Walter Cronkite spoke to my father every weekday evening with the CBS Evening News. My father sat in his green chair, placed at just the right angle for the television, his legs crossed, right over left, leaving a small V-shaped spot in his chair into which I fit perfectly. I […]
Wendi Stewart – Wendi with an ‘eye’
Wendi lives in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, but the farm on Rainy River in Crozier will always be her home. MEADOWLARK, her debut novel released September 15, is published by NeWest Press of Edmonton. She is the mother of four daughters who did the unforgivable: they grew up. http://wendistewart.writersresidence.com
I read the obituaries. Not often, but sometimes. I see a life I knew, or knew of, that ended and I ache for those who are obligated to carry on. I see the commercials on TV that warn us to “Make death wait.” But sometimes death won’t wait; death just […]
Do you know George Orwell? Well, you wouldn’t personally know him, considering he was a writer and George was his pen name. But you might remember reading “Animal Farm” or “1984” in high school English with Mr. Fryer. George wasn’t exactly a cheerful guy, but he once said something that […]
Jan. 24 was Global Belly Laugh Day. A certain Elaine Helle of Lake Oswego, Ore. conceived this idea in 2006 in an effort to better society’s mood. And her idea obviously was a good one because 30 countries participated from seven continents. I’m not completely sure how many continents there […]
If you want a sure-fire guaranteed quick trip to insanity, I have just the recipe for you. Get a puppy—one that has limited ability to grasp the notion of peeing outdoors; one who thinks ceramic tile is a much better place to deposit urine. Stir in several weeks of limited […]
We all, or at least most of us, have received those cute e-mails of puppies doing amazing things, which consist mostly of sitting and looking adorable. They tip their head to the side, roll over on their back, lift a paw and, without hesitation, we are smitten. We’d like to […]
Once upon a time, I wanted to be a super-hero and a secret agent, both seeming logical and worthwhile endeavours. When I didn’t get a “Secret Sam” spy kit for Christmas when I was 10 (and Duane Peters did), my lofty ambition tumbled off the shelf. Lion-tamer, veterinarian, and astronaut […]
Consumerism is rife with risk and disappointment, especially those “as seen on television” products, though I must confess I do have a particular fondness for my Slap-Chop. They (again, who are these “they” people?) don’t say caveat emptor for nothing (buyer beware, in case your Latin is a little rusty). […]
A grandmother is a mother who has been given a second chance. I read that somewhere—the author nameless to me now. I think many of us would like a second chance at mothering. All the things I was going to teach my children but didn’t have time to, or more […]
You may or may not know it but this Saturday (Dec. 10) is International Slow Food Day. That doesn’t mean we should chew our food with renewed vigour on Saturday, or put our feet up and close our eyes while we dine. But it does mean we should increase our […]
It was an old African proverb that first said, in its own language, “It takes a village to raise a child.” The exact origin of that phrase seems lost in time, but many writers have borrowed it. I would take it one step further and say it takes an entire […]
The end of the year is not that far off and it gets me thinking about money. November and December usually finds our wallets and bank accounts slightly empty, if not drained, as we try to balance our spending for Christmas. It may not exactly be the time to be […]
