Remembering Christmases
Winnipeg at Christmas
In Winnipeg at Christmas there’s
lots and lots of snow,
Very clean, and crisp and hard
And glittering like a Christmas card
Everywhere you go;
Snow upon the housetops, snow along the street,
And Queen Victoria in her chair
Has snow upon her snowy hair
And snow upon her feet.
In Winnipeg at Christmas they line the streets with trees –
Christmas trees lit up at night
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With little balls of colored light
As pretty as you please.
The people hurry past you in furry boots and wraps;
The sleighs are like a picture book,
And all the big policemen look
Like Teddy Bears in caps.
And oh! the smiling ladies and jolly girls and boys;
And oh! the parties and the fun
With lovely things for everyone –
Books and sweets and toys.
So, if someday at Christmas you don’t know where to go,
Just pack your bags I beg,
And start at once for Winnipeg;
You’d like it there, I know.
– Rose Fyleman
E.W., Foam Lake, Sask., originally requested the poem Winnipeg at Christmas. This year in Winnipeg and the rest of the western provinces we have plenty of snow that reminds us of this poem. The poem was found in Highroads to Reading, Book IV. Thank you to the readers for their information about and copies of the poem. With permission from D.W., Carnduff, Sask., we are printing a very interesting letter that sparked fond memories for us, and we know will bring back special moments to many of our readers.
Christmas memory
“Dear TEAM: This poem has a special memory for me, here’s why.
“I was a 10-year-old boy growing up on my mom and dad’s farm in the Carnduff, Sask. area during those bleak days of the Dirty Thirties. Raising turkeys was part of our farm operation. They basically were raised on what they could salvage around the farmyard and nearby fields. The plentiful supply of grasshoppers in those times was their best assurance of survival.
“Each fall toward the end of November, it was time to prepare them for the Christmas market. There was usually a bee organized by the neighbors at which time the birds were plucked of their feathers, heads and feet washed, then trussed with a heavy white cord. The occasion really turned out to be a major social event with lots of tall tales and laughing. The small returns received were a very important component of the yearly income.
Plan in mind
“The marketplace for our turkeys was the T. Eaton Company in Winnipeg. Dad had a 1929 Dodge Brothers one-ton truck which was used to transport the dressed turkeys to Winnipeg. He was readying the truck for the trip and I was trying to help, so I might win him over to let me go along.
“Well, it worked, and the next morning, after loading the turkeys and some scrap copper, brass and old batteries which would go to the skunk and junk dealer (that was the nickname for a fur and metal buyer), we were on our way. Yes, we – my Dad, my sister Nell, and our neighbor, Mr. Kemler. Three sat on the seat with legs twisted around the gear shift and hand-brake, while I sat on Mr. Kemler’s knee. We were nice and cozy with a cowhide robe tucked around us. The old Dodge had no heater, so plastic frost shields were sealed to the windows so that we could see out.
“The washboard condition of the gravel highway created such a vibration to the truck that by the time we reached Pipestone, Man. the radiator was leaking like a sieve. Dad pulled the truck into a farmer’s yard where a friendly helpful gentleman left his morning chores and assisted in repairing the radiator with a soldering iron which was heated on his wife’s cookstove. Finally, water was poured in, and away we went again.
“After passing through Portage la Prairie, there all of a sudden was a great glow in the sky ahead. It was the reflection of the Winnipeg street lights up in the sky – what a sight. I had never been to a city before, so was getting more excited all the time.
“We arrived late, maybe around nine, and spent the night with my aunt on Sherbrook Street. The Christmas lights were all aglow and the city policemen had on their long buffalo coats (just as the poem said). The next day, the produce was sold and then we were out on the town.
“Eaton’s and the Hudson Bay stores seemed like paradise. Escalators and elevators, which I had never known existed, were a great source of entertainment for me, like being at the fair, but these rides were free. Animated Santa Clauses and Christmas scenes filled the store windows, and there were toys everywhere. Freshly squeezed orange juice, popcorn and ice cream – how much more of this could one 10 year old take?
“After we had thoroughly enjoyed Winnipeg at Christmas, we were on our way home.
“The old Dodge petered out at Melita, and we caught the evening train to Carnduff. Those five days of playing hooky from school were among the most educational and memorable days of my life.”- D.W., Carnduff, Sask.
Dear D.W.: Thank you so much for reliving your past and sharing your early memories with us. We thoroughly enjoyed your letter which rekindled vivid memories of the plastic frost shields, the cowhide robes, and our first-time experiences with escalators and elevators. With many thanks, a copy of Winnipeg at Christmas is in the mail to you from TEAM.
Dear TEAM: The poem Winnipeg at Christmas was also haunting my memory a couple of months ago. I am also looking for a book we took in high school (1946), name unknown. In it the first poems were: Michael David, Birches, The Wind, Our Enemy, Osamandias, and Deserted Village. Any help? – M.C., Turner Valley, Alta.
Can any readers supply this information?
Bringing in 1997
When Christmas was over, our friends Bob and Bev called and asked us to bring in the new year with them and a few others in a cooking activity. Was it ever fun. Chopping vegetables, cooking and finally consuming the final product provided conversation, laughter and fellowship. The men were responsible for the meat sauce and the women prepared the salad, bread and sauce. With a start like this, 1997 is going to be a great year.
New Year’s eve ragout
1 pound lean, 500 g
ground beef
1 tablespoon olive 15 mL
oil
In large frying pan (or wok) cook the ground beef in the olive oil until completely browned. Put in strainer, rinse with cold water and set aside.
Cut lengthwise into bite-sized pieces the following vegetables:
4 stalks celery 4
1 large green 1
pepper
1 large cooking 1
onion
12-15 large 12-15
mushrooms
Crush two or three large cloves of fresh garlic and mince.
In frying pan or wok, saute onion in olive oil until nearly golden, then add the garlic and the vegetables, cooking until tender. Set aside.
Strain two 19-ounce (540 mL) cans of tomatoes into a large saucepan. Add two small 7.5 fluid ounce (213 mL) cans of tomato paste, blending with wooden spoon. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and blend into the sauce. Add the strained lean ground beef and the following ingredients:
1 teaspoon sugar 5 mL
1Ú2 teaspoon basil 2 mL
1Ú2 teaspoon oregano 2 mL
1Ú4 teaspoon thyme 1 mL
several drops of Tabasco sauce
dash of cayenne pepper
salt and ground pepper, to taste
1Ú2 -3Ú4 cup dry 125-250 mL
red wine
Stir occasionally, while simmering on low heat for one hour. Add water, if necessary. More herbs can be added at the end of the hour, if desired.
Spoon ragout over hot, steaming pasta, and top with bechamel sauce and/or grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with homemade foccacia bread dipped in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and crushed garlic. Delectable.
