My wonderful sister in law Donna passed away on April 7, 2018 at the age of 79 after a long journey with Alzheimer’s. Hap and his family asked me if I’d do the eulogy for her. I was honoured. We held a Celebration of Life for her on Sunday, July
Category: Old Sage Posts
My posts
I’m Tired!
Yes, I’m tired. For the first time in my 67 years I’m really tired of what I see in the world today. Bear in mind, I’ve lived through the Cold War, the threat of nuclear annihilation (think 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis for example), political assassinations, multiple financial crises, personal and
It was dreary overcast and wet…
It was dreary, overcast, and wet. The air was heavy. Somewhere between a thick fog and rain. The dampness was all encompassing and without rain gear, you were going to get very wet. Nate had dressed for the weather. He walked the short distance from his home to the bluffs
As time goes by…Part 2
A lot had changed since they first met so many years ago. The maple tree was still there but a majority of the trees around it had been cleared to make way for a large park with pathways, duck ponds, wading pools, playgrounds, and picnic areas. The view was now
As time goes by…Part 1 of 2
She watched her husband of over 50 years make his way up the grassy hill to join her under the old maple tree they’d called theirs since they first met. The tree held a prominent position in the park. It was at the highest point with a gentle incline leading
Come Travel with Us…Part 3..The End…Aren’t You Glad?!
I forgot to mention the Captain did the highest speed of 18.6 knots between Greenock and Portree. While it wasn’t the greatest distance we had to cover, it was still significant in order to make our arrival on time. Our stop in Invergordon – Inverness was spectacular. We took a
Come Travel with Us…Part 2 of 3
Compared to the leisurely speed of 12.7 knots from Kristiansand to Stavanger, we did a relatively fast 16.5 knots from Stavanger to Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands. We had to do an additional 63 nautical miles compared to the distance from Kristiansand to Stavangeer (117 kms/72 statute miles), so the
Come Travel with Us…Part 1 of 3 Maybe?
I thought I’d go a little off the beaten path in my postings and give you a travelogue or two, or three. Linda and I recently returned from a cruise that started and ended in Copenhagen. We spent a couple of days there at each end, as surprisingly, even with
A Letter to a Younger Self
Dear Younger Self: Compared to you, I’m an old man. I’m knocking on the door of senior citizenship and looking forward to getting my first Old Age Security cheque. Woo Hoo! At your age you’ll find that thought crazy. But when you finally reach the magic number, it’s not such
There are certain words…
There are certain words that can strike terror into the heart of a 17 year old. I was fortunate enough to be raised by parents who believed that guidelines and hard fast rules should be set, consequences paid for transgressions, and forgiveness given if the transgression was beyond your control.
And then it happens…
I love traveling. OK, truthfully, I used to love traveling. Now I think I’m more in love with the idea of traveling. As I wrote in a prior post, air travel isn’t much fun anymore and the last thing I need since my Brachytherapy is a cavity search when I
Miranda – A Short Story – Part 2
Miranda knew that voice! She turned from where she was sitting to see her most beloved Gramps standing on the pier looking down at her. She jumped to her feet and rushed to give him a hug. Gramps gave the best hugs in the world. She took both of his
Miranda – A Short Story – Part 1
Miranda, steaming mug of tea in hand, walked outside through the old screen door her Grandfather had hung when he built the cabin over 60 years ago. She paused to make sure the door closed. A habit long ingrained by her Grandmother who would let out an unholy yell if
The Deed is Done!
For my friends on Facebook, you can go back to your regularly scheduled programming as this post is a rehash of my Facebook post. Well my friends, the deed is done! I had my Brachytherapy on Wednesday, November 27 and all went well. So, following one spinal, one nap, one
I’m Baaaaack!
Just when you thought it was safe to open your email without seeing a missive from me, I reappear like a Nigerian Prince offering to make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. I’ve been suffering from a serious case of rectal cranial inversion for the last little while so getting
The 7 Things I’ve Personally Learned about Prostate Cancer – Part Two
Here is the link to Part One: http://oneoldsage.com/2013/09/09/the-7-things-ive-personally-learned-about-prostate-cancer-part-one/ We all act differently when getting the diagnosis: I found out I had prostate cancer about three weeks before I was scheduled to get the biopsy results. When I got the infection and called my urologist’s office, it was closed for vacation
The 7 Things I’ve Personally Learned about Prostate Cancer – Part One
Last November I wrote a post called “What’s a Guy to Do? http://ow.ly/oIljB regarding prostate cancer and the Movember movement in support of prostate cancer research. I had no idea that within a year I would be more closely associated with the subject than I really wanted to be. You
I admire people who live in a “glass is half full” world.
I admire people who live in a “glass is half full” world. But, that’s not me. I’ve discovered there two indisputable truths: “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong” – Murphy’s Law “No good deed goes unpunished.” – Author in Dispute You may think this is a very cynical
A Boy and His Dad…He Was Excited
He was excited! Today was the day he got to go to “the City” with his Dad. Usually it was a family affair with Dad, Mom and himself. He had to sit in the back seat on those trips. Today was different. Mom was staying home so he got to
North to Alaska – The Journey Continues
I thought starting out with Johnny Horton singing “North to Alaska” might be appropriate. This is a very good music video as it shows the country the gold seekers had to cross before they could even attempt to find their riches. Pierre Berton, a Canadian author and authority on the
North to Alaska!
I started writing this post onboard the Holland America Line MS Zuiderdam as Linda, her sister Debbie (who had her own cabin BTW), and I sailed the inside passage between Vancouver Island, British Columbia and the mainland of BC en-route to Glacier Bay, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, Alaska before returning
Dear Dad…Happy Father’s Day
Dear Dad: Well Dad, it’s hard to believe that over 34 years have passed since you shuffled off this mortal coil. I guess in your case it was more of a push than a shuffle. A massive heart attack isn’t exactly subtle is it? I think of you often but