Page 32 - A Little Visit with Ashley MacIsaac's Parents

ISSUE : Issue 72

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1997/6/1

As it happens, Ashley called home during the inter? view. He told his mother not to forget to tell the fol? lowing story: Carmelita: This Is really funny: I always told the kids, "Never, ev? er, ever tell a lie. You'll never get In trouble. Always tell the truth and I'll never...ril never punish you, I won't even ground you." So I came home one night • I worked for days on this big Straw? berry Shortcake clock, she was our little girl, so • 4 came In and Ashley's bawling and crying, and Henry's bawling and crying, and Lisa's bawling and crying. Well, I thought, something's going on In here. I came In, "What's going on?" Nobody's saying nothing. I looked, and here was the clock all smashed on the floor. Ashley comes tearing out of the room, "Mom, you said If we ever, ever, ever did something and we told the truth, we wouldn't be pun? ished." I said, "No. What?" "Well, I smashed the clock 'cause Henry and I got In a fight and I smashed It." So he always re? members It. And I said, "No, you're not even going to be ground? ed 'cause you told...." He said, "Well, I was going to blame It on Henry, but you said If we ever told lies we'd be grounded!" sat at the kitchen table. They wanted to see where he sat and had his breakfast. Took pictures. But this made them happy. I gave them some tapes, and they bought some hats, and they bought some CDs. And they took all kinds of pictures of inside and of us outside the house. Angus takes the time to show them. And he got really, really nice letters and post? cards back, you know, telling him how much he made their trip. It's Not Acceptable Anymore' A few years ago, drinking was part of a good time, but too many "good times" ended in tragedy. Today drinking and driving is socially unacceptable and tough laws are in place to enable police to detea and stop drinking drivers. If alcohol makes up part of your celebrations • Select a designated driver who doesn't drink to get the rest of the group home safely. Take a cab of other public transportation. Arrange to stay over until you've sobered up. As a host, make food, non-alcoholic drinks and activities the highlights of the party. Provide accommodations, or a drive home for guests who've "had too much." And, never offer anyone too much to drink or "one for the road." And remember, this applies to all types of vehicles, including ATVs, boats and snowmobiles. Don't risk your life • and those you love • for a "good time." Novascotia Departmentof 'Sj' Business and '''' Consumer Services Angus: They've even said that in Halifax on the CBC, there--that Ashley was doing as much advertising for Cape Breton as Tourism was. Carmelita: He took the chance, going out there. And he got a lot of criticism for doing this. But he said before, "If you're going to be a musician, you have to have a heavy back and carry this load of criti? cism, besides the good remarks." (A lot of criticism?) Angus: Well, not a whole lot. Carmelita: Well, when he started with the new music, the type thing, is what I'm saying. Fiddlers that didn't like it, you know. Angus: Yeah, there were a few of the old- time fiddlers that didn't like anything changed. And that's understandable, I guess. Some of them really wanted to see that there was nothing mixed into the tra? ditional style of music. But. you really have to consider what he was doing. He was doing this for another reason. He never changed any of the traditional music--and I think he made that obvious on his last recording. That's why he made it. That's why he put that recording out there, be? cause some of the old musicians were crit? icizing what he was doing. They were say? ing, "He lost it." And, I mean, we've said it to ourselves. So he just went out and he did that just on the spur of the moment, like that. Ac? tually, he was here and he said to me, "Dad, I'm going into the recording studio day after tomorrow." I said, "You are? What are you going to put on?" He says, "I'm not sure yet." So I said, "Well, let's go down in the basement." SIMEON'S II Family Restaurant 427 Grand Lal

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