By Bessie Grimes: “I’m not just old, I’m ancient. I passed my 100th birthday ten years ago. I live with my son and his wife. His ten children are all married, but sometimes they visit with all their kids. The last time I counted, there were fifty of them. I tell you, the din can… Read More The Measure of a Man
By Bessie Grimes: Sometimes a poem isn’t just a poem, and there’s more to it than just a ring of truth… It’s one person’s reality… “I think, my daughter, we will go Today to have some tea With the lady down the road. She’s oft invited me.” “Come in, come in,” the lady cried. “I… Read More Toenails With Cake
By Shirley Cambray: A few years ago, my husband and I decided it would be a treat to bring in the New Year in a warm climate, so we were attracted to the ad that said, come and spend two weeks with us and enjoy a New Year’s celebration in sunny Arizona. Tickets were duly… Read More A Year to Remember
By Peter Jennings: I just realized I’m not laughing like I used to. Where’s Howie when I need him? He’s got the antidote. Or should I say “anecdote”. You see, back in my days of indentured servitude in the Big Smoke,Howie’s the guy who used to call me all the time with the latest funny stories. Some… Read More Humour: When’s the Last Time You Heard A Funny Story?
IN CARING AND LOVING MEMORY OF MY WIFE VIOLET ELIZABETH AMY (GEMMELL) WOODMAN B: August 25, 1932, D: Father’s Day June 19, 2011 By Byron H. Woodman From love-at-first-sight as high school sweethearts, marriage and family through sixty-one years we cared deeply about each other’s happiness and were able to create an atmosphere in which our togetherness… Read More My Beloved Violet
NUTRITION Stress is an inevitable part of our lives that we may not always have control over. However, we do have control about how resilient we want to be regarding the effects it has on our health. The following are some foods that can help build your resilience to stress: Brown rice, oats and other… Read More Stress-busting Foods for Stronger Resilience
COLUMN: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED… “People my age remember the days when the door was never locked.” It was a family gathering. Six of our children from Ottawa, New Jersey and Vancouver were there to support my husband, Don, and his surgery for cancer. We rented three apartments for the gang, and each apartment had… Read More Where are those keys?
by Kate Douglas On March 26th I will celebrate my tenth anniversary of quitting smoking and, as a result, I feel much healthier than I did ten years ago. Here’s the article I wrote for the Muskoka Newspapers in 2006 and I think it is worth reading for those of you who are trying to… Read More
By Bessie Grimes “You’re new here, aren’t you?” Hester blinked. She was; but who was this aggressive woman who hadn’t bothered to say hello? “Yes,” she replied. “I’m Hester. May I ask your name and position here?” “How dare you! Who are you to ask? Everyone knows me! Wait until Eric’s ant farm invades your… Read More It’s All in the Attitude
By Doris Villemaire My father Clarence Brazier was born in Magnetawan, ON, into a farm family of 6 children in 1906. His father (my grandfather) had an unfortunate accident with dynamite while blasting stumps; as a result my grandfather became blind and was no longer the family breadwinner. The family dynamics were changed forever. My… Read More It’s Never Too Late to Learn Something New