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The Huron Expositor, 1978-11-30, Page 3IT`j."---41CH ISTMAS TIME IN SEAFORTH —Christmas officially arrived on Wednesday morning when PUC workers hung lights, and wreaths from the town lamp posts. Here town employee Doug. Smale wraps tinsel around the'streetlight across from The Huron Expositor office. Seaforth's Christmas tree, donated by Bruce Hoelsher ,of Victoria St was raised outside the town hall Saturday morning.' (Expositor Photo) the winter instead of saying "go, go" as 1 ,run around trying to get us out the door. in ,the"Aorning,. Can I expect her to be content to sit in, her new sleigh on the living room rug and pretend she's outside sailing through snowbanks rather 'than experiencing the real thing? No, that's not `fair.. She needs someone to pAIII her sleigh. I'm- working on her, big two.ther, our dog Tuk; although he doesn't like winter much either. No this year not only do I have to put up with winter, and squeeze whatever joy out of it I can by cross country skiing, I've got to help Our daughter learn to like it. ' ' Got any ideas to help me eat? 15 I6 ...,...-1104f414100' 0 Ivan 0' tom 4000 4.. 9.9 74990 goyim gaExpe BLOCK. '13'— FUTURE DEVELOPMENT 050 Sc - • -BLOCK 'A' RAILWAY _ STREET AC Town ILIC 54 9: 0' ..o.4 9 D. 4E0100 I Pa) ;on CT w 1150' 166' • 5 6 /4 —lat I w I 45 IT I .10 OTE 00005 TO DIE CONSTRuCTED ACCORDANCE WITH APPENDIX d —1 rs Help the Expositor celebrate Christmas , send drawings, stories "Christmas at my house". The drawings should be done with crayon- or pencil crayons, -on 8! by 10" paper, and mailed into Or dropped off at the Expositor office by December 14. The deadline for. Christmas stories is the same day, and both the pictures and stories will be published in our special Christmas, issut. The best drawing will be given a'Veir special plabe on the newspaper's front page. Also, any adults who would like to contribute a story or letter about their Christmas celebrations, either this year or, in the past, are also invited to bring or send their stories to the expositor office. We'd also like to share some of the special moments of past Christmases by publishing pictures our readers have taken of their, family celebrations over the years. If you'd like to share these memories, drop the picture into the Expositor office,. We'll promise all pictures will be returned safely. The Expositor will continue thctra-dition of it's annual Christmas colotiring contest. The pietures to be eoloured are hist& this week, and the deadline for handing in the eiiirtes to the Expositor is December 14. Judge again this year will be retired teacher Mabel Turnbull. We hope this year's el stmas issue will be a very special mulct ,ders. Willyou help us make sure it i' Christmas means many different things to different people. To some it means baking gingerbread boys and Christmas cake, to others it means decorating the Christmas tree with 'sparkling tinsel and shiny orna- ments and to others it's a time to get together with family and friends, exchang- ing gifts and sharing the joys of the holiday. 'Young readers of all ages are invited to share their Christmas with other Expositor readers either with a drawing or story on "Getting ready for Christmas" or Win Cup draw Winners of the Seaforth Legion's 'Grey Cup Draw were: 1st Quarter - 25.00 John. Henderson, R.R. 5, Seaforth; 2nd Quarter - $25.00, Pat Tippeft, Egmondville; 3rd Quarter 25.00, Dick Whiteley, Seaforth; Final - 500.00, Frank Case, Seaforth. WEST BRANCH,, SUBDIVISION — Planned by Arr is in Smith West Seaforth, the 10.4 acre subdivision is inside the dotted line. Block A and lots I to 6 and 7 to 15 will be serviced first. Streets names are extensions of existing streets, except for West Branch Avenue, the, unnamed north-south street. Amen by Korl Schuessler, ling Sir . John A Han like that? I wouldn't want to embarrass a new grandfather for anything in the world.. "Everyone knows the most humiliating, thing that can happen to a baby holder is to have a contented baby given to you and the minute he 'lands in your lap, he bawls. I, wouldn't pre-arrange such an awkward moment for anyone, Alex. I wouldn't Rrecipitate i one either. Like pinch the baby." "No, Karl," Alex grinned, "you're too kind for that, •buY that's not saying you knew he starting to fuss." Boy, do times change. Rather, do fathers change. You should have seen me with our first baby. Poor little thing! He weighed only one and a quarter pounds over ten when he was born. He owned a set of lungs that an grown opera star would envy. But as new father I knew my first duty was to rescue him from every germ in the country. You could bet' his blue, booties, I made sure no one would come too close to him. and if they did, they came qualified. No•coldpno diseases. They had to warm up if they came in from the cold. They scrubbed their hands. Put gauze 'around their nose and mouth. And only then did please, t ey g td. aon, pete pb-r-eoant tip tooto much.e m1ndyou. And And hold him? Just anyone hold him? are you kidding? I kept it down to only 'a select, elite circle. Something like a circle of two: mother and me. Why, •my young sister-in-law--all ' of sixteen years--came from over t, --"----Ared miles away to, see her nephew anu high point of her trip came when she held the baby for a few minutes. I learned a few days later she made the trip more worth--while behind my back. ne day after I'd left for work, I came back to the house. I forgot something. And there she was-caught with one baby in hand. In terror, she almost threw the baby back in my wife's arms. Didn't she realize? She caogualidn.have dropped -the baby. Germs are one thing. But a drop is something else In those day I figure you couldn't be too careful. You couldn't do enough to protect year baby. "Come on over, and hold the baby," was ndt Ott of Iv vocabulary—at least for the first-born, a first born who. won out against germs and drops and doting father and made it to sit-foot three,, Come on over. everyone. Just everyon ftralk right on in. Granny Grace and Gran pa Alex, Uncle Lloyd and brother Foul, Phil and Scott. Come right on Sit wn in the living room. Sister Sarah a Aunt Annie- and Patty. Neighbor Mary Leo, Wilf and Rita, Make yourself comfortable. Friend John, Kevin and Sandy. Great granny. Lucy and great Auntie - Lettie. There's plenty of room. Take any chair. The furniture's all set out so you're sitting in •a circle. Ready? Set? 'Here he comes! Little Sir John A. You can all have a turn to hold our new baby.' You say he looks so delicate? Don't be afraid. Sure, he's a little fellow, but he won't break. You say you just came in from the barn? That's, okay. Take off your boots and go sit down in the frontroom. You mean you really don't like babies? They need two years of growing before you'll touch them? Oh, come now. You'll change your mind. You say you're green at handling babi8s? You've come to the right place. All you need is a little practice. Little Sir John passed, from lap to lap round the wide circle. If you're lucky the new,, parents might serve some sliced . apples and, cheese in 'their front living • room. You may even get a drink. But the best offering for the evening is-babOohn. And after round one, come round two: . By the second time you hold ,him, he's changed faces. From sleep to scowl, from wide-eyed to slow.• From whimper to cry. You may want to lift him-to your shoulder: ,..and make sure there's no more. burps. Or talk some _googly Boos and grab his_o attention away from biaticaeliker bobbing back and forth in his mouth--that soother he's sucking at 'for' all he's Worth and getting nothing. You may hear an explosion in the lower regions and then ybu know it's time to pass whim on or call out, "W000ther." Grandpa Alex suspected some dark motive When I handed Sir John to him. "How coe he's crying noW?" Alex said, a second or tWo after I passed the baby over to him. "SO you gave hint to me, right when he started to cry, eh?" "Why, Alex. Me? Would I do a thing HURON,-EXPPISTQR.I NOVEMBER 00 04 •*, . ave you got wihttorphpbia. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH T-SHIRTS — These Grade 7D students at Seaforth Public School proved they're devoted T-shirt fans at Friday's jeans and T-shirt day at the school. • These students, who decided to wearpe shirts both ont he top and the bottom are (left to right) Elizabeth Stewart; Susan Hulley, David Camp- bell, Robbie Simpson and Doug Hulley. Well, how do you like this winter we're having? After hoping against hope that we wouldn't have one this year I've reconciled MYS'elf to the fact that it's here. ' . • I'm not a winter lover. In fact I was a dye in the wool winter hater until I' discovered / cross country skiing a couple of years ago. The winter that the better half and I speht in hot North Africa as a matter of fact, f stands out as the best ever saw.1 didntt miss the snow, the cold, the ice, thOwind, the driving, one whit. After that winter, ' I ' was ready to move permanently to tropical climes. But Canada's my home; this t: country is important to me. I love it here, for seven or eight months of the year. " , That's how I reasoned then anyway and I'm still here, with that warm, fragrant North African winter a fading 0 k memory., . Did you ever stop to think. though what a terrific place this country would bseeviefralit were moved thousand of miles to the south, for a couple of the grimmest months of the year anyway? As I said earlier, cross country skiing has gradually of helping to draw me out of My winter phobia. But as of this winter I think. I'm going . to have a wonderful new draw ....my 'year old daughter. Like most, new parents we read all the bringing up. children books and the one thing they all stress„is thq parents shouldn't paSs their prejudices 6n to' their little dears. So, in an effort not to,bring my Canadian daughter up a confirmed winter hater,. yin turning over a new leaf. "Doesn't that ,feel eg00000d?" I ask Gaby as, she trail's her bare hand (she won't keep mitts on) in the snow. What I'd like to say is "leave , that nasty cold wet stuff alone, - and come in the honse." I smile as I curse under, my breath while scrapings off. the windshield before we can get going in the morning. For little Gaby.is sitting up front in her car seat saying ",'brmminbrmnim" and watching every move I make, It wouldn't do for her to 'see that mother is anything less than enthusiastic about this new job that's added 15 minutes to 'our already crowded joint morning ritual. it's the same with driving along the snow packed, icy - and drifting roads. Can I her sense' my complete lack ' of confidence (based in. part on past record) as we creep along to and ftom town every day? No way, she might dig in her heels and decide to stay home with the • dog for You're invited Everyone is welcome to attend the monthly 'meeting e Seaforth Co-op Nurs- ery hoot in the lower library on. Tuesday, Decem- ber 5th at 8:15. All ladies of Egmondville United Church are cordially invited to attend a Pot Luck Supper and Christmas Pro- gram on Tues. Dec. .5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Church Base- ment. Please note change of date. If anyone can tell me why disasters run in three, I'll be happy to listen. And don't think. I'm superstitious, because 'I'm not. I from experience. During thewar, it used to happen on my squa dron. We'd lose three pilots in two days, and then none ,for ten and then three more; During the peace, it was the same. One night m) x% tic would 'give a- black eye ' for sonic inexplicable reason. The next day,• one of the kids would cdme down with appendicitis or' something. -And the third day I'd get a parking ticket for parking in the same place l!cl parked for weeks, free. Last SatUrday was no exception. We were -delivering -" our older car to my, daughter, in the city. She had finally obtained a position .• not ,a job, mind you - as 'a secondary school teacher. For one month. Butshe has to commute for an' hour and a half, at each end of the day. That's a pretty hefty commute, especially when you have to cope with tivo of:the wildest boys in Christendom,'at each end. So, in her inimitably modest and self-effacing way. she phoned her old man (collect) and suggested he loan her the old Dodge. marketvalue $150, real value about $500, sentimental value about $12,000. This would cut hercommuting time to forty minutes. So, in his inimitably stupid way, her old man agreed (why doesn't she move to Vancou ver?) And in his ineffably idiotic way,,' her old man started worrying about her safety. The old Dodge - it's only eleven - requires a combination of jockey and a tractor driver to handle it. So the old man.- to cut a lorig story to ribbons. spent dollars $125 in a cheek-up and repairs so that his baby wouldn't 'Cream herself onihighway' and leave said old man with two grandchildren to raise. ' Just hang in there. The saga has barely begun.. All you've•got so far is background. It gets worser and worsen ' Saturday morning, Old Lady and self having breakfast beforesetting off for city .,to deliver old Dodge. `Self .brea'ks tooth while eating toast and jam, leaving, him looking like a stand-in for Dracula. However, dentists being the- robber barons of the new era, doesn't even phone on, 1. lieerily sets off for city, tongue nickingac a snake at edges of ruptured tooth. Old t$odge runs down highway like a rocket. Enter city. Enter Disaster Two. On one of busiest thoroughfares, suddenly no brakes. No brakes, Checked out the day before.' Red light comes ,on. Self, whinier \ es of • steel of old fighter pilot juggles stick ' judiciously betiveen forward and reverse and-cottes to rest, unharmed but shaking like proverbial leaf, against bumper of car on sideStreet. There's only one thing more hair-raising than a car without :brakes, and that's an aircraft without brakes. I've been through that caper too. Out in a car, you can always throw the thing into reverse. you might rip out the transmission, but you'll stop. In an aircraft, there ain't, ne reverse, and you hit the ground at about 100 miles per hour, with several tons of metal. The only brake is the,end of the runway, which can be a bit hairy. Anyway, got the old Dodge. stopped. A delightful yoting Englishman, who lives on the quiet sidestreet on which I came to_ rest, saw my predicament, and gave greA aid and comfort. He checked out my master,, cylinder, which for all I knew, was in the - trunk, and there was fluid in it, He suggested I try to make a garage, two blocks away, by driving in loW gear, with him driving right ahead to act as a buffer. Tried this and panicked when horns started hooting viciously. .. He took' me to the garage, insisted on waiting until I was served, commiserated with me over the $14 the charge and took me back to the derelict, where I expected to find my wife literally shaking with rage. At me. • Something's happening to her. Ten years ago, in such an incident, she'd have ripped into me With assorted charges of incompetence, mopery and gawk. But she's' mellowed. She merely asked me how things went: When the tow-truck arrived and hoisted our front end high, we both elected to remain in the car. As we sailed majestically off to the garage, I ventured tentatively, "Fun, isn't it?", she grinned, and we were closer than we've been for a while. We suffered a learned exposition form the mechanic, whose favorite word, ironi - tally, was "irony". Not the sort of word mechanics usually toss about,— He...ex- pounded, "The irony Of it is that if J put in' a new master cylinder, at about $120, you may still have no brakes, since there may be air in the lines, and 4 ean't bleed the lines because the foofawra,vy might break 'if I applied. the thingummy. ' He went on. "If you still have no brakes, you have a problem." I almost expected him to say, "N'est-ce pas?", the question was so ridiculous. "Of course; you could put in new thanabobs, but they are $12 each, plus labor.". Finally, after an hour and a half, we abandoned the thing in the garage and set off on foot with our presents' for the kids: a clown suit for Poke, whielt, my wife,Alliad labored on with love for two weeks, a bag of apples that weighed twenty pounds, a pair of shoes for Kim and various miscellaneous articles, all heavy. We made the bus home by the skin of our teeth, aftr a hectic half hour with the young 'uns. And Disaster. Three struck. Overcome by the day's vicissitudes, I fell 'asleep in front of the TV., cigarette in hand, and trurned a hole in the couch, a blanket, and my stomach. Not to me mon my wife's new-found mellowness.' C'est la vie. They come itt three. Sugar and spice `By BII Srniley Disasters come m threes