Welcome to The Club Spring 2021

Welcome to ... 

THE 

CLUB 

...which is better 

than being 

under it! 

FREE & PRICELESS 

A GUIDE TO BEING OVER THE HILL 

Sarnia-Lambton 

A ‘’New’ Magazine for PEOPLE who aren’t 

Cover Photo: “Pearl the Squirrel” by Ronny D’Haene, Sarnia 

From the creators of... 

welcometotheclub.ca 

VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 2 SPRING 2021


THE Club 

Welcome Back, your dreams were your ticket out. 


SPRING 2021 

2020 Meals on Wheels Team 

Volunteer Opportunities 

Transportation • Home Maintenance 

Meals on Wheels • The Peer Program 

Friendly Visiting • Fitness Classes 

Diners Club • Bingo 

Due to COVID-19, volunteer 

opportunities are limited. For 

Volunteer Inquiries – please email 

volunteer@leohelps.ca 

Become a Volunteer 

March 2021 marked the one-year milestone for COVID 19. Throughout this past 

year, there have been countless learning opportunities that many of our agencies 

have encountered, which in the end, will learn from and be better for. An 

important recognition is how much of an impact our volunteer services have on 

the successful operations of our services here at LEO. Our volunteers are the 

heartbeat of our agencies. They arrive, without hesitation to support the critical 

services that many of our older aged clients require to safely remain at home. 

They recognize the gift of giving and many of them share their stories of how 

important their work is for them as well as the individuals they are meeting with. 

As the restrictions grew, our ability to fully engage with our volunteers was 

reduced, and we know that it has had an affect on many of our clients, especially 

those who are shut in and have benefited from programs such as “Friendly 

Visiting.” We are grateful to be engaged in the vaccination roll out in Sarnia 

Lambton, and hope that soon, through these efforts, our volunteer program will 

return to a viable and fully functioning team who once again will complement the 

efforts of our LEO staff. 

Paula Reaume-Zimmer, CEO 

2019 Volunteer Banquet 

Volunteer Appreciation 

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.org 

P A G E 

2 

The bottom borders in this issue contain MOM & DAD quotes & proverbs.

Welcome Back, to that same old place that you laughed about. 



101 Indian Rd. S., Sarnia • 519-464-4000 • www.lambtonford.com 

Its not just a Ford it’s a 

Lambton Ford !!! 

SPRING 2021 “Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother.” (Lin Yutang) 

P A G E 3


Pat Smits 

Financial Advisor 

12 Mac Donald Street 

Forest, ON N0N 1J0 

519-786-4924 


Open the door to your 

financial well-being. 

www.edwardjones.ca 

Well, the names have all changed, Since you hung around. 

Deer Tick Warning 

I hate it when people give you 

bogus warnings... 

but this one is real, 

and it’s important. 

So please inform everyone 

you know: 

If someone comes to your front 

door saying they are conducting 

a survey on deer ticks and asks 

you to take your clothes off and 

dance around with your arms up, 

DO NOT DO IT!! 

IT IS A SCAM; 

they only want to see you naked. 

I wish I’d gotten this yesterday. 

I feel so stupid now. 

Welcome to ... SPRING 2021 

Unique Gifts & Greeting Cards 

Home & Garden Decor 

Sun & Skin Care Products 

Purses, Scarves & Jewellery 

*Free Delivery in Lambton Shores 

* Some restrictions apply 

View our flyer at 

pharmasave.com 

Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-5 

Sun & Holidays 10-2 

19 King St. W, Forest • 519-786-5161 

• Safety Braces & Support 

• Mobility Aids 

• Wheelchairs, Walkers & Canes 

• Compression Stockings 

• Herbal Products & Supplements 

VIRTUAL WALK-IN CLINIC 

Seniors Save *15% Every Wednesday 

Certified Stocking Fitter 

Digital 

Photofinishing Kiosk 

Wednesday-Saturday 10-2 

29 King St. W, Forest • 226-520-0054 

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign 

On a Mechanic's 

Wall... 

LABOUR $55/hr 

$65/hr if you watch 

$75/hr if you worked on it first 

Affection: 

Appreciation 

of Others: 

Family: 

Potty 

Time: 

• I know it hurts, but I will not kiss your butt. 

• Of course it stung you; wasps don't like to be petted. 

• Please stop kissing the worms. 

• I know you love all of the rocks, but we can only take one 

into the store today. 

• Even if someone hugs it out of you, you should say, 

"Excuse me" after passing gas. 

• No honey, her face is not melting. Those are called wrinkles. 

• Yes, that is a nice drawing on her shoulder. 

• Sometimes your breath stinks, too. 

• People can see even if they have blue eyes. 

• No, he doesn't have a baby in his tummy. 

• Don't hit your brother when he is sleeping. 

• Please get your feet off of your grandmother's head. 

• You can't marry Daddy; I got him first. 

• Take that funnel out of your sister's ear. 

• Put Grandpa's teeth back where you found them. 

• You can't pee in just anybody's yard. 

• Yes, it makes me very happy when you make poop. 

• Only boys stand up when they potty. 

• If you wipe your bottom, it won't be itchy. 

An Old Fashioned Country Store with a Modern Twist! 

• Collecbles & Giware • Kids secon 

• Fudge • Maple Buer Tarts & Baking 

• Williamson Farms Beef & Local Pork, Cider, 

Cheese & Maple Syrup • Gi Baskets 

Wednesday is 

SENIORS DAY! 

Numerous Savings for 55 & over 

Shop Online www.williamsonfarmsmarket.com 

Curbside Pickup is always available • Ask us about delivery! 

14 King St. W., FOREST • 226-520-0144 

Tues to Fri 9am-5pm • Sat 10-4 

P A G E 

4 

“Some people don’t believe in heroes, but they haven’t met my Dad.” (unknown)

But those dreams have remained and they’ve turned around. 

The learning curve! 

By Mark Moran, Publisher 

Thanks to readers like yourself and a 

great collection of local businesses, our 

first issue, released earlier this year, was 

a huge success. 

Now we all start to ask ourselves, 

and you, where we should be going next 

as far as the style of this magazine. We 

don’t wish to dive into politics or get 

tangled up in controversial issues, but 

I do wonder if Welcome To The Club 

can advocate for older people in Sarnia 

Lambton, inform you of changes that 

may affect your every day life, or just 

celebrate who we are and where we live. 

We were thrilled to see a number 

of readers take us up on our offer to 

contribute to this new magazine with 

articles, recipes, constructive comments 

and many replies to a questionnaire that 

was published in the first issue. Your 

thoughts are always welcome. I’m a 

phone call away and I answer the phone 

when I’m in the office. 

We’re hoping to cross paths with 

people in our community who are 

acutely aware of issues facing the older 

generations, have their finger on the 

pulse of what is important to them and 

the desire to use this magazine to get 

that message across. Quite frankly, I’ve 

started a senior’s magazine but don’t 

know a whole lot about what it is to be 

a senior. I’m 55 and will get there, God 

willing, but your advice is needed and is 

welcome. We are in the mood to learn 

from your experience. 

Seniors is a strange term. It’s a little 

too all-encompassing and has been the 

hardest part for us to wrap our heads 

around while publishing “The Club,” 

which is officially for those 55 and up, 

all the way up. That’s a big age group 

to define with one word. As you well 

know, there are young old people, and 

some old young people too. They’re not 

all seniors and most sure don’t want to 

be called that (Unless it comes with a 

discount, right?). Please keep us on our 

toes in this regard. 

Having published Daytripping 

Magazine for 26 years I am quite sure 

"We are safely open and ready to help your health” 

Book your Appointment t 519-339-8999 ext. 2 

or Shop Online at www.tywc.ca 

Plan your Foot Cleanse, 

Aqua Massage, HRV Scan, 

Biofeedback, X’Tract Cleanse, 

or Low Level Light Therapy 

We are Excited 

to Serve You! 

141 Mitton St. South, Sarnia 

that “The Club” will find a home in 

Lambton communities and a way into 

your hearts. Like the “Daytripper” this 

magazine offers an honest, feel good 

read, a bit of fun, and is something 

you’ll hopefully keep hanging around 

your house for a few weeks or even a few 

months. Hopefully you’ll pass it on to a 

friend instead of throwing it away. Many 

of the articles are from the Daytripping 

archives and we make a donation to 

charity for every one we reprint. 

Another thing that struck me while 

working on this is the bounty of 

incredibly talented photographers that 

we have locally. There are a few Facebook 

sites like “You Gotta Love Sarnia” and 

“Lambton County Photography” where 

photographers are showcasing their 

latest works and showing a lot of love 

and support for each other. We’re looking 

forward to having some of their striking 

photos on the covers of the magazine 

but might also incorporate more inside 

the paper. It’s a shame to have only four 

covers in a given year and to only show 

four out of the thousands of terrific pics. 

Check out the Milestones and 

Memories on page 32. This is a way 

for you, for free, to send us a picture of 

someone over 55 who has celebrated 

a milestone birthday or anniversary 

(ones that end in a 5 or a 0), a recent 

retirement, a significant award or some 

other achievement. Don’t be shy! Our 

next issue will come out at the start of 

July so we’ll need to have photos in by 

June 10th please. 

Lastly, please consider supporting 

our local advertisers and take note of 

their presence in this magazine — it 

wouldn’t exist without their advertising 

dollars and their confidence in us. If you 

know of a business that offers something 

to, or does a great job for those 55+ 

please mention “The Club” to them, as 

they may want to advertise. If you own 

a business that fits that description, our 

number is on this page. 

Thanks and take care, 

Mark Moran 

All COVID Guidelines are in place 



THE 


CLUB 

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 • SPRING 2021 

You’ll find 

current and 

nostalgic 

articles 

throughout 

The Club. 

Milestones & Memories 32 

Postcards from the Past 15 

Trivia 27 

Word Search 29 

Recipes 13 

Other Stuff 1-36 

“Pearl the Squirrel” by Ronny D’Haene 

Ronny D’Haene, e, Cathy Dobson, o Lee Michaels, John 

Gardiner, A. C. Stone, Doris M. Johnston, Lyn 

Tremblay, Barb Day, Corrina Austin, Alice Gibb, 

Agnes Burroughs, Wendy Nienhuis, Chris Treftlin, 

John Carroll, Jeanette Paddon, Marion Clouse, 

Helen Lammers-Helps, Janet Collier, Henriette 

Trautman, Barbara Bryant, Sipkens Nurseries, and 

all the Recipe and Milestones & 

Memories submissions. 

Mark Moran - Publisher, Ad Sales & Design 

Carla MacGregor r - Advertising in 

Sales 

Carrie Ann Timm - Office fice 

Manager ager 

& Design 

From the publishers 

of Daytripping Magazine 

The Club Features 

The questionnaire winners from our first issue are: 

Shelley Waller & Carol Guerette get $50. Thank to all who replied. 

On the COVER of the CLUB 

YOUR CONTRIBUTORS 

CLUB STAFF 

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

519-491-1676 • info@welcometotheclub.ca 

www.welcometotheclub.ca 

A Magazineg 

for 55+ 

like no other! 

SPRING 2021 “Mothers are the most instinctive philosophers.” (Harriet Beecher Stowe) 

P A G E 5



Who’d have thought they’d lead you, Back here where we need you? 

Gardeners Try Harder 

Retail Store on the Farm 

Produce Fresh From Our Fields 

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

www.zekveldgardenmarket.ca 

(C through D) 

Canada: 51 weeks of winter, one week hockeyless summer. 

Cauterize: Made eye contact with a woman. 

Charm: Getting a "yes", without having asked any clear question. 

Cheap: Much less expensive than ones selling for up to twice as much. 

Chirpes: A canarial disease, no tweetment. 

Choconiverous: Biting off the head of the chocolate Easter bunny first. 

Cinemuck: Popcorn and candy that covers the floors of movie theatres. 

Conservative: A liberal who has just been mugged. 

Constipation: Teeth marks on the toilet seat. Diplomacy: 

Counterfeiter: Kitchen cabinet installer. 

The art of 

Deliberation: Examining one's bread to determine letting someone 

which side it is buttered on. 

else have 

Drug: A substance that, when injected into a rat, your way. 

produces a scientific paper. 

Dumbwaiter: One who asks if the kids would care to order dessert. 

PICK YOUR OWN 

• Strawberries • Apples 

• Pears • Pumpkins 

(in season) 

Open 

Monday-Saturday 

(hours vary) 

Closed on Sundays 

Children Welcome 

Welcome to ... By Agnes Burroughs, Dorchester From Daytripping May-June 2014 

It never fails. A plant or shrub, lovely 

to look at, fully in bloom and just perfect 

for the right spot, is going home with a 

gardener who really does not have room 

for any more plants in this particular 

area. There is no room. Something must 

go before this shrub can fit into the 

right spot and go on to lead a long life 

of beauty and renewal. The very worst 

question a customer can ask is, “Can’t I 

just trim it to keep it small?” 

Well of course you can trim it, but the 

plant will never reach it’s full potential 

of beautiful and arching branches when 

trimmed down each and every spring 

or fall. When pruned of course, the plant 

actually becomes adapt at sending out even 

more branches from the pruned areas, and 

becomes more dense and compact with 

even more branches to prune. 

If you love the plant as much as we 

do, dig a new flower bed so the plant will 

have lots of room to grow and flourish 

as nature intended. You will be even 

prouder when you see the plants overall 

elegance and it will be a real credit to 

your garden. Since you have now made 

another flowerbed, why not add just a 

couple more plants to keep the first one 

company? Be sure to choose plants that 

are compatible as far as sunlight needs, 

or shade, or water. If it needs a lot of 

water, don’t put it in the bed farthest 

away from the tap, or you will be hauling 

water three times a week 

in the heat of summer. If 

it needs a lot of 

sunshine don’t 

plant it on the 

north side of the 

house—that’s the place 

for hostas, astilbes and 

most hydrangeas, who love 

the dark side. 

The little tags that come 

with plants are invaluable. If 

the tag is bright 

yellow, with 

is planted in 

a big bright 

the conditions 

sunshine 

available. 


symbol that means the plant does best 

in full sun. If the tag is orange with half 

the sun blocked out, that means partial 

shade and some sun. If the tag is purple 

with the sun symbol filled in dark, this 

means the plant does best in full shade, 

and would suffer in the sun. Some 

brilliant scholar once said, “Grow where 

you are planted.” I’m sure he meant 

people, because a plant in the wrong 

spot—no matter how much you love it 

there—does not necessarily want to be 

there, and will do poorly. 

The tags will also give you the overall 

size that the plant could potentially 

achieve in it’s lifetime. If it says 10 feet 

high by 10 feet wide—that’s not the first 

year or the second—in ten years you 

could have this huge and lovely plant to 

enjoy. Sit back and enjoy the show that 

Mother Nature has planned for you and 

this plant. If you have planted the shrub 

in the spot indicated on the tag and 

given it reasonable care, water, fertilizer 

etc. and it still doesn’t look happy just 

give it a little time to adjust to it’s new 

surroundings. Don’t go yanking it out 

and moving it again. If after the third 

year it still is not living up to it’s potential 

then perhaps it was a dud and you should 

look for a new plant. 

Nothing kills a plants potential like 

amending the little hole you have dug 

with wonderful fertilizer, water etc. It’s 

like feeding a teenager on the couch— 

they will never leave home if you continue 

to do so. The hole for a shrub should 

be 3 times as wide, and only 

the same depth as 

the original pot, so 

that the roots can go 

outwards and keep 

it strong and upright. Use 

the original soil with some 

amendments, but the 

tree must learn to 

grow where it 

Green County Ebikes 

and 

Mobility Scooters 

New • Used 

Parts • Sales • Service 

Ebike & 

Mobility Scooter 

Batteries 

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

TUES. TO SAT. 

9AM - 5PM 

P A G E 

6 

Fathers should remember that his son will follow his example, not his advice. (unknown)

Yeah, we tease him a lot ‘Cause we got him on the spot. Welcome back! 

Goodbye 2020: 

The Year of the Breakdown 

Coping with a pandemic for the past 

year has been a lesson in patience by 

itself, but because of breakdowns, it’s 

really been put to the test in the Michaels 

household. They haven’t been of the 

mental variety, although the resulting 

expenditures may drive me into the the 

looney bin. 

We had to purchase a new vacuum 

cleaner, choosing to do so from a small 

locally run business on Mitton Street in 

Sarnia. The reason? I could get down on 

my hands and knees and probably suck 

up more with my mouth than the old, oft 

repaired one could. Decided to go with a 

top rated Miele. How can one go wrong 

when the only thing a company makes is 

vacuum cleaners? Paid more for it than I 

did my first car. (A 1976 Vauxhall that I 

had to crawl into through the passenger 

side because the driver’s door wouldn’t 

open. The rubber mat hid the pavement, 

you could see through the holes in the 

floor and my then boyfriend had to 

attach a wooden block to the brake 

and the gas pedal because the seat was 

welded in one position and I couldn’t 

reach the pedals). 

Next up: a new blender because the old 

one started to smell like the motor was 

burning every time we used it. Bought 

a new Kuradori from a nearby small, 

locally owned hardware store. Who knew 

blenders now cost close to $100? It’s so 

big you could bathe a newborn in it. 

Then we decided to finally cave in 

and buy a new stove because the broiler 

element on the 15-year-old Kenmore no 

longer worked and a new part, if I could 

find it, would cost over $100 plus labour. 

Didn’t feel comfortable having a repair 

guy in. Used to be the low rider, buttcrack 

revealing jeans were the deterrent. 

Now it’s the human air exchange I worry 

about. Ordered a new stove from another 

great small 

locally-owned 

and operated 

appliance shop 

on Cathcart Blvd. 

Had to wait eight 

weeks because 

simple ranges (not 

the type you have 

to have a PhD 

in Stove-ology to operate) were in very 

short supply, as are all major appliances 

over the past 12 months. (Friends 

ordered one of those new-fangled fridges 

that lets you see what’s inside from the 

outside. They waited FOUR MONTHS to 

get it. Never did figure out why people 

pay so much to see what’s inside their 

fridge when all you have to do is open 

the door.) But I digress. There’s no 

glass top to break on our new stove, no 

fancy schmancy push-button computer 

keyboard, but it still burned up $1,000 

from the banking account. Now my 

baking, previously burnt on the bottom, 

raw in the middle because of uneven 

By Lee Michaels, Sarnia 

cooking temperatures, no longer goes up 

in smoke. 

Then the seven-year-old Amana 

washing machine spun its last cycle. 

There was something wrong with the 

“lid lock” button. It would flash during 

the rinse cycle, indicating the lid was 

not locked, when in reality, it was. End 

result: the motor runs, but the agitator 

does not. Why does a washing machine 

always fail when you have a heavy load 

of towels or flannelette sheets inside and 

you have to wring the soaking wet, ice 

cold mass out by hand? Hung them out 

on the clothesline in the dead of winter. 

They were so heavy they were touching 

the ground. They froze into a solid mass 

and I had to drape them over every chair 

and table in the house to dry them off. All 

I needed was the cobwebs and my house 

would have matched the Munsters. I wish 

I would have kept the previous 32-yearold 

Kenmore. The only reason we had 

to get rid of the old warhorse is because 

the hose to the washtub was more duct 

tape than rubber following leaks and 

splits and they didn’t make that type of 

hose any more. Now they build washing 

machines to last seven years, or to two 

days beyond your warranty expiration 

date, whichever comes first. Another 

grand down the wash pipes. The washing 

machine eventually arrived on the same 

day as the stove. Asked if I could get a 

2-for-1 delivery rate (free). I’ll let you 

guess the answer to that one. 

Oh yeah, and then I decided to buy a 

battery operated hedge clipper. The old 

electric one weighed 18 pounds and is 

getting too heavy for this old broad to 

trim 150 feet of shoulder-high hedge. 

The new one, a Dewalt guaranteed to cut 

through branches 5/8ths of an inch thick, 

didn’t live up to the hype. I could more 

easily trim the hedge with nail clippers 

because the $185 

non-working 

breed didn’t cut 

squat and had 

about a ten minute 

battery life. The 

good news? Home 

Depot staff didn’t 

bat an eyelash 

when I returned 

it and gave me a refund without issue. 

The bad news? I have to start the entire 

process again this year, because the old 

one, which ran like a charm, fell over 

onto the cement, cracked its handle and 

discombobulated the spring mechanism 

which works in tandem with the hand 

press. Dead in the water. 

The saving grace was that no longer 

wintering in Cuba resulted in a breakdown 

replacement fund to pay for 

everything. Hopefully the fridge and 

dryer will last until the money tree I 

planted in the backyard starts to bloom. 

If 2020 was a cocktail, methinks it 

would be a colonoscopy prep. 



• Manicures • Pedicures 

• Waxing • Electrolysis 

• Independent 

Hair Stylists 

a getaway from the everyday 

635 Broadway Street, Wyoming 

226-307-0772 

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

663 Broadway Street 

Wyoming, ON N0N 1T0 

519-845-3212 

beth@bethhackettins.ca 

Great Local Service 

AUTO • HOME • FARM • INSURANCE 

MARLEY PHARMACY 

59 Years Y of f Service S i e to t Wyoming W i & The Surrounding S unding d i 

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Community! 

C mu 

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“Where Good 

Friends Meet!” 

Diabetes 

Education 

Blood Pressure 

Testing 

Meds Review 

Easy Prescription 

Transfers 

Get your 

flu shot here 

607 Broadway St., Wyoming 519-845-3341 

SPRING 2021 “A little girl, asked where her home was, replied ‘where mother is.’” (Keith L. Brooks) P A G E 7



You must be 55 or over to read this magazine. 



395 Fletcher St 

Petrolia, Ontario 

226-738-0665 

blackgold.beer 

SARNIA 

519-337-3713 

OIL SPRINGS 

519-834-2833 

Petrolia’s Alternative Fuel 

HOGAN 

P•H•A•R•M•A•C•Y 

Beautiful Gift Shop 

• Wedding • Birthday 

• Baby • Home Decor 

4177 Petrolia Line, Petrolia • (519) 882-1840 

ITALIAN 

3G CUSTOM APPAREL & MORE 

T-shirt & Sweater Pressing 

FUNDRAISERS WELCOME 

Six feet of earth 

make us all equal. 

The second thought 

is always the best. 

Good is good, 

but better beats it. 

Everyone thinks their own cross is heaviest. 

Half a brain is enough for the person who says little. 

Good company on the road is the shortest of short cuts. 

A doctor and a clown know more than a doctor alone. 

By asking for the impossible, 

the best possible is obtained. 

Full Service Pharmacy 

Full Service Cosmetic Department 

Full Service Home Health Care Dept. 

It may be quieter to sleep 

alone, but not warmer. 

A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine. 

A person who laughs too much is hiding their grief. 

Tell everybody your business and they will do it for you. 

It is the smallest expenses that empty your purse. 

If a person deceives me once, shame on them. 

If a person deceives me twice, shame on me. 

A person who knows little quickly tells it. 

The rich never have to seek out their relatives. 

Old truths, old laws, old friends, old books, 

and old wine are best. 

Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-6, Sun10-5 

OPEN 

TUES-SAT 

11-8 

4110 Petrolia Line 

Petrolia • 519-882-1212 

Once upon a time, it was a pretty 

common practice to drop off unwanted 

kittens in the heart of Petrolia. Many 

in this neighbourhood have given 

sanctuary to those homeless souls in 

the past. Thankfully that practise has 

diminished, in fact, almost gone entirely 

in recent years. 

So, when on a freezing October 

day, a beautiful, tiny, black kitten 

with four white paws and a white 

throat, mysteriously turned up in our 

neighbour’s driveway, needless to say, it 

was love at first sight. 

Posters were put up, but no one 

claimed the tiny fellow. 

He was given the name Elvis by the 

family that found him and became an 

instant favourite in the neighbourhood. 

His distinctive looks and his adventurous 

nature kept us all entertained. He was 

often found in photos not directed 

at him. He loved to follow us around, 

curious about all his surroundings and 

poking his nose into everything. 

He claimed his own rocking chair 

on our front porch and would sit there 

often with one of us watching his 

surroundings or just snoozing. He loved 

to lay on the warm rocks surrounding 

the pond, dipping his paw and watching 

the fish, and his own handsome 

reflection. Having fallen in a time or two 

didn’t deter him. 

Bird watching, another of his 

favourite pastimes was done 

with much fascination. I’m 

pretty sure he never caught 

or even attempted to catch 

either fish or fowl. 

He remained an 

outdoor cat, often found 

sleeping under a bush 

in the garden on a warm, 

sunny, summer day, but he 

always returned home to his 

family for his supper. 

When one evening he didn’t 

return, his family became 

concerned. When he didn’t 

show up after several days, 

By Janet Collier, Petrolia 

• AUTO • HOME • FARM 

• TENANTS • COMMERCIAL 

1-800-265-7506 • www.cam-ron.ca 

The Cat Came Back 

everyone who knew him became 

worried and sad, including his many 

animal friends at home. 

The word and photos went out on 

social media that Elvis was missing. 

Many friends offered suggestions and 

gratefully, shared the post. 

Seven days passed since anyone had 

seen Elvis and we had begun to accept 

the fact that we might never see him 

again. 

Strangely, a call from the Sarnia 

Humane Society informed Elvis’s family 

that he could be there. Two of their 

employees had seen the photo on social 

media and thought a cat that was in 

their care and scheduled to be put up 

for adoption in three days time could be 

Elvis. 

Excited, and hoping it was Elvis but 

wondering how he could have possibly 

gotten all the way to Sarnia, his family 

went immediately to check out the 

kitten. 

Sure enough, it was our dear Elvis. 

He was found in Sarnia in the Sherwood 

Village area and taken to the Humane 

Society. 

How Elvis got to Sarnia will likely 

forever remain a mystery. Some feel 

he may have been taken by someone 

wanting to keep him and with all 

the social media posts they became 

frightened and took him to Sarnia and 

dropped him off. 

I like to think that a very social cat 

climbed into a warm car, unnoticed 

by its driver and when the 

car reached its destination he 

climbed out still unbeknownst 

to its driver. 

So ends the tale of our twice 

deserted Elvis, microchipped 

and home safely, reunited 

with his family. His 

adventurous spirit is 

finding being an indoor 

cat a little tedious but 

perhaps love and security 

will eventually prove to 

be worth his confinement. 

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. 

P A G E 

8 

A father is a banker provided by nature. (French proverb)

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

With Every Good-Bye 

There’s a New Hello 

You can collect a lot of memories 

in forty-five years and we had over 

collected. Every thing was going to be 

used “someday” but that day hadn’t 

come and now I (no longer we) had to 

be ruthless. It was time to give up the 

past and its treasures and get on with 

the present. 

Like all new widows I tried to fill up 

the lonely hours. I did some decorating, 

but it wasn’t very satisfying when there 

was no one to share it with. I joined a 

senior’s group and participated in their 

many activities, but found that if I left a 

spare hour, I was just rattling around in 

what seemed to be heart-empty rooms. 

I loved this place we used to call our 

“happy house,” but now it didn’t feel 

like home. It was time to move on. 

The day the FOR SALE sign went up, I 

armed myself with a green garbage bag, 

a duster, and some cartons and went to 

the basement to see what I should pack 

and what I should throw away. 

Suddenly I thought back to the day 

we had moved in. I could still see the 

huge piles of earth filling the back yard. 

Our house had been moved from across 

town and set on a new foundation. 

There had even been a picture of it in 

the local paper, with the men on the 

roof, ready to lift any over hanging 

wires that might be in the way. 

That night we stood 

at the back door 

watching the moon 

rise over the trees 

and bushes at the 

bottom of the yard. 

They looked 

mysterious 

and the earth 

hills resembled 

pyramids. I 

envisioned what 

we could do with 

such a jungle and 

had gone to bed 

tired and content. 

The first winter 

came and snow covered the hills. Our 

children—six, three and two years old— 

had enjoyed tobogganing on their very 

own mountain. 

In the spring we had the earth 

removed, then we cleared the bushes, 

levelled the ground and planted grass 

seed. Our neighbours on either side 

(dear kindly souls) rejoiced with us that 

the mountain, which had become a 

weed-infested eyesore, had gone. They 

had never complained, and instead 

had brought gifts of roses and other 

perennials for my new garden. 

The children thrived. Our garden was 

big enough to accommodate twenty 

or more of them and from the noise 

generated there, probably did, quite 

often. 

Two more children joined the family. 

by Doris M. Johnston, London 

From Daytrippig Magazine May-June 2001 

The walls must have stretched to fit 

them in, for no one ever grumbled that 

the house was too small. 

As the girls grew, they frequently 

had a friend or two sleep over. There 

was no spare room so they all crowded 

into the double bed and talked and 

laughed the night away until finally the 

bed collapsed. We replaced it with our 

first and last king-sized bed. The boys, 

less conventional and more noisy, used 

sleeping bags when they entertained 

their friends overnight. 

I stopped reminiscing and picked up 

an old coffee pot. How could I throw 

away the past? We’d used that pot in 

our first home. Now it was dented and 

brown with age. Why had I saved it? Or 

the car bed that our oldest child had 

slept in so comfortably on our short 

trips; it would never be used again, not 

safe by today’s standards. 

My treasures wouldn’t be treasures 

to anyone else but me. Even my own 

children didn’t want their piles of faded 

drawings from kindergarten and up. 

“Just junk, toss them,” was their advice 

to me. Then I came to the saucers, at 

least two dozen. The first one I picked 

up belonged to a four cup tea service. 

The boys had broken all four cups the 

day they played basketball in the 

kitchen. They had saved 

their allowances for weeks 

to replace them. I 

dropped them one by 

one into the bag. They 

broke, reminding me 

of what my son said 

the day he broke 

the neighbour’s 

window. “Oh 

mum, it made 

such a good 

smashing sound. 

But I was sorry.” 

Now I was sorry. 

How could I 

leave these memories 

behind? Our first patio, surrounded 

by flowers; my husband loved it. The 

wood stove in the family room, so 

cosy to sit by while we ate popcorn 

and played scrabble. The skylight—will 

I ever find another house with such a 

beautiful view of the clouds? 

My recollections of those years in the 

“happy house” won’t fade away and I 

don’t want them to. But now I am in a 

new house and I know it’s going to be 

just as happy. Different, yes, but happy. 

The flowers are blooming in profusion 

and the perfume of the roses is just as 

sweet. The cats have made themselves 

at home on their leashes under the big 

maple, just as if they had always lived 

here. They feel at home and so do I. 

Here I’ll enjoy the present, dream of 

the past and create new memories for 

the future. 

• Fresh Produce 

• Fresh Meat 

• Party Trays 

• Bakery 

• Deli 


“Big or Small, JohnnyRemax 

Sells T hem All” 

John A. McCharles, Broker 

Re/Max Sarnia Realty Inc. Brokerage 

519-383-4812 

johnnyremax@bellnet.ca 

Our 

Readers 

Are 

Our Writers! 

WRITERS 

WANTED 

Send us your stories, 

recipes & photos! 

The Club • P.O. Box 430, 

Bright’s Grove, ON N0N 1C0 

info@welcometotheclub.ca 


• Bulk Food 

• Seasonal 

Merchandise 

• Flower 

Market 

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 

SPRING 2021 Problems were invented to give mothers a reason to make soup. (unknown) 

P A G E 9



My Ordinary Life 

By Old Farts - For Old Farts! 

by John Gardiner 



P A G E 

10 

A father carries pictures where his money used to be. (unknown) 

The following is an excerpt from the soon-to-be-released memoir, My Ordinary Life, by 

Wallaceburg writer John Gardiner, who grew up and came of age in Hanover, Ontario during 

the 1950’s and 1960’s. In My Ordinary Life, Gardiner tells the story of his growing-up years 

with a series of colourful anecdotes about the way life used to be. More of the writer’s work 

is available at www.johngardinerstories.com and he can be contacted at gardiner@kent.net. 

Money Was Always a Problem 

Money was always a problem for 

kids back in the old days….most of our 

parents were working stiffs and most of 

our Dads toiled in the furniture factories 

for fairly low pay. So, there wasn’t a lot of 

money for the kids other than what the 

kids could figure out how to scrape up on 

their own. I was immensely lucky when 

I was a kid because my Dad managed 

to get me a job as a Toronto Star paper 

boy. I earned 2 ½ cents for every paper 

I delivered, and the Star wasn’t the most 

popular paper in town, so I had a modest 

route of about 25 dailies. Saturdays were 

a whole lot busier because the Star had a 

great magazine called the Star Weekly 

and lots of people liked it because 

of the TV Guide and comics 

and the extended sports 

coverage. So I had over 50 

Saturday Onlys and it was a 

busy time. 

Then, the newspaper had 

a big contest to increase 

circulation. They took all 

of the newspaper boys and 

partnered us up with an 

older high school kid. And 

the high school kid took us 

around and tried to sell 

subscriptions. And the 

team of high school kid and 

newspaper boy that got the 

most new subscriptions, 

won fabulous prizes, like 

the newspaper boy could 

win an English racing bike 

and I think the high school kid 

got some money for college or 

whatever. Anyway, my particular 

high school kid was what you would call 

a real go-getter. He was supposed to stick 

to the area where my route was already 

located, but instead he saw the whole 

town as his oyster…and he set out to win 

the contest. 

And I must say that he did. When the 

contest ended, I had over 60 dailies and 

about 155 Saturday papers. It was like – 

Wow – what could I say. I won an English 

racing bike and the high school kid won 

the money. And then they forgot about 

me. And I had to deliver and collect for 

155 Saturday papers every weekend. In 

the good weather, I used my bike and 

newspaper carrier and with about four 

trips out from home could do it by maybe 

eight at night. In the winter, when I was 

hauling the toboggan, it would take me 

until ten or eleven at night to get the job 

done….Holy crap, did I work like a dog 

for a while. I darned near killed myself for 

2 ½ cents a paper. But, man, was I rich. 

And I must admit that the newspaper 

boy story leads directly to the donut story 

and another valuable lesson I learned 

in life as a boy. Even at 2 ½ cents per 

paper, the money started to pile up. 

Before I knew it, my Dad was telling 

me that I’d built up about $300 in the 

Guarantee Trust. And I was well on my 

way to gathering up my first million and I 

was barely ten-years-old….One winter’s 

night, though, it was particularly stormy 

and snowy and I was out collecting for 

the paper and I’d missed my supper and 

I ended up walking past Schultz’s Bakery 

at about the time I was feeling particularly 

hungry and tired and worn out. And the 

big front windows of the bakery were all 

steamed up and a woman came out the 

front door as I passed, and it was like out 

came this amazing aroma with her and it 

stopped me in my tracks. 

Now, technically, I had no actual 

money even though the change purse I 

was carrying was full of the stuff. That’s 

because the money in the change purse 

sort of belonged to the Toronto Star 

and only a small cut of it 

was mine. My money was 

in the Guarantee Trust. 

All the same, I was drawn 

in through the front door 

of Schultz’s and was soon 

standing in front of a huge 

rack of honey dipped donuts 

and a vast array of other 

baked delicacies. A lady in 

a white apron approached 

on the other side of the counter 

and asked me what I’d like. I was 

nervous and blurted out the first 

thing that came to mind…..”Honey 

dipped donuts”……when she asked how 

many I wanted, I immediately replied “A 

dozen,” because that’s how many donuts 

people always got. And soon, I was back 

outside in the cold and stormy winter, 

but I was holding a whole box of donuts 

that were all mine…..Not like back at 

home where these donuts would be 

spread around among six people – these 

were mine. 

So, as I walked the rest of my route, 

I gorged myself on the donuts. I ate the 

whole dozen and totally and completely 

enjoyed myself while doing it. They were 

likely the best donuts I’ve eaten to this 

day – and I’ve eaten a lot of donuts over 

the years. And when I finished, I got rid 

of the evidence – the empty box – and 

made my way home. And I had learned 

my lesson. Saving was fun but spending 

was even more fun. And once I got into 

the spirit of it, there was no stopping me. 

I started buying things at a feverish pace 

and soon I was pretty well broke. And I’ve 

stayed broke pretty well right to this day 

but have somehow been able to avoid 

living in the street or under a bridge…. 

and that’s mostly because people have 

been kind to me and because of my 

loveable and charming personality.

The magazine is distributed in most of Sarnia-Lambton, and it’s free! 



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Jogging 

The article in the 

magazine I 

picked up in the 

doctor’s office 

claimed that age 

should not be a 

barrier to a regular exercise program. 

The author cited examples of people in 

their forties, fifties and even sixties who 

dramatically improved their physical 

condition by adopting a regular routine 

of weight lifting, calisthenics or jogging. 

The article was so convincing that when 

the doctor finally called me in I asked 

if he thought my old body could still 

handle the rigors of physical exertion. 

After thirty years of doing little more 

than exercising my options, I wondered 

if it could handle a little jogging. 

He liked the idea. “Exercise will 

do you a world of good,” he said. “Of 

course you’ll have to take it easy at first, 

but there is absolutely no reason why 

you shouldn’t exercise, and every reason 

why you should.” 

I went back to the waiting room, reread 

the article, and decided to give it a 

shot. At the very least, if I timed it right, 

it would get me out of helping with the 

dishes. 

The first night was a disaster. About 

half a mile from home my leg muscles 

decided they’d had enough, wound 

themselves into tight, little balls and 

quit functioning. I had to pay a kid with 

a wagon to haul me home. It would 

have been less humiliating to call an 

ambulance. 

In three days the muscles had relaxed 

By A.C. Stone, Windsor 

From Daytripping Magazine March-April 2002 

a little and with effort, I could walk 

almost normally. I decided to try again. 

This time I waited for dark. I’ll admit I 

walked further than I ran, but at least I 

completed the eight block course I’d laid 

out for myself. The only problem was 

fighting off the dogs which objected to 

me invading their territory. 

Within a week I had become a real 

pro. When a car slowed down to marvel 

at my progress I just ignored it. I found I 

could take a healthy kick at any dog that 

got close enough without even missing a 

stride. And I discovered an advantage to 

jogging at night. 

Once a week most people put out 

their garbage. Now I don’t believe in 

collecting somebody else’s junk, but 

you’d be surprised at how much really 

good stuff people throw away. Getting 

around there at night not only gave me 

first crack at it, but in the dark, who’s to 

know? That’s how I got the radio. 

I’d finished the first lap of the trip and 

was heading back home again when 

I spotted it; an old table model radio 

about eighteen inches long and a foot 

high. All it needed, I told myself, was a 

battery and it was just the thing for my 

work bench in the garage. I’d never have 

to miss another ball game. Since I was 

on my way home anyway, it wasn’t all 

that far to carry it so I put it under my 

arm and kept on jogging. 

When the car passed me I was 

running under a street light so I wasn’t 

really surprised when it slowed down. In 

fact, I didn’t even look up until it stopped 

fifteen feet in front of me. Two of the 

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biggest cops I’ve ever seen uncoiled from 

the front seat and blocked my route. 

“Now, just what is it we have here?” 

“Hi officers. Just getting a little 

exercise.” 

“I can see that, but if you want music 

while you run you should buy yourself a 

Walkman.” 

”Oh, the radio? Just a piece of junk 

that I picked up off the street back there. 

Somebody had thrown it out.” 

“I’ll bet you have a lot of luck that 

way. You often find things before they 

get lost?” 

“Aw, come on fellows. All I’m doing is 

a little jogging.” 

“Oh, you’re a jogger, are you? Does he 

look like a jogger to you, Bill?” 

“Hey, I don’t know...but if he’s a 

jogger shouldn’t he be wearing one of 

those suits of baggy underwear and have 

running shoes with stripes on them?” 

“That’s what all the joggers I’ve ever 

seen looked like.” 

“Maybe you’d like to jog down to 

the station and explain to the sergeant 

why you’re running around a nice 

neighbourhood, in the middle of the 

night, carrying a radio under your arm. 

I’m sure he’d be interested.” 

And so I got a free ride to Police 

Headquarters. Naturally, when my wife 

arrived to explain that I always jogged 

in regular street clothes and the radio 

refused to pick up even the local stations, 

I was released with an apology. 

“With all the break-ins in your area 

lately, we can’t be too careful, you know.” 

The next day I switched to calisthenics. 

At least if I exercise in the house all I have 

to put up with is my wife’s comments... 

and now I can drown them out by 

turning up my radio. 

Established in 1978, 

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4130 Glenview Rd, Unit 2, Petrolia 

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Pharmacist 

Monday–Friday 9–6 

Saturday 9–12 

Do you want to reach 

our age 55+ readers? 

advertise 

in the club 

Call 519-491-1676 


The 

An elderly couple was 

attending church services. 

About halfway through she 

leans over and says 

to her husband, 

“I just let out a silent fart, 

what do you think 

I should do?” 

He replies, 

“Put a new battery in your 

hearing aid.” 

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SPRING 2021 “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” (Abraham Lincoln) 

P A G E 11


Call to 

book a 

tour! 


As we wave goodbye to our younger years we must also 

wave goodbye to some of the fads we loved. 

The following combinations DO NO T go together 

and should be avoided... 

1) A nose ring and bifocals 

2) Spiked hair and bald spots 

3) A pierced tongue and dentures 

4) Mini skirts and support hose 

5) Ankle bracelets and corn pads 

6) Speedo’s and cellulite 

7) A belly button ring 

and a gallbladder surgery scar 

8) Unbuttoned disco shirts 

and a heart monitor 

9) Midriff shirts and a midriff bulge 

10) Bikinis and liver spots 

11) Short shorts and varicose veins 

12) In-line skates and a walker 

13) Thongs and Depends 

70 Duke Street, Wallaceburg 

WallaceburgRetirementResidence.com 

519-627-0719 • generalmanager@wallaceburgretirementresidence.com 

If you know where you were on Dec. 8th, 1980 - this is for you! 

A Father’s Love 

By 

This is a true story from my doll repair 

experience. 

A few years ago, an elderly lady 

called me to tell me she had a doll that 

needed repair, and wondered if I 

could pick it up for her as she had 

no transportation. The following 

day, I went up to her apartment 

to pick the doll up. The lady was 

very welcoming and, after a few 

words, she went and got a 

package from the bedroom 

that was carefully wrapped 

and she placed it on a little 

table in the living room. 

As she unwrapped the precious 

bundle, she told me it was her 

daughter’s doll and she wanted it 

restrung as the old elastic had let 

go a long time ago. It was going to be 

a surprise for her daughter to have it 

restored. 

Then as I prepared to rewrap it for 

transit she asked me to please take 

good care of it as it’s a very special doll. 

As I looked up at her I could see her 

Henriette Trautman, 

Ruthven 

from Daytripping May 2012 

memories coming back as she told me 

that her husband had served in World 

War Two, and they were expecting 

their first child as he was shipped out. 

When he got the news that he was 

the daddy of a sweet little girl, he 

went into a little town in France 

and bought a doll for his new little 

daughter. He proudly showed it to 

all his buddies and carried it in his 

knap-sack. 

Sadly, he was killed in a 

battle in which he was badly 

disfigured and had lost his 

dog-tags. 

When he was carried back to 

camp, identification seemed almost 

impossible until they looked in the 

knap-sack which was still strapped 

to his back. They found the doll and 

remembered the day he’d bought it for 

his little princess. 

And so a father’s love is still 

remembered so many years later. As 

we all know love never dies, it lives on 

in all of us. 


P A G E 

12 

My father taught me to work, he did not teach me to love it. (Abraham Lincoln)

As you may have guessed by now, it’s for people 55+ 



Recipes 

Send Us 

Your u 

Recipes! 

e c 

es 

! 

We’ll be bringing you recipes from Club contributors 

and from local fundraising cookbooks we’ve collected 

over the last quarter of a century. 

You’re welcome to send your own recipes, or on behalf 

of an organizaon that has a new cookbook, and we 

can help promote those cookbooks for free. 

Rhubarb Dream Bars 

2 cups flour 

1 cup buer 

1/4 cup powdered sugar 

4 eggs, large 

2 cups sugar 

1/2 cup flour 

1/2 tsp. salt 

4 cups diced rhubarb 

By: Janet Collier, 

Petrolia 

Mix the first 3 ingredients and press into 10 x 15 pan. Bake 350 degrees, 

for 15 mins. Beat remaining ingredients, and sr in rhubarb and spread 

on hot crust. Bake another 40-45 mins. 

All Inclusive Suites & Apartments with kitchenettes. 

CUSTOM MENU OPTIONS • ACTIVITIES • 24HR CARE 

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Rhubarb Coffee Cake 

By: Adrianne Bruce, 

Camlachie 

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 mins. in a 9x13 inch glass or metal 

baking dish (sprayed or buered). 

TOPPING - Combine and reserve 1/2 cup white sugar, 3/4 cup chopped 

walnuts or pecans, 2 Tbsps. so buer, 1 tsp. cinnamon. 

CAKE - Cream together 1 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup (1 sck) soened 

buer, 1 tsp. vanilla. Add 1 egg and beat l fluffy. 

In separate bowl: Mix 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 

1/2 tsp. fine table salt. 

To creamed mixture: Alternate dry ingredients with 1 cup original 

sour cream (mixture will be sff). 

Add to combined cake: 2 cups fresh cut rhubarb cut in 1/2 inch pieces. 

Pour baer into prepared baking dish. Top with reserved topping and 

press down gently (I cut topping slightly into cake for an internal crunch). 

Bake 350 degrees for 50-55 mins. Cool in pan on wire rack. 

Great alone or with whipped topping of choice. 

quotes 

“Golf is like chasing a quinine pill 

around a cow pasture.” 

-- Winston Churchill 

“Golf is a game in which you yell 

ʻforeʼ, shoot six, and write down five.” 

-- Paul Harvey 

“It took me seventeen years to get 3,000 hits in baseball. I did it in 

one afternoon on the golf course.” 

-- Hank Aaron 

“Columbus went around the world in 1492. That isnʼt a lot of 

strokes when you consider the course.” 

-- Lee Trevino 

“Give me the fresh air, a beautiful partner, and a nice round of 

golf, and you can keep the fresh air and the round of golf” 

-- Jack Benny 

Springtime Lemon 

Dessert 

3/4 cup buer 

1 1/2 cups flour 

1 cup chopped pecans 

2 Tbsps. white sugar 

By: Nicole Font 

from Brigden Fall Fair 

2010 Cookbook 

8 oz. pkg, cream cheese 

18 oz. Cool Whip 

1 cup icing sugar 

1 large pkg. lemon pie filling (not instant) 

Layer #1: Buer, flour, chopped pecans and white sugar. Mix together 

with pastry blender and press into 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees 

for 15 mins. Cool. 

Layer #2: Cream cheese, 1/2 carton (9 oz.) Cool Whip, icing sugar. Beat 

cream cheese and icing sugar. Add Cool Whip and spread on base. 

Layer #3: Lemon pie filling (not instant) or lemon meringue pie filling for 

10 inch pie. Prepare, cool and spread on Layer 2. 

Layer #4: Spread with remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate unl ready to 

serve. 

Send Your Recipes to info@welcometotheclub.ca 

info@welcometotheclubca 

o club ca 

“You can make a lot of money in this game. Just ask my ex-wives. 

Both of them are so rich that neither of their husbands work.” 

-- Lee Trevino 

“Golf is not a game, itʼs bondage. It was obviously devised by a 

man torn with quilt, eager to atone for his sins.” 

-- Unknown 

“These greens are so fast I have to hold my putter over the ball 

and hit it with the shadow.” 

-- Sam Snead 

“Toward the end of one of his infamous 

high-volume, temperamental, club 

throwing rounds, asked his caddie for a 

club recommendation for a shot of 

about 155 yards. His caddie said: ʻIʼd 

say either a 3-iron or a wedge, sirʼ ʻA 

3-iron or a wedge?ʼ asked Bolt. ʻWhat 

kind of stupid choice is that?ʼ 

ʻThose are the only two clubs you have 

left, sir!ʼ said the caddie.” -- Tommy Bolt 

SPRING 2021 “A mother can perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease.” (Lisa Alther) 

P A G E 13



Submit local photos as well for the magazine, possibly the front cover 



BOB BAILEY 

MPP – Sarnia-Lambton 

Building A Better Sarnia-Lambton 

Discussing mental health issues 

with Bluewater Health President 

& CEO Mike Lapaine (right), 

alongside the Associate Minister 

of Health & Addictions. 

Congratulating Pathways Health 

Centre on reaching their 

$1.6 million Therapeutic Pool 

fundraising goal, which included 

$148,500 in support from the 

Ontario Trillium Foundation. 

Presenting virtually to the 

Michigan Senate in March 

about the importance of Line 5 

to Sarnia-Lambton, Ontario, and 

the entire Great Lakes Region. 

Touring Creative Education 

of Canada in Point Edward, 

which has transitioned from 

a costume designer to an 

Ontario-based provider of face 

masks and surgical gowns. 

With the arrival of spring, everyone I’ve been speaking with lately has 

been in a more positive frame of mind. As we get set to spend more 

time outside, plant our gardens, fire up the barbecue and enjoy many 

of our other normal spring-time activities, I’m hoping that you and 

your immediate family are all staying safe and healthy. 

This has been an unprecedented year in everyone’s lives. With the 

ongoing pandemic concerns, this past winter may have felt much 

lonelier than usual. Having said that, even in the bleakest moments, 

every day I heard of an act of generosity or human kindness that 

made me prouder than ever to live in Sarnia-Lambton. 

As we begin a second year of battling COVID-19, our government 

continues to make historic investments in health care, long-term 

care, and other sectors that are critically important to those of us 

who are 55 and older. That includes rolling out the much-needed 

COVID-19 vaccines, beginning with our most vulnerable citizens 

and, ultimately, ensuring that all adults receive their first doses by the 

start of summer. 

Although it has taken longer for vaccine supplies to arrive than some 

of us might have hoped for, it’s also important that we remember 

how truly miraculous it is that we already have several safe, effective 

approved vaccines to combat this deadly virus - developed, tested, 

approved and distributed in record-setting time. Amazing! 

With more and more people being vaccinated every day, we all have 

reason to hope that better times are on the way. Combined with the 

spring-like weather, the opportunity to spend more time safely with 

our families, and the gradual reopening of our economy, there is 

plenty of reason for optimism. Stay well! 

Announcing $1.3 million in 

joint provincial/federal funding 

to create 24 new affordable 

rental housing units for 

seniors in Sarnia. 

Supporting arts and culture 

at the Judith & Norman Alix 

Art Gallery with the Minister of 

Heritage, Sport, Tourism and 

Culture Industries. 

Announcing $2,843,400 in 

provincial funding to expand 

the Community Paramedicine 

for Long-Term Care program 

in Lambton County. 

Joining the Minister of Labour 

and Parliamentary Assistant 

to the Minister of Agriculture 

in announcing SWIFT funding 

to deliver rural broadband 

services in Lambton County. 

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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 

14 

Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad. (Anne Geddes)

In this difficult time, thank you for continuing to shop locally! 



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Photos from the Krom-o-graph collecon. 

Aerial view of the bluewater bridge in the 1940s. 

Lake Huron Hotel in the 1900s. near Colborne and Lakeshore 

Pesha: The Federal Building 

and local post office. 

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Canatara Beach 

The Heritage of My Hands 

By Lyn Tremblay, Simcoe • From Daytripping Magazine September-October 2001 

There is a “memory” room in our 

home where I go to visit some very special 

people who are no longer in my life. It is 

filled with objects that were so much a 

part of their lives that I can caress each 

one and feel as if I am holding hands with 

my past. An old sewing machine sits in 

the corner—when I touch its smooth oak 

surface I am back in the kitchen of my 

childhood. My mom is bent over it guiding 

yards of fabric under the click, click, click 

of the tiny needle, the wheel whirs as her 

foot works the treadle back and forth. I 

have a special memory of matching red 

skirts with tiny kittens around the hems, 

made for my two sisters and I. Without 

trying very hard, I can smell the wood 

burning in the cookstove and I can see 

loaves of homemade bread, rising like 

puffy clouds, sitting on the top of the 

warming closet. 

In my memory room, the bed 

is draped with a “Dresden plate” 

patterned patchwork quilt. I can hear my 

grandmother’s giggle as she tells a story, 

while her fingers automatically push a 

needle pulling thread in and out, tracing 

the edges of each design. Now I look at 

those same patches and I remember a 

blouse that covered an ample bosom 

and arms that rocked countless babies. 

Some of my pillowcases are 

trimmed in intricately “tatted” lace and 

embroidery. Nearby, a photograph of a 

prim and proper lady with lace-edged 

collars reminds me that this is the work 

of one of my great-grandmothers. An old 

tin box is filled with large dark buttons, 

the kind you would find on heavy woolen 

“mackinaw” coats. My other greatgrandmother 

knew a tougher life—her 

creations kept her children warm. They 

both died long before I was born, but I 

feel I know them. 

A tiny basket sitting on the windowsill 

holds other reminders. A crocheted pincushion 

belonged to great-aunt Francis, 

we called her Aunt Fanny. When I think 

of her, I am a little girl, brushing long 

hair that hung to her knees before she 

braided it into a neat halo that wrapped 

around her head. 

The basket also contains a small 

wooden crochet hook whittled by my 

great-grandfather. It is the only reminder 

of hours spent carving with only his 

touch to guide him. He could not see. I 

can smell his pipe. 

Canatara Beach 

A rug hook made from a 

spoon belonged to my great-great 

grandmother—the crevices of the 

engraved handle are dark with age. I am 

told she loved to create her own unique 

designs, working long into the night by 

the light of a coal-oil lamp. 

There are other things that I cherish 

perhaps even more than all of these. 

Delicate crocheted cotton doilies spread 

out on dresser tops are reminders that 

once, not so long ago, other fingers— 

spotted with age and swollen with 

arthritis, worked the tiny knots flawlessly 

day in and day out. These are the works 

of art created by my grandmother. These 

small webs of cloth are a reminder of her 

passion. 

She too is gone now, but my memories 

of her have not had time to dim. She was 

my inspiration and part of the wonderful 

legacy that my own hands have inherited. 

SPRING 2021 Motherhood is an act of endless forgiveness. (unknown) 

P A G E 15



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Welcome to... 

THE 

THECLUB 

The role of technology in assisting 

seniors in maintaining independence 

cannot be overstated and keeping it all 

straight can be a challenge. The challenge 

comes as a result of the pace and number 

of technological advances in the past few 

decades. The changes can be dizzying. 

There was a time in the not too distant 

past when all we talked about was 

medical alert systems. You remember the 

commercial: “Help me, I’ve fallen and I 

can’t get up!” 

Of course, that is still available, however 

there is much, much more that a senior 

and their families can take advantage of. 

For our purposes I will divide the current 

tech advances in four main categories: 

Life Safety, Telehealth/Remote Care, 

Medication Dispensing, and Geo-location. 

As the phrase implies, Life Safety is 

about the senior’s ability to live in their 

space, secure in the knowledge that 

should they need help, all they have to 

do is press a button. That option remains 

for sure, and so much more. Typically, 

the individual wears a 

pendant on a lanyard around 

their neck. Tucked away 

under their shirt or blouse, 

this pendent can be easily 

accessed should the person 

come into distress. I have 

also seen them on belts and 

wrists. Whatever works best 

for the individual. 

This system has advanced 

to include a fall detection 

option. There is, built 

into most pendants, the 

technology to sense a fall 

and send the signal to the 

responding call-centre 

without requiring the person 

to press the button. 

Owen R.Wyrzykowsk 

Wyrzykowski 

y 

ki 

519-336-6118 

6118 

orw@wrlawoffice.ca 

722 Lite Street, Point Edward 

Technology and the Senior Advantage 

By Chris Treftlin, Shine at Home, Sarnia 

Call-Centres are the next piece of the Better still, because of the ease-ofuse, 

Life Safety puzzle. With the advancement 

the number of readings (points of 

of hands-free two-way calling, a live data), can increase exponentially. With 

call is activated by the pressing of the more data the care team can better 

button, or the fall notification. Now the manage the chronic illness. And it gets 

person initiating the call will be live with even better, by layering onto more data 

a trained responder who can assess and the addition of “Diagnostic 

take the appropriate action. This may Analytics” (DA) aka 

include telephoning people on a call-out Predictive Analytics (PA). 

list provided by the client, family, friends, Diagnostic Analytics uses 

or neighbours. It may include calling EMS. and leverages the massive 

Either or both, the call-centre makes it power of today’s computers 

happen, and stays with the caller until with the vast amount of 

someone arrives to address their need(s). data. The outcome is a 

Newer technology assisting people with system that can predict with 

independence is the advancements made a high degree of accuracy 

in Telehealth/Remote Care. Systems have the positive and potentially 

been developed to monitor and track negative outcomes of any 

patient data, then send this data to the given patient. 

patients care team. 

Here is an example. A senior is 

Stay with me. Many seniors are dealing dealing with hypertension and Type 2 

with chronic medical Diabetes. As they monitor and faithfully 

“Falls are the most conditions. Hypertension, send in their readings a few times a day 

common cause of injury diabetes, cardiovascular, the Predictive Analytics is detecting an 

among older Canadians. COPD issues are some of the almost imperceptible change. These 

Every year, it is big ones along with others. changes are reported and the care team 

estimated 1 in 3 seniors Previously an older person responds. Without PA the patient goes 

aged 65 years and older dealing with these issues unchecked for months. As our healthcare 

are likely to fall at least would be asked to make system gets more demands from an 

once. ... According to the regular visits to the doctor for aging population Telehealth/Remote care 

Public Health Agency a simple monitoring session. will be required as one tool to assist in 

of Canada, over onethird 

Under the Telehealth/ maintaining our high standards of care. 

of seniors who are Remote Care model a Medication Dispensing is seeing 

hospitalized as a result doctor’s patient can sit at the positive effects that technology is having 

of a fall are placed in PC and do their own blood on medication compliance and the older 

long-term care.” pressure, blood oxygen, and person. In a recent 2016 study over 

Source: https:// 

blood glucose readings and half of the seniors in the study (55%) 

www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/ more. The system stores the had moderate to poor compliance. Put 

pub/82-624-x/2014001/ data and the care team can another way, over half did not take their 

article/14010-eng.htm 

review on-demand. 

meds effectively. Now we are not talking 

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about a pill here or there, heck I do that. 

We are talking about medications that 

maintain the same chronic conditions 

I wrote about earlier. New systems on 

the market can remind, dispense, and 

monitor the elder person’s taking of said 

medications. The system also notifies. 

If the medications are not taken then a 

notification goes out to the call-centre 

or an individual responsible for care. 

Further, reports can be generated that 

analyze medication compliance. 

A few words on the affect dementia 

and Alzheimer’s disease have had on our 

society and technologies response. In a 

recent Q&A with Sandra Shields, Philip’s 

Lifeline Community Representative, 

she stated that one of the biggest tech 

advances in recent years is a program 

called “GoSafe.” Shields stated, “Go 

anywhere in Canada with six locating 

technologies, check-in service, wandering 

device, and it is all waterproof” Do not 

underestimate the importance of this 

advancement to a family dealing with 

their loved one’s disease. 

There is a lot of help out there from 

and through technology with reports that 

more is coming, at least one per year. 

Used properly it can be a positive part of 

a senior’s independence strategy. 

P A G E 

16 

A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty. (unknown)

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• If you try to please everybody, nobody will like it. 

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SPRING 2021 “A mother who is really a mother is never free.” (Honoré de Balzac) 

P A G E 17



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Where Did the Romance Go? 

By John Carroll, Petrolia 

I say “Welcome to the Club” is an 

excellent magazine! I speak as a regular 

visitor to Canada from the UK since 

1982, and a more regular and longer 

stay visitor of recent years, because our 

daughter married a Canadian. 

I was interested in reading the article 

in the first edition by John Gardiner of 

Wallaceburg about the “Best of Times to 

Grow Up” in Canada, and how when he 

was a teen they were well served with 

dances (although unlike John, I would 

say I never aspired to being a musician 

and consequently, not a member of a 

band!). 

I can relate to John’s comment that 

it’s only natural to feel that your own 

generation had the best music (amongst 

other things), and I am no exception. I 

was born in the generation preceding 

the baby boomers, and I am filled with 

nostalgia when I think about the times 

in which I grew up and came of age. 

In December 1952 (when John 

Gardiner was born) I was serving in 

the Army, my mandatory two years 

UK national service. I was due to be 

demobbed in September 1953, which 

meant I was ‘roped in’ at the age of 

eighteen in September 1951. 

Prior to my army days the only 

dances I had been to were the company 

dinner dances (where I started work at 

fifteen years old), usually a full band 

plus singer—typically a ‘posh’ do and 

you danced with people you knew. The 

other style of dance was the youth club 

dance—usually to records—current 

‘hits’ and again people or young ‘uns in 

your group and not much dancing done 

due to shyness and inexperience! 

So the only dancing of any 

consequence at that time that would 

help you to meet the opposite sex, 

was of course ballroom dancing: waltz, 

quickstep and foxtrot, (I can hear some 

saying “What the heck are they?”), and 

not the jitterbugging or jiving we only 

saw in post war American movies. 

Ballroom dances were a different 

experience altogether I would say to 

John the baby boomer, until Bill Haley 

and his Comets hit the airwaves with 

“Rock around the Clock” in July 1955. 

(We went to the cinema at the time 

and all of Wolverhampton young ‘uns 

must have been waiting for it, and went 

mad!). 

About four months before I was 

due to be demobbed, my family 

moved from North Eastern England 

to Wolverhampton in the Midlands, 

a much more highly populated town. 

My first visit to Wolverhampton was 

early September 1953, three weeks 

before demob. My sister and a female 

work colleague decided to go to the 

Civic Hall Saturday night Civic Dance, 

accompanied by her colleague’s 

younger sister, my two younger brothers 

and myself, if I arrived on leave and if I 

wanted to go, which of course I did. 

I can well remember that September 

1953 night: a great atmosphere with the 

band playing, ten or twelve musicians 

and singer, the warmth in the air, and 

the buzz of conversation. There must 

have been about a thousand people, all 

youngish up to about thirty years old? 

Guys looking for girls and girls looking 

for guys, groups all around, laughter, 

plenty of DA’s (‘Ducks’ Arses’—am I 

allowed to say that?—hairstyles), drape 

suits and ‘brothel creepers’ (excuse the 

expression) or crepe soled shoes about. 

A really special atmosphere only 

found in a public venue. Not what I 

had been to before, especially after two 

years in the Army—and the majority 

of that time in Germany earning the 

princely sum of one pound and ten 

shillings per week to spend! (about 

$1.75). An atmosphere that youngsters 

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P A G E 

18 

Be more than a father, be a dad. Be more than a figure, be an example. (Steve Maraboli)

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

Romance... Continued from previous page 

do not get now (or so I imagine), and 

records or discs can’t compete with that 

live, big band sound. 

Introductions were made all round 

our little group and our visitor’s younger 

sister was beautiful and I jumped 

in “Would you like to dance?” The 

proffered hand is taken and so starts 

an experience that is so special, it can 

be a beautiful experience or a complete 

disaster. 

You arrive on the edge of the dance 

floor and other couples are passing 

you in a large circle. The M.C. (Albert) 

is moving up and down the centre of 

the crowd signaling “keep moving” and 

“hands up” where he can see them— 

making sure everyone is behaving! 

Your partner turns to face you arms 

open – her right hand goes to your left 

hand, her left hand is poised ready to 

rest on your right shoulder, you slide 

your hand around her waist and you 

step close and make eye contact. Try 

this anywhere else and you could get a 

right-hander! 

The next thing is you are thigh to 

thigh…now I don’t think even now you 

could get yourself in a situation like this 

with a female that you do not know and 

have never met before. Now the banal 

conversation starts or could do, but you 

are trying to say something original – 

unless it is “sorry” when your first step 

gets it wrong. 

If your first sentences have the right 

effect, and she smiles and acknowledges 

that you are there and is listening to you 

and answering – she is interested. The 

temperature starts to rise depending 

on if it is a waltz or quickstep and 

you can actually feel the interest. This 

will be confirmed when, as soon as is 

possible, you make it plain you would 

like to dance with her again. If you can 

manage to commandeer virtually all of 

her dances for the night—that is when 

it can become “Romantic.” Now where 

did that word go? 

The perfume, the music and the 

atmosphere are having their effect. The 

outstretched left and right hands are 

pulled in slowly over a period of time 

and are allowed to twist a little and 

the pace slows down over a number 

of dances as you get to know each 

other—the magic of romance starts. 

The conversation starts to flow and you 

have time to think and the questions 

come: “Do you come here regularly?” 

(with your sister/boyfriend?), “Any 

other places like this in town?” “Where 

do you live?” “How did you get here?” 

“How are you going home tonight, 

and when?” and so it goes on. Your 

cheek touches hers and is allowed to 

stay there, even though you are both 

beginning to sweat! 

If you are really smitten (and I was, 

and this trip only here for a couple more 

days and not back for about two more 

weeks before final release), you try to 

cover the future: “I will be back,” “Can I 

take you home tonight?” 

This can’t happen now can it? In 

or at the disco/bar/club or any other 

venue with its ridiculous decibel count, 

flashing lights, unable to hear yourselves 

speak, standing on one spot shaking like 

someone out of control, hardly making 

physical contact or showing off how you 

won a gold medal at gymnastics! Where 

did the romance go? I ask again! 

Those old days will never be back— 

BUT—we live in a changing world. I 

realize that we have to change and our 

kids and their kids (bless them all) make 

it with a different recipe now, and the 

magic works for them. So I will just sit 

back and count the stars or something 

equally absorbing. 

By the way, the girl I offered my hand 

to in this narrative became “the light of 

my life” for sixty married years—gone 

but not forgotten just over three years 

ago. Petrolia became our second home 

through the years, need I say more? 

For those readers who don’t really 

know much about ballroom dancing. 

Some study its intricacies for years 

and become very skilled, especially in 

competition. At the other end of the 

spectrum, if you as a pair can avoid 

trampling on and tripping over each 

other’s feet, this ability will be with you 

for years enabling you to dance with 

your loved one anytime and anywhere, 

whenever the special music plays. 


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Make this magazine Your Own! 


THE 

CLUB 

The Club • P.O. Box 430, 

Bright’s Grove, ON N0N 1C0 


WELCOME TO THE CLUB is written by you, OUR READERS. 

Send in articles to be published here and possibly in Daytripping Magazine. 

Keeping our 55+ audience in mind, you may want to write about: 

• Long gone hangouts i.e. Kenwick on the Lake, Tab's Drive-In, the Campbell St. Staon 

• Local things that will never be the same - Local things that will never change 

• A local champion from the past or present that deserves recognion 

• A great local concert. Elton John? Johnny Cash? Alice Cooper? Bayfest? 

• Hidden gems in Sarnia-Lambton, whatever they may be 

Send us 

your stories, 

ideas & photos! 

• An in depth look at a local charity, event or movement 

• Growing up in this area in the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s 

• A first hand account of a trail/route in Lambton County 

• A personal story that you're willing to share (and tell us how we’re doing) 

SPRING 2021 “I can’t think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a Father’s protection.” (S. Freud) 

P A G E 19



Putting the “Old” back in “Damn You’re Old” 



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By Helen Lammers-Helps, New Dundee from Daytripping May 2011 

Are you looking for an easier way to 

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Twenty-five years ago, Mel 

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business and took up vegetable 

gardening as a hobby. After some dismal 

failures with traditional row gardening, 

Bartholomew applied his efficiency 

expertise to vegetable gardening and 

developed the Square Foot Garden (SFG) 

system of growing vegetables. Realizing 

that traditional row gardening was a hold 

over from agriculture where long rows 

made it easy to work the fields with a 

donkey or tractor and other equipment, 

Bartholomew started from scratch and 

developed a new system which he dubbed 

square foot gardening. Bartholomew has 

released a second book, All New Square 

Foot Gardening, where he describes his 

methodology in great detail. 

Bartholomew’s method eliminates 

the walkways between the rows. This 

reduces the area required by 80% and 

therefore also reduces the area needed to 

be weeded and tilled by 80% for a huge 

time and labour savings. Bartholomew 

recommends growing the square foot 

garden in a wooden box 4’ x 4’ by 6” 

deep and open on the top and bottom. 

He found that this size allowed people 

to reach in from all sides. A one foot 

by one foot square grid is laid on top of 

the box using twine or strips of wood. 

The number of plants or seeds planted 

inside each square foot is based on the 

maximum size of the plant. 

To make it easy, Bartholomew has 

divided each type of plant into different 

categories by size. For extra-large plants, 

grow one plant per square foot. These 

are peppers, cabbages, broccoli and 

cauliflower. Large plants are planted four 

to a square foot (6” apart) and include 

leaf lettuce, Swiss chard, parsley and 

marigolds. Medium plants are spaced 4” 

apart (9 to a square foot) and include bush 

beans, spinach and beets. Finally, small 

plants such as carrot, radish and onion 

are planted 16 to a square foot (3” apart). 

The grid makes it easy to see how many 

plants should go in each square foot. 

Another advantage of the boxes over 

one large single garden is that the boxes 

can be placed strategically. Put one by 

the back door for herbs for convenient 

picking while making dinner, one in partshade 

for lettuce, spinach and other crops 

that do better without intense sun and 

heat, one in the sunniest part of the yard 

for sun-loving tomatoes and peppers, etc. 

This also makes it easier to stagger the 

harvest by staggering plantings and by 

re-planting to a new crop once an early 

crop such as lettuce or peas has finished 

producing. 

Another advantage of this system is 

that there is no traffic on the planted areas 

which means there is no compaction and 

subsequent yield loss. 

By using the box method, ideal soil 

can be used in the box which is much 

easier than trying to improve heavy 

clay, droughty, stony or other poor soil. 

Bartholomew recommends a mix of onethird 

each peat, vermiculite and compost. 

Finally, by using boxes with plywood 

bottoms drilled with holes for drainage 

and raising the boxes onto a table at 

waist height, those in wheel chairs or 

with back problems are able to garden. 

If you’re growing lots of vegetables 

for home canning, square foot gardening 

may not make sense but if you just want 

to enjoy some fresh veggies without all 

the work of a big, traditional row garden, 

it may be a good fit. 

For more information on square 

foot gardening, go to Bartholomew’s 

website at www.squarefootgardening.com. 

Check it out! There is also an excellent 

description with simple how-to steps at 

http://www.albertahomegardening.com/ 

how-to-make-a-square-foot-garden. 

P A G E 

20 

My father didn’t tell me how to live – he lived, and let me watch him do it. (Clarence B. Kelland)

It’s the advertising that makes a magazine like this possible, for free! 

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We spend the first twelve months of our children’s lives 

teaching them to walk and talk, and the next twelve telling 

them to sit down and shut up. 

You know you’re old if your walker has an airbag. 

I’m eighteen years behind in my ironing. 

What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for 

a job the next day. 

The only time I ever enjoyed ironing was the day I accidentally 

got gin in the steam iron. 

I’ve been asked to say a couple words about my husband, 

Fang. How about short and cheap? 

His finest hour lasted a minute and a half. 

Old age is when the liver spots show through your gloves. 

My photographs don’t do me justice—they just look like me. 

I asked the waiter, “Is this milk fresh?” He said, “Lady, three 

hours ago it was grass.” 

Tranquilizers only work if you follow the advice on the 

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P A G E 21



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

The Naked Truth 

My little city has a wonderful library. 

I was walking past it last night, and 

I happened to glance, as is my 

usual custom, at 

the statue erected 

near the entrance. 

It is called “Mother 

and Child,” and is 

carved from some type 

of shiny black rock. The 

mother is looking down 

with what I have always 

interpreted as great 

fondness at her 

little stone child, 

and grasping him by the arms as he 

reaches up to her. 

The statue was always a subject 

of some interest to my children when 

they were small. This was likely due to 

the fact that both of the figures in the 

statue are completely nude. 

Although I have never been 

uncomfortable with the subject 

of nudity and always dealt with 

their “body” questions with what I 

considered matter-of-fact answers, all 

four of my children made no secret 

of the fact that they found the statue 

disgusting. They started out by asking 

why the sculptor would want this pair 

to be naked? What was the point? Why 

should they have to look at that? After 

repeated exposure to the sculpture as we 

went past the statue and up the library 

steps, their comments eventually were 

pared down to a mumbled, “Ewww.” 

Apparently, they were not satisfied 

with my explanations and displeasure 

still needed to be expressed. 

by Corrina Austin, St. Thomas 

from Daytripping May-June 2004 

That statue was around 

when I was a kid. I must 

confess, I was mildly 

repulsed by it, too. It 

was not the nudity that 

offended me. It was just 

that I thought the mother 

was, well... fat. Her 

stomach was paunchy, 

and her buttocks wide 

and big. Although she 

was made of stone, 

she looked awfully 

“soft” to me. 

It’s funny how 

my perception of her has changed over 

the years. All those years of baking in 

the sun have not made her any worse 

for wear, and she has bravely suffered 

through the months she has had to 

spend with her bare feet shoved into 

snow drifts (a misfortune I could never 

have abided). The fact that her son 

has not grown an inch has left her 

seemingly unperturbed. But she must 

have lost some weight. 

After I had my first couple of 

babies, I recall thinking, as I went past, 

How could I ever have thought she 

was fat? She’s just a little overweight. 

Nothing serious. 

After two more kids, I looked up 

at her with real consternation. This is 

weird. She looks fine. She’s not fat at all! 

Now that I am in my forties, it’s 

even worse. Now, I tend to think, Shoot! 

I wish I had a body like hers! 

And lately, I seem to notice a 

change in her expression, too. She 

looks almost smug. 


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P A G E 

22 

Life doesn’t come with instructions… that’s why we have fathers. (unknown)

Some of the articles are from the archives of Daytripping Magazine 



Coaste ler r 

Corona Rol 

Thinking back but looking ahead... a humorous take on the virus. 

• Coronacoaster: noun*- the ups and downs of a pandemic. One 

day you’re loving your bubble, doing workouts, baking banana 

bread and going for long walks... the next you’re crying, drinking 

gin for breakfast and missing people you don’t even like. 

• They celebrated the end of the plague with wine and orgies. Does 

anyone know if there is anything planned when this one ends? 

• I’m getting tired of being part of a major historical event. 

• If 2020 was a math word problem: If you’re going down a river at 

2 MPH and your canoe loses a wheel, how much pancake mix would 

you need to re-shingle your roof? 

• For those entering our store without a mask, we’ll have to take 

your temperature. (P.S. We only have rectal thermometers) 

• If 2020 were a piñata, it would be a massive beehive. 

• It’s the first time in history we can save the human race by 

lying in front of the TV doing nothing. Let’s not screw it up. 

• Pandas feed for about 12 hours a day, same as adults during 

quarantine. Hence the word PAND-emic. 

• 2020 - the year my garbage bin went out more than me. 

• Can we all agree that in 2015 when asked “where do you see yourself 

in 5 years?” nobody got the answer right? 

SPRING 2021 A mother is a sheltering tree in a strange forest. (unknown) 

P A G E 23


To Our Valued Customers, 


HOGAN 

P•H•A•R•M•A•C•Y 

This last year has been one of challenges, fear, sadness and isolaon. 

For many, this virus has had devastang consequences. As vaccines 

start to roll out, there is at least light at the end of the tunnel. 

I wanted to take this opportunity to first thank my staff for all their 

support, compassion and unwavering dedicaon to servicing our 

customers. They truly are an incredible group of individuals. I also 

wanted to thank all the front line and essenal workers for going to 

work each day and connuing to provide those needed services for 

our community. And lastly, I want to say thank you to all of our 

customers who connued to support the Hogan family. There have 

been many challenges throught the year and your understanding, 

support and patronage will not be forgoen. We look forward to 

connuing to service you and hopefully, as vaccines start being 

distributed to pharmacies, we will be able to help bring back some 

normalcy to all our lives. 

Living life to the fullest (until about 9:00 p.m.) 

Everyone has one. The drawer you 

dread to open, but that gets opened 

more than any other. It’s a tangled 

eyesore. One day you will sort and purge, 

but it’s always the last thing on the to-do 

list. It’s the junk drawer. It’s the biggest 

drawer in the kitchen, and it’s a jungle 

in there. Elastic bands are wound around 

the potato masher. Paper clips are caught 

on the egg beater. There’s a broken icecream 

scoop and one beater for the 

mixer. What happened to the other 

one? There are old bottle openers with 

logos of companies long gone and fridge 

magnets that attach themselves to other 

items. There’s always a pack of matches 

from a wedding. Who the hell are Carrie 

and Don anyway? 

What is that little contraption? I think it 

peels an orange. There are several knives 

that are so dull they could not even peel 

an apple. Maybe the orange peeler thinga-ma-bob 

could peel the apple. There 

Spring Cleaning 

By Barb Day, Paris 

From Daytripping May-June 2014 

are loads of old batteries. A, AA, AAA. 

Someday I’ll see if they work or not. 

What the heck is that thing? Better not 

throw it out; it’s a part for something or 

other. Maybe it is just a part for a longgone 

appliance, but better not take any 

chances. Wait! There’s the warranty to 

my kettle I was looking for last week. 

Never mind, it was the warranty for two 

or three kettles ago. They sure don’t 

make things to last anymore. 

Screws and nails have all navigated to 

the fridge magnets. There are important 

notes like a doctor appointment on June 

22, 1993 and oil change reminders. Good 

thing cars these days remind you right 

on the dashboard. Is that a cassette tape? 

Holy cow, I’m old. A Happy Anniversary 

card…please! I left that guy ten years ago. 

I really need to put this junk drawer 

organizing higher up on the to-do list. 

Maybe I’ll get to it after I weed the 

rhubarb bed and clean the garage. But 

first I think I’ll pour myself a tall glass of 

lemonade and sit in the sun. I wouldn’t 

want to waste a perfect spring day 

messing around with a junk drawer. 



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www.feigedentureclinics.com 

P A G E 

24 

A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow. (unknown)

You’re welcome to send articles and help us buld this new magazine. 



1981 

Billboard Hits 

TOP 10 

1 Bette Davis Eyes Kim Carnes 

2 Endless Love Diana Ross & Lionel Richie 

3 Lady Kenny Rogers 

4 (Just Like) Starting Over John Lennon 

5 Jessie’s Girl Rick Springfield 

6 Celebration Kool & the Gang 

7 Kiss on My List Darryl Hall & John Oates 

8 I Love a Rainy Night Eddie Rabbitt 

9 9 to 5 Dolly Parton 

10 Keep on Loving You REO Speedwagon 

Source: 

www.billboard.com 

Moving? Downsizing? 

Discover issues in advance! 

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Country Songs 

Happiness Is Just A Flush Away 

Almost everyone has one special 

childhood memory. It might be when 

the stork delivered a red-faced baby 

sibling or that first shaky ride on a 

two-wheeler. For this writer, it was 

that momentous day when the flush 

toilet arrived. 

When our family moved into an 

old farmhouse on the St. Clair River 

in 1953, it was like the adage, “Water, 

water everywhere, but not a drop to 

drink.” We were right across the street 

from some of the most brilliant blue 

waters in the world. You could swim, 

fish and even sail on the St. Clair – but 

a wise man would never swallow its 

waters. While residents of the larger 

town nearby enjoyed purified Lake 

Huron water piped right into their 

homes, our only supply of water was 

in an old cistern beside the house. It 

was fine for laundry, and even baths 

– but certainly not for drinking. Our 

drinking water, even in the 1950s, 

arrived in plastic containers. 

Many decades later, I still have 

flashbacks of taking a bath BF (before 

flush). A big laundry tub would be 

hauled up from the basement and 

placed in the middle of the kitchen 

floor, before the stove. Water was 

heated, dumped into the tub, and you 

did your utmost to be the first bather. 

When my parents bathed I have never 

discovered – it remains one of those 

unanswered family secrets. 

In warmer weather, the tub was 

Source: 

playback.fm 

1 No Gettin’ Over Me Ronnie Milsap 

2 I Don’t Need You Kenny Rogers 

3 Love In The First Degree Alabama 

4 Step By Step Eddie Rabbitt 

5 The Sweetest Thing Juice Newton 

6 Key Largo Bertie Higgins 

7 Through the Years Kenny Rogers 

8 Feels So Right Alabama 

9 Blessed Are The Believers Anne Murray 

10 Seven Year Ache Rosanne Cash 

Movies 

Raiders of the Lost Ark 

Superman II 

Nine to Five 

Stripes 

Arthur 

The Cannonball Run 

For Your Eyes Only 

The Fox and the Hound 

The Four Seasons 

Source: 

the-numbers.com 

moved outside where we were 

sheltered by an alcove near the back 

porch. But even as a five-year-old, I 

could never quite relax while enjoying 

my splash in the tub. What if some 

unsuspecting neighbour – or the 

kids from the back street – should 

suddenly appear when I was in my 

altogether? 

Now if bathing was inconvenient, 

using the outhouse was positively 

scary. The traditional two-seater 

was discreetly hidden behind the 

garage, close to our tiny orchard. 

A nighttime visit entailed braving 

quivering shadows, armed only with 

a flashlight. Bats would swoop down 

out of the orchard and I tried not 

to think what was crawling up the 

walls of the outhouse. In short order 

(well, likely on my mother’s order), 

a chemical toilet was installed under 

our basement stairs. Unfortunately, 

before his untimely demise, a river rat 

took up residence in the adjoining root 

cellar. That cellar was separated from 

the toilet by a collapsing brick wall, 

with old stuffing filling 

a former chimney 

vent. Each night as 

I reluctantly used the 

chemical toilet before 

bed, I convinced 

myself that an entire 

nest of rats was hovering 

just above my head. 

But the greatest BF 

By Alice Gibb, London 

from Daytripping 

July-Aug. 2006 

(before flush) adventure 

belonged to my mother. 

One afternoon, our 

family set out on the 

river in my father’s 

homemade sailboat. 

An eerie calm settled 

over us, the sail went limp and the 

next thing we knew, a cousin was 

frantically towing us to shore with 

his powerboat. Ominous-looking 

clouds were collecting to the west. 

As we reached the house, my mother 

had to heed the call of nature and 

headed for the outhouse. The storm 

touched down just as she reached 

her destination. The outhouse door 

slammed shut with a bang – and 

jammed. While we huddled in our 

basement my mother rode out the 

storm in much more cramped and far 

less fragrant quarters. 

In the mid-1950s, the Lake Huron 

pipeline was extended to our little 

hamlet. I still remember that special 

day when I jumped off the school bus, 

rushed in our back door and headed 

upstairs. There sat the sparkling 

flush toilet – and a beautiful white 

enamel bathtub. No more fears of 

rats, or bats or bathing in public. My 

father still enjoyed the outhouse 

for many more years but now 

I was an AF (after flush) like all 

my friends. Sometimes keeping 

up with the Joneses isn’t such a 

bad thing. 

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SPRING 2021 One father is more that a hundred schoolmasters. (George Herbert) 

P A G E 25



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Favourite Food Memories 

By Jeanette Paddon, St. Thomas 

from Daytripping March 2016 

I was the second youngest of six 

children and grew up on a farm in the 

1950’s. Dad spent most of his days in 

the fields, or tending to the cows, pigs, 

chickens, and turkeys. Mom took care 

of the children, the house, the laundry, 

which always happened on Monday, the 

ironing and mending which of course 

happened on Tuesday, and the cooking 

which must have seemed non-ending 

for her. 

Blessed with a mother who seemed 

to have a natural ability for cooking 

so many different foods, meant that 

our family always looked forward to 

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mealtimes. However, Friday night’s 

supper was our favourite meal of the 

week, for Friday was the day Mom 

baked enough bread to last the family 

for the following week. I still remember 

the huge mixing tub used for the task. 

As we stepped off the school bus, the 

delicious aroma of bread baking, led 

us straight to the kitchen. Our eyes fell 

upon the big pot of baked beans keeping 

warm on the back of the stove, and 

the numerous loaves of freshly baked 

bread cooling on the counter top. We 

were ready for our Friday night feast! 

Gathering around the table, we filled our 

plates with steaming beans in tomato 

sauce, eaten with thick slices of warm 

bread slathered with homemade butter. 

We could easily eat two or three loaves 

of bread at this meal. Sometimes, and 

usually during the winter, Mom saved 

some of the dough, which she cut into 

small pieces and deep-fried for a few 

seconds in hot oil. This was a real treat 

for us as children. 

My mother was famous for her pies. 

The pastry literally melted in your 

mouth as it was so tender and flaky. 

Before 

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These pies went into the freezer, ready 

to be baked for dessert, or freshly baked 

and served with a cup of coffee when 

company stopped by. We all went berry 

picking so Mom could make strawberry, 

raspberry, blueberry, and Saskatoon 

berry pies. Rhubarb pie was a favourite 

also. We loved it when Mom used the 

leftover pastry to make little cinnamon 

pinwheels for an after school snack. 

A huge vegetable garden made an 

appearance each year. Leaf lettuce, 

green onions, and radishes were 

always the first to grow which made a 

delicious salad that we “dressed” with 

fresh cream. To this day, I do not know 

whose idea this was, however we could 

not have enjoyed any other dressing 

more. Mouth-watering soups full of 

baby carrots and peas, and green and 

yellow beans were often served at the 

noonday meal which we called dinner 

JEN’S 

SALON 

571 ERIE ST, WYOMING 

519-845-3596 

rather than lunch. Later on, Mom would 

spend entire days canning all these 

vegetables, plus sweet and dill pickles, 

and pickled beets. She even canned 

chickens in a simple broth, which was 

delicious served chilled. 

Sunday night supper meant roast 

beef, pork, or fried chicken served with 

mashed or baby roasted potatoes, along 

with gravy and vegetables. We certainly 

never went to bed hungry! 

Many warm Sunday afternoons were 

spent making ice cream in our hand 

crank ice cream maker. We took turns at 

the old crank, until finally, anticipation 

sparkled in our eyes as the frozen treat 

was nearly ready. Mom would then 

pour in a generous amount of wild 

strawberries or raspberries, and soon 

we were savouring the best ice cream 

ever made! Ahhh…the memories of 

childhood! 

No matter 

what happens... 

We’ll straighten 

it out! 


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856 Confederation St., Sarnia • 519-337-3842 

P A G E 

26 

Though everyone has a mother, each is still a rare treasure. (unknown)

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



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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. 

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A Senior 

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An elderly couple had dinner at 

another couple's house and after 

eating, the wives left the table 

and went into the kitchen. The 

two men were talking, and one 

said, "Last night we went out to a 

new restaurant and it was really 

great. I would recommend it 

very highly." The other man said, 

"What is the name of the 

restaurant?" The first man 

thought and thought and finally 

said, "What is the name of that 

flower you give to someone you 

love? You know... the one that is 

red and has thorns." "Do you 

mean a rose?" "Yes," the man 

said. He turned toward the 

kitchen and yelled, "Rose, what's 

the name of that restaurant we 

went to last night?" 

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SPRING 2021 The most important thing a father can do for his children is love their mother. (unknown) 

P A G E 27


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A group of 15-year-old girlfriends 

discussed where to meet for dinner. 

They finally agreed to meet at the 

Dairy Queen, next door to the Lake 

View restaurant, because they had 

only $6.00 among them and Brad 

Johnson, the cute boy in social studies, 

lived on that street. 

10 years later, the same group 

of 25-year-old girlfriends discussed 

where to meet for dinner. They 

finally agreed to meet at the Lake 

View restaurant, because 

the beer was cheap, the 

restaurant offered free 

snacks, the band was good, 

there was no cover charge 

and there were lots of cute 

guys. 

10 years later, the group 

of 35-year-old girlfriends 

discussed where to meet 

for dinner. They finally 

agreed to meet at the Lake 


the cosmos were good, it 

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What Does Love Mean? 

4 to 8 year old kids were asked 

this important question - 

Here are some of their responses 

whiny little kids. 

10 years later, the group of 45-yearold 

girlfriends discussed where to 

meet for dinner. They finally agreed 

to meet at the Lake View restaurant, 

because the martinis were big and the 

waiters wore tight pants and had nice 

buns. 





because the prices were reasonable, 

the wine list was good, the restaurant 

had windows that opened (in case 

of hot flashes), and they served fish 

which is good for your cholesterol. 





because the lighting was good and 

the restaurant had a senior citizen 

discount. 







the food was not too spicy 

and the restaurant was 

handicapped-accessible. 







they had never been there 

before. 

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Covered Under Extended Health Care 

• "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day." 

• "Love is when mommy sees daddy sitting on the toilet and she doesn't 

think it's gross." 

• "You shouldn't say 'I Love You' unless you mean it - but if you mean it, 

say it lots, people forget." 

• "I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me 

because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her." 

• "During my piano recital I was on stage and scared. I looked at all the 

people and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one 

doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." 

Jamie Easter 

Reg. Physiotherapist 

Jayme Davies 


519-491-7273 

611 St. Clair Street, Point Edward 

Jenny Lindsay 


Reves Henderson 


Ryan Cross 


www.crossworksphysio.ca 

P A G E 

28 

A mother’s love comes and grows, never ebbs and always flows. (unknown)

Your next issue will come out around July 1st 

PRIVATE BRANCH 

Support is just a phone call away. 

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Spring Garden Checklist 

It’s officially spring and the gardening 

season couldn’t have come soon 

enough. I can almost hear the collective 

sigh of relief from gardeners everywhere 

as the temperatures begin to rise, the 

scent of soil floats through the crisp 

spring air and the first signs of new life 

pop up out of the ground—seemingly 

overnight. It feels like we wait all year 

for this season and then it’s “Gardeners 

start your wheel barrows!” with a race 

to fit as much gardening and outdoor 

living into one season as we can. 

With so many gardening activities 

to set your sights on over the next few 

months, I thought it would be more 

manageable to focus on something 

bite-sized in this article, such as edible 

gardening! (See what I did there?) 

Growing your own food is incredibly 

rewarding and fun for the whole family. 

You not only get to tend a garden 

outdoors in the sun, you also get to reap 

the rewards and delight in the fruit of 

your labours—literally! 

If you’re new to edible gardening, 

you may feel overwhelmed or not know 

where to start. Not to worry! There are 

plenty of ways to grow your own crops 

on a smaller scale or to suit your needs. 

You can start with a small 4’ x 6’ raised 

bed for veggies like carrots, peppers 

and beets or a patio vegetable planter 

with smaller items like lettuce, herbs or 

strawberries. 

Take a look at your yard throughout 

different times of day and see where 

and when the sun falls—you will need 

about 6-8 hours of sunlight for veggies 

to thrive. Another smart way to start 

is by looking at your current grocery 

list. What do you buy? What does your 

family like to eat? Grow what you know 

and you will really see the value of 

having your own food in your backyard. 

Maybe try the watermelon next year 

when you’ve nailed down strawberries. 

Then again, it’s your garden—grow, 

baby, grow! 

Checklist: 

❏ Improve the soil in veggie beds and 

containers with peat moss, compost 

and natural fertilizer. 

❏ Transplant seedlings and/or sow 

seeds into the garden based on the 

instructions on the seed packet, 

good advice from friends or from 

your favourite garden centre. 

❏ Plant cold-loving veggies early April 

(onions, radish, snow peas and 

perennial herbs). 

❏ In mid-April to May, plant potatoes, 

broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. 

❏ Plant tender veggies after the frost 

free date (usually by Victoria Day) 

such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumber 

and melon. 

❏ Water vegetables and fruit often and 

consistently. 

❏ In June, start to reap the rewards by 

picking early crops like leafy greens, 

radishes, and strawberries. 

SPRING 2021 Genetics explain why you look like your father, and if not, why you should. (6th grader) 

P A G E 29


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What Mothers Know 

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything! 

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot! 

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know everything. 

14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either. 

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned. 

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date! 

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little about it. 

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion. 

45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would think about this? 

65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom. 

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The Wellness Corner 

by Marion Clouse, M.Ed from Daytripping Sept-Oct 2003 

Positive Thinking Can Change Your Life 

Imagine you are sitting in a plane 

somewhere over Canada, and an engine 

falls off. How would you want the pilot to 

react? Would you want him to say: “Stay 

calm and buckle up! This will be a bumpy 

ride, but we’ll find a way home?” or would 

you want him running up and down the 

aisle yelling: “We’ll all be killed! We’ll all 

be killed?” Which person is more likely 

to get you down safely? Now think about 

your every day life where you are the pilot. 

Which approach is most likely to solve your 

problems? This is what positive thinking is 

all about. It doesn’t guarantee that your life 

will be problem free and smooth sailing, 

but it gives you a better chance. Negative 

thinking is “what-if” thinking. We have 

about 50,000 thoughts a day and most of 

them are negative. If you are running a 

few minutes late for work what thoughts 

usually go through your mind? “What-if I 

catch every red light and get all slow drivers 

on the road and then I’ll be really late!” 

“What-if this is the day the boss will be in 

the reception area and sees me coming 

in late?” What-if thinking has a snowball 

effect, and those negative thoughts lead to 

negative behaviour that can sabotage your 

health and life. Negative thoughts such as 

“I’ll be the one let go if there are cutbacks! 

I’m so stupid, I’m not good at anything, 

I’ve got a bad memory, Nothing I do ever 

works!” can effect your relationships with 

other people, influence how you act, and 

affect your whole life. The exciting thing 

is that because you have control over your 

thoughts, you can change your what-if 

thinking to positive thinking. It will take 

some practice and hard work, but by using 

the three “R’s,” Recognize, Replace and 

Reinforce, you can change your thinking. 

Recognize – Become aware of your 

thoughts. When you start thinking 

negatively, say “Stop” or “No” to yourself, 

and picture those words in big red letters. 

You can also keep a small note pad with 

Tammy Maure 

1249 London Rd 

519-491-6778 

you to write down those what-if thoughts. 

Writing them down helps you slow down 

and identify those negative thoughts, for 

it’s easy to miss the negative thoughts as 

there are often so many of them. Once you 

identify those negative thoughts, you can 

make some changes. 

Replace – If many of your what-if 

thoughts are focused on one thing, change 

your thoughts to something positive. “I 

am so stupid” can be replaced by “I am 

not perfect, but I have a great sense of 

humour and I’m a really good listener.” 

Your replacement thoughts need to be 

for now and not for tomorrow, such as 

“I am smart, I will play a good game, I 

am getting better every day.” Also focus 

on what you want, not what you don’t 

want, “I will have the opportunity to try 

a career change, instead of I’ll never find 

another job!” 

Reinforce – Once you have chosen your 

new belief, say the new thought a couple 

of times a day with feeling, “I am a good 

person, I feel good, I am a good friend, A 

great job is waiting for me.” Believe that it 

is true, even if only for a moment. Think 

it. Say it aloud. Write it down. Just like 

any other habit, the more you practice, 

the sooner it will become second nature 

to you. 

Being positive for one day won’t change 

things. Strengthening your mind is 

like strengthening your body. If you do 

twenty push-ups, and then race over to 

the mirror, you won’t see any difference. 

Similarly, if you think positive for 24 

hours, you will see little difference. But 

discipline your thinking for a few months 

and you will see bigger changes in your life 

than you will ever see at the gym. Cleaning 

up your thinking is lifelong work. Try to be 

a positive pilot in your life journey. 

For more information, or to find a 

Canadian Mental Health branch near you, 

visit www.cmha.ca. 

P A G E 

30 

A mother is the inspiration for all acts of creation. (unknown)

If your business offers anything to people 55+, you can advertise too! 



Remembering the Pond 

by Barbara Bryant, Ingersoll from Daytripping Sept.-Oct. 2002 

Although no longer there, it was a 

beautiful place ... a truly tranquil, beautiful 

place. I appreciated it then, some thirty 

years ago ... and I still love to think about 

it now and can still even envision it in my 

mind’s eye. It was the one place in the 

whole world where my dad and I could 

experience some never-to-be-forgotten 

time together, tender, non-threatening 

moments of emotional peace. 

You see, I never really knew my dad in 

the normal sense of the meaning of a 

father and daughter relationship. He was 

so impatient with me. I never did things 

right. I reacted too slow to his questions. 

Yet I don’t know if the right terminology 

is ‘too slow’ or whether I was just too 

nervous to act naturally around him. It 

was certainly not uncommon for me to 

get all tongue-tied whenever he asked me 

a question. Yet whenever he took me on 

one of his nature hikes he seemed more 

relaxed and less demanding. In fact, his 

whole demeanour seemed to soften and 

he was so knowledgeable about things. 

I couldn’t believe how much he knew 

about birds, bugs, butterflies, and wild 

flowers especially since he was a man 

who claimed to hate reading. How had 

he managed to become so astute in 

such areas? I know he loved to look at 

the National Geographic magazine but 

he always said he wasn’t interested in 

reading. 

It wasn’t until recently that I started 

to wonder if perhaps since he had left 

school at seven years old, he had never 

learned to read. How very sad that 

would have been. But then how had he 

managed to acquire so much knowledge 

about nature and conservation? However, 

I never quizzed him about it and he never 

discussed it. 

Going on field trips with my dad 

were very special occasions for me. I 

eventually got used to being dragged 

literally, over and under fences, across 

streams, and through boggy terrain. 

As a girl, I usually wasn’t dressed for 

such activities, however, I soon learned 

that long pants (even though they were 

frowned upon at the time lest one give 

the impression of being a tomboy) were 

ultimately the way to go. Thistles on bare 

legs certainly didn’t tickle nor did tall 

weeds and other fauna. 

My dad would explain to me about the 

monarch butterfly and its attraction to 

milkweed. He told me about the family 

of butterflies known as sulphurs, the 

beautiful black and pink-edged yellow 

butterflies that were so common in our 

particular area of the country. There 

was the alfalfa variety, and the common 

variety. Some preferred open spaces 

while others preferred brush or scrubby 

areas. My dad explained to me about 

swallowtail butterflies, especially the 

tiger swallowtails that were frequently 

seen floating on gentle breezes in our 

field looking for Joe-Pye-weeds. The 

lovely mourning cloak butterfly with 

its soft, medium brown wings, blue 

eyelet design and pale yellow edging. 

The many varieties of brush footed 

butterflies, wood nymphs and crescents, 

so many different types. They were all so 

hauntingly beautiful. 

My father knew all about sounds too. 

He could tell a tree toad from a bird call 

and a grasshopper from a cricket. He 

could recognize all different kinds of 

things, the scurrying of an animal in the 

underbrush, the soft rather high-pitched 

whistle of a near-by wood turtle. He could 

tell a dragonfly from a damselfly and the 

sound of a bull frog from that of a blue 

jay. My favourite birds have long been 

red-winged black birds and warblers. 

My dad could mimic these and more. He 

had a real ear for the sounds of crickets 

singing their songs from somewhere 

in the sweet smelling damp earth, and 

the clicking of tiny tree toads as they 

lent their voices to the melodic pond 

symphony from some inconspicuous 

location usually close by. 

While I had long known how to recognize 

a jack-in-the-pulpit, I had no idea it was 

also called a wild turnip, marsh pepper, 

bog-onion, brown dragon, starchwort, 

wake-robin, dragon-root or cuckoo - but 

my dad knew. He also knew that cattails 

are also called, flags, cat-o-nine-tails, 

marsh beetles, candlewicks or cossacks. 

I still love the scent of Queen Anne’s Lace 

but until he told me I hadn’t known it 

was a member of the parsley family, nor 

had I noticed the tiny purplish red seed 

in the very centre of the flower. I was 

fascinated too at the number of varieties 

of milkweed. Although we don’t have all 

the varieties here in Ontario, we do have 

several kinds. There are purple, swamp, 

four-leaved, common, poke, butterflyweed, 

green, desert, whit-flowered, 

antelope-horn, blood-flower and A. 

uncials. Here in Ontario I believe we have 

swamp, purple, and common types. 

Nature was certainly my dad’s element. 

Yet how he ever got pigeon-holed into 

strenuous factory work was something 

I never understood. Frankly I think that 

is what made him so bitter because 

he grew up in a period when the man 

was the head of the house and solely 

responsible for supporting his wife and 

children. So whatever work he could get 

back when he was young was the type 

of work he ended up doing his entire life, 

and with little if any education, what little 

choice that left as far as employment was 

very little I’m afraid. 

I really miss knowing the man he might 

have been. Yet it’s still a comfort to me 

every time I smell the sweet scent of a 

Queen Anne’s Lace and wild phlox or 

see a butterfly floating serenely across a 

meadow. I think of my dad and remember 

the times we spent together, him teaching, 

me learning. These are without a doubt 

some of the fondest moments of my life 

and memories I’ll truly never forget... 

Remembering the Pond. 

You can be anywhere in the world and sll read 

Welcome to The Club 

Subscribe for FREE on our homepage and 

we’ll simply email you a link to each new issue. 

The online version may not be as “Priceless”... but it’s just as FREE! 

www.welcometotheclub.ca 

SPRING 2021 The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. (Tim Russert) 

P A G E 31

Welcome to ... THE Club 

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

Wyoming-based singer-songwriter 

also recognized Joan for outstanding 

JOAN SPALDING 

achievement entertaining online 

during the pandemic. 

“I think it’s incredible what she’s 

First Lady of 

done,” said Mayor Lonny Napper. “Joan 

raises people’s spirits with her music 

Bluewater Country 

and is giving back to her community.” 

Even Joan can’t believe she’s been 

By Cathy Dobson 

performing her daily shows for more 

than a year. 

in one sitting. 

the highest honour from the Rotary “I have a little ESP and I knew I’d be 

“We were staying with my uncle in Foundation. It was presented for doing it for a long time,” she chuckled. 

Detroit and my Dad woke me up late at her determination to help the wider “People tell me they look forward to 

night to meet a big band leader named community through the pandemic hearing me every day. 

Don Pablo who had come to the house. and came with a $1,000 donation in “But you know the truth is these 

“I was in my pajamas and he showed her name to help with humanitarian friends and my music are keeping me 

me C, F and G. He told me I had to efforts around the world. 

going and I look forward to it every day 

learn that or nothing was going to click. The Town of Plympton-Wyoming too.” 

“So I watched him play and I tried 

it over and over on an old Silvertone 

guitar until my fingers were bleeding. 

But I have a photographic memory and 

I learned it.” 

Not only did she master the rhythm 

guitar, Joan went on to learn multiple 

instruments including the double reed 

harmonica, bass guitar, mandolin and 

four-string banjo. For good measure, 

she learned how to yodel too. 

In the mid-1970s, inspired by 

country stars like Tammy Wynette and 

Patsy Cline, Joan was the three-time 

winner of the Canadian Open Country 

Singing Contest in Simcoe Ontario. 

She remembers the first time she 

was invited on stage to sing in front of 

a crowd at a union hall in Sarnia. 

“I sang Delta Dawn that night and 

everyone got up to dance. That’s when 

I knew I could do it,” said Joan. 

Her first gig at age 21 was at the 

Oil Rig in Petrolia. After that, she Rotarian Jamie Pole presents Joan Spalding with the Rotary’s highest honour, the Paul Harris 

Fellow Award, for her musical achievements during the pandemic. Photo Credit: Mary Pole. 

performed regularly, eventually 

recorded in Nashville and released 

several songs. 

We donate $25 for each article we 

Joan’s Foggy Mountain Band has 

Welcome to 

gone through numerous iterations, but 

... 

reprint from the archives of 

THE 

Daytripping Magazine. 

started with her brother Gary Wade 

$650 has been donated since Jan. 2021 

on banjo, sister Donna on piano and 

CLUB 

the late Bill Alexander on fiddle. Often 

The recipient for this issue is the 

Joan’s father Harold Wade joined in on 

Forest Kineto Theatre 

the harmonica. 

Send arcles to info@welcometotheclub.ca 

She’s released seven albums 

including “Joan Spalding & Doug 

The Club • P.O. Box 430, Bright’s Grove, ON N0N 1C0 

Springstead Live at the Bridge Tavern” 

in 2012. An eighth album with a 

Cover mixture of original and cover songs is 

CLUB 

...slightly less cool than the 

Cover of the Rolling Stone, 

but we’re working on that!. 

in the making and will be released as 

soon as there’s studio time, she said. Our local cover photographer is Ronny D’Haene 

For a short period in …after a pipeline accident in 2000 I kind of lost my way for a while. Not my hope, 

the 1980s, Joan lived in not my faith but to be honest my way. Three years later I felt moved to take up nature 

Ottawa. Otherwise she photography. Since I couldn’t read anything without massive headaches or even 

has always called Sarnia- watch tutorials it was a long road to learning my craft. Two friends helped me move 

Lambton home and lives from Auto Focus to using Manual and it all changed for me. They were able to explain 

in Wyoming now. She 

it simply without giving me a headache and my craft improved steadily from there. 

I have loved the journey and still do. 

raised three kids, Crystal, 

What I love more is sharing and 

Deb and David. David was making folks smile with my work. 

the drummer in The Foggy Especially this last year with all of us 

Mountain Band for about dealing with all the negative news with 

10 years and Joan credits Covid. 

Crystal for assistance with promotion I enjoy capturing the vast variety of 

wildlife in Southern Ontario and it is 

and “being my right arm.” 

my hope to continue to find, click and 

This year, while performing every 

share this journey with folks. 

single day online, Joan received The Yours truly, Ronny D’Haene 

Paul Harris Fellow Award, which is A.k.a. Ronny the Rooster 


Joan Spalding isn’t going to let a little 

thing like a pandemic stop her from 

playing for her fans. 

“I was put on this earth to play music 

and keep people happy,” she says. “If 

I’m not playing, I feel like I’m not doing 

anything.” 

So when the pandemic shut down 

her busy gig schedule last year, it didn’t 

take long for Joan to figure out how she 

would reach her audience another way. 

“It came to me in a dream,” she 

explained. “There I was on a computer 

performing a song. It didn’t make a lot 

of sense at first because I know so little 

about computers but the next day I 

thought I’d try an online gig.” 

That’s how much she missed her 

fans. 

After 47 years playing in bars, clubs 

and dancehalls – often two or three 

times a week – her fans feel like friends 

and family. 

Joan performed online for the first 

time April 1 2020 and hasn’t missed a 

day since, exceeding the one-year mark 

with no intention of stopping. 

“That first day, I only played one 

song, Mama Spanks, and it got 90 likes 

and 589 views. Of course, I cried,” she 

said. “It felt so comfortable.” 

Her virtual Facebook shows are live 

every day at 3:20 p.m. and generally 

include five or six songs. Joan’s “people” 

as she likes to call them, comment or 

report on how they’re doing, requesting 

songs and thanking her. 

“People have told me I make their 

day. They call me their sweet angel. I 

don’t know about that but it makes me 

happy to share what’s going on in their 

lives,” she said. 

When it’s possible amid covid 

restrictions, Joan is joined on Fridays 

by bass player Doug Springstead. 

Doug, who lives in Petrolia, has played 

with Joan and The Foggy Mountain 

Band for years and appeared with her 

at Point Edward’s Bridge Tavern where 

she headlined for well over a decade. 

“Joan is very dedicated and has 

great people skills,” says Doug. “We 

have faithful fans because we play the 

old classic country that people want to 

hear. 

“She’s done a very, very good job 

going online every day,” he added. 

“It’s a blast, really. It’s like going on live 

television.” 

Growing up in 

Mooretown, Joan can’t 

remember a time when 

country music wasn’t a 

big part of her life. 

She’s been told 

that at four years old, 

she walked over to a 

neighbour’s and sang, 

then announced to 

them that she was going to be a star. 

By age 11, she already played the 

piano, then learned the guitar while on 

a trip to Detroit with her father. 

As she tells it, she learned to chord 

P A G E 

32 

“There is no way to be a perfect mom, but a million ways to be a good one.” (Allison Bradley)

Please tell our advertisers that you saw their ad in this new magazine! 



IT’S FREE TO HAVE PHOTOS PUBLISHED! 

Send dusaphoto ofsomeone o e who has celebrated ebrated amilestone a e birthday or anniversary 

ar 

y 

(ending in 5 or 0), a rerement, an award or if they just deserve recognion. 

The main person must be 55 or over and the photo must be of good quality. 

Photos are not guaranteed to run. 

info@welcometotheclub.ca • Box 430, Bright’s Grove, ON N0N 1C0 

Lisa Wyrzykowski & 

Tracey Michieli 

Clark twins 

Lisa (le) & Tracey (right) 

celebrated 55 years 

on March 8th 

Sharon Higgins 

turned 70 on March 11th 

Lisa 

Tracey 

Sandy & Keith Heimpel 

celebrated their 

55th Wedding Anniversary on March 19th 

Herb Donkers 


George g 

Cooper 

C o 

joined The Club when he 


Al Belanger 

(with his wife Hilda) of 

Lake Valley Grove, Lambton Shores 

celebrated his 70th birthday on March 15th. 

SPRING 2021 My fingers may be small but I can still wrap daddy around them. (unknown) 

P A G E 33



Sometimes, no news really is good news. 



Life is Better 

When 

You’re Home 

Seniors live at home - 

independently, 

comfortably & happily. 

Mom! 

You can get meals, 

housekeeping, and 

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transportation!* 

Love Jen - 

P.S. for much less than 

a retirement home! 

It doesn’t matter how old you are, life is always better 

when you’re home. There’s a deep comfort that comes 

from being in familiar surroundings, sleeping in your own 

bed, and living under a roof that belongs to you. 

Established in 2010, Shine at Home serves seniors who 

wish to live in full independence. Since our earliest 

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people can remain in their homes for many years safe 

and free in the knowledge that a dedicated team is 

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Housekeeping 


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and Care 

"All the staff go out of their 

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definitely recommend Shine at 

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Call today and find out how 

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FUNNY 

SQUARESAnswers 

Peter Marshall: When you pat a dog on its head 

x 

xhe will usually 

wag his tail. What will a goose do? 

Paul Lynde: Make him bark. 

Peter Marshall: True or false, George...experts say there are only 

seven or eight things in the world dumber than an ant. 

George Gobel: Yes, and I think I voted for six of ‘em. 

Peter Marshall: If you you were pregnant for two years, what 

would you give birth to? 

Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark. 

o 

Peter Marshall: According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong 

with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people? 

Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army! 

Peter Marshall: According to Better Homes and Gardens, Is it a 

good idea to give your yard a little sprinkle? 

Michael Landon: ...well, if you can’t make it to the house, I mean... 

Peter Marshall: While visiting China, your tour guide starts 

x 

shouting “Poo! Poo! Poo! What does that mean? 

George Goebel: Cattle crossing. 

Peter Marshall: Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, 

your wife or your elephant? 

Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant? 

P A G E 

34 

Motherhood means steering a child’s ship until he has learned how to swim. (unknown)

Thanks again - keep this copy or pass it on to a friend please. 



LAMBTON COUNTY ARCHIVES 

Visit the Archives to: 

» Discover the local history and 

families of Lambton County 

» Trace your ancestral roots 

using our family histories. 

» Uncover unidentified photos 

in our X-Files photo collection 

» View our website for 

upcoming events & 

workshops. 

Discover · Preserve · Connect 

787 Broadway Street, Wyoming lambtonarchives.ca 519-845-5426 

SPRING 2021 Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father. (Lydia Maria Child) 

P A G E 35

Welcome to The Club Spring 2021

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