Stories from Home

Travelling by car to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia took a long time. Taking the Princess Helene from Saint John to Digby helped with the journey.

In the dining room, they would have the table and chairs roped to the wall. I was scared sometimes. Some kids would get really sea sick. There was a very tall nurse who was very kind.

After Cedric's first visit to the farm, Dad took him and Otis Hicks to the boat to head back to Bethany. And they just missed it. There was a Bethany crew on the deck laughing and waving at them. 

After Ron and Kay Morehouse were married, some of us came to Moncton with them by car. Ron was a mechanic. We made friends for life.

- Mom

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In Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, Amy Krouse Rosenthal has quotes about writing as she shares her journey to creating the book. The following two were my favorite -

I have remembered, I suppose, what I wanted to remember; many ridiculous things for no reason that makes sense. That is the way we human creatures are made. - Agatha Christie; An Autobiography

But writing with simplicity requires courage, for there is a danger that one will be overlooked, dismissed as simpleminded by those with tenacious belief that impossible prose is a hallmark of intelligence. - Alain de Botton, The Consolations of Philosophy

When I read this book, and Textbook, I liked how she wrote about the ordinary (which is extraordinary). It matched how I like to write and save memories. I don't have a need for fancy words or following all the rules. I prefer simple, and that's okay.

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

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pencil grip

I do not hold my pencil "properly".

But I print and write like this.

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

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font

When people see my printing, they will comment on how neat it is. Something said by a teenager, many years ago, stuck with me. He said, "You could be a font."

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

Song | Bless the Lord

The Choir Room

Quote | Every Day

Every day, God invites us on an adventure.

It's not a trip where He sends us a rigid itinerary.

He simply invites us.

And then, leaning over us, He whispers,

"Let's go do that together."

- Bob Goff

Little House on the Ridge

Stories from Home

One day in high school, we wanted to get outside to play croquet.

We changed the clock in the classroom and it worked!

Mr. Green, a favorite teacher, didn't notice and let us out early! 

- Mom

family music 180

In 1953, Dad was travelling with the Ambassadors for Bethany Bible College. While singing at s church in Meductic, there was no Stillman when they went to sing the closing song. It was a warm night, and his pants were stuck to the chair. Dad (17) and Stewart started laughing. Rev. Trafton, a kind professor who sang in the quarter with them, blew the pitch pipe and said, "Ok, Boys. Straighten up. Time to sing." They couldn't stop! They never did sing the closing song.

I giggle when I hear Mom or Dad tell the story. I picture Dad and his buddy, Stewart, trying to stand at the pulpit and sing, but bent over with tears in their eyes from laughing so hard.

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Instead of counting sheep, I often go through the alphabet.

I will say to God, "You are ______" and share a word that describes Him with each letter.

Lately, I have been thinking of hymns or other church songs.

I usually fall asleep by G.

Textbook | Language Arts

Sharing Our Stories | boots

In October 2023, I went to put on my Blundstone boots and noticed a hole. For seven years, I had worn them almost every day. A generous gift from family, they had been through everything with me, sloshing through all kinds of weather, even in the woods. I lived in them and cared for them, including taking them to the shop for stitch repair on the heel. It was a sad day to find the hole. 

I made an Instagram story of how good the boots had been to me over the years. To my surprise, Blundstone sent a kind reply to the story in direct messaging. 

Meanwhile, a few friends sent messages to me about their warranty, but I didn’t think I would qualify. (I had even seen a TikTok of a Canadian sharing about her new boots and the comments were unkind, saying she shouldn’t have received them for normal wear-and-tear and how wrong it was of her. Oh my!) 

When I thanked Blundstone for replying, they mentioned their warranty and how I could submit a claim. Because they mentioned it, I started to think I could qualify. I filled out a very detailed form which asked how I cared for my boots and more. (Side note: While my family did find the receipt later, I did not need the receipt and could fill in an approximate date with the store location.)

Within a day, I heard from them by email. I was told to cut the elastic out and cut the tags off my boots. With my name and date posted beside the boots, I needed to take a picture and send it. I followed their instructions and new boots arrived within a week! 

What an incredible company! I am so grateful for the boots (again).

In January 2024, I made a post on Instagram and they left the following comment -

blundstoneca Hello, Loraleebain, thank you for taking the time to write to us and share your story! We are so thrilled to hear that we were able to replace your boots and hope that this new pair treats you well for many adventures to come!

Sharing Our Stories