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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, 1983, PAGE 5 Letters to the Editor Con't. Between You and Me f m Z11 fmBy RUTHI COLES Beauty lu altogether lu the eye of the beholder. General Lew Wallace Maybe our long time wish about the weather is finaily coming true; the first of December, lots and lots of snow, the first of February, the beginning of spring. By June, first summer, warm surf good swimming and tanning. The first 0f October, autumn in ail it's glory, the same for November and then we have snow again. >With this in mind we can dream. The planting could be done during the first week of February and this might mean 2, 3 or 4 crops a year as they have in California. At the moment we have constant pleasure with a shocking pink cactus, a mass of bloomn and-about 30 or more inches in diameter. One can only say it is "dripping" with blooms, ail very delicate and fragile. Cacti are not the mosi beautiful.of plants between the blooming season, but when they produce, the wait is always worth while. Another plant of the same size did mot produce the same number of blooms, but both these plants bloom twice a year and we will wait for the next production. For the first few years, when the plants are very young, 1 or 2 blooms can be the order of the day. Years ago this was one 0f the prize plants in the home and often passed from one generation to another. This year a friend told me her mother almos t negtected the cacti during the summer. Ours were put out on a table on the patio in the shade. No regular watering, just a bit every now and then and rain, if and when it feIl. Now in the house, they are close to a north window and no sun at ail. The Weail and Cullen Newsletter has some advice about cacti; over-watering causes the blooms to drop and they need cool temperatures, 68 degress may help them to bloom for 6 to 8 weeks. We have been hearing lately that glass for con- tainers is on- it's way, out. What a shame -because, plastic is just what the name implies, plastic. Even an ôld quart or pint milk bottle- looks good these days. Remember how shiny dlean they were after a sudsing and a rinse? These and other bottles are becoming valuable and more scarce alI the time. Do you remember those cobalt blue 'bottles atways used for milk of magnesia? For years they have been almost impossible to find, due to the use of cobalt for'other purposes, s0 if you see any of them, hold on and save. Before glass and especiaily bottles, became s0 popular with writers, magazines were full of ar- ticles about it, glass was cheap, that is this type of glass. Now the prices are out of sight and we neyer buy any. Ten or more years ago, while browsing through an antique store with' friends, I, saw a blue bottte whieh was badly, broken at the top of this very or- dinary bottle. Because I had one at home, but in per- fect shape, I looked at the price. $54.95!1I had paid about $1 somhe time before. I looked again and put my glasses on for another took. I had seen the correct figure the first time. This is when you do a double take and wonder what has happened'in the itervening years. The colour of glass changes with the market and now it is difficult to find what you want. We watched some'bottles being blown in Spain once, beautiful crinkty amber glass and rather square in shape. Oh to be a glass blower and if I was young now, it would be my chosen profession. Thankfuily a few weeks later we saw 20of these lovely bottles in a store and bought,%them on sight. Lamps it would be and was. We carried thein with us plus hundreds of other gems we picked up here and there, but these were my favourites and still are. When anything becomes commonplace, it is often taken for granted. Don't do this these days,' of the Prime Minister as he continues in his peace mission. We hope that there is no need for the cynisim that has ac- companied >Trudeau's effort and we support his initiative. The polarization of the two camps -, the peace movement and those who follow the Reagan approach-seems to be increasing. It seemis that we shall ail have to foilow our conscience on.this and this may weil cause many to pass over party limes. Officially it appears that the Tories are pro- Reagan, ,pro- armaments, and' pro- Cruise Missile testing in Canada. With the initiation of Trudeau's peace mission it is dif- ficuit to determine just what is the policy of the Liberals. Obviously, their support of the Crulse missile testing in Canada will tend to cause many, including the Russians, to believe that the rote that Canada has played in promoting world peace and disarmament has ended. The N.D.P. officiaily has rejected the testing of the Cruise and strives for a policy of an im- mediate freeze on the production and further deployment of nuclear arms and looks for a dlimate of negotiated reduction in arms. For those who make it their business to misinterpret N.D.P. policy, we make. it clear that the N.D.P. is not supporting unilateral disarment. In the magnitude of the world scene on the issue of disarmament much of what we do locaily is tokenism but if in some infinitely smal way we, as individuals, can help the world come to its senses then we shall have made a wor- thwhile contribution. It is unfortunate that the Government of On- tario could mot bring. it- self to declare Ontario a nuclear-free zone. This would have at least in- dicated some commit- tment to intelligent policy. But, of course, the money involved in producing the in- struments of nuclear war and the jobs related to those industries look good to Tory politicians. Let us hope they neyer regret their parochial and short-sighted policy. For my part, I have taken by side of the issue. l'II work for the peace movement and carry the label, "Anti Nuke". Geoff Rson N.D.P. ONTARIO Riding Afriendinneed Addon electric ha toyouroi funace anintrvduoeyurelfI to substanta i savings. 2 -pump works in reverse and beiomes a central air conditioner. ELECTRIC BOILER. If you have an oil fùeled hot water heating system, theres amother alternative. You simply add an electric boiter. It's no binger than a small suitcase and can be easily instalted.,. ELECTRIC BASEBOARDS. These can also be used as a dual energy system. They're instailed in individuat rooms to quietly handle most of the heating load. Instail a dual energy system now and you may be eligible for a COSP (Canada Qi Sub- stitution Program) grant. It pays for haif of the installed cost or $800, whichever is less, if you reduce your oil consumption by 50% or more Telephone today and ask for a visit from our energy adviser. We'll tell you, about the advam- tages of dual energy heating systems and speciat assistance that could lead to*even greater savings. Go Eectrc> Cali Whitby Hy-dro 128 Brock St., S.., Whitby 668-5878 Custorners of Ontario Hydro should, contact their Local Area Offi'ce., m GIFT IDE From YVETTE ADAMKOVICS PATRICIA HIGOS PARKWOOD TRAVEL INC. CERTIFICATIE WE HAVE THEM TO SUIT 'NY BUDGET ~ 111 Slmcoo St. N., Oshawa 576-2681 OSHAWA WHITBY NEWCASTLE United IL Kissing' that old flame goodbye isn't the onty way to reduce your oil consumption. If that oil fur- nace is stiil in good shape, you can talS advantage of converting to a dual energy heating system. Instead of repiacing your furnace, introduce it to an electric plenum heater,-heat.pump, elec- tric boiler or baseboard heaters. These duat emergy systems let oil and electricity work in bar- mony to.heat your home-more efficiently and more economically. Operation is simple. The electric system works until the coldest winter days, then your oil furnace automatically tales over., In most cases, add-on electric heat wii reduce your oil consumption by up to 75%. Even more ini some cases. And a reduction of thut magnitude can maIe a dramatic difference to the total cost of heating your home. PLENUM HEATER. The "Plenum" is the warm air chamnber at the top of your forced air oil furnace. That's exactly where a plenum ~ heater is mnstailed. So that on mosr days, more economnical, electrically generated heat. HEAT PUMP. Even on cold winter nights, there is stiil warmnth in the outside air. Just like a refrigerator, the heat pump ex- tractýs that warmth and pumps it into your home. added bonus. In the