Linda Hoye's Blog, page 2

Sweet Release

It’s the wee hours. Molly sleeps on top of the blanket covering my legs that are stretched out and resting on a hassock in front of the wing chair in my woman cave. Five candles flicker atop my writing desk—one for each day of Advent and the fifth for Christmas. The light they offer is […]

Easing In

We have just finished lunch after attending the Eucharist service at church this morning. This is Epiphany Sunday and, as such, the priest marked the doorframe of the church sanctuary with chalk. 20✞C✞M✞B✞25 Wrapped within the new year are initials for the traditional names of the magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar) separated by crosses to represent Christ. […]

I’m Not Optimistic About 2025

The liminality of the days between December 25 and January 1, paired with an ice storm making it unsafe and unwise to venture out, keeps us home. Having consumed too much fat and sugar, we feel dim-witted and lazy. A jigsaw puzzle on the dining table, books on our devices, and a little Yorkie who […]

My Top Twelve Photographs Of 2024

I live in Saskatchewan, Canada, the land of living skies. It’s impossible not to take gorgeous photos of this province. It’s beautiful here. And yes, I understand that it’s all in the eye of the beholder. Recently, someone commented that some of quick phone images of the Saskatchewan prairie I posted on social media make […]

Top Ten Fiction Reads in 2024

At the end of the year, I enjoy looking back at the list of books I read in the previous twelve months. I often remember specific times and places when a particular book held my attention, and browsing the titles takes me back to moments sitting on the back deck in the heat of summer […]

Happy Christmas

It’s mid-morning on December 24th as I write this, and I’ve just sat down with a mug of reheated coffee. Handel’s Messiah is playing on our Alexa Dot and a pot of water is simmering on the stove steaming my mom’s Christmas cake. I’ve had her recipe in the plastic yellow box I’ve kept special […]

The Shortest Day

It’s the winter solstice, and sunrise here in Moose Jaw happened at 9 a.m.—tomorrow, we begin the slow crawl toward light and garden season. Two snowstorms in the past few days have kept us mostly at home and indoors. Gerry’s been out a couple of times with his birthday snowblower, and I took advantage of […]

In the Dark

Jarred from the peace of sleep and the comfort of warm flannel sheets, I retrieve my glasses and Kindle from my bedside table and, with a little Yorkie in my arms, stumble from the bedroom. Molly’s internal clock says it’s time to get up. It’s barely 4 a.m. and I inadvertently trained her to rise […]

Costco Run

Gerry and I are home from Costco or, said differently, we survived Costco. There is no such beast in Moose Jaw; Regina, about 40 minutes east, is the closest one. We originally planned to go yesterday, but the weather was less than optimum for winter highway travel so we opted to stay home—and spent a […]

Peace

Molly and I are up at 4 a.m. as is usual for us. I brew a mug of tea and take it to my woman cave. There, Molly goes back to sleep on my lap while I pray, read, and listen to Handel’s Messiah performed by the Cape Town Youth Choir. Two candles flicker on […]