There is a first time for everything. On Saturday evening we stretched our outdoor Christmas lights across the short divide between our home and continued them to our neighbours, in response to our neighbour’s question, “Do you have any extra lights to share?” David detached the string that had continued down the side of our...

Are you carrying a burden today?  A burden can be defined as ‘a trouble of life’. Even this week I have heard of such varying burdens people are carrying.

Yesterday two of our family members carried a Christmas tree into our living room.  They carried the bulky tree in and out twice.  The first time the discovery was...

The snow is like a blanket outside.  It has come to rest, covering over the browns and greens, which lie hidden underneath.  The blanket of snow, with the sunshine glistening on it, is beautiful.

Speaking of blankets, have you heard about weighted blankets? They seem to be well advertised during these wintry days. It is said that...

Distance. Division. Separation.  These are words that we have experienced.  They are words we live. They are not words of comfort, and they are not words that are inviting. They speak of barriers, both visible and invisible. 

Have you found yourself watching television, seen people get close, without a mask, and had this intense,...

I might be old fashioned; but I love our songbook. So many of the songs lift my spirit and give me great encouragement – enabling me to face whatever’s going on in my life. Right now I’m thinking about Christmas and what it’s going to look like this year. I love this beautiful season—usually filled with so many...

Locked down but not locked up. This week Toronto, and much of the area around it, has gone into lockdown.  This seems to be a common, repetitive occurrence, in various countries around the world. To be in lockdown is ‘to experience a measure of isolation or restricted movement’. To be locked up is ‘to be...

I was trying to work, despite the noise around me, yesterday.  To block out as much of the noise as I could, I turned on some piano music, with no lyrics.  I realized quite quickly this wasn’t helpful because I found myself humming or singing along.  I decided to try ‘pink noise’.  Pink noise is like white...

Do you watch the news?  Do you listen to the news?  Do you read the news? I listen to the news, for a bit, but after that prefer to turn many a broadcaster off. David enjoys watching, or listening, far more than I do. He is open to hearing the many angles that a story is presented from, appreciating diversity of thought.  He has...

The winds were powerful last night, powerful enough to break limbs off trees and put houses in the dark.  Our house was one that experienced the darkness.  Our daughter spoke of driving her car against the wind, sensing the power of the wind, almost pushing her back. Her little vehicle felt like it couldn’t withstand the...

The Tim Hortons, around the corner from the church, is a familiar stop.  Usually, but not always, David is the one who goes in to pick up a coffee – a coffee we like to share.  Today I did.  As I paid, the woman who assisted me said, “Your husband usually gets the coffee.”  I smiled and said, “Yes he...