In 1998, Jennifer and I spent time in Scotland, home to relatives and ancestors on both sides of our families. It was a journey into the old world, perhaps more for me than Jen.
My ancestors hailed from Perthshire, generations of them. My father’s parents left their old homes in Perth in 1919, made a new life in New Westminster and raised a family there.… Continue reading
Early mornings in front of Mildrith, as I sweep out the ashes and load the hearth with bread, I feel the presence of St. Francis, the saint statue resting on the wall of the oven shelter.
It’s little more than a block of concrete cast into the likeness of St.… Continue reading
Six years ago, on a tour around the Cotswolds, Jennifer and I walked into a Cheltenham pub. It was late afternoon. The day had been dark and rainy, and this place was a cheerful antidote. We sat down at a table near a roaring fire in a brick fireplace and looked forward to warming up and having something to eat.… Continue reading