Love is Spoken Here

What a week it has been -- filled with excitement, hard work, laughter, tears, and love. I was able to spend quality time with my sisters as we shared our hopes, dreams and thoughts with each other. Each of my amazing sisters has found ways to shine. Beryl is optimistic, kind and creative, with a…

Who was Alice Rowan?

I recently sent away for a DNA kit from Ancestry.com. I was curious, although I figured I was 75% Scottish, with a smattering of English, Irish, German, Dutch, and French. Imagine my surprise when my results came back 39% Irish. That got me wondering where all that Irish DNA came from, so I started researching…

Happy Canada Day!

To all you Canadians out there, Happy Canada Day.  I hope you have a great time with your family and friends, barbequing, swimming, playing games, and all your other activities. I am thankful for my Canadian heritage, for my ancestors who came to Canada seeking a fresh start, freedom, and adventure.  Some were farmers and…

In Remembrance

At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, our local elementary school children gathered outside while veterans conducted a short ceremony to honor those who served in the armed forces.  The children put their hands over their hearts and watched in silence as the color guard raised the flag, and then…

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians out there!  The second Monday in October was officially designated as Canadian Thanksgiving in 1957, a day to give thanks “for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”  Before that it was observed on different dates each year.  Although the Native Americans were celebrating the fall harvest…

Driving

I don’t enjoy driving.  Just the idea of strapping yourself into a tin can and shooting along a narrow pathway at seventy-plus miles an hour, all the while keeping watch out your mirrors for the other cars (and don’t forget potential debris in your lane), is unnerving.  Let’s not even mention that road conditions often…

The Blue Castle

I recently read The Blue Castle, by L.M. Montgomery.  If you are familiar with the Anne of Green Gables novels, then you know how beautifully Lucy wrote.  Her descriptions are scrumptious.  Her characters are lovable, amusing, and very well-drawn.  By the end of the story, the main character has become your life-long friend, and you…

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband for 32 years of adventure, love, and laughter. One of the most important things we've learned is to have a sense of humor. After our wedding in Alberta, Canada, we were driving down to Sam's parent's house in California, when we noticed smoke billowing out of the trunk. We…

Happy Canada Day

To all my fellow Canadians out there, happy Canada Day. I hope you're having a great time celebrating with your families and friends. I was in Grade 4 when Canada celebrated her centennial birthday. Our school put on a big program that included songs, dancing, our very own red and white maple leaf flag, and…

Alberta Beauty

Hey it’s good to be back home again, Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend, Yes, and hey it’s good to be back home again. John Denver had a way of combining words and music that moves my heart. In this song he describes exactly how I feel about my native land.…