The Rural Voice, 2003-07, Page 42Book Review
A vivid reminder of what's important in life
Lambsquarters
By Barbara
McLean,
Vintage
Canada,
paperback,
$21.00
Reviewed by Bonnie Gropp
In 1974 Barbara McLean and her
physician husband Thomas, left the
city for the country. Lambsquarters
Scenes from a Handmade Life, is
named after their Grey County farm.
It's about the life they built, first as
newlyweds, then as parents, but also
as stewards of the land.
McLean's memoir is not a
chronological study, but more a
collection of short stories, thoughts
written in beautiful language that
give eloquence to earthiness. Telling
of her fascination with a visiting
family of bluebirds, McLean who
earned her PhD in English literature
after moving to Lambsquarters
writes:
"The avian performance provides
all the romance of Romeo and Juliet,
the adventure of Antony and
Cleopatra and the pathos of King
Lear. My birds do summer stock in a
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Sell subscriptions to
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and earn money for your
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For more information
contact Keith
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523-4311
38 THE RURAL VOICE
recurring festival and I hold a
perpetual season's ticket. Front row,
centre balcony."
Whether talking about her first
years as a sheep farmer ("I suffered
losses as if they were my own; they
were my own. They are still") or the
building of a bus shelter for their
children. McLean's work is lyrical,
easy to read, but powerful enough to
make you feel the importance of even
the most seemingly insignificant of
topics. She finds the magic in a
neighbour's beech tree, the mystery
in a moment with a fox. She shows us
the beauty in a crowbar and the
construction of a rail fence.
There is humour; trying to entice
the timid animals through a new
come -and -go door McLean, finally
remembering that sheep need a
leader, gets down on all fours in the
barnyard, eyes up her flock and took
herself through the door. The sheep
followed.
Lambsquarters' chapters do not
follow a beginning to end sequence.
Independent Ontario
Hog Producers Association
Its telling is more of a conversational
tone, like sitting with a friend over
coffee at the kitchen table discussing
discoveries and the day's happenings.
One day is reflection on the state of
the old farmhouse when the couple
moves in, the next is conversation
about an old snapping turtle or a
shovel.
Like a journal you could pick
portions to read at random, leave it
for a week, a month, even a year, and
come back to it. Taken from
beginning to end, it is a pleasant
interlude from today's busy life.
The book has a countrified gentility
familiar to those who know about
farming, about putting down roots in
both the literal and metaphorical
sense. But you don't need to live in
the country to appreciate McLean's
writing. Her rich language and
relaxed style make this a comforting
read.
Lambsquarters is a vivid reminder
of what's really important in life.0
Independent Ontario
Hog Producers Association
presents...
Summer Information
Meeting 2A03
Who: Independent Pork Producers of all sizes and production styles are
welcome. Members please encourage fellow producers to attend.
Where: Mitchell Community Centre, Mitchell, Ontario
When: Monday, July 7th, 2003
Registration at 6:30 p.m., Meeting Commences 7:00 p.m.
TOPICS TO BE COVERED
1. Allan Mussel of the George Morris Centre will speak on Rural - Urban
Relations. Things to consider and where we can improve industry image.
Perception Matters!
2. Jim Van Herk, a Perth County Pork Producer, will relate his public
relations experiences in the classroom and at the Royal Winter Fair.
3. Patrick O'Neil from Ontario Pork will have the topic — "Perfecting the
Pool Plus Hog". A discussion of what carcass qualities processors are looking
for with a view to maintaining and growing markets for the Pool Plus Program.
4. Producer Profile — Pick up some interesting tips from another independent
hog producer.
Come out and enjoy the company of fellow independent hog producers! No pre -registration required.
For further information contact: Ron Van Bake! at 519-393-6115 or John Nyenhuis at 519-393-6539.
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