Recently, one of our leaders led the church community's "all-age spot". She held up a piece of string as a visual aid and asked some children to come up and help her to hold it as a representation of time. They stretched it out across the … Read more

My mother taught me the basic stitches of embroidery when I was young, and I have continued doing this needlework all my life. It is an enjoyable and rewarding hobby, and I glory in the colourful threads and the canvas slowly revealing the … Read more

"Would you be available to sub today?" It was a text message early one morning recently from the principal of the school where I used to teach. I arrived at the school to find that my assignment included three different grade levels — … Read more

When Larry and I were younger, we used to go canoeing on the Current River. Usually, we had others to enjoy the ride with us. On one of our trips, we came upon a cave with a spring of water that fed the river. Several of us went in to take … Read more

In high school, my teachers often told us about what they called "the Black Book". They would say that if our names were entered in the book for any atrocious activity, it would stop us from getting good jobs later in life. How we dreaded … Read more

Since the rain has stopped, I am able to see Mt. Topo from my porch. I dried off a chair to sit and enjoy the beauty. Near the middle of Mt. Topo is a section of dense fog, and as I watch, some arms of the fog slowly break away in … Read more

Simon, my dachshund, is a thief. Every morning and evening after he gobbles up his bowl of food, he races over to an older, very patient dog and helps himself to her food as well. He edges in to the far side of her bowl and begins … Read more

The word "ritual" often carries an aura of mysticism, conjuring up a negative vibe. But a ritual can be simply defined as an action repeatedly done in the same way. A ritual needn't require hocus-pocus or incantations, but can simply be a … Read more

One was large and the other small, but they both needed to be on a leash. I once owned an Eskimo Spitz. My family owned a much larger dog that I inherited when they moved away. Since I lived in the country, I didn't have to abide by … Read more

Our daughter is a horse lover. When she was 13 years old, she got her very own horse, Jewel. She had been present at the birth of this horse and spent time with her for her first three months. Then the owner asked us if she could have the … Read more