Mike Rainone
Even though I don’t have to shovel snow or scrape frosty windows in the morning anymore, or even punch a time clock, I’m am still looking forward to yet another spring with great gusto. I know that the infamous ‘Ides of March’ may still be ahead, but hopefully in just a couple of months we will welcome the arrival of April showers, fresh spring air and smells and the glorious arrival of the green.
As the snow finally melts away there will always be those unsightly bits of garbage that have been left behind from another winter. On that subject, I am really glad to see that quite a few municipalities are now clamping down on messy properties, promising fines to those owners who don’t or won’t clean up the parking lot and areas outside their businesses on a regular basis. These new bylaws should not be in effect not just when the snow melts, but all year round; and the ongoing effort and better appearance could be called community pride, neighbourly, or whatever?
I suppose some will say that it would be tough to enforce these clean-up rules; just like they struggle with the new smoking bylaws and ongoing suggestions for cat control, the latter, which most councils would never go near. Look at it this way...it is so great to see a community in full spring and summer welcome bloom, but it is tough for all this beauty to blossom forth from underneath piles of garbage and three foot weeds. If everyone looked after their own little kingdom, which most do, it would work out just fine without any fines. Let’s all pitch in and give it a try in 2008.
A 50th wedding anniversary
The local church was hosting a weekly husband’s marriage seminar. During the session the Minister asked Luigi, who was approaching his 50th wedding anniversary to take a few moments to share some insight into how he had managed to stay married to the same woman for all those years.
Luigi replied with a huge smile to the assembled husbands, “Well, I’ve tried to treat her nice and spend the money on her, but the best was that I took her to Italy for our 20th anniversary.”
The Minister responded, “Luigi, you are an amazing inspiration to all the husbands here! Please tell us what you are planning for your wife for your 50th anniversary.”
Luigi proudly replied, “I’m a-gonna go get her!”
The world’s biggest smooch!
At the annual Lovapazooza Valentines’ Festival in Taguig City, east Manila, a total of 53,000 couples kissed each other in one place at the same time. The whole mushy affair succeeded in establishing a Guinness Book of Records for smooching. I sure hope that they all brushed their teeth beforehand?
I really need your help
While browsing through my computer and files the other day I realized that I have now written close to 175 articles for the Ponoka News Reflections page, as well as more than 1,000 Hammers’ Columns! Although some might suggest that I should maybe retire my keyboard, I would really like to keep going for a while, because I really enjoy searching into our exciting and colourful community history, as well as passing on a little good fun and unique messages to you my faithful readers.
Over the past few years The Fort Ostell Museum and many other organizations and individuals have inspired me with many great ideas and photos for Remember When, Reflections, and my column. These features have included community events and family history and tributes dating all the way back to the settlement of this area in the late 1800s. If you have any ideas or pictures please give me a call at (403) 341-5750, and thank you very much for your kind comments and support in the past.
Just for fun!
*To err is certainly human, but to blame it on the other party is politics.
*A college education is very educational and important; and it also teaches the parents how to do without a lot of things.
*Teacher: Johnny, please give me a sentence with a direct object.
Johnny: Teacher, everybody thinks that you are beautiful.
Teacher: Thank you Johnny, but what is the object of that sentence.
Johnny: To receive a good report card! Have a great week, all of you!