Image: Hope, Susan Norie From Facebook [Ken Gray - I don't know Banu Tรผlรผmen's but they tell a beautiful story admist so much uncertainty.] I don't quite know how to describe these past five days. There are stories everywhere. Some heartbreaking. Some heroic. Stories of loss and uncertainty, but also extraordinary stories of kindness, generosity... Continue Reading →
Picture this — Wildfire
These images were created prior to our evacuation from Summerland late Friday night. Given our hurried packing there was no time to take shots of the fire itself though we did witness the Cartwright Mountain Ridge (our dog walking area) fully aflame. Many such images are sprinkled throughout social and news media. Our evacuation story... Continue Reading →
โItโs about dignityโ: Anglicans call for relief as U.S. blockade strangles Cuba
Alongside Hope executive director Will Postma (fourth from left) visits a rural community in Cuba in 2018 By Matthew Puddister - Published August 5, 2026 - Reposted from the Anglican Journal Everyday life for the average Cuban today starts without electricity, Jose โPepeโ Bringas, general coordinator of the Episcopal Church of Cubaโs Integral-Missionary Development Program... Continue Reading →
Jann Arden — Always surprises
Reposted from Facebook I am getting married in 12 days. There isnโt a single thing anyone could have ever said or done to have prepared me for the future I find myself standing in right now. It is as surreal and as deliciously whimsical as you might imagine. Change is the thing that makes us... Continue Reading →
“Courage is fear that has said its prayers” — More from Anne Lamott
[Some differences between my experiences (and my spelling) with those of Anne Lamott. Still, great words here.] [Anne Lamott] August, ugh, not my favorite month. If I were Godโs West Coast representative, I would not have scheduled it, and gone directly from the heat blasts of Julyโwhich we would endure with only once or twice... Continue Reading →
โI Deeply Believe Dogs Have Superpowers and Secretsโ
Prompted by a fierce attachment to his own pet, Paul Yoon wrote a harrowing yet hopeful novel, set during wartime, told from a canine perspective. By Pamela Newton, in the New York Times, Aug. 2, 2026 For visuals by Erik Tanner visit the link with the full article above. Oscar, a sweet, lumbering 70-pound lab... Continue Reading →
We are living through one of history’s greatest paradoxes — in Canada
The Politics of Isolation CHARLIE ANGUS / THE RESISTANCE / Substack / JUL 31 There have been countless books written about the political crisis of our time, but one small book stands out. Hyperpolitics, by Belgian historian Anton Jรคger, puts forward the thesis that the dramatic failure of left and centrist politics is rooted in... Continue Reading →
Simple disciplines for healthy living
Dr Amir Khan GP MBChB(hons) MRCGP DCH DRCOG DipDiab PGCE On Instagram These are five things humans have done for generations that modern life has quietly pushed aside. The wonderful thing? Theyโre completely free. Memorise something. Give your brain a workout instead of outsourcing everything to your phone. Sing. It doesnโt matter if youโre in... Continue Reading →
Meeting Mother Earth, again
Creating...One thread...One stitch...At a time Slowly Some of us enjoy fast food, fast travel, or fast talking. Others, however, like to take things slow. I want to introduce you, dear reader, to Hilary Rice who lives, and thrives, slowly, with priest husband Mike near Madoc, Ontario. Kathie and I first met this couple at the... Continue Reading →
Thereโs a canoe hanging from the living room roof
Writing today from an undisclosed location in central Ontario 90 minutesโ drive and boat ride north of Peterborough. Itโs summer here at a lovely cottage thanks to a kind invitation from a new family member and her parents. I say โcottage,โ having originally typed โcabinโ inappropriately. There is an important distinction between the two monikers.... Continue Reading →