How cold is -30 Celsius? It's so cold that when you throw boiling water in the air, it instantly crystallizes as my niece Siobhan demonstrated during our visit to Canmore, Alberta the week before Christmas.There’s cold and then there’s cold. Where I live in Guelph, Ontario, it can get down to -10 Celsius in January and February. To me, that’s cold. With some wind, it can feel like about -20, which is serious cold. On those -20 with the … [Read more...]
The hardest kind of practice
November 17, 2020 By
Since the U.S. election, I have been practicing acceptance. I practice many things—such as learning songs to play with my band or certain golf shots. Practicing these is not work. Mostly, I enjoy practicing whatever I'm practicing. I just keep at, and eventually, I get it--or close enough. But practicing acceptance is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I don’t know that I’ll ever get it. For now, I’ll have to stumble along, … [Read more...]
My most memorable Christmas
January 3, 2020 By
The O'Connor gang circa Christmas 1976 or so taken by my father. A happy group, I'd say. A couple of days ago, a friend asked: ‘What’s the most memorable Christmas gift you have ever received or given?’ Instantly, I thought when I was about 14 and my father brought home a boxer puppy late on Christmas Eve, and entrusted me to keep it company and quiet overnight in the basement. There was also the sweater that Sandy knit for me … [Read more...]
‘College boy’ takes a manly risk in the beer store
November 20, 2019 By
This blog plunges deeply into the drama of my experience in trying to determine if two cases of 12 Sleeman were the same price as 24, and how my status as a manly man hung in the balance.‘ Oh man. This is confusing. Geez Tim, you should be able to figure this out.’ What was the crisis at the root of this great moment of anxiety? Here’s what: I was standing at the back of the Willow Street Beer Store in Guelph looking down at cases of Sleeman … [Read more...]
Does failing to deliver on my commitments mean I’m an unconscious jerk?
November 8, 2019 By
Can you say you're going to do something ... and then NOT do it ... and still be in integrity? You might be surprised. Is God so powerful that he could make a rock so big that even he couldn’t lift … [Read more...]
