It’s just a number, couched between 65 and 67, not one of the “big ones” where birthdays are concerned, not yet 70, but certainly no longer 50. Today is little different from yesterday, but today I turn 66. No song today like When I’m 64, but the music—and my life— goes on. Thankfully. The number... Continue Reading →
My life, like yours, I suspect, can feel like it has been ingeniously designed for the sole purpose of strangling serendipity. What an awesome first line, not my own words, but an extract from a New York Times opinion piece published today. In high school English class I remember working on first lines, typically constructed... Continue Reading →
A sermon for the first Sunday of Lent, 2024 So what is your favourite bible story? Many for whom a Christian Church has not been part of their upbringing or first-hand experience will say something like “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” or “Jesus Christ, Superstar”—and what would we do without Andrew Lloyd Webber. (Point of... Continue Reading →
Sixteen squares each occupied by a single word. At first glance, they are simply words, seemingly unrelated to each other. The challenge--in this popular New York Times e-game--is to group these sixteen words into four connected clusters. The clusters are grouped supposedly by difficulty. Much depends however on how aware I am of pop culture,... Continue Reading →
Rodney David Rhys Smith, 1945 – 2023A reflection by Ken Gray I told Rod many times, that when the time comes for his funeral —and if I am invited to officiate—that I get the last word! And so I did, as about seventy-five family and friends gathered at Sequoia Gardens in Victoria recently. They laughed,... Continue Reading →
If it’s good enough for The Guardian and for The New York Times, each running selected stories and opinion pieces between Christmas and New Years presently, it’s good enough for me, Juno. Welcome to Juno REDUX, a look back at my canine journalistic parlance par excellence during 2023. I must start with Therapy Dog Team,... Continue Reading →
A version of this material will form my 2023 Christmas Eve Sermon at St. Stephen’s, Summerland. 7 p.m. is you’re in the hood. Everyone likes receiving Christmas cards—at least most people do. See my comments elsewhere. For many, the traditional Christmas card is now replaced by the annual newsletter—my own tend to go on a... 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 →
Another in our “The shorter the word, the bigger the meaning” series Now four years old, dog-blogger Juno is a Labradoodle living in Summerland in the interior of British Columbia. Real estate agents bring cards; musicians bring EPs; academics bring recently published books. We all need something, a token, a symbol, with which to introduce... Continue Reading →
It is hard to believe, but as of yesterday we have now lived in Summerland (for a second time) for a full year. I tried to publish this blog yesterday, but we were simply too busy—hence the odd blog title. Oen year and counting, it is hard to believe how rich our lives are here.... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 