1 DO iike men. Their company. And they always
know what makes the car cough like that, and how
to splice the main brace should it show signs of
ravel. They know about What Should Be Done,
and The Trouble With the Government, and things
like that. They radiate confidence.

Eleanor

THE VINTAGE YEARS

‘We're talking men of my
generation, you understand.
The young ones are something

. else — I’m sorry for them.
‘They’It never know the auto-
“matic, ineluctable authority
~ that ‘their grandfatkers put on
when they put on their pants.
‘Instead, they are having to
contend with biggity women,
women who actually question
their opinions and decisions
“atid indeed even sometimes
“ discard: them out of hand.” - +
; No, my men, my age group,
-are passing their sunset years
“still: ‘wrapped i in: unquestioned “.,
‘Supériority,.and we, their

*women:folk, wouldn’t dream

of yanking the Tug out from
under them. =

io We'll Continue to ask for

“> their opinions of the world and
-e how it’s -being run..And we'll

_ ever question their conclu-

~ sions: ;
_ Except when it comes to

“it’s not ‘their fault, really;
-that they have no kitchen skills.
“> the kitchen was not their
place in those olden days.
“Their. only authority there lay
in the inescapable fact that. - |
they'd paid for it all, God '
“biess. them, but.the lady of the-
“ house:was in chargé of what
went on in the larder. By all:
means bring-home the bacon,
of a good quality, but ‘Stay out

“of my kitchen.”

Trouble is, this deference to _

lofty masculinity doesn’t but-
‘ter any parsnips should the
_poor chap be left alone in his
old age. Peanut-butter sand-
wiches will pall eventually.
And to have to rely on pack- .
aged food and microwaveable
‘ready-to-eat is ‘the fast track to
the poor-house.
When I first took on the job
: of.teaching men to cook I
thought that ['d only be doing
a bunch of wives a good turn.
My own husband hasn’t a clue
in the kitchen, so before I took
myself off for my break (I was
working for him and therefore
we couldn’t holiday at the
same time) I'd have to line up
menus for his three weeks of
lonely dinners, and leave as
many dishes ready in the
freezer as he’d need for aug-
mentation.
‘I'd. also leave a note-book in

which to list daily purchases

during my absence, and
reminders to check on the hot-
sauce supply, that sort of
thing. And on the last page I'd
give him the time my plane or
ship or dog-sled would be
making delivery.

And while I was going
through all this I’d think “there
must be many women thus
afflicted — what if I were to
teach their husbands to cook?”
The classes were a sell-out,
lots of adventuresome young
men lining up to learn how to
live alone and like it.

But there were aiways two
or three rather wistful old fel-
lows who obviously needed
only to get through the day on
their own. Those were the
ones my heart went out to. I
concentrated on them only for
the next 14 or 15 years, till 1
found I was getting past it.

I'd given classes here and
there and on the Island and in
Arizona and California, and
done a couple of books. It was

"time to pack it in But a while

ago Dave Waugh got going on
his Men’s Club down at the

- North Shore Neighbourhood _

House, hoping to establish a

- Tegular: sort of exchange of
--views and memories and

~ enthusiasms amongst men now
beyond the work force.

. And one of the things some
‘of them wanted to do was
learn to cook, Well, heck, once
-a month? Even a spavined old
‘cooker like me could handle
that kind of schedule, and I
-said yes when they asked.

So they’re going to learn
how to put a small quartered
onion in with the: macaroni
“when they cook it, and.to add
a spoon-tip of dry. mustard to
the cheese-sauce. And we7ll
make Goop one day, which is
a purely male dish, and Pll

‘show them how to build a

200 CS ES) KER we cre ee es ee ee oe ce

“|

great curry with all the left-
overs in the refrigerator.
They'll learn how to keep a
hamburger patty juicy and ten-
der, and how to make a
Vegetable Stew in the
microwave. If we get around
to cake, it might be the one
you just mix in the cake-pan
with a fork. Definitely a bach-
elor’s dish. And soups of
course, starting in the cold
weather with potato-and-
onion, thick and steaming.

The cooking-space has been
arranged with North
Vancouver’s St. Agnes Church
in the 500-block on East [2th
St. We'll gather at 10:30 a.m.,
to give us time to make lunch
and eat it and clean up after it.

Good thing it’s winter com-
ing — that’s when all the best
recipes get a workout. For
information about these cook-
ing classes, call Dave at 929-
5762, or the Neighbourhood
House at 987-8138.

Visit House of Knives for
the best selection in darts,
boards and accessories.

With our competitive prices
and superior service, we will
keep you on target.

House of

Capilano Mall
988-0303

mives:

Park Royal
922-8801

NOTICE
PUBLIC INFORMATION DROP-IN
WESTVIEW INTERCHANGE PROJECT :

The Ministry of Transportation and Highways is planning to. Gonstruct'an 7
interchange at the intersection of Westview Drive and the Upper Levels section of
the Trans Canada Highway #1. You are invited to attend a public information Sh
drop- in to discuss this important highway improvement project... :

Date: Wednesday, November 30; 1994
Time: 4:30 Pi 2:00 PM

Place: Larson Elementary School Gymnasium
2605 Larson, North Vancouver :

Ministry staff will be i in attendance. Your comments‘and questions are 5 welcome
For further information, please contact Leach Martell, Project: Manager, Ministry
Transportation and Highways, 7818 - 6th Street, Burnaby, B. C. V3N ANB, - no
660-8228 (telephone), 660-1826 6 (lacsimie): .

"Province of
British Columbia

Ministry of Transportation
_ and Highways

THURSDAY DECEMBER 1, 10-5 PM.
MANUFACTURERS REP WILL BE iN- STORE

Stephen Wong
Pharmacist

Kidney disease progresses
silently. People at high risk are
diabetics, people with high
blood pressure and close
relatives of people with
hereditary kidney disease.
The Kidney Foundation of
Canada wants peopte to be
aware of the warning signs of
kidney disease: high blood
pressure, passage of blood or
cloudy urine, excessive

i| foaming of the urine, puffiness

§| of the eyes, hands and feet
and frequent passing of urine

during the night.

Finaily! A meter
that makes monitoring
Child's play

Accu Chek?

ADVANTAGE”

Blood Glucose Monitor ee

Get the small monitor with

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While Siock lasts

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