Category: Family & Friends
-
“Nothing in Front of Me But My Hands”
(I deem it time for some more Bentlily loveliness. All rights Samantha Reynolds.) It’s early and raining they are bundled my husband and son on an adventure they promise to bring home treasures sticks bright leaves unidentifiable pieces of plastic. The house is oddly still as though it isn’t us that runs around it but… Read more
-
You Can Go Home Again (Hint: Try Knocking on the Front Door)
Note: this entry was written in mid-February but posted today. For the past two weeks I’ve been back in Vancouver for my annual journey “home.” But this year was different. I returned to find permanent lodging and care for my father, whose Alzheimers has taken a significant turn for the worse. I simultaneously advocated… Read more
-
The Burning Smell of Childhood
How do you like your tea? Sweet? Or very, very black? On moving day, a little girl gives a tea party for her dollies in the garden of her new home. However, her parents are unaware of her unusual ability to channel the spirit of John Rambo. Moving Day, a film by Jason Wingrove. *****************… Read more
-
Should I Make Backyard Sacrifices?
Another curious tidbit from the Eighth Wonder of the World. 119 Ministries offers an organized, scripture-based argument answering the common biblical question: Should I, or should I not, make backyard sacrifices? Great for personal knowledge and to have in your ready-made stash of neighbourly advice. http://vimeo.com/33794856 Read more
-
When Opportunity Knocks
I recently returned from a two week stint in Vancouver which was 98% critical family business and 2% my first solo vacation in thirteen years without kids. I was there to find a long-term living facility for my father, who now requires 24/7 care due to Alzheimers. I did, however, manage to fit in… Read more
-
You Can Go Home Again (Hint: Try Knocking on the Front Door)
For the past two weeks I’ve been back in Vancouver for my annual journey “home.” But this year was different. I returned to find permanent lodging and care for my father, whose Alzheimers has taken a significant turn for the worse. I simultaneously advocated for my dad and provided moral support to my mom.… Read more
-
Jake’s House of Joe
You may live in the back-of-beyond with no decent coffeehouse in sight. But there’s no need to wait around, bemoaning your sad fate, when you can start your very own “Jake Hortons”.* Read more
-
Getting Up, Dusting Off, Moving On
Apparently, to my chagrin, there is a limit to the number of balls I can keep in the air without running around like a chicken with my head cut off or forgoing sleep altogether. New blog entries and housecleaning fell hard and fast off the virtual priority list. But it has been an intense and… Read more
-
This is the House That Jack Built
A morality tale from 1967 that is, sadly, equally relevant today. Forty-four years have passed and the enormous difference between then and now is the accrued environmental and sociological damage as the world chases the (frequently unsatisfactory) “American Dream”. oehttp://www.nfb.ca/film/the_house_that_jack_built Read more
-
What Can You Do When You Live in a Zoo?
When our beloved Cocker Spaniel, Devon, died of cancer five years ago I vowed that we would not add another dog to our existing menagerie of kids and cats. Read more