Welcome to The Club v4.1 Winter 2023/24

Welcome to ... 

THE 

FREE & PRICELESS 

CLUB 

Sarnia-Lambton 

A GUIDE TO FEELING YOUNGER 

...Even if we might be getting older. 

Friends enjoying a skate on Lake Chipican. 

Photo by Nadine Wark, Sarnia 

From the creators of... 

welcometotheclub.ca 

See pages 32-44 for our... 

C hristmas 

Gift Guide! 

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 WINTER 2023/24

Welcome to... 

THE Club 

Welcome to our Winter 2023/24 issue! 

BOB BAILEY 

MPP – Sarnia-Lambton 

Building A Better Sarnia-Lambton 

Celebrating the opening of the new 

Kniaziew Optometry office on 

Murphy Road in Sarnia. 

Enjoying the comforts of a 

“trishaw” at the ribbon 

cutting of the Cycling 

Without Age program. 

Joining Lambton College 

students and members of the 

Sarnia Police Service to celebrate 

the launch of the innovative 

community crime unit. 

Joining Mike Weir and other 

important stakeholders to 

celebrate the opening of the new 

Youth Mental Wellness Hub Ontario 

in downtown Sarnia. 

Welcome to 2024, loyal Club readers. As we turn the page on 

2023, I’d like to wish you and your family a healthy and prosperous 

year ahead. 

In the face of heightened economic and geopolitical challenges, 

our government is continuing to take a responsible and targeted 

approach to building a strong Ontario. We are looking at ideas 

from all corners of Ontario that will continue to build Ontario’s 

long-term prosperity and create jobs, while supporting workers 

and communities. 

Reducing red tape is critical to strengthening Ontario’s position as 

a key player in the North American and global economy and 

creating the conditions that enable people and businesses to 

thrive. 

This fall the Ontario government introduced another package of 

red tape reduction initiatives to help ease the compliance burden 

on Ontario residents. The new package of measures will make 

many meaningful changes, including freeing up time for physicians 

to put back into their practices; improving access to generic drugs 

and treatment options for patients; creating more pathways to 

enter the skilled trades; and enhancing consumer protections 

when buying or selling a vehicle. 

Just a reminder that, although winter is upon us, there is still so 

much to do around Sarnia-Lambton, so please take the time to 

discover all the great events and activities happening every day. 

In closing, I’d like to wish all The Club’s readers the very best for 

2024. Whatever your plans and aspirations, I truly hope that you 

and your family enjoy a happy, healthy year. 

The Minister of Colleges and 

Universities stoppedby the Western 

Sarnia-Lambton Research Park to 

learn more about how the unique 

partnerships between Lambton 

College, the Research Park, and local 

industry are developing the 

technologies of the future. 

The Minister of Energy came to 

Sarnia-Lambton to speak with 

our experts in the petrochemical 

industry and learn about the 

investments they are making in 

a greener future. 

Opening the new RONA+ 

with a ceremonial board 

cutting. 

Representatives from the 

Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of 

Commerce came to Queen’s Park for 

two days of meetings and a 

Sarnia-Lambton Day Reception at the 

Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 

CONSTITUENCY OFFICE 

805 Christina St. North, Suite 102 

Point Edward, ON N7V 1X6 

Contact Bob Bailey 

Tel.: 519-337-0051 

Fax: 519-337-3246 

E-mail: bob.baileyco@pc.ola.org 

Website: bobbaileympp.com 

P A G E 

2 

Our bottom borders contain “paraprosdokians” - which is a sentence with a twist, 

WINTER 23/24

This FREE magazine is distributed in most of Sarnia-Lambton. 

Branching Out 

by Mark Moran, 

Publisher 

Not every town or city has one, but the Royal Canadian Legion is an anchor 

in the social fabric of every place that it calls home, or that calls it home. 

And your local Legion is changing. 

Countless hours must have been spent by the Canadians that persevered 

through the wars of the 20th century, wondering what the future would 

hold for the Royal Canadian Legions they’d built as their generations aged. 

Those who fought, along with those who held things together at home and 

welcomed the soldiers back, established these halls from coast to coast 

where they could gather, whether they were in their hometown or on the 

other side of the country. A place they would be welcomed, maybe not to 

remember what had transpired, but to make a promise to never forget. I 

wondered, too… I think we all did. 

There was no Legion in Port Lambton where I grew up, but when I moved 

to Wyoming at the age of 16 one of my first jobs in a new town was to cut 

the grass at Branch 388. It was an odd experience because I knew very few 

people in my new home but was routinely walking in and out of this shrine 

I never knew existed where the members, while there was nothing fancy 

about them, seemed like some sort of local royalty. 

Of course, I didn’t belong. I was only 16 and no one in my family had 

served in the military. Once I reached a legal age I could’ve been signed in by 

friends, but never really felt that I belonged, so I didn’t go. A few years later 

I did end up serving in the Canadian Forces in Princess Patricia’s Canadian 

Light Infantry. I was injured and released early. Despite the fact that I had 

a remarkable experience and had accomplished a great deal, there was a 

certain amount of shame in that. I served but was never deployed, never had 

to fight. So upon my return I still didn’t feel that I truly belonged at the Royal 

Canadian Legion and was rarely in one if it wasn’t November 11th. 

Fast forward a few decades and the question of what would happen to 

Branches of the Legion is being answered loudly and proudly in towns and 

cities across Canada. You no longer have to have served or be family to be a 

member. You don’t have to be a member to go to a Legion. There are some 

places where it even seems permissible to wear a hat, though I’d be careful 

with that one. 

Branches across the nation have been infiltrated, commandeered by 

friendly forces bent on keeping their legacy alive. The grandchildren and great 

grandchildren, and maybe great, great grandchildren, of those who served 

in the great wars are stepping up. Volunteers with no previous connection to 

the Legion at all are joining them, with an eye to aid those who have served 

in more recent years, and that will in the future. The Royal Canadian Legion, 

wherever it is in this great country, is a community within a community that 

has persevered for generations, and that’s what today’s leaders are keeping 

alive. From what I’ve seen they’re doing a pretty fabulous job, and welcoming 

everyone inside was an important step. I’m finally a member, thanks to an 

extra nudge by veteran and Sarnia City Councillor Chrissy McRoberts. 

My wife and I love to visit the local Legion wherever we are on vacation. 

There’s a consistency that’s persevered in the smallest but most significant 

ways with the meat raffles, pull tickets, euchre games and pickled eggs 

(yech), and that unmistakable feeling that you’re among friends and good 

people, even if you don’t know them. The decor is history in itself and will 

hopefully never change, because they’re not going to remove the tributes to 

the past, and we don’t wish for any new ones. 

I’d never been in the Sarnia branch until October of this year and was in 

on two Saturdays in a row to see live bands perform (Twang Bastards and 

Night Moves, and both were fabulous). The admission was free, the crowd 

was having a great time and drinks were cheap by comparison. I always 

go for the “Beers My Dad Drank” when I’m at a Legion… OV, Labatt Crystal, 

Black Label… you get the point. But it’s the people that set the Legion apart 

from almost any other place. Many younger patrons, enjoying the Legion 

nightlife for the first time, commented on the dancing. It’s often a place 

where you can sit back and admire older couples dancing, and you can 

see how they’ve lived and loved the same dance moves for 50 years. Some 

of them could barely walk without a cane, but man they could still dance! 

There’s a camaraderie that can’t be duplicated. It’s not unlike a wedding, 

where a family comes together, and the young remember to respect and 

maybe even learn something from the older folks. 

Some of my good friends are now carrying the load at the Wyoming Legion 

and are part of this next generation. I’m confident that they won’t be the 

last, because the legacy that veterans and their families built is a community 

unto itself, and we are all welcome to be part of it. 



THE 

CLUB 

Event Listings ................... 20-21 

Discount List ............................. 17 

Community Resources ....... 12 

Giving List (Volunteering) ... 40 

Snapshots .................................. 19 


The Club Features 

Glen e 

C. Phillips, lips 

, Chris Treftlin, e i , #local, o 

a l, Sipkens Nurseries, s, 

Mike 

k 

Keenan, en 

a , Ruth t 

Sharon, r n Brian A. Keelan, l n Ronny ny D’Haene, Nadine 

Wark, k 

Wendy d 

Anderson r Pounder, d 

e , 

Christina i 

ina 

Coles, s 

Jayne 

Primeau, e u Mandy Roy, George o Rosema, e a Barry ry Loxton, n Debbie 

bie 

Okun Hill, l, 

Cynthia y 

h 

Waters, s Will i l Bartlett, tt 

, Mary Lou Tasko, a k , Liz 

Underhill, l, 

Joan Richardson, h 

Norma r a West Linder, r 

William 

i liam 

Weatherstone, t 

r tone 

Maxine i 

Miner, i e , Betti t i Szeider, i 

r Claude d 

W. Tiffin, 

fin, 

Spokeshave, k 

h Marion i 

Urquhart h 

Charkow, a k w Nancy Millman, l 

lm 

a , Marion 

i 

Clouse, e 

Victoria ia Stirling, in 

g Gayle Etherington, e Rose Divecha, i e James 

Deahl, l Dot Sale, l 

e William i liam 

Bedford, r d, and d 

all l the Recipe e contributors. 

tors 

rs. 

Mark Moran - Publisher, Ad Sales 

Carrie Ann Timm - Associate Publisher 

Carla MacGregor - Advertising Sales 

Rhonda Long - Advertising Sales 

Angela Lyon - Graphics & Editing 

Carla Mejia - Graphic Design 

From the 

publishers of 

DAYTRIPPING 

ING 

MAGAZINE 

VOLUME 4, 

ISSUE 1 

Winter 23/24 

YOUR CONTRIBUTORS 

CLUB STAFF 

Trivia ........................ 14 

Recipes ............. 8, 34 

Crossword .............. 7 

Word Search ....... 16 

Sudoku ................... 29 

P.O. Box 430 • Brights Grove, ON •N0N •N0N 1C0 

519-491-1676 • info@welcometotheclub.ca 

www.welcometotheclub.ca 

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Welcome to The Club is published four times annually by Moran Advertising, Brights Grove, Ontario. The publisher reserves 

the right to reject, discontinue or omit any advertisment without notice or penalty to either party. No portion of this 

publication can be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of Moran Advertising. The content of this 

publication does not necessarily represent the opinions of the publisher. The content of this publication has not been deemed 

by the publisher to be correct and accurate. The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising 

directly or indirectly from errors occuring in this publication beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by that 

portion of the advertisment in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of its servants or 

otherwise, and there shall be no liablity for non insertion of any advertisment beyond the amount paid for such advertisment. 

Use of Material: submitted articles, letters, and other works or materials may be used, published, distributed and stored by 

Moran Advertising, Welcome To The Club, and Daytripping Magazine, in whole or in part, in print or by any other means. 

WINTER 23/24 

a phrase in which the final part is unexpected, like a linguistic U-Turn. 

P A G E 

3



You must be 55 or over to read this magazine. 

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I’ve always loved dolls. Perhaps having 

two siblings six and ten years older than 

me who enjoyed having friends their own 

age, or having nearby cousins who were 

boys that played boy type games was an 

influence on my young life. 

Although my beloved dolls have long 

since gone from the scene, I can imagine 

them all sitting there in the playroom, as 

I recall the names that I gave them. 

The very first doll I remember having 

was made from a few scraps of my 

mothers oil cloth table cover. Not cuddly 

and pretty but durable to my rough 

handling. 

One wonderful day, my brother bought 

me a small hard bisque boy doll, with a 

few cents he had earned selling corn in 

Watford with my Dad. I named him Allen. 

He was my constant friend. Alas,one day 

when I was playing in the field while my 

parents were hoeing, a storm came up. 

A Love Affair With Dolls 

by Maxine Miner • from Daytripping, Nov-Dec 2002 issue 

As we were heading for the house in the 

horse and buggy, I recalled Allen had been 

left behind. Dad ran back for him, and his 

pretty face was all blistered and wet, but 

I still loved him anyhow. 

Come Christmas, Santa left me a lovely 

doll with a soft cuddly 

body and beautiful curls. 

That was Allie. She was 

never as pretty after I cut 

her hair playing barber. 

Later there was Peggy 

and Donald. And then two 

bigger dolls handed down 

to me by older girls. One, 

being Dorothy, would cry 

and had a molded loop on 

her head, to tie a ribbon in. 

Best of all was Beatrice, an Eatons beauty, 

now a very sought after antique. She had 

a real china head, eyes that opened and 

shut, and small pearly white teeth. Her 

arms and legs were jointed and she had 

real hair. Unfortunately Beatrice met a 

sad end when a visiting 

little boy upset her from 

the rocking chair where 

I’d left her, and her lovely 

head was shattered in 

many unmendable peices. 

Another Christmas 

brought Topsie, a dear 

little black doll with braids 

made of yarn tied with red 

ribbons to match her lace 

trimmed dress. She made 

a long trip via train with me to visit an Aunt 

and Uncle near Winnipeg when I was six. 

My last doll was a Wettums, who lived 

up to her name by the wetting of her little 

panties after being given a bottle of water. 

I guess I was growing up then, as I never 

gave her a name. 

Each year Christmas finds me roaming 

through the stores to check out the new 

selection of dolls. I must admit Barbie 

and Ken really don’t excite me with their 

proper, little stiff bodies. I’ve sewn a few 

clothes for them and found them too 

painstakingly small - I much prefer my 

creating of Raggedy Ann and Andy for 

little arms to carry over the years. 

I thought I had almost gotten beyond 

my love affair with dolls, but when a dear 

friend presented me with a beautiful Anne 

of Green Gables for my seventy year 

birthday, I realized I may be going back 

to my second childhood after all. 

P A G E 

4 

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. 


We’re all getting older, we may as well laugh about it! 

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Sarnia-Lambton 

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www.ssvpsarnialambton.ca 

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Thank You for donating 

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locations during store hours! 

4187 Petrolia Line, Petrolia I 519-882-0541 OPEN Monday thru Saturday 

Tales from Weaselscat 

a quiet small town somewhere in 

Saskatchewan 

By Will Bartlett, Camlachie 

from Daytripping Fall 2023 

The Roots of Dementia 

“Ha! This article claims that they’ve 

made a connection between dementia 

and consuming foods from aluminum 

cans and cookware! I could have told 

them that years ago!” The comment 

hung in the air like a well-cast dry fly 

over a still pool on a mountain river. 

Uncle Peter’s barbershop was busy this 

October morning, many just dropping 

by to say good morning and maybe 

help themselves to one of the coffee 

pots simmering on the woodstove. All 

five chairs in the small barbershop were 

occupied this morning, although only 

one was there for a haircut. The other 

chairs along the walls in the “waiting 

area” were occupied by the regular 

assortment of codgers who generally 

attended the barbershop most mornings. 

There was Lorenz and Gordie, the big 

Newfoundlander, sitting by the front 

window, and Leo and Karl at the side 

wall. Each coddled a newspaper section 

or magazine of unknown vintage that 

had temporarily captured their interest 

while enjoying the free coffee and gossip 

that the barbershop provided. And 

most were familiar with Karl’s tactics at 

tempting the gullible. Even Uncle Peter’s 

only reaction to this proclamation was a 

slight raising of a single eyebrow. 

Karl paused and then slowly lowered 

the newspaper enough to peer over the 

top to see if anyone would rise to the 

enticing bait he had just thrown out. 

Karl sensed that none of the “lunkers” 

were about to expose themselves and 

rise to the bait, and was about to turn 

his mind to other devious tricks when a 

voice issued from the barber chair. It was 

Derek, the new assistant bank manager 

in for his monthly haircut. Derek was 

“new” in town as he had only arrived 6 

years ago. He was still eager to fit in. 

“Were you involved in scientific 

research, Karl?” he asked. 

Karl lit up now that he had one 

nibbling on the line. 

“Not formally,” he replied in a strong, 

dignified tone, “but I proved a correlation 

between dementia and aluminum 

several times.” 

Derek was intrigued. The others 

squirmed a little in their chairs. They 

didn’t know what was coming, but they 

knew something was coming. 

“How did you do that?” asked Derek 

innocently. 

“Well, I found that every time that I 

drank a beer from an aluminum can, I 

would forget everything on my wife’s 

honey-do list.” 

Derek laughed. The scissors in midsnip 

took off a chunk of hair that Uncle 

Peter had intended to leave. However, 

the defect would be concealed behind 

Derek’s left ear, so Uncle Peter just 

grunted and continued. The “lunkers” 

squirmed in their chairs again and 

grinned politely; they knew there had to 

be more. 

“And whenever I drank three beers 

from aluminum cans, I would forget that 

I was married.” 

Derek laughed again and lost another 

chunk. Uncle Peter grunted again and 

snipped furiously. The lunkers chuckled 

and settled down into their chairs to 

resume their semi-quiet contemplation, 

relieved that they had been only 

spectators to Karl’s trickery. Derek was 

pleased, feeling that he had forged a 

bond with some of the oldtimers of the 

town, and Uncle Peter felt satisfied that 

Derek’s haircut would look just fine in a 

week or so. 

Life was good in Weaselscat, a quiet 

small town somewhere in Saskatchewan. 


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I used to be indecisive... now I’m not so sure. 

P A G E 

5



You’re not getting older, you’re just becoming a classic! 

VULNERABLE PERSONS REGISTRY 

Do you know someone living with dementia? 

3 out of 5 people living with 

dementia will go missing at some 

point, a frightening experience, 

and a dangerous one. 

That’s why the Alzheimer Society 

of Sarnia-Lambton is partnering 

with The Sarnia Police Services and 

OPP to provide an opportunity for 

individuals living with dementia to 

be registered as someone at risk of 

going missing. Critical information 

collected provides searchers with 

quick access to key information to 

assist in locating the individual and 

returning them home safely. 

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Can you find the 12 words related 

to the vulnerable person registry? 

Registration 

is easy! 

Let’s all do our part to help individuals with 

dementia live safely in our community. 

Simply call Alzheimer Society Sarnia-Lambton 

at 519 332 4444 to learn how. 

If you ask hikers how this pastime 

impacts their well-being, get ready 

to listen! These folks understand 

the rewards of physical activity, but 

especially that which takes us into the 

natural environment and away from 

the stresses of life. Regardless of age or 

ability, you will probably hear similar 

versions of how nature nurtures us. 

As a “whole-body” aerobic activity, 

hiking challenges the heart and lungs to 

deliver oxygen to working muscles. The 

beauty of hiking is that we control the 

intensity of our workout depending on 

the trail we choose and the speed we 

travel. As well, we control the duration 

and frequency of our workout. Even 

25-30 minutes of cardio exercise three 

or four days a week can improve heart 

health. So, if you’ve become a couch 

potato, hiking might be a gentle way 

to ease yourself out of that vegetative 

state! 

A walk in the woods has an edge over 

a walk around the block when it comes 

to maintaining strong muscles and 

bones. Navigating changes in elevation, 

maneuvering over uneven ground 

or around obstacles, and carrying a 

backpack utilize different muscle groups 

in different ways. We engage leg, hip, 

arm, shoulder and core muscles to keep 

us confidently moving forward, up, 

down and sometimes backwards—and 

this weight-bearing exercise promotes 

denser, stronger bones. 

Our bodies are also constantly 

working to maintain their balance in 

response to even minute changes in 

the terrain. This increased core strength 

and stability is an asset as we age 

because it reduces the risk of falls. If 

we do fall, stronger bones and muscles 

mean there’s less chance of injury. 

Nature Nurtures: 

Take A Walk in the Woods 

By Mary Lou Tasko, Lambton Shores Nature Trails • www.lsntblazers.com 

Finally, physical exercise, especially 

outdoor exercise, is recognized as a 

sleep enhancer. Not only does it tire the 

body, but research suggests that exercise 

may increase nighttime melatonin 

production—a hormone believed to 

help regulate sleep-wake cycles. While 

it doesn’t induce sleep, melatonin can 

put us in a restful state that makes sleep 

easier. 

Exercise clearly improves the physical 

function of our bodies; however, many 

folks who turned to hiking during the 

Covid pandemic discovered that it has 

other, perhaps surprising, therapeutic 

benefits. 

Physical exercise encourages the 

body to release endorphins or “feelgood” 

hormones which help us feel less 

stressed and happier. Research has also 

linked exercise to enhanced feelings of 

self-esteem and confidence—possibly a 

result of setting and meeting goals for 

activity, or simply making an effort. 

Since regular exercise improves the 

body’s ability to deliver oxygen to cells, 

over time we feel more energetic and 

capable… and we are! 

There is a growing body of evidence to 

suggest that physical exercise improves 

cognitive function, including attention, 

memory, flexible thinking and selfcontrol. 

Just as elsewhere in the body, 

improved circulation in the brain may 

enhance our thinking skills and help 

us maintain cognitive function as we 

age. Some researchers are examining a 

potential link between creative thinking 

and exercise, suggesting that exercise 

can promote new neural connections 

or temporarily dampen “systematic” 

thinking so we can better “think outside 

the box.” Intriguing work! 

Perhaps most interesting is research 

that focuses on the link between mental 

health and time spent, not just in 

physical activity, but in physical activity 

in the natural environment. While 

more research is needed, it appears 

that exercise in a natural environment, 

called “green exercise,” may offer more 

emotional, mental and social benefits 

than that which is conducted in other 

environments. A review of research 

suggests that green exercise causes 

greater feelings of revitalization and 

positive engagement in people. They 

also tend to feel less tension, anger and 

depression than people who exercise in 

non-natural environments. One study 

noted that people who walked for 50 

minutes in a natural setting performed 

significantly better on memory tasks 

than those who walked in an urban 

area. Researchers who study the 

creative thinking-exercise relationship 

have found that there appears to 

be a stronger connection when the 

exercise is green. They suggest that our 

minds may be more likely to generate 

novel ideas while we are engaged in 

“mindless” exercise and immersed in 

the natural environment. Finally, when 

we engage and socialize with others in 

a natural environment, studies show 

that we are likely to feel a stronger 

connection to those individuals—and be 

more empathetic, helpful and generous. 

Hiking is the perfect vehicle to 

capitalize on these benefits. We can 

improve our physical health—strength, 

endurance, balance—without it seeming 

like hard work. Mental fatigue and stress 

melt away as nature commands our 

attention. Navigating trails, following a 

map or blazes, and watching for plant 

or animal life challenge our cognitive 

skills and quite possibly build new ones. 

When we hike with others, we create 

opportunities to forge strong social 

bonds and participate in a community 

that holds our natural environment in 

high regard. 

Not bad for a walk in the woods! 

Lambton Shores Nature Trails is a local 

volunteer organization that promotes and 

maintains several hiking trails in Lambton 

Shores and vicinity. We are proud of 

the work we do to keep these ‘Gems of 

Nature’ accessible for our community. For 

more information about our organization 

and the trails we maintain, please visit 

www.LSNTBlazers.com or check out our 

Facebook page. 

P A G E 

6 

“Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.” (Groucho Marx) 


Most articles in here have been written by people like you. 

THE CLUB Winter 2023/24 

CROSSWORD 



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Tradition Versus Technology 

Why’d You Lock It? 

The speed with which technology 

has advanced in recent years 

has been mindboggling at times, 

from electronic banking to video 

calls, online shopping and more. 

Like many my age, I find myself 

meandering through life navigating 

new technology while simultaneously 

holding onto old habits. This paradox 

became perfectly clear to me recently 

while making a rest stop at an all too 

common Canadian coffee shop. Right 

on queue, were two old guys making 

their way into the shop alongside me. 

They had just parked their car when the 

driver—let’s call him Ted—rolled up the 

car windows (why is this still a term?), 

got out of the car, and clicked his key 

fob to lock all the doors. 

As they strolled towards the café 

doors, his companion—let’s call him 

Jim—asked, “Why’d you lock it?” 

Ted looked at him quizzically. “What 

do ya mean, why’d I lock it?” I could 

hear the slight irritation in his voice. 

“You rolled up all the windows and 

By Rose Devecha, Hamilton 

locked all the doors. Are you afraid 

someone’s going to steal your car 

while you’re in Timmies for five 

minutes?” 

I did not hear Ted’s response but 

mine was, “Wait a minute…he’s 

right!” Why are we so paranoid? 

If someone really wants to steal a 

vehicle these days, they’re going to 

need your key fob. Unless they have 

one of those illegal overrides. In that 

case, locking your door isn’t going to 

make a difference. Long gone are the 

days of sliding a coat hanger between 

glass and gasket to pop a lock and 

hotwire a car. Even if you are still driving 

a classic, a five minute coffee stop is 

hardly enough time to get the job done. 

Hmm funny, I thought to myself, and 

followed Ted and Jim into the coffee 

shop, but not without stopping first, to 

double-click my key fob. 

Publisher’s Note: Only the old guys like 

that would have the skills to hotwire a 

classic car. Maybe he was worried they’d 

steal his 8-tracks! 


Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine. 

P A G E 

7



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The 

The local news station was interviewing an 80 year old lady 

because she had just gotten married for the fourth time. 

The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what 

it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new 

husband's occupation. 

"He's a funeral director," she answered. 

"Interesting," the newsman thought. He then asked her if she 

wouldn't mind telling him a little about her first three husbands 

and what they did for a living. 

She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all 

those years. After a short time, a smile came to her face and 

she answered proudly, explaining that she had first married a 

banker when she was in her 20's, then a circus ringmaster 

when in her 40's, and a preacher when in her 60's, and now in 

her 80's, a funeral director. 

The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why 

she had married four men with such diverse careers. 

Wait for it... 

She smiled and explained, "I married one for the money, two 

for the show, three to get ready, and four to go." 

Recipes 

Thank you for continuing to shop locally! 

Send Us 

Y 

Your Recipes! 

es 

Recipes from Club contributors & local fundraising cookbooks we’ve 

collected over the years. Send your own recipes, or on behalf of an 

organizaon with a cookbook, we can help promote them for free. 

My Mom’s Special 

Potato Salad 

8 large potatoes, boiled 

in skins and cooled 

4 Tbsp buer 

1 Tbsp corn starch 

1/2 cup milk 

1/3 cup sugar 

1 egg, beaten 

Grandma’s Homemade 

Chicken Noodle Soup 

chicken pieces 

carrots 

Five Layer 

Casserole 

1 cup onion sliced 

1 cup carrots sliced 

1 lb ground beef 

celery 

onion 

In a lightly greased casserole dish, place a layer of each item listed above in 

the order given. Season each layer with salt & pepper. Pour tomato soup 

which has been diluted with 2.5 cups hot water over mixture. Bake covered 

in 350º oven for 1 to 1.5 hours. 

Victory Lane 

Pineapple Pie 

4 oz can sweetened condensed milk 

1/4 cup lemon juice 

8 oz crushed pineapple, undrained 

By: Andi Beer (from Bridgeview 

Public School Cookbook) 

3/4 tsp salt 

1 Tbsp celery seed 

1/4 cup vinegar 

1/4 tsp dry mustard 

1/4 cup chopped onion 

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

3 hard-boiled eggs 

Peel and chop potatoes into bite sized pieces. In saucepan, melt buer and 

add corn starch to make paste. Add milk, sugar and egg; heat unl mixture 

is thick. Add salt, celery seed, dry mustard and lastly vinegar. Heat unl 

mixture begins to bubble; remove from stove. Let cool 1/2 hour in 

refrigerator. Add chopped onion and mayonnaise. Add dressing to potatoes 

and toss well. Chop hard-boiled eggs and add to salad. Add chopped celery 

if desired. Serves 12. 

(from Pt Edward 

Ex-Servicemen’s Assoc. 

Cookbook) 

parsley & dill 

egg noodles 

Bring chicken pieces to a full boil in salted water; skim foam from top. Boil 

slowly for 2 hours. Add carrots, celery and onion, boil for 15 minutes more. 

Add parsley and dill. You can strain and serve clear with egg noodles or add 

noodles to soup stock. 

By: Anne Newberry, Submied by 

daughter Kae Frost (from Sombra 

Township Museum Family Recipes) 

3/4 cup rice uncooked 

1 can tomato soup 

By: Kim Bouchard (from Holy Rosary 

School 50th Anniversary Cookbook) 

8 oz Cool Whip, thawed 

9 inch graham cracker pie shell 

In a bowl, mix milk, pineapple and lemon juice. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour into 

cooked pie crust. Chill unl ready to serve. 

Send Your Recipes to info@welcometotheclub.ca 

P A G E 

8 

The evening news is where they begin with “good evening” - then tell you why it isn’t. 


Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth. 



Owen R. Wyrzykowski 

WYRZYKOWSKI & ROBB 

Barristers and Solicitors 

Whether you are buying or selling real estate, 

or need to update your estate planning, 

we provide personal service to help you 

through the legal process. 

Let’s call him Stan. Stan had a good 

career as the owner of a small consulting 

company. Well respected in his field 

he was able to do well financially. He 

saved his money, took his family on 

an annual camping trip, and did the 

obligatory Disney trip when the kids 

were young. Stan and his wife Stella 

were very involved in their church. 

Actually, truth be told, when the Pastor 

wanted something done, he tapped 

either Stella, or Stan, or both. 

All of their four children were very 

smart. Once they had completed 

high school, they all pursued careers 

that took them away from home. Far 

away from home. Working, family, 

and church volunteering ensured Stan 

never really had too much time to be 

introspective…to think about what he 

would do in his later years. 

Then changes started to happen for 

Stan and Stella. Sadly, and unexpectedly, 

Stella got sick, and after a valiant 

struggle Stella passed. Dealing with 

great grief, Stan had started to wind 

down his consultancy practice. You see 

he did not have the same drive to meet 

and take on new clients. With his family 

all over North America, and one in 

Australia, maintaining the connections 

proved difficult. Stan would tell you 

that Stella was the glue that kept the 

family together. He did maintain his 

commitment to his church, but again 

that too lost its appeal. 

A Path to Wellness 

The Power of Purpose, or How Stan Got His Groove Back 

By Chris Treftlin, Shine at Home, Sarnia 

Here we are. A once vibrant and 

engaged husband, father, businessman, 

and volunteer was laid low, indeed felt 

isolated and alone in a sea of people. 

His friends reached out, had him over 

for dinner, his Pastor, too. When he got 

home and closed the front door behind 

him, Stan was alone in the big house he 

and Stella had made a home. Stan had 

lost his purpose. 

Now let’s talk about Betty. Her 

friends and family would tell you Betty 

breezed through life. She made it look 

effortless. A career librarian, she had 

seen lots of changes over the years. 

Like Stan, she was well respected and 

by the time she was ready to retire she 

was the head Librarian of the county’s 

main branch. Her husband was a great 

supporter and partner. When asked to 

say a few words at her retirement party, 

he along with a long list of coworkers 

made Betty very uncomfortable. Betty 

was never good with effusive praise. 

Such an impact did she make that the 

mayor was present and announced that 

the children’s section of the library was 

being renamed after her. Betty always 

took a special interest in children. Betty 

could not have her own children. When 

she would talk about it, she would say 

she had lots of kids. “I think of every 

child that walks through those doors as 

one of mine,” she would say. 

After retirement Betty maintained 

her commitment to the children of her 

Owen R. Wyrzykowski 

519-336-6118 

6118 

orw@wrlawoffice.ca 

722 Lite Street, Point Edward 

community through volunteering at 

all of the libraries across the county. 

She created a story time schedule 

for each of the county libraries. Story 

Time with Betty was launched and was 

received with great enthusiasm. Betty 

reached so many kids in their formative 

years that she became something of a 

minor celebrity. Restaurants, picnics, 

shopping at the local grocery store 

where all occasions for people to stop 

and say hi, thank her, and yes, many 

hugs were exchanged. 

Stan lost his purpose. There was 

a trigger. The loss of his wife and 

partner. Grief is a powerful force in all 

human existence. I will write about 

grief in another article. That was the 

trigger. Then after the funeral and 

kind words everyone went back to 

their lives, and Stan was left to try a 

figure out his. Then the signs. Things 

that once gave Stan energy and 

purpose stopped having that effect. He 

withdrew. People couldn’t get ahold 

of him. He missed meetings, and 

stopped returning calls. Stan was in a 

deep funk—aka depression. 

Betty maintained and enhanced 

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her purpose. There could 

have been a trigger, and it 

is for some—the retirement 

from a long and meaningful 

career—but Stella handled 

it differently than Stan. She 

didn’t look inward. She looked 

outward. She said how can 

I do something for all of my 

kids? By looking outside of 

her own circumstances, she 

created purpose where there 

could have been a void. 

If you are in Stan’s situation, 

or you know someone who 

is, ask the question, “How can I help 

someone else with my particular gifts 

and talents?” Then watch the rest fall 

into place. 

Now I will tell you how Stan got 

his groove back. One morning while 

sitting in his kitchen having his coffee. 

Something that he and Stella did every 

morning for 40 plus years, he had an 

epiphany. Indeed, a revelation. He 

thought that the best way he could 

honour Stella’s memory was to live the 

life that was worthy of her. This was not 

who he was when he was married to 

this amazing friend, partner, and wife. 

So, why should he live this way now? 

That’s when he stood up and went to 

the old corded phone on the wall that 

Stella would not let him get rid of and 

made a call to his daughter in Australia. 

“Hi honey its your dad,” he said. “Hey, 

I was wondering if it would be ok with 

you if I came out for a visit?” After 

some silence Stan thought he had lost 

the connection, so he said, “Are you still 

there?” 

His daughter’s voice breaking, 

replied, “Daddy, of course we would 

love to have you come to see us!” 


“A fool and his money are soon elected.” (Will Rogers) 

P A G E 

9



Don’t let old age get you down - it’s too hard to get back up! 

P A G E 

10 

The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. 


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to live in full independence. Since our earliest beginnings we 

have learned that with just a little help, people can remain 

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Falling softly to the ground. 

Falling gently without a sound. 

Clothing limbs of evergreens. 

Accumulating in cottony scenes. 

Snowfall, when it comes gently has 

the ability to transform the country 

landscape into a white and fluffy 

masterpiece. As it builds up it conceals 

the ruts in the laneway and the ridges 

in the fields. The brown and dirty 

space between the house and the 

barn becomes glistening white virgin 

territory, only to be imprinted by the 

tracks of scurrying rabbits, and the 

walk-through of an occasional canine 

vagabond. It builds up on roof tops like 

the marshmallow icing on a gingerbread 

house. It collects between the screen 

and glass of the windows forming 

intriguing patterns. 

A muffled silence blankets the yard 

and the reduced road traffic lumbering 

past is barely audible. Off in the distance 

the comforting drone of the snowplow 

is heard, and as it approaches, the 

rooster-tail of snow flying off the wing 

partially conceals that big red vehicle. 

Vroom, and it is gone, leaving in its 

wake a cleared lane of highway for 

commuters who simply must get to 

their destination. The advice given 

by those responsible for investigating 

when things go wrong – “When you see 

A Country Snow Storm 

By Nancy Millman, Sparta • from Daytripping Nov-Dec 2015 

snow, go slow!” – if adhered to, makes 

the difference between arriving safely 

or not. 

This snowfall is like a velvet curtain 

draped around the farm. Looking in 

any direction, all that can be seen are 

silhouettes of trees, the outbuildings at 

home, the neighbour’s house, all 

with a dense backdrop of 

white. The diminished 

horizon creates an 

atmosphere of solitude, 

of beauty and humility. 

Overhead a flock 

of geese, honking and 

flying in formation give 

cause to pause and look 

skyward to watch them 

as they head south. What 

does a laughing goose 

sound like? 

Did anyone remember 

to gather up the saw, ladder 

and tools that were being used recently, 

and put them inside? Where do you 

suppose that pail and spade could be? 

If the garden hose is still hanging on the 

side of the garage, does that mean that 

the water has not been turned off? 

Then the snowing ceases and the 

sun emerges through the clouds, 

revealing a glistening spectacle. God’s 

paint brush at work, in His finest glory. 

An arena for fun and 

adventure has been 

formed. Winter sports such 

as skiing, tobogganing, snowshoeing, 

and snowmobiling are savoured with 

Canadian enthusiasm. The construction 

of a snowman, a snow fort, or a pattern 

in the snow for a game of “Fox and 

Hen” should get the youngsters away 

from their technical devices and out of 

the house into fresh air and sunshine, 

trading bleary eyes and lethargy for rosy 

checks and enthusiasm…Do you think? 

But now too the work begins. 

Shovel off the back step. Shovel off the 

sidewalk to the driveway. Shovel a path 

to the mail box at the road for the postal 

carrier. Clear the snow away from the 

garage door. Keeping fingers crossed 

that it will start, get the tractor out to 

clear snow from the lane. This isn’t 

the same show that I was watching 

a few hours ago. New features have 

been added, like arms which ache, 

a back that is sore, hands and feet 

which are cold and wet, ears red 

and tingling inside the hood of a 

parka, and a nose that is running its 

own marathon. 

Resting on the handle of a shovel 

with that satisfied feeling of a job welldone, 

a neighbour is seen approaching 

from down the road in a big green and 

yellow tractor with lights flashing and a 

snow blower attached. As he sounds his 

horn while passing, smiles and waves 

are exchanged. 

There is nothing like a good snow 

storm to separate the pushers from the 

blowers. 


“The worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades.” (Dimetri Martin) 

P A G E 

11



Thank you, to all the advertisers you see throughout the magazine. 

A Dog's Best Friend 

A man wrote to a small hotel in a Midwest town 

he planned to visit on his vacation. He wrote: 

“I would very much like to bring my dog with me. 

He is well-groomed and very well behaved. Would 

you be willing to permit me to keep him in my 

room with me at night?” 

An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who said: 

“I've been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I've never 

had a dog steal towels, bedclothes or silverware or pictures off the walls. 

I've never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and 

disorderly. And I've never had a dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, 

Your dog is welcome at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, 

you're welcome to stay here too.” 

P A G E 

12 

COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR AGES 55+ 

www.agefriendlysarnialambton.ca 

fi i 

i 

Your one-stop shop for local supports and 

resources, from health care and social support 

services to local events and transportation. 

I thought I wanted a career; turns out I just wanted paycheques. 

519-336-3000 

Need Assistance Finding the 

Resources You Need? Call and 

Speak to a Community Navigator. 

RESOURCE NAME SERVICES OFFERED PHONE WEB/EMAIL 

211 Mental Health Support, Food Services, Financial Assistance 211 211ontario.ca 

Age-Friendly Sarnia Lambton List of Supports & Services 519-845-1353 agefriendlysarnialambton.ca 

Bayshore Home Care Solutions Assistance with Housekeeping, Errands & Meal Prep 519-383-6979 bayshore.ca 

Canadian Red Cross Grocery Pickup & Transportation Services 519-332-6380 redcross.ca 

Care-A-Van Door-to-Door Public Transportation - lift equipped vehicles 519-336-3789 cav@sarnia.ca 

Habitat for Humanity Low-Cost Home Reno Services 519-339-7957 habitatsarnia.org 

Heart to Home Meals Pre-Made Frozen Meal Delivery to 60+ 877-404-4246 hearttohomemeals.ca 

Home Instead Memory Care, Meal Prep, Laundry, Pers. Care, 24hr & Overnight 519-704-1471 homeinstead.com/Sarnia 

Instacart Delivery from several local stores 888-246-7822 instacart.ca 

Lambton Elderly Outreach Community & Home Support Services, Volunteerism, Activities 519-845-1353 lambtonelderlyoutreach.org 

Lambton Public Health Individual, Agency and Caregiver help 226-254-8222 lambtonpublichealth.ca 

Neighbourlink Household Chores, Transportation, Shopping, Companionship 519-336-5465 neighbourlinksarnia.org 

Sarnia Blessings Senior Meal-plan, Prices Geared to Income 519-402-9093 sarniablessings@outlook.com 

Shine at Home Transportation, 24 hr Housekeeping, Shopping, Meal Prep 519-336-9898 shineathome.com 

Strangway Community Centre Recreational, Social & Educational Programs & Activities 519-332-0656 strangway@sarnia.ca 

Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) Dementia Programs, Home Nursing, Respite, Much More 519-542-2310 von.ca/en/site/sarnia 

Health811 Free and confidential health advice 24/7. Call or chat online. 8-1-1 ontario.ca/health811 


Check out the Christmas section, starting on page 32. 



LONDON ROAD 

PHARMACY 

An optimist stays up 

Until midnight 

To see the new year in. 

A pessimist stays up 

To make sure 

The old year leaves. 

(Bill Vaughan) 

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We accept the Seniors 

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Simple Pleasures 

In the constant struggle for success, 

self confidence, self satisfaction and self 

identity, we seem to drift deeper into 

the world of materialism and instant 

gratification. Our over indulgence as 

well as the drive to survive and succeed, 

drive us to lead a very fast, stressful and 

frustrating lifestyle. 

Fortunately most of us are 

given a second chance to 

unwind and to again take 

pleasure in the simple things 

of life when we become 

grandparents. We begin to 

see the world through tiny 

uncluttered eyes. We learn 

to take the time to listen, to 

see and to do simple things 

together. We quickly learn 

to create opportunities 

to discover and to 

share precious priceless 

moments with little money spent and a lot 

of memories made. 

For little fingers and minds, the 

garden is truly a magical place. Seeds are 

planted and nurtured to create a variety 

of wonderful surprises. It is a big payoff 

for persistence, patience and hard work. 

What excitement in their eyes as they pull 

long orange carrots from the rich brown 

soil. Finding hidden cucumbers, tomatoes 

and zucchini among the many huge 

green leaves is also an exciting discovery. 

The extra bonus of recognizing and 

identifying a cornucopia of bees, beetles 

and butterflies becomes a lasting learning 

experience. 

In the ten acre woodlot, each season 

of nature’s beauty surrounds us. In the 

spring, the touch and feel of Trilliums and 

May Apples, confirm the magic of their 

numbers. In the summer, what a thrill it 

is to see the evening woods light up with 

countless fire flies. Of course, in the fall, 

the crunching of the leaves as we take our 

walks is music to our ears. Winter again 

fills us with awe as we follow the many 

animal tracks in the fresh fallen snow. 

Even Nana and Upa make snow angels 

with the girls. 

There is now lots of time to teach little 

by Betti Szeider, Windham Centre 

from Daytripping’s Fall 2010 issue 

fingers and minds in Nana’s kitchen. 

Seeing their confidence and curiosity grow, 

gives Nana the extra patience she needs 

to get the job done. The surprise in their 

eyes as they see how much sugar goes into 

homemade jam is Nana’s reward, after 

seeing them clean and hull the berries and 

finally stir them into the big boiling pot of 

ingredients. 

The girls are very interested 

in Upa’s fly tying skills. They 

are captivated by the variety 

of materials used in this 

interesting hobby. It is 

amazing how their little 

fingers quickly learn to 

expertly wind the thread 

around the tiny hooks. 

Using their imagination, 

they have advanced, 

with Upa’s guidance, to 

create their own flies, 

which they proudly hang in a special place 

for all to see and admire. 

We have learned to do many indoor 

and outdoor chores, which have taught 

patience, persistence, responsibility and 

pride in doing their best. 

We have learned that it is important 

to really listen to each other and to solve 

our problems together in a fair and usually 

simple way. 

We have learned to give and receive 

love and respect each others feelings. 

We also have found that it feels so good 

to laugh a lot together. 

Life seems so uncomplicated at Upa 

and Nana’s place. 

The age of fast moving technology is 

slowly taking over our world. Our only 

wish for the girls is that they will remember 

the love and simple pleasures that we all 

shared here together for so many years. 

We hope that they will guard this 

precious love and contentment deep 

within their hearts and use it when they 

have the need to relax and unwind from 

the hustle bustle world that will surely 

become so much a part of their future 

lives. 

Life is good. 

Family is everything. 

believe it or not 

An ad this size costs only 

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Every copy is picked up, and it’s online 

Call 519-491-1676 

info@welcometotheclub.ca 

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A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don’t need it. 

P A G E 

13



Do you remember being 19? Neither do we! 

To Help You ‘SEE’ The World More Clearly 

Kind, Patient, 

Efficient, 

Informative 

& Caring 

Dr. Murari Patodia 

A smile is quite a funny thing - 

It wrinkles up your face, 

And when it’s gone you never find 

It’s secret hiding place. 

But far more wonderful it is 

To see what smiles can do; 

You smile at one, he smiles at you, 

And so one smile makes two. 

He smiles at someone since you smiled, 

And then that one smiles back; 

And that one smiles until in truth 

You fail in keeping track. 

And since a smile can do great good 

By cheering hearts of care - 

Let’s smile and smile and not forget 

That smiles go everywhere. 

A Smile 

Author Unknown 

Driving 

TRIVIA 

Selected 

After Hours 

questions from 

Annual Trivia Night 

“The Daytripper” has a team entered every year, but we have yet to win. 

Answers Below 

1. Fill in the lyric: “You’ve gotta be cruel to be kind, in the right 

measure. Cruel to be kind, it’s a very good _____________.” 

2. In what year did Elijah Harper, a Cree from Red Sucker Lake, 

Manitoba, become the first “Treaty Indian” in Manitoba to be 

elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba? 

a] 1982 b] 1983 c] 1980 d] 1981 

3. Which is the only country in the world that sports the Bible on its 

national flag? 

4. What humorist observed: “Few things are harder to put up with than 

the annoyance of a good example.”? 

a] Mark Twain b] Margaret Atwood 

c] Jerry Seinfeld d] Jimmy Fallon 

5. What coach came off the bench to play for his team in the Stanley 

Cup finals? 

a] Wayne Gretzky b] Toe Blake 

c] Dick Irivn d] Lester Patrick 

6. In Greek mythology the dove is associated with Aphrodite, goddess 

of love. What sign did the sighting of the dove give to Noah in a 

biblical incident? 

7. What animal’s fur, along with that of the beaver, is found in a Stetson 

hat? 

8. The Commander and his wife, Serena Waterford, refer to their 

handmaid by what name in The Handmaid’s Tale, a novel by 

Canadian auther Margaret Atwood? 

9. In what year was the Nicotine patch introduced? 

10. In what year were 63 Americans taken hostage in the American 

Embassy in Iran? 

a] 1977 b] 1978 c] 1979 d] 1980 

11. What was Mary, Queen of Scots, the first to employ on a golf course? 

ANSWERS: 

1. Sign; 2. 1981; 3. Dominican Republic; 4. Mark Twain; 5. Lester Patrick, Rangers in 

1928; 6. The floods were beginning to receed; 7. Rabbit; 8. Offred; 

9. 1992; 10. 1979; 11. A caddy. 

P A G E 

14 

“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it.” (Hugh Herbert) 


Let’s grow old together - you go first! 



Stephen Wright’s greatest 

thought 

“You can’t have everything; 

where would you put it?” 

Bob Hope on being old 

“I don’t feel old. I don’t feel 

anything until noon. Then it’s 

time for my nap.” 

“You know you’re getting 

old when the candles cost 

more than the cake.” 

It’s always something. 

Ethyl asked her seventyfive-year-old 

husband, 

Arnold, “How was your golf 

By Brian A. Keelan, Sarnia 

game, dear?” 

Arnold said, “Well, I was 

hitting the ball pretty well 

today, but my eyesight’s so bad that I couldn’t see where the darned 

thing went.” 

“Well, darling. You are seventy-five years old,” she said. “Why don’t 

you take my brother, Marv, along?” 

“But he’s eighty-five and doesn’t even play golf anymore,” Arnold 

protested. 

“That may be, sweetheart, but he’s got perfect eyesight. He can 

watch your ball for you.” 

Well, Arnold couldn’t argue with that. In fact, it seemed like a 

fine idea. So, the next day, he teed off with his brother-in-law Marv, 

standing just behind him, looking on. 

At the first tee, after a powerful swing, the ball disappeared way 

down the middle of the fairway. 

“Do you see where it went?” Arnold asked. 

“Yup,” Marv answered as he stood there gazing down the fairway. 

“Well, where is it?” 

Marv turned to him and, with a sad, bewildered look on his face, 

replied, “I forget.” 

Grandfather of the year? 

A woman in a supermarket is following a grandfather and his badlybehaved 

grandson. He has his hands full with the child screaming for 

sweets, biscuits, and all sorts of things. 

The grandfather is saying in a controlled voice: “Easy, William, we 

won’t be long.” Another outburst and she hears the grandfather 

calmly say, “It’s okay, William. Just a couple more minutes, and we’ll 

be out of here. Hang in there, pal.” 

At the checkout, the little horror is throwing items out of the cart. 

Grandfather says again in a controlled voice, “William, relax, buddy, 

don’t get upset. We’ll be home in five minutes; stay cool, William.” 

Very impressed, the woman goes outside to where the grandfather 

is loading his groceries and the boy into the car. She says, “It’s none 

of my business, but you were amazing in there. I don’t know how you 

did it. That whole time you kept your composure, and no matter how 

loud and disruptive he got, you just calmly kept saying that things 

would be okay. William is very lucky to have you as his grandfather.” 

“Thanks,” says the grandfather, “but I am William. This little turd’s 

name is Kevin.” 

Treasures 

It was just a cheap harmonica, 

the least expensive of the half 

dozen that had once been the 

prized possessions of the 

man whose room we were 

cleaning out. 

He had been in his 87th year when 

he passed away peacefully in his sleep 

several days before. Due to the long 

waiting list to get into the popular senior 

residence where he’d lived for the last 

six years, we were now under the gun 

to get all of his possessions out of the 

room as quickly as possible. 

Sorting through someone else’s 

treasures is never an easy task. So 

much of what had been left behind had 

obviously been important to him, for 

one reason or another, but it seemed 

like so much excess baggage to us to be 

thrown in the wastebasket and thought 

no more about. 

Quick work was made of bagging the 

clothes he would never wear again and 

which would never be worn by anyone 

else in the family either. They would be 

donated to a used clothing drop box. 

When all the real treasures – family 

Mobile Library Service 

Library cardholders at long-term 

care homes and retirement homes 

in Lambton County can access library 

materials through Mobile Library. 

This service provides residents with 

library materials delivered directly 

to their location. 

Call Sarnia Library at 519-337-3291 

for more information about this service. 

by Dot Sale, Belmont 

from Daytripping 

May-June 2007 

photos and useful 

items, had been sorted 

out and apportioned to 

the various family 

members gathered 

there, the decision as 

to what to do with his most prized 

possessions came next. 

Lining up the half dozen harmonicas 

on his bed, all of which had been played 

by him during his lifetime on special 

family occasions – both happy and 

more recently sad, including the passing 

of his siblings, each of us decided which 

one we wanted to have. It didn’t matter 

that most of us couldn’t play a tune on 

one if our life depended on it, including 

me. 

That was partly why I decided on the 

one I did. It wasn’t that I would suddenly 

learn how to play it. Rather, it was in 

a small and tangible way a physical 

memory of him. And too, I was not his 

blood relative, but rather an in-law that 

had, over the years, become like one of 

his own. 

Thanks, Dad. I’ll treasure it as just one 

more memory of you. 

My mother loved this. 

Doctor: “How old are you, Edna?” 

Edna: “I’m approaching 60.” 

Doctor: “Really? From which direction?” 

Luck? 

“Depend on the rabbit’s foot if you will but remember… it didn’t 

work for the rabbit.” R.E.Shay 

Brian’s book can be found at The Book Keeper in Sarnia 

GATEWAY 

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SARNIA 

9AM - 1AM 

7 DAYS 

A WEEK 

1730 London Line, Sarnia ON 

at Hiawatha, 519-383-3732 

sarnia@gatewaycasinos.ca 

10AM - 2AM 7 DAYS A WEEK 

2000 Venean Blvd 

Point Edward ON 

519-383-7770 

pointedward@gatewaycasinos.ca 


“If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.” (Mario Andretti) 

P A G E 

15



Visit Sarnia’s Best Lile 

Family Shoe Store Today! 

Laughter is the best medicine - here’s to your health. 

565 Murphy Rd • 519-383-0588 • shoeboxsarnia.ca 

Baking Time WORD SEARCH 

Senior 

Discount 

Mention this 

Ad for 

15% OFF 

Find these words hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally and backwards. 

I sported a brush cut all the way up to 

grade 10. 


Then, I discovered Craig Stevens. 

He was an American film and 

Retirement 

television actor, best known for his 

Coach © by Mike Keenan starring role on television as private 

http://theretirementcoach.libsyn.com/ detective “Peter Gunn” from 1958 

to 1961. He was my new hero, and I 

copied his low-cropped hair style. Gunn 

was a suave, well-dressed investigator 

National 

whose hair was always in place and 

who loved cool jazz, sophisticated with 

Hair Day 

expensive tastes. The show’s use of 

My guess is that you completely forgot modern jazz music was a distinctive 

Listen to Mike’s podcasts (humour, travel and poetry) at: The Retirement Coach: 

to http://theretirementcoach.libsyn.com/ celebrate one of the year’s His book, most ‘Don’t Ever touch Quit - that a Journal helped of Coping set the standard for 

important with Crisis & days, Nourishing “National Spirit,’ is available Hair Day,” in print & electronic many years format at to Amazon: come. The music was 

scheduled https://amzn.to/2KBdPWQ on October 1. This is the composed by Henry Mancini, one of 

one day set aside during the entire year the greatest composers in the history 

to honour styles, products, tools, and of film. He won four Academy Awards, 

people who keep our hair healthy and a Golden Globe, and 20 Grammy 

looking its very best. 

Awards, plus a posthumous Grammy 

Some my age may wonder, “What’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. 

left to celebrate?” After all, hair today, He composed the music for “The Pink 

gone tomorrow for many senior males, Panther” film series and “Moon River” 

and might I add, it’s getting thinner for from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” 

the ladies too. 

If you are wondering, basically, there 

When I was a young lad, my father are four hair types. Most of us fit into 

took me for my first haircut, and the local straight, wavy, curly or kinky types. 

barber had to prop me up on a board so Each can be broken down further based 

as to be able to work on top. The only on the type of curl, texture, and other 

hair cut style suitable for boys in those characteristics. Of course, movie star Yul 

days was the brush cut adopted by most Brenner, challenged all of that by being 

NHL hockey players, our idols. Thus, bald in “The King and I.” And don’t forget 

Telly Savalas who portrayed “Lieutenant 

Theo Kojak” on the crime drama series 

“Kojak” (1973–1978) and James Bond 

arch-villain “Ernst Stavro Blofeld” in the 

film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” 

Film and TV shows have produced 

myriad hair styles. Princess Leia’s hair 

in the “Star Wars” films exhibited many 

transformations. However, her curled 

side buns tend to be most memorable 

as was the flirtatious curl in Christopher 

Reeves’ “Superman.” John Travolta in 

“Grease” fit the 1950s rebel style when 

Brylcreem ruled the day. And who can 

forget Marge Simpson’s blue beehive, 

which also served as the ultimate storage 

system? 

I enjoy old-fashioned barber shops 

littered with hair on the inevitable black 

and white tiled floor, sports pictures fixed 

on the mirrors, pennants hanging on 

the walls, and those plush black leather 

chairs surrounded by glistening chrome. 

Nowadays younger types tend to opt 

for all sorts of patterns cut into their hair, 

some imitating the logos of their favourite 

athletic team. As for the athletes, it 

appears that either some have way too 

much money to play with or that they 

are bored with looking normal. In this 

regard, baseball players tend to lead the 

way, some employing multiple colours 

to spice up their hair along with strange 

attachments. Raimel Tapia with the 

Toronto Blue Jays appears to be wearing 

spaghetti in his hair—long, thick, white 

strands of spaghetti. I fear for his safety 

if he gets caught in the outfield during a 

windstorm. 

I have always wanted to own a 

barbershop, with one of those rotating 

red, white and blue poles outside to 

lure customers inside. In a barbershop, 

patrons tend to let their guard down. If 

you want to know what’s happening in 

the world, you take a taxi or get a haircut. 

All sorts of secret stuff is revealed. I don’t 

know why, but it just happens. Politicians 

waste a lot of money on expensive polls 

when all they need is a haircut. 

After extensive research, I have 

invented the perfect name for my 

barbershop. No, it’s not “Mike’s.” That’s 

too mundane. We need something 

compelling and appealing. It’s going to 

be named—drum roll please, “The Fickle 

Follicle.” The alliteration alone will draw 

in hordes, particularly poets. I will let you 

know how it goes. 

Listen to Mike’s podcasts (humour, travel 

and poetry) at: The Retirement Coach: 

http://theretirementcoach.libsyn.com/ 

His book, ‘Don’t Ever Quit—a Journal 

of Coping with Crisis & Nourishing Spirit,’ 

is available in print & electronic format at 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KBdPWQ 

P A G E 

16 

It’s hard to explain puns to kleptomaniacs because they always take things literally. 


It’s the advertising that makes this magazine possible, and free! 


The DISCOUNT LIST 

A list i of o local discountsi 

s or offers that a t 

benefit n 

efi t 

people ple e over e acertain a a i 

age. 

PLEASE LET US KNOW OF ANY THAT ARE MISSING! 



THE 

DISCOUNT 

LIST 

Sponsored By: 

TOWN 

BUSINESS 

SPECIAL OFFER 

AGE+ 

CONTACT 

BRIGHTS GROVE Shoppers Drug Mart 20% OFF Thursdays 65+ 519-869-4224 

CORUNNA Corunna Pharmasave 10% OFF Tuesdays & Fridays 65+ 519-862-2020 

Shoppers Drug Mart 20% OFF Thursdays 65+ 519-862-1451 

Corunna Foodland 2% OFF Wednesdays 60+ 519-862-5213 

FOREST CDS Pharmacy 15% OFF Wednesdays 60+ 519-786-2104 

Forest Naturals & Home Health 10% OFF Wednesdays 60+ 226-520-0054 

Forest Pharmasave 15% OFF Wednesdays 60+ 519-786-5161 

Williamson Farms Country Store Various Wednesdays 55+ 226-520-0144 

PETROLIA Bargain Shop 20-30% 1st Wednesday of month 60+ 519-882-0057 

Country Yarns 15% OFF See ad in The Club all ages 519-882-8740 

Gramma’s Candy Store 5% OFF Tuesdays 60+ 519-882-1212 

Heidi’s Your Independent Grocer 10% OFF Tuesdays 60+ 519-882-2211 

Hogan Pharmacy 20% OFF Wednesdays 60+ 519-882-1840 

Johnny G’s Premium Pizza 15% OFF Tuesdays 55+ 519-882-2000 

M&M Food Market 10% OFF Tuesdays 60+ 519-882-4316 

McDonald’s 20% OFF* Coffee/Tea daily 55+ 519-882-3678 

PT EDWARD Twin Bridge Lighting 15% OFF Mondays 55+ 519-344-3535 

SARNIA Bulk Barn 10% OFF Wednesdays 65+ 519-542-6668 

Cameron Paint (two locations) 15% OFF Wednesdays 55+ 519-491-9994 

Cameron Paint (two locations) 20% OFF 1st Friday of month all ages 519-332-8081 

Custom Plumbing 10% OFF Every day 65+ 519-337-1545 

Generation Paint Company 15% OFF Every day 65+ 519-330-4424 

Giant Tiger 10% OFF Ist Monday of month 65+ 519-336-0831 

Goodwill 25% OFF 2nd Monday of month 55+ 519-541-9273 

London Road Pharmacy 20% OFF Thursdays 60+ 519-491-6778 

M&M Food Market 10% OFF Tuesdays 60+ 519-542-8398 

McDonald’s 20% OFF* Coffee/Tea daily 55+ 519-336-7096 

Michaels 10% OFF Every day 60+ 519-542-3200 

Mission Thrift Store 20% OFF Thursdays 65+ 519-337-1614 

OMG Poutine 15% OFF Tuesdays 60+ 519-491-5563 

Petsmart 10% OFF Grooming on Tuesdays 65+ 519-542-2822 

Peavey Mart 20% OFF Last Tuesday of month 55+ 519-542-4091 

Pet Valu 10% OFF Last Thursday of month 60+ 519-541-0468 

Ren’s Pets 10% OFF Last Wed. of month 60+ 519-333-6606 

Rexall Pharmacy 20% OFF Tuesdays 55+ 519-332-5575 

Salvation Army Thrift Store 25% OFF 1st Wednesday of month 60+ 519-344-3781 

Sarnia Pharmacy 10% OFF Tuesdays and Fridays 65+ 519-337-3215 

Shoppers Drug Mart 20% OFF Thursdays 65+ 519-337-3727 

Value Village 30% OFF Tuesdays 60+ 519-541-0153 

STRATHROY M&M Food Market 10% OFF Tuesdays 60+ 519-245-6355 

McDonald’s 20% OFF* Coffee/Tea daily 55+ 519-245-3821 

WYOMING SunCoast Natural Health 15% OFF Every day 65+ 226-307-0694 

Wyoming Tree Service 10% OFF Every day 65+ 519-845-0847 

Call 519-491-1676 or email info@welcometotheclub.ca to add one! 

Please remember: e 

r: These discounts are for reference. eren 

en 

They may change & may not 

apply ply to specific c items. Stores are not obligated to adhere to what we’ve printed. 

You may also need to ask in order to get the discount. t Thanks for understanding. 

ndin 

Get It 

Done Right 

The First 

Time 

JOBS BIG OR SMALL: 

• Faucet Installation 

• Leak Repairs 

• Clogged Drains 

• Camera Inspection 

• Toilet Replacement 

& Installation 

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• Frozen Pipes 

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Replacement 

Ask for your 

Seniors Discount 

Family i 

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Owned e d 

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p and d Proudly Serving 

Lambton b 

t n County u Since 1991 

345 Ontario Street, Unit B 

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CustomPlumbingSarnia.com 

Give us a call with 

your plumbing questions 

or for a free estimate! 


If I could just say a few words, I’d be a better public speaker. (Homer Simpson) 

P A G E 

17


We want your 

photos, stories 

& anecdotes 

showcasing 

Sarnia-Lambton! 


THE 

CLUB 

Send them to 


We also welcome your ideas, 

comments or questions. 


Chauffeur Service 

ALL AIRPORTS 

In Sarnia.... 

• Airport flight schedules are cancelled ..... 

• Trains are cut back..... 

• Buses are cut back..... 

• Shuttles are cut back..... 

Private & Personal... “Door to Door” Chauffeur Service • 24 HRS. Day 

Toronto, Detroit, Flint, Hamilton, London, Kitchener/Waterloo Airports 

(This is not a “Shuttle Service”) 

- “New Model” 

- Experienced, Accident Free, Mature Male Driver 

- Have Current Sarnia Police Check, RCMP Check, USA NEXUS Check 

- Luggage Service In/Out Vehicle, from Home & Airport Pickups 

- Portable “Luggage” Weight Scale, & Small “Step Stool” in Vehicle 

- GPS Confirmation of Flights, with Texting Service when Boarding & Landed 

- Small Pets are “Welcome,” in an Airline-Approved Pet Carrier 

SPECIALIZING IN CANADIAN “SNOWBIRDS” 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR A FAIR PRICE - GRATUITIES APPRECIATED 

Scan with Phone 

Don’t be worried 

about your 

smartphone 

or TV 

spying 

on you. 

Your vacuum 

cleaner 

has been 

collecting 

dirt on you 

for years. 

Please Email or Text for more details. 

Also, for other services like Train Stations, Weddings, 

Hospital Treatments, coming to the area for a Funeral. 

NOTE: 12 Passenger Van also available 

DRIVERS ARE FULLY VACCINATED 

Text or Call Joe @ 519-339-6628 

... 

or E-mail ... joebe1@sympatico.ca 

Thank You, Joe Szasz Sr. 

(Text preferred. Please leave a message on voice calls, as I am usually on the road) 

This magazine comes with a free, built-in, old fashioned fly swatter! 

Kern 

water 

1804 London Line, Sarnia 

519-542-4211 

kernwater.com 

Mon–Fri 9 am–6 pm • Sat 8 am–2 pm 

Bill Doolin 

Bill Doolin was what we named this 

black Shetland stallion that I bought 

from the owner when we purchased 

our fifty acre farm. I didn’t pay much 

for him, maybe twenty dollars, but 

we had two other ponies so what was 

one more. He was only three years 

old at the time. Nice mannered for 

a stallion and pretty as well, black in 

colour with a long flowing mane and 

tail. He was a spunky little animal 

though, with lots of pep. 

I had this little four wheeled buggy 

that I bought shortly after and decided 

to hook the pony to it. Problem was, 

he wasn’t yet broke, neither to ride 

or drive. The first thing was to break 

him to hamess which I set about to 

do. Now I had broke (or trained) a few 

saddle horses in the past and I always 

started off by ground driving them. 

The method was to have someone 

lead the animal and then walk along 

behind with the lines in hand,teaching 

them to stop (whoa), start (giddy up) 

and turn in the direction that the lines 

(reigns) were pulled. Simple enough. 

I already had bought a harness that 

just fit him. One problem: who to 

get to lead the pony while I drove. At 

that time, my wife was a bit afraid of 

horses and ponies (she later got over 

that). 

“I’m not going to lead that 

pony! He’s wild. what if something 

happens,” she said. 

“Nothing is going to happen,” I 

assured her. “I’ll have a hold of the 

reigns so he can’t go ahead while 

you are leading him. It’s absolutely 

safe. There is no way that you can get 

hurt.” 

So one Saturday morning the horse 

training session began in a small field 

next to the barn. I harnessed the pony 

and led him out. I had just finished 

cleaning out stalls and was wearing 

a pair of rubber boots. This in itself 

was a bad idea. I walked 

up towards the head of 

the pony, grabbed the 

bridle and fastened a 

lead rope onto the bit. 

My wife was standing 

reluctantly by, watching 

the pony who’s eyes 

were beginning to get a real wild 

look in them. 

“Okay honey. You just grab 

the rope and lead him around 

the pasture while I drive.” 

“I don’t like this,” she said, 

“What if he jumps at me?” 

U-Fill 

Water 

Delivery 

Service 

Reverse 

Osmosis 

and Alkaline 

By Claude W. Tiffin, Chatham 

from Daytripping Nov-Dec 2011 

I shook my head in a negative way. 

“We already went over this. He can’t 

go ahead while I have the reigns in 

my hand.” 

So it began. I handed her the lead 

rope while holding the driving lines 

snuggly in hand and letting out line 

until I got in position. 

“Just start walking away,” I said. 

With that I yelled “Giddyup Bill!” 

With that, the small stallion reared 

up on his hind legs, the wife panicked, 

dropped the lead rope, and took off 

running! The pony, who was very 

quick on his feet spun around facing 

me and ran off leaving me to hold a 

handful of slack reins until he hit the 

end of them at which time he nearly 

jerked me out of my boots! Now a 

pony can run maybe thirty miles an 

hour while a man can run twenty. My 

strides as I flew along behind were 

about twenty feet in length for about 

the first minute, or until we came to 

that board fence where he split the 

one board going through and left me 

hanging on the top one. I looked up 

to see him disappearing around the 

barn. I got up after I regained some of 

my wind and looked around. 

Now, the pony was gone - and so 

was my wife. Minutes later, I found 

her behind the barn when I went 

looking for the pony. She was bent 

over laughing. 

“That was the funniest thing that 

I ever seen. You should have seen 

yourself with those rubber boots 

flying along behind that pony trying 

to keep up.” 

It wasn’t all that funny to me but it 

must have been to her as a spectator. 

Her words? 

She was still laughing as she said, 

“I ran behind the barn because I 

didn’t want you to see me laughing. 

You and those rubber boots were sure 

a sight just touching the ground now 

and then, while you tried to keep up 

with that pony!!” 

“Funny for you,” I said as I 

set out looking for Bill Doolin. 

P A G E 

18 

“On the other hand, you have different fingers.” (Steven Wright) 


Many of the articles are from the archives of Daytripping Magazine. 



Snapshots 

by Sarnia-Lambton Photographers! 

Aqua Fitness & Water Therapy Classes 

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Scan QR code 

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Seniors (60+) 

rate $7 per class 

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Wendy Anderson Pounder 

1166 Emily Street, Mooretown • 519-867-2651 

www.stclairtownshipcommunityservices.ca 

WHEN I WAS 

YOUNG, 

THE DEAD SEA 

WAS ONLY SICK. 

~George Burns 

You can’t buy 

Happiness 

but you can 

BUY 

LOCAL! 

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Want your photos featured? 519-491-1676 or info@welcometotheclub.ca 


A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it. 

P A G E 

19



We’re living life to the fullest (until about 9 pm). 

Upcoming 

EVENTS 


THE 

CLUB 

Events are listed FREE for 

non-profit groups 

(space 

perming). 

NOV 2023 

S M T W T F S 

1 2 3 4 

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 

26 27 28 29 30 

DEC 2023 

S M T W T F S 

1 2 

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 

31 

DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please check ahead if possible. 

WEEKLY EVENTS 

Please note that some ongoing and weekly events may be 

cancelled during the holiday season. Please check ahead. 

weekdays ongoing Multiple adult activities at Strangway Centre, Sarnia www.sarnia.ca 332-0656 

weekdays ongoing Low Impact Chair Yoga on Your TV, Cogeco, 9am www.sarnia.ca 332-0656 

weekdays ongoing Balanced Yoga on YourTV Cogeco, 9:30am www.sarnia.ca 332-0656 

weekdays ongoing Walk with Warwick, ELCC Watford, 9-10am www.warwicktownship.ca 

monthly ongoing Book Clubs and more at various Lambton Cty Libraries lclibrary.libnet.info/events 

Mon-Sat ongoing Euchre, Watford Legion, 9am 519-876-2351 info@watfordlegion.com 

Mon-Thurs ongoing Adult Skate 12:15-1:15pm at Clearwater Arena, Free www.sarnia.ca/play 

Mon ongoing Adult Skate, Thedford, 12:30-1:30pm, Free www.lambtonshores.ca 

Mon ongoing Shuffle Up and Deal Euchre, ELCC Watford, 1-4pm, $3 www.warwicktownship.ca 

Mon ongoing Pepper, Corunna Legion, 1pm 519-862-1240 

Mon ongoing Adult Lunch Time Skate, Petrolia, 12-1pm, $3 www.town.petrolia.on.ca 

Mon (last) ongoing Zoom Genealogy meetings, 2-3:30pm (not in December) www.lambton.ogs.on.ca 

Mon ongoing Forever Fit with LEO, Wyoming Legion, 9:30am www.leohelps.ca 

Mon ongoing Open Play Adult Pickleball, ELCC Watford 7pm www.warwicktownship.ca 

Mon ongoing Darts, Watford Legion, 7pm 519-876-2351 info@watfordlegion.com 

Mon (2nd) ongoing Buddy Check Coffee, Free, Support Group, 11am svance505@gmail.com 

Tues ongoing Sr. Exercises, Watford Legion, 10-11am 519-876-2351 info@watfordlegion.com 

Tues (alt) ongoing Euchre, Plympton/Wyoming fair bldg. 1pm $5 FB Plympton/Wyoming Ag. Society 

Tues (1st) ongoing Coffee & Conversation, Grief support group, 1:30pm FB Camlachie United Church 

Tues ongoing Casual Guitar Jam at Grace United Sarnia, 1-3pm, $2 226-784-3206 

Tues (2nd) ongoing LEO Diners Club, Soup & Sandwich in Sombra www.leohelps.ca 

Tues (4th) ongoing LEO Diners Club, Soup & Sandwich in Petrolia www.leohelps.ca 

Tues ongoing Euchre, Watford Legion 7pm FB Watford Legion 

Tues ongoing Euchre, Wyoming Legion 7pm FB Wyoming Legion 

Tues (alt) ongoing Meat Raffle, 6:30 at Black Gold Brewery, Petrolia FB Petrolia Area ON Kiwanis 

Tues ongoing Euchre, Sarnia Legion, 6:45pm FB Sarnia Legion Branch 62 

Wed ongoing Facts and Chats, Strangway Centre, 10-11am, Register sarnia.ca 332-0656 

Wed ongoing Adult Skating, Watford, 11:30-12:20, ELCC www.warwicktownship.ca 

Wed ongoing Open Play Adult Pickleball - ELCC Watford 9:30am www.warwicktownship.ca 

Wed to Dec 20 Chair Yoga, Corunna Legion, 6:30pm, Register, $12 519-862-1240 

Wed to Dec 20 Beginner Yoga, Corunna Legion, 7:30pm, Register, $12 519-862-1240 

Wed ongoing Triple C Carvers, Royal Cdn Naval Assoc, 8:30-12 www.tripleccarvers.ca 

Wed ongoing Darts, Forest Legion, 7pm www.forestlegion.ca 

Wed (2nd & 4th) ongoing Day Hospice St. Joseph’s Hospice, Reg. required 519-337-0537 

Wed ongoing Forever Fit with LEO, Wyoming Legion, 9:30am www.leohelps.ca 

Wed (1st) ongoing LEO Diners Club, Afternoon Tea in Sarnia www.leohelps.ca 

Wed (3rd) ongoing LEO Diners Club, Hot Lunch in Corunna www.leohelps.ca 

Wed ongoing Euchre, Petrolia Legion 7pm www.petrolialegion216.ca 

Wed ongoing Adult Skate, Forest, 12-1pm, Free www.lambtonshores.ca 

Wed (3rd) ongoing Meeting Night at Oil Springs Legion FB Oil Springs Legion 

Thurs ongoing Adult Skate, Forest, 12-1pm, Free www.lambtonshores.ca 

Thurs ongoing Pepper, Petrolia Legion 1pm www.petrolialegion216.ca 

Thurs ongoing Forever Fit with LEO, Alvinston Arena, 9am www.leohelps.ca 

Thurs (2nd) ongoing LEO Peer Social Club, Coffee Social in Alvinston, 10am-noon www.leohelps.ca 

Thurs ongoing Sr. Exercises, 10-11am, Watford Legion 519-876-2351 info@watfordlegion.com 

Thurs ongoing Shuffleboard, Forest Legion 11am www.forestlegion.ca 

Thurs ongoing Adult Lunch Time Skate, Petrolia, 12-1pm, $3 www.town.petrolia.on.ca 

Thurs to Dec 14 Cribbage, Corunna Legion 1pm 519-862-1240 

Thurs (2nd & 4th) ongoing Caregiver Support Group, St. Joseph’s Hospice, 1:30-3pm 519-337-0537 

Thurs ongoing Euchre, Forest Legion 1:30pm www.forestlegion.ca 

Thurs ongoing Meat Raffle, BG Optimist Club, Skeeter Barlow’s, 6pm brightsgroveoptimists.com 

Fri ongoing Meat Raffle, Catch the Ace, Watford Legion 5pm 876-2351 info@watfordlegion.com 

Fri to Dec 22 Bridge, Corunna Legion 1pm 519-862-1240 

Fri ongoing Adult Skate, Thedford, 12:30-1:30pm, Free www.lambtonshores.ca 

Fri ongoing Cornhole, Forest Legion, 7pm www.forestlegion.ca 

Fri (1st) ongoing First Friday, downtown multi-cultural walkabout FB Sarnia First Friday 

Fri (2nd & 4th) to Dec 22 Meat Darts, Corunna Legion, 7-11pm 519-862-1240 

Fri ongoing Games Night, Petrolia Legion 7pm www.petrolialegion216.ca 

Fri ongoing Open Play Adult Pickleball, ELCC Watford 7pm www.warwicktownship.ca 

Sat ongoing Meat Raffle, Petrolia Legion 2pm www.petrolialegion216.ca 

Sat ongoing Meat Raffle, Forest Legion 3:30pm www.forestlegion.ca 

Sat ongoing Meat Raffle, Wyoming Legion 4pm FB Wyoming Legion 

Sat (alt) ongoing Meat Raffle, Oil Springs Legion 4pm FB Oil Springs Legion 

Sun (4th) Sept to June Sarnia Stamp Club Meetings, Grace United, 2pm www.sarniastampclub.ca 

EXHIBITS 

ongoing L. Shores Historic Buildings at Lambton Heritage Museum www.heritagemuseum.ca 

ongoing online Nnigiiwemin/We are going home exhibit (virtual) www.heritagemuseum.ca 

ongoing online Lambton Agricultural Hall of Fame (virtual) www.heritagemuseum.ca 

ongoing online Lambton at War (virtual) www.heritagemuseum.ca 

ongoing online Shine: Spotlight on Women of Lambton www.heritagemuseum.ca 

ongoing online The Farmerettes (virtual) www.heritagemuseum.ca 

ongoing online First Nations in the 149th www.heritagemuseum.ca 

til Dec18 Sarnia Open Stage at Lawrence House, 2nd & 3rd Mon lawrencehouse.ca 

Nov 3-25 Sarnia A Time for Giving, Members Exhibit, Wed-Sun lawrencehouse.ca 

Nov 3-30 Sarnia Christmas at the House, Wed-Sun lawrencehouse.ca 

Nov 3-25 Sarnia Trevor Jamieson Solo Exhibit, Wed-Sun lawrencehouse.ca 

Nov 4-Dec16 B Grove Gifts of the Season Curated Art Sale, Mon-Sat galleryinthegrove.com 

2618 Hamilton Rd (at Wildwood Park) 

Brights Grove • 519-869-4643 

www.galleryinthegrove.com 

MONDAY-THURSDAY 2-5, FRIDAY & SATURDAY 11-2 

WEEKLY EVENTS Cont’d 

GIFTS OF THE SEASON 

November 4th to December 16th 

ANNUAL ARTISAN SALE 

LOOKING THROUGH THEIR LENS 

January 6th to February 3rd 

Shaun Antle, Scott Clarke, 

Mary Kilbreath, Glenn Ogilvie 

WHERE I’M FROM 

February 17th to March 23rd 

JURIED EXHIBITION 

Dec 1-30 Sarnia Handmade for the Holidays, Members Exhibit, Wed -Sun lawrencehouse.ca 

Jan 6 -Feb 3 B Grove Looking Through Their Lens, Mon-Sat galleryinthegrove.com 

Feb17-Mr23 B Grove Where I’m From, Juried Exhibition, Mon-Sat galleryinthegrove.com 

Mr30 -Ap27 B Grove Fibre & Fabric Fusions: Patti Cook & Fibre Artists Collective galleryinthegrove.com 

NOVEMBER 2023 

13 Sarnia Open Stage at Lawrence House, 7pm www.lawrencehouse.ca 

14 Sarnia Will Planning w. Exit Realty Twin Bridges, Pre-reg. exitsarnia.com/will-poa-seminar 

14 Online Lambton Ontario Ancestors Mtg w. Coral Harkies, 7pm www.lambton.ogs.on.ca 

14 Petrolia Kick off to Christmas Event, Hogan Pharmacy Petrolia 519-882-1840 

15 Petrolia Country Soft Rock Jamboree, 12-4pm, Lunch available www.petrolialegion216.ca 

15 Sarnia Susan Aglukark’s UPINNAQ Christmas Tour www.imperialtheatre.net 

16 Corunna Trivia Night at Legion, 7-9pm 519-862-1240 

16 Sarnia SLBDC pres. One Good Shift w. Shaun Peet www.imperialtheatre.net 

17-18 Petrolia Christmas Open House at Artz Den www.artzden.ca 

17-18 Petrolia Olde Post Office Gift Shoppe Christmas Open House 519-882-0747 

17-18 Petrolia Downtown Christmas Open House Weekend www.town.petrolia.on.ca 

18 Wyoming CRC Christmas Vendor Sale, John Knox School, 10am-4pm 519-845-0244 

18 Sarnia DeGroot’s Christmas Craft Sale, 8am-3pm FB DeGroot’s Nurseries 

18 Wyoming Great Canadian Dueling Pianos/Christmas for Everyone FB Wyoming Legion 

18 Pt Edward Pt Ed Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Ladies Bazaar, 9am 519-337-9822 

18 Corunna Christmas Craft & Gift Show, Corunna Legion, 10am-2pm 519-862-1240 

18 Port Franks Cindy McIntyre, Psychic Medium, 3-5pm at Comm. Ctr. www.eventbrite.ca 

18-19 Thedford Widder Wonderland Holiday Market, Adv. Tickets only www.widderstation.com 

Send Your Events in for Free Text Listing or Display Ad to info@welcometotheclub.ca 

P A G E 

20 

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” (Groucho Marx) 


There’s no cost for local groups & advertisers to submit events! 

Upcoming 

EVENTS 


THE 

CLUB 

Events are listed FREE for 

non-profit groups 

(space 

perming). 


JAN 2024 

S M T W T F S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 

28 29 30 31 


FEB 2024 

S M T W T F S 

1 2 3 

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 

25 26 27 28 29 

DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please check ahead if possible. 

18-19 Watford Christmas Home Tour, by Watford Horticultural Society 519-636-1161 

19 Sarnia The Wonder of It All, by Mark Weatherly www.imperialtheatre.net 

19-20 Sarnia CinéSarnia: “Past Lives” at Sarnia Public Library www.cinesarnia.com 

20 Watford Will & Estate Planning at Library, 1:30-3pm, pre-reg. lclibrary.libnet.info/events 


21 Petrolia Will & Estate Planning at Library, 1-2:30pm, pre-reg. lclibrary.libnet.info/events 

21 Sarnia A Tyler Shaw Christmas www.imperialtheatre.net 

23 Sarnia Coping Through the Holidays, St. Joseph’s Hospice, 6pm Reg. 519-337-0537 ext. 126 

23 Sarnia Celtic Christmas, Sarnia Library, 7pm www.bluewaterwindensemble.org 

24 Watford Wing Night at Watford Legion 519-876-2351 info@watfordlegion.com 

24 Sarnia Friday Night Dance - Polish Hall, 7:30, $10 519-337-5708 or polishhallsarnia.ca 

24 Forest Black Friday Sales, Christmas in the Park www.shopforest.ca 

24-25 Petrolia Victorian Christmas Home Tour for Christ Ang. Church, 5-9pm, $20 519-882-1430 

24-25 Sarnia The Nutcracker www.imperialtheatre.net 

24-Dec10 Petrolia “Starbright Christmas 2023” at VPP www.thevpp.ca 

25 Corunna Wellings of Corunna Craft & Vendor Show, 10am-3pm FB Wellings of Corunna 

25 Forest Christmas Craft & Vendor Sale, Legion, 10am-3pm, Free 519-330-8077 

25 Sarnia Crafternoon Tea, OLM Hall, 11am-2:30pm 519-383-7541 

25 Sarnia Ladies Guild Craft & Bake Sale, 9am-1pm, Trinity Anglican Church 519-542-9261 

25 Pt Franks Holiday Marketplace in the Port, Community Ctr, 10am-3pm lsntlindaa@gmail.com 

25 Sarnia It’s A Vibe, CNIB Fundraiser at Collide Lounge, 6pm 519-333-8797 

25 Petrolia Christmasfest 2023, St. Paul’s U.C. 10am-3pm FB St. Paul’s United Church Petrolia 

25 Forest Santa Claus Parade, 6pm FB Kiwanis Club of Forest Ontario 

25 Grand Bend Lions Club Santa Claus Parade, 6:30pm www.jinglebellsgb.com 

25-26 Grand Bend Christmas Open House, Westland Greenhouses, 8am-5pm 519-238-1321 

10133133 Lakeshore Road 

3 km South of GRAND BEND 

519-238-1321 • Open 7 Days 

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE 

NOVEMBER 25-26 • 8AM-5PM 

• Santa visits both days 11am to 2 pm 

• Kids can make a FREE Christmas arrangement 

• Come enjoy our fresh made Dutch “oliebollen” 

• Christmas decor and trees, outdoor greenery 

26 Corunna Jim “Mitch” Mitchell Mem. Euchre Tournament, at Legion $10 519-862-1240 

27 Online Lambton Ontario Ancestors, Drop In & Chat, 2pm www.lambton.ogs.on.ca 

28 Petrolia Cosmetics Supreme Sparkle Event, Hogan Pharmacy Petrolia 519-882-1840 

29 Grand Bend Turkey Dinner at Legion, 4:30-7:30pm, $15, pre-order by Nov 24 519-238-2120 

DECEMBER 2023 

1 Petrolia Christmas in the Park, Victoria Park FB Town of Petrolia 

1 Sarnia Showcase Literacy 2023 with Peter Mansbridge www.sarniabookkeeper.com 

1 Lambton Shores Christmas at the Centre, Lambton Centre, 4-9pm FB Lambton Centre 

1 Wyoming Christmas Quarter Auction, Legion, 6:30pm, $5 FB Wyoming Legion 

2 Point Edward Christmas in the Village, 11am-3pm www.villageofpointedward.com 

2 Point Edward Christmas Open House at Manleys,11am-3pm shop.manleys.com 

2 Alvinston Christmas Celebration Market, 4-8pm, BAICC azevents.swo@gmail.com 

2 Alvinston “It’s A Hallmark Christmas” Parade, festivities, craft sales 519-490-5393 

2 Petrolia Christmas Market, at Farmers’ Market, 10am-3pm FB Town of Petrolia 

2 Petrolia Santa Claus Parade, 2pm FB Town of Petrolia 

2 Sarnia/Wyoming A Kid’s Christmas Adventure at Sipkens, 10am-3pm www.sipkensnurseries.com 

2 Corunna Gwetaandaawe Market, 9am-2pm 519-336-8410 or FB 

2-3 Petrolia Holiday Craft Market, 11-5pm, 519-882-1557 www.petrolialegion216.ca 

December 2 & 3 • 11 to 5 

4129 Glenview Rd, PETROLIA 

www.petrolialegion216.ca/events 

NOVEMBER 2023 Cont’d 

ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BR 216 PETROLIA 

presents 

HOLIDAY CRAFT SHOW 

& VENDOR MARKET 

• Arts & Craft Vendors • FREE Gift Wrapping 

• Food Available • FREE Admission • TOY DRIVE 

3-4 Sarnia CinéSarnia: “Peace by Chocolate” at Sarnia Public Library www.cinesarnia.com 

5 Petrolia Ladies Night, (All Day/Night) Hogan Pharmacy Petrolia 519-882-1840 

6-9 Sarnia Nightingale Chorus “The Spirit of Christmas” www.imperialtheatre.net 

DECEMBER 2023 Cont’d 

6 Watford Moonlight Madness, 5-8pm, activities, shopping & more azevents.swo@gmail.com 

8 Sarnia Friday Night Dance, Polish Hall, 7:30pm, $10 519-337-5708 or polishhallsarnia.ca 

8-9 Sarnia Christmas on the Farm, Canatara Pk, Fri 5:30-9pm, Sat 10-2pm www.sarnia.ca 

9 Forest Turkey & Ham Raffle, 3pm, $25 per stick with 50/50 www.forestlegion.ca 

9 Wyoming Christmas in the Village Celebrations, Lions Hall, 5:30pm FB PW Special Events 

9 Reeces Corners Christmas in the Village at Marcanda Gifts 519-845-3133 

9 Wyoming Christmas in the Village Craft Show, Legion & Lions Hall FB Wyoming Lioness Lions 

9 Kettle Point Christmas Parade and Craft Sale, Hillside Gym, 9am-noon 519-786-6680 ext. 117 

9 Brigden Winter Market, 10am-3pm at Brigden Fair 519-864-1197 or FB Event 


12 Petrolia Men’s Night, (All Day/Night) Hogan Pharmacy Petrolia 519-882-1840 

12 Sarnia Lambton Ontario Ancestors Mtg In-Person Sharing 7pm www.lambton.ogs.on.ca 

13 Petrolia Boomer’s Christmas, YMCA 519-882-2232 

15 Watford Christmas Meat Raffle, Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest at Legion 519-876-2351 

15-16 Sarnia Sarnia Christmas Market at Sunbridge Hotel emep2019@gmail.com 

15-17 Petrolia The VPP Holiday Jamboree www.thevpp.ca 

1.800.717.7694 • www.thevpp.ca 

December 15 to 17 

VPP P 

HOLIDAY 

JAMBOREE 

Foot o t 

Stompin’ ’ Festive e Fun 

n 

15-23 Sarnia Irving Berlin’s White Christmas www.imperialtheatre.net 


19 Petrolia Last Minute Christmas Event, Hogan Pharmacy Petrolia 519-882-1840 

20 Petrolia Country Soft Rock Jamboree, 12-4, Lunch available www.petrolialegion216.ca 

22 Sarnia A Christmas Rock Story at Progressive Auto Sales Arena www.ontbluecoast.com 

31 Wyoming New Year’s Eve Hoedown, Scott Manery & Barnburners FB Wyoming Legion 

31 Petrolia New Year’s Eve Celebration w. Newport Electric www.petrolialegion216.ca 

31 Sarnia RCNA Sarnia New Year’s Dance 9:30pm, Borderline 519-344-0331 

JANUARY 2024 

1 Forest President’s Levee, Noon www.forestlegion.ca 

1 Petrolia President’s Levee, Noon - 4pm www.petrolialegion216.ca 

1 Petrolia Petrolia 150th Opening Gala, Victoria Hall, 7:30-10:30pm www.petrolia150.com 

6 Sarnia Open House at Strangway Community Centre, 9:30-2 www.sarnia.ca 

21 Sarnia ISO: At the Movies www.imperialtheatre.net 

27 Sarnia Classic Albums Live: The Who - Who’s Next www.imperialtheatre.net 

27 Sarnia Noelle’s Gift to Children: Winter Wonderland Black Tie Gala donations@noellesgift.ca 

31-Feb4 Sarnia Halfway There, Wednesday to Sunday www.imperialtheatre.net 

FEBRUARY 2024 

16-19 Petrolia Family Fun Days www.petrolia150.com 

25 Sarnia ISO: Cook County Celtic www.imperialtheatre.net 

SEND US YOUR EVENTS NOW 

for FREE TEXT LISTING in Feb-April bA Issue 

Include locaon, date, 

name of the event, 

website or 

contact number. 

Send to: 



THE 

CLUB 


“If I am reading this graph correctly, I would be very surprised.” (Stephen Colbert) 

P A G E 

21



I’d write something better here, but I forgot to! 

The Historic 

Theatre 

Entertaining audiences since 1917 in the 

Oldest Modern Theatre in North America 

RENOVATED & ACCESSIBLE 

24 King St W, FOREST • www.kineto.ca 

Your TICKET to First Run Movies, 

Concerts, Film Festivals & 

Community Events! 

RESERVED 

SEATING 

& RUSH 

SEATS 

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down 

a well. The animal cried piteously for 

hours as the farmer tried to figure out 

what to do. Finally, he decided the 

animal was too old to be of much use to 

him any longer, and the well was really 

old... so it would be best to cover it up. 

He invited all his neighbours to 

come over and help him. They all 

grabbed a shovel and began to shovel 

dirt into the well. Soon the donkey 

realized what was happening and 

began to cry horribly, but after a while 

he quieted down. 

A few more shovel loads, and the 

farmer decided to look down into the 

well. He was astonished at what he saw. 

With each shovel of dirt that hit the 

donkey’s back, the donkey would shake 

it off and take a step up! Remarkable! 

After a few hours of shoveling, the 

donkey stepped up over the edge of the 

E-Mail 

The E-Mail 

IN-BOX 

Send the good stuff to info@welcometotheclub.ca 

Well Oh Well 

well and happily trotted off. 

So, it’s like this... life is going to shovel 

dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. Sometimes 

you will know the hand on the shovel. 

The trick to getting out of the well is to 

shake it off and take a step up. Each 

of our troubles is a stepping stone. We 

can get out of the deepest well just by 

not giving up. Think creatively, change 

your viewpoint on the situation, it may 

not be as hopeless as it first appears... 

shake it off and take a step up. 

Now, as a fitting finish to the donkey 

story... the donkey later came back 

and bit the farmer who had tried to 

bury him. The gash from the bite got 

infected and the farmer eventually died 

in agony from septic shock. 

The moral from today’s lesson? 

When you do something wrong, and try 

to cover your ass, it always comes back 

to bite you! 


Wisdom of... 

Frank Lloyd Wright 

The thing always happens that you really believe in; 

and the belief in a thing makes it happen. 

Early in life, I had to choose between honest arrogance 

and hypocritical humility. I chose honest arrogance 

and have seen no occasion to change. 

The present is the ever moving shadow that divides 

yesterday from tomorrow. In that lies hope. 

A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can 

only advise his clients to plant vines. 

A man is a fool if he drinks before he reaches the age 

of 50, and a fool if he doesn't afterward. 

If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the 

push-button finger. 

Art for art's sake is a philosophy of the well-fed. 

An architect's most useful tools are an eraser at the 

drafting board, and a wrecking bar at the site. 

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will 

never fail you. 

• Collecbles • Giware • Kids Toys, Games & Books • Fudge 

• Maple Buer Tarts & Baking • Williamson Farms Beef & Pork 

• Local Honey • Cheese • Local Cider • Williamson Farms Maple Syrup 

Monday to Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-5 (Closed Mondays Jan-March) 

Check Social Media for extended Christmas hours 

14 King Street West, FOREST • 226-520-0144 

www.williamsonfarmscountrystore.ca 

P A G E 

22 

Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back. 


Isn’t it weird being the same age as old people? 

Stop & shop in Forest, Ontario! 




We donate $25 for each reprinted 

Daytripping Magazine article. 

$4025 donated since Jan. 2021 

THIS ISSUE’S RECIPIENT is... 

BLUEWATER CENTRE FOR 

RAPTOR REHABILITATION 


Ideas... 

CAROLYN R L N MOSIER 

Women’s Interval Home 

BscP.T. MCPA 

Neighbourlink 

Registered 

ered 

ed 

River City Vineyard 

Physiotherapist 

ist 

Victim Services 

Forest CCMFPhysiotherapy 

and Habitat Rehabilitation 

Hospice 

10 Watt Street, Humane et 

Forest Society 

• 519-786-3336 

36 

Inn of the Good Shepherd 

Kiwanis Animal Farm 

Pathways 

SODA 

Noelle’s Gift 

Mike Weir Foundation 

Gallery in the Grove 

VPP 

Theatre Sarnia 

Lambton Young Theatre Players 

Bluewater Trails 

Strangway Centre 

various city options 

various trails 

Halkovich Outdoor Learning Ce 

Parents for Parks 

Petrolia Discovery 

Check out our downtown - browse our shops, or take in a movie 

at the historic Kineto Theatre! Make a day of it in Forest! 

v1.1 

v1.2 

LEO 

Forest Kineto Theatre 

JOIN US THIS SEASON FOR: 

v1.3 Heritage St. Clair 

v1.4 Sarnia Blessings 

Christmas in the Park and Black Friday Sales Nov 24 

v2.1 Canatara Log Cabin Restoration 

Santa Claus Parade Nov 25 

v2.2 Sarnia-Lambton Rebound 

v2.3 Lambton Shores Nature Trails 

Keep up to date with event & shopping informationv2.4 nuSarnia Foundation 

on our website, Facebook & Instagram! v3.1 Lambton Wildlife Inc. 

v3.2 United Way of Sarnia-Lambton 

This morning I was awake 

v3.3 Miracle Max’s It’s Minions 

Groundhog Day 

now 5:07am. I’ve with a hand Lambton extended Shores outside Nature dancing Trails 

just after 4:30am, which 

v3.4 Lawrence turned House on Centre the fireplace for the in Arts my it in the wind? donation Sitting by in e-transfer the warm sand to 

is not completely unusual 

v4.1 Bluewater bedroom. Centre for I’ve Raptor lit a Rehabilitation 

candle. listening to the waves of an ocean. A 

lsntlindaa@gmail.com 

for me, with a new story 

The room has a soft amber sunrise? A sunset? Listening to the 

running through my head. By Cynthia Waters, Petrolia • www.sailingonfaith.wordpress.com glow to it now. I’ve snuggled sounds of (separate nature from note a tent? for security Literally answ 

These early morning stories 

back in my bed. The new a million tiny little things happen every 

have been my status quo for 

iPad with keyboard is on my single day. It can be so visceral, if you 

decades. Today the reel that 

lap, which I purchased last allow it. To be living right in the present 

was playing in my head was 

month for this very purpose. moment. To be able to experience 

a reflection of a movie from 

I knew last month, with every little thing is huge. Immense joy 

the 90’s called Groundhog 

certainty, I was going to start is there for the taking. Grab hold of it! 

Day. Do you remember that 

breaking free from my own Here I am, nearly 60. Gah! Two 

movie with Bill Murray? The 

personal auto pilot. We all adult children. Wonderful humans 

character he played was 

have that something that uniquely contributing to the world. 

Phil, and he was reliving 

can break us free from the Five grandchildren! These five little 

February 2nd over and over. 

monotonous routine. A new people are the sparkles that decorate 

Groundhog Day. That day 

career? A hobby? Join a group? my life. Over two and a half decades 

was on repeat for poor “Phil,” over and challenges us to realize that with each Volunteering somewhere? Anything out in a wonderful career, and I’m truly 

over, like a record player that skips. At new day, it’s our fresh start to begin of our normal comfort zones? Writing seeping with profound gratitude and 

that time, it drove me crazy, watching again. 

is going to be that small change for immense joy, and yet, I know my life 

in utter frustration as his morning alarm Right now, I can see outside my me. I must go for it! Nothing ventured, is not complete. We humans are in a 

went off at 6:00am, only for him to get window from the warmth of my bed nothing gained. We all must just go for state of continuous evolution. There 

up and relive the same day over. But now that the moon is full and shrouded it!! Take that leap of faith. What is it for is no destination, just the journey. It’s 

I understand the film’s deeper meaning. in a veil of haze. It’s stunning. I just you? Listen to that voice in the deepest not over until it’s over. With that said, 

Phil, aka Bill Murray, quickly learns to heard the snow plow go by to clear the part of you. It’s telling you something. I am utterly aware of the importance 

improve his do-over day each time he roads of the freshly falling snow, but It’s always talking. Incessantly in fact. of being fully conscious as life unfolds. 

wakes up and has to begin again. Each otherwise, everything is so still and so Do you ever notice how it’s so easy So I must get up! And write! A new day 

day, he becomes a little more conscious quiet. I decide to break precedence and to slip into a robotic life of Eat, Work, is dawning and it’s another chance 

in the moments and more aware of his get up and attempt to write down these Sleep, Repeat? We must become for me to change just one little thing. 

surroundings as he engages with the narratives that are coursing through conscious in order to make sure our Is your soul beckoning you to change 

situations that are presented to him. my mind. I realized this morning as lives are not stuck in mediocrity. something today? Even just the smallest 

He quickly realizes that he must make I lay here, that I am living in my own Making sure that we are facing each thing? Just do it fearlessly! 

both small and big changes if he wants version of Groundhog Day. Something new day that’s so filled with promise So as I sit here, in near complete 

to improve this day that he is reliving needs to shift. My everyday morning and a thousand miracles, with our eyes silence, with only a light tapping sound 

on repeat, which ultimately improves is on repeat. …These stories running wide open. That we are truly awake of the keyboard’s keys, my mind racing 

his life. He finally gets it right in the end through my mind year after year and to experience all of it. Every! Single! with a thousand words, I’m doing it! 

which is a relief to the viewer. However, yet, everyday I get up and get on with Thing! They say don’t sweat the small I’m changing my day. My own personal 

this movie raises a great point. How my day, but not today. Even though it’s stuff, and for the negative, I agree, version of Groundhog Day. I’m going to 

can we become more acutely aware of early, I immediately appreciate how but the miracles are really in all that expand ME! So let me ask you…what 

the lives we are living? Enough that we peaceful it is. Kind of magical. I am small stuff. That first cup of coffee, are you waiting for? The possibilities 

have the power to change our outcomes thinking clearly. Totally unencumbered the hot shower, the kitty cat or puppy are truly anything you can imagine! 

moment by moment. If you haven’t for the moment from the noise that is snuggling beside you. A phone call or Limitless! 

seen this movie, I highly recommend inevitably going to descend upon me as a text from your humans. Playing your Stay tuned, as I continue to Sail on 

it. It’s certainly thought provoking. It the day begins. 

favourite song on the radio in your car Faith and out into open seas. 


“I think it’s wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly.” (Steven Wright) 

P A G E 

23



This FREE Magazine is made possible by the 

companies you see adversing in these pages. 

Please consider them when making your 

purchasing decisions, and please let them 

know that you saw their ad in... 


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THECLUB 

We’d like to hear your honest opinions on how you like this magazine. 

• Manicures • Pedicures • Waxing 

• Massage Therapy • Electrolysis 

a getaway from the everyday 

635 Broadway Street 

WYOMING 

226-307-0772 

Can you 

tell me? 

What occurs 

twice in a week, 

once in a year 

but never in a 

day? 

The letter E 

The Sarnia Imperials, 

Grey Cup Champions of Canada for 1936 

Sarnians have never liked losing at sports, and they have especially hated to lose 

to any team from Petrolia. Not surprisingly, while Hard Oilers were capturing football 

honours during the early 1900s, a bitter seed was planted in Sarnia. That seed finally 

flowered in the 1920s, when a legion of great squads from Sarnia Collegiate Institute 

and Technical School (SCITS), fuelled by their impassioned rivalry with Petrolia, 

dominated football affairs not only in Lambton, but throughout Southwestern 

Ontario. As the ‘20s melted into the ‘30s, the cream of these SCITS players went 

on to form the core of the Sarnia Imperials, the local entry in the Ontario Rugby 

Football Union’s Senior Division. As members of the “Imps,” they contested for the 

1933 Grey Cup, but lost in a 4 to 3 squeaker to the Toronto Argonauts. The next year, 

they captured the coveted trophy as Dominion champions by defeating the Regina 

Roughriders 20 to 12. The Imperials again brought home the Grey Cup in 1936 with 

a 26 to 20 triumph over the Ottawa Rough Riders. L to R- front: Walter Buxton, Rocky 

Parsaca, Orm Beach, Neil VanHorne, Mike Hedgewick, Gord Paterson, Cliff Parsons, 

Arnie McWatters, Keith Burden, Alex Hayes, Jim Geary, Bob Thorpe; middle: Bob 

Wyseman, Art Massucci (coach), Cal Moore, Jack 

Wickware, Ike Norris, Ralph Burr, Jack McLean, 

Bill Hall, Reg Ewener, Joe Woodcock, Len Rutter, 

Mike Clawson, Roy Brown, Roy Brush; back: 

Willie Kerr, Ken Stevenson, Claude Harris, 

Bummer Stirling, Red France, Pat Butler. AC 

Courtesy of Glen C. Phillips - 

Lambton: An Illustrated History of the County 

© 1999 

Green County Ebikes 

and 

Mobility Scooters 

New • Used 

Parts • Sales • Service 

Financing Available 

Ebike & 

Mobility Scooter 

Batteries 

Also Sundays in Grand Bend 

at Pinery Antique Flea Market 

638 Broadway Street, Wyoming • 519.333.8313 • www.greencountyebikes.com 

TUES. TO FRI. 

10AM - 5PM 

P A G E 

24 

To steal ideas from one is plagiarism. To steal from many is research. 


Contact us any time. 519-491-1676 or info@welcometotheclub.ca 

Marcanda Gifts 

Tea Room & Boutique 

Bed & Breakfast 

Gift Shop 

& Ladies 

Fashions! 

4562 London Line 

Reeces Corners 

519-845-3133 

LICENSED 

FARM FRESH ARTISAN GOAT CHEESE 

NEW 

LOCATION! 

GLUTEN FREE, 

LOW LACTOSE, 

SPECIALTY 

FOODS 

AS WELL 

5354 Camlachie Rd., Wyoming 

OPEN Tues., Fri. & Sat. •519-845-1613 

5 1613 



PICK YOUR OWN • Strawberries • Raspberries 

• Apples • Pears • Pumpkins (in season) 

4622 London Line, Reeces Corners • 519-845-3482 

Celebrating 

All of the 

Seasons 

PRODUCE FRESH FROM OUR FIELDS 

FARM STORE with fresh produce, 

bakery items, preserves, maple syrup, 

honey & more. Stop by soon! 

www.zekveldgardenmarket.ca 

OPEN MON-SAT 

Children Welcome 

There always seems to be a genuine 

struggle each year celebrating the 

season we are in. Especially in the 

fall. Sunflowers give way to Mums and 

pumpkins and then mummies and 

ghouls, and these seem to be quickly 

chased out by glitter and lights. Sure, 

the days are shortening and lights 

(especially our sun) are quickly missed. 

BUT it is still fall and there needs to be a 

little time to celebrate the cooldown of 

the season. 

Here at Sipkens, we always joke 

about how the seasons change or are 

chased out so very quickly. As a garden 

centre and retailer, yes, we do need to 

start well before the season preparing 

for the next one. 

We like to promote a few ways of 

celebrating the changing of the seasons. 

Planting container gardens of plants 

with winter interest (shades of green 

and blue and berries) is one way we 

get the best of fall and winter. Conifers, 

holly, and accenting foliage plants look 

fabulous together in a planter, and allow 

one to ‘decorate’ without feeling like it 

is ‘Christmas decorating.’ Of course, there are always accents and bling that can be 

added to a planter for the Christmas season, but the subtle and unique beauty of 

plants is enough to excite for many months. Now, keep in mind planting plants in 

pots over winter outdoors is quite risky from a plant survival point of view, (that’s 

why we invest in greenhouses) there is nothing wrong with enjoying the beauty and 

texture and colour, till they expire and are chased out by—you guessed it Pansies! 

We design many hundreds of fresh greenery planters and arrangements for the 

winter season with lots of decorations, glitter, and lights, too. For those who love 

the ‘bling’ you might see these kept up all winter long, though we like to pick out 

the ‘bling’ and just leave the gorgeous greens up with their string lights blinking till 

they bronze in March. This is another way to enjoy nature up close where it can be 

appreciated in all its details. 

Pine, Cedar, Spruce, Fir, Yew, Juniper. Delicious fragrance of life in the winter, 

enjoy it indoors and out. 

Winter Gardening Checklist 

❏ Collect new indoor plants 

❏ Give a friend or family member a 

new plant 

❏ Make up a new reason to shop for 

plants 

❏ Tend your indoor plants by more 

careful watering and tidying after 

the darkest days of the year 

❏ Put out food for our wild birds 

❏ Enjoy the beauty of the season 

surrounding us 

Plan for spring gardening 

❏ Start seedlings for your garden 

indoors or source seeds for 

your garden from your favourite 

garden centre 

❏ Plan large outdoor projects 

by seeking the advice of a 

Professional Landscape Designer 

❏ Take those resolutions and start 

on them one day at a time 

Courtesy of Sipkens Nurseries 

623 Broadway St., Wyoming • 519-845-9915 • VillageFireplaceShop.com 

MESSAGE, UM... RECEIVED? 

A woman was having trouble deciding a text she recieved, 

so she decided to ask her nephew. She wrote: 

Hi John, What do IDK, LY & TTYL mean? 

He texted back: I don’t know, Love you 

& Talk to you later. 

So his aunt responded: It’s okay don’t worry 

about it. I’ll ask your sister. Love you too! 

You’ve got a lot riding on those tires! 

Wyoming 

Auto Centre 

You can trust 

Wyoming Tirecraft 

for personal 

small town service. 

ALL MAJOR BRANDS 

Cars, Trucks, Performance 

Specializing in Farm 

AUTO SERVICE 

Sent in by 

Agnes Ward 

TTYL 

We can also do repairs, 

oil changes, brakes, batteries, 

seasonal maintenance 

and much more 

It’s worth 

the trip 

to Wyoming! 

547 Ontario Street, Wyoming • 519-845-0813 • tirecraft.com 


“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” (Albert Einstein) 

P A G E 

25


Contact Us: 519-845-0847 

info@wyomingtreeservice.ca 


a Farm 

to Table 

Restaurant 

Open 

Wed-Sat 

Elevated Seasonal Dishes, Inspired Cocktails, 

Ontario Beers, Daily & Weekly Features. 

639 BROADWAY ST. WYOMING 

www.localwyomingon.ca 

Growing 

A Greener 

Community, 

One Tree 

At A Time 

SENIORS 10% OFF (65+) 

MARLEY PHARMACY 

60 Y Years of f S Service i t to Wyoming 

W i 

& The Surrounding Community! 

“WHERE GOOD FRIENDS MEET!” 

• Compounding Service Offered 

607 Broadway Street, 

Wyoming 519-845-3341 

Flying 

Blind? 

A flight en route 

to L.A. from San 

Francisco had 

to make an unexpected stop in 

Sacramento. The flight attendant 

explained there would be a delay, 

and if the passengers wanted to 

get off the plane, it would 

reboard in 30 minutes. Everyone 

got off the plane except a blind 

man with his support dog. The 

pilot approached him, and said 

“Sir, we’re in Sacramento for 

almost an hour. Would you like to 

get off and stretch your legs?” 

The man replied, “No thanks, but 

maybe the dog would like to 

stretch his legs. (Picture this) All 

the people in the gate area came 

to a complete standstill when 

they looked up and saw the pilot 

walk off the plane with a Seeing 

Eye Dog! The pilot was even 

wearing sunglasses. 

• hay fever 

• oral thrush 

• pink eye 

• dermatitis 

We offer 

prescriptions for: 

• acid reflux 

• hemorrhoids 

• cold sores 

• impetigo 

• insect bites and hives 

• urinary tract infections 

• menstrual cramps 

• sprains & strains 

• tick bites 

Bathroom 

& Kitchen 

Showroom 

519-845-3726 

www.PlymptonPlumbing.com • 4401 London Line, Wyoming 

If this brings back good memories, send us some of your own. 

ITALIAN 

A bad agreement is better 

than a good lawsuit. 

There is no thief 

worse than a bad book. 

The remedy for injuries 

is not to remember 

them. 

Years can seldom be hidden. 

Make sure to be in with your equals if you are going to 

fall out with your superiors. 

Of what does not concern you say nothing good or bad. 

Nothing improves the taste of pasta 

more than a good appetite. 

A person who knows little knows enough 

if they know how to hold their tongue. 

If pride were a disease, how many would be already dead? 

Between two cowards, the first to detect the other 

has the advantage. 

Conscience is as good as a thousand witnesses. 

A hundred wagon loads of thoughts will not pay 

a single ounce of debt. 

The biggest fool can ask a question the wisest man 

cannot answer. 

Love rules without rules. 

Grandma’s Jelly 

In memoriam: Ella Dauber (1882 – 1964) 

By James Deahl, Sarnia • from Daytripping Sept-Oct 2017 

Every family grew grapes back home 

when I was a boy. There were purple 

Concord and pale-green Niagara grapes, 

both well suited for the climate and 

soil of the lower Great Lakes region, 

and our back gardens offered grape 

arbours everywhere. By mid-September 

the nights grew cooler and our vines 

hung heavy with fruit. These were table 

grapes, not wine grapes, and when in 

season we ate them every day. But eat 

as we would, nobody could eat them 

all. And what was not on the table was 

turned into jam or jelly. 

During the years following the end 

of World War II, old people did not 

commonly receive pensions; they relied 

on their children for support when their 

working days were over. Thus, as far 

back as I can remember, my maternal 

grandparents lived with us. Grandpa 

had been a machinist, Grandma a 

homemaker. By the time I was old 

enough to know my grandpa, he was 

quite infirm. But, wild boy that I was, 

I kept my Granny busy mending the 

knees and elbows of my clothes. She 

also fixed my many cuts and scrapes. 

But best of all, she was our family’s jelly 

maker. 

When the Concord grapes ripened, 

out would come three dozen jars to be 

sterilized by boiling. My job was to pick 

the grapes and bring them to the kitchen. 

Then came the cooking in a great pot with 

a bit of added sugar. The sweet aroma 

filled our home and spread far and wide. 

Everyone in the neighbourhood could 

tell when some family made their jam or 

jelly. Later, the magic ingredient, pectin, 

was added, followed by more cooking. 

It was a day-long process, especially 

the straining. Drip, drip, drip. Finally, 

paraffin was slowly melted in a double 

boiler. This sealed the jars, a delicate 

process. Our year’s supply of Concord 

jelly was placed in the basement pantry. 

In addition to grapes, sugar, and pectin, 

a lot of love went into each and every jar. 

I have not tasted Grandma’s jelly since 

the 1950s, but I still remember it thickly 

spread over my breakfast toast. 

P A G E 

26 

I ate a clock yesterday, it was very time consuming. 


Our next issue will come out around the beginning of March 2024. 



VOLUNTEER WITH 

“It feels so good to help 

people. So get out there and 

feel good!” - Simon Sinek 

Looking for a meaningful way 

to connect to our community? 

Diner’s Club! 

Social Time. Hot Meal. Informative Presentation. 

1st Wednesday of the Month 

Afternoon Tea, Sarnia 

2nd Tuesday of the Month 

Soup and Sandwich, Sombra 

2nd Thursday of the Month 

Coffee Social, Alvinston 

3rd Wednesday of the Month 

Hot Lunch, Corunna 

4th Tuesday of the Month 

Soup and Sandwich, Petrolia 

Please register to attend: 519-845-1353 ext. 301 

dcroxford@lambtonelderlyoutreach.org 

Making Access to Community Supports 

& Health Services Easier! 

Expanded local services & supports listings 

New community navigator option 

Inclusive of all ages & stages 

Find. Specific supports you need. 

Search. 

Talk. Call to speak with a Community Navigator. 

☎ 

Community Navigators listen and 

help find local resources and supports 

based on the needs of the caller. 

519-336-3000 www.agefriendlysarnialambton.ca 

 

We could use 

your help 

in a variety 

of client 

support 

areas and 

program 

development 

at LEO! 

Volunteer for: 

• Board of Directors 

• Friendly Visiting 

• Bingo Helpers 

• Meals on Wheels 

• Transportation 

• Diner’s Club 

• Forever Fit 

• Administration 

TO GET INVOLVED: 519-845-1353 

volunteer@leohelps.ca 

lambtonelderlyoutreach.org 

How We Can 

Help You Live 

at Home 

Transportation 

Non-Urgent Stretcher Van 

Meals on Wheels 

Home Maintenance 

Personal Care 

Home Help 

Care Giver Respite Support 

Crisis Intervention 

Housing Support 

The Peer Program 

Friendly Visiting 

Diners Club 

LEO Scored 98% Exemplary Standing 

for providing Quality Services 

Funded in part by the United Way of Sarnia-Lambton 

and Jackpot City, Sarnia 

Lambton Elderly Outreach • 1-800-265-0203 • www.lambtonelderlyoutreach.orgb ld l h 


When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Dept. usually uses water. 

P A G E 

27



“Big or Small, JohnnyRemax 

Sells T hem All” 

John A. McCharles, Broker 

Re/Max Sarnia Realty Inc. Brokerage 

519-383-4812 

johnnyremax@bellnet.ca 

www.albanyretirementvillage.com 

Retirement 

Village 

Downtown Retirement Living 

in a Quaint Victorian Town 

Call to Book a Tour: 

423 Albany Street 

Petrolia, ON 

519-882-3157 

Enjoy Friends | Enjoy Independence | Enjoy Life 

Growing old is inevitable, but growing up is optional! 

Families are Forever 

By Spokeshave 

A working man, 

I always was. 

The best years of my life, 

Six children in the family 

And a very precious wife. 

It wasn’t always easy, 

Somehow, – we made our way, 

Kept clothes upon the 

children’s backs, 

And food to eat, each day. 

A good roof 

we kept o’er our heads 

Through winter’s snow and storm, 

The love that mother gave to us, 

Kept all our hearts quite warm. 

We hope, it will last forever 

And never think the days, 

When children grow to adults 

And go their separate ways. 

How quick those years that came, 

– then went, 

And all but Sue, had gone. 

The angels then called home my wife, 

Alone – we carried on. 

Then Clifford married Susan 

And I was left alone. 

The kids still came to visit, 

And called me on the phone. 

I’d give a million dollars, 

And shed a lake of tears, 

If I could just turn back the clock 

Return, to those working years. 

To all who read my story 

How often we’ve been told, 

More precious is our family 

Then all our worldly gold. 

• Fresh Produce 

• Fresh Meat 

• Party Trays 

• Bakery 

• Deli 

• Bulk Food 

• Seasonal 

Merchandise 

• Flower 

Market 

2024 s 

Leap Year! 

is a 

How much do you know? 

Every Tuesday is SENIORS DISCOUNT DAY 

10% OFF for age 60 and over (must tell cashier) 

Doesn’t apply to tobacco, lottery or gift cards 

Use our easy 

ONLINE 

SHOPPING 

SERVICE 

www.yourindependentgrocer.ca 

We’ll bring your groceries to your car! 

4136 Petrolia Line, 

Petrolia • 519-882-2211 

www.yourindependentgrocer.ca 

Thirty days hath September, April, June and November; 

All the rest have thirty-one. 

Save February, she alone hath eight days and a score. 

Til leap year gives her one day more. 

It takes the Earth approximately 365.242189 days—or 365 days, 

5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds—to circle once around the 

Sun. This is called a tropical year. 

Roman general Julius Caesar implemented the first leap day in his Julian 

Calendar, which he introduced in 45 BCE (Before Common Era). A leap 

day was added every four years. At the time, leap day was February 24, 

and February was the last month of the year. However, adding a leap 

day every four years was too often and eventually, in 1582, Pope 

Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian Calendar. This calendar, which 

we still use today, has a more precise formula for calculation of leap 

years, also known as bissextile years. Leap Years now occur whenever a 

year is divisible by 4, with the exception of centurial years that are not 

evenly divisible by 400. 

Without an extra, or intercalary, day on February 29 nearly every 

four years, we would lose almost six hours every year. After only 

100 years, a calendar without leap years would be off by 

approximately 24 days in relation to fixed seasonal days such as 

the vernal equinox or the winter solstice. 

When the rules of courtship were stricter than today, women were only 

allowed to propose marriage to a man on a Leap Day! 

FEBRUARY 29th is also known as Sadie Hawkins Day. 

Chances of being born on a leap day are approximately 1 in 1500. 

People born on Leap Year Day are called leaplings. 

With info from timeanddate.com 

P A G E 

28 

“I haven’t slept for 10 days, because that would be too long.” (Mitch Hedberg) 


If your business caters to people 45+, you should advertise here! 

Everything for 

your Kning, 

Crocheng, 

Cross Stch & 

Needlepoint 

Country Yarns Needs! 

- Menon this ad for a 15% discount - 

2776 LaSalle Line, PETROLIA • 519-882-8740 

(BETWEEN MANDAUMIN & WATERWORKS) 

Wed.10-5 • Thurs.10-6 • Fri.10-5 • Sat. 10-3 

www.country-yarns.com 

Kids’ Letters to God 

Dear God, 

Thanks for the baby 

brother, but what I 

prayed for was a 

puppy. 

- Joyce 

Established in 1978, 

Lambton Pharmacy continues to 

provide caring, professional pharmacy 

services to residents of the beautiful 

town of Petrolia and Lambton County. 

4130 Glenview Rd, Unit 2, Petrolia 

519-882-0650 

Danielle Edgar, B.Sc., PharmD 

Pharmacist 

Monday–Friday 9–6 

Saturday 9–12 

Love Found a Way 

SARNIA 

519-337-3713 


OIL SPRINGS 

519-834-2833 

• AUTO • HOME • FARM 

• TENANTS • COMMERCIAL 

1-800-265-7506 • www.cam-ron.ca 

THE WALK 

OF DOWNTOWN PETROLIA 


395 FLETCHER ST. • PETROLIA 

226-738-0665 • WWW.BLACKGOLD.BEER 

Petrolia’s 

Luxury 

Downtown 

Development 

By Victoria Stirling • from Daytripping May-June 2017 

When your parent, loved one or spouse 

is unable to recognize you because 

they are suffering with Alzheimer’s or 

Dementia, it is devastating. If you’re 

like me, when this happened with my 

husband, I desperately wanted him to 

know me. 

When it happens, instinctively one 

wants to not believe it, and if it’s ignored 

maybe it’ll fix itself. The sad truth is so 

much harder to have to admit, neither 

one is probably ever likely to happen. 

We were sitting together on the 

couch in our living room and prior to 

this had been enjoying a tea break. 

Everything appeared to be fairly normal 

although Harvey had been having some 

trouble with his short term memory; 

I just assumed that it wasn’t anything 

unusual. 

Then I noticed Harvey’s lined features 

looked drawn and anxious, as his blue 

eyes peered blankly into my face. “Where 

am I? Where’s Vicky; where’s my wife?” 

I choked back my response, to tell 

him I was sitting beside him in our living 

room. However, I chose not to because 

this would probably cause him distress. 

My 92 year old beloved husband, 

suffering with Dementia was with me 

physically, but mentally his reality was 

far away. 

Again he repeated, “Where is my wife, 

where’s Vicky?” 

My throat constricted as I took hold 

of his outstretched hand. “Who am I 

Harvey?” 

He stared hard at me, “You’re my 

mum.” 

“If it’s who you want me to be Harvey, 

then it’s who I am.” The words hurt as 

I uttered them; I ached inside for my 

husband to really know who I was, but 

for the moment didn’t know how I could 

get him to recognize me. I was also 

afraid this was a downward spiral in the 

symptoms of Dementia; he might forget 

me altogether. 

Harvey held my hand with a firm grip 

as tears filled his eyes. He cried, “What 

is wrong with me, Mum? Am I going 

crazy?” 

I shook my head. “No, you’re not going 

crazy, Harvey. Everything you know is up 

there but you’ve forgotten some things; 

it’s a bit like a fog has clouded things out. 

So of course you get anxious but that’s 

a normal reaction. I’m sure I’d feel that 

way, too.” 

He shook his grey tousled head. “Well 

I’m just glad you’re here.” He then leant 

over and planted a kiss on the side of my 

cheek.” 

Tears welled up in my eyes as I turned 

and looked at him. I gently squeezed 

his hand as suddenly I uttered the 

endearment we’d said, and written, to 

each other many times over our 62 years 

of marriage. 

As I spoke the Spanish words to him, 

“El rigua ti quernio mucho quapo,” (My 

darling I love you very much), Harvey 

gradually smiled, his tears dried, and 

he replied, “All the time my love and 

forever.” 

He then peered into my face. “Where 

have you been, Vicky? I was getting 

worried.” 

Our loving salutation was how I was 

able to keep my husband knowing who 

I was; he was always able to recall those 

familar words. He knew I was the only 

other person, as well as himself, who 

knew them. My beloved husband died 

July 6th 2015. 

For this small miracle in that 

heartbreaking situation I will be forever 

grateful. Our love for each other found a 

way for us to stay connected. 

The idiom says, ‘It is only when we 

walk a mile in another’s shoes do we 

fully understand.’ As I know how painful 

this situation is with a loved one, and 

for anyone going through the same sad 

process I hope and pray what I’ve written 

here will give you comfort, and perhaps 

even a clue how to help with your own 

relationship. If it does happen, hang on 

to it. It’s a priceless gift and if you’re like 

me it’s one you will treasure forever. 

The Walk is Petrolia’s only luxury 

apartment project in the downtown 

core. Within walking distance to the 

grocery store, hospital, pharmacies and 

more, the location is ideal for adopting 

Petrolia’s trendy downtown lifestyle. 519-882-3157 

www.albanyretirementvillage.com/the-walk 

THE CLUB 

Winter 23/24 

SUDOKU 

Sudoku puzzles are formaed as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 

3x3 boxes. To solve a Sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each 

row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, 

column and box. 

You can figure out 

the order in which 

the numbers will 

appear by using 

the numeric clues 

already provided 

in the boxes. The 

more numbers you 

name, the easier it 

gets to solve the 

puzzle! 

PUZZLE 

SOLUTION 

ON 

PAGE 30 


To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target. 

P A G E 

29



Don’t put this down! You’ll have to bend over to pick it back up! 

A Moment in the Kitchen 

By Gayle Etherington, Ancaster • from Daytripping Nov-Dec 2016 issue 

All Inclusive Suites & Apartments with kitchenettes. 

CUSTOM MENU OPTIONS • ACTIVITIES • 24HR CARE 

Call for a personal tour. 

WALLACEBURG • 519-627-9292 

Looking for 

PRIVATE IN-HOME 

PHYSIOTHERAPY? 

Mobility Works Physio Yoga 

will come to you! 

Balance Training, Falls Prevenon, 

Funconal Strength, Yoga, 

Nordic Pole Walking, and more! 

MOBILITY WORKS 

phy s i o 

y oga 

MOVE. FEEL. LIVE. 

Book IN-HOME 

Physiotherapy or Private Yoga 

at: www.mwphysioyoga.com 

Covered under most 

Extended Health Benefits. 

Kelly-Lynn 

Musico 

REGISTERED 

PHYSIOTHERAPIST 

REGISTERED 

YOGA TEACHER 

Contact Kelly-Lynn at 519.312.6122 

or mwphysioyoga@outlook.com 

Puzzle 

Solution 

For The Club Winter 2023/24 

CROSSWORD on page 7 

Puzzle 

Solution 

For The Club Winter 2023/24 

SUDOKU on page 29 

Standing in the middle of the kitchen, 

I stare at the geometric design on the 

formica table. The swirling circles of 

brown and mustard yellow, a forgiving 

mistress in concealing a lifetime of coffee 

rings, cigarette burns and the etched 

initials of an old love. 

The room is a time capsule. In fact, the 

entire house is a scrapbook of a typical 

farmhouse one sees dotted alongside the 

roads of Ontario. Solid stone structures 

that lay impervious, while families come 

and go, leaving a backdrop of faded 

gingham wallpaper, history and secrets. 

I look down at the surface of the table 

littered with prescription bottles, an open 

McKenzie Seed Catalog and a milk glass 

cereal bowl. The remains of what looks 

like a bloated mass of Shreddies lay 

hardening, covering up most of the ivy 

pattern that clings to the rim. The only 

clue that she has been here recently, is 

the bright pink lipstick smear on the 

chipped mug that sits half full of beige 

oily liquid. I pat the stained knitted tea 

cozy covering the pot and it is cold to the 

touch. 

Belly tightening, I turn and walk to 

the sink. A gentle breeze lifts the flimsy 

curtains and as they blow inward, my 

fingers capture a piece of the fabric. 

Years of sunlight have taken its toll but 

the faded images of vintage toasters and 

coffee percolators still bleed through 

the cotton. A dark ugly memory streaks 

through the quiet as I recall the day my 

mother hung them up for the first time. 

“Add a bit of colour to the room, don’t 

you think Katie Cat?” she stated as she 

climbed down from the rickety step stool 

one of my brothers had made in shop 

class. My response is a pile of lost words, 

but I am left with the sick feeling of 

intentional cruelty. A senseless slaughter 

of a happy moment, my victim, a slight 

woman who always seemed to get in the 

cross fire of my teenage misery. 

She was an easy target for my nasty 

tongue, and as I mocked her lifestyle and 

ideals, we clashed often. What I did not 

realize at the time was that she could 

sense my inner need to rebel and gave 

me a safe place to do just that. In the 

shadows just before sleep, I often relive 

my careless words and the shame that 

comes still brings me to my knees. 

I should have made the biggest fuss 

over these darn curtains. 

They would after all, 

be the frame around 

her world for the 

next forty years. I 

let the material slip 

free, releasing it to 

the outgoing wind. 

It was too quiet. 

Where did she go? 

I never liked 

hearing the sound of 

my own heartbeat. Right 

now, its echo battles the 

cheap starburst clock 

that hangs over the 

stove. The insidious ticking reverberates 

off the walls, even though the hands, 

made to look like a knife and fork appear 

to be frozen permanently at ten to five. 

My eyes automatically move to the 

doorway where I half expect to see the 

weathered face of my father coming in 

for his dinner. A man of routine and few 

words, I always felt his love for us when I 

looked at his hands. 

Crossing the room to the built in alcove, 

I turn on the radio. The familiar click of 

the worn knob lights up the greasy face 

and the silence is filled with the crooning 

of Johnny Mathis. 

I notice the elf figurine sitting on the 

shelf. His casual cross-legged pose and 

impish smile were a part of my childhood 

Christmas memories, and as I wipe the 

dust off him, I wonder when he stopped 

being put away with the other ornaments. 

A creepy piece of plaster, I spent far too 

many hours looking at his snide little 

mouth and squinty eyes. I turn him over 

and look at the generic stamp on his 

bottom and the place where his legs have 

been glued back together after one of its 

many falls. He may be worthless, but he 

has earned the right to reign over this 

corner of the kitchen while he can. With 

a newfound sense of respect, I gently 

place him back where he belongs. 

The sound of gravel on the driveway 

draws my attention and my anxiety level 

is dialed back when I see who is getting 

out of the car. 

Moments later I hear the screen door 

slam and her voice call out. “Katharine?” 

“I’m in the kitchen, Mom!” I holler. 

She enters wearing the yellow plaid 

raincoat she bought for herself at Eaton’s 

in the sixties. One pocket is torn, the 

other swollen with used tissues. Her 

flannel pyjama pants are tucked into 

black wellies that are leaving fossil like 

footprints on the linoleum floor. Her 

thinning hair is sticking up in rooster 

fashion and one lone curler still clings to 

her scalp. 

She is carrying a flat of fresh 

strawberries in both arms. “Look what I 

picked this morning,” she states, smiling 

so wide her eyes all but disappear. 

I return the smile, taking the fruit 

from her to place on the counter. I can 

feel where her gaze slips to and prepare 

myself. “Not hungry?” she says as she 

looks down at the unfinished breakfast. 

I don’t have the heart to tell 

her that it’s not mine. I can’t...not 

when she smells like sunshine 

and earth. When her cheeks and 

nose are pink from the cool air 

and her bent fingers are still 

stained red. Later perhaps, 

but not now. 

I bring the dirty 

dishes to the sink 

and wash away the 

unwanted mess. 

“So, Mom, 

I guess we are 

making jam today?” 

P A G E 

30 

I hate Russian dolls, they’re so full of themselves. 


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“I have a lot of growing up to do. I realized it the other day inside my fort.” (Zach Galifianakas) 

P A G E 

31


THE “christmas” Club 

Christmas Gift Guide 

In the next few pages you’ll find a few gift ideas, Christmas greetings, 

recipes, nostalgic stories and humorous anecdotes about the season. 

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The Wellness Corner 

by Marion Clouse • from Daytripping Nov-Dec 2004 

Have you ever been sick in bed, and 

then ventured outside for the first time 

in weeks? Isn’t it exhilarating just to 

see sky, trees, even grass? When you 

meet old friends for the first time in 

five years, isn’t it wonderful? Life is 

suddenly richer, but not because the 

world has changed. We have. Joy comes 

from looking at things from a different 

perspective. 

As we approach the Christmas season, 

are you looking with the same picture 

in your mind as previous years? Do you 

rush around trying to find the perfect 

gift for everyone on your list? Make 

sure the house is spotless and perfectly 

decorated for visitors? Host the perfect 

gathering? Buy enough groceries and do 

baking to feed an army? And all the time 

you feel overwhelmed, tired, anxious, 

and worry that it will not be enough. 

Circumstances may have changed from 

previous years. Your finances may have 

changed, you may have lost a person 

close to you, or you may be dealing with 

an illness in the family. Nothing ever 

stays the same, but why do you expect 

Christmas to be the same? This may 

be the year to look at Christmas from 

a different perspective; view it as the 

friend you haven’t seen in years. 

No one can make anything perfect 

for someone else. Change those 

expectations that you have gathered 

over the years. You have the choice to do 

whatever it takes to make the holidays 

something you enjoy. If you have a large 

Changing Christmas 

gathering and would rather not spend 

hours in the kitchen, make the dinner 

a potluck; it may be exciting and fun 

to see what you’ll be feasting on. You 

could change the traditional dinner to 

one of munchies and appetizers. Who 

says it has to be a big bird in the middle 

of the table? It could be chicken fingers 

instead. There are so many options – 

shop in small stores earlier instead of 

facing the crowds; instead of hours of 

baking, order it from someone else; give 

to those who are needy instead of those 

who don’t appreciate it; do something 

special for yourself; do an activity that 

has special meaning to you. Twenty 

years from now children probably won’t 

remember the items that they got for 

Christmas this year. They will, however, 

recall the special games that their family 

played together, the time that their older 

brother took them to a movie, or the 

way their parents tucked them in at 

night. These are moments, which over 

time, have a huge impact. With all the 

holiday shopping, we can lose sight of 

the “priceless” gifts; small gestures that 

can help people around you feel valued: 

• Show your appreciation with a thankyou, 

a smile or a hug (or all three.) It 

takes just a moment, but it can make a 

person’s day. 

• Practice random acts of kindness every 

day. Make this your “gift” to a stranger. 

Hold a door open for someone. Smile 

and greet people you pass at work. 

• Call up someone you haven’t spoken 

to in a while, just to catch up on how 

they are. 

• If you have children, give one child at a 

time your full attention for an afternoon: 

sit and read or play a game together. 

• Write a note of appreciation to 

someone who is important to you. Don’t 

be surprised if that person keeps the 

note for years to come. 

• Think of the way you’d like to be 

remembered by those around you, and 

give of yourself accordingly throughout 

the year. (adapted from Pauline Wallin, 

Ph.D.) 

Only you can find the meaning of 

Christmas that is important to you. 

Let’s look forward to the season with 

joy instead of dread. This Christmas 

season could be exhilarating, exciting, 

and something to look forward to 

if we experience it from a different 

perspective. 

P A G E 

32 

The first electric Christmas tree lights were used in 1895. 


FOOT ORTHOTICS 

SLIPPERS, SHOES, BOOTS, SANDALS 


Merry 

Christmas 


Enjoy a Winter Stroll Along 

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• Visit Santa at Suzy’s Ice Creamporium • Cookies & Hot Chocolate at the Fire Hall 

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• Vote on your favourite Gingerbread Creation at the Point Edward Early Learning Centre 

• Crafts & Snacks at the Library • Smores & Camp Fire at Manley's • Balloon Twister 

• Face Painting • Freeze Frame Photos • Christmas Caroling by the Resolution Quartet 

• Barista Challenge (19+) at Los Puntos, Marcin Bowl, Point Brewing and Stevie D’s 

• FOOD DRIVE & Charity Bake Sale at Albert's Fries: 

Bring non-perishables $1 - drink or side gravy or 1 non perishable 

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Roasting chestnuts in an open fire, named for the available persons 

you know isagreat divinationploy. The first one that pops will be 

the one you marry. 

If there is a full moon on Christmas, expect a poor harvest. 

If you do any household repairs on Christmas Day, the trouble will 

not be cured and may even get worse. 

Hang a sprig of mistletoe over the door. It will 

chase away the evil spirits and bring good luck. 

If you were born on Christmas Day, your 

life will be a happy and healthy one. 

Eat an apple at 

midnight on Christmas 

Eve for good health all 

year round. 

You should never give 

shoes as a present as the 

recipient will walk out of 

your life. 

It is bad luck to keep 

Christmas decorations up 

after the Twelfth Night. 

Superstitions and 

folklore have a way of 

patterning our lives... from avoiding black 

cats to walking around ladders. Christmas is a time 

for cheer, but it also is filled with lots of folklore. 

WISHBy Nadine Wark, 

LIST 

Sarnia 

Adults of a certain age can 

remember, in their youth, the Christmas 

catalogues being delivered to their front 

doors. It was almost a celebration, a 

taste of things to come if only Santa 

would cooperate with our parents! The 

Sears Wish Book was aptly named, as 

some kids would wish upon a star or 

even wish outloud the gifts that would 

make all their dreams come true. My 

sister, brother and myself would spend 

a lot of time turning the pages with 

many “oohs and aahs.” 

As a young girl, I recall there were 

plenty of dolls offered in the catalogues; 

dolls like Tiny Tears, Betsy Wetsy 

and Chatty Cathy (you just use your 

imagination to picture what each doll 

was capable of). I remember a doll 

called Patty Kay that both my friend 

Ellen and I received one Christmas. 

Boys were wishing for pretend guns 

with holsters and bows and arrows that 

would take them on many an adventure 

in the make-believe land of Cowboys 

and Indians. My friends and I did not 

like those air rifles that scared the 

daylights out of us. It was not an easy 

life being a cowgirl in Corunna. 

Other great toys that were advertised 

and proved to be lasting included Tinkertoys 

and Lego which have withstood the 

test of time. The boys’ wish lists often 

included toy trains, complete 

with tracks and a small 

village with people; 

hours of fun except 

when there was a train 

wreck! For those living 

in small homes, it was 

tricky to find room for 

setting up. 

If the budget with Santa 

was somehow ‘stretched,’ 

some lucky girls and boys would 

find iceskates, hockey sticks, sleds and 

toboggans under the tree. After all, there 

was outdoor fun in the snow and on 

natural ponds, usually from November 

right through to March. Although not on 

our wish list, our parents always added 

practical gifts like P.Js, slippers, toques 

with matching mittens and scarves. We 

also unwrapped useful gifts that were 

educational such as literature, colouring 

books, paint-by-number and puzzles. 

A fond memory I have that resurfaces 

every Christmas is the box of Black 

Magic chocolates Dad would give to 

Mum. Of course, Mum insisted we help 

her eat them and it is hard to say just 

how many she got to enjoy. I do not 

remember a lot of gift-giving between 

them as they were too busy fulfilling our 

Wish List. 

It seems to me I learned at a very 

young age just who Santa really was 

and it was not surprising. When I look 

back at the sacrifices our parents made 

to make every Christmas special, I wish 

mine were still here to thank once again. 

Publisher’s Note: I remember this so 

well. What was better... the anticipation of 

the Sears Wish Book arriving or opening 

it when it finally did? I always wanted a 

pop gun and got one... not quite a BB gun, 

but at least I couldn’t shoot my eye out. 


What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite! 

P A G E 

33



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In the past several years, these little gems have 

grown in popularity and use. Cranberries are often 

associated with our festive season and boast of 

being near the top of that highly regarded list of 

“super foods” due to their notable nutrient content 

and antioxidant qualities. 

Cranberry Party Dip 

1 (250 g) package cream cheese, softened 

2/3 cup whole berry cranberry sauce 

1/3 cup orange marmalade 

1/4 tsp. pepper 

1/3 cup slivered almonds 

In a bowl, thoroughly mix together marmalade, pepper and cranberry sauce. Using a 

9-inch pie plate, spread cream cheese evenly along bottom. Add cranberry mixture, 

smoothing around the middle (it’s sometimes attractive to leave a white edging around 

outside). Sprinkle top with almonds. Enjoy with crackers, pretzels or breadsticks. 

Oven Baked Cranberry Dressing 

You’ll find this traditional holiday dressing so delicious, you’ll likely make it again and again 

to serve throughout the year. In addition to turkey, it complements pork and chicken dishes. 

8 cups whole wheat dried bread cubes 

(store bought or homemade) 

2 cups COOKED crumbled sausage meat 

(breakfast or Italian) 

2 cups chicken broth 

2 stalks celery, with leaves, finely chopped 

1 small onion, finely diced 

2 eggs 

3/4 cup dried cranberries 

2/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped 

3 Tbsps. olive oil 

4 Tbsps. fresh chopped parsley (divided) 

1 1/2 Tbsps. fresh sage, finely chopped 

3/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper 

1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped 

Non-stick cooking spray 

In large fry pan, over medium-high heat, heat oil and add onions and celery. Cook 

for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often until celery is soft and onions are beginning to 

brown. Stir in cranberries, sausage, 3 tablespoons of the parsley, pepper and 

sage. Remove from heat and stir in pecans. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 

a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together broth/stock and eggs. 

Stir in bread cubes and celery/cranberry mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined. 

Transfer entire mixture to prepped baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 

minutes, or until dressing is steaming hot. Remove foil and continue to bake for 

an additional 10 minutes, browning the top and ensuring all is very warm 

throughout. Garnish with remaining parsley. 

Cranberry-Banana Loaf 

You are sure to enjoy this appealing and moist holiday loaf. This recipe makes 2 loaves. 

One for you and one worth sharing with friends, neighbours and loved ones. 

1 cup butter or margarine, softened 

2 cups granulated sugar 

4 eggs 

2 cups mashed ripe bananas 

2 tsp. vanilla 

2 tsp. lemon juice 

4 cups all-purpose flour 

Celebrate 

with Cranberries 

In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; 

beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Beat 

in bananas, vanilla and lemon juice. In a separate 

bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking 

soda and salt. Stir into butter mixture alternately 

with milk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 

2 of milk. Fold in cranberries and pecans. Scrape 

into 2 oil-sprayed loaf pans, smoothing top. 

Bake in the centre of a preheated 350 degree F oven 

until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 

about 1 1/4 hours. Let cool in pan on a rack for 5 

minutes. Remove from pan, let cool completely. 

Wrap in plastic wrap; store at room temperature 

for 24 hours before slicing. 

(Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up 

to 2 days or overwrap in heavy-duty foil and 

freeze for up to 2 weeks.) 

1 Tbsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1 tsp. salt 

3 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries 

or frozen cranberries 

1 cup chopped pecans 

1/2 cup milk 

P A G E 

34 

The song “Jingle Bells” was originally written for Thanksgiving. 


The PERFECT Gift Idea! 



563 Front Street N., 

Sarnia 

519-337-9998 

GlassAndPillarSpa.com 

Keeping Friends With Strangers 

“Why do you bother with these people?” 

My husband flips through my Christmas 

card list and shakes his head at all the 

postal and e-mail addresses. “You haven’t 

seen some of these folks in years. They’re 

practically strangers.” 

He has a point. 

My list includes high school friends - 

those soul mates - who helped me crop 

yearbook pictures in the seventies when 

contact cement made teenage girls giggle. 

These fun-loving buddies had also fostered 

my obsession for an orange vegetable by 

screaming “Halloween carrots” instead 

of apples at a farm house noted for their 

fresh produce. Today, would I recognize 

these pranksters from their faded 1977 

mug shots? 

And the youth group? What about the 

trio who placed Oreo cookies on their eyes 

on camping trips to make me laugh? Or 

the ones who refused to help me box up 

my second-hand furniture but loaded up 

a vehicle with salt and vinegar chips and 

frozen orange juice for a surprise going 

away party in my honour. How strange 

are they? 

I stare into my husband’s pale blue eyes 

and say, “Call me what you like but I can’t 

let them go.” 

TOP 10 

Billboard Hits 

1 Kitty Kallen with Jack Pleis Little Things Mean a Lot 

2 Perry Como with Hugo Winterhalter Wanted 

3 Rosemary Clooney with Buddy Cole Hey There 

4 The Crew-Cuts with David Carroll Sh-Boom 

5 Jo Stafford with Paul Weston Make Love to Me 

6 Eddie Fisher with Hugo Winterhalter Oh! My Pa-Pa 

7 The Four Knights (Oh Baby Mine) I Get So Lonely 

8 The Four Aces featuring Al Alberts and Jack Pleis 

Three Coins in the Fountain 

9 Doris Day with Ray Heindorf Secret Love 

10 Archie Bleyer Hernando's Hideaway 

Country Songs 

Source: 

playback.fm 

1 Webb Pierce Slowly 

2 Hank Snow I Don't Hurt Anymore 

3 Webb Pierce More And More 

4 Hank Thompson Wake Up Irene 

5 Kitty Wells & Red Foley One By One 

6 Webb Pierce Even Tho 

7 Stuart Hamblen This Ole House 

8 Eddy Arnold I Really Don't Want to Know 

9 Johnnie & Jack (Oh Baby Mine) I Get 

So Lonely 

10 Tommy Collins You Better Not Do That 

So he lets it go, for another 

year, and I embrace him for 

his patience. 

Writing letters relaxes me 

and renews my connections 

with those who have inspired 

me over the years, like my 

mother. 

“Never say good-bye.” That’s what 

she said when I accepted a new job 

in another province. She preferred 

the words, “see you later or talk to you 

soon.” 

So I never said good-bye to any of 

my friends. After moving ten times and 

fostering new friendships in each location, 

farewells sounded like nails dragging over 

a chalkboard. I wanted to scream, “Go 

away already!” 

It wasn’t just me leaving. The demands 

of the workforce caused many friends to 

relocate and scatter like seeds across the 

country. Do you just uproot and leave 

your friends withering with their emotions 

exposed? Or is it better to treat change as 

a shift in the wind... ‘a warm breeze’ that 

caresses us, causing our friendships to 

grow deeper, more flexible and stronger? 

Distances may weed out the acquaintances 

but the bond between true friends never 

1954 

Source: 

wikipedia.com 

Movies 

White Christmas 

20,000 Leagues Under 

the Sea 

Demetrius and the 

Gladiators 

Rear Window 

The Caine Mutiny 

Gone with the Wind 

The Egyptian 

The High and the Mighty 

Vera Cruz 

On the Waterfront 

(Oscar for Best Picture) 

Source: the-numbers.com 

by Debbie Okun Hill, Camlachie 


dies. 

Years ago, I thought I had 

lost touch with a close friend. 

We had written letters for 

years. Then silence. Shortly 

after moving to southwestern 

Ontario, I walked into a 

hardware store (something I rarely 

do) and bumped into this same high 

school friend from rural Manitoba. 

We stared at each other in shock. 

Slowly, like a perennial, this dormant 

friendship began to sprout once more. 

She has moved three times since that 

day, but the correspondence enables us to 

cope with our ever changing environment. 

Friends, no matter where they are, keep 

me grounded. Writing and receiving letters 

reduces stress and acts as a bridge when 

I’m faced with a sea of unfamiliar faces. 

“Don’t talk to strangers!” Such a common 

phrase and yet when you move to an 

unknown area, start a new job or attend 

school in another city, you have to tip toe 

through the forest until you find a new ‘bud’ 

like a friendly co-worker to hang on to. 

When our daughter was diagnosed 

with juvenile diabetes, just prior to her 

seventh birthday, friends and family 

tried to comfort us. However, it took a 

call from a stranger to convince us that 

our family would be okay. “Hi, you don’t 

know me, but my child has diabetes too. 

You’re not alone. We can cry together.” 

The bond between this stranger and I was 

immediate. 

When I was hesitant to return to the 

workforce and no one quite understood 

why I wanted to try something as crazy 

as freelance writing, I met some mature 

students through an on-line writing 

course. In just a year, a strong friendship 

developed. We have influenced and 

encouraged each other to write, like I am 

doing now. 

So why allow any friend, new or old, to 

become a stranger? 

As I put my pen down and glance over 

at my husband reading the Globe and Mail 

I kindly interrupt him by saying, “So what 

about Bill? Should I send him a card?” 

“Sure,” he mutters behind his paper. 

“But you haven’t seen him since 1986. 

We’ll never go to Alabama.” 

“Well, I get a kick out of his letters,” he 

says moving slightly behind his paper. 

Keeping friends with a stranger? 

I secretly smile to myself. I made my 

point. So I start writing Bill a note telling 

him how much we enjoy his letters. 

Even from a distance, lost souls can be 

moved by a friend’s comment. I know I 

am. 


What do you call a cat on the beach at Christmas? Sandy Claws! 

P A G E 

35



Christmas Time Compared 

Today (2010) vs. Yesterday (1943) 

Location: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. 

There has been quite a change in 

Christmas activities since I was a kid. 

I will attempt to compare them here 

for those of you who are 60 years old 

or younger. Starting with 2010 and 

comparing it with the past. 

#1 BLUE BOX PICKUP (recycling 

materials) 

Today we have special, powerful, 

multi-compartment diesel trucks with 

hydraulic, load compressors who 

tour the streets picking up your used 

materials from the curbside. 

1943: We had at that time what we 

called a sheeny man (original version of 

the blue box). He was an old guy with 

a rickety, old wagon pulled by a single 

emaciated horse, who cruised up and 

down the alleys behind the houses 

ringing a bell. He would gather up old 

newspapers, and metal, as well as any 

useful (to him) articles not wanted any 

more. He was a one-horse scrap yard on 

wheels. 

#2 SIDEWALKS & ROAD SNOW 

REMOVAL 

Today we have diesel-powered, cabheated 

machines that blow the snow 

from the sidewalks and at the same 

time spread sand from a trailer being 

towed by the tractor. The roads have 

giant, diesel trucks equipped with 

snow blowers or plows (depending on 

the severity of the storm) flying up and 

down the roads plowing and spreading 

sand or salt as they go. All taken for 

granted while spewing out smelling 

By William Weatherstone, Sarnia 

pollution. 

1943: Sidewalks were cleared with 

a horse and walking driver guiding a 

V-shaped plow with the handles from a 

hand-guided, furrow summer plow. He 

would guide the horse up and down the 

streets as if he were planting crops but 

plowing the snow from the sidewalks. 

The only pollution problem at this 

time would be if the horse farted at 

the driver. In the winter, houses were 

usually fueled with a coal-burning 

furnace. It was my job to shovel the 

ashes into buckets and take them out to 

the curbside where a dump truck would 

come by and pick them up the same as 

a garbage truck. They would then take 

and store them at the city garage yard 

and stockpiled. When traction on the 

streets was necessary they would send 

a load out and while one man drove 

slowly a second man would be up on 

the load with a hand shovel throwing 

the ashes on the road (no automatic 

sanders or such). True recycling. 

A PAINFUL INCIDENT INVOLVING 

ASH TRACTION 

I would take my sled (with steel 

runners) and run down the street, then 

throw myself onto the sled and glide 

for half a block. This time the ash truck 

had passed by and threw down some 

ashes while I was running full steam 

ahead, I dropped down to the sled 

when it promptly stopped dead in its 

track (ashes spread for traction). My 

body went vertically upside down while 

my face became my feet and slid (on 

my face) for about 5 or 6 feet. Fully 

scratched and bloody I, for the first 

time in my life, truly saw stars just like 

displayed in the comic books. Another 

lesson learned. 

#3 CHRISTMAS CHEER, (MILKMAN 

& BREADMAN) 

Today we usually go to the grocery 

store to buy our bread and milk. It 

was not all that long ago that these 

necessities were delivered to our door by 

delivery drivers whose vans were filled 

with a load of product and delivered 

individually to customers’ homes in a 

regular delivery sequence. They would 

park in front of one house and carry 

trays with milk or bread to three or 

four houses then move on to the next 

location. Years ago at Christmas or even 

New Year’s Eve, the driver would be 

offered a little liquid cheer to get him 

through this longest day of the year 

(work-wise). 

1943: The bread or milk man at that 

time had an enclosed wagon pulled by 

a single horse. They would guide the 

horse to a location and park. In those 

days the parking brake consisted of a 

30-pound steel weight with a strap going 

out to the horse’s bridal. The weight was 

dropped on the ground while the driver 

delivered to two or three houses in one 

shot. If the horse decided to move on, 

the slack was taken up and the weight 

would pull the horses bridle into the 

curb stopping him. 

Parking brake…no batteries 

required. 

Christmas Eve was a late 

delivery for the 

milkman this year. 

Almost every 

customer offered 

him a glass of cheer as part 

of his Christmas bonus. At this time we 

were the last call on his run. The horse 

was in the parking brake mode as old 

Tom staggered up to the house. He came 

in and sat down, had one drink and was 

heading home when he flaked out on 

the veranda. My dad and a neighbour 

who just happened to be at this same 

drink fest picked Tom up and loaded 

him into the wagon. Dad lifted up the 

parking weight and set it inside the 

wagon and closed the doors. He yelled 

at the horse, “HOME BOY, BARN!” 

Within 15 minutes the horse went 

right to the barn on his own, while in 

the meantime Dad called ahead and 

they transported Tom home in one 

soggy piece. 

The horses all knew their routes by 

heart, and have saved rookie drivers 

from becoming embarrassingly lost 

more than once. Some drivers that have 

been on the same route with the same 

animal never bothered with the anchor 

weight. The horse would move ahead 

to the next stop on its own a few doors 

down the street, and wait for the driver. 

Try that with your new 

modern electronic GPS 

devices and see how far it will 

take you on its own. Ha-ha! 

Someone will always 

ask: “Would you do it 

again?” 

My response would be, 

“That era would be the 

best time for me.” 

P A G E 

36 

The “12 Days of Christmas” refer to Dec. 26 to Jan. 6 




Come talk to our friendly, knowledgeable and experienced staff 

Jim’s 

WE STAND BY OUR REPUTATION - 

OVER 47 YEARS IN BUSINESS & STILL GROWING! 

Jim’s CARPET WAREHOUSE 

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Residential • Commercial • Carpet 

Ceramics • Vinyl (sheet/planks) • Hardwood 

2378 Jane St, Brigden • 519-864-1211 • 519-864-4048 • Open Mon-Fri 9-6 

Sarnia Realty Inc. 

Brokerage 

Independently Owned & Operated 

BUYERS AND SELLERS - Ask your friends about me! 

WISHING EVERYONE IN 

SARNIA-LAMBTON & AREA 

A MERRY CHRISTMAS 

AND JOYOUS NEW YEAR! 

Mario Moscone, Sales Representave 

Call 519-331-1498 for Prompt, Personal Service 

HOMELESS 

By William Bedford, 

Toronto 

Once upon a time on a lonely desert night, 

A homeless couple searched in vain for a place to spend the night. 

A stable was all they found with a bed of straw and hay, 

So don’t forget the homeless, don’t turn your head away. 

A loonie here, a loonie there to the people of the street, 

Can mean to them the difference between nothing and a treat. 

Just think about that stable as you go along your way, 

And count your many blessings and have a Merry Christmas Day. 

Do you 

want 

copies 

of... 

They’re T 

FREE 

for people 55+! 


THE 

CLUB 

For a group, 

apartment 

building, 

or meeting? 

Call 519-491-1676 or email 


As reported by 

For Lynn Eves, it has 

always been as simple 

as 1, 2, 3. One: See an 

injured or abandoned 

animal. Two: Nurse the 

animal back to good 

health. Three: Set it free. 

Eves, a retired laboratory 

technologist, has been 

doing it since she was a 

little girl growing up in 

Sarnia. “It has been my passion all my 

life,” Lynn says. “I was looking after a 

lot of random wildlife as a child with the 

help of my parents. I became aware that 

I wanted to do this with the help of other 

people, so I put an ad in the local Sarnia 

paper asking if anyone was interested in 

taking in wildlife to rehabilitate it. That, 

or take in orphaned animals that needed 

help. I started out doing mammals. The 

songbirds and raptors came along later.” 

Lynn says her ad attracted a good 

www.hashtaglocal.com 

Bluewater Centre 

for Raptor Rehabilitation 

response and she and 

her new group worked 

at helping the likes of 

baby squirrels, bunnies, 

raccoons, and even baby 

skunks. They also helped 

songbirds and the odd 

owl and some 

larger birds, 

too. “I had 

the mammals 

taken care of by foster parents 

and eventually I became 

more interested in the birds,” 

Lynn says. That led to her 

starting Bluewater Centre For 

Raptor Rehabilitation (BCRR) 

in 1991. It is located on her 

farm in Wyoming on 28 acres 

and features plenty of cages 

for the birds. There is also 

a small clinic on site. BCRR 

is a non-profit organization 

and registered charity that functions to 

help injured, orphaned, and displaced 

raptors, loons, herons, and waterfowl 

with the object of releasing these animals 

back into the wild. The group operates 

depending on volunteers and donations 

from the public. 

“Our goal from the beginning was 

to get the wildlife in the community 

the help they needed,” Lynn states. All 

medical x-rays and surgeries are done by 

veterinarians. Day-to-day maintenance 

and care is performed by Lynn and the 

8-10 volunteers who circulate through 

the week and along with students that 

visit the BCRR as volunteers on the 

weekend. 

While Lynn could rattle off numerous 

stories about birds and animals her 

group has nursed back to health, one 

stands out as being particularly special. 

“It was not about a raptor,” Lynn recalls. 

“It was a loon. Loons are migratory birds 

that go north to south for breeding and 

wintering. Sometimes in a storm or 

during a long flight, they’ll come down 

on a wet road or wet field or, in this case, 

a small pond. They can’t take off from a 

small body of water or wet fields and wet 

roads so they get stranded. In this case, 

it was a drainage pond and this loon 

had been there for more than a week. It 

was spring and the pond 

was getting smaller and 

smaller, so it needed to 

be rescued. It took four 

of us and a great big net 

to catch the loon. It was 

an amazing rescue and 

an even more amazing 

release. It would have 

been a death sentence if 

it had not intervened to 

rescue that loon.” 

Anyone wishing to help 

Lynn and her friends at 

BCRR can reach out to her 

at linnev@hotmail.com. 


Originally, Dickens wanted Scrooge to say “Bah Christmas!” 

P A G E 

37


Gifts & 

Home Decor 

For The 

Holiday Season! 


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business or 

events in ... 


THE 

CLUB 

The BEST 

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EVER! 

Gift 

Certificates 

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Christmas 

GIFTWARE & UNIQUE 

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‘Tis almost the season to be jolly... 

but not during the game, please! Yes, 

the game’s afoot - not just the ‘football’ 

afoot but also baseball, golf, tennis and 

several other “American Pass-times” 

that mostly started out in countries 

other than America. 

Many moons ago, George Carlin talked 

about how much more gentle the art of 

baseball is than the last minute crunches 

of football. And I’d have to agree that 

teams like the Angels and Blue Jays 

sound so much kinder than your Lions 

and Raiders. Even the players seem to 

represent the toughness of their sport 

with gridiron heroes called Refrigerator 

and Steamroller, while baseball’s greats 

answer to cuddly nicks like The Babe. 

George talked about football using 

ominous terminology like ‘end zone’ 

and ‘sudden death’ while ‘soft-ball’ 

uses tender words like ‘high fly’ and 

‘sacrifice’. Why I’ve noticed that even 

the gear they wear is indicative of the 

violence involved. While football heroes 

wear concussion-proof steel helmets 

with shields and braces and (dare we 

mention) supports, our baseball buffs 

stay warm in cosy leather mitts and 

gloves, with a little brimmed cap for 

P A G E 

38 

THANK YOU to all the wonderful, local businesses 

that have made this free magazine possible! 

Mark Moran 519-491-1676 

Carla MacGregor 519-464-3230 


carla@welcometotheclub.ca 

For Lambton Shores area advertising, contact Rhonda Long 

519-657-1869 • rhonda@welcometotheclub.ca 

those sunny days. 

Yes, Mr. Carlin certainly opened my 

eyes to why so many men have to prop 

themselves in front of the TV all winter 

and watch football teams get involved in 

scrimmage lines and huddles while I’m 

enjoying baseball players who signal 

each other to ‘slide home’ and ‘stay 

safe’. But I guess I led one too many 

cheers for the poor quarterback being 

carried off the field to really have any 

great love for a game that encourages 

kicking and tackling, (although having a 

‘tight end’ has always appealed to me) 

when there are still baseball coaches out 

there encouraging us to ‘take a walk’ 

and ‘play the field’. 

While I’m comparing violence in 

sports, have you ever noticed that even 

tennis seems like a more damaging 

sport than our beloved ‘slow pitch’? - I 

mean once you get past the idea of 

Piece of Mind 

By Joan Richardson, London • From Daytripping Nov-Dec 2002 

Three Strikes Beats Two Aces 

and A Quarterback 

using the term ‘love’ to describe all 

your mistakes. I daresay I’ve made a 

lot of ‘love’ in my errant life, but I’ve 

never been all that fond of being on the 

‘disadvantaged’ side of the net most of 

the time or having to ‘toe the line’ or 

master the art of ‘service’. Then, when 

you’re at ‘fault’ for the last time, you 

must vault over a 3 foot fence at the 

end of a hot match and shake hands 

with the opponent who loved you into 

a deuce coup! I mean how fickle can 

you get, changing sides all the time, 

anyway? Besides, it seems like cheating 

to measure each point with a count 

of 5, 10 or 15. At least baseball only 

scores one point at a time and only 

after you run around for awhile, sliding 

and touching bases, pinch-hitting and 

perfecting that ever intimate squeeze 

play. Pretty friendly bunch, I’d say. 

Tennis is even named wrong - it should 

What do elves learn in school? The Elf-abet! 

430 Exmouth Street, Sarnia 

519-344-7740 

pickersalley.com 

be two-nis, or at the very most, four-nis. 

I have yet to see ten racketeers squeeze 

onto one of those bitty little court yards. 

And in baseball, nobody yells at you 

for being too long or too short or out 

of bounds (although you do have to 

be careful not to go foul or fly off the 

handle). I rather like the whole premise 

of pop-up flies and stealing seconds and 

going for a walk. And where do you end 

up at the end of the day? Not ‘game, set 

and match thank you ma’am’, but... 

sigh... Home. Sounds kind of warm and 

cosy after a hard day of dodging drives 

and dancing on diamonds. 

Yes, when it comes to violent sports, 

forget football, forget tennis and give 

me a big green outfield to play in with 

a designated hitter ready to go to bat for 

me any time I ask. After all, if winning 

isn’t important, then why are we even 

keeping score? And if practice makes 

perfect and we all know that nobody’s 

perfect, then why practice? What 

sportscaster was it who revealed to us 

that “Sports is really 80% mental and 

only 40% physical”? I suppose I’m in 

no position to dispute even this logic. 

Why just last week, I forgot how to ride 

a bicycle! 




Ta 

“Twas The Night Before Christmas” 

...and all through the house 

Not a creature was stirring 

Cranky Cat ate the mouse. 

My girdle was hung 

by the chimney with care, 

in hopes that Saint Nicholas 

would notice it there. 

Cranky Dog was nestled 

at the foot of the bed 

while visions of doggy bones 

danced in his head. 

And I in my jammies and 

a whiskey night cap 

dreaming of Santa, 

sitting right on my lap. 

When out on the lawn 

there arose such a clatter 

I tripped over Cranky Cat 

who was now much, much flatter. 

I tore open the window 

not a second to miss 

I hoped I could catch Santa 

and blow him a kiss. 

A bright moon was lighting 

the new-fallen snow 

It looked like Santa was 

beginning to glow. 

Cranky Dog was beside me 

looking up to the roof 

and there plopped Santa 

looking quite aloof. 

He was a little old man 

With a beard that was thick 

Now I knew why they called him 

Old Saint Nick. 

Like a bolt of lightening, 

the reindeer they came 

I tried to yell out at them 

and call them by name. 

Hey, Masher, hey Stancer, 

hey Minnie and Vixens 

I lifted my glass added 

more whiskey and mixins. 

Get off of my roof 

or the cops I will call 

Hit the road, fly away 

and don’t ever call. 

They took off as I staggered 

and tried to stand up 

Those stale twinkies I ate 

were trying to come up. 

So off of my rooftop, 

the deer, they did fly 

Rudolph’s nose lifted up 

with not a goodbye. 

And then in a twinkling, 

I heard on the roof 

They had forgotten old Santa, 

Oh gosh what a goof. 

I reached for my arrows and 

a rifle as well 

And just then Old Santa, 

By Liz Underhill, Vienna 

from Daytripping 

Nov-Dec 2010 

A.K.A. Ms. Klara 

down the chimney, he fell. 

With a huge bag of goodies 

tied to his back 

I told Cranky Dog, 

Santa wasn’t a snack. 

His breathing belaboured, 

his feet were a draggin 

Cranky Dog was delighted 

his tail was a waggin. 

He was dressed all in red, 

and a sloppy old hat 

He could hardly move, 

cause he was too fat. 

He groaned as he brushed 

against our huge Christmas Tree 

And politely informed me, 

he just had to pee. 

He had a round face and 

a huge rotund belly 

That was looser and floppier 

than any bowlful of jelly. 

He came towards me, 

his lips held a smile 

I could tell by his breath 

he hadn’t brushed for awhile. 

How he came down that chimney 

without getting stuck 

Is a wonder to me, 

he was such a schmuck. 

I said not a thing and drank 

from my glass 

My speech it was slurring 

I let out some gas. 

As he flew up the chimney, 

I got to thinkin 

He must have discovered that 

I was a drinkin. 

He yelled for the reindeer 

not to forget him that night 

To come back there to get him 

and they could continue in flight. 

I ran outside and raised my 

glassy eyes to the sky 

Merry Christmas to all, 

can they really fly? 

I turned to the tree 

and saw with delight 

Presents for all of us, 

it gave such a fright. 

A dog bone for Dog, 

and Cat Nip for Cat 

And a huge bottle of Whiskey 

wow, I could drink that. 

I ran to the window and 

smiling out there 

was Santa, waving 

his hair in the air 

Merry Christmas Ms. Klara, 

he laughed with good cheer. 

Next year forget whiskey and 

just leave me a beer. 

AYear Round Garden Centre, Gi 

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Join us by y 

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WEEKENDS 

TUESDAY 

WING NIGHT 

NIGHTLY 

SPECIALS 

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Gi Cards 

Available 

Thank you for voting us 

as Sarnia-Lambton’s 

Favourite Restaurant 2023! 

• Authentic ti Hik Hickory Smoked dRi 

Ribs 

• Genuine Broasted Chicken 

• Seafood, Sandwiches, Wraps 

GIFT CERTIFICATES make 

great Stocking Stuffers! 


The average life span of a Christmas tree is 7 to 15 years. 

P A G E 

39



HEARTFELT 

HOLIDAY 

WISHES 

to all my clients, 

friends & family! 

Jacqueline Waybrant 

Certified Professional Bookkeeper 

519-312-8560 

Interior and Exterior Fixtures 

• Desk, Table & Floor Lamps 

• Chandeliers, Prints & More! 

This sculptural piece brings 

a quiet understated 

elegance wherever it goes! 

116 Michigan Ave 

POINT EDWARD 

(519) 344-3535 

Mon-Fri 9am-5pm 

www.twinbridgelighng.com 

Mainframe 

QUALITY PICTURE FRAMING 

• Canvas Stretching • Jersey Frames 

• Needlework Stretching 

• Frame Repairs • Glass Replacement 

• Object Framing such as War Medals & 

Sports Memorabilia (the list is endless) 

• Plak-it also available 

GREAT 

GIFT IDEA 


ever day.” 

- Helen Steiner Rice 

1249 London Rd 

Tepperman’s Plaza 

SARNIA 

519-383-7114 

The Giving List 

These listings in 

are for reference eren 

en 

only. Please contact the organization i 

on for details. 

Many of us have time to 

give, consider n being a 

volunteer! l 

t 

r Here’s e’ 

s a list s of 

opportunities po 

t 

ies to give back 

k 

to our community. 

mu i 

ORGANIZATION 

O 

A 

N 

Z 

AT 

IO 

ON 

ORGANIZATION 

VOLUNTEER V U 

N T 

E 

ER 

OPPORTUNITY 

PO 

O 

OR 

T 

U 

N TY 

T 

DONATIONS 

CONTACT 

Sarnia Lambton Rebound Program & Special Event Volunteers, Cinderella Project Volunteer Committee, Rebound Rocks 519-344-2841 ext. 101 

Victorian Order of Nurses Visitor, Footcare Clinic Assistant, Bingo, Adult Day Program, In-Home Exercise 519-542-2310 ext. 4267 

LC Long-Term Care Living Various opportunities from Coffee Program to organist/pianist to dining companions lambtoncares.ca/volunteer 

Lambton Elderly Outreach Reception, Transportation, Friendly Visiting, Meals on Wheels, Diner’s Club, Forever Fitness 519-845-1353 

Alzheimer Society of S-L Program, Event and Bingo Volunteers 519-332-4444 

Habitat for Humanity Handyman Assistant, Build Volunteer, ReStore: Sales Floor Support, Cashier 519-339-7957 

St. Joseph’s Hospice S-L Residence Reception, Volunteers for Kitchen, Grocery Shopping, Direct Support, and more 519-337-0537 stjosephshospice.ca 

Literacy Lambton Volunteer opportunities in the Adult or Family Literacy Programs, Special Events, and more literacylambton.org/volunteer/ 

Noelle’s Gift to Children Bingo & Event Volunteers: online registration at www.noellesgift.ca under volunteer tab www.noellesgift.ca 

Bluewater Health Patient Care Assistant, Help Program, Reception 519-464-4400 ext. 5406 

United Way of S-L Bingos, and Thank You Community Volunteers theunitedway.on.ca or 519-336-5452 

P-W Historical Society Plympton-Wyoming Historical Society (positions on the Board) and at Museum (in Camlachie) sueewright53@gmail.com 

Canadian Red Cross Meals on Wheels (Sarnia, Bright’s Grove, Pt Edward), Transportation in- and out-of-town www.redcross.ca (volunteer tab) 

Family Counselling Centre Provide support to local older adults through Tel-Check and Distress Line programs.. 519-336-0120 ext. 251 

CONTACT 

Sarnia Humane Society Several volunteer opportunities. Non-clumping cat litter, towels and small fleece blankets, etc. www.sarniahumanesociety.com 

River City Vineyard Donation of food, extra clothing, valuables, and small household items to foodbank and shelter 519-383-8463(VINE) 

Petrolia Food Bank Monetary and food donations to food bank (please check expiry dates) 519-882-3950 

Inn of the Good Shepherd Clothing, linens & bedding, food items. Volunteer opportunities available. 519-344-1746 

Women’s Interval Home New unused items only will be accepted to shelter: hygiene items, clothing, gift cards, etc. kyla@womensintervalhome.com 

Petrolia Comm. Refrigerator Any type of food items, personal items and monetary donations 519-882-1390 

Willing Hands Yarn Club Donations of yarn used for scarves, hats, blankets, etc. distributed locally and nationally. 519-336-8088 biskit@sympatico.ca 

United Way of S-L Funding over 30 local programs/services that assist people in or near poverty. theunitedway.on.ca or 519-336-5452 

P A G E 

40 

Frosty’s first words in the movie were “Happy Birthday!” 


For the last year or two, bags of 

flannelette seemed to be arriving at 

the house and put behind the den 

door where I had my “to do” pile of 

fabrics waiting to be made into bags, 

blouses and blankets. “It’s for Dan’s 

quilt,” I was told. It was never made 

clear to me who was going to make this 

quilt, albeit daughter or granddaughter. 

I had announced my retirement from 

quiltmaking when my back complained 

vociferously about sitting at the frame 

for several hours a day, all winter long. 

However, that was a bit of subterfuge, 

for I had, over the last two winters, 

made quilt tops which were now down 

at Elmira being “finished.” 

It wasn’t until October, when it 

was casually mentioned, when was I 

starting Dan’s quilt? I didn’t know that 

I was. Well, it was Dan’s Christmas 

present, didn’t I know that? Actually I 

didn’t. But knowing how quickly those 

last eight weeks before Christmas can 

speed by, I announced to the other half 

that we had one more quilt to make. For 

many years he was my cutter, so with a 

shrug of his shoulders, he retreated to 

the back shed and brought in the old 

picnic table and propped it up in the 

living room. I’m not fussy on assisting 

with the cutting out but my nature tells 

me to stick with it, get it all done at 

once. And so we stood an entire day, 

me with measurements and number of 

strips from each fabric, ten fabrics in 

all as Papa meticulously and perfectly 

cut out the entire required number of 

strips. 

I, Grandma, sat at the machine and 

sewed and sewed. Then the sewn 

strips had to be cut crosswise, more 

measuring. The pattern of Trip Around 

the World, then began to take 

shape on the living room rug 

and slowly each strip was 

sewn to the next one, 

followed by another. 

As the quilt grew, 

it became more 

and more difficult 

to manage on my 

lap at the sewing 

machine. Finally 

the top was completed. 

The backing was a challenge 

as there wasn’t quite enough of one 

material, so that it had to be pieced. 

And there it sat. 

I mentioned several times that Dan’s 

quilt had to be assembled and tied 

and Christmas was fast approaching. 

No results. Finally I was told someone 

would be here to put it on the frame 

on the 22nd. I always hate the 

“Putting the Quilt on the Frame” day 

and adamantly said I would not be 

involved, I had done my part. Papa, 

fearful that this quilt would never get 

done, started thumbtacking the top of 

the quilt to the frame slats. I watched 

from afar. I whispered to daughter that 

he should know better that the backing 

By Marion Urquhart Charkow, Flesherton 


The Making of Dan’s Quilt 

goes on first, good side facing down, 

followed by the batting followed by the 

top facing up. I casually mentioned this 

to his nibs. He corrected me saying as 

the entire quilt was bigger than the 

frame (it was), that this was the way 

to do it. I shrugged. Then ensued a 

rather loud outburst about the size of 

the quilt, him saying it was 110 by 110, 

and me getting the instruction book 

out showing the pattern I followed. 

Later I discovered he was talking about 

the size on the batting bag and when I 

again thought he was commenting on 

the size of the top, he was meaning the 

backing which I had not trimmed to 

size as yet and neglected to tell. With 

batting and backing sounding similar, 

hearing losses and one upstairs and 

the other downstairs, one wondered if 

a divorce was imminent. There were 

several phone calls to daughter, “What 

about this quilt?” and “I’m not getting 

involved with THAT frame.” 

“Leave everything Mom, I’ll be over 

at 5 p.m.” 

The living room a disaster, two days 

before Christmas, lots of instructions 

from Father and Odette quietly put the 

quilt on the frame, backing, batting, 

top, et al. Granddaughter showed up 

and I relaxed in the tv room away from 

it all. At ten p.m., Dan showed up to 

pick up Kayla. “Oh we were just tying 

a quilt for Joshua for Christmas” said 

Kayla, referring to her brother. Dan 

was unconcerned. 

Next day a neighbour was coming 

for tea at eleven a.m. I quickly tidied 

up the living room and thought, just 

perhaps, if she didn’t stay too long, I 

could stitch the hem before we went to 

Odette’s for 2 p.m. It was not to be. The 

unfinished quilt was put 

in a green garbage bag 

and presented to Dan 

by his lovely wife on 

Christmas morning. 

He was genuinely 

pleased as punch. 

That night back came 

the quilt to Grandma’s 

house. 

Being of Scottish 

descent I like to go into the 

New Year with all my debts paid 

and all unfinished chores completed. 

On December 30th, after a trip to the 

bank to pay the bills, I managed to slip 

from the settee to the footstool to the 

rug so that I could manipulate the quilt 

edges, trim them up and pin. at 82 

and a knee replacement in the offing, 

getting down to that level was certainly 

a challenge, getting up was impossible 

without husband’s strong arms. Next 

day, December 31st with the assistance 

of the man of the house, I sat at the 

machine and stitched the hem. Mission 

completed before January 1st. 

Am I really out of the quilt-making 

pasttime? The stash behind the den 

door is nudging! 


146 EAST ST. NORTH 

SARNIA • 519-336-1415 

FOLLOW US! 

To find (and post) current events 

& community information, please 

follow our Facebook page. 



Gift Cards 

Available 

Voted Sarnia’s 

BEST PIZZA 

on Tripadvisor! 

Many people look 

forward to the New 

Year for a new start 

on old habits. 


What do you call people who are afraid of Santa? Claustrophobic! 

P A G E 

41



It’s A Christmas Wonderland 

Unique & thoughtful gift ideas! 

Festive Home Decor, Holiday Scents 

Wreaths, Garlands, Figurines, 

Nativity scenes, Stocking Stuffers 

Outdoor Decor & so much More! 

www.greatlakespoolandspa.com 

1137 McGregor Road North, Sarnia • 519-542-1103 

What a Simply 

Delicious Idea! 

Instead of buying 

plastic containers to 

contain the baked 

goods you give away 

this Christmas, why 

not stop into an antique 

shop or thrift store and 

buy used tins & glassware? 

They're inexpensive and plentiful, and may add to the uniqueness 

of your y 

u 

gift. f . These e were e found u n d at t Thrift f on n Mill l in Leamington. 

e m n 

t n. 

Christmas is for love. It is for joy, for 

giving and sharing, for laughter, for faith, 

and for reuniting with family and friends. 

But, mostly Christmas is for love. I had 

not believed this until a small elfin like 

pupil with wide innocent eyes and soft 

rosy cheeks gave me a wondrous gift 

one Christmas. 

Matthew was a 10 year old orphan 

who lived with his aunt, an older woman 

seemingly annoyed with the burden of 

caring for her sister’s son. She never 

failed to remind young Matthew, if it 

hadn’t been for her generosity, he would 

be a vagrant, homeless stray. Still, with 

all the scolding and chilliness at home, 

he was a sweet and gentle child. 

I had not noticed Matthew particularly 

until he began staying after class each 

day (at the risk of arousing his aunt’s 

anger so I learned later) to help me 

straighten up the room. We did this 


IN-BOX 

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E-Mail 

quietly and comfortably, not speaking 

much, but enjoying the solitude of that 

hour of the day. When we did talk, 

Matthew spoke mostly of his mother. 

Though he was quite young when she 

died, he remembered a kind, gentle, 

loving woman who always spent time 

with him. 

As Christmas drew near, Matthew failed 

to stay after school. I looked forward to 

his coming, and when the days passed 

and he continued to scamper hurriedly 

from the room after class, I stopped him 

one afternoon and asked him why he 

The Empty Christmas Box Author unknown 

no longer helped me in the room. I told 

him how I had missed him, and his large 

brown eyes lit up eagerly as he replied, 

“Did you really miss me?” 

I explained how he had been my best 

helper, “I was making you a surprise,” 

he whispered confidentially. “It’s for 

Christmas.” With that, he became 

embarrassed and dashed from the room. 

Finally came the last school day before 

Christmas. Matthew crept slowly into the 

room late that afternoon with his hands 

concealing something behind his back. “I 

have your present,” he said timidly when 

I looked up. I hope you like it.” He held 

out his hands, and there lying in his small 

palms was a tiny wooden box. 

“It’s beautiful, Matthew. Is there 

something in it?” I asked. “Oh you can’t 

see what’s in it,” he replied, “and you 

can’t touch it, or taste it or feel it, but 

mother always said it makes you feel 

good all the time, warm on cold nights 

and safe when you’re all alone.” 

I gazed into the empty box. “What is it, 

Matthew” I asked gently, “that will make 

me feel so good?” 

“It’s love,” he whispered softly, “and 

mother always said it’s best when you 

give it away. So I am giving you mine.” 

He turned and quietly left the room. 

So now I keep a small box crudely 

made of scraps of wood on the piano 

in my living room and only smile when 

inquiring friends raise quizzical eyebrows 

when I explain to them there is love in it. 

P A G E 

42 

Santa Claus is the name of a town in the state of Indiana. 



A Christmas Concert in the Thirties 

Whenever I conjure up the Spirit 

of Christmas Past it’s invariably 

the annual Christmas concert that 

materializes. Weeks of frenzied 

preparation led up to it. Teacherdirectors 

wildly waving scripts, 

student-actors hamming it up with 

half embarrassed bravado and a choir, 

as huge as it was unaccomplished, 

thundering out carols. 

The concert gave everyone a welcome 

break from chalk-dry subjects. Never 

was there a more dedicated group 

of thespians. Let decimals and long 

division be forgotten. Let participles 

dangle. Split the infinitives - full speed 

ahead! 

To a country girl, the upcoming 

concert meant long winter evenings 

pondering over the mail order 

catalogue. Would the plum velveteen 

catch everybody’s eye? Or would 

the green taffeta be more dramatic? 

Finally, I’d leave the choice up to my 

mother. Whichever one she picked, I’d 

order the other. 

On with the rehearsals. Good King 

Wenceslas is taking a beating. “No!’’ 

shrieks the teacher, stamping a highheeled 

shoe. “No, no, no. It’s ‘cruel’ not 

‘crool’. All together now.” Obediently 

we start again and thunder into the 

homestretch “gathering winter fu-u-el.’’ 

At last we are as ready as we’ll ever 

be. The big night arrives. Pre-schoolers 

are scrubbed and polished, bright eyed 

and ready for whatever adventures 

lie ahead. Self-conscious in our new 

clothes, we leave coats and overshoes 

noticeably unfastened as we saunter 

out into the cold winter night. 

Our dad has the old green truck at 

the ready, sending puffs of exhaust 

fumes into the frigid air. We kids ride 

in the back, under blankets and stars, 

singing Jingle Bells at the top of our 

lungs. At school, we walk silently 

beside our friends, as though seeing 

them with their parents makes them 

somehow different. 

In that enchanted land behind blue 

velvet curtains, chaos reigns supreme. 

Red-cheeked boys in the blue and 

crimson uniforms of toy soldiers 

march beside angel-girls wearing 

starkly coat hanger wings and dresses 

made from white crepe paper. An old 

lady of twelve adjusts her powdered 

wig and practices walking with a cane. 

Near the end of the evening, a seven- 


by Norma West Linder 


year old boy begins to sing Away 

in a Manger in a small, clear voice. 

He’s holding a shepherd’s staff and 

standing beside a cradle containing a 

baby doll. The light shining down on 

his blonde hair makes him look as 

though he’s wearing a halo. I can hear 

the sound of sniffles and see the flash 

of white hankies all over the darkened 

auditorium. 

When the carol singing ends, we 

hear the jangle of bells as Santa Claus 

arrives in a flurry of excitement. 

Names are shouted out, and the huge 

pile of gifts under the corner tree 

begins to diminish. But the best is yet 

to come for every child - a bag made of 

red cheesecloth tied with golden twine 

and bulging with rare and marvellous 

treats. Chunky pink creams, peach and 

lime-green too, sparkling like pasteltinted 

snow crust. Walnuts as big as 

ping pong balls. Rosy filberts. Thick, 

oval almonds. Rock candy shaped like 

little animals. Red and white candy 

canes. And an orange! An orange was 

something special then. Something to 

be treasured. 

Bliss was it in those days to be alive. 

And to be young was heaven. 

“He who has 

no Christas 

in his hear 

will never find 

Christas 

under the tee.” 

- Roy L. Smith 

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How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas? Fleece Navidad! 

P A G E 

43

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