HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1976-09-01, Page 16Sugar and Spice
by Bill Smiley
It's hard to write in summer
Boy, I can't think of anything more
harrowing than trying to write a column
sitting at the picnic table in the backyard
on a mid-summer day.
I envy those writers who have a nice,
quiet study, preferably without windows,
in which to do their work. No distractions,
,no 'disruptions. Just the writer and his
machine, the words pouring onto the clean
white paper like sparkling wine onto a
white linen tablecloth.
It's almost impossible for me to
concentrate on turning' out a piece of taut,
fascinating, creative prose for more than a
minute or two, sitting here today. Too
many interruptions.
Not only do I not have no windows, if
you'll pardon the triple negat, ive, it's just
one big window, and I can't stop looking
through it. If it was possible to turn my
head in a 360 degree circle, I would see an
entire world, mostly green, in miniature.
There's my neighbor, Helen, at the
clothesline. Uh-huh.' Looks like ' her
granddaughter was here for the weekend.
Ten diapers on the line, among the towels
and sheets. Doesn't believe in disposables.
I do.
There's a sawing sound across the fence.
Wonder what my neighbor, Jim, is working
at this fine, sunny day. Better saunter over
and check it out. We'll have a chat about
the iniquities of the town council. •
Here comes Patsy Woods, a third side
neighbor, with her little brother. Bad
news. One of my huge oak limbs, about two
feet in diameter, the one that hangs right
over the house, has a split right -up the
trunk. Have to go and look. Yeah, that's
bad, Patsy. I'll, have to call. Gebrge, the
tree man, and have it taken down. Pity, but
it will provide some excitement for the
neighborhood.
Right behind me is the big, square, brick
house in which lurks my old lady, suffering
from the mummy of all sunburns. Nose like
an over-ripe cherry, chest like a peeling
boiled beet. Furious because of the way
she looks and feels.
I don't burn. After a dreadful experience
as a kid, when I had to sit for two days and
nights in a chair, plastered from head to
toe with some concoction of my mother's
for sunburn (was it baking powder or,
baking soda?), I keep my lily limbs.
covered. Oh, I get what we call a farmer's
tan, forearms, face and neck, but the rest
of Ine is white as the driven snow.
I don't turn around to look behind me at
that house. Aside from my suffering wife
inside, there is the outside.That beautiful
green vine, so much admired by visitors, is
climbing the brick wall like a giant squid,
pulling the bricks loose one by one, and
occasionally hurling one down, just above
the back door. At today's rates for repairs,
that brickwork, will likely cost me more than
it cost to build the house, 70-odd years 'ago.
Let's change the subject. In fact, I think
I'll break off for a moment, it's so painful.
There's the garbage can to bring in.
Maybe I'll get my seven iron out of the car.
trunk and cut some weeds. That's what I
use instead of a hoe.
There, that's better. My swing was right
on today. Kept my head down, my eye on
the weed, took a slow back swing, and one
whole flower bed is weedless.
Also pushed the lawn mower under the
spruce tree, to keep the rain off, and picked
up the grandkids' inflatable swim pool,
which, after a week sitting there full of
rain, grass and bugs, left a big round dead
patch in, the lawn. Good work, Bill.
More distractions. A cheeky black'
squirrel, looking for a handout. Dumb Cat
rubbing against my leg, looking for the
same. Three ugly, grackles, striding
splay-footed and insolent, across my lawn,
pecking up the fresh grass seed.
Ahah! What's that noise, down the lane.
Better stroll down and see. Great. A Bell
telephone truck and two y oung fellows
digging a post hole. Entire neighborhood
watches. Machinery digs hole, erects pole
with, ease. Old timers comment 'scornfully.
.Remember when you dug them by hand,
with a spoon shovel. Brutal hard work.
There's the-lire enginelBetter jump in
- the car and folloWlHoly old jumpin' 1 Why
do they let all these crazies follow the fire
truck through town at 50 miles an hour?
Somebody might be killed.
Wasn't much. Just . some dumb•
housewife let the fat boil over on the stove
while she was watching her soap opera.
But it might have been a good one, like the
old lumber mill last week. That was a
dandy.
Should get back to the column. Oh; no.
There's the old battleaxe at the back door, ,
wailing, "What are y ou doing out there, .
just sitting around enjoying yourself, when '
you know-I'm in agony? Least y ou could do
is pit a washing through and sweep the
kitchen floor, it's filthy. And you haven't
brought me any fresh tea for two hours." -
Oh, lordy. Who's this pulling up? It
can't be. It is. It's those people we met at a
party, two years ago and insisted with great
fervor and sincerity that if they were ever
in our neck of the woods, to look us up.
Look at that. Three ,kids and a dog. Oh,
dear.
Perhaps you Can understand now why I
hate being a schoolteacher and having the
summer off and having to write my column
out under the trees, instead of writing it at
my desk in mid-winter.
4
.0=11=111111..'_
LET US MAKE YOUR , OLD FURNITURE
BETTER THAN NEW!
For a free estimate and a look at
our newest samples of materials
— CALL
COOK UPHOLSTERY
"Put Your Upholstering Ph. 523-4272 Cook, Prop.
Needs in Our Hands" .Blyth, Ont.
WE HAVE FREE PICK-UP' AND, DELIVERY SERVICE
McCytcheon Grocery
Phone 887-9445 We Deliver
Reg. 69c
59'
lb. 99
COOKIES
Butterticotch Chip
Dares
Chocolate Fudge,
Chocolate Chip
2 lb. bag $An
28 oz. bag
.147
Ontario
-CABBAGE
FREE 'With every purchase of $10 or more - One pint
of Frontenac ice cream.
Westons Cinnamon 'Nut
ROLLS
Schnelderi Country
SAUSAGE
COAL
for
SALE
Stove, Nut,
Stoker and Rice
527-0840
ansawsomosmizermnamsw,
:44
Days -..areriltiozy for
Collandet res idents
(By Edith Baker)
Yes, go 'ahead an call this the
lazy days of summer but not for
us has it been so. ,
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Tyerman
and Mrs. T. Campbell of Van
Nuys, California, U.S. visited
their uncle and cousin E. Pollard.
'Eldar Hale and Elder. Richey
showed us very , interesting
pictures on mission work. They
are from the U.S.A. but will be
here in Ontario for two years, the,
headquerters for them being in
Brampton.
We were entertained in July by
the Brussels Horticultural Society
with tap dancing by Shirley.
Frazer also singing by Janet and.
Kim Ford. Charlie ,Buck played, a
couple of numbers on the
accordion after which a delicious-
lunch was served.
Mr. A. Knight came and
showed pictures of California and
the Grand Canyon which
everyone enjoyed and it was good
to see Mr. Knight around again.
The 17th •of this' month the
VaiaN:aM: 44#1MOR,:i
JELLO POWDERS
1Vlitchells
APPLE SAUCE
Cavalier' Canned
POP
Christieti Stilted
SODA BISCUITS
Phone 8814216
assorted
Flu vaccination
16,411E, BRUSSEL appearing andnova S POSt. sEpTemBER i;i976 do. something about
.,
Huron plans
Plans are underway to dis-
pense approximately 30,000
doses of swine flu vaccine in
Huron County this fall.
Huron County Medical Officer
of Health Dr, Frank Mills said
the first batches should be
available in Huron at the end of
September.
This will be used on "high
risk" people, such as pregnant
women, elderly people, those
with chronic di se and
essential workers such as health,
police and fire personnel.
Dr, Mills said the ministry Of
health Were presently drawing up
the list of people to be included in
the initial program.
The • balance of the vaccine
should be available in the latter
part of October and into
NoYember 'for the rest of the
people to be vaccinated. Thii will
include everyone except those in,
the tinder 20 age bracket and
those between 50 and 65. Dr.
Mills explained that blood tests
indicate that the latter group have
a resistance due to their expoSure
dtiring the 1918 epidemic.
The vaccination will ' be
adtninistered at mass clinics in
the county: Using a special jet
injector, Dr. Mills estimated that
it was possible to vaccinate about
200 people an hour.
All those receiving the vaccine
will have to sign consent forms.
The MOH has Contacted
doctors in the county for their
-support in 'the vaccination
program and is confident that the
help will be available. Both
Rebecca Lodge served a hot beef;'
dinner. This was followed by an
entertainment 'of music and
Charlie Buck better k
the next thmteies. daRyosn
we .all say many
Sheriff is attending the C.N.E. rot
remembered for WHma.plprylanRde,turn
Returns
as
singing.
eglirthday o f the
along
t Boanitl h wawinadhu :,,
faInileyW W elcome Mrs. FredThuelre
th'eS'hcoeP' einthe Brussels Fair is next
month quite a number of very
active
,the
peopleline
of
a
crafts
teready to gettingartieles
in
exhAibiPtost Classified will pay you ,
dividends, Have you tried one?.
Dial Brussels 887-6641.
; MiNeRNAMMinigiliMin
For Expert
Cleaning and
Repairing
CALL 335-3398
doctors and nurses will ' be
enlisted for the program and once
mass vaccination begins, several
volunteers will be needed for the'
clinics to help with the paper work
and assist in guiding people.
The provincial figures for
Huron indicate there are 19,085
people between the ages of 20 = 49
and 6,746 over 65.
Dr. Mills has expressed some
concern about the lack of
inquiries he' has received about
the Vaccination. He attribUte,s it to
an over-confident attitude
towards health.
"Many people take their health
for gtanted and may not take
advantage of the 'program," he.,
Said. "There is a chance the virus
May never appear in Canada, but
we know there is a chained of it
-OIL BURNER
SERVICE
Time to have your
futnace cleaned
for the Winter
ti
VVroxeter . itungsmie§x*.::kmmigionel
STEPHENSON'S
Bakery Grocery
19ot,
-'2110 top 14'
...,
Free Delivery
5/9
2
A
hel
Cho
final
,Tue
Rev
8
ansV
whet
Ti
recd
glytl
'as
wool
;Bel
11(1
.S601
paid
thtei
bY:t1
sped