Category Family
Upwardly Mobile
It was sixty years ago today my family moved from one Montreal suburb to another, a move that changed my life. That tree wasn’t there, neither were the bushes. Come to think of it, the grass hadn’t been put in yet either. My parents didn’t say so at the time, but it was a sign […]
Do You Care?
Today is the big day. A total eclipse of the sun. In some areas anyway. Here in Ottawa the eclipse won’t be total. The moon will only cover 99 per cent of the sun, but it is still a big thing for some people. So much so that schools have been canceled as a safety […]
The Friendship
I’ve been derelict in posting here recently, but I can’t miss Flashback Friday. I’ve been busy with the grandkids and haven’t had time to finish any posts – but I promise to do better this month. For today’s offering we go back to March 1, 2015 and two cats who have since gone to wherever […]
Starting Fresh
Calendar dates are just arbitrary numbers. As Carolyn Arends sings, “every day is New Year’s Day.” But we don’t always approach things that way. 2024 is a clean slate. How will you spend the year? I saw the new year in the way I have for more than 30 years now. My wife and I […]
The Birthday Party
My daughter wanted to do something a bit different for her birthday last year. Usually we invite family members over for birthday cake, This time she wanted to change the routine. With our family, getting together can be easier said than done. We don’t all live in the same community, or even the same continent. […]
Where’s Willow?
It is the first Sunday of Advent. Time to put up the Christmas tree. When I was a child, Advent was something others celebrated. My family had no liturgical tradition. I married into a family with a long liturgical church history. They celebrate the seasons of the church year. And I have come to appreciate them. […]
Turkey Time
Today Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, traditionally with a turkey dinner. What could be more appropriate today than some smiles for the guest of honor?
Remembering in 2023
I don’t remember when Remembrance Day (Veterans day in the US) first seeped into my consciousness. Probably around the time I started school, which makes it more than 60 years ago. My grandfather, I knew, had been a soldier, as had some of the other men from the church my family attended. They were veterans […]
The Will
Saturday will be Remembrance Day, a time set aside to reflect on the memories of those who died serving Canada in wartime, and to pray for peace. These days it seems the world needs peace more than ever. The genesis of this blog in 2014 was a summer vacation in Europe. I visited a lot […]
A Huge Milestone
Today, Saturday September 2, 2023 is a big day for my family. My wife’s aunt, the family matriarch, turns 100. This is no small achievement. She was born in the turbulence of the Weimar Republic, lived through the Great Depression, survived World War Two, had a successful teaching career, traveled the world and has spent […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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