Valda Goudie

As I faced a full day to clean and prepare for guests, the hours stretched out with potential. I needed a list to keep me on track. I flipped over an empty envelope and began writing the tasks I could do. The chores I listed weren’t all necessary for entertaining that evening, but I had so many hours… I had plenty of time! I was on my feet the entire day with quick touchdowns to eat breakfast and lunch. I listened to music or an audiobook and happily buzzed around, completing all the work. There was such[...]

“Owwww!” was my loud response as I looked down at my cracked nail. With the thick, hard gel coating, trickling blood was a notable sign of trauma. I was in a hurry. I had an upcoming appointment that afternoon, and I was preparing the condo for guests expected shortly afterward. While retrieving the cleaning cloth needed for the washroom, I noticed that my windows were covered in that white-dust film that only a humidifier that ran 24 hours per day could produce. So, I paused the bathroom cleanse to wash[...]

“I have bad news,” my friend announced on our weekend walk. “Oh, no! What’s going on?” I held my breath as possibilities flashed through my mind. “My landlord called, and I have to move.” Relief was my first emotion. I’d heard too many acquaintances and family members share cancer diagnoses recently, and I silently thanked God for her health. I listened quietly to her story and the plans she had made in the days between her phone call and her confession to me. She had time to process the n[...]

Have you ever been physically assaulted by a tree? I have. A palm tree attacked me as I crossed a multi-lane road while honeymooning in Mexico. (An overnight windstorm, a broken branch, residual gusts…you get the picture.) Yet, I do not harbor any resentment toward palm trees. To me, these beauties represent tropical destinations, the warm sun, and relaxing vacations (when you’re not running for your life from flying branches). Every winter, when the thermometer sticks at numbers well below zero, I begin[...]

We have had our share of guests in the neighborhood barns. From wandering waifs looking for a warm shelter to hardened criminals seeking to hide from their captors, we've seen a few of your folk stumble in. But these visits, while occasionally disturbing our animalistic patterns for a day or two, were not extraordinary. Nothing will ever compare to that one night… Even while grazing in the field, I sensed something electric in the air unrelated to the town's population explosion and the resulting chaos. T[...]

"I see a roller coaster!" my brother shouted as he bounced on the back seat beside me. "It's huge!" While I didn't share his excitement to ride on something that took me to great heights and teased my body's digestive capabilities, I knew more wonderful things awaited inside the park. This family vacation was different from our past summers. We still traveled with my aunt and uncle and their two girls, but this year, the men had unhitched our trailers in New Brunswick and headed the cars to Ontario. It was[...]

“Where did you stay in Mexico?” an acquaintance asked me one day while tanning at the pool. She had been looking for a place to snowbird for two months and wanted my recommendation. “I like to know that someone has been there and enjoyed it,” she said. While our winter vacations are limited to a week, I still research my options before I book those seven days at a resort or on a cruise ship. I don’t always know someone who has been to the chosen destination, so I head to the internet. Reading revi[...]

The alarm shrilled at 3:15 a.m., but I was already up making coffee. I wouldn’t have wanted to do this every morning—a regular 5 a.m. weekday rise was a struggle enough. But this morning was exceptional and required the sleep sacrifice: my husband and I were flying to Mexico! An Uber, two airports, and two flights later, with a passage of time of nearly 12 hours, we were lounging on a chair on the beach with the hot Riviera sun warming our skin and the humidity filling our nostrils. We were exhausted, but[...]

But the promise of travel came with a stipulation—everything my parents suggested we would do began with those two words: "Lord willing." They would announce an exciting adventure, but God had the final say about whether we did it or not. As a teenager, I found it oppressive. I blame James for this saying, which has become a common colloquialism: Instead, you should say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that" James 4:15 (NIV). While I don't often use these words ("Lord willing"), I u[...]

“Mirror, mirror on the wall; who’s the fairest of them all?” The queen nodded and smiled brightly at her reflection when the mirror confirmed that it was still her beauty that outshone everyone else’s. She fixed an unruly lock of her glossy black hair and blew herself a kiss. She would ask someone to draw her a bath later. She deserved a long soak in scented oil, followed by a relaxing massage. A good book, burning candles, and her favorite herbal tea would complete the pampering. Sounds good, doesn[...]