Month: November 2012

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Isaac Baker, Harness Maker

Posted on by Phyllis Diller Stewart

I love the smell of leather. Why? If you get me anywhere near fine leather, the scent transports me back to my Grandad’s harness-making shop.

Isaac Baker lived his whole life on a farm north of Toronto, bounded by Dufferin and Bathurst Streets on each side, and Langstaff Road to the south. Now, the only part of the farm not under house-filled subdivisions is the eighty acre sugar bush, still standing tall and proud at the corner of Hwy 407 and Bathurst, and Grandad’s shop and house, closer to Dufferin.

Although the sugar bush, managed by my great uncle, with its many maple trees and hundreds and hundreds of gallons of sap collected each spring, figured large in my mother’s childhood, it never did in mine. Instead, I remember the leather shop and the tall west windows casting light over the main workbench. It was there that he’d let us play. Continue reading “Isaac Baker, Harness Maker” →

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Sing a Song of Sixpence.

Posted on by Phyllis Diller Stewart

I’ve found myself thinking about school lately. You might feel like stopping right here, but please don’t. The memories are all good — and very musical.

The elementary school I attended had only three classrooms, but educated grades one to eight, which equals a grand total of three teachers. In between academics and recess, we did have “music class” from time to time, but our mostly non-musical teachers struggled through these.

Music specialists occasionally visited, including  Keith Bissell, who introduced us to the Orff Method of music. I loved every moment, but the visits were few and far between. You can only imagine my delight when, in Grade Six, a bright musical light entered our young lives at Hillside Public School.I wrote the following piece about our wonderful Frances McShane for the Word Weaver, a publication of the Writers’ Community of Durham Region.

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Our Mrs. McShane, when she was our teacher.

The words are so glowing that I’m sure you’ll accuse me of embellishment — that the choir was much better in my memory than in reality — but I have proof! Or had. My lovely mother recorded a Kiwanis Music Festival one year, and as an adult, I was amazed at the fine sound of our tiny group compared to the others. How I wish cassette tapes lasted forever. Continue reading “Sing a Song of Sixpence.” →

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Oodles and Oodles of Snickerdoodles!

Posted on by Phyllis Diller Stewart

Just so you know, Pinterest is good for more than wasting time. Although I only tend to spend a bit of time on this addictive electronic bulletin board once or twice a week, I know now how easily that could escalate, especially if you happen to hit the proverbial mother lode of recipes like I did.

First off, I’d like to explain that traditional Snickerdoodles are one of the tastiest cookies ever. Unfortunately, they’re fairly time-consuming to make. Once mixed, the dough has to cool in the fridge for awhile. Then it must be formed into little balls and each of them have to be rolled in a cinnamon-sugar mixture before being placed on the baking sheet. It’s great to do with little kids, a true exercise in patience, and the results are pretty much worth it. But as delicious as these chewy cookies are, I can seldom be bothered to make them. Continue reading “Oodles and Oodles of Snickerdoodles!” →