Cherishing memories of a Cypriot Christmas

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, CD

I spent Christmas 1967 stationed at Lizard Flats outside Nicosia, Cyprus, which had at one time been used during the Jewish exodus from Germany to Palestine. It was pretty run-down and in a way reminded us of Ipperwash.
A sergeant oversaw the junior ranks canteen. During the holidays, he would allow only one song to be played on the jukebox: “Green, Green Grass of Home.” Not a very cheery song for the young soldiers spending this time of year away from home. I’m sure the bartenders spent a lot of time mopping up the tears.
I was fortunate to be involved with organizing a Christmas party for the sick children’s hospital. It was the only place on the island where Turks and Greeks mingled. We sent home for toys, goodies and clothes for the kids, and got quite a load. We got one of the guys to dress as Santa, loaded up a couple of vehicles, and made our way to the hospital. The kids were waiting for us. Well, I was never so thrilled and choked up as when I saw the delight in those kids’ faces. They had a wonderful day, as did we.
I wonder if, after 40 years, any who are still alive remember that day. I do, and will never forget those little guys.

Wild Turkey for Christmas!

Living in Balance
By Jenipher Appleton

Most of us envision our Christmas dinner with the usual domestic turkey, browned to perfection, steaming on the platter. Other options may be roast duck, goose, chicken, or even a ham. However, my friend Dwight Hughes from around the country corner prefers his turkey to be ‘wild.’ According to Dwight, there are plenty of these critters roaming our local countryside. Just two days ago, I followed a lone set of wild turkey tracks in the snow at the back of our property. Dwight knows that the wild turkey has eyesight akin to that of a hawk. Therefore, hunting them successfully can be challenging. The hunter needs to be extremely well camouflaged and have the patience to remain unmoving for hours on end. He also needs to have the strength and endurance to hold his arms outstretched around the shotgun for an extended period of time. If the hunter is lucky, patience will pay off. Remember, the turkey is alert, cautious, has the keenest of eyesight, and in its natural environment, has the edge.
Dwight’s mother Leona recounted the first wild turkey her son ever brought home. Like the pioneers of our area, she and her husband Don scalded that bird and hung it over a beam in the shed. The scalding allowed them to pluck the feathers cleanly from the skin. Then Leona had the pleasure of cleaning the innards, which she stated, “wasn’t too bad.” Unlike the pioneers, they froze the bird and saved it for Christmas. Their son-in-law Steve stuffed and roasted it to perfection. All accounts suggest they couldn’t tell the difference from a domestic turkey. I can smell it now!
How special that Christmas must have been for the Hughes family. Most of us have neither the time nor the patience to create such a traditional experience. And so, off to the grocery store we go.

Gifts for the birder on your list
Your local hardware store stocks a good variety of gift ideas to enhance the backyard viewing for the birder on your Christmas list. There are tube-style finch feeders (for finer finch feeds), tube-style feeders for sunflower seed, and countless other wood or plastic feeders resembling birdhouses. There are also many designs of birdhouses for everything from the smallest of wrens to bluebirds and swallows. Hummingbird feeders are available, some pricier than others but with true aesthetic appeal. There are oriole feeders too, along with the nectar to go with both types of feeders.

For the birds!
Suggestions for treating your feathered friends are also found in the local hardware. They stock all types of seeds, suet, and seed-encrusted suet balls and bells. Wire mesh feeders are handy to neatly hang a block of suet. Birds need the fat from the suet to help keep them warm. Peanuts in the shell are always a good treat for the blue jays. You can also make your own Christmas gift for the birds by taking a pinecone, loading it up with peanut butter and rolling it in some mixed birdseed.

A very Merry Christmas to all! Don’t forget to include the birds on your Christmas shopping list.

Making the most of your New Year’s resolutions

By Jen Denys, B.A., CHRP, CPC
The Right Path Consulting Group

The beginning of a new year presents a whole spectrum of possibilities. It has become customary to make promises to ourselves as we turn the pages of a new calendar. More often than not, New Year’s resolutions become desires that we never really fulfill rather than the beginning of a new chapter in life. Why is that? It certainly isn’t because our goals lack merit. Common New Year’s resolutions include losing weight, quitting smoking, spending more time with family, exercising more, finding a life partner and saving for a vacation. So, how can we make the most out of our resolutions?

As a coach, it is my job to support my clients in successfully reaching their goals. It is my pleasure to offer the following 10 professional tips to help you succeed with your new year’s resolutions:
1. Assess your values. This thing you want to do or not do, why is it important to you? How does it fit into your life?
2. Cast a vision. What will it feel like to be successful? What would it look like? How will you know if you have reached your destination? Can you measure it?
3. Beware of the “should.” When we say we should do something motivation comes from outside of ourselves, which is less powerful. Ask yourself who are you doing this for? Your best chance for success is to take action for yourself.
4. Utilize positive affirmations. Some of you might be skeptical about this one – honestly, I used to be as well. However, there is a lot of power when you can wake up each day and begin by mentally or verbally affirming your beliefs about who you are, what you expect of yourself and what you believe about the universe.
5. Set small goals. Have you ever watched an ant farm? Each small ant will carry one grain of sand, not concerned with what his brothers are doing. Within a short amount of time the colony as a team has created a sophisticated labyrinth of tunnels. The individual ants are not affected by the enormity of their overall goal; their only concern is taking the grain of sand from one end of the farm to the other. What is that saying about a long journey starting with a single step?
6. Assemble your support team. Women are generally more likely to do this, but it is just as important for men. Decide who you can go to for support, encouragement and positive reinforcement when needed. These people could be friends, family or a coach. Select these people with care as you will likely lean on them during times when your motivation is low.
7. Celebrate milestones. Most resolutions seem like insurmountable barriers; otherwise we would have taken care of them far before January 1st. While you are breaking down your resolution into small goals, strategically plan celebration activities every step of the way. Celebration activities can be as big as a tropical holiday or as small as curling up with a good book in a tub of bubbles.
8. Acquire the resources you need. I am not suggesting that you need to go out and purchase a full home gym during the Boxing Week sales, but within reason you want to have all the tools you need to optimize success. This could be equipment, clothing or other materials, but one of the more challenging resources can be putting aside the time for your resolution activity.
9. Accept that you are not perfect. Despite your best efforts, you are human and you are going to face barriers - some expected and others that are a surprise. To prepare, think about why you haven’t accomplished this goal previously and look at other times when you’ve faced a challenge and succeeded – what supported you to achieve a positive result?
10. Just do it… there is only so much preparation and analysis required before you get paralyzed by over-thinking something. Whether it’s January 1st, December 29th or January 15th – go for it!

It is my sincere wish that you will take the opportunity to choose to enrich a part of your life in 2008 and that the above tips might be a contributing factor to your success.

Jen Denys specializes in HR consulting, career management, mentoring, retirement lifestyle planning, executive coaching and mediation. For more information, visit www.rightpathconsulting.com or call 519-294-6345.

The perfect Christmas gifts for the student/teacher/principal in your life

You can buy the iPod, but here are the gifts that will truly improve your school and home life in 2008

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn, SHDHS

As this is likely the last column I will write before Christmas, I thought maybe it would be appropriate to adopt a Christmas theme for this week’s column.
As Christmas approaches, my family members frequently ask me what I would like for Christmas, and I usually have great difficulty answering this question because there is nothing that I really need and the things that I want cannot be wrapped and put under the Christmas tree. For me, Christmas is about spending time with family and friends, and the important gifts are health and happiness, not toys or tools. I get far more pleasure from giving to others than from receiving gifts myself - maybe that just means I’m getting old.
However, there are lots of things I could suggest as gifts for students. I’m sure their Christmas lists include cell phones and iPods, computers and clothing, video games and gift cards. And while I’m sure that any of these things would be appreciated, I don’t know that they will really make their lives any happier or better. Instead, I would suggest that parents consider the following gifts that are much cheaper but potentially much more valuable.
First, continue to give them your love, all of the time, even when they are driving you crazy. Give them encouragement, and praise them when they do well, but hold them accountable when they make mistakes. Be involved in their lives - know who their friends are and what they like to do when they get together. Give them freedom and the opportunity to earn your trust, but set reasonable expectations for their conduct. Again, when they make mistakes, talk to them about the mistakes and help them to learn from their own errors in judgement. Let them know that we all have lapses in judgement from time to time, but that the important thing is to learn from our errors and not make the same mistakes again. Finally, listen to them - we often emphasize the need to talk to young people, but it is more important that we listen to them to try to understand their values, their beliefs, their goals, and dreams.
To you students out there, however many there may be who read this column, there are some things you should give to your parents as well. First of all, keep in mind that unlike you, they don’t know everything yet and they will likely make mistakes from time to time. Be patient with them and give them the opportunity to explain to you what they expect of you. Give them the chance to be a part of your life, to spend time with you, and to talk to you, without rolling your eyes or storming off to your room. Give them respect and treat them the way you would like to be treated, even when you don’t see eye to eye. Accept what they have to offer and show that you appreciate everything that they do for you.
There are some gifts I would like to give to my staff as well if I could. I would give them more patience, lots of it, to help them deal with the ever-changing moods and needs of teenagers, and especially the issues that arise in the lives of teenagers that have nothing to do with school but seem to take centre-stage in the classroom. I would give them an extra dollop of understanding as well, to help them recognize that in the lives of teenagers, school is often not the first priority, and that they are still kids after all, even though some of them inhabit adult-size bodies. And finally, I would give them huge amounts of energy and enthusiasm to match that of their students. (And maybe a whip and a chair for those days when school seems like a three-ring circus.)
And not to let myself off the hook, I must say that school administrators need all of the above, perhaps in even larger doses.
Finally, let me close this off by asking everyone to stay safe over the Christmas holidays and to do whatever you can to make the lives of others richer, happier, and more fulfilling. Please keep in mind that no matter how difficult our lives seem from time to time, we are blessed to be living in a wonderful country, enjoying a standard of living of which billions of others in this world can only dream. So please continue to support the Huron County Christmas Bureau, the Salvation Army, the local food banks, and the countless other organizations that help those in need both here in Canada and around the world.
Enjoy your holidays and savour the time you have with family and friends. Relax and partake in all that the season has to offer. Merry Christmas and happy New Year to all.

A Grand Canadian Classic

Anne of Green Gables
Adapted by Donald Harron, from the novel by L.M. Montgomery
Music by Norman Campbell
Performed by Jennifer Toulmin and cast
Directed by Susan Ferley
Musical Direction by Andrew Petrasiunas
Choreography by Kerry Gage
Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
November 21 to December 30, 2007

Live! On Stage!
Reviewed by Mary Alderson

Jennifer Toulmin steals the stage in the Grand’s current production of Anne of Green Gables – and well she should! She plays the lead role, Anne, capturing the precocious orphan just the way the character leaps from the pages of the classic Canadian novel.
Toulmin has electric energy as Anne, filling the Grand’s stage with activity. Her voice is Anne’s voice, keeping the gregarious chatter entertaining and endearing. Her four years’ experience playing Anne at the Charlottetown Festival is very apparent, and she makes the show a delight. Toulmin has just the right amount of “perky” without going over the top, and moves forward with Anne’s journey, maturing but not losing her charisma.
The Grand presents the musical version of the delightful novel, first penned by Lucy Maude Montgomery in 1905. It’s a story that has enchanted Canadian girls for generations, its popularity spreading round the world over the years. An aging brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla, want to adopt a boy to help out on the farm, but somehow, Anne, a gifted and very melodramatic orphan arrives at their home, Green Gables. Anne’s spirit gets her into mischief, but also brightens the lives of those around her.
Norman Campbell and Donald Harron turned the engaging story into Canada’s most popular musical in 1963, and it has continued to charm audiences in Charlottetown for 44 years. Anne of Green Gables has graced stages all across Canada, enjoyed a run in New York, appeared around the world, and is extremely popular in Japan.
The Grand’s version does justice to the institution that is Anne. An excellent set, careful attention to the music, and a strong cast are in place. Douglas Chamberlain is a wonderful Matthew, bringing more spirit to the part than is usually seen. Charlotte Moore creates humour with Mrs. Lynde, the town gossip, and Karen Coughlin (last year’s Belle in Beauty and the Beast) is a delightful Miss Stacy, the schoolteacher who is Anne’s kindred spirit.
It’s nice to see Ingersoll’s Anwyn Musico as Prissy Andrews. Anwyn is an alumna of the Grand’s High School Project, and was recently a finalist on CBC-TV’s Triple Sensation. Some local children round out the cast at Avonlea School: Henry Firmston, Seth Maraccio, and Jenna Quinn, all of London, and Kyla Musselman of Stratford.
Credit once again goes to Director Susan Ferley for her attention to detail, and to Andrew Petrasiunas for his excellent musical direction. The audience leaves the theatre singing the catchy tunes, such as “Ice Cream”, “Humble Pie”, “Open the Window” and the spunky “I’ll Show Him”. Or they are moved by “The Words” or “Wonderin’”. Choreographer Kerry Gage animates the cast, calling on her solid Charlottetown experience in the back-to-school ballet and the egg race number at the picnic.
It’s a slice of Canadiana that should be part of everyone’s education. The Avonlea School on the Grand’s stage is the best place to learn Anne’s story.

Anne of Green Gables continues at the Grand Theatre in London until December 30. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

December 2007

Saturday, December 1
10 a.m. - Grand Bend CHC
Grand Bend Community Foundation Awards Presentation

3 to 6 p.m. - Grand Bend Legion
Mark Blayney

Sunday, December 2
6 p.m. - Zurich
Zurich lighted Santa Claus Parade. Contact Vickie Wilder (519) 263-5343

Monday, December 3
Grand Bend Legion
Grand Bend Horticultural Society Pot Luck and Annual Meeting. Contact Liz for details 236-7884

Tuesday, December 4
7 p.m. - Grand Bend CHC boardroom
Alzheimer Caregiver Support. Everyone welcome. Contact the Alzheimer Society of Huron for more details 1-800-561-5012

7 p.m. - Grand Bend Legion
Bingo

Wednesday, December 6
4 to 6 p.m. - Grand Bend CHC community room
Men Can Cook Beginner Class. Join our dietitian Miranda as novice chefs learn the basics of cooking. Call 519-238-1556 ext 222

Friday, December 7
5 to 7 p.m. - Grand Bend Legion
Meat Draw

7 p.m. - Clinton
Clinton Santa Claus parade. Floats, bands, etc, and the Jolly Old Man himself! Contact Pat Datema (519) 482-9146

Saturday, December 8
3 to 6 p.m. - Grand Bend Legion
Horse races

Sunday, December 9
2:30 p.m. - Forest United Church
Forest Community Singers present “The Messiah.” For tickets, call Jim De Zorzi 519-243-1683, Jim Brennan 519-243-2990 or 1383, or Cathy Cober 519-786-4066

Monday, December 10
9:30 to 11:30 a.m. - Grand Bend CHC
Healthy Eating In Store For You. Join community dietitian Miranda Burgess as she teaches you how to decipher those food labels. Call 519-238-1556 ext 222

1:30 to 3:30 p.m. - Grand Bend CHC
Heart Health Workshop. Want to learn how to be heart healthy? Contact Patricia Baker RD CDC at 519-238-1556 ext. 235 to register.

Tuesday, December 11
9:30 a.m. - Grand Bend Legion
Grand Bend Women’s Probus meeting. Topics: Grand Bend Public School Music Program with teacher Jim Brennan; Christmas finishing touches from Cranbury Lane, with owner Jim Snider and assistant Sue Dykes

6:30 p.m. - Port Franks Community Centre
Port Franks Garden Club Christmas Party. Festivities start at 6:30 with dinner at 7 p.m.

7 p.m. - Grand Bend Legion
Bingo

Thursday, December 13
Grand Bend CHC
Bereavement Support through the Holidays. Christmas can be a difficult time. Social Worker Mickey Gurbin as she helps you to manage your grief and learn coping skills that will get you through the holidays. A follow up meeting is planned for January 3rd. Call 238-1556 ext. 223 or ext 6 to register.

Friday, December 14
9:30 a.m. - Grand Bend CHC
Healthy Eating Is In Store For You If you have diabetes and want to learn more about how to read food labels then this class is for you. Contact Patricia Baker RD CDE at 238-1556 ext 235 to register.

Saturday, December 15
3 to 6 p.m. - Grand Bend Legion
Mid Life Crisis

Monday, December 31
7 p.m. - Star Dust dinner theatre, Parkhill
New Year’s Eve party. http://www.stardustparkhill.com

9 p.m. - Grand Bend Legion
New Year’s Eve party with Ben Shane & Bobby K

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