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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-12-23, Page 4A very busy year It's supposed to be a sign of old age when time flies past more quickly each year, so we'll say that the past year has seemed like an eternity. At any rate, this is the writer's final column for 1976 and it is a time for reflection on the things that have transpired in the past 12 months. On a personal basis, we have seen many changes, a situation which puts us in the same boat as many area residents. From a news standpoint, it has probably been one of the busier years, indicating of course that many of our readers have been busy as well because they are the people who dictate what events are covered by a newspaper. The only person busier, perhaps, was Mother Nature. It was a year in which the weather stole many headlines, ranging from a couple of severe snow storms, to the memorable ice storm in March and the wind storm in July. Many hardships were experienced and generally speaking, it was a costly matter as well, both in economic terms as well as aesthetics, But it's an ill wind that doesn't blow some good, and the problems created by the weather helped to generate many acts of kindness and concern through the year and brought out the best in many people. The most disastrous blow to the entire area came in the ministry of labor edicts which closed arenas in Lucan and Exeter and forced costly renovations at Zurich. But, similar to the ability shown in withstanding nature's blows, area residents fought back quickly to overcome the problems created by the arena situations. It is interesting to note that by the time the curtain is finally clos- ed on this year, people in the area will have dug into their pockets to come up with almost half a million dollars to aid arena canvasses in Exeter, Lucan and Zurich, Truly an amazing statistic and one which indicates quite pointedly that there remains a great deal of communi- ty pride and involvement on the part of most people. There were, of course, many other interesting stories throughout the year. Certainly one of the highlights was the community "thank you" to Dr. M. C. Fletcher for his many years' service, It was an occasion which indicated quite clearly that people do recognize the contributions made by citizens within their midst and obviously there was none more deserving than Dr. Fletcher for the accolades heaped on him, Exeter also recognized four other citizens in the persons of Alma Godbolt, Carf Cann and Russ and Shirley Wilhelm. They epitomize the character of smaller communities across this nation in the deeds they perform to make those communities better places in which to live, work and play. There is no time of the year that passes more quickly than the few weeks before Christmas. One day it's only about the first week in November. The Christ- mas gift catalogues are just out, and Bing Crosby has barely com- menced singing "I'm Dreaming etc.," and the Santa Claus parade is a few weeks off and the town's Christmas lights have just gone up, so you know that the actual holiday is weeks, If not months, in the future. Then, suddenly, you have about six dicey days to go, and you haven't bought either tree or turkey, let alone gifts and cards, and you know you're going to be flying like a bat out of hell to get ready for the annual bacchanalia with which we celebrate the birth of Christ. And I guess maybe that's part of the fun — going slightly ape for a few days each year, running around like a cat on a hot tin roof, and spending money like a drunken sailor, to coin a few brilliant, original similes and metaphors. -V• •<V. Some people, and the rest of us detest them, go around smugly in December telling anyone who will listen that they have all their gifts bought and wrapped, their cards dispatched, their plum pudding made, and even their rotten tree up and decorated. They're like the people in Alden Nowlan's poem, who set the breakfast table before going to bed, make the bed before go- ing down to breakfast, have their names and birthdates inscribed on their tombtones before they die, with nothing to add but the date of death. Perhaps they are admirable people, in a way, but I hate them. They are so busy getting ready, for tomorrow that they haven't time to enjoy today. Like most slobs, I comfort myself by constantly reassuring myself that truly creative people are tardy, procrastinating and slovenly, that it takes a narrow mind to have a tidy desk, that life is only a preparation for death, which is anything but neat, and Times Established 1873 that I wouldn't want to be like those people for all the oil in Arabia. Remember when it used to be all the tea in China? It's partly true, though. Every year, the Old Battleaxe and I plan to have a gracious Christ- mas. We plan it in June, and then forget all about it until Dec. 17th. r * ' The plan goes something like this. The cards will be purchased about September, and with care. None of this, "Give me three dozen of those and three dozen of those red ones and about twenty green ones." Our tree will be large, stately and gorgeous, and will be erected without confusion or blasphemy at least a week before Christmas. Every gift will be chosen with care, about October; wrapped exquisitely, and stored in the front hall closet. Christmas dinner will be planned carefully, so that there will be a minimum of fuss. Turkey will be ordered and delivered at precisely the right moment. Plum pudding will be baked and frozen, probably in November, ready to be popped in the oven. Records will be sorted and all set to go on hi-fi. There'll be carol singing, a fire in the fireplace, peace and goodwill in all our hearts, and joy to the world. House will be full of lovable children, and gentle Grandad, who will play with each other, while the old lady and I sit around benignly and smile and smile, with our hearts overflow- ing. And we'll all go to church on Christmas Day to get away from the commercialism, and revel in the True Meaning of Christmas. * * * Somewhere between the plan- 4iing and the execution, something goes awry. Maybe it's because life is too complicated to spend six months getting ready for a three-day orgy. Somehow, we're too busy with Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day and the Grey Cup and sew- ing Kim's pants, and marking es- Advocate Established 1881 says and bickering and making up, to make any preparations at all. Cards are last year's left- overs, plus a few cheap extras, sent out on Dec. 23rd. I go out on the 24th and beat the snow and ice off the third-laq skeleton in the Christmas tree lot, and it is erected to the ac-• companiment of oaths when I try to nail my finger to the floor, and screams of rage and disgust when the dam' thing falls over for the fourth time. Gifts arepurchased with all the careful selection of passengers on the Titanic grab- bing for lifebelts. Only one string of the Christ- mas tree lights works, and the stores are sold out of replacements. Somebody forgot to order the fresh-killed turkey, and we wind up with a beast that was frozen during the last Ice Age. We have to chop the guts out with a chisel, Plum pudding? Forget it. We're all on a diet. * * * Nobody got around to sorting out the records, and on Christ- mas Eve, instead of We Three Kings of Orient, we get There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight, with pornographic verses by Jakaloo Shuffler and His Shifflers. Somebody has lost the book of carols. There is no kindling and the firewood is wet. It smokes. The only peace in the house is when you lock yourself in the bathroom, and the lock doesn't work, and the infants wander in and say, "What are you doing, Grandad?" Grandchildren are incorrigi- ble, pulling over firescreen, floor lamp and Great-Grandad in a muddle of breaking and bawling, filling their diapers during dinner, and demanding to stay up until midnight to see S. Claus., We never make it to church because we're too busy celebrating the birth of Christ. Maybe next year. Amalgamated 1924 By ELAINE TOWNSH END Food plays an important role in my family's Christmas. Mom spends days preparing the dinner, and the rest of us spend hours devouring it. Our menu resembles the one most Canadians enjoy - roast turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, turnips, salad and cranberry sauce, mincemeat and pumpkin pies and Christmas pudding with sweet butterscotch sauce. After the meal, although we always eat too much, we feel compelled to munch on fruit, candies and nuts. Christmas is the one day in the year in which non-stop eating is excusable. Canada's modern menu differs from that of other eras and other countries. For example, our mincemeat pies were derived from mutton pies, Which were popular in the early days of England. Boar's head and brawne and peacock pie rounded out the original feast. In many countries, our traditional turkey is replaced, The Yugoslavian roast pig, for instance, is comparable to our roast turkey, Meanwhile, in the Scandinavian lands, fish is the main dish; the eel is eaten in Ita- ly, and sea bream is Spain's speciality, Porridge is eaten in Finland. (In the morning, I presume.) Mexicans serve turkey, but they cook it with tortilla and fried peppers. They also mix salads of fruits and vegetables and garnish the salads with can- dies. Some type of Christmas cake is included in the delicacies of most nationalities. The American -Moravians boast their cakes are as thin as paper, while Denmark's bakers make tiny cakes called "pepper nuts." Instead of cakes, the Germans serve hard spice cookies, Polish wafers are stamped with religious figures and bless- ed by priests; then they are given as gifts or cards. (I hope they have no postal interrup- tions!) Canadian housewives think they work hard to prepare the Christmas dinner, but compared to the Ukranian women, they have it easy. In Ukrania, the hostesses are required by tradi- tion to serve twelve different dis- hes. Some Christmas meals are un- ique not only for their content but also for the way they are eaten. A communitarian sect in the eastern U.S. called "Shakers" is a prime example. Christmas is the only time in the year that the men and women eat together, They dine in silence, but when they finish eating, they dance the ceremonious jig for which they are named - the Shake. (Not a bad idea to aid digestion.) A surprising number of superstitions enter into Christ- mas meals. For instance, Yugoslavians hide a silver coin in their cake, and whoever finds the coin in his piece is considered fortunate. Likewise in Norway, a rice pudding is baked with an al- mond in it. According to legend, the member of the family who finds the almond will be married first. When we Canadians sit down to our Christmas dinner in a few days, we can think about the different kinds of food being en- joyed around the world, Some of the foreign meals, habits and superstitions make us smile, but we all seem to share a common bond - twelve months of an- ticipating that sumptuous feast called "Christmas dinner," Christmas By CATHY GAIL NORRIS Grade 3 Grand Bend I means I am happy at C is for the Christ Child. H is for the song Hark the Herald Christmas Angels S is for Santa Claus T is for the tree we decorate M is for the manger Jesus slept in A is for the animals that looked at Baby Jesus S is for the star that led the Wise • Men • 4 As the Christmas season nears its finale, it is encouraging to see that many people in the community are taking positive steps to keep the real meaning of Christmas alive. Many organizations and individuals have been busy packing special treats for those less fortunate than the majority of citizens. It is certainly an appropriate time for such acts of kindnesses, but it is well to remember that these people have special needs which require our attention throughout the year. Despite the added costs of their own Christmas needs, many peo- ple have found it possible to dig a little deeper to aid others and there is little question but what their kind deeds are most appreciated. Perhaps the most poignant lesson we have learned in 1976 is that most people do have some extra finances available for special pro- jects in the community. While it could not be expected that the area could come up with half a million dollars each year in special con- tributions, even a small percentage of that would go a long way in lif- ting the burden for the underprivileged in our communities and around the world. We leave you with that thought! * * Finally, we take this occasion to say a sincere thank you to all who have helped in any way to enable us to turn out this newspaper during the past year. 'The contributions of our correspondents, news contacts and those who take the time to let us know about news of the community is greatly appreciated. To all those, and our readers, we extend a wish that your Christ- mas season will be filled with love and understanding and that it will continue throughout the 365 days of 1977. God bless us, everyone! Odds n' Ends Christmas food 0 LA) 3 *, 14sCia. By Kim Horner Grade 6, Stephen Central Maybe next year OteferZimes-ibtiocafe SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., 0.W.N.A. CLASS 'A' and ABC Published by J. W. Eedy Publications Limited LORNE EEDY, PUBLISHER Editor Bill Batten Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh Advertising Manager — Jim Beckett Plant Manager Jim Scott Composition Manager — Harry DeVries Business Manager — Dick Jongkind Phone 235-1331 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation September 30, 1975 5,409 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $1 1.00 Per Year; USA $22.00 Page 4 Times-Advocate, December 23, l976 Have you left room for Jesus? By REV. B. A. PIERCE Zion United Church Crediton, Ontario ti Twenty-two years ago my wife and I took a summer motor trip through Northern Michigan and Northern On- tario. It was supposed to be a routine trip aside from the fact that we were looking for a good time with plenty of sun and new experiences. The only memorable part of the trip was the new experiences. Soon after our departure things began to happen. In less than two hundred miles we had lost a spark plug and a tire. Somewhere in Northern Ontario pieces began to fly off the timing gear and the main bearing began to complain bitter- ly. We were extremely blessed in that we were able to arrive safely home before the car had a complete breakdown. A friend of many in this area in- troduced me to a saying that has helped me to look at life in a new light of un- derstanding. He told me, "Nothing happens by chance in the life of a Christian." I do not believe for a mo- ment that what took place during that vacation twenty-two years ago can be called a "series of unrelated accidents", including the broken wrist my wife sustained while rescuing a neighbor's child from the path of a gravel truck a few days before we were to leave. I do believe that what took place twenty-two years ago, about five hun- dred miles from here was preparing me for what our Lord wants me to share with you this Christmas Season 1976. At that time our Lord planted a seed that would be many years taking root and growing into a meaningful experience that could be shared with you today. I do not presume to make com- parisons with the ancient travellers and the so-called modern ones. Mary was pregnant — my wife had a broken wrist. Their mode of travel although a lowly donkey was no doubt more dependable than our six year old car. Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem at the peak of the census taking and found no suitable accommodation. My wife and I arrived in a strange city in a foreign land at the peak of one of their national holidays. Where Joseph and Mary found no room iri the inn, we found no roam in the motel. They accepted a lowly cattle stall. We asked at the police station if they had an empty cell in which we could get a few hours rest. Is it possible in the year 1976 to find a meaningful common ground where we can experience, as did Joseph and Mary (and for that matter, Jesus), the feeling of being on the outside looking in. I am sure most of us at some time in our life have needed the acceptance of others. We need others as much as they need us. However, in our independence, some of us believing we can get along quite well without others deprive the other of our love which they may so desperately need. The church is often guilty of mak- ing people feel unwanted or even un- noticed. It is not intentional, but it happens. Joseph and Mary must have felt un- wanted on that lonely night in Bethlehem. It wasn't that the inn-keeper did not want Mary and Joseph to stay at his inn. In truth he had no room. And if he had he would have let the public know, either by a 'vacancy' sign or by one of his children standing outside tell- ing the weary travellers there was room in the inn. Are we being good inn-keepers for the Lord? Going to church is important or people would not go, but are we in the church giving those outside the impres- sion that there is no room? How enthusiastic are we when we present our Lord to people as their 'Life Saver'? Jesus is our 'Life Saver', but He is known more appropriately as our Savior. But as our 'Life Saver" we neglect to wrap ourselves in the protec- tion of His love because we do not believe that our life is in danger. Nearly two thousand years ago God knew that in the year 1976 our lives would be in danger so He sent you and me a 'Life Saver' in the form of the Christ child who in God's timing became the Savior of the world. You don't have to accept him, but if you don't your soul will remain in danger. Allow me to use modern technology to explain how we can apply this to our lives today. The law says that every passenger in my car must use the seat belt provided for them. So that I don't have to be the law keeper', each adult is responsible for their own penalty if caught without their belt properly secured. But because I feel a moral obligation to remind my passengers of the importance placed on those seat belts I have a sign in my car which reads, "Belt up or pay your own fine". When I leave my driveway everything the auto makers have pr ovid- ed for your safety is there for the using. But if you do not use the life saving devices and because of possible human error there is an accident and you are badly injured or killed, I can be blamed for the accident, but I cannot be blamed for not warning you of the danger and for not providing you with safe guards. Two thousand years ago God knew the danger we would be in today, so he sent a Savior, a 'life saver', It is not beyond the realm of possibility that anyone reading these words could die before this day is over. And we could blame God, as I am sure some would. And some might go to hell, but we could not blame God for that because He has provided all of us with a 'from-hell- saver'. The Christ of our Christian Christmas celebration is that 'from hell saver'. He is our eternal life saver and if we do not wrap ourselves in His love we cannot hold God or man responsible. Christ is God's gift to you and me. But he is not just a Christmas gift, He is a year-round, life time gift. Why do we find Him such a difficult gift to receive? Perhaps we can go back to the inn where Christ was born that first Christ- mas almost two thousand years ago. That crowded inn has become the eter- nal parable of the human soul. Can we see any connection to the `no room in the inn' of yesterday and the `no room in the heart' today? In the first place, there was no room in the inn simply because of the other guests who would have got there first. In the imagined scene at Bethlehem, if Mary and Joseph had come earlier to the inn, they no doubt would have been received. If they were turned away it was not that there was any ill will against them, but simply because the inn-keeper was so harried with other people that he had no patience to look at any more. His house was a caravan stop and those who had happened to arrive first had filled it up. These travelers from Nazareth had come late, the inn was crowded, they could not get in; and that is all there was to that. Just so casually, through the near drift of circumstances, and not through any particularly hostile will, may Jesus be excluded from the inn of our hearts. We have merely. filled all the space we have with other guests. We do not mean to be irreligious, but our thoughts and feelings are so occupied with other matters that religion cannot find a place. We too are like a caravan stop where the first come are the first serv- ed. In this world with its noise and demanding clamor the crowd of com- mon thoughts and common interests has poured in upon us and taken possession of our time and our attention, and when Christ comes with His infinite gift for the enrichment of our souls, there is no room for Him in the inn. In the second place, there was no room in the inn because nobody knew they were coming, and did not recognize their importance when they came. The inn-keeper was no different than most of us. He would have been flattered at the idea of welcoming greatness. He would have rearranged his guests and sent some of them to find accommodation elsewhere. We never know when the great possibilities of God are at our doors un- less we have taken pains to keep our spirits sensitive. The shepherds watching their flocks by night on the hills outside Bethlehem and the wise men many Miles away must have had their spirits sensitive to the sights and sound of God or they would not have seen the star or heard the heavenly choir. The reason the whole town of Bethlehem did not turn out for the birth of Christ was because their spirits were not sensitive to God's signs. Rich man, poor man, merchant, farmer, housewife, student, child, parents and grandparents, are we sen- sitive to the Christ child knocking at the inn of our hearts? Christ did not come to knock down the door of our inn. He is a gentleman and He stands on the outside and knocks. Because of the noise being made by the other guests of our heart we may have to listen carefully or we may not hear Him as He waits patiently to be received. Christ offers the most blessed of all gifts. If you have not received yours you can by saying this simple prayer: "Dear Father, I believe that Jesus Christ is Your only begotten Son, and that He became a Human Being, shed His Blood and died on the Cross to clean away my guilt and sin that was separating me from You. I believe that He rose from the dead, physically, to give me new life. Lord Jesus, I invite you to come into my heart. I accept You as my Savior and Lord. I confess my sins,*and ask You to wash them away. I believe that You have come and are liv- ing in me right now. Thank You, Jesus!" Have a blessed Christmas!