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A Beaver Tale In The Land Of Beavers
Originally published December 16, 2020 Growing up in the ‘50s and ‘60s was difficult for me, but not because I grew up in Canada – the land of the Beaver. I have always loved being Canadian, but not always in love with living here. As a teenager, there were many times when I wished I…
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My Heart Broke Visiting Mom And Dad’s Place
Originally published September 6, 2015 Yesterday, my heart broke when I visited my Mom and Dad’s place in Oshawa, Ontario. The last time I saw my Ma was September 26, 2010, at her funeral, but I couldn’t stay for her burial, which occurred a few weeks after the cremation. Before her passing, I would see her…
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This Is My First Date in 40 Years Part 2
Originally published June 19, 2015 Part 1 ended in the afternoon on Sunday, June 17, 2015. I had just gotten home and was playing with my dog, Holly, outside when my cell phone rang. I looked at the screen, and her name and number appeared. My legs started feeling weak, and my hand was shaking as…
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This Is My First Date in 40 Years Part 1
Originally published June 17, 2015 I was getting nervous about this, my first date in almost 40 years, and here’s how it all happened. Saturday, June 13th Although we had seen each other a few times in the past 20+ years, we were always in the company of other people. But this was different –…
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Here’s Why Cancer & Tears Changed My Life
Originally published June 14, 2022 I used this story title to inform my readers about the love and support I received during the painful radiation and chemotherapy treatments in 2009. When I started writing a public journal of my loves, fears, cancer, and tears, I wanted to show why cancer and fears changed my life…
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Being The Odd Man Out Is Challenging
Originally published June 1, 2023 Being the odd man or woman out is challenging for most people, and I regrettably belong to that group. However, I am also thankful that I have lived a life that has been this long and eventful. Not everyone has had the experiences I have enjoyed in my 73-year life.…
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The Legend Of A Great White Shark
Originally published September 8, 2014 The crowd of onlookers grew by the minute, and it was only a matter of minutes before the Great White Shark made her first appearance in the Pacific Northwest in more than five years. Some believed that she had died long ago, but they had shown up anyway – in…
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Today, I Got A Pleasant Surprise From A Reader!
Originally published August 17, 2014 This morning, I got a pleasant surprise – a comment from one of the readers of my blog. Although I am always thrilled to receive comments about my stories (good or bad), they usually only come from friends or family members. I mean, who else reads my stories? Who else…
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Do You Ever Miss The Dog Days of Summer?
Originally published May 22, 2014 I recently changed the URL of my website from danielstandrews.net to dannystandrews.com, but I thought the change would be seamless. However, I won’t be posting any new blogs for the remainder of July, but will resume writing again in August (I’ve been busy traveling to exotic places and volunteering in…
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Dear Ma, When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking
On September 26, 2013, I wrote Dear Ma, the shortest story published on this site. It has a read time of just 38 seconds. I did not post a tune to accompany the story, as I usually do, because the story was a letter to my mother, and I could not think of a song…
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Why This Option Is Better Than Continuing
Originally published May 5, 2024 In most situations, we have at least two options: to continue or give up. However, a third option would be to exercise both options, and I will explain why this option is better for me than the former. For several weeks, I seriously considered not writing any more stories. My…
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It’s Been Three Years And It Still Hurts
Originally published September 26, 2013 Dear Ma, It’s been three years, and it still hurts. They say that time heals a broken heart, but that’s not true, because I still miss and love you very much. I wish that I could have seen you before you passed – to be with you and hold your…
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Some Painful Reflections Of My Cancer Battle
In November 2009, the radiation and chemotherapy treatments for my stage three throat cancer ended. I was 59 years old at the time, and I hoped to celebrate my 60th birthday in January 2010. Here is a clip from the North of 49 TV show that featured me several months after my cancer treatments had…
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Here’s How To Challenge A Stalker
Originally published April 17, 2012 I first became aware of being stalked during my daily walk on the White Rock Promenade. At first, I dismissed the notion as silly. Besides, I thought: Why would anyone want to stalk me? I wondered. But every day, it’s the same thing. As I climb the ‘hump’ (the steep…
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Something Bothered Me About Mother’s Day Today
Although my dear mom passed away in September 2010, I remember her daily, especially on her birthday and Mother’s Day. Today, while driving, I was bothered to see three elderly ladies pushing carts as they walked to or from the shopping center. I am always sad to see elderly women walking for reasons other than…
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Here’s Why Saying Goodbye to Eric Was So Painful
Originally published in October 2022 On Monday of this week, I received a message from my niece, Jennifer St. Andrews, advising me that her dad (my brother) had been in the hospital for a week and had just been placed in palliative care. She wanted me to know before he passed. I wrote about her…
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This Isn’t Political – It’s Disgusting!
When I began writing this journal in 2012, I never wrote about politics or religion until January 21, 2017, when I joined a women’s protest march in Bellingham, WA. However, this story isn’t political—it’s disgusting! Let me explain. On March 8, 2022, I wrote the story, Here’s How to Celebrate Women’s Rights. It was my…
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Santa Danny’s Forgotten Kids and An Angel
Santa Danny retired last year because he had lost so much weight, and his voice had become incoherent. He had also been hurt by the same organization (BC Cancer Agency) for which he had raised several thousand dollars over the past decade. Santa Danny wrote about his first visit as Santa Danny. It made him believe…
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Today’s Important Message Came From An Old Friend
Although today’s important message came from an old friend, I initially wanted to keep it private from you because I have always refused to write about politics or religion. However, I am making a significant departure because of recent world events and how they affected the core of who I am as a human. Regular…
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Why I Love Living In My Apartment Building
There may be reasons why many, if not most, Baby Boomers prefer to remain in their house after they reach this stage in their lives, but I love living in my apartment building in White Rock, BC, and do not share their concerns. We sold our house after getting separated a few years ago, and…
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Here Are My Reasons For Writing Stories Again
Although I finally got my website up and running again, I have not yet written anything. So, instead, I wrote this as a test blog post to see if it publishes okay. Please assist me by crossing your fingers, arms, legs, and eyes for good luck! Update: Thursday, November 23, 2023 I am currently relaxing…
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Three Reasons Why I Am Taking A Sabbatical
Actually, there are more than three reasons why I am taking a sabbatical from writing more stories, but I won’t bore you with all the details. So, I will keep it short and reduce the chances of ‘putting you to sleep.’ However, it might take me a few days to finish this story because I…
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A Happy Father’s Day With Holly Golightly
Yesterday afternoon at the vet’s office, I was unsure if I would have a Happy Father’s Day with Holly Golightly, my 17-year-old dog. I consider myself as her daddy, and so does she. As I held her in my arms while Annette drove us to the vet’s, I wasn’t sure if Holly would be coming…
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Here’s Why Goodbyes Should Never Be Forever
The photo is the image I viewed while in North 51 of Surrey Memorial Hospital, and I tried to convince myself why a goodbye is never forever. As I lay in my bed, I reached for my cell phone to take a photo of what might be the last thing I see before leaving this…
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I’m Now Working On a New Future
Although it is essential to forget the ‘past’ and only live in the ‘today’ – I am now working on a new ‘future’ because that is how we plan our dreams and goals. Our gains and losses from yesterday and the fact that we may not be here tomorrow makes it critical to have realistic…
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Why Little Danny Cried This Morning
There has always been the Little Danny in me, and a part of me has always felt sorry for him, and maybe that is why Little Danny cried this morning at the hospital. I am ashamed to admit that shortly after, the ER Doctor visited me early this morning and informed me that she had…
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Is It Private Or Personal And Confidential?
I am unsure if the correct term is ‘private and confidential’ or ‘personal and confidential,’ but neither would be my first choice for this story’s title. Because the story is about the best secret keepers, the title could be ‘Barbers and Bartenders.’ I do not remember how old I was when I first learned to…
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This Is A Dear Anita Love Story
I wrote a Dear Anita love letter to my gal pal, Anita, and I have been heartbroken ever since.You would understand if you knew how much this lady and her husband Ralph, and their young daughter Aria, mean to me. I have known this family since we first met in Spring 2021 when I moved…
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A Nod and Wink
There is a saying I remember – “A nod is the same as a wink to a blind horse,” and it now has meaning to me because it is the same as giving a wink or nod to complete strangers – whether it is a gal or a nod to a guy. I have always…
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When Bumps On the Road Can Help You
Various types of bumps on the road prevent vehicles from driving too fast in areas such as those near schools, parking lots, and other high pedestrian traffic areas. And those bumps come in various heights and widths, depending on whether they are paved bumps, often painted yellow to make them visible to drivers. Speed Bumps The…