When I opened the blinds this morning, I gasped. Nature does that sometimes with the brilliant eastern sky. The wonder doesn’t last long, so it’s worth pausing to appreciate, and, as Mary Oliver told us in her poem, “Instructions for Life,” “Pay attention. Be Astonished. Tell about it.” It’s the morning after Halloween, and we…
One morning this week, I sat in a doctor’s office and, at the end of the consult, we shared scoliosis surgery stories. Mine, a half-century ago, that decimated my senior year, with weeks of traction, months of being completely bedridden, and more than half a year spent in a full body cast; hers, when she…
Following the intensity of summer, and before the cold, dark days of winter, autumn tiptoes in, bringing with her a palette with shades of orange, umber, and gold to dress deciduous tree leaves in for one last glorious show before they let go and fall into a crispy blanket on the ground. I love that…
I fill one more yellow bowl with ripe tomatoes (you know, one of those big old Tupperware ones that everyone has). I’ve roasted batch after batch with garlic and aromatic herbs, tucking them away in the upright freezer downstairs. It’s satisfyingly full for this time of year, with beets, borscht, carrots, beans and tomatoes in…
We are driving along a dirt road somewhere north of the small Saskatchewan city we call home. Farmers are working hard; the harvest is in full swing. There is something intrinsically satisfying about harvest time, whether it’s from our backyard garden or fields of grains, oilseeds, and pulses being brought in. Something like “we have…
Here in Saskatchewan, farmers are busy in the fields bringing in the harvest. I’m not a farmer, but there’s still something so satisfying about seeing combines in the field. In our own backyard, I’ve picked the last of the green beans, zucchini, and cucumbers. Tomatoes are still going strong, but I’m keeping an eye on…