THE OLD WOOD STOVE IN THE KITCHEN poem by GERTRUDE SKINNER

[Heather]

Nup, I don't remember any of that. I was born after electricity!

[r.magnay]

Had all of them Terry!...tilly lamps, candles and no electricity Heather!

[Bob Pacey]

I can remember my mum sewing on the old pedal machine and she taught all the girls to sew as well. Now hand me downs were a problem as there was a gap of two girls between my older brother and me.

Remember every house had a rain water tank and then they made us remove them because they were unhealthy and now they encourage us to put them back in !!!! Go Figure.

Bob

Sue i can remember the old copper as well but don't tell anyone else !!!

[william williams]

Thanks Mummsie for rekindling those old memories

Those old Kero lamps with the mantle and the old tilly lamps and I bet you could not guess who’s job it was to replace them that’s right me. And clean the flue of the old Kero fridge and fill the mongrel. Chop the wood for the stove, and no not one of those modern slow combustion ones, but they were good at winter time sitting at the wooden kitchen table having our tea after that doing my homework while dad read last weeks newspapers or played his mouth organ (ops sorry Harmonica) mum watching me doing my spelling ( and I’m still lousy at it)
as she did her smocking for little girls dresses.
When my mind remembers it my heart it cries remembering what to many may have been hard days but a common primitive way of life away from town in those days but to me I guess I was bloody lucky to have those wonderful memories.

Bill Williams

[mummsie]

Bill.as a kid did you ever feel that life was that tough, sure looking back now you realise, but at the time I only remember life being great, I guess they did a great job of covering up the hardships,you don't miss what you never had. I loved going out early in the morning with mum to milk the cows. when it came to woodcarting we made a family day out of it. For me , these are wonderful memories.
Sue

[mummsie]

Gosh we are on memory lane today, Marty, we had an old Buick, it only got used to go to town once a month, and for woodcarting, I can still see dad on the crank handle, cursing and swearing, red faced, us kids in the back, eager to get going.. But you didn't say anything to him or you would have copped a clip in the ear, even mum sat silent.
Sue

[william williams]

Nah Sue We didn't think life was hard the only thing that was hard was our muscles you talk of milking the cow well I had to milk 3 before going to school and the same in the afternoon but we did not think we were hard done by it was just something you had to do they were your jobs you either did them or you did not and if you didn't well mon or dad had to do them and the time that it took meant that there was something they had to delay doing like mom had to milk the cows one time cause I refused so mum put raw food on my plate saying that because she had to milk the cows she had no time to cook my tea hunger made me never miss doing my job again.

Bill williams

[manfredvijars]

Talking about cows, I wonder who the first person was who looked at a cow and said, "See those soft dangley bits underneath? I'm gunna drink whatever comes out of them!"
Or the Bloke (standing next to him) pointed at a chook and said "Mate, that's nothing; I'm gunna eat the next thing that comes out if that chook's bum!"

[mummsie]

There were eight kids in our family, and that old buick was used to drive mum to hospital for five of them, the headlights didn't work, and you know babies, they come day or night, when my brother was born was one such time, I can just see dad outside cranking, and mum inside ranting my ten year old sister had to ride to town on the bonnet with a torch for headlights, imagine doing that these days.
Sue

[Heather]

Now there's got to be a poem in that story Sue.

I do remember the horse and milk cart coming around at 4am to deliver the milk andI remember type writers and record players and desks at school with lift up lids. And I remember the postie when he used to come around on a push bike.

Heather