Today is Thanksgiving in Canada. As with so many times of the year, it arrives ahead of our American friends’ observation of the occasion. (Please don’t take offense, my tongue was firmly in my cheek as I wrote that last sentence.) My eldest sister lives in Utah, so I have a habit of pointing that out to her every year. What is a younger brother for, if not to bother older siblings, of which I have two? In Canada, the…
Monday is Labor Day in Canada and the US. It’s a federal holiday that celebrates the contributions of workers, whether or not union, to the country’s development. The three-day weekend it falls on is called Labor Day Weekend. Alternative accounts of the event’s origin exist. Descendants of two men with similar last names claim their great-grandfather was the true father of the holiday. One early history of Labor Day suggests it started in 1882 during a Knights of Labor meeting…
Happy Fourth of July, folks! Today’s the day that Americans celebrate the obtaining of independence through activities like eating food from the grill, swimming, and setting off fireworks. We can’t set off fireworks where we live, but my eldest daughter isn’t very fond of them regardless, so we’re intending to make some food on the red-white-and-blue theme! Like RW&B fruit skewers, which we did a few years ago! I hope everyone has a safe and pleasant day, whatever you decide…
We have come to a new year. I don’t look back especially fondly on 2022. There were good times, certainly, but we lost my soulmate dog in November, and I just don’t think that’s something I can easily recover from. As the days go by, I don’t see him as often from the corner of my eye, and I don’t as often plot out strategic shutting of baby-gates or placement of cat food to ensure he goes where he is…
With Christmas mere days from now, I thought I’d mix the holiday with some trivia about the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York City. This might be the most recognizable Christmas tree in the world and, based on the time, effort, and money that goes into creating this magnificent display every year, the title is well deserved. Every one of these trees is massive, ranging in height from 69 to 100 feet. Decorating takes almost two weeks and the lighting…
As this will be my last post before Christmas, aside from the final chapter of our serial, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas! Whatever creed, religion, or belief system you ascribe to, I hope you have an amazing holiday season and a peaceful and happy New Year. As a final Christmas wish, I’d like to share with you a bit of holiday cheer from my family. The video I have attached below is the full cantata,…
I apologize for returning to Christmas music for yet another post, but I was trying to think of what I should post to fit the glimmer of gold theme when I heard the song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” This song is one of my favorites, and it is a great illustration of how there is always a glimmer of gold beneath even the darkest of circumstances. If you aren’t familiar with the song or the poem, here…
The arrival of the Christmas season lifts my spirits every year. I love the smiles and good wishes we seem to exchange so freely and the peace I feel in my heart that honestly is not present in such quantity through much of the year. I especially love the Christmas carols that play in most stores and over the sound systems in shopping malls. There is something about them that affects me. Some of these songs are beautiful, with gorgeous…
It is strange to say there is little going on just before Christmas, but when it comes to publishing, there is relatively little going on. I am hard at work writing, but my current project will not see the light of day until at least February or March, longer if the audiobook company decides to pick it up. It has a tentative title: No Indignity so Abhorrent. I hope that does not give you too many shivers. While the book does…
Christmas is coming. The geese are getting fat. Please put a penny in the old man’s hat. If you haven’t got a penny, A ha’penny will do. If you haven’t got a ha’penny, Then God bless you! Christmas is right around the corner! I don’t know about you, but it has been a hectic time for me. From various Christmas-related parties and celebrations to meetings with family, it’s a wonder there is even time to eat! That said, I still…