first wedding anniversary, I wondered if I might receive a ring as an anniversary or Christmas gift. … Read more

When my husband and I visited one of the Caribbean islands, our plane landed in the evening. Along with other arrivals, we were met and shuttled to the resort where we had reservations, paid in advance. After checking in and being shown … Read more

Forgiving each other is not always easy. In the movie, The Crown, Queen Elizabeth II, a sincere believer, discovers that her uncle, the exiled Edward VIII, had plotted with Hitler in an attempt to betray England, and she finds that she … Read more

During Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, watched by millions, she wore a gown and jewels worth millions of dollars. She was anointed with oil from a golden vial in the shape of an eagle, which is kept in the vaults under Westminster … Read more

I have lived in Canada for fifty years, and I still don't enjoy winter. It seems like a waste of time to me because I don't like going outside. I find snow not just dangerous but boring. There it is, every day for months — dismal and … Read more