Death is God’s way of getting our attention. Just how much attention is determined by several factors. Was the person Pavarrati, or my cousin from Vegreville, or a teen drug dealer, or an elderly neighbour? Did it become a media event or a private affair? Were there floral and plush-toy shrines à la Princess Diana?… Read more »
Step away from the bag and no one gets hurt. You see, my purse is oh so much more than simply a utilitarian fashion accessory; it’s an appendage, a personal assistant, a security blanket, a statement. What, pray tell, are its precious contents? Oh, just a microcosm of my life: a month-at-a-glance calendar, a Tungsten… Read more »
Much of our lives are spent waiting. Waiting in traffic, waiting in lineups, waiting for word, waiting for the perpetually late, waiting for service. Some of us are better waiters than others. We people-watch. We read the latest thriller. We eavesdrop. We catch a snooze. We make lists recapping the day or planning for the… Read more »
Increasingly I’m being asked to say grace at functions–the company Christmas party, family dinners. Prayers are like any other writing. To be effective they need to be relevant, appropriate for the occasion, and aimed at the specific audience. The words need to connect on an emotional level and be free of hypocrisy. In other words,… Read more »
Every so often the pile of newspaper clippings, scrawled Post-it notes, and column idea fragments simply need to be dealt with. Well, today’s the day. Please don’t get dizzy as I whip from personal stuff to other-side-of-the-world anomalies, from stuff that may help you to things that may amaze or amuse you. My husband was… Read more »
In the past few days I’ve entered into uncharted territory. Normally I would’ve had Roy at my side driving the process. Because of time constraints, it was more out of necessity than desire that I began researching a new vehicle purchase on my own. I started with talking to our son Greg, who’s a shrewd… Read more »
It’s not too late. In bigger centres, the earlier you start the better your chances for success. Some may even say it’s your duty. I’m talking about the October municipal elections. Every city, town, village, and rural county or municipal district will be looking for a few good men (and women). Unfortunately, in 2007 women… Read more »
Readers of this space may remember an earlier column called Rant Alert! Rant Alert! In it, I blew off steam about deteriorating customer service that appears to be the rule rather than the exception. I bemoaned the prevalence of incompetent, uninterested, disengaged employees all across the spectrum, from mom and pop stores to big-box stores,… Read more »
Here we are in the thick of wedding season with couple after couple taking the big plunge–committing to love, honour and cherish; choosing this one person from a potential pool of several billion people; promising to forsake all others through good times and bad. It may be a lavish affair complete with hundreds of guests,… Read more »
A recent Edmonton Journal Sunday Telescope featured a compilation of insults spotted on the Internet and submitted by a reader. According to the intro, ?a carefully crafted, clever insult is becoming a forgotten art.? When I think about the not-so-recent public peeing match between Rosie O?Donnell and Donald Trump I’d have to say I agree…. Read more »