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And, now that my son and two of my daughters have kids, (a total of eight). I get to watch the playful behaviour of a grandma compared to when she was a stressed-out mom. As far as I know, the grandma's role has never really been defined. although I do know that if I ever wanted to go into business I would open a store called "Grandparents." That's because grandparents, 6 - "WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE THISMQNTH" â€" See us on ‘ l have spent a good part of my life watching moth- ers operate. (As the toast goes. “Here's to the happi- est hours of my life, spent in the arms of another man's yvife -- my mother.") Right now, I5 million people in Southern Africa are in desperate need of food. Lack of sufficient rain along with certain short sighted government dedsionshaveleftpartoitheworldwlth a huge food shortfall. Ethiopia is the next looming disaster. Reports indicate that [3 million people will be in need of emergency food there in 2003. Lack of rain over a number oi growing seasons has once more turned this former mm into admiral. While peopleinthoaeoounniesmtostay alive. we continue to enloy an incredible standard of living, Amen. to food is related to iactors outddeofAfiicaasweil. Poiicydedslons made by industrialized countries such as Canada greatly ailect poor developing countries. lrecentlyreadthatin "99m durum countries received an m oi $4.30 in development aid. A Many of our celebrations ,indude food. In the midst of our celebrations we do well to consider the responsibility that comes with the blessing ol adequate food for us to enioy in a peaceful A Memouma Memo Plctt I find the sports section where I can play with fish- ing stuff I don't need ( l have lures in my tackle box that are still in the plastic bubble). knowing she has The grandma l,know best. meaning the one I live with. always has her antennae tuned toward her "grandchildren. If we happen to be in a depart- ment store and get sepa- rated. I know where she‘ls: We may have gone there to buy some towels, say, or a toaster,‘ it doesn't really matter because it always ends up the same. especially grandmas, will buy anything for the ankle biters. Food/ We are told that the world essentially produces enough food to sustain the world's current population. If we consume more of the World's food, and use more “of the world's resources, then other countries will have less. if trade mics are made in such a way as to benefit the strong, then the weak will suflereven more. In the Biblical Mk'ahoHaweread ‘He hushowed you. 0 man. what is good. And what does the lord require of you? To act justly and to love merty and to walk humbly with your God.” Our world of 2003 is intimately lme‘roormected. We have a tremendous opportunity right here in York Region to ‘ respond pro-actively to the instructions given by Micah so many years ago. Let‘s put our hith into action. Feedback} We’d love to hear your mo". Plea: contact unt: Bax 96010.53” Main Street W16; ON MA 288 can be informed 8mg responsible consumers by considering the environmental footprint made by our production and consumption habits. We can be informed investors. taking care that our investments reflect values that are life giving and promote power sharing We can engage our polltldans. urging them to ensure that our democracy is working on behalf of the world’s poor. ‘ Today's grandmas are light years from mine Favoured shopping plazas are determined by the .presence of { a Mastermind store where she can look at Lego, doll clothes, learning toys, games, puzzles. books, crafts and those wooden train sets and tracks. The clerks have her picture‘ under the desk and a secret signal that broad- been sucked in by the gravitational pull of the children“ s department. She is drawn to fancy little dresses or Oshkosh B‘Gosh outfits. she spends the year hiding kid stuff under the bed in prepara- tion for Christmas or birth- days ! don't remember. ‘www.stouffvilleonlinemm' Grandmas seem to have changed over the years. Both of my grandmas, like the grandmas of my friends. knitted a lot, did the famiy mending and the dis es. gardened. baked bread and made good pies. In addition, my maternal grandmother was really good at whacking the head off a chicken. There was a hatchet kept handy for iust that pur- pose, with its blade-edge Of course, none of this includes the kilometres travelled to be present at recitals, school plays. socâ€" cer and lacrosse games and other family anesthetâ€" ics. That's not to mention the financial support 'of skate-athons, bike-athons. swim-athons. other-athons, popcorn fundâ€"raisers and the ubiquitous Brownie cookies. A local costume store went out of business and had a closing sale. Guess what? The grandchildren now have Halloween cos- tumes that will take them into.the next millennium. casts, "Here she comes." ”J } you |[ (in! Onsiteservicefo CL ‘PKUIIERJ r r To the Editor: Some time ago I wrote to this news- paper in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek vein concerning the growth in Stouffville. I suggested. from my downtown Toronto eyrie. that Stoufiville was in danger of losing its identity. i am writing to you now to advise that l haVe seen a flash of light shining down on your fair town. and Shouffvilie looks pretty good to me. Some of you may bé aware that Luke Anderson. son of Bill and Chris Anderson of Stouffville. was Injured late Family stories relate that when she was a young prairie homesteader‘s wife. around I910, she was known to take a shotgun out to a nearby slo‘ugh and come back with duck for dinner (called "supper" in those days. Dinner was at noonL Are there any grandmas left who bake bread and stretch socks over a light- bulb to mend them? I suppose there are occasional grandmas who "Would you like chicken for supper?" "."Sure She'd then wipe her hands on her apron. walk out into the backyard and grab one of the fat Plymouth Rock hens that was running around out there and, before you could blink, WHACK chicken for supper. I must say I don t know any grand- mas or anybody else. frankly, who does that these days. ' An oécasional dialogue would g9:_ buried in a low stump, in her backyard. last year in a mountain bike accident -- see‘ www.newvlbemedia.com/lucas. I went to a party held for Luke at Latcham Hall and was bloum away by the atten- dance. the support and love shown by the peopled Staulfville. and elsewhei've. for this brave young man and his family. Kudos to you all and especially Reagan Maude and~her band of volunteers. and to the Uons Club. Back to the humble pie. So i guéss grandmas defy individual descrip- tion. But still, they occupy a unique place in the-life of a 'child. -They are the refuges of constant love and indulgence. After a weekend with grandma, having been allowed to_ stay up till the national anthem’plays on TV, eat ice cream for breakfast and ride a tricycle in the kitchen, mom has to get out the lion-whip to restore discipline when the kids return. As Sam Levensbn dnce remarked. ”The bond that exists between grandpar- ents and grandchildren is based on the fact that they have a common enemy." still fill the image of whiteâ€" haired old ladies sitting in a rocker wher they knit sweaters for graifihildren, but I don't know any. The ones I know ride motorcy- cles; run businesses, pracâ€" tise law, root 3 mean game of If or drive a school busP'l even know one who d ‘7' s a semi. FEBRUARY 2003 lohn Lowe Tbmnto