HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1985-12-23, Page 37•
Don't feel guilty when using real tree
By Ron Reid
It's Christmas time once again, and in
parking tots across the nation, row upon row
of fresh -cut Christmas trees. he in wait for
Christmas shoppers. Despite the in -roads of
tinsel -and -plastic artificial trees, natural
evergreens at $20 and up are still the most
popular centrepiece for Christmas celebra-
tions.
If you select a a ura e, don't feel guil-
ty about despoiling the ' • tural environ-
ment, since almost all Chr tmas trees are
now grown commercially. However, you
can also make Christmas an occasion to
help improve the environment, with a little
thought. As a small beginning, leaving your
discarded Christmas tree beside your bird
feeder for the winter can provide welcome
shelter for your chickadees and nuthatches;
Some naturalists also decorate a sr'ennd
tree, preferably a live one in their yard, to
share Christmas with the birds. Chains of
popcorn and peanuts, suet balls stuffed with
seeds, pieces of stale cake and cookies, and
caches of sunflower seeds poked into the
branches and crevices can all provide a
feast on a cold Christmas morn.
You might also want to consider a live
Christmas tree, that can be planted after the •
festive season. Of necessity, live trees are
usually smaller, since the potted roots are
heavy. A small white pine is usually cheaper
and easier to handle than the traditional
spruce. When the putted tree is brought in-
side, it should be watered well, but make
sure that the pot has drainage holes so that
the roots are not damaged by constant
saturation.
Hot, dry houses are very hard on live
trees. so try to kpr..n vnnr trvw in a rnnl vnnt
and mist it frequently. If you are caref ' a
tree can be kept indoors for several weeks
without damage, but five to seven days is a
better rule of thumb. 'After Christmas, plant
the tree m a hole you prepared before
freeze-up. Banking your new tree with snow
over the roots will likely also help to protect
it from frost damage.
In the rural and northern areas of Ontario,
cutting your own Christmas tree is an an-
nual family tradition. Balsam fir or cedar
are a better choice than spruce in this case,
since they hold their needles more rightly.
Our friend annually scouts the surrounding
woods for a wind -thrown fir, so that he can
harvest the top six feet or so. He ends up
with a dense, cone -laden Christmas tree,
without having to rob the forest of any of its
living resources.
The feelings of a Christmas tree years ago
By Jocile Webb Pearson
as printed in
December 22, 1938
1 am a happy little tree. I stand beside the
front entrance of a white cottage off a quiet
street. Each Christmas time 1 bloom out in
beautiful colored lights and all who pass
share my beauty and catch something of the
joy of Christmas.
But I was not 'always happy like this. Once
.1 lived in a great forest surrounded by trees
so tall I could only catch a glimpse of the
blue sky above me, and I felt very small and
lonely. I, too. wanted to be tall; to look out
on the big world like the others and fell the
sun shining through my branches. I would
stretch out my limbs as far as I could, and
send my roots deeper into the earth, but inv
progress was so slow I grew discouraged.
One day I saw a man and a boy corning
through the forest. The man carried
something on his Shoulder and they seemed
to be looking for something. Then the hoy
saw ane and l'i'd, -Look, fat"hei then: :s
just the tree we want." He .ran over to me
and hugged me in his eagerness. The man
looked me over, -
.
ver'. Eine," he said. But when he began digg-
ing with the thing he had carried on his
shoulder, I began to tremble, -I felt my roots
sn• p one by one and soon I lay a tumbled'
heap on the ground. Life seemed over for
me.
Next I was tied to a fwiny looking thing on
wheels, that sputtered and growled when
the man and bey climbed in and we started
down the road that wound through the
forest, out on big shining highway until we
came to a wide driveway that led through a
sloping lawn to a white cottage.
Here I was untied and put into a large ear-
then jar filled with sand and carried into the
house, and set in ri corner of a big room
beside a sunny window.
Oh, the joy of having the sun on my bran-
ches. 1 began to feel less scared and to look
about me.
In a big mirror opposite, I could watch the
man as he fastened me upright. Then he put
a string of lights from my top to my toe,
whistling softly as he worked. Then I heard
a door open and a rush of feet - a little boy
and a girl dashed into the room crying,
"Manana, come quick and see our
Christmas tree.,"
They clapped their hands and danced
about me. Soon the mother came ,with a box
filled with shining lovely things and my
plain green caress was covered with sparkl-
ing jewels. I hardly dared look in the mirror
for I remembered I was only a humble tree
after all, and what I saw could not be me at
all. But the great silver star on my topmost
branch made rne feel very happy. I seemed
to draw courage from just looking at it.
After a time I was left to myself. I was
glad, as I needed to rest up a bit and get used -
to my strange surroundings. It grew dark
outside and snow was falling, but inside my
star shone and a quiet peace came over me.
Then enee more the dnnr' npenrd nnd.
merry group of people came in. This time
there was a father and a grandfather and a
grandmother too. Mother was leading the
little boy and girl.
Everyone was saying how lovely I was,
but I did not want them to look at me. I
wanted them to see two little faces outside
the window pane. The boy saw them first.
"Look, daddy, mommy!" he shouted and
pointed to the window. '`There are two
children out there. Bring them in daddy..
Give them some of our Christmas."
And the little girl clapped her hands and
cried, "Oh, do daddy, it's cold out there!"
When they were brought in looking rather
scared, but glad, I was so happy I almost
shook my baubles off. Then mother made
music on the big box and shining keys and
everyone sang Christmas carols. Then
father told the old story of the Shepherds
and the star that led to the Christ Child.
Then a jolly man with a red coat and pack
on his back gave everyone presents, in-
cluding the little strangers. There was can-
dy and nuts, plenty for all, and such a babble
of happy voices. I felt the thrill of it myself
and the big star glowed in sympathy.
s
i
you
About this time of year it becomes very
apparent that caroling is about as much a
part of Christmas as the exchange of
presents. In fact, caroling is enarly as old as
Christmas itself since it was in the second
century that the bishop of Rome'urged his
people "to •sing in celebration of the birth of
our Lord."
However, St. Francis of Assisi, who lived
in the 13th Century, is regarded as the father
Send a gift
of warm
Christmas
Wishes to our
many fine friends
May your holiday
suit you perfectly,
Gord and Jean Herman
CLOSED: Wednesday, December 25th
Thursday, December 26 and New Year's Day
MEN'S WEAR
32 Albert St,, Clinton 4829351
i
PPISTPri
ILnrInntmqns.
to our rnany friends and
,.� cu$tomers - thanks for
-i'Itmaking our s6cond year in
business an enjoyable one'
SHIRLEY BURUMA
SUSAN GREIDANUS
NANCY VERBEEK
of caroling as we know it. The most familiar
of the carols we sung today were composed
in the 18th and 19th centuries:
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks - •
1703
Joy To The World -'1708
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing -1739 .
Silent Night -1818
Little Night of Bethlehem -1868.
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CUTTING EDGE
15,RATTENBURY STREET EAST CLINTON
482.7725
CLINTON NEWS-RECORP, MONDAY, DECEMBER 23,1085—Page 19A
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16.
AS WE START OUR 111th YEAR
May the peace and serenity
of this holiday season fill you
with hearthside warmth.
MAYOR
REEVE
TOWN
John Balfour
Bee Cooke
DEPUTY REEVE
Rosemary Armstrong
CHRISTMAS
GREETINGS
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COUNCIL
COUNCILLORS
Case Buffingci
Ross Carter
John Cochrane
Gordon _Gerrits
Ken Holmes
Bonnie Jewitt
MUNICIPAL OFFICE
CLERK TREASURER -Cam Proctor
DEPUTY CLERK -Marie Jefferson
SECRETARY -Sandra Seise!
BYLAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICER- Murray Taylor
PUBLIC WORKS
FOREMAN -
Harold Gibbings
Roy Pickard, Gord Tait,
Arle Verhoet
TOWN HALL
CUSTODIAN- Henry toBrinko
CEMETERY
CARETAKER- Fred Tldeswell
POLICE DEPARTMENT
CHIEF -Lloyd Westlake
sERGEANT-Wayno McFadden
CONSTABLES-DOO Shropshall
Mitch Latham
Dwight Adams
SECRETARY -Judy Dixon
RECREATION STAFF,
RECREATION DIRECTOR
St •& ve Campbell
ARENA MANAGER
Gary Fleet
Jim Strong
Randy Marriage
ARENA STAFF
PLEASE NOTE: THE TOWN CLERIC'S OFFICE
WILL BE CLOSED ON DECEI.ADER 25 & 26, JAN. 1 /'86
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