The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1965-04-22, Page 19Longford Lumber
Gard and Audrey sing and play the old
songs for your enjoyment every weekend
at The Central.
Restaurant • Rooms
Licensed Under the LLBO
!ew
uid
rs,
ley
ter
his
and
SUGAR AND SPICE
Dispensed by Smiley
Sour note
on festivals
•
• • •
1
F
Every year, the Mu s ic
Festival throws our estab-
lishment into a ring-tailed
tizzy. And this year it was
the same old story.
In the first place, it al-
ways takes place at the worst
time of year. One year it
will be in the middle of the
opening of trout season. By
the time I get out, after
listening to all those crumby
little kids play the same old
crumby pieces, the big fish
are all gone, and I have to
thrill over the leftover
seven-inchers.
Another year, it strikes
at the height of those first
golden, green days on the
golf course. This year, it
caught me right in the middle
of about 100 hours of marking
exams "in my spare time",
as the taxpayers put it.
But I'm not complaining.
I'm used to sacrificing the
finer things of life for what
my wife thinks are the finer
things of life.
No, I don't worry about
me. Nor do I worry about
my son. He's like me: a
steady reliable, gentle,
sweet type, who takes things
as they come.
It's the women in our fam-
ily who cause the trouble.
My wife and daughter, who
operate on high C at the best
of times, hit a new note, way
above that, when Festival
Time arrives.
Young Kim has a penchant
for self-destruction before
the event. At her very first
music festival, when she was
six, she played a piece call-
ed "The Little Mouse." And
you should have seen her.
Under her left eye she had
the biggest little mouse ever
hatched — size of a rat. The
day before, in a rush for the
teacher's desk, with a bril-
liant piece of art work or
sum mat, she had collided
head on with a little boy. She
had an eye like a rainbow with
a hangover.
Another year, she got the
flu', and played with a tem-
perature of 102. Feverishly.
Last year, she came up to
me about three weeks before
the festival and said, "Guess
what, Dad?"
She'd broken a finger play-
ing basketball, and later
lumbered through her pieces
with a cast on it.
The other day, she decided
to ski down the last 40 yards
of the ski slope on her nose.
of-the-sky' slope-on her nose.
It was the day before the
festival. She played in a state
of shock. And her parents
listened in the same state.
It's disturbing to have a nut
of a kid like that around. But
she's merely a physical
case. Her mom is a mental
case. When the bugle goes for
the music festival, the Old
Girl leaps on her hobby-
horse and rides off in all
directions.
At one time she was an
ordinary festival mother.
Lipstick gnawed off, hair like
a haystack, eyes wild, fing-
ernails bitten down to the
first knuckle, nerves like
strung piano wire.
But now she's a music
teacher, as well. Not only
does she bleed for our own
kids, but her pupils as well.
There hasn't been a bed
made in our house since the
festival began. Not that it
bothers her; she hasn't slept
a wink anyway.
She gallops off at 9 a.m.,
pencil and program like
sword and shield. And she
sits there listening to a lot
of little kids playing a lot
of little pieces for about 14
hours. Then she comes home
and gives me a three-hour
post mortem.
I reel into bed and fall
asleep like a wet towel. She
lies there in a state of warm
rigor mortis, going over all
the mistakes her students
made, replaying their
pieces, arguing furiously
with the stupid adjudicator,
grinning wildly at the other
teachers, saying "just wait
until next year".
Music festivals are for
crazy people. Crazy kids,
who think they are musical.
Crazy parents, who think
their kids are musical.
Crazy music teachers, who
think they are musical and
their students can't help
showing it.
How'd you like to be mar-
ried to two crazy people?
— _ =
"Na
GORD4
Your Host :
Mike Bobor the
friendly
spot
A COMPLETE SERVICE . „
+ INSURANCE ESTIMATING
+ COLLISION REPAIRS
+ COMPLETE PAINTING
+ GLASS INSTALLATION
+ WELDING
Hwy. 4
Has kett's
Elizabeth St.
—5;i7
DUNCAN CONGRATULATIONS
From These Firms
McKERLIE
Automotive Ltd.
Exeter London
235-1040 438-2181
K E N
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Supertest Fuel Oil
227.4349 Ltittiri
STANFIELD
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4342178 London
LONDON
Industrial Chrome Plating
London 4341658
JAMES COWAN
& Co. Ltd.
London 4321154
WILSON
AUTOMOTIVE
London 433.3421
AUDREY
HAUGH
Saturday
Friday
LUCAN SHAMROCK (EXETER T.A.) APRIL 22, 1965 PAGE 7