The Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-06-26, Page 161
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Page 4A—Crossroads—June 26, 1985
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saminsaftimw Bill Smiley
The Golden Years
By Bill Smiley
By the time this appears in
print, I'll be — hold it now;
don't faint; don't have a
heart attack; it's not a
suicide note; it's worse than
that„— I'll be a Senior
Citizen.
What a moment. On the
second of June, in the year of
Our Lord 1985, in the reign of
our sovereign, Elizabeth II,
under the domain of a jump-
ed-up Irishman, I shall be 65,
and enter the golden years.
Oh, yes, I'll be rich. The
old age pension and the Ca-
nada Pension Plan will come
flowing in, and at the end of a
year, I'll probably owe only
$3,00.0 income tax on them.
But: I'll be able to go to the
movies ,at half -rate every
second Tuesday. I'll be able
to shop for groceries at five
per cent off every third
Thursday, as long as I have
my birth certificate,'
passpost, and driver's
license handy. I'll be able to
get on a bus,. if there are no
other passengers, at half-
price.
I've been waiting envious-
ly for this. Many of my
friends are senior citizens,
and have joshed me
jocularly about being so
young. "Why don't you be:
come a senior citizen? It's
great. Free medical care.
Half price on shrouds. The
hatred of the Yuppies, who
have to pay taxes to keep us
going." One friend of mine
has a pass that enables him
to ride the transit system of
his home city all day, free.
He hasn't done it yet, but it's
,pretty intriguing, if you have
nothing better to do than ride
buses.
Mind you, I don't mind all
these perks pouring in, but
there's a graver side. Rather
a stiff proposition, as they
say around the cemetery.
You've used up most of your
three score and ten.
However, I have no re-
grets, except a few hundred.
It's been a good life, and I'm
-
ready to face my Maker, or
even the President of the
Senior Citizens Club,. with a
terrified face.
I had a remarkably happy
childhood, thanks to a kind,
rather inarticulate father,
who slapped my ear only
once, and for very good rea-
sons. I had a wonderful
warm mother, who only beat
me with a yardstick or fly-
swatter when she was going
out of her mind with my'
antics. My siblings were
about as good as you come
across, in the , average
lifetime..
I loved sports and books.
And girls. Played a fair -
game of football and base-
ball, lousy hockey. Read
everything in the town li-
brary by the time I was four-
teen. Fell in love, deeply, at
least eighteen times.
Wish I had a few of those
old loves right now, to com-
fort me, like King David, and
help out with their old age
pensions. Wher ver they
are, I hope they re kis ing
their grandchildren, ins ad
of me.
I was a poor student in
high school. Took seven
years to get through. Not
stupid. Just uninterested,
like most other kids. And I
had a summer job, which be-
gan in April, which didn't
help.
That summer job was one
of the most gruelling, and
happy, times of my life.
Worked my way up from
night porter (cleaning
lavatories and polishing
brass) to day porter, doing
same, to linen -man, con-
trolling all the linen on
board: towels, sheets, nap-
kins, etc. A position of great
power, possibly next to the
captain and°chief engineer.
Went to college, thanks to
my principal, who discerned
some light amid the murky
depths. Almost failed my
first year., thanks to Sylvia, a
beautiful Brazilian from Rio.
Went. to War, thanks to the
RCAF. Wasn't killed, as ob-
vious_ But was shot down and
spent the rest of the war be-
hind barbed wire. It wasn't
bad, in retrospect. Hungry
but not hopeless.
(Back to college, ffairly
sceptical, if not cynical. Met
my true love, married her,
and spent a year,in the sana-
torium, with suspected
tuberculosis, while my wife
had a bun in the oven, as we
crude And licentious soldiery
used to say.
Graduated, somehow, in
honor English. Fell into the
weekly newspaper business -
by accident (death off a
brother-in-law). Spent
eleven ears there, learning
the fascination of wedding
and funeral reports.
Switched into high school
teaQing, learning the fas-
cination of twelve jaws out of
twenty, chewing gum,
ruminating like cows.
Retired at 63, to the great
glee of my English staff, who
(a) thought I wag senile; (b)
thought- I wasn't tough
enough with the people they
didn'-t like; (c) thought there
should be a firm hand at the
tiller. •
Well, that's about it. By the
way, this is not an obituary.
That will be much grander:
It's already written. .
It's just a brief history of
an ordinary Canadian who
stumbled from one pit -hole
to another: work, war,
marriage, bringing up two
kids? during "the drug days
and trying to keep -his head
on straight. •
Flour from peanuts
A new flour from raw pea-
nuts can be turned into a
dried, milk -like powder. It
can be mixed with water
and vanilla_to make a white,
pleasant -tasting, vanilla -fla-
vored drink which, when
cooled, can be refrigerated
up to eight days. i
McLEOD
YOUNG
WEIR
Investment Securities •
Since. 1921
383 Richmond St.,
'Ste. 1412, London
SEND .FOR YOUR
COMPLIMENTARY
BROCHURE...
r
Please send me your brochure "Investing for Income"
Name
Address
City
Postal Code.
OR PHONE '
1-800-265-1253
McLeod, Young, Weii.
383 Richmond St., Ste. 1412
L London N6A 3C4
The Great
Steel Place.
For selection and quality
• Pipe
• Angle
• Square
• Tube
• Flat bar
• Reinforcing
rod
• Carbon steel plates
,• Checker plate
• Hot rolled bar
and structurals
Cutting and delivery
is available. -
Elmo Steel and Equipment Ltd.
FIR 4 Listowel Phone 291-1388
3 miles east and 2 miles south of Listowel.
BOOK REVIEW
THE OXFORD DIC—
TIONARY OF MUSIC � y
M4 haei Kennedy. Oxford
University Press, Toronto.
824 pp. $29.95.
Reviewed by
PERCY MADDUX
Here is an up-to-date edi-
tion of Michael Kennedy's
excellent one -volume wo
" . ;re Oxford Dictionary
Music". It is strictly a
re ren irk, and the en-
tries are b':•iet, but they
cover all facets of good
music and include dances,
opera companies, compos-
ers, singers, compositions.
The paper is good, the print
is clear, the volume is easy
to handle this music diction-
ary is an o.;;,,, to be proud
o shy fit nicely on your
uul„. ing trees
A assive program is
4P
under way in Seoul, Korea,
that envisions the planting of
35 million trees by the end of
1985. The drive is in prepara-
tion for the 1986 Asian
Games and the 1988 Summer
Olympics. .
POPULAR COLLECTIBLE—Walnut rocker may sell
for. over S300.
`Natform rocker
patented in 1876
By James G,, McCollam
Member, Antique
Appraisers Association
of America
Q. this platform rocker
has been in our family for
many years, and I'm sure it
is an antique. It is solid wal-
nut and in good condition.
fan you tell me how old it
is and what it is worth?
A. The first platform rock-
, er was patented in 1876, so
this probably was made in
the fourth quarter of the 19th
century. These are very pop-
ular with collectors and in
some areas are selling for
over $300.
Q. I have a platter marked
"Wedgewood & Co.” It is
blue and white china with a
rural scene showing a farm-
house, farmers and cattle.
Please tell me its vintage
and value,
A. This is not the Wedge-
wood made ' by Josiah
Wedgewood of Etruria, Eng-
land. Wedgewood & Co. was
founded in Tunstall, Eng-
land, in 1865. The company
name was changed to Enoch
Wedgewood Ltd. in 1965.
Your platter was made in
the late 19th century (1870 to
1890). It should be worth bet-
ween $75 and $95.
Q. What can you tell me
1r
about Cordey figurines? I
see them in antique shops
priced from about $50 to over
$200.
When were they made and
who made them?
A. Cordey was the name of
a porcelain factory in Trent-
on, N.J. Itsgreatest claim to
fame was artist Boleslaw
Cybis.
Cybis was born in
Lithuania, lived in Poland,
served in the Ukrainian
army and migrated to the
United States in 1939. From
1942 to 1950 he worked for
Cordey. In 1950, he formed
his own company, Cybis
Porcelain,
Cybis figurines sell in the
$200 to $300 range. Cordey
figurines associated with
Boleslaw, Cybid bring
equally high prices. Those
notconnected with Cybis sell
for less than $100.
0-0-0
Send your questions about
antiques with picture(s), a
detailed description, stamp-
ed, self-addressed envelope,
and $2 per item to James G.
McCollarii, P.O. Box 720,
Clifton Park, NY 12065. All
questions will be answered
but published pictures can-
not be returned.
Horn and hoof buttons
Buttons were being pro-
duced from the horns and
hoofs of cattle in the United
States by 1812. The first U.S.-
made vegetable -ivory but-
tons were manufactured in
Massachusetts in 1859. This
material came from a por- '
tion of the ivory -palm
shrub's seeds.
WHY TAKE A CHANCE
e
' In these times of stress it is a nice feeling to
know all of your property is or can be well pro-
tected by the oldest Farm Mutual in Ontario — a
Canadian owned company, uniquely reinsured
with another Canadian owned subsidiary. Call
or contact our local agent or broker today to
discuss your insurance needs either on a direct
company - client basis or agent/broker - client
basis.
AGENT/BROK ER:
Gerald M. Bain - 595-8989
Clare S. Logel, Maryhill - 648-2623
Gordon L. Welsh, Manager - 621-4660
DIRECTOR IN YOUR AREA:
Bert Dickieson - 822-7445
Dumfries Mutual Insurance Company
12 Cambridge Street,
Cambridge, Ontario
Phone 621-4660
A
Include us in
your. plans
If you're planning a
wedding, plan to visit
us first for wedding
stationery and accessories
Listowel
Mount Forest
Milverton
Wingham
•
4•�'=,
•
�.`cfl •j ,,r
291-1660
323-1550
595-8921
357-2320 -
CASHWAY
CORRECTION NOTICE!
Today's issue of this newspaper contains your copy of the
Cashway SUMMER PROJECT, SALE Flyer.
Owing to an error, WOLMANIZED OUTDOOR WOOD, in the
4x4-8' size, is incorrectly priced at 4.26 in the Flyer.
THE CORRECT PRICE IS 6.26.
yve apologize for.any inconvenience this may cause to you,
and to all our valued customers.
INIMMOMMENIIIM
rillWE CAN RE -GROW HAIR,
- WE CAN SAY IT
BECAUSE WE CAN PROVE IT.
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Our clients are our proof!
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P. M., Kitchener
"I used to be embarrassed to go out because of my hair,, but
now, thanks to Dr. Weisberg of Niagara Labs, I have regained
my hair and myself -confidence." C.W., St. Catharines
"My co-workers have noticed a definite change in my hair,
they used to joke about my needing a wig, now they don't.'
R.E., Niagara Falls
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HAIR PROBLEMS? 1
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Call Niagara Labs Hair & Scalp Specialists,
proven home treatments for balding mefrnd women.
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By appointment only 744-2833
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27-28-29
Don't forget to chp the coupons you received
in the Coupon Days Dyer and
SAVE SAVE SAVE
when you shop at these merchants
Arny's
Stedman's
The Confederate
Canadian Tire
Triangle Discount
The Poke Bonnet
Frelburger's Food Market
L & M Food Merkel
Herrlaton Motors
• Mount Forest
• Arthur
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Hoehn Shoes
Beaver Lumber
Superior Tire
Hardy Lee Fbrnilure
MacDonald Home Hardware
Moran's BIO V Drug Store
Steffen's Food Market
3B Jeans
Make Sports
• Harrdston
• Durham