[Apologies for the double posting today โ This however was too timely to ignore] Lindisfarne is a small island off the coast of Northumberland, north of the Farne Islands in the United Kingdom. Linked to the mainland by a causeway exposed only at low tide, it is the site of a church and monastery founded... Continue Reading →
The Servant
A homily for Maundy Thursday, April 17, 2025St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton BCThe Very Rev. Ken Gray So what do Gosford Park, The Remains of the Day, Upstairs Downstairs, and Downton Abbey have in common? Apart from each showโs unique historical meta-narratives, each of these very English period dramas describe โlife downstairs,โ the loves, duties,... Continue Reading →
A Summerland Stories Scrapbook โ Historic Summerland brought to life
I am so pleased to help my writer colleague, Norma Hill launch her new book A Summerland Stories Scrapbook at a special event on Sunday night, May the 4th at 6 p.m. in the โStoneโ Church on Prairie Valley Rd in Summerland. Years in the making, Norma has assembled, transcribed, edited, and arranged literally hundreds... Continue Reading →
Crisis in the cubicle โ Technology meets necessity
Another in our Life in our little town of Summerland seriesย -- Extracted from The corporate quest to make better toilet paper โ The Washington Post April 10, 2025 โ Author Rachel Kurzius Last Friday, prior to my therapeutic swim class I made a visit to my favourite cubicle in the menโs washroom. My necessary duties... Continue Reading →
Donโt rain on my parade
A Sermon for Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025For the congregations of Summerland United Church andSt. Stephen Anglican Church, Summerland BCThe Very Rev. Ken Gray Everyone loves a parade; at least I do, and I have very special memories of a few. Growing up in Victoria I remember as a kid watching the Victoria Day parade,... Continue Reading →
Red Alert โ Changes at the National Security Agency are concerning, and dangerous
Reprinted from Olivia of Troye on Substack Ignore this story at your own risk While Trump's tariffs hammer the economy and dominate the headlines, rightfully capturing attention as Americans watch their 401ks drop, something perilous quietly unfolded in the shadows. A significant shift in the national security apparatus occurred that barely made a blip. It... Continue Reading →
Democracy is not a spectator sport โ Advice to Americans from one Canadian
[Ken Gray] Today, I have joined the ranks of the disheartened. FAKE NEWS, though I am stymied by the number and severity of the many horror stories I discover daily. With so many different fronts on which to report, attacks on the leadership of the National Security Agency, potential threats to peaceful protest, the destruction... Continue Reading →
Thereโs a new kid on the block โ The Australian Cobberdog
Another dog blog by Juno. Juno is a popular dog blogger who lives with his Mawpaw and Pawpaw in Summerland in the Interior of Canadaโs westernmost province, British Columbia. I should feel threatened, but I donโt. Thereโs a new dog breed on the block, not another Labradoodle, but supposedly something better, an Australian Cobberdog. Some... Continue Reading →
The long con — Worse than any Netflix series
Reposted from James B. Greenberg on Substack The confidence game doesnโt begin with a lie. It begins with a storyโone so emotionally resonant it feels like truth. It offers meaning, identifies villains, flatters the audience, andโwhen fully deployedโquietly opens the vault. Donald Trumpโs political rise is not just a break from convention. Itโs a textbook... Continue Reading →
Penguins marching in April
[As reported by CBC News in Canada] An uninhabited Antarctic outpost populated by penguins โOne of the smallest economies in the world. An Arctic archipelago with more polar bears than people. To quote Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, it really does appear that "nowhere on Earth is safe" from U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs.โ... Continue Reading →