When I was a Child (Part 2)

• my sister and I at one time shared a bedroom and we use to take turns at singing each other to sleep.

• My mother must have stroked my hair as a wee toddler or baby (I dont remember) however I get sleepy when anyone plays with my hair

Outside we had a swing that my father made. I would spend hours swinging in it and “flying through the sky like a bird”

We had a pararubber pool. Dad use to play in the pool with us. Creating waves and allowing us to climb up into his arms to be “sky rocketed” into the water. It was freestanding by that I mean it could have been sunk into the ground or surrounded by a deck but it wasnt. It had silvercorrugated type sides. It was round and big and ours I think it was probably before pools had to be in a fenced off area but Dad fenced it anyway. We were under strict instructions not to go in unless we had asked permission.

At primary school I use to go to the library and write out poems. This allowed me to get away from the bullies. I use to hate it when the library wasnt open for whatever reason

The most valuable part of my education was being praised by the headmaster. He use to come in and say “theres my smiling friend” I use to look out for him and when he came in I use to smile at him. he was nice

I also loved and was good at English.

Once a week we had Bible in schools where I am sure a seed was planted in my heart. I remember as if it were yesterday looking out our class window and seeing one of the Weeping Willows. I thought God made that.

One summer we went to a river. Mum, my sister and I slept in the tent while Dad slept in the trailer that was attached to the car. We roughed it. We had no electricity. One night there was a storm and we all ended up in the trailer with Dad. Us girls, played in the river during the day. Once our buckets floated away down stream we were most upset. Dad waded down stream to get them. My sister and I cried even more. We thought we were going to get in trouble with Dad. When he came back with our buckets Mum told him we were upset enough already. He helped my sister and I build a dam with the river rocks so we wouldnt lose our buckets again.

We didnt have a lot to do with our grandparents. I remember my paternal grandparents house. Their kitchen/dining room that had a pew for us kids to sit on at the table, their lounge, where grandpa would sit in his chair. Their hallway that had huge family portraits hanging on the wall. I remember going out into their back yard and looking at their vegetable garden. When they came to stay at our house Grandpa would give me big hugs on the sofa in our lounge. They would nearly squeeze everything I had within me out. They were GREAT BIG bear hugs. But I didnt seem to mind too much.

With my maternal grandparents my Nana died when I was 5. After that time Pop use to sometimes come and stay at our house. He had been in the war and had a bad leg. His last horse before he died was a one room cottage. I had never seen such a small house as his. He lived on some land and I think there were horses. My sister cut her finger badly on his barbed wire fence.