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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-12-22, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016. Decorating has come a long way with Phillips family Continued from page 8 experience, although they were the victim of an oven's malfunction one Christmas. Emily said that two and a half hours into cooking the Christmas turkey one year in Montreal their oven ceased to operate and they were left scrambling. After calling around the neighbourhood and finding that most families' ovens were occupied with turkeys of their own, there was one neighbour willing to help, although she was far too nervous to keep an eye on the turkey for Emily. So, after Ernie and Emily transported the half -cooked turkey to their neighbour's house wrapped in bath robes via a child's wagon, Emily would have to suit up in her winter clothes and walk to the woman's house once an hour to baste the turkey and assure the Kicking it off North Woods Elementary School near Ethel hosted its annual holiday concert last week, with its dress rehearsal on Tuesday, Dec. 18. There was plenty to see on stage, but just off-stage, masters of ceremonies James Armstrong, left, and Ella Smith dressed as the school's mascot to send the Christmas proceedings in the right direction. (Dennyscottphoto) Townsends donate for holidays Continued from page 7 cooking and Christmas activities. "It's not something we hope for, bad weather, but when we do get it this time of the year I get to spend some time in the house working away," he said. The company gets in on the Christmas spirit, Matt said, typically trying to donate to a local charity. "We try to make a donation to a local food bank on behalf of the company," Matt said. "We want to try to help, especially this time of the year." A company Christmas party happens annually as well, however it doesn't happen until after New Year's Day, Matt said, as mid- January is usually when the winter rush settles down at the shop. One special note for the family's Christmas is making sure that Lucas' birthday on Dec. 16 doesn't get rolled into the Christmas celebration, Aimee said. "We make sure to have a special day planned for him," she said. "The Christmas break has been pretty good over the years, however, allowing for some pretty great birthday parties." Best Wishes for a Safe and Happy New Year BRIAN E. WIGHTMAN Chartered Professional Accountant Certified General Accountant • personal & corporate tax • accounting & bookkeeping • agricultural services Seaforth • 519-527-1331 wightman@bellnet.ca Regardless of the when and where, the Christmas celebrations for the Townsend family focus on one thing: family. "It's really what it's about," Aimee said, "being together and celebrating the season" homeowner that the cooking process was going well. The Phillipses still host Christmas dinner at their home on Moncrieff Road north of Blyth. They rotate with the other side of the family, hosting a meal on either Christmas Day or Boxing Day every year. Christmas dinners have vastly improved at the house over the years with few catastrophes to report in recent years. Decorating at the Phillips house has also come a long way from Ernie's days in England. The family always has a real Christmas tree and decorates it with care every year. There was one year, however, that Ernie had a grand idea to not decorate the house for Christmas whatsoever until Christmas Eve. Ernie's plan was to have all of the family's decorations ready to go, and when the children went to bed, he and Emily would decorate the entire house, including putting the tree up and fully decorating it, for their children to find when they came down the stairs on Christmas morning. All was going according to plan, Ernie said, until some neighbours came over for some drinks. The night turned into a long one and it was the early morning hours before Ernie and Emily got around to decorating the home. Needless to say, that experiment didn't reach a second year. Casey Boven and family Blyth 519-523-4757 Chtdihna�i May your heart be light and your cares be few as we celebrate this festive season. Merry Christmas and heartfelt thanks for your loyal patronage. PARKER <«� P L 1 M ITE ED A name you can trust for all your DRAINAGE SOLUTIONS ENVIRONMENTAL 519-236-7390 R.R. #2 Zurich, NOM 2T0