HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1977-08-31, Page 10McDONALD CLARKE
On Saturday, June 18, Main Street United Church, Mitchell.,
was the setting for the marriage of Jo-Ann Elaine Clarke' to
Richard H. James McDonald. The bride, is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Floyd Clarke, Mitchell, and the groom, the son of. Mr. ,
and Mrs. Ken McDonald. Attending the bride were Miss Judy
Rose as maid of honor and Miss Nancy Clarke and. Mrs. Karen
Warwick, as bridesmaids. Murray McCall was best man and
ushers were Paul Clarke and Neil McDonald. The reception was
held at Mitchell and District Community Centre where Doug
Clarke acted ' as Master' of ceremonies for the luncheon.
Following the reception the couple. left for a trip to Northern
Ontario. The couple are now residing at R.R.2 , Brussels..
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T..
This is being written from a hospital bed,
where I am in traction and under heavy
sedation. Don't worry. I wasn't in a car
crash. I just had a five-day visit from my
grapdboys.
It seems that my daughter was moving
and it was going to be awfully difficult with
the boys underfoot and it was a great
chance for Gran and Grandad to really have
a good visit with their favorite .people
untrammeled by the interventions of
parents. '
What can you say? "Sorry, but we like to
play golf in the of .ternoon, spend a quiet
evening, and get up when we feel like it in
the morning, during holidays"?
Of course you can't. You burble
something like: "NO problem, dear. We'd
love to have them. It'll be a real treat."
And then you hang up the phone, look at
your better half, and mutter mournfully,
"Good Gawd, the kids are coming."
They came, they saw, they conquered.
And that's why I'm writing from hospital.
As soon as I get, out of traction, they're
moving me, permanently, to a place called
Autumn Daze, a home for chronic
grandfathers to eke, out their last few
months, exchanging senile horror stories
about grandchildren.
Oh well, it may not be so bad. My wife
says she'll come and visit me regularly,
except during the golf, skiing, fall and
sewing seasons. That means once in March
and once in November. She promised to,
bring me a drink on each occasion; because
my nerves are shot to hell, too. But that's a
long—time between mickeys.
It isn't\ 91at my grandsons are bad kids.
They're riot. It's judt that they are three
and a half and one and "a half years old, and
their favorite sport, indoors and out, is ,
tormenting the living daylights out of each
other.
First few days weren't bad,. The Old
Lady has a way with them. She can 'change
a diaper on one and carry on an incredibly
complicated conversation with the other
without getting a hair out of place. She can
sit at the sewing machine, with one on each
knee, and actually sew, as U103/fry to poke
their fingers under the needle. When she's
cooking,she plops them up on the counter
beside the stove, where the older one asks.
84 questions, all beginning, with "why.
and the little onkopens the cupboard doors
and bangs his eye on them and shrieks.
During this period, my role was a fairly
passive one. All "1 had to do ,Was get them
their breakfast. Nothing to that. I give
them each a can of yoghurt and `half a
banana. For dessert, I open a can of
peaches_ and get the ice cream out.
It may not be your standard, .unimagina-
tive cereal. breakfast, but the boys go for it
and seem to thrive on it.
And then, of course, when they've
finished breakfast and are in a, great mood;
there's not much for me to do, Except let
them play around, on, and ever me, break
up eight fights over whose hail or shovel it
is, and serve as a trampoline when they
line up at the far end of the living room,
run as hard as they can, and hurl
themselves head-first into Grandad's lap,
almost invariably knocking heads together,
with subsequent recriminations, howling,
and both of them on my knees being
comforted.
But before you know it, lunch is over and
it's nap time. No. 2 goes down happily with
a bottle. No. I requires six stories. If I read
the one about Flicka, Ricka and Dicka one
more time,I'll go out of what is left of my,
mind.'
But it works. He gets groggy. Just as
he's drifting off, No. 2 hurls the bottle out
of his crib, leaps up, rattles the bars, yells
for action and both are wide awake ready
for More Fun And Games With Grandad.
Afternoons in the backyard are
comparatively peaCeful, except for' one
thing. For.some misguided reason, I have
only one lawn hose. Did you ever see two
boys with only one hose
wrests
them?
w Older is stronger. He rests hose from
Younger and squirts him with ice-cold
water. Younger bellows, runs to Grandad,
soaking from head to foot, and jumps up to
be loved and petted.
Older forgets hose and 'starts to climb
gate. Grandad 'yells. Meantime, Younger
has picked up hose and gleefully squirts
grandad..
Grandad yells again, unprintably.
Younger drops hose and runs, square into
square .corner of picnic table. Great welt
on forehead. Gran will be furious with
Grandad for not watching boys properly.
Those were the • good days. Came
Tuesday ,, and Gran was committed to a
golf tournament.. Dubiously .
"Are yOu 'sure you can cope?"
"Who me? Course I can cope. No sweat:
I can handle these two with one hand tied
behind my back."
"Well, maybe....bitt....
"Gawn, away wid yez. It'll be child's
play "
And it was. Six hours of it. During which:'
eight fights were broken up; the boys ate
all four of the chicken legs I'd prepared for
the three of us; we went shopping and I lost
one-forPQ panic-filled seconds in the maze
`Of the stiperinarket; the Younger
discovered how to Unfasten the buckel of
the seat-belt; the Older started yelling for
his Mommy when. I smacked •his ass for
clObbering his little '-brother . with a ping
pong bat, which for 'some reason unknown
to man or God, he had found behind the car
seat.
My daughter walked in with a cheery
Dad!" and found me,,on the phone
trying to call the police department, the
fire department, anybody. -
She looked at me, shook her head, took
the phone from my shaking fingers, and
called an ambulance.
B1W99E49„POST, AUGUST 31 7 1977
Sugar and Spice
by Bill Smiley •
The boys came
THOMPSON and STEPHENSON
MEAT, MARKET
thseritopr4., .,FREE p4IVER
ROUND STEAK
STEAK ROASTS
Maple Leaf Sweet, Pickled
COTTAGE ROLL-
Sliced large •
BOLOGNA
9
BY JIM'S FLYING SERVICE
Q. Meier in Silver. Dollar Competition this weekend
A Brussels area man is among Reserve Champion's tray will Honorable Mention tray will have
69 competitors who will compete carry fifty silver dollars, while the twenty-five silver dollars.
in the 4-H Dairy Silver Dollar
Competition at Erin, September
3. He is Oscar Meier of Brussels.
Up to five top ranked senior 4-H
dairy calf 'club members are
eligible to represent each county
in the area,,, serviced by United
Breeders Inc., sponsors of the
competition. ,
Points are accumulated from a
quiz requiring senior level
knowledge of cattle, for an essay
on this year'S topic "Public:
relations sells milk" for
showmanship' and for the 4-H
project calf.
Following the show, winners of
each of the font. divisions will
receive prizes of twenty-five
Silver dollars. The competitor
with the highest euttittlatiV0 point
score Will be presented with
seventy-free Silver dollars on the
cliampiOnShip silver tray. The
For a clean field,and trouble-free combining
use
REGLONE
this year.
Any questions give us a call.
Ltd.
in Seatortill
Jim's Plying Service Milton J. Diet
Ltd.
Seafod1'
RiR.L4'527.0 608 Phone Phone 842-3898 or 84580