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MASTHEAD EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS MICHELLE PATEY JENNY JELEN Administrator at the Grey Highlands Author, Journalist and Horse Chamber of Commerce. Trainer / Coach with a Writing Habit TYSON RIER HILIARY BREADNER Lifelong Rocklyn Resident and Owner Sales Representative for Huron Tractor in Chatsworth of Hiliary Breadner Graphics JEFF WILSON Priceville Resident and Accomplished Cartoonist, Blogtoonist & Illustrator
LORRAINE IRWIN Rocklyn Resident and Owner of Pure Music Garlic Products
LOUELLA MARTIN KEVIN ARTHUR LAND Markdale resident and co-owner of Arts Educator and Owner of Speaking Azure Highlands Homestead Volumes Books & Audio in Flesherton JONATHAN NHAN MIKE WIXSON Pharmacist, Diabetes Coach, Hypnotist Producer of the Hello Country Podcast & Co-Founder of Curate and Upgrade & Owner of The Pod Plant TALISA HASKINS ERIC ROBERTSON Lifelong Resident of Grey Highlands & Flesherton Resident & Registered Broker at Grey County Real Estate Inc. Psychotherapist ROBERT IANTORNO Curious fellow, Resident of Singhampton
JASON TODOROFF Barrister & Solicitor; and Resident of Holland Centre
Cover Photo Credit: Richard Chomko
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TABLE OF CONTENTS DECEMBER 2021 REAL ESTATE...p9
Read this month’s update and holiday message from Grey County Real Estate Inc.
FAMILY MATTERS...p10
Jason Todoroff looks to the night sky as inspiration for this article.
FARM LIFE...p14
Read Louella Martin’s touching account about motherhood and faith. CELEBRATING THE SEASON OF LIGHT - p18 Papa Country answers life’s tougher questions.
WELLNESS...p22
Talisa Haskins offers season’s greetings to everyone celebrating the Holidays.
ROBERT IANTORNO... p24
Read about the latest episode of Grey Highlands’ favourite podcast show.
COVER STORY ...p26
Experience the European Christmas Market in Durham. Published By
HELLO COUNTRY MAGAZINE is the only free, monthly magazine of its kind focused on life in Grey Highlands. It’s delivered by Canada Post to homes and farms with Kimberley, Markdale, Flesherton, Heathcote, Maxwell, Singhampton, and Priceville addresses, as well as every business in Grey Highlands. Copies are also available for pick-up at selected local businesses. We capture life in Grey Highlands by highlighting the many positive contributions to our community by local farmers, business owners, elected officials, and residents. Hello Country is proudly independent and published from a barn / pick-up truck / stable / home office in beautiful Flesherton, Ontario! From our family to yours, we thank you very much for reading! No part of this publication in any of its forms may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher.
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE CHRISTMAS EDITION Hello and welcome to our December edition. I can’t believe I just said that. Where has the time gone? Well, we did it. What a year! You and I. WE made it. God willing, you’re in a better place than you were this time last year.
Photo: Jenny Jelen
The past two years have been an experience, to say the least. I’ve learned a lot about myself - as a husband, a father, a business owner. It’s been an educational year for me, I guess you could say. To use an equine phrase, I pretty much pinned my ears back and gave ‘er as hard as I could trying to keep everything afloat.
PAPA COUNTRY
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I started the year with hope and a desire for more balance in my life. I’m ending it with more hope and the beginnings of balance. I’m making a more conscious effort to be present around my family - to put my phone away more and move away from the grip of social media. Our boys are only young once, I keep reminding myself. Our youngest, especially, is heading off to kindergarten next year, so I’m spending more time with him and relishing these moments as I drag him around town delivering magazines and picking up treats. If I’ve learned one thing about life as we continue to cope with Covid, it’s that we all need each other. We can’t do it alone. I need my wife. I need my kids. I need my community. Thank you for a wonderfully unique year. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Roger “Papa Country” Tumminieri
(416) 788-0716
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Edge of town beside a park with meandering river, you will find a home that offers both in-town amenities as well as easy access nature . For Sale: $589,000
HOUSING UPDATE BY GREY COUNTY REAL ESTATE INC. As the snow settles on 2021 it seems like a good time to reflect on what makes our communities a desirable place to live; besides the abundance of natural beauty such as the Beaver Valley, our forests, rivers, and lakes. It’s our lifestyle. It’s the people, the ease with which we greet each other when we meet on the street and shops, even if we don’t really know each other well. It’s the way we welcome newcomers. It’s flowers and decorations and unique places that we find in our towns and villages. This positive culture is nurtured by the efforts of many in our community and we all need to support and reward this effort. So as many of us prepare for the holiday season, perhaps it is also a good time to consider where we shop. Since most local businesses are not tied to big name franchises, they offer a wider variety and one-of-a-kind products and services. Local shopping is crucial to our communities because the success of local businesses attracts and encourages other entrepreneurs to start local businesses, which leads to more jobs and revenue re-circulating throughout our community. Local businesses
are still the backbone of our economy, they are a starting people making that 837017 Taylor Dr, point Holland for Centre personal Whether it’s food, goods, Beautifulconnection. home surrounded with “nuts10&acres bolts” or The Real Estate services, local of forest. home features mainare floor the livingones with anwith the know-how businesses open concept Grey design. County Real Estate of the local market. is immenselyFor happy to have the opportunity Sale: $949,000 to help shape the growth of our community 348085 4th Concession and to contribute to the development of an B, Maxw bungalow environment where everyone The canraised be proud tosits on a rolling 1.18 acre property with call Grey County “Home”. pond and long pastoral views
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Season’s Greetings Everyone! May 2022 bring For Sale: $959,000 you Good Health, Happiness and Peace
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FAMILY MATTERS KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY
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with the naked eye. The first star on the left is “Alnitak.” It anchors a beautiful nebula known as “The Horsehead Nebula.” You will need dark skies and a moderate size telescope to see it. The star situated on the right of the belt is “Mintaka.” This is a double star system that is easily split with a small backyard telescope. The bright stars of Betelgeuse and Rigel are both supergiants, each one is hundreds of times larger than our sun. The centerpiece of the constellation is the Orion Nebula. This appears as the middle star on Orion’s sword. This is the nearest star-forming region to earth. The nebula is visible with a pair of binoculars and the view improves with larger telescopes. A quick google search will help guide you on your way.
In addition to Christmas, December has a gift for us in the night sky. Around the Don’t pass up this gift of December. middle of the month the constellation Orion JASON TODOROFF emerges from the south-eastern horizon in BARRISTER & SOLICITOR the early evening. This is one of my favourite 7A Main Street East, Markdale sections of the sky to explore in my yard with jasontodoroff@gmail.com a telescope. This easy to find constellation www.jtlawyer.ca has many observable objects. The three stars 519-986-4494 that compose Orion’s belt are easy to see 10
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FARM LIFE HE IS ALWAYS WITH US Miss Willow cried a lot that day, the day I relearned that Jesus is personally very invested in my mothering. I didn’t cry. Not because I didn’t want to. But when would I have? She cried when I put her down, on a floor liberally sprinkled with crumbs and toys. She cried from her high chair, after the snack was finished. I would have, too, with such a crusty, dirty tray in front of me. She cried when she toppled out of her bumbo onto a table strewn with papers and toys and yes, more crumbs. I would have put her on the counter to watch me but it sagged under its load of dirty dishes and crumbs. She perched on my hip. 20 lbs of 11-month-old flailing in my arms while I tried to make lunch and a smoothie and go “shopping”, frequently, at my threeyear-old’s meat store. “She would make a very talented, persuasive cashier.” I grimaced after another trip. Why do three-year-olds talk so much?? Cheerios crunching underfoot and the three-year-old’s chatter rattled through my brain. Raspberries and spinach from the smoothie flew off the counter, splattering the floor. I left them there. Because why not? What was ten more crumbs on a floor with ten thousand? I set Miss Willow down again, on her wobbly legs. She hunkered down and cried. And I?? I lifted my head to the ceiling and pleaded, “Help me please, Jesus! I’m going to lose it!” While frantically stirring potatoes with one hand and chopping eggs with the other, I heard it.
LOUELLA MARTIN and carried into the kitchen to her harried mother. “Mary, you will have a baby. And call Him Jesus…” She sang the Gospel story, as she understood it. Miraculous silence from Miss Willow and in that instant, I felt Jesus’s hand on my shoulder, I saw his eyes, the purest of pure love, shining into mine. His words stopped me in my hurried dash from stove to counter, loosening my hunched shoulders and unclenching my jaw. “See? You are doing a good job. It will be OK!” I still feel His hand on my shoulder and I hold His words like a golden treasure in my heart. Especially on those days when she cries a lot. This story was written over a year ago but I still hold it like a precious treasure, close to my heart. Isn’t that what the Christmas season is all about? To remind us, that yes, Jesus came as a baby, Immanuel - God with us - and because of that we can rest in his care for our lives. AZURE HIGHLANDS FAMILY HOMESTEAD 440164 120 Rd, Markdale www.azurehighlandshomestead.com @azurehighlandshomestead
Soft as I imagine angels’ voices, the clear, childish voice of my daughter rose from the bathroom, from her ‘meat’ store, 14
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CELEBRATING THE SEASON OF LIGHT
“Daddy, daddy...daddy!” Our 9-year-old is forced to scream out at me to get my attention (I’m working on being more present). “Is Santa real?” Oh, boy. Did that just happen? Yup. It did... and it was right in front of our 3-year-old. Oh, boy. What would you do?
“Light,” I say to my boys, “isn’t just something you can see.” You can imagine the look in their eyes. One is bewildered. The other is nodding in agreement. The latter being the younger. “Light is a feeling, too.” I declare. “And that’s what Santa is.” “What?!” They reply in unison.
This is what I did... “Of course Santa is real.” I said firmly and with a hint of shock in my voice so as to deter further examination. In the moment that it took me to think of what to do next, I realized in a profound way that Christmas and Santa Claus (and all other Holidays celebrated all over the world around this time) are simply celebrations of light. What you’re about to read has no basis in fact. It’s simply what I think from my singular perspective.
I pause for effect. Their faces haven’t budged. They look like confused Baroque statues (you have to see their hair). “That’s right,” I affirm. “Christmas is the season of light, of giving, of thinking of others, of being grateful to God for your wonderful little lives.” Their facial expressions begin to soften and I can see a level of understanding soaking into their little, sponge-like brains.
Before you read further, look outside. Chances are, it’s dark.
“Light - or ‘Lux’,” I say to them as I raise my right index finger high into the air, “is also another way to describe knowledge, understanding, or knowing things to be true.”
Was I right?
They’re still with me.
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By: Papa Country “To shine a light on something is to say you’ve made others aware of it in a positive way,” I explain. “We all have light in us and we can all shine our light to help others.” Now they’re looking at their palms with big smiles on their faces thinking they’re super heroes. “What I mean is, we can all choose to be nice,” I continue. “During Christmas, everyone tries to be a little nicer than they are during the rest of the year.”
year, too?” Adds our eldest. I’m hoping I’ve dodged a bullet here until... “So, what about Santa?” Asks our eldest. “Is he real or not?” “Ask your Mother,” I say as I exit stage left. From our family to yours, on behalf of my wife and our boys, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful and prosperous New Year.
“Why can’t everyone just be nice all the time?” Asks our youngest. “Yeah, and why can’t we get presents all
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THE LIFE OF A GARLIC FARMER PART 11 Christmas is my favourite time of the year! In my opinion, December is the best month of the year. Most of the time there is a white blanket covering all the ground leaving a clean slate, all new birds come back signifying the end of a year that leads right into January for a fresh new beginning. Best part of all…it’s Christmas time! I love Christmas! The decorations, making a gift for a loved one and singing Christmas carols…every day! I drive Paul nuts with my Fa-la-la-la-la’s all month long but I do stop after Boxing Day. But it’s also time for some of the best food and drinks; it’s literally a food fest of all our favourite things to eat. I do bake some cookies but they are my “kryptonite” since I just can’t stop eating them; maybe I should say all of them. So most of the time I just wait for a Farmers Christmas market and buy tasty treats from some amazing local baker and enjoy their culinary skills. I personally make the best Nuts and Bolts mixture ever and as a gift I’m going to share my recipe with you! Just the other day myson Dalton asked when I was going to start mixing some up and my daughter jumped in and was asked to lay off the garlic a little bit. First of all “there’s Never enough garlic in homemade nuts and bolts! You have to double, no, TRIPLE the garlic!” Keep in mind, I only use my 2 Pure Music Garlic Seasoning blends instead of salt and paprika. My mom used to make them with Shreddies, but they have sharp cereal corners and I always picked around them. So, I use Crispix because they crisp up nicely and darken oh so lovely. I have to have nuts, so sorry for those who are allergic, feel free to substitute. And my other piece of advice, don’t forget about the butter! You can have healthy 11 months of the year, but December is just “let it go!”. INGREDIENTS - 2 cups of butter - 3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce -4 heaping Tbsp of my GARLIC BUTTER SEASONING or my RANCH SEASONING - 8 cups of Crispix Cereal - 4 cups of Rice Chex - 4 cups of mixed salted nuts - 4 cups of pretzel sticks . - 1 box of mini cheese crackers 20
PAUL & LORRAINE IRWIN - 2 heaping TBSP of my SCAPE POWDER INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. 2. In a large roaster, combine cereal, nuts, crackers and pretzels. 3. On the stove (or microwave) melt the butter and mix in Worcestershire and what ever Pure Music Seasoning blend you are choosing to use. 4. Pour over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. 5. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every 25 minutes or so. 6. Let cool and eat them by the handfuls! Have fun with my recipe and be sure to share your garlic breath with loved ones under the mistletoe! LORRAINE IRWIN PURE MUSIC GARLIC PRODUCTS puremusicgarlic@gmail.com puremusicgarlic.com @puremusicgarlic (519) 942-5410 BOARS ROCK FARM 136407 Grey Road 12, Grey Highlands boarsrockfarm.ca @boarsrockfarm
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n teio cl el l c l o c o r c a l u r p a o l p u e p h o T The p
ite r u o v a f r u o y m o fr Graphic Artist...
month’s See this
7 on page 2
y sketch b
t
a n o o s k c o t s n i Back 15 Main St. W., Markdale
WELLNESS HOLIDAY BOUNDARIES
TALISA HASKINS Tis’ the season for all things Santa, shopping and snow! Bodhi Day, Pancha Ganapati, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Omisoka, and many more holidays or religious celebrations are also observed in December! The holidays can be a great time of excitement, joy, and togetherness. They can also be quite stressful and lonely. There are great personal and financial demands that can arise. Planning ahead and preparing for what may come your way can be the best way to set yourself up for success.
this season. You cannot force happiness just because it is the holidays- and that is okay! Don’t abandon healthy habits. Your usual self- care routines are more important than ever this month. Reach out! Don’t let your feelings of sadness, grief or stress keep you isolated. Reach out to trusted friends or family members. Seek professional help if you need it. Wishing you a warm and safe holiday season, and a very Happy New Year..
Say no and be realistic. Choose a few things to focus on, rather than overloading yourself, and only do things that bring you joy. Give yourself permission to say no to stress and conflict. Set a budget (and stick to it). If you cannot afford to pay cash (or use your debit), don’t buy it. Acknowledge your feelings; sadness and grief are normal emotions during 22
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Talisa Haskins Registered Psychotherapist www.talisahaskins.com 519.800.5602
WELLNESS GIVE A LITTLE, GET A LITTLE Can you believe the holiday season is right around the corner? In the spirit of giving, I was hoping that we could start by giving something to each other! If you’ve seen me in the magazine and read through some of my articles, first of all thank you! I hope that you’ve been able to get something out of any of the articles I’ve written. What I would like to give you is content that you would really find useful. My approach has always been to look at things from many different perspectives and find new ways of understanding old things. The idea of wellness is so broad that throughout the year, my focus drifts from one thing to another. I always considered myself a “jack of all trades, master of none” and as such my drifting reflects a personal state of constant change. I’ve learned to accept this fact of constant change and that point of view has been useful in finding forward momentum in my life. Being associated with the idea of “jack of all trades” has seemed like a bit of a negative thing, but interestingly, I learned that the full saying goes: “Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one” - a new way of understanding old things. That expanded perspective really changes the meaning of something that is commonly understood in a different way. The idea of constant change can seem daunting and uncomfortable to many people. When faced with new change, the sentiment of wanting to go back to the way things used to be can crop up. But once things have changed, going back to the way things used to be is a change again, and would require another period of adjustment - how uncomfortable! That discomfort is often a good sign though, as it indicates growth and expansion. We often do not grow in situations where we are completely comfortable. Speaking of changing trades, in the last three years, I’ve gone on a journey of learning and discovery which ultimately resulted in a change in what I spend my time doing on a daily basis. Three years ago, I was a pharmacist who
JONATHAN NHAN owned a retail pharmacy business. Full stop. In the intervening time, I have been certified as a hypnotist and left a thriving business to follow a passion to teach and mentor about what I know. Some of the most rewarding work that I have done in my career is helping others move past their own limiting beliefs to achieve the success and change that they want in their life. What I would like to give you is value-packed content to help you move past any limiting beliefs that you might hold. The context of limiting beliefs can apply very broadly and have real consequences on our personal health and wellness. Many issues related to our personal wellness can be tied back to one or more beliefs that we hold about ourselves. Beliefs like “I’ll never lose weight”, “I’m just a bad sleeper”, “ I am an anxious person”, or “I can’t…” are all beliefs that one may hold, even if they don’t need to. To better understand the best value that I can deliver to you, I would appreciate it if you could take a couple minutes to fill out the survey at the link below. I would be so grateful for you to share some of the topics that you might get the most benefit from. And the first question to ask yourself the next time you catch yourself voicing a limiting belief is “how does that belief serve you?”. I’m looking forward to delivering you a year full of articles to help you feel truly well. As a thank you for filling out the survey, I will share with you one of my favourite techniques for reducing stress and anxiety. Happy Holidays! Find the survey at https://jnthn.ca/survey2021/
Jonathan Nhan Co-Founder, Curate and Upgrade
Independent Publisher of Print Magazines & Podcast
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THE [re]CALL PROJECT PODCAST JOHN FRANKLIN father volunteered for service in WW1 and was gassed, returning to the front a short time later after his recovery. John grew up in Meaford, and Grand Rapids, Michigan as one of 5 brothers. He recounts eating porridge 7 days a week (“We thought it was good”, he says). Like many of his contemporaries, John was looking forward to joining the military in WW2, however the war ended before he got the chance. He went on to become a teacher, principal, politician, and eventually Warden of Dufferin County.
ROBERT IANTORN “Well, I’m only 94.”, says John Franklin, this month’s guest on The [re]CALL Project. He’s sharp as a tack, witty, and a brilliant storyteller. In our chat, John recounts the history of his family, starting with their migration from England over 120 years ago. His
John’s advice to young people is “To have a better handle on human nature.” Listen to John’s period-correct inflection, and hear the story about his parents getting married twice in a hurry. This and more on The [re]CALL Project. Robert Iantorno Host - The [re]CALL Project Podcast
CHAMBER SHOP LOCALLY THIS CHRISTMAS! Are you one of the many people who cares about others? Perhaps you’re one of the many people who cares about themselves? If you’re either of these, SHOP LOCALLY! Sure, you might not be able to get the same “deals” or the same items, but by shopping locally you’ll get something far more valuable – a healthy community. And you’ll quite literally make a shopkeeper’s day. By joining the “support local” wave, you’re part of supporting your community, not draining from it. The money you spend locally recirculates over and over in your community, amplifying the impact, while money you spend online or beyond your community buys you products, services, and supplies, and disappears into someone else’s pocket. Many of us talk the talk. “We LOVE where we live. We are so lucky to live here.” But how many of you walk the talk? If you love it, do what’s needed to keep it! Spend your money locally and you support friends, family, and neighbours, keep businesses’ doors open,
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and generate employment opportunities. And that healthy economy attracts more businesses and more residents. But it’s not just that. When we support local businesses, our entire community benefits in ripples – it also means support for school breakfast programs and sponsorship of kids’ sports teams. I encourage you to check out SupportLocalGreyCounty.ca, where we’re listing promotions and opportunities put on by businesses across Grey County to encourage you to keep your money where you live. Please support your local businesses.
MICHELLE PATEY GREY HIGHLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 13 Toronto St S, Markdale greyhighlandschamber@gmail.com www.greyhighlandschamber.com 519-986-4612
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COVER STORY GET INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT Get in the Christmas Spirit at the Christkindl Market presented by Symphony in the Barn and the Friends of Glencolton Farm and Saugeen Academy. The had
market to be
returns cancelled
after it in 2020.
The first recorded Christkindlesmarkt was in 1298 where vendors sold food during the Advent season. By 1384 villages all over Germany were celebrating Advent in markets selling local foods and crafts. The Christkindlesmarkt was a festive meeting place for people to gather and purchase handcrafts such as nutcrackers, ornaments and cakes. These changes created some regional differences in the celebration of Christmas within German-speaking countries, which is why many traditions today vary and sometimes overlap. These regional differences are also the reason that many traditional Christmas markets in Germany or Austria are called Weihnachtsmarkt, Christkindlesmarkt. Or Christkindlmarkt. In the end, however, each regional version is simply a Christmas Market. Martin Luther played a major role in our current Christmas customs. He encouraged gift-giving traditions to be held on Christmas Day, which became a boon to all the markets, and suggested that children receive the gifts from “The Christ Child”, the Christkindl. Hence, the name Christkindlmarkt. St. Nicholas came on December 6th to fill children’s shoes with oranges, nuts and cookies while the Christ Child delivered presents on Christmas Day. Glencolton Farms, home of Symphony in the Barn with a long tradition of connecting Culture with Agri-Culture is opening its gates again for this year’s magic of the Christkindl Market. In today’s world of on-line shopping, virtual concerts, and Netflix-entertainment, the social life of community is suffering and the longing for human contact becomes a real necessity for many. Coming together without being confronted with today’s commercialisation of Christmas, without the pressure to rush and buy and eat 26
has been a truly new experience for all those who come to the Christkindlmarket. The sense of beauty, the smell of European food, the chestnuts roasting on open fires, eggnog, mulled wine, warm pretzels and music wherever you go. The setting of the farm with all its animals and the little outdoor huts with vendors and Christmas lights everywhere create an unforgettable experience for the whole family. People from far and wide meet in cozy corners and glowing faces reflect happiness amongst the young and old. Why in the country and not in the town??? Too many distractions cannot create the intimacy needed to enjoy this rare event. When you walk along the candle lit path slowly approaching the market place, it will fill
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AT THE CHRISTKINDL MARKET
CHRISTKINDL MARKET AT GLENCOLTON FARM
presented by Symphony in the Barn and the Friends of Glencolton Farm and Saugeen Academy. . Stay tuned for our upcoming events. www.symphonyinthebarn.com
you with awe and anticipation. Craft vendors surround the market in their individual huts. Like the other years, Handel’s Messiah in the Barn will not be happening because of covid restrictions. Instead, there will be the reading of the Christmas Carol by Diego Matamorus; one of the founders of the renowned Soulpepper Theater in Toronto. This event has been the vision of the Glencolton farmers for many years and became reality when Edge Hill Country School volunteered and helped to pioneer this concept as a successful fundraiser for the school. This time the Saugeen Academy in Hanover will be participating and volunteering to become the beneficiary of this event to create education programs with the focus on the arts, drama and music.
The cut in the funding of arts education in the schools requires a new approach to provide this essential part of education. Arts in general define the cultural state of society and its heritage. This event highlights the importance of creating traditions and memories which nourish generations to come. The market takes place Friday and Saturday December 10th and 11th from 4-9 pm. Tickets: $15 in advance at the gate. Children For go
more to
and $20 are free.
information please www.christkindlfarm.com
THE ARTS FLESHERTON CALLING The most interesting experience I had during my short-lived career as a stringer for The Hamilton Spectator in 1988 was a last-minute interview with British stage and film actor Richard Harris. Freelance meant being assigned the occasional film review for gems like “Amazon Women on the Moon”, attending concerts the music critic had no desire to see, doing interviews reporters might not have had time to prepare for and, occasionally, the opportunity to write an article about the rising theatre scene in the city. I was given the Richard Harris interview at 3:30 on a weekday afternoon for 11:55 the next morning. Harris was to be performing his signature stage role as King Arthur in “Camelot” at Hamilton Place the following week. I was instructed to impersonate the reporter who had passed on the assignment when I called the Pittsburgh hotel where the actor was staying during his performances there. It was suggested that if I were to use my own name, the temperamental star might turn Prima Donna and slam down the phone in anger. I was to call ten minutes before the scheduled time, wait for Mr. Harris to come on the line, and see what bon mots I could induce from his lips during one of many interviews he would be subjected to that day. I had fifteen minutes with him. It was the age before internet. First stop was the library, where I took out every book about Harris in the collection, including one written by his ex-wife, who had also been married to Rex Harrison, and who dedicated the memoir to “R.H.”. I read them one after another, looking for details from his life that might elicit an interesting response. I knew that if I didn’t find a way to engage him, the interview would suffer. I phoned at precisely 11:45 and was put on hold. While I waited, I thought of all the ways people knew Richard Harris. He trained under the venerable Joan Plowright for the stage, was a hard drinking bad boy with his cronies Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton, and a prominent player in many great, and not so great, films. It was shortly before his memorable role in Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven” and many years before a new generation would come to know him in the role which would eclipse everything he had done before---- “Dumbledore” in the first two Harry Potter movies. Mr. Harris came on the line at precisely 11:55. Somewhere in the memorabilia from my past lives is a recording of our conversation. Not having heard it in more than thirty years, my recollection of the interview will have to suffice. The first thing I asked him was whether it was true that in his youth he had a habit of impersonating a policeman and phoning his friends to let them know that Richard Harris was killed in a car accident to gauge their response. He admitted to this, describing himself as something
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KEVIN ARTHUR LAND of a warped practical joker. Some of this he attributed to the long period in his teens when he was bedridden with tuberculosis, which he also felt was directly responsible for his decision to become an actor. I told him that I had attended a performance of “Camelot” in Seattle in 1979 and I could recall a scene where King Arthur and Guinnevere were on stage. Beside them were a couple of maiden set-dressers, sewing a tapestry. During the scene Harris, who had discovered a hole in the knee of his tights and was twirling his finger around in it, turned to the two women and said, “I have a job for you later.” This broke up the theatre, as well as Guinnevere herself, who could not control her laughter. I asked the actor if that was Richard Harris or King Arthur speaking. He responded that it was both, that his training had taught him to use everything going on during a performance. My 12:10 timeline came and went, followed by 12:20, then 12:30, then 12:40. Finally at 12:45, Mr. Harris said he had enjoyed chatting, but he really had to go. There were now quite a few interviewers lined up to speak to him. We said our goodbyes, and I learned the valuable lesson of disarming a subject during an opening, the same way, I suppose, one should do to a reader. Kevin Arthur Land is a playwright, screenwriter, arts educator, and the owner of Speaking Volumes Books and Audio in Flesherton.
SPEAKING VOLUMES BOOKS & AUDIO 12 Toronto Road, Flesherton kevinarthurland@gmail.com kevinarthurland.ca
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peaking SVOLUMES BOOKS & AUDIO
Although we are closed until the New Year, we will be taking some Sunday appointments until Christmas. Feel free to call Kevin to book one. 12 Toronto St., Flesherton, ON 905.719.8878 homeland@sympatico.ca
@speakingvolumesflesherton
Christmas Breakfast can be extra delicious this year! Or Enjoy a slow smoked old fashioned brined ham for Christmas dinner.
• Local Family Farm • Pasture Raised Beef, Pork & Chicken • Regenerative Farming • Supplemented with Organic Grains @azurehighlandshomestead azurehighlandshomestead.com
WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A
y r r e M stmas! Chri & PRICEVILLE RESIDENT
c New Markdale Hospital P c Your financial support ?
Your funds help heal donate today at
togetherincare.com
WWW.
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