Author Archives: jade

Learn Three Words Instead of One

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‘Mum – what does enigma mean?’

‘Look it up. The dictionaries are in the bookcase. Remember to…’

‘I know, I know. Read the word above and the word below. Learn three words instead of one.’

Mum had a love of words. She would read the dictionary. And this passed to us kids. She had a double volume dictionary – A to K and L to Z. Huge books with thousands of words. I remember wanting to learn every word. And to say every word out loud every day. I often read the dictionary too.

We often would hold the dictionary and let it fall open to a page, and with our eyes closed, we would point to a word on the page. This word would describe ourselves or each other – depending on who we chose. More often that not, the result was apt.

Or we would use the dictionary to prove a word existed when playing Scrabble. More often than not, proof was not found.

But mainly, the dictionary was used to learn new words – always three instead of one.

Last Mouthfuls: A Negotiation

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“But I’m not hungry…”

“You’ve hardly eaten any of that dinner”.

“But I don’t like peas”.

“You did yesterday. Remember, there is no dessert unless you finish”.

“But I’m not hungry FOR dinner.”

“But you’re hungry for dessert?”

“I will be later, when we have dessert.”

“All right – how old are you?”

“7.”

“Right – eat 7 more mouthfuls and then you can leave the table, and have dessert.”

“Ok.”

 

Spring Cleaning

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Lovely day again. I did the washing – changed the beds, etc. Also cleaned out the kitchen drawers and the pantry.

– Diary, Tuesday 15th August 1989

Winter is almost over and time to spring clean. I like spring cleaning. I did a few windows yesterdays, but the outside ones are a problem.

– Diary, Thursday 24th August 1989

I tidied up all the area behind our gates today… There is actually cement paths underneath all that grass.

– Diary, Wednesday 30th August 1989

We have had some great weather. Spring has finally sprung.

– Diary, Tuesday 5th September 1989

The first few days of sunshine would trigger a restlessness in Mum. Lists would be written, plans would be made. And the cleaning would begin.

It would start slowly – sheets, towels, linens washed and ironed and put away. Then the floors, kitchen and pantry. Then the windows and the garden.

When we were older, and could help Mum – this period would all be squashed into one weekend: Bathurst weekend. Mum always watched the race on Sunday, and she could only do that once Spring Cleaning had been finished. It meant a full day of cleaning – all hands on deck – on the Saturday.

This is a tradition which we will carry on – we all get a little restless around Bathurst weekend. After all, there are lists to write, plans to make…

Mother.Daughter

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I have this photograph. It is stuck on the wall above my desk. It is of a girl with blond curly hair and big blue eyes. She is cheekily licking an orange spoon covered in chocolate cake mix. It is her mother’s spoon, they have made a cake together. And whenever she is to see that spoon in later life, she will think of this photograph and remember the bond she shares with her mother. She is wearing navy blue overalls with small white buttons and red skivvy. The picture is taken on a slant, and because of this, it is possible to hear the giggles of the child and of her mother, the photographer, as she clicks the shutter closed.

It’s 3pm – Put a Tea Towel Over Your Shoulder

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And put on an apron.

The kids will be home soon. It is time to get an afternoon snack ready, and to get dinner started soon after that.

Set the table with glasses and plates, and something homemade – biscuits, slice or cake. Something cold to drink in summer, or hot milo in winter.

The kids will sit at the table, but Mum stands in the doorway – with the tea towel over her shoulder. Sometimes with a broom, sometimes with a wooden spoon in hand.

She will ask the kids questions – what did you learn today, do you have homework, have you emptied your lunchbox and put it on the sink, don’t forget to change and get started on your homework. Often the kids volunteer a story from their day – and she will smile as she listens.

Before long, the snack is finished. Time to clear the table and get dinner started. She will wipe her hands on her tea towel and begin.

Dropping a Glass

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It was a few months ago when my little brother called my Mum.

‘Mum, this might be a weird question.’

‘Ok – ask away’.

‘Did I imagine this, or do you use a piece of bread to pick up the little pieces of glass after you’ve swept up the big bits?’

I remember Mum’s face glowing. ‘You didn’t imagine it. That is exactly right. The glass sticks to the bread – even the teeny, tiny bits you miss with the broom’.

‘Thanks Mum. I thought I was going crazy for a minute there.’

She said later that she didn’t know what made her prouder – the fact that my little brother had remembered a lesson, or that he had first used a broom and swept the floor.