Mary Daniel

I had just caught the tail end of a book review speaking about the importance of using heirlooms rather than keeping them tucked away. Better they be used, seen, touched, and appreciated, even at risk of breaking something, than to … Read more

It's a rare December that passes without the news of the death of a family friend or member. The news is received either in a Christmas card, by phone, and now even by e-mail. Throughout my life I've experienced the … Read more

I was on the road for my fiftieth birthday, and upon my arrival home, it was evident someone had gone to a lot of trouble to mark my milestone. Fifty little paper flower people danced in the breeze from my … Read more

I sat back and observed with pride as my daughter and her grandfather stood side by side sharing the stove. She, a 27 year old strict vegetarian; he, a 92 year old "meat and potatoes" man. She won't eat anything … Read more

I shall ever remember the day our daughter received her glasses. She was thirteen, and as we stepped outside into the open-air parking lot, graced by mountains in the distance, she exclaimed in wonderment "There's trees on those mountains, Mum! … Read more

When we were young mothers in our late twenties, my friend's husband suffered a stroke, and although the paralysis was very temporary, his speech impediment was not. This resulted in my friend not only having to learn to continue speech … Read more

A three-hour round-trip to the airport, to fetch some friends flying in from the prairies, passed right by a river where the salmon were spawning, so we stopped to watch the incredible, though somewhat heart-wrenching, miracle. The river was low, … Read more

If we take a Canadian five-dollar bill (or any bill for that matter), it tells us on the face of it what denomination it is, and we believe it. If we take it to the store and see something marked … Read more

Which version do you prefer? Recently I received an e-mail which begged the age-old question "Why did the chicken cross the road?" complete with thirty-nine different explanations. There were answers from someone's perception of how Plato would have responded and … Read more

There's a little church which I must pass on my way home, and it always has a saying on its signboard. They're all clever, but some stick with me more than others. One such saying read: "Shadows fall behind when … Read more