I rolled into work this Easter Monday morning and nearly turned around and went home! We have a large snowbank on the south side of the building that is deeper than when I was here in March. It really isn’t that nice to shovel, since we are also cold, and […]
Columnists
Part two of this column of unusual plants for the shade garden includes descriptions on how to grow Jack-in-the-pulpit and the lady slipper. Although a little less common or available in nurseries than trilliums, I strongly encourage you to try either of these plants if you can find them. Jack-in-the-Pulpit […]
Did you know? Do you recall the devastating fire that took place at a Swiss ski resort bar this past New Year’s Eve? The devastating fire resulted in 41 fatalities and 116 injuries, leaving a profound and lasting impact on the victims’ families, first responders, and the community at large. […]
There is a particular kind of alchemy reserved for music. It is a rare transformation: the moment something familiar becomes newly luminous. It happens when one artist takes hold of another’s song and, instead of merely echoing it, breathes into it a different life. A good cover is not imitation; […]
I have long been a fan of Rebecca Solnit, and her books are prominent on my shelf. Men Explain Things to Me, published in 2014, is dog-eared and read repeatedly. Solnit has a wisdom that comes from having been a witness to and victim of domestic violence as a child. […]
The Emo Christian Reformed Church will be hosting their traditional pancake breakfast once again during Spring Fever Days. The breakfast takes place Saturday, April 16, from 8-10 a.m. This is a freewill offering. Proceeds from the breakfast will go to support the Emo Library. This is always an enjoyable and […]
Did you know? Canada currently marks only one day a year for injury prevention (National Injury Prevention Day)—a window many safety advocates claim is far too small to address such a critical public health issue. Transitioning to a dedicated National Injury Prevention Month would better reflect the seriousness of the […]
Interested in the ugliest, most beautiful piece of clothing that grown men would do everything short of cheat just to wear? And have their loved ones dress them in it just before they reach their final resting place? Or have it kind-of cloned (illegally) to be given to the winner […]
“When are you going to start writing your column for The Times again?” This question has knocked on my soul’s door so many times in the last few years through all the amazing humans who have told me they missed reading it since I laid down my pen. I stopped […]
The Iran war has shocked us. We are shocked by the audacity of the United States to enter this Middle East war. We are shocked that this war has impacted us economically. We are shocked at the prices we pay at the pump, the increased prices to transport goods from […]
Welcome to the sensory deprivation tank. I just stepped out of one in Thunder Bay. The first thing the float tank removes is not sound, but certainty. You step inside expecting a chamber, a container—but the moment the lid closes, the idea of “inside” begins to lose its meaning. The […]
I like ironing. It sounds like a mundane task, but let me explain. My grandmother came to our farm when I was very young, and she stayed for a prolonged visit each time she came. She didn’t do a lot of talking; in fact, in my child memory, I have […]
