HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-11-08, Page 21ave.
Sykes
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There's discouraging talk circulating
the globe.
Rumors indicate that the price of oil
will he pushed up significantly to
propel the price of a gallon of gasoline
to over $2 and hone heating oil may
cost as much as $700 more per winter
for a Canadian family.
Coupled with inflated prices and.
escalating interest rates, such news is
as much fun as attending an Argonaut
and Maple Leaf game on the same day.
It's depressing, if you know what I
mean.
But should the prices of gasoline and
ail reach the. pry-uiously--m-entioned
prices in the 1980$ it could drastically
alter our lifestyle.
Charlie Smith groaned as the alarrn
signalled 5 a.m. and although he would
have preferred to sleep a while he knew
there were things to be done.,,
A quick glance out the window
reaffirmed his suspicions about a
susbstantial snowfall overnight and he
cursed to no-one in particular under his
hrenth. He slipped on his robe.end
ventured downstairs to begin his
morning,ritual.
He quickly had the big wood stove
alive with a blazing fire and"the war-
mth' was most welcome as he set the
coffee pot on the black monster and
settled in a chair.
As Charlie sipped his morning coffee
the family members began making
their way into the kitchen, seeking
refuge from the morning chill near the
wood stove. Mother busied herself with
breakfast preparations.
"Better hurry with the porridge
ma," young Ted instructed. "I have to
he at`school -by 7.30: Itis my week to
start the stove fire at school."
"Ah, it takes us back to our school
days doesn't it Mary?" Charlie said
fondly to his wife. "It's funny how
things come full circle."
"Well I don't like it dad," Ted said in
a gruff manner. "Who ever heard of
walking to school, a whole half mile
yet, and having to be there at 7.30 to
light the blasted stove. It's crime"r,i
What ever happened to school buses, spring comes we'll have saved enough
cars and oil furnaces? We read about money to take the family out for a little
them in history class and it was only 10 ride." Charlie said.
years ago. It certainly is barbaric the
conditions we live in. .
"Things are just a little rough now
Ted," his father offered as consolation.
"But I can remember when every
home had oil furnaces, no wood stoves,
and your mother and . I could drive
anywhere we wanted and at $1 a gallon.
Do you believe that?"
"Those must have been good times
dad," Ted said. "Could you really buy
gas and oil anytime you wanted?"
"Sure and as -much as' we -wanted
son," Charlie recalled fondly. "Why on
some evenings, before we were
married, all your mother and I did was
drive around with no particular place
to go."
"Well our old car .just sits in the
driveway, why cant we ever take her
out for a little run?" Ted asked.
"That's an old '77 model, Ted, only
got 20 miles to the gallon. But she was a
good car in her day. Maybe when
"And it only cost $7,000 brand new,"
Ted said with excitement. "Everyone
musta had two or three cars then."
"Don't be fooled son. That price was
as much of a burden to many people as
the $25,000 for a new car today,"
Charlie said soberly. "And people
complained about the $1 a gallon for
gas but we never stopped buying it."
"And we learned in school there were
gas stations on almost every corner.
Weren't there any government gas and
oil centres or even lotteries for oil?"
Ted asked.
"Nope. Didn't need it then."
"Well, I have to go to school and get
the stove going and lamps turned
up,"Ted said gathering his things.
"Dad. I got my eye on cute little gal in
school and do you think I could borrow
the team and take the wagon into town
Friday?"
J
the
s section.
No more vaccinations needed for smallpox Page 2A
Lucky St. Mary's SS kids go to
King Tut exhibit Page 3A
GThe. Little Inn at Bayfield changes hands Page 4A �1
Jack Riddell worried about new tax laws Page 6A
Trigon was excellent despite poor
turnout from community Page 8A
Church Page Page 9A
Farm Page Page 11A
Captain Comet and Daniel Dong Page 13A, 14A
1
AL
s
132. -YEAR 45,
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1979
SECOND SECTION
Weavers spin magic for first show and sale
BY JOANNE
BUCHANAN
The Huron Tract
Spinners and Weavers
Guild wants to promote
an interest in and an
understanding of the
ancient crafts of spinning
and weaving'. It also
wants to earn money in
order to help the guild
grow.
• As a means to these
ends, the guild will stage
a spinning and weaving
exhibition and sale at the
River Mill in Benmiller
this Saturday and Sun-
day. ..
This is the first large
undertaking for the 28 -
member guild which was
formed only about a year •
and.a half ago.
"Our hope would be to
make it an annual. affair
but we'll have to see how
this one goes," says Ruth
Knight, president of the
guild ;and a veteran
spinner and weaver of 14
years:
Members of the guild
remain Optimistic about
their event. Spinning„and
The Huron Tract Spinners and Weavers Guild are having a
spinning and weaving exhibition and sale at the River Mill in
Benmiller this weekend. Here, some of the guild members show
the types of articles which will be for sale at that event. Left to
right are Ruth Knight, guild president and veteran spinner and
weaver of 14 years, Ruthann Smith, guild member and first year
weaver, Mrs. Wilmer Hardy, guild vice-president and veteran
spinner and weaver of 17 years, and Norma Clayton, guild
member and first year Weaver. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan)
weaving are very basic
and very traditional
.crafts. As one 'member
puts it, these crafts
embody "the pioneer
spirit". And since han-
dcr'afted things ar.e
popular • these days;- the
guild members are
hoping for a good turnout
River M±H.
Spinning involves the
making of yarn from raw
fleece, using a spinning
wheel or drop spindle.'
Weaving involves the
making of textiles out of
this yarn, using looms of
various sizes. These
methods will be
demonstrated at the
exhibition and sale.
Members feel that if
people can actually get
some idea of the time and
effort involved in the two
processes, they will
understand the pricing of
handmade articles
better.
'Handmade articles for
sale at the event will
include mohair afghans,
shawls, scarves, wall
hangings, -drapes, table
cloths, place mats,
purses, cushions, toques,
sweaters and hand spun
and nature dyed yarns.
All of these articles have
been made by guild
members who come from
Huron, Perth and Bruce
Counties. Most of them
have been weaving for
only two years or less
except for Mrs. Knight
and guild vice-president,
Mrs. Wilmer Hardy who
has been weaving for
about 17 years.
The members have
spent about six months
preparing for their event,
including studying
various displaying
methods from slides
received from the
Weavers' Guild in
Toronto. They feel that
the River Mill, "a former
grist mill, will provide
the perfect rustic setting
for their displays because
of its stone walls and
timbers.
The Benmiller Inn, a.
former woollen mill,
might have seemed like a
'more logical spot for a
spinning and weaving
demonstration and sale
but, unfortunately, it did
not have a room large
-enough -'to` -hold all the
displays. The River' Mill
offers a convention room.
A oup e o origina
blankets from the Ben -
miller woollen •mill will:
be 'on display at the
exhibition and sale
though.
Beni -nine!' blankets are`
now a collectors' item.
They -first 'appeared on
the market in 1850, the
year that
first woollen ill
uI
le
in Benmiller at the edge
of a narrow stream that
courses down a steep
gully to the Maitland
River, The mill's carding
machine was brought to
Benmiller by _ox team
from Stratford when Mr.
Gledhill arrived from
Tom Gledhill
Leeds`En�land byway of
m
Turn to page
A
While his mother Sandra shopped for items at the annual Snowflake Bazaar
and Tea held last Thursday at the Legion Hall, two and half year old David
Billson concentrated on demolishing this ginger bread man cookie bought
for him at one of the bazaar's bake tables. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan)
Ever been to a dinner and found
yourself sitting across from one of the
greatest slobs the world will ever know.
It's one of those things that you tell
your friends about for months after it
happens. The things this guy does When
he's eating would be better off in a book
on etiquette rather than fodder for
conversations at parties.
I think one of the the worst I ever sat
through was a Christmas party for
staff of one of my former employers.
Through the luck of the draw I got to sit
across from a guy I knew vaguely from
seeing him around the plant. I knew
him to say howdy and talk about the
weather but that was about it. By the
time the dinner was over he was etched
in my memory forever.
It was one of those dinners prepared
by a womens' group. Turkey and all the
fixings. Dressing, vegetables, potatoes,
cranberry sauce, the works.
I get the idea it could be an adventure,
watching this guy eat .when he sits
down, announces he's starving, and
sets up his first course. He takes
several giant scoops of salad, adds a
touch of cranberry sauce, puts salt and
pepper in his tomatoe juice and ab-
solutely smothers his bun in butter. He
says he can't wait for the main course
and digs in.
Now that in itself is no big deal ex-
cept for the way the guy digs in. He
grabs his bun in one hand and uses it to
jam as much salad on his fork as
possible. He then moves the salad over
to the cranberry sauce and tries to coat
the contents of his fork in the sauce.
After several passes across the
cranberry sauce he jams, and I mean
jams, this mound into his mouth.
Obviously it won't all fit but that's no
problem. What salad hangs out of his
mouth he pushes in with his bun and
then proceeds to take a giant bite of the
bun. Possibly thinking he could have'
problems chewing ll this stuff he then
takes a swig of tomutoe juice.
I'm waiting for the guy 'to choke and
trying not -to stare at him when all of a
sodden I realize he's talking to me.
He's ignoring this mouthful of food and
actually trying to talk shop with me.
I figure if I respond to his comments
in a long winded manner he will have
chewed most of the food before he
speaks again,
Not so. As soon as he's finished
speaking he begins tai reload his fork.
He's'getting good at it by now and it
doesn't take him as long. Consequently
his mouth • is still have full when he
opens up for the second mound of salad,
bun, juice and Cranberry sauce.
I don't know whether to move or wait
and see how this guy handles his main
course. -
He makes the decision easy. With his
fork loaded with the third mound of
salad and his mouth just a little full,
even for him, he pauses with the salad
poised at his mouth. ,
I notice that the food is ori a rather
1
precarious angle and am about to warn
him when it disappears. It falls off the
side of his fork and drops onto his lap.
I don't know if he felt it hit his lap or
if he followed my eyes as they watched
the food on its. downward path. It
doesn't matter his next move was all I
could handle.
He pushes his chair back from the
table and rather than get a napkin to
clean up the mess he begins to scoop
the food off his pants and eat it. I can't
help but snicker which causes the guy
to look up at me.
Sensing I'm amused by all this he
begins to curse forgetting he still has a
mouthful of food. As the bits of salad
and bun -begin to spray across the table
I jump up waving at an imaginary
friend and head for the door.
I meant to watch to see who took ply
chair across from this human garbage
can but by the time I had recounted'the
affair to a couple of buddies dinner wa$
being served and it was all history.
jefr
Seddon
u.a'An..0«s.
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