HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-12-24, Page 14Page 2--C'1osraads—Dee. 24, 1904
A chi/al's Christ
in Canada
Kerry Lynn Atkinson is
eight -and -a -half -years -old
and she had all her Christ-
mas presents bought and
wrapped early in December.
She ,would not tell the press
what she actually bought but
she revealed a few of last
year's surprises. "I gave my
mum a cerathic pot for a
decoration, and I gave my
sister a Wonder Woman
Barbie Doll." Kerry paused
and added thoughtfully, "My
sister gave me a Wonder
Woman Barbie Doll. What a
coincidence."
For Kerry and her sister,
December is a deliciously
busy month. "But it is still
hard to get to sleep at night,"
she says, "because I can
hardly wait until Christmas.
So every night when I'm in
bed I say 'The Night Before
Christmas' to myself. I know
it, because my mum reads it
to us a lot."
The two girls decorated
the Christmas tree together.
"That takes a long time,"
said Kerry, "but not a really
long time, if you know what I
mean."
Kerry made some of her
presents in craft class at
school. She also makes
Christmas cards. "You get a
piece of white paper and fold
it in half and write some-
thing inside. On the front I
make a picture with crayons
or I cut things out of cloth
and glue them on. Or I use
buttons."
Kerry's favourite Christ-
mas song is The Twelve
Days of Christmas. "My
sister and I know all the
words," she said. "And we
know Hark the Herald
Angels and Rudolph and
Jingle Bells."
The girls attended a round
of Christmas parties — at
school, at the skating rink, at
Brownies, and at friends'
houses. "We played games
at out friend's house. One
year it was hide -the -peanut
and somebody didn't find one
of the peanuts. Guess what,
the next year when we were
having a candy hunt I found
last year's peanut. I opened
it and... brawgh-h-h-h! Was
it ever awful!
Kerry described another
game which uses a felt
board. "It's like X's and O's
only you use snowmen and
Christmas trees. You can
use the same game at Hal-
lowe'en, only with witches
and pumpkins."
The Brownies party in-
cluded games but Kerry in-
dicated that the chief attrac-
tion was the food. "Our
Brown Owl made us a Gin-
gerbread house to pig out
on," she reported. "And we
made stained glass cookies.
First you cut out your
cookies and then you take a
sucker and wrap it in paper
and smash it carefully with a
hammer. You take out the
big pieces and eat them. The
little pieces go on the cookies
and then you bake them."
Kerry always writes two
letters to Santa. "In case he
loses one, I always put the
other one with his Christmas
Eve snack," she said. "I
always put chocolate chip
cookies and chocolate milk.
They are fattening but Santa
is supposed to be fat, isn't
he?"
This year's letter contain-
ed the usual pleasantries
By PATRICK DENTON
Many ardent home gar-
deners are also incurable
do-it-yourselfers who do
not consider �a gift a gift
unless its had Some of your
own handiwork put into it.
Beautiful last-minute plant
presentations can be made
for Christmas by combin-
ing several small,, plants
from your own collection
or . purchased while small
and inexpensive.
Several tiny cacti plant-
ed together in a decorative .
shallow container make an
attractive dish garden for
easy care. A few grafted
cacti 'together in one
planter combine well, as do,
groups of small mammil-
larias or euphorbias.
Among the small eu-
phorbias in my. collection
are some with most attrac- '
tive and unusual forms. My
favorite is flanagani crista-
ta, which is formed like a
clump of wavy, crested
seaweed. Flanagani x
Tisnu has a globelike cen-
tral head with .small spikes
and is surrounded 'with up -
curving arms that give it
an appearance rather like
an octopus. Euphorbia Kaf-
fir Toes, while I don't much
care for the name, is a deli-
cate form, with tight
clusters or star -topped
spikes.
Pot cacti and succulents
either in individual small
containers or in a group in
a shallow container. Plain
clay is attractive. Use
sandy succulent or cactus
soils available in garden
stores and provide a drain-
age layer at the bottom of
the container.
This is a good way to use
chipped or topless sugar
bowls, or an old salad bowl
that's no longer being used.
If the bowl is wood, it will
need a few layers of foil to
line it before the drainage
layer is added. Indoor des-
ert landscapes can be en-
hanced with the addition of
an unusual rock or ceramic
animal.
A ceramic dish or other
planter could also be used
to create a fern garden.
Many different kinds of
table ferns are available at.,
most garden stores and a•
careful choice of several '
will give a pleasant con-
trast in foliage style..
Place a drainage layer
— small pebbles or clean,
coarse gravel will do —
and top it with a layer of
potting soil well laced with
sphagnum peat for reten-
tion of moisture at the root
level. If the container has
no drainage holes, add
some charcoal to the peat
and soil mix.
Water the little ferns
well before knocking them
from their pots. Place each
fern one by one in the con-
tainer, adding potting soil
to cover the roots. Place
them close enough to give
a forestlike effect but not
so close as to hunch up
their foliage. Give them
room to grow and fill in
later. Until you present
your fern garden as a gift,
spray it daily with a fine
mist spray of tepid water.
Table ferns, or Pteris, all
need high humidity, so a
dailyrnisting is desirable
for them. Other means of
giving ferns and other hu-
midity -loving plants the
extra environmental mois-
ture they need are to stand
the pot or container in a
saucer on pebbles, with
water placed in the saucer
to just below the tops of the
pebbles. Water evaporation
provides extra humidity.
Or the pot can be placed
inside another, larger one
that is packed with damp
peat.
Providing humidity is no
problem if you plant ter-
rarium -style. One year I
realized I had a few old
fishbowls and large glass
,jars that could be used for
Ap1anting�moi}ature loving
specimefls.' ' 4q
A waterproof plastic
container will do as well.
I've even used a pint-sized
glass -topped . canning jar,
planted, the glass lid re-
placed., Some good terrari-
um subjects are young
palms, peperomias, fitto-
nia, small ivies like
needlepoint ivy, creeping
fig and baby's tears.
An added touch for your
gift of plants would be a
small card giving simple
instructions for their care.
SAVE STEPS
Rearrange your kitchen to
make meal preparation easi-
er, says Home and Family
Management Specialist Jean
Riddell of the Ontario Minis-
try of Agriculture and Food's
rural organizations and ser-
vices branch. At the sink
area, store canned soups;
foods that need to be rinsed
or soaked; strainer; funnels;
small tools for preparing
fruits and vegetables; liquid
measuring cups and can
openers. Store saucepans
here and store their lids in
the range area.
At the range, store foods
prepared with boiling water
such as beverages, pastas
and rice; canned vegetables
that don't need' water; skil-
lets; griddles; some sauce-
pans and all saucepan
covers.
crossroads
Published every Wednesday by Wenger Bros. Limited as,the lifestyle and
entertainment section in The Listowel Banner, The Wingham Advance -
Times, The Mount Forest Confederate and The Milverton Sun. Members of
the Canadian Community Newspaper Association, Ontario Community
Newspaper Association, and the Orrtario Press Council. Controlled distri-
bution in Ariss, Arthur, Drayton, HarriSton, Moorefield, Palmerston, Bloom-
ingdale, Breslau, Conestogo, Elmira, Heidelberg, Linwood, Maryhill, St,
Clements, St. Jacobs, Wallenstein, Wellesley and West Montrose.
Display and Classified advertising deadline— 5:00 p.m. Thursday week
prior to publication date.
Advertising and Production
The Listowel Banner
188 Wallace Ave. N.,
P.O. Box 97,
Listowel, Ont.
N4W 3H2
Accounting and Billing
The Wingham Advance -Times
Josephine St,,
P.O. Box 390,
Wingham, Ont.
NOG 2W0
The Listowel Banner 291-1660. The Wingham Advance -Times 357-2320.
The Mount Forest Confederate 323-1 550. The Milverton Sun 595-8921.
about Mrs. Santa and the
reindeer, plus a polite re-
quest for four items. "I
asked for the new Mini -Pops
album," said Kerry, "and a
Walkman Radio the kind you
hook on your jeans and 'a
Sleepy -Time Snuggle -Up and
a Cabbage Patch Kid. I know
they are hard to find," she
added, "but they made up a
new doll called the Flower
Kid and Wire are lots of
them up atZellers."
When Kerry's teacher
asked her to write about
what Christmas meant toy,
her, Kerry said, "It's a time
when you think of Kesus and
things like that. Sometimes
people keep on being greedy
and they forget but it really
is Jesus' birthday." She
fixed the interviewer with a
steady gaze. "Pretend it was
your birthday and nobody
thought of it. Wouldn't you
feel sad and upset?"
Kerry also recognized that
there are many for whom
Christmas is not happy or
abundant. "Sometimes I
think I would like to go up
into the attic and take all the
clothes that don't fit us —
and that don't fit any of our
cousins — and then I would
take them to the Salvation
Army so everybody would
have clothes for Christmas.
At our church we always
take a can of food, and we
say prayers to make sure
everybody is safe."
Kerry added that once
Santa came to her church at
Christmas time. "But I knew
it was my Grandpa. I could
recognize his face."
.On the last day of school
Kerry took part in the
Christmas assembly. Every-
body in her class learned this
poem. Kerry . took a deep
breath and recited it without
missing a beat:
"Carollers, candles, chimes
a -ringing.
Holly wreaths withberries
clinging.
Reindeer fairy, fast and tiny,
Icicles all bright and shiny.
Star and atoeldogsa•shoppeis
streaming
Through the town in tinsel
-gleaming.
Mistletoe in waxen glory,
Angels for the Christmas
story.
Santa with his sack to carry
That spells Christmas. Make.
it merry!"
May your .Christmas be
merry and loving. I hope you
can share all or part of it
with a child who is eight and
a half years old.
LOCKUP
3/a%
11 1 c%ur•ti Ey'W
. s.."�'.�•�Y���'F-l.T�rv4NHi/Ni�rfif.:'vtl'wrofJ': Y:i.
Ford Tractor
sponsors low 93%
CONSTANT ANNUAL
PERCENTAGE RATE
financing for up to
60 months,
Buy and take delivery of any new Ford
agricultural tractor now and get the
security of constant rate financing.
Your payments remain the same for the
entire term of the finance period ...
even if other interest rates skyrocket.
We'll help arrange low 9-34% CON-
STANT ANNUAL PERCENTAGc RATE
financing for qualified buyers kir up to
five years on Series 10 and TW Series
tractors. Up to tour years on Ford 1000
Series and the Ford 2110. Financing Is
through Ford Credit Canada Limited.
OR DELAY YOUR PAYMENTS
UNTIL JULY 1, 1985
We can help arrange a waiver of finance
charges and deferral of payments until
July 1 for qualified buyers, followed by
up to four years of 123/4% CONSTANT
ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE financ-
ing. You'll make no payments and
finance charges will not begin to accrue
until July 1, 1985. Implements pur-
chased with. the tractor may also be
financed under these special rates.
These -limited -time offers begin Dec.
1, 1984, end Feb. 15, 1985. All offers
require a qualifying down payrrpnt or
trade -In. Certain restrictions apply.
STOP IN SOON FOR DETAILS
Watson
Farm
Enterprises
Hwy. 6 North
Mount Forest
519-323-2755
Equipment
Radio
/Melt
Authorized
Sales
Centre
• CAR STEREOS
• CAR RADIOS
• HOME STEREO
• RECORDS AND
CASSETTES
• CB RADIOS
MODERN APPLIANCE
CENTRE
Listowel 291-4670
Hanover and Walkerton
DIAMOND
CENTRE
•Watches
*Diamond Rings
•Wedding Rings
•Gemstone and
Birthstone Rings.
*English Bone China
•Crystal
160 Main St. W. Listowel
PHONE
291-3280
(tvutttz g
ettat1
•' Prescriptions filled
° Cataract prescriptions filled
• Repairs on premises
• Sunglasses
• Safety lenses
• Complete Optical Service
DROP OUT AND SEE OUR
LATEST IN OPTICAL FASHION!
No appointment neededl
R. R. 1, Listowel, Hwy. 86
West, Phone 291-3089
Mon. to Fri. 9 - 5:30,
Saturday 9. 12
Sorensen
Music Centre
• Fender, Gibson and
Ovation Guitars
• Peavey Amplifiers
• Music books,' records
and tapes
• Hammond organs
• Le Sage Pianos
Piano tuning and repairs
Phone 291-3341
204 Main Street West
Listowel
SERVICE
!RECTORY
DISC JOCKEY
STEVENS
COUNTRY GOLD
& ROCK 'N' ROLL
Good recorded music tor
weddings, dances,
anniversaries, parties, etc.
Phone,Brussels evenings
667-6169
UNWANTED HAIR?
Permanent hair removal
by Electrolysis
• Private Facility
• Graduate Technician
Free complementary con-
sultation.
Please call for an appoirit-
m ent.
UNISEX HAIRSTYLING
124 Davidson Ave.
Listowel 291-2966
PHASE 3 UNISEX
Zehrs Plaza
Wingham 357-1992
0 BEAM
CENTRAL VACUUMS
• Available in 3 inlet kit
• Do-it-yourself installation
• costs less than you think
• 3 year warranty
• Money -back guarantee
DORKING GENERAL STORE
RR 3, Listowel,
Hwy. 86 E.
698-2605
STONE'S.. -a
TV and Appliances
Electrohome
Zenith
Inglis
TVs, Stoves
Stereos, Freezers,
Washers, Dryers
Satellite
Dish Antenna
"We service all makes"
TV Towers
Installations and Repairs
STONE'S
For Rock Bottom Prices
Gorrie 335-6374
•
Canadian Crane
Rentals Ltd.
• 15 and 25 ton mobile
cranes
• Hydraulic. service
• 15 years experience in
hoisting, rigging and
concrete pouring.
357-3721
RR 2, WINGHAM
FREE ESTIMATES
APEX REFINISHING •
BATHTUBS, SINKS, TILES
Wroxeter, Ont. (519) 335-6437
Long Distance Call Collect
When you need a
special service in
a hurry
FOR
CLASSIFIED
ADS PHONE
Listowel 291-1660
Mt. Forest 323-1550
Wingham 357-2320
Milverton 595-8921
DURHAM MOBILE
HOMES LTD.
MOBILE
HOMES
NEW & USED
14 ft. wide - NO HALLS
DRY WALL .
MODULAR HOUSING
Highway 4 at the
Big Bend
Duiiiam 369-3723
GOODYEAR, MICHELIN,
FISK
TRUCK TIRE RETREADING
TRIANGLE TIRE
Distributors Ltd.
LISTOWEL
On the Farm Service
Call 291-2521
Repairs to all makes of
SEWING MACHINES
FREE
ESTIMATES
ALL WORK
GUARANTEED______
SEW AND
SAVE CENTRE
149 Downie St.
(2 doors S. of Hudson's)
STRATFORD 271-9660
Closed Monday
"A Great Place
to Take a Leak"
Quality Radiator Service
Automotive, Truck, Industrial
and Farm Service
Cleaning - Recoring - Repairing
High Pressure Reverse Flushing
Your Complete Radiator and
Heater Service Centre
Quality Radiator Service
31 Arthur St. E.
Harriston, Ont.
338-2636
HARRISTON
PACKING CO.
Give us a call
for - •
MEAT FOR YOUR FREEZER
Hogs by the half and whole
Beef by the side and quarter
CUSTOM KILLING TO
YOUR NEEDS
Hogs - Tues.
Beef - Thurs.
338-3330
THE TV MAN
Sales and Service
887-9472
Prop. Jerald Hayden
"0
Video, Stereo, Antennas,
Audio Installations,
Computers, 2 -Way Radios,
Satellite Dishes
Located halfway between
Listowel and Wingham,
jhst off Hwy. 86.
Sideroad 10 & 11,
Grey Twp.
L
LUCILLE'S
ELECTROLYSIS
featuring
"THE BLEND"
A modern, efficient form of
permanent hair removal.
Certified Electrologist
Confidential consultations
at no charge.
Tuesday or Thursdays
and other days by
chance.
343-2261
Perth County
Disc Jockeys
MUSIC FOR ALLOCCASIONS
Dances, Parties, Weddings, etc.
Offering 1 F° % off Regular Rates
if you book Four entertainment package
by January 31, 1985.
Contact: Doug Peebles,
Atwood (519) 356-2230
CaNESTOGA
COMPUTER.
SERVICES
Wingham
357-1225
MICROCOMPUTER
Sales, Service & Training
Waterloo' • Guelph Stratford
86`6-5493 836-1040 271-7696