Angela 

Monday, May 16, 2005

This is a new venture for me. The idea came from a colleague in Kentucky, USA. Of course, I jumped at the chance to say my piece on a regular basis. I am not too sure what I shall write or how often, but according to an old adage, "Some people must think in order to speak; other speak in order to think." I am in the latter group! Let me introduce myself.

This is comingto you from Oakville, Ontario, Canada. This is a city (the town council insists it be called The Town of Oakville) of about 135,000 exactly halfway between Toronto and Hamilton at the southwest end of Lake Ontario. My wife and I live here in a comfortable retirement with reasonably few disabilities due to age. She had a hip replacement two years ago and I am currently treating a herniated lumbar disc, so naturally we move more slowly and cautiously that when we were married 54 years ago.

It pleased me greatly to have one of my three older sisters phone me at 9 a.m. today to tell me that she had already taken some initative to supplement her meagre pension income and seek assistance in housekeeping. Last week, she chose to continue her cancer treatment although her oncologist had informed her that her condition has stabilized but there will be no further improvement. With only three months until her 80th birthday and having suffered from repeated bouts of cancer and all the available treatments over the past 30 years, she is certainly a courageous woman.

I retired from pastoral ministry in The United Church of Canada 13 years ago. I keep occupied by posting analyses of scripture lessons on a weekly basis to two websites : www.seemlikegod.org and www.spirit-net.ca/sermon.html. You may read some of my writing by opening either of those URLs. I have also led adult Bible studies in the local congregation. Its URL is www.glenabbeyunitedchurch.com where the introductions to my most recent study are posted.

That's all for now.