The Rural Voice, 2002-04, Page 8I
WEST WAWANOSH
MUTUAL
INSURANCE
COMPANY
1879 2002
Neighbour helping Neighbour"
529-7921
Are you ready for spring?
Getting everything
ready in advance of the
busy spring season
contributes to efficiency
and safety.
1. Equipment operators should read
machine manuals.
2. Make all necessary repairs and replace
worn or broken parts.
3. Clean, lubricate and adjust machinery.
Fill fuel tanks in the evening.
4. Sharpen all cutting edges.
5. All guards and shields should be in place.
6. Don't open doors or shields until all
rotating parts have stopped.
7. Place solid blocks under hydraulically -
raised equipment before making repairs
or adjustments.
YOUR LOCAL AGENTS
Frank Foran, Lucknow
Donald Simpson, Ripley
Omni Insurance, Clinton
Omni Insurance, Goderich
Omni Insurance, Auburn
Lyons & Mulhem Insurance,
Goderich
McMaster Siemon Insurance,
Mitchell
Noble Insurance, Meaford
Miller Insurance, Kincardine
P.A. Roy Insurance, Clinton
P.A. Roy Insurance, Wingham
Banter, MacEwan, Feagan,
Goderich 524-8376
Noble Insurance,
Owen Sound 1-800-950-4758
John Moore Insurance, Dublin 345-2512
Hemsworth Insurance, Listowel 291-3920
Kleinknecht Insurance, Linwood 698-2215
Miller Insurance, Southampton 797-3355
Miller Insurance, Owen Sound 376-0590
528-3824
395-5362
482-3434
524-9899
529-7273
524-2664
348-9150
538-1350
396-3465
482-9357
357-2851
Gray Insurance, Seaforth
Craig, McDonald, Reddon,
Walkerton
Craig, McDonald, Reddon,
Hanover
Craig, McDonald, Reddon,
Mildmay
Craig, McDonald, Reddon,
Durham
Chatsworth Insurance,
Chatsworth
Davis & McLay Insurance,
Lions Head
Elliott Nixon Insurance, Blyth
Seaforth Insurance, Seaforth
Sholdice Insurance, Brussels
522-0399
881-2701
364-3540
367-2297
369-2935
794-2870
793-3322
523-4481
527-1610
887-6100
"INSURANCE FOR FARM, RESIDENTIAL,
COMMERCIAL AND AUTO" 4.
A Member 0! The
Ontario Mutual Insurance Association
4 THE RURAL VOICE
Carol Riemer
The recipe for success
Carol Riemer
is a freelance
writer who
lives with her
husband and
two
children near
Grand
Valley,
Ontario.
On a cold. rainy day, the kitchen
feels warm and inviting, as the wood
stove slowly chases away the
dampness. I push my son's
homework aside to make room
for the groceries, on a kitchen table
that's already overburdened with
potted plants, science projects and
overdue library books. Reluctantly,
they share space with faded recipe
cards, bills and some of my
husband's favourite tools.
We didn't always deposit our life
here. There was a time when my
husband and I were organized.
Everything had a place. But, that was
before spilled milk and crayons,
before favourite rocks and baseball
gloves. It was long before our
children brought their unique sense of
order to life. Now, everything ends
up in the kitchen.
It's not that I dislike the kitchen.
In fact, we spend more time here,
than in any other room. Perhaps it's
the aroma of freshly brewed coffee in
the early morning, or the lure of the
stock pot, simmering away at night,
that proves so enticing. Maybe, it's a
friendly phone call, the weather
report on the radio, or the calendar
tilled with upcoming events.
It might be the Band-Aids we need
for another scraped knee, or a
wounded knuckle hit by a roving
hammer. It could even be the cache
of rubber bands, twist ties and string I
have stored alongside the emergency
candles, flashlight and scissors. From
lunch bags to recyclables, all the
paraphernalia of family life can be
found here. The kids' artwork still
graces the walls, wet gloves and
boots dry by the wood stove and a
schoolhouse clock continues to tick
away the hours.
In the corner, a maple cutting
board proudly displays the scarred
surface of many years' use. Nearby,
my cast iron frying pan, blackened
and well -seasoned with age, is a
veteran of early breakfasts, having
turned out countless servings of
pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon.
It hangs next to a glazed ceramic
crock filled with shiny ladles and
wooden spoons. Old-fashioned
glass canisters hold brown sugar,
oatmeal, dried fruit and granola,
helping to supply the insatiable
cookie jar, while the unmistakable
aroma of coffee beans, freshly ground
in an antique coffee mill, never fails
to complement a loaf of homemade
cranberry bread, just out of the oven.
Over on the windowsill, a
veritable library of cookbooks
patiently waits to be read. I keep a
close eye on new arrivals at the bird
feeder through the kitchen window
and check for the arrivalof the school
bus, while watching the thermometer
change, along with the seasons.
Mud decorates the floor with
footprints in spring, in addition to
heaps of hastily discarded rain gear.
Late summer sees canning jars and
kettles take over, and the onset of fall
brings in the rake, accompanied by a
flurry of leaves and bushels of
tomatoes from the garden. Winter's
subtle reminder is the snow shovel
that silently sits by the kitchen door.
Over a second cup of coffee, I
think back to the days before our
fridge was covered in ribbons and
school newsletters, before the
calendar was crammed with far too
many things to do. The kitchen was
so quiet and empty then.
Gradually, over time, it gained
more character. It never complained,
and always, it seemed to welcome the
change.
Buried somewhere beneath that
towering pile of bills and books,
under the screwdrivers, socket
wrenches and science projects that
cover our kitchen table, is the family
recipe for success. Lost amid the
treasures of everyday life, it patiently
waits to be discovered. Some day,
I'm sure, I'll find it.0