HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1973-11-29, Page 10You would think that after
having written 76 Facts 'n
Fancies columns during the last
year and a half, the 77th wouldn't
be too difficta.
But column 77 is also my final
column for the T-A and having to
write it is like having to compose
my, own obituary.
Next week I start a new job
writing with Gordon Sanderson
of the Sound-Off column in the
London Free Press. And to tell
you the truth, I'm scared to death
- Nit not nearly as much as when
I first game to Exeter.
It was my first real job, my
Hist real responsibility, in a town
where I didn't know anybody and
no-one knew me.
You may remember that the
first time I came here was on a
one-week internship program
while I was still a student at
Western.Two friends drove me out
and I made them cruise around
town for at least an hour while I
tried to- calm down.
And my first real assignment -
that was something else. I went
out with Gwyn Whilsmith to do a
"new neighbor" interview and I
was so scared that she ended up
doing .all the talking and I just
wrote.
When. I left Exeter after that
first week, I thought they would
never want to see me again.
So you can imagine how sur-
prised I was the day I got a letter
from the editor. All it said was
"Dear Susan: Have a job in
which you may be interested.
Bill". And there was a P.S.
scribbled on to the end; "Will
accept collect call from im-
poverished student".
My parents couldn't believe it.
After supporting me through four
years of university, I finally had
a job - one that paid real money!
Then came the day when I had
to write my first column. I was
sure it would be the most difficult
thing I would have to do. And
until today, I thought I was right.
But now, every time I think of
something which might be ap-
propriate for th6lasttblumn, my
mind goes off on a tangent.
There is my car, for example, to
which I have dedicated several
columns.
I remethher the day I got lost
three times in one afternoon with
that car, in Hensall..That must be
a record. •• —
liken I think of the night I got
strilinded half-way between
Luein and Exeter at 2 a.m. and
how Jim drove me out from the T-
A the thekt day to fix it.
Of the Friday night
about 5 .o'clock when Dave,
Frank and George pushed me
halfway around the block in the
pouring rain trying to get my red
bruin) started. And that was not
an isolated incident.
But there are lots of other
things too. There was the night
Doh and literally tore the
darkroom apart looking for a lost
wedding picture which even-
Ocie/r eezed
The Times-Advocate
would like to extend best
wishes to several members
of the Over 80 Club this
week. Birthday
congratulations to:
Clarence Fletcher, RR 1
Woodham, 83, December 2.
Albert Regier, Cen-
tralia, 82, December 1.
Mrs. Daisy Ivey, Hen-
sall, 86, November 29.
If you know of anyone
who would like their name
to appear in this column,
please tell us. There is no
charge.
4e#040t Mat,
tually turned up under masses of
other junk on Ross' desk,
There was the day Harry and I
went on a "wild-goose chase" out
' near Devil's Elbow and couldn't
get within a quarter of a mile of
the geese.
Then there are all the girls at
the back. If it wasn't for them I
might have been fired long ago,
Nancy or Lossy, Marion or Leone
would come into the office with a
remark like, "Susan are you sure
this is what you mean?" and
more often than not, they were
right, And it is only because of
them that I finally learned how to
spell "convener",
I can't even count the number
of times the proofreaders saved
my life by pointing out that I had
spelled a name wrong or worse,
that I had quoted someone who
had been dead 15 years.
Once or twice my mistakes
slipped past them, like the day I
quoted a man who was talking
about life expectancy: "Five
decades ago a person wasn't
expected to "love" past the age of
45 or 50': Well, you never know,
do you?
And how can I ever thank the
Mrs. Viola Coates was released
from hospital recently and is
convalescing at her home.
Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Doherty,
Debbie and Richie visited their
mother Mrs. Whitney Coates in
South Huron Hospital recently.
Wilma Coates, London visited at
her home and also spent some
time with her mother.
Whitney Coates returned home
after spending two weeks at the
Royal Winter Fair.
Mr. and Mrs. George Racey,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are
visiting with Mrs. Racey's
parents Mr. and Mrs. A.O. Elliot
and her sister, Mrs. Larry
Snider.
\NRIXII II UP
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The Children's
Aid Society
REQUESTS
YOUR
SUPPORT at
CHRISTMAS
Any new or good used toys, gifts
and clothing may be left at Exeter
United Church after December 3. In-
come tax receipt issued for all finan-
cial donations.
Reg. No. 0184192-01-15
4
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59'
I
Early *energy crisis mode
quitting bees necessary
Paw, 10
Times-Advocate, November 29, 1973
Facs n fancies
BY SUSAN
A CENTENNIAL ATMOSPHERE - Some of the items at Saturday's
bazaar sponsored by the Exeter United Church Women were on dis-
play in an old fashioned kitchen. Above, Mrs, Mery Cudmore and Mrs.
Norm Wolper are shown with a table decorated with coal oil lamps.
paste-up girls, who must have
been cursing me every Wed-
nesday afternoon because I forgot
to do cutlines or because I wrote a
headline too long.
There's Dorothy, who was
never able to get my lay-out
sheets on time because I wasn't
finished with them. And Nic who
never once complained even
though I continually gave him
pictures to process hours after
the deadline.
I can't forget the girls in the
front office who didn't make me
talk to all the complaining
customers and who just shook
their heads in disbelief every time
I lost yet another pen.
But I guess the two people who
really had to put up with me are
Bill and Ross. All I can say is that
it has been a real education
working with them. I probably
learned more from those two
about newspapers in 18 months
than I could have learned in six
years at the best communications
school.
But I learned lessons in life too.
From Ross I learned never to bet
on a sure thing, because the only
sure thing was that I would lose.
From Bill I learned that there
is no-one more self-righteous
than someone who has stopped
smoking.
To the Southcotts and to
everyone at the T-A, for the
opportunity to work with you and
to everyone in Exeter, thanks for
putting up with my often blun-
dering ways.
Naturally, I would like to think
I am indispensible to the T-A,
but unfortunately, when I start to
think that I might be missed just
a bit, I am reminded of this piece
of philosophy:
Indispensible Advice
Sometimes when you're feeling
important,
Sometime when your ego's in
bloom,
Sometime when you take it for
granted
You're the best qualified person
in the room.
Sometime when you feel that
you're going
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow this simple in-
struction
And see how it humbles the soul:
Take a bucket and fill it with
water,
Put your hand in it up to the
wrist,
Pull it out and the hole that's
remaining
Is a measure of how you'll be
missed,
The moral of this quaint example
(As quoted by poets anon)
Be proud of yourself but
remember
There is no indispensible one!
Several hand, made quilts have
been given to the Strathroy
Middlesex Museum for display.
Quilting is one of the crafts that
developed in North America, and
is an example of how necessity
leads to development of articles
of beauty.
Early settlers brought some
comforters and woven blankets
with them, but bedrooms had
little, or no heat, and more bed
covers were necessary. Cloth was
expensive to purchase, and took
hours to spin and weave at home,
so every scrap was put to use.
At first the quilt patterns were
"crazy" - any scraps of cloth
from, dressmaking, or good parts
of worn out clothing were put
together to make a covering.
Later, patches were sorted by
colour to make more harmonious
patterns, or decorated by feather
stitching or embroidery.
When cloth became more
easily available, the pieces were
cut in definite sizes and shapes to
•
make a particular pattern, such
as Bear Track, Pinwheel, Log
Cabin, etc., often combining
many coloured bits on a white or
neutral background.
The first quilts were padded
with anything that was available,
raw wood, cotton, feathers, milk-
weed down, or even straw or corn
husks, Then it became more
common to pad them with thin
layers of cloth, or worn blankets;
and finally cotton batting became
the usual padding.
To keep the padding in place,
ties were put through at regular
intervals. But as quilt patterns
became fancier, it became more
usual to join the layers together
by rows of fine stitches in straight
lines or in fancy patterns that
enhanced the pattern on the top.
And then the quilting bee,
which was a feature of pioneer
social life was born. It took hours
and hours to do all the fine stit-
ching by yourself, so it was more
pleasant to invite your neigh-
-
bours in to help you do it, and
then go to their homes to help
them with their quilting.
Quilting kept the hands busy,
but didn't stop the tongues from
wagging, so everyone got caught
up on the neighbourhood news!
A bee was held last week at the
Strathroy Middlesex Museum, to
help prepare for the old time
Christmas display. Those who
were present found that it is
harder than you would think to
string popcorn without breaking
it to pieces.
Remember the museum winter
hours - Wednesdays and Sundays
from 2 to 5 p.m.
Consumers' Association of
Canada reminds motorists to
periodically inspect the seat belts
in their cars. Sections of the
webbing that make regular
contact with metal hardware
should be examined carefully.
Continued abrasion at such vital
points can weaken the fabric,
Following last year's suc-
cessful experiment at de-
centralizing its Christmas
assistance program to families
and children in co-ordination with
other local community groups
and volunteers, the Children's
Aid Society will again be un-
dertaking sponsorship of a
volunteer bureau in each of the
five major centres in Huron
County.
"The spontaneous support and
active assistance of so many
groups and volunteers convinced
us that keeping such a program
at a local level was far better
than attempting to direct a large
effort of assistance to upwards of
200 families through our office in
Goderich," said Bruce R. Heath,
Children's Aid Society county
director.
"Meeting the needs of the
children and families referred to
us is directly dependent on the
response of the people of Huron
County. Already we have
received financial donations,
gifts and commitments of
Plan assistance program
CAS helps Santa Claus
assistance from many com-
munity, church groups, and
generous individuals, Others
have undertaken to sponsor a
family as a group project and this
we highly endorse.
"In many communities, church
and service groups have always
taken it upon themselves to
engage in Christmas projects
similiar to our own, Where such
activities are already in
existence, these same groups
would again be responsible for
people known to them or referred
to them, In such cases, we would
act only as a clearing house, or
possibly share in the local project
as appropriate.
"Any authorized represen-
tative of a church or community
group may check the referral
index at our office in Goderich, or
with the local co-ordinator.
Similarly families needing
assistance can contact us directly
or be referred by any community
group or interested individual,
"We are particularly desirous
— Please turn to Page 11