It might surprise you to learn that the tradition of fasting has very little to do with food.  In many religions including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism fasting is a spiritual discipline.   Abstaining from all food, or certain foods, is more about spiritual focus than diet. In his article, “Fasting: Is it Healthy?” Darren...

There’s been a lot of talk of hockey this week. The US Olympic men’s hockey team beat Canada for the first time since 1960.  I know we Canadians are a polite bunch, but that’s going to sting for a while. It wasn’t the first time the country was united behind a single game and it won’t be the last.  Ask any hockey historian and they...

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words . . . can wound forever. Pictures of me as a little kid are really cute –– curly blond hair, a quick smile and eyes always looking for the next adventure. I had the confidence that comes from knowing you are truly loved. If we painted pictures at school, I painted three. I had a storybook childhood...

Commercial flights aren’t as comfortable as they used to be. With meals and those little packs of peanuts a thing of the past, today’s savvy flyer has to take his or her comfort into their own hands.  The in-flight movie is one of the last comforts still left on commercial aircrafts.  But if you’re relying on the movie to entertain you for...

On the side of the library in White Rock, BC they have a quote from William Butler Yeats in foot-high letters.  It reads, “Take down this book and slowly read”.  It’s such excellent advice, especially for summer. There is  something about the slow days of summers that just begs for the pages of an open book.  For some of us, myself included,...

Summer can be a great time of year to add a fur-person to your family. The dog owners who seemed a little crazy walking their pets in the dead of winter are now having a great time throwing Frisbees in the in park. Before you head out in search of the perfect puppy, there are a few things to consider. Adding an animal to your household means...

Did you have Christmas traditions when you were a kid? We had a few.  They didn’t start with “everyone sitting by the fireside …” but they were ours and I loved them.  My Dad used to hide six red robins in the living room and my brothers and I (well usually just my younger brother and I) would huddle together on the couch trying to find...