Welcome to the Club - Winter 2022

Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.
Welcome to ...
Kern
water
1804 London Line, Sarnia
519-542-4211
kernwater.com
Mon–Fri 9 am–6 pm • Sat 8 am–2 pm
THE Club
U-Fill
Water
Delivery
Service
Reverse
Osmosis
and Alkaline
Big Box Stores
By Agnes Burroughs, Dorchester • from Daytripping May-June 2008
When I was a little
girl, growing up in a rural
community, the general store
was ‘the’ place to be. The mixed
scent of kerosene, apples and
wood assaulted your nostrils
as the bell above the door
announced your presence.
Creaky solid wood floors let
everyone know what part of the
store you had ventured into.
You could pick up a pound
of nails for your latest wood
project, a lace hanky with
embroidered flowers for your
sweetheart’s birthday, or a pair
of shiny shoes for a wedding on
Saturday.
Everyone was a handy man back then,
and could get plumbing parts to fix the
stopped up sink, oil filters for the tractor,
shingles for the roof and electrical wire
for the lamp. There were wheelbarrows,
tires and belts hanging from the ceiling in
the hardware department, above the kegs
of nails of every size. Right next to those
could be the fabric section with bolts and
bolts of colorful fabric from burlap to
gingham to oilcloth for the kitchen table.
Remember that smell.
“Would you be needing a couple
pounds of flour, or a 50 pound bag this
time? We just got a new supply of white
sugar in, and you should see the patterns
on those bags, going to make real fine tea
towels once you launder them a time or
two. I hear by way of the party line that
Miss Gertha is ailing again with the gout.
Those are mighty nice eating apples, but
not much for making pies, did you see the
new car that the Nichol’s family just picked
up over to Ingersoll? That new minister
sure has some high fallutin ideas don’t you
think? How is the new baby doing after
that bout with croup?” All this information
was freely given and appreciated when
you came into the general store for your
monthly purchases.
There were shiny mouth organs,
metal toy cars, dolls with real glass eyes,
marbles, kazoos, yo yo’s, toy guns and a
whole parcel of other trinkets inside the
glass case that you had to press your face
up to for better viewing.
Christmas time was extra special at
the general store, because they would
bring in wonderful items like oranges,
hard rock candy, wagons, walking dolls,
cowboy hats and extra nice gift items for
the whole family. One year I had earned
$3.00 babysitting a whole pile of kids for
an evening. I was able to buy lace hankies
for my Mom, regular work hankies for
my Dad and candy for all the kids for a
Christmas treat.
For a nickel, you could fill a small brown
paper bag with a real tummy ache’s worth
of licorice, gumdrops, jaw breakers, tootsie
rolls and lemon drops.
I don’t remember there being a
pharmacy or drug area. Didn’t anyone
get sick, or did we just use the good old
recipes like goose grease on your chest for
a cold and lots of fresh air, sunshine and
clean laundry to get ourselves better?
The way I see it, all of the things at my
General Store were necessities. Everything
had a purpose and would be used, reused
and passed on if it had any life left. Each
visit was an adventure to be talked over
and revisited many times over the month.
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Welcome to ...
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DELIVERY MONDAY THRU SATURDAY
1018 Murphy Rd, Sarnia • 519-542-7273
winter 2022 Life Taught Me... Cancer doesn’t discriminate.
P A G E 9