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Sugar bowl was sometimes lacking Take a Veteran to Dinner MARY COOK T here was no doubt about it, Father needed a new suit. The only one he owned was threadbare, and even though he hadn’t grown an inch, the cuffs on the legs were above his ankles. No doubt because Mother had tried to wash it one Monday and now even the sleeves were too short. There was no getting around it. He needed a new suit, and the ad in the weekly Renfrew Mercury was just what the doctor ordered – three pieces for $14. Father said there was no money for such frivolity. Mother said going to the Lutheran Church on Sunday dressed like a tramp, raised the purchase well above frivolity. I knew Mother had waited until the big wood box of hand-me-downs had come from Aunt Lizzie in Regina to make sure there wouldn’t be something suitable from Uncle Jack. But as always, whatever Uncle Jack once wore had to be severely altered before it would fit Father. Uncle Jack was about Father’s height, but there the similarity ended. My sister Audrey said he looked like a pineapple. I have no idea how she knew what a pineapple looked like, because I never knew one to come into the house, but I did know Uncle Jack was more round than long. His arms were huge and hung well below his hips, and it always looked like he was carrying a bag of grain under his jacket. Without altering the suit, you could put at least two of Father in it. Now Mother, when she moved to the farm out in Northcote, tried her best to master the old pedal Singer sewing machine and she did
Mary Cook’s Memories well on simple things like clothes for Audrey and me, making aprons and even simple house dresses out of Dan River cotton, but when it came to trying to make Father fit into one of Uncle Jack’s suits, she failed miserably.
barns and Mother made sure my sister Audrey and I kept up with what was expected of us in the house too. But you’d think we were all getting a new outfit, not just Father, as the day of this major purchase drew closer.
It would be a long time before the blue sugar bowl had in it enough for what Father called a frivolity like a new suit. Sunday morning saw him at the Lutheran Church in the same old suit he had worn for years. It always ended up that the suits, after being taken apart, became jumpers or skirts for my sister and me. The Mercury had come in the middle of the week and Mother said there was just about enough money in the blue sugar bowl in the back-to-the-wall cupboard to buy the suit. What was lacking would be made up when Mother peddled her eggs, butter and chickens on Saturday in Renfrew. So it was decided Saturday was the day Father would be getting his new $14 suit. The excitement ran high that week in our old log house in Northcote. That didn’t mean we could ease off on the workload. Chores were done as usual morning and night in the
Mother took the blue sugar bowl out of the cupboard a few days before we were to head into Renfrew. She dumped the coins out on the kitchen table with a couple crumpled $1 bills. Then she moved the money over to the top of the ice box and stacked the coins in little piles on top of the bills. The blue sugar bowl went back into the cupboard. She figured she’d have to sell at least four chickens, five or six pounds of butter, and six dozen eggs to make up the difference between what was sitting on the ice-box and what the suit would cost. The day before we were to head into Renfrew, just before we were to sit down to eat at noon, Father came
into the kitchen with a long piece of harness in his hands. He stood silently at the back door, never taking his eyes off it. “Broke. Just as I was putting it on Queenie. This is the piece I have fixed at least a dozen times. I’m afraid it won’t take another fixing. Can’t use the team without it.” He didn’t have to say any more. Mother went to the ice box and slid the coins into her hand with the bills. She looked at it for a minute and walked over to the door and handed it to Father. It would take just about all of it to replace the worn-out harness that should have been replaced long before. Horses and their harness meant survival back in the 1930s. A farmer couldn’t farm without either. Nothing more was said about the $14 suit. We went into Renfrew as usual on Saturday for our few supplies, bought only after Mother made her house calls along the back streets of the town with the cleaned chickens, butter and eggs. That day she had sticky buns as well. It would be a long time before the blue sugar bowl had in it enough for what Father called a frivolity like a new suit. Sunday morning saw him at the Lutheran Church in the same old suit he had worn for years.
Mary Cook will be speaking on the “Joy of Memories” at the Friends of the Experimental Farm annual general meeting on Sept. 19. All are welcome to attend this free event at the Neatby Building, located at Carling Avenue and Maple Drive. Call 613-2303276 or visit friendsofthefarm. ca for more information.
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of the previous dinners, this year’s event in Ottawa will occur on Sunday, Oct. 21, at Tudor Hall in Ottawa. Cocktails will be available starting at 5 p.m., with dinner following at 6 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person, but there is no cost for veterans and their spouses. The evening will include an introduction of veterans in attendance, a dinner, a guest speaker and much reminiscing. For more information about this event, please visit www.veteransdinner.ca. Hosts and honourees may call 613-239-4035 to order tickets.
EMC news - The idea for Take a Veteran to Dinner Night was born of a strong desire to show appreciation of the efforts and sacrifices of Canadian veterans in past and current conflicts. This non-partisan event is simply an opportunity for community members to personally thank area veterans and their spouses by treating them to dinner. That is, a host buys a veteran’s ticket as well as their own and both host and veteran attend the dinner together. Hosts often invite veteran and spouse couples when appropriate. Building on the successes
Ottawa police warn of necklace thefts late morning or during the afternoon. The male driver is described as about 55 years of age, of South Asian or Middle Eastern decent, with tanned skin. One female suspect, approximately 25 to 30 years of age was described as South Asian, Middle Eastern or Hispanic, with tanned skin. The second female suspect, approximately 50 to 60 years old, was described as South Asian, Middle Eastern or Hispanic, with tanned skin. All three spoke English with an accent. The male driver has used different vehicles which are either a dark colour four-door sedan or a white, gold or dark colour minivan. If you are approached on the street by anyone wanting to sell you a gold necklace or any other jewelry, please refuse and report it to the Ottawa police at 613-230-6211. Anyone with any information regarding these incidents is asked to contact the district investigation section at 613236-1222, ext.3566 or Crime Stoppers at 613-233-8477 (TIPS).
EMC news - Since Aug. 10, there have been 20 reported thefts by scam artists on the streets of Ottawa. Police say the scam sees two female suspects approach a woman and ask for directions or attempt to sell a gold necklace. The female suspects place the gold necklace over the victim’s neck, in some instances stating the necklace is a gift. When the suspects remove the necklace they had placed on the victim’s neck, they also remove the victim’s own gold necklace without their knowledge. Only after the suspects have left the scene does the victim realized what just occurred. In some cases, a vehicle was involved whereby a male driver was seen picking up and dropping off two female suspects. The theft of necklaces have occurred in different parts of the city, specifically in store parking lots and neighbourhood streets including the Villa Marconi Retirement Residence, Herongate Mall, Montfort Hospital and an Esso gas station on Prince of Wales Drive. These thefts have taken place predominantly either
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