November 23

Yesterday, I traveled to Moose Jaw, then paid a visit to a Hutterite Colony near Eyebrow.  Our hosts were wonderful people.  We were guided through the chicken barns and the egg laying operations.  I also saw the kitchen and food storage facilities.  Very impressive.

Today was perogy making day.  My usual dilemma is making too much filling which, in turn, means I have to make more dough.  Then I have too much dough so I have to use up the dough making cherry perogies.

This installment of Principal's message is one I have shared before and I will share the piece again, I'm sure, because it is my favorite.  I can easily get choked up reading the article every time I read the words.

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

What do I remember about Christmas when I was in elementary school?  Well, the Co-op set up a Christmas store and the Galaxy Theater would have a free matinee such as Son of Flubber.  Following the matinee, we would file out past Santa Claus who handed out a goodie bag with a Japanese orange, peanuts, and hard candy.  Santa was also the town garbage man, the referee for the senior men’s hockey team, and a bit of a grump for most of the year.  In front of Beaver Lumber, old Hughie Lewis sold Christmas trees for less than five dollars.  Old Hughie lived north of Nut Mountain and he had a long beard.  The elementary school performed at The Carol Festival in the high school gym.  Grade One always sang “Away in a Manger”.  There was usually lots of snow when we went to the candle light service on Christmas Eve.  My dad, who worked as a logger during the winter, would come out the bush north of Hudson Bay and he would get a few days with our family.  Mom would prepare fruit cake, gum drop cake, Nanaimo bar, perogies, cabbage rolls, and the freezer would be full.  My older brothers and sisters would be home for the holidays.  We always played a lot of card games.  Ah, Christmas memories.  We all have them.

            My wife and I have created a set of memories for our children.  My wife starts by watching a Christmas movie on Halloween, baking on the November long weekend, and having the house decorated by December 1^st.  The girls take turns moving the star on the Advent Calendar.  We have a houseful of people after Christmas Eve Service and my wife always has as many varieties of foods as Dodd’s has kidney pills.  There are more memories and family traditions.  Every family has their own way to celebrate the season and that is okay.

            Interestingly, when I ask my Grade Five students to write about their Christmas memories and traditions, they cannot think of much to write and it is not because they do not exist.  What I am suggesting to all parents and community members is to create memories with children and remind the children of the memories.  Talk about them often.  Be like my mother who reminds me of every goofy thing I ever did.  Tell the same old stories.  Your kids will thank you some day and they will get a lump in their throat when they remember people like the old guy in front of the lumber yard with a beard selling Christmas trees and driving his old red truck home to the North Pole - north of Nut Mountain.