Sunday, Nov. 29, 1992 — North Shore News - 33 Rudolf, the green-nosed reindeer Oe OFTEN think back fondly on my childhood. There are so many memo- rics that I cannot help wander- ing aimlessly through them. . . By Steven Pelton Contributing Writer 1 usually reminisce at night in the comfort of my bed, al- though no bed, no matter how cosy and luxurious, could match the security of the bed that I slept in as a youth. It was a bed in which my mother would read stories to me about Homer the Worldly Pig and Curious George; it ‘was a bed in which I would wait for my father who would come home late’ from work and tell me about how we would spend the weekend © together playing catch at . Princess Park or the fields of _ Ambleside; it was a bed that “contained mystical covers that ‘would somehow defy logic by protecting me from other- worldly creatures that inhab- ited certain parts of my closet. But more than anything, . that.bed was the one in which I waited for Santa Claus on : "Christmas Eve. Christmas, - when I was young, was with no doubt the greatest time of my life..And now, as middie age looms, I contemplate hav- . 3, _ |PERSONALIZED| ing children of my own with whom to share Christmas. As I fantasize about giving Joy to a youngster by means of my own Christmas traditions, 1 am haunted by the ethics of today and how they do not pleasanily coexist with my yuletide customs. On Dec. 15 every year my mother, father and I would don our earmuffs and tuques and trek through the woods enveloping the Baden-Powell trail in search of the perfect Christmas tree. We would all eventually find one that we thought was supe- rior, but I always seemed to make the best case for mine. In my eagerness to help my fa- ther cut it down, I usually — wound up having the tree fall on my head. My mother would spend the rest of the evening pulling pine needles out of my scalp, but I did not care; it was Christmas. The crunch of the ssow u: ler our feet and the sweet smell of the forest are things that I will never forget. But would such a practice be frowned upon today? With more and more en- vironmentalists biocking log- ging roads, and more and more forests beiag clear-cut, does it seem logical to cut down another tree? Selling holly was something ’ that seemed as though it could CARTOONS and DOUGH CRAFT TEDDY BEARS only be positive. My father and I would join the other fa- thers and sons of my cubs group at the holly farm in Maple Ridge every year. We would cut down branches of lioliy that were specifically grown for this purpose, package them, and during the week I wouid sell them door to door in my neighborkood. However, with the news today saturated with stories on David Snow and other freaks in society, I do not know if I would allow my son to sell door to door. The excitement of Christmas Eve, and waiting for Santa Claus to arrive, is something that nobody can take away from me. I could not sleep with the knowledge that eight tiny reindeer were going to land on my roof, and a jolly, fat man with a heart of gold was going to slide down my chimney. I always left a plate of cookies, a glass of milk, and eight tiny carrots (nine on foggy nights) by the fireplace. 1 am looking forward to the day when my own children will experience this delirium. But is it right for parcnts to lie to their children regarding Santa or anything else? Isn’t honesty the best policy? Christmas morning was always aa early morning. I would wake up at about 4:30 a.m., wake my weary parents, and race downstairs to a living room fliled with magic. The cookies and carrots were gone, a formerly See Allow page 41 , : At Park Royal, we want your Christmas shopping to be as hassle-free as humanly possible. So, in a move to reduce the Christmas rush ‘on weekdays and weekends, we're extending shopping hours to include 6:06.- 9:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. What's more, we’re encouraging Late Night Shopping by offering a host of extra services at no extra charge. For example, gift wrapping - usually provided for a nominal extra charge - is free during our Late Night Shopping hours. Of course, there’s also-no-charge shepping bags, no-charge gift ideas at our “Gift Ideas Stores”, no-charge , Santa photos through December 9th, and a no-charge child minding service. While our coat check and parcel check are simply free. A.UNIQUE GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS So, this year, make your Christmas shopping hassle-free. Make it Late Night at Park Royal. Did we mention over 5,000 free parking spaces? were a Late Night Shopping in effect November 30 through December 16. ncre LATE NIGHT SHOPPING HOURS: 10:00am - 9:00pm Monday - Friday 9:30am - 5:30pm Saturday EXCEPT SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH 9:30am - 9:00pm 10:00am - 5:00pm Sunday STOREs! GO GREEN $50 “System Green Perm’’190% Natural, Biodegradable, ammonia free, not tested on animals ve . . $12 Distributed by joico Reg. $120 from $23 COLOUR BEVERLY HILLS NE W LookK! N EW Located at Taylor Way and Marine Drive, West Vancouver.