The honour rolls on the west wall of the Kenyon Presbyterian Church record the names of the young men from the Dunvegan area that fought and died for King and country. In World War I, sixty-seven answered the call to arms, and five were killed. And in World War II, fifty-nine enlisted, of whom six failed to return home. But battlefield fatalities are just part of the cost of armed conflict. From ‘shell shock’ in the 1914-1918 war and ‘combat stress” in the second world war to ‘post-traumatic shock disorder’ from the recent military engagement in Afghanistan, many of the survivors lived and live with the consequences for the rest of their days. My point is that Remembrance Day is not just for the fallen. It is a time to pay our respects to all the men and women who have served this country.
Support the Royal Canadian Legion’s National Poppy Campaign.
Or attend the memorial ceremony at the Cenotaph in Maxville or Alexandria on November 11th.
Or, if a friend or relative served, reach out to him or her on Remembrance Day. My father was in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1939 to 1945, but never spoke about the war when I was growing up. It was only in the last few years of his life that he finally opened up. From that point on, every November 11th, I would call to share his memories of the friends and comrades he had lost.
Or attend the Kenyon Presbyterian Church’s annual Remembrance Service in Dunvegan. It will take place this coming Sunday, November 7th at 9:30 am. As part of their worship service, the congregation will join with Canadians from coast to coast to coast to acknowledge the sacrifices made by the past and present members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. (Note: the church in Dunvegan complies with all of the present public health requirements.)
Or, at the very least, put your life on pause at 11:00 am on the 11th for a few moments — putt down your tools, set your phone on ‘do not disturb’, put the combine in neutral — and reflect on those who have given so much for this country of ours.
Multi-use creamers
If you were around in 1967, you no doubt recall the classic party scene in The Graduatewhen Benjamin, played by a very young Dustin Hoffman, is offered some career advice by a fellow guest: “I want to say one word to you. Just one word… Plastics… There’s a great future in plastics.” Fifty years later in the Snakes & Ladders game of life and “plastic” is now a four-letter word.
So, in my spare time, I’ve been reflecting on our society’s love affair with single-use plastics… an addiction that has exploded in just the space of my relatively short live span. I can clearly remember a time before plastics ruled the world. Sliced bread (Wonder brand in our household) came neatly wrapped in waxed paper, with adhesive seals on each end. The sandwich bags in your lunch box were also made of waxed paper. Groceries were carried home in brown paper bags. And, if one of the novel new frozen foods were part of the order, it would go into a special heavy-duty paper sack before being bagged with the other items. On humid days, it could be a race to get home before condensation caused the bottom of the outer bag to collapse.
Retail packaging was cardboard, metal or glass, the last two of which were heavy. Bottles too were made of glass. Soft drinks, beer, milk, you name it… if it was a consumable liquid, it came in a returnable, reusable glass container. Even the cream for a cup of restaurant coffee came in minature glass milk bottle about 1.25” in diameter and 2” high. I’m not a coffee drinker, so I’m unsure when the seismic shift from glass to plastic took place. One friend who worked at the Stedman’s lunch counter in Alexandria in 1990 recalls that plastic creamers were the norm then. However, she clearly remembers that wire trays of empty glass creamers lay abandoned in the basement.
In the era before single-use plastics, there was probably far less non-biodegradable waste. On the other side of the coin though, life was far less convenient. And countless gallons of fuel were used trucking empty glass bottles back to the factories for steam cleaning, sterilization and refilling. In some ways, it may be a case of being careful what we wish for. However, what got me started on all this was a tiny glass coffee creamer bottle from the 1950s that I have sitting on my desk. Can anyone out there tell me more about individual glass creamers? Did they come ready-to-use from the dairy with a little cardboard seal? Or were they filled and recycled by the restaurant staff? Or both?
November’s movie news
While it’s still a few weeks away, I wanted to give you a heads up about the Dunvegan Recreation “Saturday Movie Night” slated for November 20th at 7:00 pm. This month’s flick is Grumpy Old Men, a 1993 production starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret. Chosen by event co-organizer Bob Garner, the film revolves around two elderly men who live next door to each other and have been feuding for over 50 years. The gloves come off, though, when an attractive, unattached woman moves into the neighbourhood. I saw it about 25 years ago and am anxious to see it again. If nothing else, there should be some good tips on upping my ‘grumpiness’ game.
Public health restrictions prevent the DRA from giving away their traditional hot-buttered popcorn. So the audience is encouraged to bring their own snacks and beverages… plus a comfy chair, or a cushion for one of the DRA’s folding seats. Admission is free, but a freewill donation jar will be available. As for COVID-19 restrictions, the hall is a double-vax zone. One must show proof of vaccination prior to admission. Moviegoers also have to respect social distancing protocols and don masks when observance of the six feet rule isn’t possible.
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