HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-12-27, Page 5Wednesday, December 27 2006
Times—Advocate
5
Opinion Forum News
10 YEARS AGO
December 23, 1996 - Food
bank volunteers in Exeter esti-
mate demand for food hampers
is up by nearly 50 percent from
this time last year.
At Monday's meeting of Exeter
council, mayor Ben Hoogenboom
presented town service awards to
Bill Hirtzel for 25 years and
Joanne Fields and Cam
Stewardson for 15 years each.
20YEARS AGO
December 17, 1986 - The Exeter Golf and
Country Club operated for the past 25 years by
Alan and Hazel Westcott has been sold. The new
owners are Ron Bileski and Andy Byrne. Bileski
and his wife Shirley are currently pro managers of
the Dryden Golf and Curling Club. Byrne is cur-
rently pro manager of the Cambridge Golf and
Curling Club.
Santa Claus was busy most of the day before
Christmas pumping gas at the A&K Service
Centre, south of Exeter on Highway 4.
35 YEARS AGO
December 22, 1971 - Work started Monday on
the traffic control signals for the intersection of
Main and Sanders streets in Exeter. Works super-
intendent Glenn Kells told council Monday night
that the project would not be completed until late
February because some parts could not be
obtained right now.
45 YEARS AGO
December 21, 1961 - Robin Smith, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Smith received the award for
highest standing along with her executive secre-
tary diploma at graduating exercises at Wells
Business Academy in London.
John Stewart of Ailsa Craig was the guest
speaker at the Exeter Lions Farmers Night ban-
quet as he told about his experiences in Mexico
while attempting to harvest his huge oat crop
there.
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Norry who have been
caretakers at the Exeter Legion Hall since it was
erected 10 years ago will retire at the end of the
year.
Mrs. Douglas Parsons of Edward street won the
first prize of $200 in the Exeter merchants final
"Share Christmas" draw. Runnerup and winner of
$100 was Miss Lily Greb, also of town.
Exeter Legion delivered more than 50 food
parcels to needy families in the area during the
yuletide season.
Paul Wilson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Wilson
was Premier of the Older Boys' Parliament staged
at the theatre building of Middlesex College at the
University of Western Ontario. last week.
50YEARS AGO
December 24, 1956 - Rosemary Dobson of
Kirkton starred in the SHDHS Commencement
variety show Thursday and Friday with her
dance,"Street Scene in Paris".
Wolf Cubs of First Centralia RCAF Seonee Pack
sang carols at South Huron Hospital Friday night.
60YEARS AGO
December 21, 1946 - After 21 years of service
with Bell telephone at Exeter, Mr. George Lawson
has retired and the occasion was marked with a
banquet at the Central Hotel.
Seven extra employees have been required to
handle Christmas mail at the local post office.
The first meeting in the new Pentecostal Church
was held in the basement which is now in use for
meetings. The meeting was in charge of the
Young People with Norman Jolly of UWO as the
guest speaker.
85 YEARS AGO
December 23, 1921 - Messrs. W.D. Sanders and
E.J. Shapton attended the UFO conference in
Toronto last week.
John Hunkin gave a shooting match this week.
W.F. Sanders and Mr. Hunkin were top shots with
10 points each.
Saturday and Sunday this district experienced a
heavy rain followed by a severe wind storm.
I I OYEARS AGO
December 17, 1896 - The electric light was
turned on in Exeter Sunday for the first time since
the breakage in the machinery.
The collector will be at the town hall for the
next five days to receive taxes. A total of $5,000 is
yet to be collected.
ROSS
HAUGH
BACK IN TIME
Seniors' Perspective
By Jim Bearss
SENIORS' CORRESPONDENT
Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some
days you're the statue.
What's happening in Grand Bend?
"FREE Stop Smoking Program" Join us at the
Grand Bend Area CHC for this four-week program to
quit smoking. On Jan. 8 you've made your resolution
now let us help you kick the habit for good. Afternoon
session from 2-4 p.m. or evening from 7-9 p.m. and
for more information call Cindy at 519-238-1556 ext
6 to register.
Centralia -Huron Park Lion's Bingo:
On Sun., Jan. 7 plan to attend an exciting game of
bingo at the South Huron Rec. Centre. Doors open at
noon and your chance of winning big begins at 1 p.m.
sharp. Progressive Jackpot is $800 in 53
numbers, a Lions special, Share the Wealth
and Regular Jackpot. Come out for a roar-
ing good time.
Christmas in Austria:
As we will learn from the Von Trapp chil-
dren, Christmas is a wonderful time in
Austria. It actually begins about four weeks
before Christmas Eve when the advent sea-
son opens and markets filled with seasonal
treats abound in all the cities and villages.
At home, families bring Advent wreaths made of
evergreen branches, ribbons and four candles, one of
which is lit each Sunday leading up to Christmas.
Advent calendars count down the days till St.
Nikolas and his devilish servant, Krampus, arrive.
Together these two characters are like a good
cop/bad cop team, the one rewarding good deeds and
the other pointing out actions for which boys and
girls ought to feel at least a little ashamed.
In the Austrian countryside and the hills around the
city of Salzburg, farmers still chalk the initials of the
Three Wise Men over the doorways of their barns or
stables to protect their animals from illness for
another year. "C" is for Caspar; "M" is for Melchoir;
and "B" stands for Balthazar, the names traditionally
given to the distinguished visitors to the cradle in
Bethlehem.
Only on Dec. 24 do families begin decorating their
homes under a strict rule that the room where the
Christmas tree sits is temporarily closed to all.
Carolers go from home to home and they sing in the
city streets, in church towers and village squares.
Christmas eve is the most holy night of the season.
Many people go to church for a late night service and
then return home for a huge meal that includes
Austrian Delicacies such as fried carp, the dessert
cake Sachertorte, and seasonal cookies called
Vanillekipferl.
After supper, the ringing of a bell signals that it's
time to open the locked door to that special room and
everyone delights in the decorated tree which often
holds lit candles. Because the tree is so fresh, the
candles can be lit for a few moments as the family
carefully watches.
Under each tree sits an elaborate manger scene
with hand -carved figures of the stable in Bethlehem.
For many families this manger is a prized possession
handed down from generation to generation.
Do you remember when?
I am sharing this with you today because it ended
with a double dog dare to pass it on. To remember
what a double dog dare is, read on. And remember
that the perfect age is somewhere between old
enough to know better and too young to care.
How many of these do you remember?
Candy cigarettes, wax Coke -shaped bottles with col-
ored sugar water inside, soda pop machines that dis-
pensed glass bottles, coffee shops with tableside juke-
boxes, Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum,
home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard
stoppers, newsreels before the movie, P.F. Fliers,
telephone numbers with a word prefix...(Raymond 4-
601)., party lines, Peashooters, Howdy Doody, 45
RPM records, Green Stamps, Hi-Fi's, Metal ice cubes
trays with levers, Mimeograph paper, Beanie and
Cecil and Dick, Jane, Sally, Spot & Puff, Roller-skate
keys, cork pop guns, Drive ins, Studebakers, washtub
wringers, The Fuller Brush Man, Reel -To -Reel tape
recorders, tinker toys, Erector Sets, The Fort Apache
Play Set, Lincoln Logs, 15 cent McDonald hamburg-
ers, 5 cent packs of baseball cards - with that awful
pink slab of bubble gum, Penny candy, 35 cent a gal-
lon gasoline, and Jiffy Pop popcorn.
Do you remember a time when...
Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-
moe"?
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "Do
Over!"?
"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the
fastest?
Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire
evening?
It wasn't odd to have two or three "Best Friends"?
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite
sex was "cooties"?
Having a weapon in school meant being caught with
a slingshot?
A foot of snow was dreams come true?
Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30 -minute com-
mercials for action figures?
Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down
was cause for giggles?
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for
a team?
War was a card game?
Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike
into a motorcycle?
Taking drugs meant orange -flavored chewable
aspirin?
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon?
If you can remember most or all of these, then
you have lived!!!!!!!
A lecturer, when explaining stress manage-
ment to an audience, raised a glass of water
and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight does-
n't matter." It depends on how long you try to
hold it. "If I hold it for a minute, that's not a
problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in
my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call
an ambulance. "In each case, it's the same weight,
but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." He
continued, "And that's the way it is with stress man-
agement and "If we carry our burdens all the time,
sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly
heavy, we won't be able to carry on." "As with the
glass of water, you have to put it down for a while
and rest before holding it again. When we're
refreshed, we can carry on with the burden." "So,
before you return home tonight, put the burden of
work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up
tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
let them down for a moment... if you can." "Relax;
pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short.
Enjoy it!
A Favourite Cookie Recipe:
As Christmas is almost upon us here is one of my
favorite cookie recipes. Enjoy.
Christmas Cookie Recipe
1 cup of water
1 tsp Baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup of brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Bacardi Rum
1- Sample the Bacardi Rum to check the quality.
2- Take a large bowl, check the Bacardi Rum again,
to be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level
cup and drink.
3- Turn on the electric mixer...beat one cup of but-
ter in a large fluffy bowl.
4- Add one teaspoon of sugar...Beat again.
At this point it's best to make sure the Bacardi Rum
is still OK, try another cup... just in case.
5- Turn off the mixer thingy.
6- Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in
the cup of dried fruit.
7- Pick the frigging fruit off floor...
8- Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in
the beaterers just pry it loose with a dewscriver.
Sample the Bacardi Rum to check for tonsisticity.
9- Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.... Who
giveshz a heet.
10- Check the Bacardi Rum.
11- Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
12- Add one table.
13- Add a spoon of AR, or somefmk... whatever you
can find.
14- Greash the oven.
15- Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall
over. Don't forget to beat off the turner.
16- Finally, throw the bowl through the window.
17- Finish the bottle of Bacardi Rum.
18- Make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher.
Cherry Mistmas
Contributed by Karen Stanlake
Jim Bea
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/ am very pleased to bring you information and
humour for 2006 and look forward to continuing your
"Senior Perspective" column for 2007. Happy New
Year