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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-01-18, Page 16• Paget -*Crossroads—Jan. 18,1984 ( CURLY MAPLE DESK Early American Chippendale You?/never taik alone People who talk to them- selves are often considered to be as loony as a northern lake, but this is not neces- sarily true. I have talked the notion over with myself and I can assure you that people who hold long conversations with themselves are as sane as bishops. You are only crazy when your inner voice suggests something bizarre like "Let's shove Smarties up our pose," and you say," Hey great ideal!" Antique or Junque Everybody has an inner person locked away in the back of the brain. This is the little guy 'who after the mir- ror you hung on one of those gummed adhesive things has fallen and shattered into a million shards says, "I told you that would happen. Now you're gonna get it." The little inner voice is al- ways there. To paraphrase a favorite old song, "It walks with me and it talks with me F"lls me I am inade- quate." You are not the only per- son in the world who looks m the bathroom mirror in the morning and hears an inner voice saying, "Good morn- ing, Ugly." I'm sure it hap- pene to Queen Elizabeth now and then, or even to Brooke Shields on those days where she can't pay the rent. Because I grew up without siblings in a remote country area. I learned to talk to my- ramminafts. ,Bill Smiley The well of goodness Early 1900s covered pitcher.. By James G. McCollam Member, Antique Appraisers Association of America Q. 1 have a, small (61/2 - inch) covered pitcher with geometric designs. On the bottom is the enclosed mark. Who made it, when, where, and how much is it worth? A. This- was made by Knowles, Taylor, and Know- les in East Liverpool, Ohio., It dates back to the early 1900s and would sell for about $50 to $60. Q. This curly maple desk has been in my family for over 100 years. I would like to 'know what you can tell me about its vintage and value. The sides are joinedto the top, with dovetails and_ other.' joints are secured with pegs. A. Your desk is Early American Chippendale and a choice antique. It was hand- made in the late -18th century and would sell in the $2,500 to $3,000 range. Q. Why should some pieces CHINA. of Depression Glass and Car- nival Glass made in the 20th century be worth more than a fine piece of hand -cut cry- stal made 100 years ago? A. Good question! Theyo-- shouldn't. Brilliant -cut glass is a work of art and beautiful to behold. Depression and Car- nival Glass were cheap molded glass with little or no artistic merit. When brand new any piece ,could be bought for less than $1. One - hundred years ago cut glass was an expensive luxury. Collectors have bid the prices. up on Carnival and Depression Glass and deal- ers have fostered the fad. Unfortunately, I have to re' port what glass sells for — not what I think it is worth. RETURN WITH VSTO... 1;)-: li A FEMALE PRIVATE EYE ? THAT WAG VIRTUALLY UNHEARD dF UNTIL THE BEAUTIFUL ANNE FRANCIS PLAYED . DETECTIVE HONEY %JEST IN THIS ACTION -FILLED ASC=Tv SERIES IN 1965-66. 0 HONEY WAS PROFICIENT 'IN JUDO AND KARATE, USED ALL KINDS OF AMAZING DEVICES' AS WEAPONS, AND CARRIED A MODIFIED LIPSTICK CONTAINING A RADIO TRANSMITTER. THERE WAS LOGIC IN HER CHOICE OF PROFESS,ON... SHE INHERITED THE FAMILY DETECTIVE BUSINE86 AND PARTNER' 5A -M BOLT FROM HER LATE FATHER ' HONEY WEST WAS INTRODUCED TO TV AuDiENCES IN AN APRIL, 1965, EPISODE OF ANOTHER DETECTIVE SHOW... BUR/ -es LAW Since this column will not appear until after Christ- mas, I won't send greetings, except that I hope you had a merry one and didn't get run over on New Year's Eve. Run over either way. Last year was a violent , and fearful year on this earth. If I were a Bible - thumper, I'd surely believe that Armagedden is just around the corner. Even the plea of the American diplo- mat at the U.N. to the Israe= _ lis and the Arabs that if only they'd get together and settle- their- grievances" in a Chris- tian manner didn't have much effect. However, I'm not going to write about the evil in the world and in -man's heart. r It's too obvious. I'm going to write about the good. I've been bereft for some weeks (I know, Roger Bell, you'll be saying he's been bereft for years.) Anyway, I've learned, and I. hope it's not too late, that there is a deep well of good- ness and kindness beneath our world-weary, ordinary, every -day sterility. I still can't believe that so many people care about me. My colleagues, to whom I thought I was just Old Smiley, have shown a sensi- tivity I honestly didn't credit them with. With the men, it's the obli- gatory three thumps on my sore shoulder and a mum- bled word of sympathy, or a, "How are you, Bill?" instead of the usual, casual "Hi." With the women, it's more subtle. It's just a caring look, a special gentleness, an invi- tation to supper, an offer to help me into my jacket, which is a painful business. My principal has been a brick (watch your type -set- ting there, Jack.) .He has done everything logically possible to ease my physical and emotional pain. Had I wished, I could have dined out every night of the week. As it is, I've had three roast beef dinners, more than I.'ve had in three years, with charming, caring families, - A lady friend and col- league, who is an excellent cook, sent around a hot, right out of the oven, chicken pie. When I phoned to thank her and tell her it was the best chicken piei'd ever eaten, there was a;k:rash of thunder and a big limb fell off my oak tree. (Take it easy, Suze, HONEYS TRAVELING OFFICE... A VAN wm SoLr & CO. LETTERED \- ON IT. crossroads 11111816 wherever you are. I was only being polite.) There have been letters, not just cards of sympathy, from two former cleaning ladies, my wife's hairdres- ser, herformer piano stu- dents, and many others she • dealt with, saying how much they had liked her. My neighbors have been superb, as always. Flowers, food, offers of help, and the decency to leave me alone for a while, to gnaw the bones of my grief. Her piano -tuner and his , wife drove two hundred miles to pay their respects. A card would have done. Even my son, with whom my relationship has been rather hit-or-miss in the past few years, has turned into a hovering ,angel. No phoney sympathy, no . maudlin meanderings. Hard work. He's done more practical hard work around here than in all -the other years put together. Preparing food and making me eat. Shovelling snow. Vacuuming rugs. Shopping for groceries. Making me rub castor oil into my sore shoulder. Forc- ing me to. eat porridge (ugh) but making it so delicious with fruit and stuff that I actually enjoyed it. I could go on for two columns. But I won't. This is just a note of thanks to God that he has put into people not nastiness and bitchiness and self-pity and self-cen- tredness ( they developed those on their own), but kindness and tenderness and goodness and gentleness and the ability to care for one in- significant fellow human. Something else I've learned. John Donne said, "No man is an island." Of course he isn't, A man is a mere tuft of grassin a quag- mire. In comparison, a woman (most women), are continents. Suze and I used to bicker Published every Wednesday by Wenger Sros 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 Ontario Press Council. Controlled distri- bution in Elmira, Palmerston. Harriston, Brussels, Millbarik. Newton. Atwood, Clifford, Drayton. Wallenstein. Moorefield and Arthur. Display and Classified °advertising deadline — 5:00 p,m. Thursday week prior to publications 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 Josephi't'te St P.O. Box 390, • Wingham, Ont. NOG 2WO The Listowel Banner 291-1660. The Wingham Advance -Times 357-2320. The Mount Forest Confederate 323:1 550 The Milverton Sun 595-.8921 constantly, as I'm sure you do, about who had the hard- est job. She: "'You have -ne idea what I do around here. You're useless. You can't even change a light bulb; or won't. I have to deal with all the workmen, pay the bills, clean the house, wash your dirty clothes, and come up with a gourmet dinner." And soon. I: "Yabbut you can sleep in in the morning if you want, have a nap after lunch, watch soap operas, visit friends, and you don't have to get up every morning and face those rotten kids all day. And, besides, who earns all the money so you can have all that freedom?" On both bended knees, I take it all back. You'll never hear a male chauvinist in this column, ever again. She's been gone only a few weeks, and I'm surrounded by unpaid ;bills, dirty laun- dry, grubby . sinks, ring -around- the bathtub, and huge piles of paper that have to be de{lt with. I can't run the washing machine. I burn everything I put in the oven. And I can't FIND anything. Yes, there's a triumphant, slightly malevolent radiance in the sky. She's reading my column. Silver Dart flew first Canada formally entered the aerial age Feb. 23, 1909, with the first successful flight in Canada of the Sil- ver Dart. The first aircrft designed and manufac- tured in Canada, the Bad - deck No. 1 was completed in July 1909. Martial law protests On Aug. 13, 1982, riot po- lice in Gdansk, Warsaw and other Polish cities broke up marches and demonstrations marking the eight-month an- niversary of martial law. self as soon as I learned to talk. One day I was the Bobl�sey Twins and another day • I was Abbott and Cos- tello. The hills were alive with the sound of me. Inner voices are great ath- letic coaches. You can hear them on the ski hills or the (Wpu 1 U doui't, acayilhi , "Steady. Steady now here comes the hard part. Take it easy. You're gonna miss it. You're gonna miss it, you're gonna miss ... there I told you you'd miss it you stupid knothead." Sometimes the still small voice of calm becomes an unruly -great roar. Suppose you inadvertently poke somebody with your umbrel- 11 in an -elevator. The inner voice says, right out loud,. "Watch it, you clumsy ox." Sometimes the pokee thinks the remark is directed at him and a fist fight can erupt if he doesn't believe your "Silly me. I was just talking to myself." A friend of mine nuked a priceless antique lamp once when she was vacuuming the living room. In her rage and chagrin she forgot that there was a man in the basement repairing some wiring. Her inner voice got very loud as it chastised her with a full catalogue of colorful invec- tive which maligned her line- age, her vision, her co-ordin- ation and her intelligence. Halfway through the tirade, she remembered the elec- trician who was standing be- low astonished and no doubt making notes for his coffee FOR SALE Firewood Logs Hardwood (will deliver) Lo -Can Inc. 887-6526 break the next day. (7 01 telling you, you wouldn't be- lieve the things that broad was saying. I didn't think women ever used language like that.") There have been times when I have returned home after a thorny encounter in the otitoift world and I've Slammed things around in the kitchen muttering things like "I'll murder him. Imagine the nerve. Who does be think he is?" And so on. I can't tell you how silly, I feel when a door silently opens and a kid materialises and says. "Hi. Who's here?" I now realize that loud mu- sic and talk shows were in- vented to drown out inner voices. "Play on!" roared Henry Eighth to his court musicians after beheading a wife. Joan of Arc on the other hand didn't have a Walk- man. She not only heard but obeyed her inner voices and look where she wound up, the toast , of Rouen. Inner voices cannot be trained to sing or whistle or do much that is amusing. They- tend to be dry, moral, perfect, little goody two. shoes. They do however exist. A couple of learned folks have just written a book called The Inner Enemy which not only identifies the source of that rotten nagging shrew within us all but tells how to live with it. Isn't that com- forting?. _. Time to stop typing. Dummy. There it goes again. pacts about -oodburning stoves. Frequently inspect pipe -and con- nections, checking out for creosote and soot build-up. 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