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The other day when the light turned green at Arlington and Bronson, I paused for a second before easing Henry (remember, that’s the name of my car) left on Bronson, and past the Burrito Gringo I do not go to. The pause ...

The first time I went to the Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, it was to hear the writer Anne Lamott speak. She was her warm, funny self, full of writing and life advice for an auditorium ...

I'm no farmer. But when I saw this little painting at an art show in our neighbourhood, I wondered if I should think of myself as one, at least for a little while. I resonated with the image immediately and it brought ...

In July of 2022 I signed a book contract with NavPress. It flickered through my mind back then to post one of those "author signs her contract" photos on Facebook, but being a person with a certain doomsday posture, I did not. ...

Here is some of what has been good, because I know you would have told me to look for it, and to reach toward it and name it when I find it. Our children. How they reach out across the chasm you ...

Our church in Ottawa asks people of the pews to share on Good Friday, and last year I was one of them. Each speaker is assigned a portion of scripture which are the words Jesus spoke from the cross.  "Why did I ...

The obituary of the Rev. Dr. Canon Gordon Brent Stiller “Look at that golden light!” That is what Brent would say as he steered a boat past the woods and the rocks of the Kawartha Lakes at a certain time in the ...

Dewey was born almost 14 years ago, in an Ontario town I can't recall. He was the only boy puppy left of his litter, and he sat timidly in the back of the pen, trembling amongst all the girls vying to come ...

The other day I walked by a young girl who lives on our street, sitting outside on the bottom step, reading a book. I felt an instant camaraderie with her, as a reader, first, but specifically as an outdoor reader. When we ...

My dad, who is 85,  spent a few months in Spain a couple of years ago, sitting on a deck writing his memoir out by hand on legal pads. He conquered it by writing various topics one after another, and he worked ...

Today, I clipped the leash onto Dewey, my most reliable walking partner -- he always says yes, he never says no -- and coaxed him 4275 steps, according to my iPhone. It was a fruitful walk. I complimented a woman on her ...

I am waiting with bated breath for a memoir to arrive in my inbox, written by my father. Working title? My Story by Russell S. Durling. I've been a tiny bit coach and a big part cheerleader for my 85-year old dad, ...