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32 Supplement of The Canadian Statesman, November 21, 1979 bedecking the holiday scene and spirit TREAT GOOD COOK TO GOURMET HOLIDAY GIFT. Dinner wil never be the same again when your favorite cook pulls a food processor plus blender from the holiday wrapping paper. General Electric's unique, five-speed blender plus food processor offers a space-saving, dual- purpose base that switches from food processor bowl to blender in seconds. Food processor bowl has a 40-ounce capacity and slices, chops, shreds, grates, grinds, minces with two blades. The Lexan blender stirs, purees, blends, liquifies and crushes ice-and it mixes up to 36 ounces of liquid. Separate pulse switches operate the two unifs.' Gloomy Yultides Until 1681, a Massachu- setts law prohibited celebra- ting Christmas "by feas- ting, or any other way." Like thousands of dour- faced reformers, gloomy New Englanders had ig- nored the holiday. They feared that ChristmasN was the work of the devil, and if fot, certairnly the frivolous. As the patron saint of Sat- urnalia, Santa Claus was rejected as barbarous by the good, but over-religious folk of New England. Eventually, the Dickens concept of the holiday was accepted. The citizens of Boston, "the Athens of the New World", came to rea- lize that Christmas could be a happy time, with social- izing. -41, : HOLIDAY WREATH: Several different needlepoint stitches are used to create this brightly hued wreath which can hang on the wall or a door, or be filled with a hurricane lamp and candle for a lovely centerpiece. England was merry Eng- land, when Old Christmas brought his sports again. 'Twas Christmas broach'd the mightiest aile; 'Twas Christmas told the merriest tale; A Christmas gambol oft could cheer The poor man's heart through half the year. -Sir Walter Scott Living Gifts A number of year-round flowering plants can supple- ment your traditional gifts of poinsettias. Most popular favorites include clay-potted mums, miniature roses, azaleas, African violets or perhaps a lovely cyclamen or anthu- riui plant. These are Gifts The Children Can Make for Holidays Half the pleasure of giving is in the making, and this is truê especially with youngstets. They have lists, just as grown-ups do . . . includ- ing speciai pals aschool, doting relatives, teachers, (ulterior motives here?), and of course, Mom and Dad. For materials to whet their imagination and in- spireyotung hands, furnish them with such tools as 6-or 7-inch squares of soft plas- tic foam, colorful strips and pieces of felt, scissors, white glue (the kind which won't injure them, even if ingested) and other items easily available. Chidren love to work, with their hands, and it's good therapy, too. (Keeps them relatively quiet for hours.) Inexpensive wood blocks can be covered with felt or similar material,Ito iake paperweights. Odd bricks in the yard or garden? Kids can cover them with sturdy material, the more colorful the bet- ter, and turned them irnto door-stops, even book- ends. Sometimes packing cartons and cigar boxes can be fashioned into hand some gifts. Children will enjoy using adhesive paper such as you use on shelving or even walls, perhaps embellished with silver foil in nonogram designs, creating usable gifts for the coffee table or office. Heap on more wood- the wind is chill; But let it whistle as it will, We'll keep our Christmas merry still. Sir Walter Scott HISTORY TELLS THE ROMANCE 0F CLOCKS Man's quest to tell time is a story rich in legend and romance. The precision clocks of today have a history which could serve as a nirror to civilization. From the sundial ...to the hourglass. . . to the grandfather clock, man has had a certain fascination with clocks. And, through- out the centuries, time and clocks have played an im- portant role in the culture and history of the world. The romance of clocks is highlighted in various types of literature. The touching legend of Cinderella, a story familiar to every school child, comes to a sudden, realistic end at the stroke of mid- night. Cinderella's magical romance is finished witly the chiming of the clock. Shakespeare, once shaken by despair at the flight of time, wrote in one sonnet: "When do I count the dock that tolls the time And see the brave day sink into hideous night." The pragmatic, Amer- ican statesman Benjamin Franklin was somewhat more blunt in his assess- ment of time. Said Frank- lin, "Remember that time is money." Throughout history, roy- alty expressed its person- ality with clocks. George II of England had a dock so smal it could beworn as a ring. The vain, French monarch Louis XIV's love for clocks was much more grand. His majesty's Play-Clay Recipe There's no need to brave the bedlam of your local toy store to get a last-minute Christmas gift for Janies littie friend or some young and unexpected guest. Just step into your nice quiet kitchen and cook up a batch of playclay. Children of all ages love to model and this particular elay will be "mother- approved,' for the two in- gredients are baking soda and cornstarch . . . both foods . . . which means it's safe in the smallest hands. Since both products are also recommended bath additives for sensitive skin it's gentle to young, tender hands. And it won't spot or staiiclothes, rug or up- holstery. To make the clay, simply combine in a saucepan 1 cup of cornstarch and-2 cups of baking soda, add 1¼ cups cold water to which a few drops of food coloring have been added. GRANDFATHER CLOCKS are in great dernand today, reflecting current nostalgia for vesteryear. treasured lockshowed the king himself, enthroned. ILikenesses of the German states' electors and the prince of Italy were fashioned in such a way that they first bowed to the king, then chimed the quar- ter hours with their canes. And, the likeness of England's William III, whom King Louisdetested' would bow before the French ruler, then strike the hour. Ail went wevl with the grand timepiece until one day at a public showing. At that time, King Louis top- pIed from the throne and felI at the feet of William III. The maker of the dock awaited his fate in the Bas- tille. Their graceful nes and poignant chîmes seem to evoke nemories of a less- hurried, more romantic time, the company says.t Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring con- stantly, cook a minuite longer or until mixture looks like moist mashed potatoes. Remove from heat. Transfer to plate; cover with a damp towel and when cool enough to handle,;knead a little as you would dough. Pack in a plastic bag. Add your Christmas gift wrappings and along with your gift tag a second tag giving the recipe for the clay since there's bound to be a request for more at a future date. Add a footnote to the recipe advising that the clay dries out hard as cement overnight; that it ca be decorated with paints or felt-tip marker; and for the benefit of older modelers, that it can be shellacked for a profession- al, ceramic-like look. You'll do well to record the recipe, too, for batches of this clean, safe play-clay along with the "how-to- make" directions are ideal donations to church ba- zaars or other fund-raising sales, and a nice change of pace from the usual cakes and pot-holders. The clay can also provide quiet, safe amusement when you're hosting a birthday party for one of your small fry or working with a troop of Brownies. Regain the Simple Joys of Christmas Use your ingenuity. Newspaper tied with brill- iant red and green ribbons makes great wrapping. Plain white wrapping paper adorned with colorful ad- hesive strips in a variety of designs makes quite a "splash" under the trees. Look around for ordinary objects, gild them, paint them, put them to extra- ordinary decorative uses. Much more fun-and less expensive, too, than buying materials at the store. If you have a fireplace, see if you can round up a Yule log. Tradition calls for lighting the log on Chrif mas Eve and burning it 12 hours to keep bad luck away. For a Yule log, ask your wood man to set aside an ash bough for you, should he by chance get any. Ash is the traditional Yule log in many parts of England even today. No ash bough for an authentic Yule log to burn on Christmas Eve? Choose cherry or apple boughs- long-burning and fragrant. Add pine cones for crack- ling good cheer. Give your home a joy- ous, welcoming look. A huge pine wreath with rich red bow, hung at the front door, is the classic wel- cotihe, and probably the handsomest. Holiday Thought Share your Christmas with the lonely neighbor down the street, Eyes Right! Eyes work extra hard at holiday time.. . shopping for gifts, addressing cards, planning holiday menus, preparing for parties, putting up decorations and wrapping presents. Proper posture, interest- ingly enough, can help protect your eyes. When you sit erect, work will be the right distance for your eyes-usually 14-16 inches. Bending over or slumping brings the work, too close, putting addec, strain on the eyes. One breathes so much better, and looks better, too, when one sits erect.