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4-Orono Weekly Timies, Mondav, December 23, 1985 Take part in Kirby School Christmas plays Lawrence Christmas Card Cavan Township's 1 l9-year-old Church of St. John, severly damaged by Iast spring's tornado, is the sub- ject of this year's Christmas card of th Hon. Ailan Lawrence, M.P. This picture of St. John's Anglican Church, near Ida, is another in the, series which Port Hope artist Kathryn McHoIm lhas sketched specially for Mr. Lawrence over the past several years. The Church of St. John was founded in 1819. The first log and framne structures were destroyed by fire, and the present brick churchwas erected in 1866. It stood secure until Iast May 3lst when a tornado swept through the area, destroying the roof and parish hall and damaging the north wall. Through the dedicated ef- forts of its congregation the church is now being restored, and it's hoped to be ready f or this year's Christmas ser- vices. ALL ABOUT CHRISTMAS, THIS YEAR. Already it is that tirne again. How is it that a year can pass by so quickly leaving us almost muddled as to where it has gone. Christmas they tel us is supposed to leave us with a feel- ing of inner peaçe, a quiet solitude, a glowing joy. Many times that is flot the case though. The hassels of Christmas sometimes have a ,vay of inarring that special day which miost often are caused by us ourselv,,es. How soon we forget thec Christmases of yesterday whien we ourselves as children did not have one thîrd of what the kids do today. How soon we forget the get togethers that meant more than the presents which we knew weren't going to be there anyway. W e knriew\ and w e understood. It is such a contradictory lifestyle today. W,ýe expect thiose youingsters today to wish for Santa Claus when, how can tlhey? Are theyý ever allowed to be just children) without grownup ideas pushed into their iniuids. We want ou[ ebjîdren tu have what we didni't have ourselves, miaybe it is still a wish of the chijldishness in us to play with those gamnes or do those things our parents could neyer afford for us. But by do- ing so we are not teaching our children the simplicity of Christmas, the pure joy of iving, be it affection, attention or communication that sets the heart sing-ing. We are instead teaching themi the wats of life. Long ago when 1 was little, our Christmnases were very imnple. 1 don't really remnember any specific gifts because there imply weren't any. The food was always done by no m- with ail uIS girls as h)elpers. But we were ail together. No mnatter what that year had wrouglit, the Funny Farmi was a hubbub of taughter on Christmnas Eve. As we married and had children, of our own the' system stli didn't change. Corne Christmas Eve everyV year we gathered toget her as the clan . By this timie we could afford more for everyone, especially for mom and dad who had seen us throuigh s0 many years. But the whole ceremony remained simple, pure, flot really religous for us but a wonderful time nevertheless. With the death of my father, moni soid the farm which in turn 1 bought back again. The Christmnases had changed. There was one spot noýw va- cant, the grandchildren often asked about Opa and the rest of us did as much as we could to ease the pain. that year. Christmases from then on were helci at mom's new h ouse and in time the pain gave way to happy memories once more. This year for the first timie in seven years Christmas will once again be at the old homestead. Perhaps it is a recailing of ail our days as wve once again gather as a smalier group than ever before to heip ius through another trying year. Perhaps also it is fitting to head back to one's start in Life where ail the roots first stabalized themselves. Perhaps âlso it is in tribute to my father and my sist er and to give her children . the type of Christmas they deserve to have. Those of us there wiil prepare the food, the main chef once again being Mom. The smells of homecooking will meancler throughout this antique farmjhouse, the wood stove wiii hum in his prime spot. Outside the animais will be spruced up, the horses wth beils braided into their hair, and the dogs ail sporting new coliars. There wxon 't be many presenits this year, we've opted fighting the crowds in lieu of special littie inexpeni'sivýe ar- ticles that will mnean more than a hun- dred gifts. We've also. opted for wrapping funny gifts that wiil bring more than a chuckle to a little girl's face whose search for Momny lhas flot yet eased. This year Christmas will be the hardest for ail of us, but we are together again and with special effort ellband as one by giving instead of expecting.-- Merrý Christmas to each and every one of you. '~ Jolidlay Wîsh 1nlg yo u ti l o joy 0 this Christmaýls. rme wîth love and pefiace. WALLACE Auto Supplies Orono - Bowmanville MLQPY CIISTNAS! May the warm Christmas tradition c grace your holiday with health andO happiness. P2 Ffom Ail at Mom's Kitchen 'MERRY CHRISTMAS! « 7Aý In the spirit of Chrstmas joy, it is our pleasure-to Say "thank you" for your very valueci patronage. ROLPH 'Warm