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And a child shall lead them once again ou know, with some of the .Y examples we adults set, you wonder why we even bother to celebrate Christmas each year. Whether its a fetus ripped from her mother‘s womb. or the continuâ€" ing war in [rag, there aren‘t a lot of positive examples of good will towards our fellow man out there these days. But just when the world‘s events couldn‘t get more shocking, someâ€" thing that would barely cause a blip in the march of history makes us stop and think. One example is the generosity displayed by some of our local stuâ€" dents in response to a need in our community. In this case, it‘s the Tree of Angels toy drive, which makes sure that no child goes without this Christmas. _ New minister stayed true to her word be articles carried in the I media on Dec. 7, 2004 announced that Veterans Affairs is going to extend VIP (housekeeping and groundskeepâ€" ing) services for life to those primaâ€" ry caregivers whose husbands died after April 7, 1981, the date that this benefit was first made available to war veterans. Payment for VIP services will only be effective from the date on which the new regulation is approved. [t is abvious that the new minâ€" ster, Albina Guarnieri. is being true to her word. She did say that one of her objectives in taking on the portâ€" folio was to ensure that full considâ€" eration was given to the widows who were what she called "careâ€" givers". Stirring celebrity with the common man e recipe for success in poliâ€" T:'ics is to stir celebrity in with a little common man. William Jefferson Clinton prides himself on being one of the few Americans who liked both Bush and Kerry for president, and no wonder â€" he would have left both in the dust had he not already served two terms, and that despite a moral backbone resembling a noodle. __ We know that this was a difficult argument for her to get across. The political arena hosts candiâ€" dates vying for our vote, trumpeting this platform and that, whether it‘s foreign policy, equality of opportuâ€" nity, health care or education, when in the end it‘s none of these that turns the tide â€" it‘s the person runâ€" ning, the charisma, the aura. Witness the runâ€"off south of the border when the incumbent was more than ripe for the picking. It‘s where Kerry won all three debates. and where Bush wages an unholy war inviting terrorists from A lot of us have fond memories of For example, the bureaucrats LETTERS TO THE CHRO! looking under the Christmas tree and seeing a shiny new package with our name on it. first limited the reinstatement of VIP to those widows whose veteran husbands died after May 2003. We all renember the anticipation we felt as we waited for the day we vould peel back the paper. And often that anticipation was unmatched by the elation we felt when we finally received something we always wanted. But for too many children this Christmas, that feeling is rather holâ€" low because the space under their trees is empty â€" if they have trees at all. So to spare them the disappointâ€" ment, local high school students, who often get a bum rap about being selfâ€"centered and uncaring, chose to do something entirely selfâ€" less and raised money in support of this worthy program. The War Amps made strong repâ€" resentations to the government that this left out a large number of very deserving widows. As a result, the second attempt on the part of the government wa to back date the VIP for widows to 1990. This made no sense. The War Amps then continued to petition the government to extend the payment of VIP to widâ€" ows whose husbands died after April 7, 1981 when the VIP benefit first became available to disabled veterans. The War Amps felt that the minâ€" ister, in getting this regulation through, must have argued strenuâ€" ously with her own cabinet and public servants. The present government talked in terms of economies and had said around the world to come and take their best shot. Kerry lost, not for lack of good intentions and a solid recard in govâ€" ernment, but because he failed to let the people see the real man, blemishes and all. In the end, the voters chose the devil they knew over the one they didn‘t. Ralph Klein endeared himself to Albertans by coming clean on his imbibing, while Clintan increased the value of his currency by "fessâ€" ing" up before the grand jury, albeit kicking and screaming. The mold wasn‘t broken when Dalton McGuinty ascended the throne at Queen‘s Park, although you‘d be hardâ€"pressed to find a more charismatic guy. Let us know that you‘re just like us with lots of wrinkles, the voters cry, and we‘ll give you our support. He‘s as exciting as watching paint dry. It was exhaustion with the They were led by Waterloo‘s COMNV DHLOINEI NICL] newest school community, the stuâ€" dents at Sir John A. MacDonald, who raised more than $2,200 for this important effort. While parts of the school are still under construction, these students are proof that a school is more than just a building. Their wonderful display of school spirit was a great shot in the arm for those wondering what happened to the generosity of the human spirit at this time of year. With faith restored, they provide a perfect example of how a child‘s spirit can lead us to graciousness, selfâ€"sacrifice and love of our fellow time and again that there was no way they had the money to include widows whose husbands dies after April 7, 1981, even though the actuâ€" al payments for services would only be from the date the regulation was approved. If we could only learn from their example, and lead a similar charge. Then the true meaning of Christâ€" mas wouldn‘t be something we‘d have to rediscover each year. At long last, we believe we have a minister who understands the problems we had in looking after our seriously disabled veteran husâ€" bands. We certainly would like to thank the minister and the government for correcting what has been a very serious oversight in the governâ€" ment‘s pledge to look after, not just the veteran, but we the caregivers. as well. Ronald Reagan became a beloved president after "starring" in a series of better forgotten movies, while Arnoid went to Sacramento clutching a resume of flicks that never came near Oscar‘s door. Harris "Common Sense Revolution" that drove Ontarians to switch horsâ€" Both were one of the boys, somebody you could have over for dinner and not be threatened â€" average Joes who seemed to know how we feel. That suggests Paul Martin should be looking over his shoulder, for if the formula‘s true, the Great One, (Wayne Gretzky) would be a shoeâ€"in if he ever took a shot at 24 Sussex Dr The widows of Canada‘s war amputees War Amps â€" Waterlooâ€" Wellington branch 1F. Jim Newton, New Dundee When Pierre Berton passed away recently, 1 was awestruck by the number of books he had published; and moreover by his great contribution to Canadian history. 1 was surprised to learn that Pierre was famous for many reaâ€" sons, including, of all things, his turkey recipe. The reprinting of the "Berton Turkey recipe" in today‘s column is my way of paying tribute to a great Canadian. Happy holidays, and enjoy the bird. I large turkey (up to 25 lbs}, with neck, heart, gizzard and liver Dressing, Bowl No. 1 1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced 1 orange, peeled and sectioned 1/2 lemon, peeled and secâ€" tioned 1 26â€"0z can water chestnuts 3 tbsp preserved ginger 1 26â€"0z can crushed pineapple Dressing, Bowl No. 2 4 cloves 2 tsp dry English mustard 2 tsp caraway seeds 3 tsp celery seeds 2 tsp poppy seed 2 1/2 tsp oregano 1 bay leaf, crushed 1 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp mace 4 thsp parsley 5 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp turmeric 4 large onions, chopped 6 stalks celery, chopped oughly. Mince cloves after discarding the heads. Mix all Bowl No. 2 ingredients thoroughly. â€" â€" s Mix together all the dressing bowls. "Mix it until your forearms and wrists ache" In a small skillet, render as much fat as possible from the turkey. Mix fat in a bow!| with other ingredients from Bow! No. 3. Chap up the turkey‘s neck, heart, |â€" ©@@ gizzard and liver. Place in a saucepan with bay leaf, paprika, coriander, garlic and water. (Do not add the cider at this ST point.) Simmer. The longer you simmer this basting fluid, the better. Keep adding water. Rub the bird inside and out with salt and pepper and stuff it reasonably full at both ends. Sew it up, or skewer it and tie both ends. Tie the legs and wings tightly to the body with good strong cord. Mix together the ingredients for the paste cover. Sift in enough flour to make a stiff paste. As soon as the turkey is browned all over from the redâ€"hot oven, haul it out, sizzling. Using a pastry brush, cover it completely with paste. Slip it back into the oven so that the paste will set. Then haul it out again, "paint every nook and cranny of it once more." We make our stuffing the night before and simmer our basting fluid all night. If you do that, keep the stuffing refrigerated all night. Place the bird on a rack, or place breast side down on a drip pan. Put in oven at 450 E_ _ Turn the oven down to 325 E, put some water in the drip pan, and roast the turkey. The paste will keep the heat in. Cook until meat thermometer registers 180F in thigh and 160F in centre of stuffing, about 4â€"1/2 hours. Add the cider to the giblet gravy simmering on the stave. Keep it warm. This is your basting fluid. You should baste the turkey thoroughly every 15 minutes. We use an aluminum baster with a rubber bulb. And don‘t forget to keep adding water to the gravy in the pan to keep it from burning. When you remove the turkey from the oven, it will be dead black. Don‘t let that worry you. You can remove the paste, if you want, with tweezers, but we don‘t bother because beneath that shell the bird will be, isucculent, giddyâ€"making with wild aroma, crisp and crunchable and crackling. Eâ€"mail your sean@seanstrickland.com. The gravy in the pan can be thickened with a little flour and cooked on top of the stove Berton‘s turkey recipe Mix all Bow] No. 1 ingredients thorâ€" questions/comments 1/2 tsp marjoram 112 tsp savory 1 thsp poultry seasoning Salt to taste > Dressing, Bowl No. 3 Fat from turkey 3 11â€"0z packages breadcrumbs 3/4 lb ground veal 1/4 tb ground pork 1/2 cup butter Basting fluid and gravy 1 bay leaf 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1 clove garlic, chopped 4 cups water â€" Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup apple cider Paste cover 8 egp yolks 2 tbsp dry English mustard 1/4 cup onion juice 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 thsp. lemon juice Sifted flour to