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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1991-12-23, Page 28Page ltA $entinell, Mond ay„ Heeeinber 2 199 41iji14 49111 -'1.140WOONEVIV:47400-54:ilit<Vi 111C1W41010V44,7V-(444103-/-440, OP" 41.111" "44": 'j4riVr.j10‘tfilW,4 Wel'hOW9-4 W9C444;11*Vilkie"14307,111M4.°49641*4941 OL.:01.37079'..7,11 '''499199..'9,S\ 09,94,994.91009'.~400040,0**9001014 04k•4114‘01WrS 9 ',314 '9399,4 :'.3‘940 VitY041110 • • • By the Late Marlon Mel .WhPli °.M, was appointed as Lay Supply to .his first Pastoral Charge, I had a feeling, that our life in the Ministry would be different, After all !Pliny fgriittes .ou know that triove on Chusunas Eve? 141 December 17 we were advised that we were to be in the Gaspe by December 28. Qom worked at the CBC right up to the 24th. I. greeted the Movers in the morning and -Gerry arrived home to an empty house, a wife and three children, five years and under. All that day, the children asked one question. Not - who are these strange men, or where are they taking the furniture BUT "Why did you take down the Christmas tree, when Santa -hasn't come?" We went to my parents home in Cannington, Ontario, for Christmas Eve, opened our gifts on Christmas morning and left for the Gaspe after lunch. We had an uneventful trip. Oil freeze up, frozen fuel line, pushes to get the car started, garages closed for the holidays, and. every- one going home for the holidays and us leaving. The childrenasking embarrassing questions like when seeing_a_crucifixIorAhalirst-titte in a restaurant, asking what the cross was for, and before Gerry add I could explain - our eldest daugh- ter jumping in to response in a loud voice - "The only cross I see is the Red Cross." - (Which, was on the restaurant door.) Getting to our destination was not easy, we ended up going around in circles. We followed the map -that was .given to us, but the road was changed and we kept coming back to the same house. After about the fifth time we thought we had better enquire. Gerry went to the „house, came back and said to ,the children. "We have been invited in. Don't ask any e un o questions„ g quiet and when get baa in the ear,. you CA ask MI the questions you like." He then turned to me and said, "lust pray that they do what they're Oh, oh, I thought. You se% when Gerry had gone to the door, he knocked and, ,a yoke Yellecib "Coma in", -anti When he did, the lady looked at hint and said, "Who the hell aro your° What Gerry told her, she said, "Oh, well I said it, can't take it back.' This was Our first introduction to Amy. gerry asked the children to behave and ask no questions because Amy had a cleft palate and a hair lip and therefore' had a speech .impediment. She also had 30 odd cat g in this little house, and an old wood stove, which hadn't been cleaned since it came off the• Ark, and a bachelor brother. .She invited us for supper. The Children were quiet for three reasons - they were mesmerized by all the cats; the wood stove and -watching Amy with a large loaf of 'French bread, under her arm, cutting slices 3 to 4 inches thick, and, slapping it on the Wood stove -to toast, topping it with cheese and.. watch*. thecheese- "bableind spit." The children had lots of questions after. How did she remember all the • cats names? What made the cheese ales of bubble aitiJ spit? Could we ltave our toast that way?Could we havelhat many eats? But not OW flUeStifu regarding Mayes disability, Our eldest daughter had Quebec _ separate flan= u1.964; She woUld saY01. used to eat that when I lived anada. We 'h4 an ecumenical Pastoral Charge. We were. Angli- cans at 8 aom.,,Presbyterians at 10 a.m. and United* 7 p.m. On our second Sunday at the Presbytenari Church9 'Gerry =flounced the last hymn and our thr year old son jumped up hold - mg the front of his pants and said in a loud voice, 1 hope it's a short one Papa cause I've got to go bad." We left before the hymn and the Senior Elder said to me,0o 211 take lum behind that tree. The poor !Ade fellow." A few Sundays later in the same church we were singing - "Pass me not 0 gentle Saviour", and as if right on cue, when we came to the line "hear my humble crY down fell Our son Gerald with a Wiaa. Wherever we lived .the children always had a cat. It is ea0er to get a home for a cat come moving day, than a dog. The children were _gatileginTines,ones_one_toJnake Suluala. Now I'm not sure who gave them the recipe, but it wasn't me. It consisted of leaves, pine cones, din and water -- mix well ma and pretend to eat —and try to get Moillgr to really eat some. It was at one of tliese sweial cooking events ihat a lady of .our congregation anive41 1!(41,i,k kitten was named Pine Coe. Now se atrived home from his )3044 Mev't, ing we told lain we deeided that it was his duty and privilege as a clergyman, to arrange for Ns WaS experienced =4 twined for this sort Pine Coneshe was a way tabby, a of thing. One problem, the lake had good Cat a Pleaa cat (well roost or wen over and GerrY (Iwo around . the time). Our neighbours -had a the lako and bedrwe around the black tabby cat named Ronald, and Jake, searching for the right loca- • P• beh*RiettZ. rutegeedwhilnindo' Swhowialialds Ici°011.°I'uDYInwoht esrureel:incfaulctdb I ar:v4ker didti soon as he appeared she would hiss and spit an try to hit him through the closed whidow. And if she encountered him while outsides would head for home faster than a bat Out of .. One 'day el didn't get the door opened in time and she went right up the screen. She was so scared that she -- well after 1 let her in I had 'to wash the screen door and use some disinfectant and even thought of spraying it with perfume. Some time, later in late November, she had kittens. The children and I convinced Gerry that we should let her keep one kitten. He agreed reluctantly and not thinking,_, we kept a black tabby and Gerry dis- poted of the rest. In two days we realized-thatthererwas:utiVafPikie Cone would accept the kitten, it looked too much like itS father. We tried everything we could think of, but to no avail. So when Gerry • . 3. • -• . ye • • askhow many trips he made around ' the. lake, but he knows that area like the back of his hand, fie arrived home about midnight and exclaim the smoke coon' g out his ears, things were VERY, quiet, some of you may knoW, we have four children, two girls and two boys and it wasn't longbefore. the school authorities advised us m. theretroven.wasa problem. - Mary Jane was too quiet an Laura Kay was too noisy - a real extrovert, ioGerald was like his older sister ud. And James was too quiet. The girls had to travel 25 miles to school; dirt roads, over dale; They left7 a.in. and arrived home at '5 p.m. Laura Kay was in grade 2 two and her teacher use to live in our village. She would ask Laura, "What is the news from,,4 Inverness?" and Laura Kay, being . , the yapperthat she was would tell • her .34...,latest!.-,,who44, who WAS Mk, who was getting married and who died. The teacher was disappointed the next Year when Mary- Jane was in her class, for Mary Jane didn't tell her any- thing,. She thought that if she wanted to know, she could drive to Inverness. Well, Mary Jane did tell her one thing - there was a mouse in the manse flour barrel. turn to page 13 SEASON'S GREETINGS One of the real joys of the holiday • season is the opportunity to say \--thank you for your patronage and to wish you the very best for the New Year, GREETIIIN Ss 'Tie the time of year For us to extend Our gratitude and ish you and your family The best the season Has to es' Paul, Joan & Marg ' CARPETING and VINYLS WINDOW TREATMENTS Your Complete Dome Decorating Centre FINLAY DECORATORS WALLPAPER AND C.I.L. PAINTS LUCKNOW 52S-343-14 , • . , , , , . . . • . Our faith and love of all mankind is rekindled at Christmas. May this special time bring you closer to those you love. • MacKenzie & McCreath Funeral Home 40 MC. MacKenzie and J.Pollard Luckriow and families 5284432 Bon, JenraYs Harold & Ken' Lucknow Farm Supply LUCKNOW 528-2331 go 9