One of the e x c i t i n g events for us student nurses in Holland was the St. Nicolaas Surprise party. During November we closely watched our friends and foes, making notices, for our doggerels to accompany our secret SANTA’S gifts. Read
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“When your daddy was a boy,”
Grandma began, “He helped save a
duck.”
Mr. Duck, she explained to her
grandchildren, wasn’t the only
quacker on the farm. There were a
dozen each of white ducks, geese and
chickens growing up near a small
pond surrounded by reeds. The
property was located in the rural area
of McTavish in sunny Manitoba. A young family with five children lived
in the house. Besides the farm birds
the family had a handsome brown
puppy named Micky.
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Vol.11,
No.62, 2008 The Cross by Kurt Nordstokke (BC)
Tangled grass
intertwined
With rusted memories
Of broken down houses
That used to be homes.
Forgotten farm tools
Lay lost in the past... Read
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The sermon was almost over. Jane couldn’t stand listening to another dry, old word that came from the priest’s cracked lips. When the Amens were concluded, she bolted from the hardwood bench, opened the heavy doors and sucked in the cool, Sunday air. It’s not that she didn’t normally enjoy a service, but today something was different... Read
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Vol.11,
No.61, 2008 Cinnamon by Lois Kromhoff (BC)
Susie had a cinnamon cat
with fleas and fluff and bow.
Everywhere that Susie sat,
the fleas and fluff would go... Read
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“Class, say hello to our new student, Renate.” Those may have been the teacher’s words. I can’t be sure because I didn’t understand her - except for my name, which she mispronounced - but I didn’t have the courage, or the words, to correct her. Now, years later, I realize how quickly the English words came; the courage took much longer... Read
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A hundred years ago fresh cut lumber was air dried outdoors. The elapsed time for the drying process was at least six months and as long as two years depending on the type of wood. The wood must be dry to be able to machine and dress the wood... Read
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We once owned a Model T Ford while we lived in Saskatchewan. My father liked the car for its mobility, but when the car lost its potential for that quality it vanished without a trace, at first... Read
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Around 1951, my family applied for work with a logging company in Prince George. Mother was hired on as a cook and Father as a “bull-cook”, or flunky, meaning he did all the odd jobs and heavy work required. He was a big man, well over six feet, but he didn’t know anything about working in a sawmill... Read
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