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"Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" PORT PERRY STAR - Wednesday, May 20, 1992 - 9 Local artist's display a spiritual experience To The Editor: Recently, at the Community Memorial Library, I was privi- leged to view the artistic dis- play of Ralph Price's creative work. Within my vocabulary I search in vain for a word to de- scribe its effect on me. At first glance I was aware of all this wood showing a vague tual experience. It is there, just pieces of wood from our beauti- ful trees, in this relatively small room, truly a 'happening' which I hope no one will pass by unob- served. It will set you thinking in a realm beyond the confines of your daily life. I congratulate Ralph for this gem that he shares with us. touch of sameness, that gradu- ally, as I gazed and studied, be- Sincerely, came a truly uplifting and spiri- Grace Hastings N ...INTERIOR PAINTS COTTAGER c. 1991 by CRAIG NICHOLSON - All Rights Reserved Introductory Column One difficulty with a weekly column, aside from having anything to say, is creating familiarity. For the next couple of months, the true measure of my erudition. The Intrepid Cottager will chronicle a city boy's courageous life in the country. That boy is I, and this is my fearless life. I decided to write this resolute column when it was pointed out to me that no one could possibly have screwed up as many things as have I. The wife attests to this. As do most friends and neighbors. They call it the "how not to do it column." In faet, except for my two Siberian Huskies, everyone has encouraged me to expose myself in public. I think I'm being persecuted for persistence. Judge for yourself. My dogs don't care as long as they get fed. So The Intrepid Cottager is a litany of my supposed mistakes and miscalculations in adjusting to country life. I prefer to see them as the curious little, misfortunes that happen to all of us. It's just my turn. No, says the wife, a life sentence. No wonder I'm so intrepid. Like so many other people, our purchase of a country property was a quest for peace and quiet. An escape made with borrowed funds. From traffic, panhandlers and doggie-doo. And the bank that has been with us ever since. We keep a bed made for our friendly manager. The one with the spider in it. We are waterfront property owners, so in a sense we are cottagers. But that word implies a lack of permanence that we find distasteful since this is home on an annual basis. We are 'all-season' seasonal residents. By the same token, we are cottagers in spirit: fun-loving and casual, conscious of our dual duty as lake stewards and stakeholders on our new community. So although we still commute to the city to make our living, we also have a renewed appreciation for the simple things in life, like walks without bugs, toilets that flush, fields fertilized with pig manure, and being able to find a working flash light when the power goes off. We know the value of a timely curse or a swift kick to get things going again. The wife says it works on me. "We" is yours truly and my better half, commonly referred to as "the wife." And, my two aforementioned canines, Babe and Copper. From the outset, "the resident love goddess" made it very clear that under no circumstances was I ever to refer to her by name in my column. On threat of penalties so dire as to be unmentionable. My dogs don't care, so long as they're fed. Talk about intrepid. So at the risk of raising feminist ire, I agreed never to call her Marsha in my column, and instead to use that oft heard country term of matter-of-fact endearment "the wife." Consider that it may be all its offensive appellation that "My Wife" with all its possessive and ownership implications. Perhaps I should just leave her out. My canines agreed to be called anything but hungry. So yes, folks, this is my life and that really is my picture at the head of the column. It was taken between bruises. But I'm not always a klutz and an idiot, only when there are witnesses. And I use no other name but my own so as not to dilute the embarrassment. The wife says I'll get used to it. My dogs love me as I am. A man with food in hand and foot in mouth. The Intrepid Cottager is written because life is more fun and full of surprises. Mine more than most? And I prefer to hear laughter when I'm going down the pipes one more time. Especially the wife's. It's usually the last laugh. City boy or country girl, we all must meet the same challenges with humor and courage, and spend our lives trying to make sure we go out in public with our shoes on the right feet. Some of us succeed more often than others. The wife says I must be one of the others. So why isn't everyone else doing unto me? Ww Enjoy the column and whatever else it may do, I hope you get the message that all of us country folk - farmers and townspeople, permanent and seasonal - must pull together to keep our communities clean and safe and healthy places to live. The wife says I used her name somewhere. So I'm not perfect. Just intrepid. It's an acquired trait. \ P 4 J Spred Latex Semi-Gloss Enamel 3700 line..................... Interior Spred Alkyd Semi-Gloss Enamel 4600 line =A ...EXTERIOR PAINTS Exterior Spred House Dura-Flat Finish 3600 line Azko Sikkens - We are now a dealer! See our complete lime SAKRETE CONCRETE MIX BAG B 42° PATIO TURF S399 Green Only 6' wide a lineal foot 11 VANEDWARD DRIVE - (OSHAWA ROAD) Chien PORT PERRY - ONTARIO - PHONE 985-7391 c ® QUALIFIED SERVICE ® COMPETITIVE PRICING ® QUALITY PRODUCTS