The Citizen, 1987-12-22, Page 9Three of the small shepherds in the Walton Public School’s Christmas concert skit “The First Christmas”
captivated the photographer as they knelt before the baby Jesus at Duffs Church last Thursday. The
school presented an impressive program which included every child in every class.
THE CITIZEN, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1987. PAGE 9.
My favourite Christmas
First Christmas
on Blyth farm was
one to remember
Christmas tree is focal point
Of course the focal point of any
Christmas home decor is the
Christmas tree. Many Canadian
families today set up a traditional
tree in the family room, complete
with a charming assortment of
store bought and hand-made
decorations, and a second minia
ture tree in the living room,
perhaps set in a window and
co-ordinated with specific theme.
Here’s some tips for Christmas
trees:
• Begin by making sure your tree is
upright and completely secure. Be
sure stand is full of water if you
have a real tree and fill it each dav.
• Whether a real or an artificial tree
is used, it’s a good idea to match its
decor to the theme chosen for the
rest of the house. Nothing achieves
a more old fashioned look than lots
of colorful, traditional decorations
and bright ribbon or bows.
• Add garlands of fresh cranberries
and popcorn by using a small
needleandheavy thread. Alter
nate berries and kernels, or make
separate ropes of each.
• Use only Canadian Standards
Association approved lights and
look for the CS A label. Put lights on
first, draping them right around
the tree, working from top to
bottom. Check that they are
working properly before using and
don’t bury them under other
decorations in case they overheat.
• Add remaining decorations with
care, distributing evenly over the
whole tree. Put heavier items on
first making sure they are position
ed on the stronger branches. Leave
branch tips for ribbon or paper
ornaments such as hanging lan
terns and tiny fans made from
color-co-ordinating wrap. Bur
gundy, ivory and green, are “in”
colors this year and make a striking
presentation.
BY EV ALENA WEBSTER
‘‘My favourite Christmas” -
what a subject! There have been so
many very memorable Christmas
es.
We think back to the time when
we were very young and it was a
season of enchantment. Living far
from town or city long before the
invention of television or radio, we
never saw a Santa Claus parade or
any dressed-up Santa, so were free
to imagine him in any guise we
wished.
That magic of Christmas re
mained with us when our children
were young. Because this was
during the depression years of the
30’s it took a lot of careful planning
to make a joyful time. There were
handsome toys, stuffed teddy
bears, sock dolls, popcorn strings
and paper snowflakes. We had a
huge old fireplace and we made
large Christmas stockings for each
member of the family which were
hung on the mantel. Early Christ
mas morning was always a pretty
exciting time.
We moved to the farm just north
of Blyth in 1947 and I know our first
Christmas there was not my
favourite but it was very memor
able. The big dining room with its
11-foot ceiling had a large bay
window facing south. What a
perfect place for a Christmas tree!
The boys and their father went to
the bush and ^elected a beautiful
tree.
It was put in the wn/ow and
carefully decorated.
We had too half grown kittens
whose chief delight seemed to be in
scrambling to the top of the tree.
The decorations had to be rearran
ged frequently.
Christmas eve finally came, our
Christmas stockings, keptfrom
fireplace days, were hung on the
dining room chairs.
Christmas morning everyone
was up early. It was raining and the
roof of the deck above the bay
window was leaking. Even the
kittenswereavoidingthetree. 1
mopped up a whole pail of water.
How fortunate that all the gifts had
been placed on the chairs with the
stockings!
I’m sure we had company that
dayandaChristmasdinnerbut
that I don’t remember.
But I do know that before the
next Christmas we had lost our
beautiful bay window since we
were told that it always leaked
when the rain came from the south.
J.L. McCutcheon
Motors Ltd.
Brussels 887-6856
December Clearout
Event
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Merry Christmas
ef
Happy New Year
Drive Safely
from the
Management & Staff of
J.L. McCutcheon
Motors Ltd.
Brussels
887-6856