Songs are really moving through my heart these days. Songs with lyrics I can sing, melodies that won’t let me go. Songs whose words set my spirit buzzing like a tuning fork. Some new songs have moved into that space, thanks to Julia Dinsmore, who never steers me wrong. She introduced me to The...
The tiny house my single mother could afford was on Jackson Street, in Twin Falls, Idaho. At the time, it was a dead-end street. At its end lived a sharecropper, Paul Friend. Children always figure out who lives in a neighbourhood long before their parents do. I don’t remember how my brother and...
Saturdays are my favourite days at the Kelowna Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market. That’s when the largest and best farmers’ market in British Columbia is humming with activity. It’s when the largest number of vendors are there. This is Canada, of course. In April the only fresh produce on offer are spring greens and radishes....
Ten hours in the Incheon International Airport (outside Seoul) punctuated a recent 48-hour journey from Montville, in Australia’s Queesnland, to my home in Kelowna, British Columbia. I was less than thrilled. I had already been traveling around the clock with only one hour’s fitful sleep. Anyway, hanging out in an airport is nowhere on...
Raise5 is the quirkiest fundraising site I’ve ever come across. It also has the lowest entry fee. Everything costs $5. I’ll let them explain: Raise5 is a fundraising platform that gives everyone a creative way to raise money for their favourite charities and non-profit organizations with their free time and talents. It works through...
Still foggy from a 48-hour journey between Australia and my British Columbia home, I set out for a walk along Kelowna’s waterfront and downtown. Even though I was not revving on all cylinders, I had enough energy to return smiles. Everywhere I walked, people seemed ready to smile—in shops, the bank, along the sidewalk....
The old saying—”Blood is thicker than water”—has been going through my mind lately. That’s because I’ve spent the last two months living in Australia with my partner’s family, observing how strong the connections are, how deep the love. One tangible proof is the windows in these photos. They are now in place in the...
When I opened my coin purse last week, I found a small silver heart. It’s a little plastic cutout, scratched by use but still shiny. Lily gave it to me. Her parents have taught her to give, and receive, love hearts. Any burst of happiness or love is enough to prompt the gift of...
Having spent the last month reveling in the sweet joy of grandparenting, I’ve had my intergenerational antennae attuned to all the older folk shepherding children around. I’ve watched them on beaches, in shops, and in parks. I like what I see. The photos with this post are one small example of why these intergenerational...
How many “best days” is it possible to have in one journey, one life, one journey through life? A day in 2008, on a Maori tour in Kaikoura, New Zealand, was one of them. One of my interests is indigenous cultures. First Nations friends have been patient and generous teachers, and I want to...
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