Take three disparate cultures, each with their own history, languages, perspectives, and beliefs, bring them together in southern Alberta in the 1920s and 30s, and what do you get? Wisdom from intercultural and ecological relationships that remains relevant a century …
Cultivating Intergenerational, Intercultural and Ecological Relationships Read more »
Connecting with Kin Connecting with a woman I’ve never met, but with whom I share great-grandparents feels ethereal. Our Klassen grandfathers were brothers. Both of our fathers carried the same names. Our life journeys have been quantum leaps apart, but …
Stories Across Time and Space: Ancestral Journeys Read more »
My search to understand stories of the land has so far raised more questions than revealed answers. My interest lies in the farmland of Namaka, southern Alberta, which became home to a young Mennonite boy between 1930 to 1937. two …
2022 was a landmark year. After fifty-two years of riding, the time came to call it quits and free up space to explore untapped interests and aptitudes. Graduate studies have more than filled that. They have also exemplified what I’ve …
The Universal Law of Success: Eyes Up! Throttle On! Read more »
Five years ago today, my father passed away. It was fitting that he, a farmer, a man of the land his entire life, should pass on the Harvest Moon. My studies into how my ancestors related to the lands they …
Last month I described the sensation of timelessness as I walked on rocks formed hundreds of millions of years ago. This month, it’s back to the books! (Read Newfoundland: Keeper of Stories in Stone) This time, I’ve landed in an …
Back to the Books: Ukrainian Steppe to Alberta Prairies Read more »
Known as “the Rock”, Newfoundland is world-renowned for its ancient stories in stone. To pass it off as a single lump sitting in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Canada’s Maritime Provinces is at best short-sighted. Its geology, illustrates …
Swamp Wisdom 2021 One year ago, I paused my trail walk to sit at the edge of this swamp and reflect. It reminded me of a primordial pool from which life has been emerging for millions of years and will …
Changes in Time and Place: Swamp Wisdom One Year Later Read more »
I had no reason to suspect that spring day, which started out as so many others, would open the door to a new direction—one where I’d begin weaving a new tapestry. It had been just two weeks earlier when I’d …
Mom’s taken to examining her hands lately. I sit and watch, observing how hands, decorated with scars, blemishes, and wrinkles, hold a lifetime of stories.