HOME

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Voice of encouragement at break of day: “Pickup your pack, O Pilgrim, and away!” This doth the voice of Home each new dawn say.

Those who go daily forth are blessed by her, feeling their spirits rise, their pulses stir, for Home is both a magnet and a spur.

She sends us forth each morn with strength to fight, yet draws us to her loving arms at night. O Home! thou art the temple of delight.

Thou art the very heart of beauteous life, a fortress armed against invading strife, love’s citadel for children, husband, wife.

Thou art a garden, fragrant, peaceful and fair, wherein grow blossoms, humble ones and rare, ideals, hopes and dreams all flourish there.

And when the sun is sinking in the west thou art a voice that bids us take our rest against they loving understanding breast.

This is a page from “Homespun” by Wilhelmina Stitch, an old book I found in my mother’s bookshelf, Third Edition, printed in 1933 in Great Britain.

The Homestead

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Well, I have finally finished this memoir, the cover was created from an old family photo of our homestead house. It took quite a while to write it, going back and forth between what I remembered and what I wanted to share. And now that I’ve declared it finished, I still feel compelled to go back and rewrite many parts of it. I guess it will never be perfect and I’ll just have to live with that. 🙂 It won’t be published for a few months.

Back blurb:

This is the story of my family’s adventure. We left the Canadian west coast on Vancouver Island, travelled to the North Peace River area in northern British Columbia, Canada, established our home there, and then left. It is the story of six children who lived this experience and built new lives after the journey ended. Here is how it happened.

Do you have similar memories? Drop me a note and let me know. Best, Sylvie

Problem solved!

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I developed a sciatica problem in October, and have been fighting it ever since. My GP gave me pain meds, and after 4 visits I managed to twist his arm enough to get an X-ray. The bones in my back were severely compressed. Too many car accidents? Maybe.

At any rate, I gave up on physiotherapy and chiropractic treatments after 15 such sessions. Now I’ve got acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, and an inversion table. Have you ever seen one?

I hadn’t either until we did some research. Here’s what mine looks like. You just strap yourself in and turn the table upside down!

🙂 Not really. You put your feet on the bottom bar, so your ankles are locked in when you pull the lever toward yourself. Then you press the button to start a low-level vibration against your back, and turn the table so it is leaning slightly back, with your feet a bit higher than your head.

Yes, you can use a higher gear and go back farther, but I was reluctant to go to that extreme. I use it three times a day and things are improving dramatically.

I realize it isn’t a pretty addition to my bedroom furniture, but it’s helping tremendously. Now I can get back to writing Book Eight, of The Last War series. Yay!!

My Gratitude for 2023

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  1. I am grateful for all the members of my family near and far. We had fourteen wonderful people at the Christmas dinner table this year. They fill my heart with joy.
  2. I give thanks for my two little grandsons who live next door. They often run down the hill when they arrive home from school to tell us a joke. They either made it up on the way home or heard it from a friend at school. So funny.
  3. I am so grateful that I live in the calm country of Canada. When other countries are in the midst of turmoil and war, we get to enjoy the peace of our land.
  4. I enjoy the reviews of my books that my readers leave on so many online sites. It warms my heart that people are enjoying my work.
  5. I give thanks for my critique group, a wonderful band of supporters and readers who give great feedback to help me sort out problems in the current book’s plot, and point out typos and the misuse of words. Their support is what keeps me writing in many ways.

As we approach the New Year (can you believe it?) I’m looking forward with excitement and gratitude to what it might bring.

I wish you all great things in 2024.