ae erate a aI Be at Tae lee SON Te oe

‘blue
‘Jifeguarded while she drained
cher bath water splash by
‘splash.
By the tine the bamacie fell
"asleep, Santa’s back ached, his
“knees ‘creaked, and his socks
- ‘squished. He was recuperating
‘with. a mug of cocoa when
-gleighbells jangled in the
‘driveway.

Santa babysits while
Mrs. Claus drives sleigh

By CLAUDETTE
SANDECKI
“Whoa, Granny,’’ Santa said,
struggling to punch the
Smith's doorbell with one
hand as he held tight to Mrs.
‘Claus’ collar with the other,
“You -look like a bungee

jumper poised to leap.’

Mrs, Claus stamped her foot,
“Dagnabbit, Santa, don’t give
me that Jed Clampett routine,
You have no right volunteer-
ing me to substitute for some
kid’s absent grandmother. ”’

Santa would have thrown up
his hands except Mrs, Claus
would have fallen flat on her
face.

parent for Jennie Smith on
shart notice. Where else could
I find one? Anyway, how hard
can grandparenting one 15-
month-old be?”’

“Play pat-a-cake, read her a
bedtime story .. Before you
know it, [’ll be back to lake
you home.”

“IF it’s. so, easy,’’ snapped
Mrs. Claus, *‘yau do it.”’

Just then the door was
opened by a young woman in
a faded track suit, a halo-
haired toddler clamped like a

‘parnacle to her left knee,

“Oh! You’re -here!’’ Mrs.
Smith exclaimed.

In a wink,’ Mrs, Claus took -
advantage of .Santa’s diver-_

sion. She bolted for the sleigh,
leaving Santa alone on the
doorstep. /

As Mis. Smith welcomed
Santa into her toy-strewn

living ‘room, Mrs, Claus and. =~ -

the sleigh disappeared behind
a Baméy-purplecioud. ~

For: the next few hours Santa
‘had little time io worry as the
bamacle*steered him through

- ‘her play routine, relentless as a
seniors’ recreation director.
He pushed her miles'oif ter”
Tonka‘ tlitk, gave het Horse. '
‘back ‘ rides, dealt ' wooden
‘blocks ‘she fed through geom-

ettic openings.into a red and
plastic ball, and

: “Must:be my ride,’’ he said,
riding stiffly as a Canadarm.

' A knock sounded. Mrs.
-Smith opened the door. There
“stood Mrs. Claus, toque as-

“kew. “‘Is-Grandpa ready to go
home?”’

Mrs. Smith handed Santa his

Above everything else,

“You know I need a grand-

=

ASEAN

Pe

By the time the barnacle fell asleep, Santa’s back ached,
_ his knees creaked, and his socks squished. He was
recuperating with a mug of cocoa when sleighbells

jangled inthe driveway.

tp omefpsael Jee Dearreae L iby fet

vee 4 a .
Ae es ec eT oe

mittens. ‘We've enjoyed your
company so much. Can you
come again tomorrow?”

After tucking the blue-

stiped Hudson Bay blanket
over their laps, Mrs. Claus un-
wound the reins, “Seems
you’re a social success.”’ She
called to the team, ‘‘On Sheila
Copps, Ethel, On Audrey and
Elsie ...””
‘‘What?”’ snorted Santa.
**You renamed my team?”’
‘Pay no attention,” said

Mrs, Claus, ‘“They don’t Just _

a little post-clection humour to
telicve stress,”

‘‘Some humour!’’ Santa’s
head jerked around. “‘What
stress?”

“Oh, few glitches,” Mrs.
Claus conceded. ‘‘We came in

Christmas is

By RON ORR
It happens so often. We don’t
get what we want.

No matter how much we tell
ourselves thal Christmas is a
time. for ‘giving we secretly
harbor thoughts of what we
might be getting,

One. .of:-the disappointing
passages of childhood is when,
one: Christmas morning, we
numbly awaken to the fact that
we seldom get what we want, .

Chrisimas is a wonderful.

story. ., But most of the key.
players in the historical drama
do-not get what they want.
" The leaders of Israel wanted
a-‘wartlor king. What they got
was a baby anda peacemaker.
. Rome-wanted peaceable sub-
jects and the status quo. They
got ‘the’ greatest religious
upheaval the world has
known. . :

‘The common people of the
day wanted relief from the
tyranny and oppression of
Rome. They. got more taxes.

-: What did Joseph and Mary
‘want. My giess is lo have a

beautiful welding, a nice fam- i”

| eee

“Ut is precisely because

we may not get these things |
Jor Christmas that the sea-

son is, for many, depress-
ing. When peace, love and
Joy have eluded us we
know something is
wrong.”

ily, and live a quiet, happy
life,
- They. got shame, public
’ scandal and tragedy.
_ What do people want taday?
Leaders who will be powerful
deliverers — from suffering
and oppression — with vision
forthe future. ~~

Other people want to feel
secure in the status quo.

Most people want relicf from
economic buidens and more
taxes.

And everyone. wants. to be

home, toa nice home with joy,

‘fove, and happy children, for.
_ Christmas — even if they have

never known sich a home, =

ior tea

eB Deges tee pee ET ee PT ae
DEAS ada wy ul wan

‘'That’s why the robe keeps
billowing. The seat feels to be
moved forward, but that’s im-
possible. ’’

“Not if the sleigh’s rear-
ended by a Tampa hoodlum
who takes you for a tourist.’’

“‘Good grief.’

“Think that was bad? A
giant bat flapped towards us

“There are no bats in
winter.”’

“Tell that to them. They

took off in all directions. Their
old leather traces separated

’ like Lake Ontario trade unions

from the NDP.”
‘How did you mend the hat-

: ” Pastor Ron Or

It is precisely because we
may not get these things for
Christmas that the season is,
for many, depréssing. _Whea
peace, love and joy have
eluded us we know.something

- is wrong.

And yet we must not despair.

For the hope of Christmas is

real, in spite of our drudgery,

and suffering, ;

ness?”

“With twine from the
macrame kit. The flowerpot
hanger will be a pot holder.
The bat. turned out to be. the
solar panel jettisoned from the
Hubble repair.’’ -

Grandpa gave Mrs. Claus a

“=swarth hug: You did'pood; for

“a first nu.”” rade tne yee AR

Mrs. Claus straightened her
toque, ‘‘What’s gtandparent-
ing really like?”’

“Hectic,” ’
‘*Hard on the back and knees.
Worse than climbing up and
down chimneys under.a- fall
pack. But fun. I’d volunteer
again in minute."

“‘Votunteer?”? sniffed Mrs.

Claus, ‘‘That’s the equivalent
of claiming Kim Campbell
resigned of her own free will.
If I hadn’t left you standing on
the doorstep ...”’

“Sometimes it’s good to be
pushed,” Santa said, Taking
the reins from Mrs. Claus he

Santa. -sighed. .

smacked them on the dash- |

board, ‘On Sheila Copps,
Ethel, On Audrey and Elsie

a

about hope

gifts of Christmas right now.
Like chocolate samplers of-
fered in the department store,
Christmas is a taste of more to
come. _

Christmas is a sample, not
the whole box. That is why we
seldom get what we want on
Christmas day. It is meant to
sharpen our taste and whet our
hunger to look beyond, for
more than this world can offer.

Like a sign post, it is not the
final destination. But it beck-
ons us on, to hear angels sing
on cold lonely nights, to
rejoice in the promise of
babies bor. -

Christmas calls us to find the
source of all. out hopes and
dreams in the one who put
Christmas in our hearts and in
whom alone Christmas.can be
fulfilled, No, not Santa Claus,
but Christ. - a

So the greatest gift of Christ-
mas is that it leaves us search-
ing, empty, longing for some-

| _. thing beyond the stars...
~The catch is that we should , Ron Orr is the pastor ot

“Rot expect to receive ‘all the

Zion Baptist Church.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 22, 1993 - AS

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

| The Mail Bag

More Code words

“The letter from Dave Parker in the Dec. 8 issue of The Terrace
Standard atiempts to give his facts surrounding the development of
a Forest Practices Code, ; :

Regarding his attempt to give the Socreds credit for the Forest
Practices Code which is to become law next spring, his facts are not
correct . In Dave’s own words the previous government only as-
signed the task to ‘‘commence the development.”’

It was not former Social Credit forest minister Claude Richmond
who asked the Forest Resources Commission to make recommenda.
tions with respect to the framework and administration of Forest
Practices Commission the specific mandate.

AS the chairperson of the Commission, Sandy Peel clearly stated
in January 1992 that ‘the forest minister (Dan Miller) gave the
commission the mandate to make recommendation on the frame-
work for a Forest Practices Code including any legislation or ad-
ministration process required to implement such a code.,’’ °

That is a far cry from the ‘commence to development.”’

Mr. Parker is correct when he says that the people of B.C. can
take credit for the Forest Practices Code. It was British Columbians
who told the Forest Resources Commission that our province
should have a code.

And it was the people of B.C. who in October of 1991 elected a
goverment with the courage to do more than talk about the prob-
lem. . -

* Dear Sir:

Helmut Giesbrecht,
MLA for Skeena,
Terrace, B.C.

Cart catastrophe
Dear Sir:

Why do shopping centers let people get away with taking shop-
ping certs out of parking areas,

Carts are left out all over town, sometimes on roadways. Thesc
carts cost a lot of money, and there must be a cost to have them
picked up. _

We hear a lot of how much it cost us when shoplifters steal. Costs
go up to the people that abide by the rules. So the shopping carts
musi also be an additional cost to us. Also some people use them
for scavenging bottles, pop cans, etc. — SO

Maybe the stores should sell them one or give them ones thal are
of no more use, .

This is theft and should be dealt with the same as shoplifting, so I
think all stores should be looking into the situation. a

Alf Dufrane,
Terrace, B.C.

Year 2000 frustration : |

Dear Sin oF

I share the frustrations reporied by Edna Cooper In respect of the
hasty and peremeptory announcemenis of the Harcourt government
about the Year 2000 educational program.

It is of course well known that the spirit of irrational dogmatism
has always been powerful in society since the days Socrates taught
in the Athenian agom, In this case it has combined with the spirit of
political opportunism in a spectacularly crass way, 80 that the hem-
ock has been, administered almost, beforg.the. ion of our
"Lot as hope ‘thit the'reversion to the’‘truc and ieitha’/ ways or the
recent past will now beara richer, fruit that we have become ac-
éustomed to secing in the past few years'in our B.C. schools, -_

Tan Jordan,
‘Terrace, B.C.

More letters Page A7

The Start

Hamper time
People can pick up their Salvation Army hampers today and tomor-

-. row, This takes place at the Army’s hamper office. It is on the first

floor of the big building on 4545 Lazelle Ave. That’s the building
across the street from the concrete B.C. Tel building.
Hamper pick up hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is also a singles

_ Supper. That takes place Christmas Day at the Terrace Inn, It starts

at 2 p.m, Single people will also get hampers to take home.

The Golden Rule Socicty will also give out its goody bags. This
takes place Dec, 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The goody bags can be
picked up at small gray building beside the school district office.
The school district office is on Kenney by the Chevron station.

9
Couldn’t quit smoking
Jim MacKay is $500 richer this month. He owns MacKay’s Funeral
Service.
Earlier this year five people there quit smoking, If they lasted un-
til this month, Mr. MacKay said he would give cach person $100.
But all five people are smoking again. One person is Jim
Westerman. He said he started again at a family reunion in Nova
Mr. Westerman said there can be a lot of stress at a funeral home.
So people who work there look for ways to handle stress, And that

means some of them smoke,