It seems a long time ago, and yet just yesterday. It was 25 years of my life–the longest block of my working life. And then I retired. But last Thursday, I went to the Prairie View retirees’ Christmas luncheon and the memories all came back. The place was a-buzz as […]
Marie Snider – This Side of 60
Life is full of problems—small problems like a broken fingernail to big problems such as dealing with a major health crisis. And in between are the middle-sized problems, like the one I had to deal with last week. In order to comprehend the scope of my problem, you have to […]
Now that Thanksgiving is past, it’s time to think about Christmas–happy, fun-filled, surprise-packed Christmas. And, sometimes later in life, nostalgic Christmas. Nostalgia: something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again. Yes, that’s nostalgia. But for children, Christmas always should be magic–part of the magic of childhood. […]
It’s so difficult sometimes to stay in the present. The worries of the future and the sadness of the past always are fighting for our attention. Especially, the worries of the future! I still remember in the late 1950s when my father had a surprise heart attack. Of course, I […]
“When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock/And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin turkey-cock . . . O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best.” As a girl in upstate New York, I experienced James Whitcomb Riley’s […]
There she stands on the front cover—graceful and poised . . . and glowing. Dressed unconventionally in an Indian sari with bangles up and down both arms. Challenging the world with humour and irreverence. She looks for all the world, as she says, like the vibrant “thirty-two-year-old that I choose […]
My children were reared on wisdom from two books. “Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care” was the bible of every parent in the 1950s and ’60s. Benjamin Spock addressed every conceivable problem—and his book was translated into 39 languages and sold more than 50 million copies. It was second in […]
My life has been an interesting one–from the east coast to the west coast to the centre of the continent. I was born in the United States of a Canadian father. My first teaching job was in New York state and my second was in Ontario. I married a Canadian. […]
Last November, my husband and I celebrated our 60th anniversary at one of our favourite restaurants: Water’s Edge. Our son, who is an accomplished chef himself, planned the meal with the help of Chef Tom. And what a festive occasion it was! Unfortunately, it was to be our last anniversary. […]
Last Monday, I had coffee with my talented friend, Jeannine. I say “talented” because Jeannine is everything that I’m not. I’m not putting myself down at all; only being realistic. Jeannine lives in a beautiful century-old house. And upstairs, she has a wonderful sewing room, which I have never seen. […]
I like little rules to live by. One-liners that help you remember what works in life. Such as, the “20/80” rule–20 percent of your effort will give you 80 percent of your results, and vice-versa. Time is the only real wealth we are given. The world steps aside for the […]
For years I’ve lived my life with the help of Louise Hay’s “I Can Do It” calendar. Reading the saying of the day early in the morning gives me courage to go on living well. And one recent saying really has stuck with me. “At the end of each day, […]
