Zurich Citizens News, 1971-07-15, Page 5THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1971
ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
rom my window
Today is my husband's birth-
day. . . and it just isn't any ordin-
ary birthday, either, I may add.
Today's event marks the begin-
ning of an era which has been
as disgustingly hateful to my
husband as anything could be...
and I'm really concerned how he
will take it.
You see, my husband is going
to be one year older than Jack
Benny today, That's right. He's
an entire decade past what he
was ten years ago when he was
just a lad of thirty and he's not
at all happy about it.
Fact is, he had a father who
used to puff away on his cigaret-
te and drawl, "When a man gets
to be forty, he's on the down-
grade."
I guess when a kid hears that
often enough he begins to get a
complex about such things, I
don't know.
Anyway, it is a gloomy day
at our house today. There is none
of the usual merriment which
accompanies a birthday. Every-
thing is wrapped in black shrouds
and perfect quiet dominates the
place. It is a solemn occasion
aloin to a funeral... and just how
long this mood will prevail is
anyone's guess.
I married this fellow when he
was 22 and I was a child of
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Bruce Rathwell
482-3120 RUCEFIELD
BY SHIRLEY J..KELLER
just barely 18. Those were the
days of our youth, my husband
reminds me, when I had a bit
of a figure and he had a full
head of hair.
When the day arrived that my
husband reached 30 years, you
would have thought he'd been
sentenced to a firing squad. He
planned a large celebration the
night before his birthday, cert-
ain that on his 30th marker, a
great deal of his strength would
be suddenly sapped, and he
would be left without a memory
of the 20's.
Every birthday since then has
been approached with an increas-
ing amount of reluctance, He
behaves something similar to
the folks who believe that the
position of the moan directs our
lives... he draws back like a
stubborn child when his birthday
comes near.
His 35th birthday was a horrible
time, I recall, That day he real-
ized he was half -way to the age
which the Bible predicts is the
end and no amount of cheerful-
ness on my part could bring him
out of the doldrums.
The man is even spoiling my
birthdays by preaching gloom
and disaster at me. The day I
reached 30 you would have
thought a great plaque had desc-
ended on the land. Just a few
months ago when I became 35
his eyes took on the woeful look
of a Cocker Spaniel crossed by
a Basset Hound and he followed
me around for a week lamenting
the passing time.
Is it any wonder then, that
this 40th birthday of my husband';
will bring certain gloom to our
otherwise happy home? Even the
children have sensed the tense
air about the place and I am a
nervous wreck just wondering
when the crushing realization
will come to my spouse that his
birthday is upon us.
To this very moment, he hasn't
mentioned his birthday. I some-
times wonder if he doesn't purp-
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osely erect a mental blockage to
shut out the horrible remembrance
until the very last second. Maybe
just maybe. , this year's birthday
will be so absolutely devastating
to him that he'll forget entirely
that July 15 is a special day for
him.... and like Jack Benny will
go on living in the blissful pret
ence that he is still only 39.
I really don't know what to ex
pect. I only know that no one at
our house will breathe a word
about birthdays or cakes or
candles or gifts until the head of
our household acknowledges his
birthday this year.
In that event, we must come
on quickly with a bang-up birth-
day celebration which will be as
lively as New Year's, as merry
a Christmas and as promising
as Easter. That's the only way
we can survive the day, I fear.
And the day after? And the
day after that? Well, I just keep
my fingers crossed and my eyes
on that silver lining... and I
keep the chatter young and very,
very much alive.
0
94th Birthday
Robert Thomson, Kippen, his
two daughters and their husbands,
Mr. and Mrs. Dave Moyer and
Mr. and Mrs. Dick Cornish,
and his grandson, Bruce Thorn -
son, were feted at a recent event
when Mr. and Mrs. Clarence
Priestap entertained in their
honor at Mitchell Town Hall.
Mr. Thomson was celebrating
his 94th birthday while Mr. and
Mrs. Moyer and Mr. and Mrs.
Cornish were celebrating their
30th wedding anniversaries and
Bruce Thomson his 10th birthday,
Among the 174 relatives and
friends attending were Mr. and
Mrs. Ted Foster who were also
celebrating their eighth wedding
anniversary.
A large birthday cake centred
the head table decorated with
flowers and candles.
A telegram was received from
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
and a plague from Premier Wil-
liam Davis. Other congratulatory
greetings were sent by Queen
Elizabeth, Governor- General
Roland Michener, Robert. E.
McKinley, MP, Gordon Aiken,
MP, J. Waldo Monteith, MP,
Charles MacNaughton, MPP,
Leader of the Federal Opposition
Robert Stanfield, and from rel-
atives who were unable to attend,
After the greetings were read
and the gifts opened the guests
sat down to supper. They were
served by granddaughters of Mr.
Thomson; Mary Anne Stokes,
Glenda Cornish, Dorothy Chase,
Judy Schneider, Audrey Vor-
stenbosch and Adele Moyer.
The birthday and anniversary
cakes were cut by Mrs. Fred
Parsons and Mrs. Norman Stan -
lake and was served by Joanne
Vorstenbosch and Pamela Foster,
great-granddaughters and Gail
Schneider, granddaughter of Mr.
Thomson.
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Historical Group
Meet in Bayfield
The June eeting of the Bay-
field Historical Society, which
was well attended, was conducted
by the chairman, Mrs. A, S,
Morton.
Under the discussion were plans
for the Society's July project,
which will be an exhibit in the
Municipal Building on Friday
and Saturday, July 16 and 17.
There will be on display a port-
rait and biography of Admiral
Bayfield; early pictures of land-
marks; maps and deeds; and a
Chronological History of the
Village.
One section will be devoted to
early lighting, and the original
motor which supplied power for
the first lights in Bayfield will
be in operation. Another will
feature several pieces of furnit-
ure made by John Gemeinhardt,
a cabinet maker who carne to
Bayfield from Germany in the
early 1850's. Raymond Scotch -
mer, curator at the Goderich
PAGE 5
Museum, was introduced, and
he advised the group that he will
bring the Museum van to Bayfield
for the occasion, and will also
set up a display in the building
of a number of items which will
be of particular interest locally.
At the conclusion of the meeting,
Mrs. W. Parker and Mrs. F.
McEwen served refreshments.
REDI-MIX
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McCann Const. Ltd.
DASHWOOD
Phone 237-3381 or 237-3422
Bank of Montreal
The FU-st Canadian Bank
One of ur ers:
VVhat are
his vievvs on loans?
At the Bank of Montreal, we
consider every loan application on
its individual merits. We want you
to get your money's worth.
Dick Filliter:
"Last year, I met a businessman
on a local golf course and he asked
me about a loan for a car. But, when
he came to see me, he'd changed his
mind. He wanted a boat instead. So
I arranged a combined loan and sav-
ings plan for him. Now he owns both
a new car and a sailboat. The money
was within his grasp — he just didn't
know how to organize it."