Timely and prescient thoughts from American writer Parker Palmer By accident of birth, the Christmas story has been a staple of my life for 85 years. As a kid, it was all about the glitter and gifts, of course. Today, the story compels me to question my courage and my resolve… It asks me to... Continue Reading →
True confession. I am no teetotaler. I enjoy the occasional glass of beer, sometimes a nice gentle Cab Sav, and in quiet moments, a single-malt scotch, and more recently Irish whisky. I enjoy both the taste and the subsequent relaxed feeling that all produce. I will never drink, however, when I am stressed or despairing.... Continue Reading →
Prior to returning to Summerland where Kathie and I lived and worked from 1994-2005 we needed to make a decision. Would we have our mail re-directed to our new address? I thought it was a waste of money; Kathie, however, wanted the service. So we now receive correspondence from gutter cleaners and weed removal services;... Continue Reading →
It was the 13th century Saint Francis who started the tradition of the Crèche, a practice continuing to inspire the faithful today. In order to excite the inhabitants of Grecio in Central Italy, to commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus he was determined to keep it, with all possible solemnity without falling into the... Continue Reading →
We sing them every year, over and over again. We start singing sometime after Remembrance Day, in public and in private, sometimes loud and with confidence, and at other times in tones barely audible. We sing many from memory; for others we need lyric sheets. But admit it, we all sing, though this year with... Continue Reading →
Tis the season . . . for toys. Throughout our small town, children (and adults) are already thinking about what toys should be under the Christmas tree this year. Now in my 65th year I rarely hear from young children, and our adult children now appreciate tools of the trade, or gifts with purpose –... Continue Reading →
August 2021 was devastating for the residents of Monte Lake BC. A spin-off from the White Rock Lake Wildfire roared through the community, sometime pulsing up a single side of a long driveway, and at other time consuming a historic church leaving picnic benches only feet away untouched. Images of the aftermath show residential devastation... Continue Reading →
Many of my better ideas come to me while cleaning up the dishes, loading or unloading the dishwasher (the right way) or generally restoring order in the kitchen. This is no less true that on Christmas Day. Kathie does most of the cooking though I am trying to improve my culinary capability, slowly and incrementally.... Continue Reading →
Some things are so good they must be shared, in this case, annually. The choral music of Morten Lauridsen fits this category well, especially as we approach the threshold of Christmas together. From his home base on Waldron Island in the Sun Juan Archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, from where the... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 