Columns

Christmas is about to arrive, bringing with it the 12 nights of Christmas and the gifts our true loves will bring us this year. I have my list. I drew it up especially this year since the one about to expire was, on balance, disappointing.

Shortly before 3 a.m. this week I was asked to take someone to the Sturgeon Community Hospital. The problem was severe intestinal pains — possibly food poisoning, possibly influenza. We arrived at the emergency ward by 3:05 a.m. at the latest.

Forty-four days. That’s how long into the new term it took a city councillor to produce a truly memorable ‘Did they really just say that?’ moment. This dubious distinction belongs to Coun.

When I visited Bulgaria, it was hard for me to make my way through everyday interactions like finding a restaurant because Bulgarians don’t use the same alphabet we do.

Today, Wednesday, Dec. 8 is my 60th birthday. For those of you who have not yet bought gifts, please just send cash, cheques or money orders. The reason I mention my birthday is because I share a December birthday with Donna Brazile.

Instead of Elke's Pond we have the Elke rule.

Canada is losing the war. Not a war fought with bombs, guns and tanks in a specific location, but one fought around the world, in various cities, with words, images, and ideologies — a media war.

Arrays of festively coloured lights adorn houses and businesses. They signal that the holiday season is only a month away. The recent cold snap indicates the impending official arrival of winter.

When I was 11, I woke up on the last day of school with an earache. Being a rough-and-tumble farm girl, I ignored the pain and headed off to school. By the time the day was over I was in tears on the couch and my mom took me to the doctor that night.

St. Albert is misunderstood. For years I’ve described St. Albert to family who’ve never visited as a safe, pretty city with friendly people, a rich history, painfully confusing roads and perpetually high property taxes.