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6 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday. December 18, 1990 EDITORIAL The Port Perry Star 235 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO PHONE 985-7383 FAX 985-3708 The Port Perry Star is authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, for cash payment of postage. Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Subscriptio : . ubscription Rate: InCanada $25.00 per year Darlene Hlozan Elsewhere$70.00 per year. Single Copy 60¢ Publisher - J. Peter Hvidsten Editor - John B. McClelland News/Features - Julia Dempsey News/Features - Kelly Lown PRODUCTION Annabell Harrison Trudy Empringham BUSINESS OFFICE Office Manager - Gayle Stapley Accounting - Judy Ashby Billing Department - Louise Hope ADVERTISING Advertising Co-ordinator - Valerie Ellis Advertising Sales Representative - Anna Gouldburn Note: No ads accepted If any balance owing over 45 days. All advertising subject 0 publisher's approvel. mn 6 Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association Ontario Community Newspaper Association Published every Tuesday by the Port Perry Star Co. Ltd. Port Perry, Ontario Retail Sales - Kathy Dudley, Lynda Ruhl, Tracy O'Neil Editorial Comment AT CHRISTMAS Many years ago in a small town much like Port Perry, there was a family, a large family, and each year about this time, father, mother and the seven children set out on a heart-warming way to celebrate the spirit of the Christmas season. : It was not a wealthy family by any means. In fact, there was precious little money for extras at any time of the year. Still, they didn't want for the important things. The kids clothing was always neat and clean, and nobody ever left the table hungry. But yes, they had to watch the pennies carefully. The children who were old enough worked at paper routes, lawn cutting, snow shovelling and just about any kind of odd job that would bring a few dollars. And they saved those extra nickles, dimes and quarters through the entire year, keeping the money in a large glass jar in the cupboard above the ice box. Long before the Christmas season arrived, the family started to prepare for it. They made gifts out of just about any- thing: wood, paper, cardboard, string. And they spent hours decorating and hand-painting the gifts. With the extra dollars saved through the year, they bought fresh fruit: oranges, apples, cherries. During the days just before Christmas, the kitchen began to hum with activity. Everyone, even the youngest, helped out with the baking: mince tarts, sausage rolls, sugar cookies, short-breads, and angels made from ginger-bread. All the kids in the neighbourhood knew exactly what was going on in that warm kitchen, and there was a steady stream through to sample the wonderful tastes, and to lend a hand. For they too, could sense that something special was happen- ing. These preparations were all leading somewhere. On the day before Christmas, the family made up dozens of gift boxes containing the fresh fruit, the home-baking, the small, hand- made gifts. Each box was carefully wrapped in bright paper with a coloured bow. And on each one, the children would place their own cards that had been hand-painted with great care and signed by each member of the family. Just before supper on Christmas Eve, the family would trim the tree in the front room, and begin to place their own gifts underneath. The gifts were modest, often hand-made with great love and care. But there was always more than enough to go around. After supper, the family members would gather up all the gift boxes, place them in several sleighs, get themselves well bundled against the cold and head out into the streets of that town. Singing carols as they walked through the crisp night air, they started to make their stops. At a nursing home, a retire- ment home, the hospital, and at many houses where they knew families lived who would not enjoy a bounty of gifts Christmas morning. The joy they brought to so many people that one night of the year; the smiles that came to the faces of the elderly, the sick, those down on their luck (this was well before the days of food banks, organized toy drives and the like) was a treasure worth more than anything money could buy. When all the gifts had been given, they started the long walk home. By this time, the younger children were tired and they were carried in the arms of the older kids. And they con- tinued to sing the carols. Often, the doors of houses would open and people would stand on their front porches, listening to the beautiful sound of their voices. People would smile, nod their heads and shout out to them, "Merry Christmas and God bless you." On those nights when the sky was cloudless, the stars would twinkle and shine, and always there was one that seemed brighter than the rest. Once home, the youngest ones were placed gently in bed, and the older children with their parents sat at the kitch- en table with hot mugs of cocoa. Not that they needed warming. For they felt a profound sense of inner warmth at having done something to make the (Turn to page 8) 'Gorey FELLAS, BUT BEJWEEN HOUSING STARTS, CAR SALES AV' RAIL CUE --- 7 Random en COINCIDENTAL MEETING Readers of this column will quite likely re- member last week when | related the trials and tribulations of our recent family vacation as we battled through an episode of chicken pox. My thanks for your comments and consola- tions, but it was not intended to get sympathy. Every family goes through the same process in varying degrees, but it was amazing to hear some of your stories. We were fortunate our vacation was not completely ruined by the 'pox' episode, as grandma and grandpa were there to help out by taking a disappointed five year old under wing during the ordeal. A belated thanks to them for their support and understanding. On another note - the highlight of this par- ticular trip was. the unexpected visit from some good friends, John and Linda James. By now, almost anyone who reads the col- umns in this newspaper will have heard of John James who writes a column for this paper called Pressing Matters In One Small Town . Before leaving on our vacation, | suggested to John and Linda to drop by for a visit, since they would be vacationing in Florida about the same time we were there. That was about three weeks before the hol- iday, and we never did make any definite ar- Lapiengiis to meet, although | did give him the address where we were staying. As the story has been told to me, John and Linda decided to take us up on the invitation, so on their way back to Canada headed towards our address along Gulf of Mexico Drive. Not knowing exactly were we were located, (our address was locked in a suitcase) they pulled in for accommodations and took a room overlooking the pool and ocean. It was only after booking a room did they check their bags for our address and find they were staying in the same complex which we were located. You can imagine my surprise the next mor- ing, when out walking with the the 'pox' twins, to see his familiar face smirking at us as we ap- proached the reception area. Needless to say we were unable to spend very much time with the James, but were al- lowed to sneak away (thanks to my in-laws) for lunch one day and dinner another night before they headed their van north to the land of cold and snow. It's a small world we live in, and appears to be getting smaller all the time. SPECIAL GIFT Where do the years go? One minute we're youngsters, going to school, partying with friends and just having a good time. The next thing we know the years have passed by and we're all grown up, married and have become a fathers or mothers. And with this change from adolescence to parenthood comes many added responsiblities for a young mom and pop. Now there's rent to pay, clothing to buy, food to put on the table, car payments, insu- rance and hydro as well as numerous other re- sponsibilities and those care-free days of not so long ago seem to drift away, becoming nothing more than a treasured memory. And even though becoming a parent was a shock and changed ydur life dramatically, the next step in the process of evolution is even a larger shock. Becoming a grandparent! By the time this paper hits the street, there's a good chance I'll have become a 'grand- a', as my oldest daughter Jannine, blossoms into motherhood with her first child. Happy, proud, excited - you bet | am. But at the same time the thought of becoming a 'grand- pa' at my tender age is a little frightening. Why it only seems like yesterday | was a young buck out in the big world kicking up my eels and sowing my oats. But that was really a long time ago and now | look forward to taking on a new role in life, that of a grandpa. Not that having a child around the house is a new thing in our family, having spent the last nineteen months up to our armpits in dirty dia- pers and splattered food as Nancy and | try to raise our own twins alongside a pretty active five year old boy. But this is different. A grandchild! There is (Turn to Page 10) £F ' Y 1 i \ \ gra . CA TT TR - pede el pin, wi EE IE oe i pda i ga ai