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7| The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,January 11,2018 theifp.ca OK, we're into another year, the Christmas deco- rations are down, the out- door lights are packed away, and the house has once again regained a sense of normalcy. As usual, after New Year's Day, I sat at the kitchen table, transferring the dates of everyone's birthdays and anniversa- ries from the outgoing 2017 calendar to the new 2018 calendar, now hanging in- side the kitchen cupboard. As usual, I've carried forward the countless old milestone dates that I picked up from my dad's kitchen calendar when he died 15 years ago. I've con- tinued his practice of re- cording the various dates and events of the past. Some of the events I've recorded happened long before I was born, like when my grandfather took delivery of a brand new In- ternational Harvester Far- mall 'M' farm tractor, in August of 1946. As it turned out, it would be the only time he ever purchased a new trac- tor. Both the Sidekick and I have our siblings' birthdays on the calendar, as well as their spouses and kids. All of our own kids' and grand kids' birthdays are recorded and I have even noted birthday and anni- versary dates of folks no longer with us, as a re- minder of when they cele- brated their own mile- stones - aunts and uncles, grandparents, and all sorts of people who I knew as a kid. I'll often look at a name on the calendar and think to myself things like, "Ge- ez, if my grandfather was still alive today, he'd be 121 years old." It makes me realize how I'm getting older myself, and sometimes feel 'Old Man Time' is smoking by at the speed of sound, just like many of the old-timers pre- dicted. As we stand at the be- ginning of another year, it can be sobering to assess the coming year, a practice I think the older sector of the population tends to do, rather than the youth. When one crosses that 65 year mark, I believe we're more reflective of the com- ing year. Younger adults en- ter their own new year full of ambition and planning - starting a family, buying a house, or perhaps making a job/career change. But I think my age group sees the new year as a time to reflect upon what needs maintenance, what requires replacement or what needs to be disposed of altogether. Most importantly, I think we ask the question - where am I going to be in the next 12 months? I'm sure my forefathers also stood at the portal of a new year and had the same thoughts: what kind of a crop will I see in that field outside the kitchen win- dow? How many lambs will be born this spring? How many will not make it due to hypothermia? Will the pric- es be better than last year? When I reflect upon things like that, the Side- kick is quick to remind me that worrying about things like those above serves no real purpose - they are all factors beyond my control. I tell her that's an inte- gral part of being a farmer - dammit, we all gotta worry about something! During the coming year, I fully expect the calendar in the kitchen will remind me of milestones that my family and old friends have enjoyed, and I'll read them and smile. At the same time, I'm pretty confident that a year from now, I'll be once again sitting at the kitchen table, transferring the dates from 2018 to 2019, certain that there will be a few new 'milestones' to add to the calendar. I just hope that any new milestones I record on this year's calendar are positive events. So here's to 2018, may it hold many great events for all of you in the coming 12 months. - Freelance columnist Ted Brown can be reached at tedbit@hotmail.com. OPINION Milestones from yesterday One reflects as the speed of life increases, laments Ted Brown TED BROWN Column THE WAY WE WERE We're in for at least two more months of winter, so might as well get out there and embrace it, right? As shown in this photo from circa 1917, before automobiles were commonplace and affordable for all, horse and buggy (and in winter, sleigh) was the only mode of transportation. Emma Hill and Earnest Rogers sit in this sleigh outside her parents' home at 3 Tweedle St., in Glen Williams on a snowy winter day. Esquesing Historical Society pho Thanks for the 'holiday wishes' With our copy of the newspaper recently, we received a "Holiday Wishes" card from our carrier. I would think you are lucky to have such a person working for you who obvi- ously likes his job very much sometimes deliver- ing in cold and bad weath- er. Although I have met him several times in the past few years he has been delivering in our area, it will be nice to say hello to him by name the next time we meet. Joe Andely • LETTERS & COMMENTARY • Don't be a LitterBug! Please keep our community clean. 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