Cornwall Ontario – As the song says, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”. It is true. Everywhere we go there are sparkling lights, multi-coloured decorations, toys, gifts, Santa Clauses and Nativity scenes. Pommier’s Square at Pitt and Second Streets is all lit up with colourful decorations, little fir trees and in the center of the display is a shining beautiful angel. Festive and very pretty.
I was told many times that the Baby Jesus was actually born in September. I am glad it is celebrated now in December when the wind is chilly and days so much shorter. Everything about Christmas cheers us up.
There will be another free Christmas dinner at the Agora Center (former Nativity Hall) on Christmas Day from 12:30 to 2:30 pm for anyone alone this Christmas or in need of some friendly company. You can make a donation if you wish. If you need a ride or for more information, call Bernadette at 613-935-4568 or Darlene Walsh at 613-703-7696. The dinner last year was wonderful. Lots of fun, good company and great music.
Here is a lovely Christmas card I have treasured for years depicting Mother and Child, Mary and Baby Jesus surrounded by little Angels:
There will be lots of celebrations on December 24th. this holiday season because it is also the first day of Hanukkah.
I love the story of the miracle of candles burning for 8 days when there was only enough olive oil for one day. Hanukkah is celebrated until Jan. 1, 2017. Happy Hanukkah to all our Jewish friends.
There is a Hospital Power Payday Lottery at our local hospital. It is a 50/50 draw every two weeks. The actual draw takes place on every second Tuesday at 11am in the Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation Office. Tickets are $3 each with no limit to the number which can be purchased. The winner is notified by phone or email. For more information contact Christie Hollingsworth at christie.hollingsworth@cornwallhopsital.ca or 613-938-4240, ext. 4482. This is a great way to help raise funds for our hospital.
Good news for seniors. We now have a new Senior Friendly Liaison Officer at City Hall. Jordan Ann Kevan de Haan has been appointed to help make the city ‘senior friendly’ in regards to accessibility, safety, and other issues which concern seniors. Go to www.cornwall.ca/seniors for more information or her web site at jdehaan@cornwall.ca.
Here is a photo by Bob Katz, a resident of Beek Lindsay Senior Residence. He took the picture outside his window on Augustus Street recently of a single large bird on a thin little leafless branch. Great photo.
Tiger, my cat, is a bit fascinated with all the Christmas decorations I bring out. The other day I was sure I had taken out a little silver bow to put on a package. I couldn’t find it. I decided it was a senior moment and I had put it someplace else. Tiger was asleep on his bed and I was busy doing other things. Sometime later, he came out into the living room as I was going into the bedroom. The little silver bow was on his bed. He had stolen it and ‘decorated’ his bed with it, I guess.
It reminded me of the time I had to put my 20 year old cat to sleep. It took me two months to get up the gumption to get rid of her little toy basket. As I was clearing it out, I found at the bottom of the basket a hearing aid I had lost a year earlier. She had stolen it. I remembered reading that cats like shiny things and will steal them. She must have carried the hearing aid in her mouth. Couldn’t have tasted too yummy.
The battery was still in it. Hearing aid batteries can apparently be poisonous to animals and children if ingested. I had a dog that ate one of my hearing aids I had placed on a table for a moment. Gone! He chewed it and it was on the floor in pieces. I didn’t find the battery and checked with the Veterinarian. He said it would probably pass through before it disintegrated. Fortunately, it was the case because the dog was fine but the hearing aid was finished. Apparently if it is not turned off 100% it sounds like a dog whistle to them and they want to stop the noise. They also apparently like ear wax which can attract them. I was very careful after that and I have no idea how that cat stole that hearing aid.
The S.P.C.A. are warning pet owners to be careful with the Christmas decorations around their animals, especially things they could ingest like tinsel, little berries, little tiny doodads etc.
My friend Frances Glass Irwin sent me this photo of a CCVS Christmas Party, 1957. We were having a bit of problem remembering all of the names but our classmates Myrna Plumley Watt and Cynthia Nyman Engel have provided information about the classmates and locale. The party apparently was held at Jack Miller’s house on Fifth Street.
First row: Betty Shaver, Myrna Plumley, me, Kathleen Villeneuve, Dorothy Pride, Barbara Fraser
Second row: Barbara Cottrell, Nancy Weir, Frances McGillis, Cynthia Nyman
Third Row: ?, Mrs.Blema Miller – mother of Jack Miller, Frances Glass, Myrna Lalonde, Miss Emily McInnes (teacher), Ron Goodfellow, John Souvage, Ross Craig, Charlie Baudette
Fourth row: John Robertson, Maris Nemanis, Eddie fox, Jack Miller, Murdie Laroque ,Tim Phillips, Tim Stevens, George Kahar, ?.
Here is a cute joke:
A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to their home one day when a fire truck zoomed past them. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog’s duties.
“They use them to keep crowds back”, said one child.
“No,” said another. “He’s just there for good luck.”
A third child brought the argument to a close. “They use the dogs”, she said firmly, “to find the fire hydrants.”
Have a good week, Dawn
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Dawn I love this article and you had me laughing to pieces about Tiger and a dog that you had and chewing on a hearing aid and with the battery inside and the sliver bow. LOL LOL. I love animals so much and you are lucky as well as Jamie – lots of laughs with your pets.
Dawn Jesus was not born in December but in the fall. In the Middle East the days are hot and the evenings are cool. We celebrate Christmas in December 25 but it is the winter solstice. One thing about winter and all the occultic decorations it seems happy and takes away the dulness of the cold and dark days of winter. Have a good Christmas Dawn and to Tiger.
Jules: I am glad that you like the columns. Thank you. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Dawn I love your columns and I wish you and your cat Tiger a wonderful Christmas. You are a great lady and I mean that Dawn. Your columns as well as yourself are wonderful. You are one of the top people of Cornhole and one of the nicest and best there is anywhere. I came down with food poisoning yesterday and I couldn’t sleep the entire night and today I am shaking and a few side effects.
My stomach was in such pain that my husband made me a camomile tea and it helped along with the hot water bottle. I purchased a lot of camomile tea and I remember when I was in the hospital for my daughter the nurse gave it to her women patients after having a cessarian birth. It was sure a good help.