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Buying gifts in those days was simple,.compared to the frenetic business it is today. There was scarcely any money then, and everybody needed something. So it was long underwear, or a handâ€"knit sweater, socks or Today, on decorations alone, some people spend what would have fed a family in those days for two months. Fancy candles; storeâ€"bought wreaths of ersatz holly; colored lights everywhere, inside and out; trees that are alâ€" most hidden from the naked eye by festoons of fribbery. The tree itself had "icicles" and some colored balls A few wealthy people had colored lights. On top was a homeâ€"made angel. Decorations in those days were simple, inexpensive, but just right. Strings of red paper bells, venerable but cheery. Strings of red and green curled crepe paper @ll over the house. Today we go down to a Christâ€" mas tree lot, fumble through a pile of halfâ€"frozen, crumby Scotch pines. select the least misshapen, take it home, and when it thaws, discover that the frozen side has a gap the length of your arm in it. This is after forking over a small ransom. There is a great sense of dissatisfaction. Getting the tree was the next step. You went out into the counâ€" try with your kid brother, walked half a mile into the bush and selected a beautiful spruce, one cutting, the other watching for the farmer. You dragged and carried it, sometimes two miles, home. There was a great sense of satisfaction. "*eviscerated" and that the giblets are in a nice little bag tucked inâ€" side the frozen carcass. ~ I can‘t believe that they have ever been real turkeys and that walked and eaten and fought and mated. ©They all look the same, and they all taste the same (wet paâ€" per).. but we are secure in the knowledge that we don‘t have to disembowel them, that they are Today, we elbow and shove our way along the meat counter, gazâ€" ing at a row of pallid, yellowâ€" white lumps wrapped in plastic, legs neatly tucked in. At the right time, it was brought in, the pinâ€"feathers pluckâ€" ed with care, head and feet chopâ€" ped off and guts removed. Then the scent of homeâ€"made dressing filled the air. It was a real turkey. Housewives wandered among the turkeys, looking for the perâ€" fect bird, pinching, poking. snifâ€" fing. Then it was hung in the woodshed, by the feet. Exciting for youngsters, farmâ€" ers brought their turkeys to town, freshâ€"killed and plucked, but with heads, feet and guts still there. First real indication of Christâ€" mas was the buying of the turâ€" key. In my home town, there was &n annual turkey fair, late in Noâ€" vember. 4 z‘steria. I can‘t help thinking a g way back to the times when Christmas was an experience to beantiel.dodwithth'fllh.do- light, to be savored when it arâ€" yived, rather than the inane, exâ€" hausting scramble it has become in these affluent times. +« As the gettingâ€"readyâ€"forChrist Uhuru Bookstore Holiday Season tempo around our house inâ€" es from mild panic to wild Best Wishes (FREEDOM} Waterloo Square 578â€"2410 for Hope I‘m not getting maudlin, but Christmas used to be merry. Now, it‘s just hairy. Today it‘s frantic lastâ€"minute shopping and wrapping of gifts, entertaining people who have managed to finish their ratâ€"race (we got to bed at 4 a.m. last year after receiving carollers and oth ers, and, believe it or not, we had frozen chicken pies for Christmas dinner). Christmas Eve then was carols around the piano, mother stuffing the turkey, kids to bed early quivering with excitement. Stockâ€" ingâ€"stuffing time for the adults. A quiet chat, with a little despair that there wasn‘t money for skates and new winter coats, and things like that. thing, or can buy it. Nobody makes a gift. They buy them, They haven‘t time, because of the "Christmas rush." Clothes that don‘t fit. Eightâ€"dollar toys that last five minutes. A hundred dollars worth of ski equipment that isn‘t the right kind. gloves, maybe a few real luxur ies, like a 5Q9â€"cent game of snakes and ladders, or a book. Ten dolâ€" lars didn‘t go far, even then. Today people almost go around the bend trying to find something for other people who have everyâ€" The City of Waterloo Do not operate a snowmobile on frozen lakes or rivers without an intimate knowledge of water currents and ice thickness. Wear warm, windproof clothing and footwear. A face mask is imâ€" portant in cold weather and a safety helmet should be worn at all times. Know and observe the laws and regulations that cover the operaâ€" tion of your snowmobile as set forth in the Ontario Motorized Snow Vehicle Act, 1968 and any local municipal byâ€"laws. For these new snowmobilers, the Ontario Safety League would like to suggest a few basic rules that will make their snowmobilâ€" ing safer and more enjoyable. A snowmobile is not a toy; it is a powerful, motorized vehicie which requires skiliful handling. Take driver instructiqn from an experienced operator and then reâ€" cognize the limitations of your ability as you gain exeperience. Study the manufacturer‘s operâ€" ating manual and follow servicâ€" ing instructions carefully. It will pay off in troubleâ€"free operation and enjoyment of your snowmoâ€" bile. year? â€"Perhaps not too many in the literal sense, but there is no doubt that one of these fabulous snow machines will be the feaâ€" tured gift for many a family durâ€" ing the current festive season. merr’y Snowmobile M;‘Iiv:;fi’ll + dangerous conflict with motor vehicle traffic. * Always carry vital spare parts which include spark plugs, a drive Use public thoroughfares with from a snowâ€"plowed road, carry a pair of snowshoes and sufficient two or more machines in a groups belt, pullâ€"cord and sufficient tools