Loading...
The Goderich Signal-Star, 1985-10-23, Page 19Shopping . is.. a universal pastime. If, you decided to take a survey of the Peopjte in a room on whether they enjoyed shopping or not, the. outcome would probably be a unanimous yes. This past weekend over 3,500 value wise shoppers travelled from as far away as Owen Sound to the Colborne Township Christmas Country Fair at Saltford. Valley Hall to get some good buys on quality merchandise. Forty-five vendors were on hand selling their handcrafted wares. "Coming to the fair puts me in the Christmas spirit. I get good ideas on what to buy people for Christmas," said Mary Fuller, of Goderich. "I also enjoy taking a look at the different exhibits. It's really remarkable to see what people can do with their hands and a little creativity," she said. A craft maker, Suzanne Hickson, of Goderich said she comes to the fair for ideas. "I also enjoy finding out what the different vendors charge. Handcrafted goods are cheap, compared to the number of hours that have to be put in making them," she said. A fun afternoon is what attracts Ettabelle Bradley, also of Goderich. "I come to see the different crafts, do my Christmas shopping and meet my friends, she said." Every year May Hallam, of Auburn comes to the fair. "I enjoy coming to see the different exhibits. All of the the exhibits are good and pleasant to look at," she said. "People like to buy something well made for a reasonable price. When they deal with the craftsperson, they eliminate the middle man and that saves them money," said Maria Presseau. "Each piece they buy has a story behind it. The most enjoyable thing about a gift is the energy that a person puts into choosing it. Whenever I go to a show, I always buy a couple of items for myself," she said. Vendor, Mike Brown said the fair at Saltford Valley Hall is his favorite. "People enjoy coming to crafts shows because they know the items available are going to be of excellent quality. They know ' that the show is being held for a good cause," he said. "The people at this show are out of this world. I go to 157 shows and deal with hundreds of people and I enjoy coming to this craft fair most of all. I even picked up a few items for my family." The three day fair attracted close to 3,500 eager shoppers and was very successful according to Donna Crawford, the fair organizer. "The num bej of people that attended the fair was down from last year. But the vendors were happy and they had good sales. Many of them are making plans already to return next year," Crawford said. Here Vasco Brancovic displays rock art. He was one of the 45 vendors on hand for the three day Colborne Township Christmas Country Fair sponsored by the Order of the Eastern Star. • Attendance for this year's fair was down according to Donna Crawford, organizer of the three day event. Here Mary Lee Presseau, a vendor at the fair. shows six -month-old Gregory Bechtel how affectionate her i.ollipop dolls can be. I'm becoming a member of a blended family As a child, I loved to pour over my parents' wedding album pointing out my aunts, uncles and grandparents and marvelling at their youthful ap- pearances. But, I was always baffled by one thing—why wasn't I in the pictures? Of course, I've since figured out the answer. And, this Friday, I'll be actually taking part in my Dad's second marriage (and I might even get in some of the tures). Though it will be a quiet, family affair, my Dad's marriage will celebrate the joining of two families into' a larger whole. For me, it will mean a mixture of emotions with an overriding feeling of well-being. When my Mom died three years ago, my sisters and I made it clear that my 45 - year -old Dad would have our support if he ever decided to remarry. One of his gond friends assured me that my Dad was the type of man who was "good at being married" so my sisters and I shouldn't be •surprised if a second mar- riage was soon in coming. And, he was right. My Dad was soon bored and unhappy with accompanying his male friends to the local bars. And, my sisters and I were worried and unhappy when we were continually leav- ing him at home alone with he televi- sion. When he began to "date", it sePured we were placed in the parental position of judging his choices, monitoring t he time he got home at night and worrying about his whereabouts. But, it didn't take long until we were forced to realize Ire was capable of making sound, adult decisions and could look after himself. In short , we started to mind our own business. Along with playing the concerned parent, my sisters and I also went through a stage of playing the deserted • child. -especially .=right after . my Mom died. I, in particular, was hurt and jealous when he began dating a woman with a daughter named Suzie. While logic told nye that nothing could threaten my Dad's love for me, I was amazed at the force (1f my emotional neediness and selfishness when her name was mentioned. The adult in me said, "Grow up," but the child in nie said, "You're being replac- ed." I'm not sure if I ever told my Dad about these feelings cbut he'll find out (ince he reads this). After a bit of childish wino- ing to a supportive audience, the adult in me prevailed. With time cane the dulling of my paiii over my Mom's death and the realization that it was okay for my family to be hal)- py again. When my Dad met Marlene and they became increasingly serious about each other, i was i and still arn happy and content. While my sisters and I and Marlow's three kids (who are close to our ages eyed each other a little warily al first, we've come to enjoy each other's com- pany and I'm glad we'll be joining each other's family. I'm hesitant to call Marlene my step- mother since she's nowhere near the hor- ror stories accompanying that ominous title. She's become a loved and trusted friend and ally of nay sisters and me. I've often admired her patience and generosi- ty when dealing with our sometimes (lift ficult family. i've also admired her courage at prov- ing into my Dad's house where the presence of my mother is still strongly felt with the gardens, pictures nn the walls and our family stories. Though i've experienced some irrational yet uncom- fortable feelings about it, I think it's right that she's been adding her own touches t n the house which is now her Home even more than its mine though i lived there more than 20 years. I sometimes wonder if I would have a different, more selfish attitude towards the marriage if i was still 16 and living at . home. Could six kids ranging in ages only five years apart possibly mesh into one contented family without considerable fireworks'. The Brady Bunch, afterall was a television show, not real life. The question, of course, is academe since we'll never know. But, according to an article in Ms. magazine, a large number of stepfamilies is trying to make them work. Out of the one in two mar- riages that end in divorce in the United States, half of them involve children and 80 per cent of the divorced adults remarry. Therefore, it's estimated that 1,300 new stepfamilies are being formed each day in the U.S. Though, I don't have the statistics for Canada, 1 think it's safe to say our situa- tion is far from rare. You could even say we're becoming part of a trend by becoming a "blended family." But, on a much deeper level, I feel good about Friday's wedding. I'm confident we'll all develop close and caring rela- tionships. Welcome Marlene, Mike, Doris and Andy; I'm happy we're family.