Author: Julie Bowles

When I left my place of employment 35 years ago, I was given an hibiscus tree in a pot. We moved it with us, and it grew into a beautiful tree that was about four feet tall and three feet wide. In the summer, we would put it outside, and … Read more

The day dawned with a bright blue sky and warm temperature. We decided to take the boat and anchor in a secluded bay to read and swim. The lake remained unusually calm, but the significance of this was not to be understood until that … Read more

A friend of mine shared the following with me, and it really resonated with me. When I got home from Europe, I noticed that the barn swallows had built a nest. The fledglings were gone, but they left such a mess. So, when they started to … Read more

For a project to work on, my husband and son bought a boat. Some of the seating was worn and needed replacing. Knowing that I do quilting and sewing, they wondered if this were something that I could do. After doing a bit of research, I … Read more

My mom passed away two years ago this July. We had seen her rally in the day prior to her passing. In my heart, I knew that this was a gift to be cherished. As we chatted with the nurse and my mom shared stories about my growing up, we … Read more

Twenty-four years ago, the area on which our home was built was a farmer's field. Once the subdivision was established, trees were planted along the boulevard in front of or to the side of the homes. As I looked out the kitchen window this … Read more

As I begin each day, I try to keep this passage at the forefront of my mind. I admit that on some days, I am better at this than on others. On this particular day, I had made the last payment on my car, and all the paperwork was done. I … Read more

When I was two years old, we emigrated from England to Canada. Over the years, I have made numerous trips back to England both as a child and as an adult. My most recent trip was in May 2024, in which I took the ashes of both my parents … Read more

During this past January, we spent time in Florida, USA, with our two sons. They had brought their boat down from Canada in November. We decided that the weather looked good enough to take the boat to the Atlantic side of Florida near … Read more

After all the excitement, anticipation, and research, we set out to see the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. We put the location of Port Rowan, Ontario, Canada, into the GPS, and arrived at this picturesque little town at lunchtime. … Read more