Word of Advice

Over the course of our conversation with Ed and Phyllis Baker that morning, we scribbled down some of the wise and practical things they had to say on various subjects. For instance …

On a successful marriage:

“Have a kiss every day.”

“Don’t have separate checkbooks.”

“You need a sense of humor.”

On being fire chief:

“You gotta be willing to leave the supper table before you’re finished.”

On being town clerk and tax collector:

“Go by the rules. When you start doing favors, you’re in trouble.”

On raising children:

“Always eat together.”

On splitting wood:

“Cherry splits the most easily. Also white birch. Yellow birch is the hardest.”

“Always split the small end.”

“Split as soon after you cut as possible — before the sap gets out of it.”

On making maple syrup:

“The faster you can turn it from sap to syrup, the better. If you interrupt the process, it won’t be as good.”

On working for others:

“The boss isn’t always right, but he’s always the boss.”

On growing old:

“Finally, we don’t need to take guff from anybody.”