Godbwye —“God be with ye”
On Saturday, October 22, the autumn sun peeked in and out of the clouds. The wind oscillated from gentle and accommodating to cold and brisk. The leaves radiated their brilliant fall colours. And my family said godbwye—goodbye—to my sister for the last time. Mary did not want any fuss, so family and friends stood at the edge of the Scattering Garden in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in London, Ontario as her ashes were scattered beneath her picture. And I sobbed. Saying a final goodbye is...
Read MoreGod Sees the Little Nuthatch Fall…
The patio door was hit with a thud and I knew instantly what had happened. I was afraid to look out, but when I did, I saw nothing and sighed with relief. I walked carefully onto our deck and, again, saw nothing. And again, I sighed with relief…until I looked down. And there it was: a small, white-breasted nuthatch. Unlike its cousin—the red-breasted nuthatch that is bold and cocky—the white-breasted version is timid and flighty, not staying at the feeder to eat, but taking a nut or...
Read MoreActions and Consequences
Several years ago—actually, almost 3 decades ago—one of my sons decided to cut his hair, an act in itself not an issue. His naturally wavy, long, thick chestnut brown hair was cropped off… again, not an issue. What came next was! Whether the action was self-perpetrated or he fell victim at the hands of a far-too-willing friend, I have no idea. What I do know is that his beautiful hair that any woman would gladly pay mega dollars for became straw-like, thanks to the contents of a...
Read MoreDogs, a Cat…and a Swan?
During my childhood years and beyond—before leaving home and marrying Doug—I had three dogs: two well-mannered and placid Cocker Spaniels, Susie and Susie II, and Rex, a determined, high-spirited Cockapoo who defied gravity and continually jumped our fence for the grass that was always greener on the other side. Fortunately I married a dog-lover (I knew that the day Doug won me a stuffed poodle at the CNE when I was sixteen!). So it was no surprise that just a few weeks after purchasing our...
Read MoreMy Father’s Garden
Father’s Day is a special time to honour our dads. My father is in heaven and I’m left with only memories…like his garden. When spring arrived each year, my father would head for the backyard, rake and shovel in hand ready to unearth the “sleeping beauties,” as he would call his roses. As a young teenager on the threshold of discovering boys, I had no interest in his prickly flowers, wanting only to avoid the bees that rested on their petals to drink their nectar. I...
Read More1965…It Was A Very Good Year
Doris Day is known best for singing Que Sera Sera, the three-verse song that takes the listener through the life of a little girl—from childhood, through young adulthood and falling in love, to parenthood. In each verse the girl asks, “What will I be?” or “What lies ahead?” The chorus repeats the answer: “Que Sera, Sera: Whatever will be, will be: The future’s not ours to see: Que Sera, Sera: What will be, will be.” Originally considered a silly song by Doris, she turned it...
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