Late November is a busy time at the Silver Threads seniors club in Calgary, as members get ready for their annual Christmas Bake and Craft Sale.
There’s one item they enjoy putting together: a collection of angels made of common kitchen items.
“The towel is the body and the dishcloth across is their arms,” club member Madeleine Henderson said. “The pot holder is the wings.”
The seniors know the cloth crafts are a popular item with people looking for holiday decorations that can be displayed at other times.
“You have angels all year round,” Henderson said. “Not just at Christmastime.”
And no one knows that better than club members Lloyd and Shirley Bettcher, who have been married for 67 years.
“They’re angels for each other,” Henderson said.
The couple first met when they were both seven, attending elementary school together in Calgary.
“He was a Calgary Herald paperboy,” Shirley said.
She still has the first valentine he gave her — in 1946, when they were both 14.
Shirley also enjoys remembering how things progressed toward their wedding a few years later.
“He had a motorcycle, which he sold to pay for my ring,” she said. “I still have my ring.”
“I don’t have the motorcycle,” Lloyd said with a laugh.
The Bettchers are now 86, each other’s angels all the way.
“Shirley had open heart surgery and I ended up as caretaker,” Lloyd said. “A couple of weeks ago, I ended up in the hospital. Now she’s taking over the work again, looking after me. So we look after each other.”
The proceeds from the Christmas Bake and Craft Sale support many outings and activities for club members. It’s at the Silver Threads Association at 1311 9 Ave. S.E. on Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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