Category: Family

A Prayer for Holly

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A few days ago, I took Holly to Gail’s place to get groomed.  I usually take her every six weeks or so, and Gail is always happy to see us when we arrive.  But a few hours later, when I came to pick Holly up, Gail wasn’t smiling.  She had a concerned look on her…

Mother’s Day

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I didn’t miss Mother’s Day last week but I did miss my Ma.  She died six hours after I called her to tell her I was coming to visit her.  And although that was September 23, 2010, my heart is still aching.   It had been almost a year since my cancer treatments and I was…

Do You Believe in Magic?

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It wasn’t going to be an easy day for me to be Santa Claus because I was having a difficult time trying to smile.  But it wasn’t because I’d be alone on Christmas Day.  And it wasn’t because I was feeling sorry for myself – I always prefer to see the glass, as half-full –…

Notes from the North Pole

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In 2009, I was diagnosed with stage 3 throat cancer and given only a 40% chance of surviving.  Not knowing how much time I had left and the fact that I hadn’t celebrated Christmas for many years – I  wanted to see if I could get that same holiday spirit that I used to get when I…

Notes on a Bridge

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In my previous story ( My Weak End  ) I updated it on the following evening but didn’t post any photos or videos from the walk because I was having difficulty processing some of the images in my head.  And now, two days later, I am still haunted by what I witnessed on the Lions Gate…

A Smokin’ Story

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The 99B bus was coming into view, and the guy standing beside me at the bus stop had just lit a cigarette.  As I was putting some distance between us, I watched with interest as the man began taking fast, short puffs – with his fingers holding the cigarette against his lips the whole time!…

Gifts of Love

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I never expected to receive a Christmas gift this year, but I did.  I got two presents, and both came as a complete surprise.  They were the first gifts that I’ve received at Christmas, in a very long time and at first, I hesitated about opening them. But I’ll get back to the gifts of…

Not a creature was stirring…

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Originally published on December 24, 2012 It was the morning of Christmas Eve, and once again it didn’t feel like Christmas. It had been years since I last celebrated Christmas – but I remember it well.  It was in 1983 at my parents’ place in Midland, Ontario.  My family always got together to celebrate Christmas…

Eleven Oh One

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Originally published on November 11, 2012 It must have caused quite a commotion when he arrived in this world.   Come to think of it; I’ve never heard of it before (or since) – being born with different colored eyes.  But it’s true – although I never saw them myself.  His wife told me about them, but she never…

Moonshine in the Maritimes – The Final Chapter

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Readers of this blog will remember my original Moonshine in the Maritimes story from November 8, 2016 –  a blog that was both painful to write and impossible for me to complete a final chapter. But all of that changed this morning, and now my heart is racing, and my legs are shaking, and I can’t…