A self-described mother, daughter, sister, friend, nurturer, provider, volunteer, mentor, philanthropist, simple, complicated, mighty, weak, [and photographer] I am... me. Mary Scheidegger Adams has done what we all should now do. She has written her assessment of “what’s going on” right now. She lives in Salmon Arm in the interior of British Columbia. She writes... Continue Reading →
Canada eh!
Resistance to the Trump/Musk horror show is growing. In the US, social media now includes a variety of mea culpa statements by Trump voters. Many are hard to verify and may be fakes. That said, I am reminded of that stupid woman who admitted on the BBC a day following the “leave” victory that she... Continue Reading →
Bravo Trudeau – An appropriate and proportional response to Donald Trump
Now in the last days of his role as Liberal leader and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks intelligently, respectfully, and with gravitas. In future years Canadian historians may describe this time as his golden hour. I provide here the full text of the Prime Minister’s address [Global News] to Canadians and Americans, and directly to... Continue Reading →
Truth Telling — Introducing Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is one of my favourite times of the liturgical year. Sure, Christmas is fun; and Christianity is anchored in the Easter Festival. We enjoy communion with Christ through the gift of the Holy Spirit celebrated at Pentecost. But despite the richness of all these great festivals, I still find Ash Wednesday profound and... Continue Reading →
Waiting, waiting, waiting — Stress testing telephone customer service
PREAMBLE This blog, takenote.ca, features a wide variety of topics. Recently, many daily posts have responded seriously to national and global politics, and rightly so. There is, however, a limit to what we and our readers can tolerate. Sometimes we need a break from politics and the serious matters which swirl around us. So today,... Continue Reading →
Down from the mountain-top
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton BC // Sunday last before Lent , March 2, 2025 // The Very Rev. Ken Gray My long time organist friend, Curt, grew up in a very conservative evangelical family in Vanderhoof BC. Following high school he attended college at Prairie Bible Institute (PBI)... Continue Reading →
The truth gets uglier, day by day
UPDATED WITH ADDITIONAL IMAGES AND A VIDEO "Trump and Vance have revealed to Americans and to America’s allies their alignment with Russia, and their animosity toward Ukraine in general and its president in particular. The truth is ugly, but it’s necessary to face it." -- David Frum, The Atlantic, Friday, February 28, 2025 And one... Continue Reading →
The return of Jazz Vespers
Jazz Vespers returns to the South Okanagan, in Penticton on Sunday March 2 @ 4 p.m. at St. Saviour Anglican Church, 150 Orchard Ave. in Penticton. Church or no church, newcomer or longtime jazz enthusiast, friends of the band, whatever gets you off your couch, come on out. As for the band, Justin Glibbery is... Continue Reading →
Checkup, on Cross Country Checkup
Howls of protest surged online as the CBC News special 51st State: A Cross Border Conversation was announced and broadcast on multiple platforms across the U.S. and Canada this past Sunday. This was an international co-production between CBC Radio Cross Country Checkup with Ian Hanomansing and The Middle with Jeremy Hobson. Both hosts took calls from Canadians and Americans.... Continue Reading →
Trump is rapidly gaining a personal monopoly on the use of force
[Ken Gray] On this my 67th birthday I wanted to write something myself about the state of the world, of North America, and of Canada. A few ideas are in development, but for now, the words below published by Robert Reich today are best shared here. They answer a question many Canadians and Americans ask... Continue Reading →