Sick Bay

Norma will be released from the Brantford General Hospital at 11 a.m. today. Uncle Norm will pick her up and take her home.

She says that she is feeling really good.

SICK BAY

Norma's Surgery

Auntie Norma had 4 stints inserted at Hamilton General Hospital on Monday, December 14. On Tuesday she was transferred back to the Brantford General Hospital. She expects to be released within a day or two.

SICK BAY

Uncle Digby is enjoying his new smile. Soft foods remain the staple of his diet.

SICK BAY

Aunt Norma was admitted to the Brantford General Hospital last night. Five nitro pills would not end her chest pains. She will remain in the hospital over the week-end. On Monday she will transfer to hospital in Hamilton for further tests.

SIBLINGS' SOCIAL

Rose, Nick and Roseanne from London met Norma, Norm, Anne and Digby from Brantford at the Bamboo Restaurant in Woodstock for lunch on December 8, 2009. Joan was unable to attend as she had an eye appointment.

Violet Ann recently visited Canada to renew her driver's license, catch up with friends and family, and to celebrate an early Christmas.

Roseanne gave the aunts and uncles their calendars which Mel produced. Great photos, the birthdays and anniversaries of family members make the calendars a treasure.

Digby sported his new choppers following the December 2 procedure at the BGH. He distributed copies of the December issue of THE SARGEANTS' POST.

After three hours of eating and talking the crew expressed wishes for a merry Christmas and disbursed to their respective homes. Thanks to Uncle Norm who foot the bill for lunch!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

To all the family members who are able to drag themselves away from facebook, twittering and surfing the web: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Oatmeal Cookies, chocolate, cherries, pecan

THE SARGEANTS' MESS

INGREDIENTS for extra-special oatmeal cookies:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup Oatmeal
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped in half
1/2 cup chocolate chips and chunks
3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

DIRECTIONS:
Toast pecans in fry pan until nicely browned. Chop the cherries in half. In bowl, add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir with whisk to combine. In another bowl combine oatmeal, chocolate and cherries. Place butter in stand mixer and beat until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended. Add egg and vanilla. When well incorporated add flour mixture. Mix this only until mixture comes together. Add the oatmeal mixture. At this point I usually use a wooden spoon to combine. Take an ice-cream scoop and scoop onto cookie sheet. Press down until about 3/4 of an inch thick. Leave a couple of inches between cookies. Bake about 18 minutes. Cool on pan for a couple of minutes. Then place on cooling rack. Stack in an air-tight container. Makes 27 cookies.

What do you see, TWO FACES or PEOPLE?

THE PERILOUS PASTOR

(R. Cook)

A pastor went to visit a very sick man in the hospital, which was part of his normal routine. After he talked to the man for a while, he saw that it was getting harder for him to breathe and soon the man could not speak. He used hand gestures to request a pen and paper to write something.

The pastor had been in this type of situation before and after the man finished his writing, the man passed away. The pastor folded the paper and then gave it to the relatives, saying, "This is the last words he wanted to say. Please, read it at the funeral as his last wish and final words."

During the funeral, the relative unfolded the paper and read the page which contained these words: "you are stepping on my oxygen line ...."

CATS & DOGS

(Carol King)

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king-sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. However, dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is : Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's posterior. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in all fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

NOTICE TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS: (1) They live here. You don't. (2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it "FUR-niture". (3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people. (4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they (1) eat less, (2) don't ask for money all the time, (3) are easier to train, (4) normally come when called, (5) never ask to drive the car, (6) don't hang out with drug-using people, (7) don't smoke or drink, (8) don't want to wear your clothes, (9) don't have to buy the latest fashions, (10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and (11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

Happy Birthday, Norm

Happy birthday to the seventh child of Nora and Jesse Sargeant! Many happy returns!

The cast of JUPITER IN JULY

JUPITER IN JULY

Paris Performers' Theatre Inc. presented the play JUPITER IN JULY, by Norm Foster, from November 20 to 29, 2009, in the Special Events Building at the Paris Fairgrounds. Although an artistic success, the play drew small crowds. Producer Anne Sargeant and director Digby Sargeant praised their cast, composed of Don Vanstone, Bonnie McCrae, Megan Davey, Ty Humpartzoomian, Alex Riker and Rick Toews.

If you're interested in a sea cruise, you won't want to miss the theatre company's next production ASPIRINS AND ELEPHANTS, by Jerry Meyer. The comedy is directed by Judy Moore in February.

Marion J. Smith, who was in the running for the Western Ontario Drama League's "Best Supporting Actress" in 2008, directs June's play QUEEN MILLI OF GALT, by Gary Kirkham. More laughs with a local twist!

The SARGEANTS' POST is the on-line version of the Sargeant family's quarterly newsletter. The family is centred in the Province of Ontario in Canada, but members live in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, North Carolina (U.S.A.), and South Korea.

E-mail us at: sargeant.digby@gmail.com