The Queen and Christmas Traditions at The Farm.
Without Prejudice
I love the Queen. She speaks to me of Tradition and Duty and there is nothing I like more. Pomp and Circumstance were what I was raised on, the stiff Upper Lip and all that was British and Scottish. All the fine things that mean, nobility, bravery, solidarity, stability and belonging. From a young child I knew or was given to understand I was firstly British, secondly Scottish and thirdly Australian.
Now I am solidly Australian , secondly Scottish and thirdly British. My children were all born here, my grandchildren all born here and my great grand child born here. He is half Serbian and Half Australian. His Mother born in Serbia and His Father, my grandson, born here. Yvette made her way back from Perth to have her 5th son in Melbourne. Her waters had broken and she was in semi labour but he was not being born in Perth.
She kept her condition hidden under a Parka and said nothing to the airline staff. She's always been small in pregnancy and she also wanted Mum (me) to be there and Mum was in Melbourne. That's determination!. He was born a little bit later and within 2 days rushed to Monash Hospital a sick little boy who survived an operation at just 2 days old weighing, just 4 and a half pounds. I can remember thinking at the time, what would be the size of the instruments they, the Doctors, would use on a baby that small.
Traditionally all her boys had been born in Melbourne, would be born in Melbourne and that was almost like a lucky omen to her. Melbourne was home and home meant safety and stability so did Mum. I have seen all her boys born except one as he came in such a hurry, (Half an hour) I was driving from home to work when he was born. I rang her at six and she was fine, when I arrived at work, she rang me and he'd been be born.
Cruz her latest addition I could have delivered at home, but the ambulance Officer was a tad nervous, so we got her to the nearest Hospital and she delivered in one minute and 36 seconds of swinging through the labour ward doors on a stretcher. My oldest Grandsons Serbian fiance delivered in 3 hours, her first, so look out next time if there is less than a two year gap between second and first.
Traditions speak to us of stability. My girls were brought up on them. Christmas was always at the farm, the dairy farm at Soldiers Road, Loch. The tradition was that they played with their presents and there were always new clothes in there. They dressed in new clothes and drove to the farm in time for lunch. Gifts from others were opened and then put in the boots of the cars. The families converged for this one day. My ex Husband's large family.
The big billiard table was in the lounge room and covered with wooden surface, tablecloth and then lollies and chips, nuts (fresh and uncracked) were placed on the table. We always had crackers to pull when we sat down and always donned the paper crowns inside. We then called out all the ghastly jokes inside to each other and then we had dinner. It was always Turkey, Pork, Chicken roast vegies, gravy, Apple sauce, stuffing and crackling. Then Christmas Pudding with money inside, custard, cream or ice cream. My Mother In Law had to have been one of the best cooks I have ever met and passed that skill to her grand daughter, my daughter, Alena.
Everything Gwen made or Alena makes is fantastic and tastes like Ambrosia, I kid you not. There roasts are savoury and tasty and you have never had a roast until you have had one of theirs. Afternoon tea at the farm was always, mince pies, shortbread, Christmas cake with marshmallow Icing and hundreds and thousands on the top. If we were lucky the mince was made by Nana Wooley, (Gwen's Mum ) weeks before and was better than any other. A little bit of brandy, I think, contained within the mix.
After that there was a tradition Of Uncle Ken , my ex husbands unmarried Uncle handing out the envelopes to each Family from him and Nana Wooley. It was always money and it was always a decent sum. he was lovely Ken, he lived at the back of Nana Wooley in Chadstone in a caravan. he never sullied the house with his Mans presence. he had been disappointed in love during the War and had not trusted again. He was shy and self effacing and we all loved him dearly. Nana and Ken always came and left around 4, bringing with them a Silky Terrier with a bow of red in her hair.
Tea was always ham, salad, leftover Turkey, Chicken, Pork, bread and butter pickles that came from the fresh cucumbers in the garden and mustard seeds. Mayo was made from Condensed milk, salt and vinegar, mustard and if solidified could stand a spoon up in it. Some how we were all able to fit tea in after eating a massive lunch. Then with kids stuffed full and ourselves we would return to our houses in the city so the kids at last could open all of their presents before falling into bed.
Often though my ex husband and I and the girls would stay on and help with the hay. we would stay for about three weeks, waiting for the weather to be right, hot and windless and then we would start. Everyone pitched in with the loading of the hay onto the trucks. It was hot fun work and we sweated out there. The breaks came when someone would go and fetch the morning tea, lunch and afternoon teas made by Gwen and brought in picnic baskets.
Fresh scones with home made jam and fresh from that days milking, whipped cream with if we were lucky sweet butter, also home made. Big slabs of boiled fruit cake with fudge icing, toll house cookies, lots of tea. Lunch of ham and pickle or salad sandwiches, bread thick and soft, more of the fresh butter. Repeat for afternoon tea of morning tea. I have never seen someone that could sock it away like my ex husbands Dad, Tiny, and he was tiny!
We must have burned it all off with the Hay baling. My ex husband would take off his shirt and burn himself black. He was different to the rest of the family as he looked almost Spanish, he was so dark, with olive skin and dark hair. We teased Gwen mercilessly about his ancestry and said he probably belonged to Luigi the green grocer. But it was all tongue in cheek, no one was more devoted to her husband than Gwen
To Be Continued
I love the Queen. She speaks to me of Tradition and Duty and there is nothing I like more. Pomp and Circumstance were what I was raised on, the stiff Upper Lip and all that was British and Scottish. All the fine things that mean, nobility, bravery, solidarity, stability and belonging. From a young child I knew or was given to understand I was firstly British, secondly Scottish and thirdly Australian.
Now I am solidly Australian , secondly Scottish and thirdly British. My children were all born here, my grandchildren all born here and my great grand child born here. He is half Serbian and Half Australian. His Mother born in Serbia and His Father, my grandson, born here. Yvette made her way back from Perth to have her 5th son in Melbourne. Her waters had broken and she was in semi labour but he was not being born in Perth.
She kept her condition hidden under a Parka and said nothing to the airline staff. She's always been small in pregnancy and she also wanted Mum (me) to be there and Mum was in Melbourne. That's determination!. He was born a little bit later and within 2 days rushed to Monash Hospital a sick little boy who survived an operation at just 2 days old weighing, just 4 and a half pounds. I can remember thinking at the time, what would be the size of the instruments they, the Doctors, would use on a baby that small.
Traditionally all her boys had been born in Melbourne, would be born in Melbourne and that was almost like a lucky omen to her. Melbourne was home and home meant safety and stability so did Mum. I have seen all her boys born except one as he came in such a hurry, (Half an hour) I was driving from home to work when he was born. I rang her at six and she was fine, when I arrived at work, she rang me and he'd been be born.
Cruz her latest addition I could have delivered at home, but the ambulance Officer was a tad nervous, so we got her to the nearest Hospital and she delivered in one minute and 36 seconds of swinging through the labour ward doors on a stretcher. My oldest Grandsons Serbian fiance delivered in 3 hours, her first, so look out next time if there is less than a two year gap between second and first.
Traditions speak to us of stability. My girls were brought up on them. Christmas was always at the farm, the dairy farm at Soldiers Road, Loch. The tradition was that they played with their presents and there were always new clothes in there. They dressed in new clothes and drove to the farm in time for lunch. Gifts from others were opened and then put in the boots of the cars. The families converged for this one day. My ex Husband's large family.
The big billiard table was in the lounge room and covered with wooden surface, tablecloth and then lollies and chips, nuts (fresh and uncracked) were placed on the table. We always had crackers to pull when we sat down and always donned the paper crowns inside. We then called out all the ghastly jokes inside to each other and then we had dinner. It was always Turkey, Pork, Chicken roast vegies, gravy, Apple sauce, stuffing and crackling. Then Christmas Pudding with money inside, custard, cream or ice cream. My Mother In Law had to have been one of the best cooks I have ever met and passed that skill to her grand daughter, my daughter, Alena.
Everything Gwen made or Alena makes is fantastic and tastes like Ambrosia, I kid you not. There roasts are savoury and tasty and you have never had a roast until you have had one of theirs. Afternoon tea at the farm was always, mince pies, shortbread, Christmas cake with marshmallow Icing and hundreds and thousands on the top. If we were lucky the mince was made by Nana Wooley, (Gwen's Mum ) weeks before and was better than any other. A little bit of brandy, I think, contained within the mix.
After that there was a tradition Of Uncle Ken , my ex husbands unmarried Uncle handing out the envelopes to each Family from him and Nana Wooley. It was always money and it was always a decent sum. he was lovely Ken, he lived at the back of Nana Wooley in Chadstone in a caravan. he never sullied the house with his Mans presence. he had been disappointed in love during the War and had not trusted again. He was shy and self effacing and we all loved him dearly. Nana and Ken always came and left around 4, bringing with them a Silky Terrier with a bow of red in her hair.
Tea was always ham, salad, leftover Turkey, Chicken, Pork, bread and butter pickles that came from the fresh cucumbers in the garden and mustard seeds. Mayo was made from Condensed milk, salt and vinegar, mustard and if solidified could stand a spoon up in it. Some how we were all able to fit tea in after eating a massive lunch. Then with kids stuffed full and ourselves we would return to our houses in the city so the kids at last could open all of their presents before falling into bed.
Often though my ex husband and I and the girls would stay on and help with the hay. we would stay for about three weeks, waiting for the weather to be right, hot and windless and then we would start. Everyone pitched in with the loading of the hay onto the trucks. It was hot fun work and we sweated out there. The breaks came when someone would go and fetch the morning tea, lunch and afternoon teas made by Gwen and brought in picnic baskets.
Fresh scones with home made jam and fresh from that days milking, whipped cream with if we were lucky sweet butter, also home made. Big slabs of boiled fruit cake with fudge icing, toll house cookies, lots of tea. Lunch of ham and pickle or salad sandwiches, bread thick and soft, more of the fresh butter. Repeat for afternoon tea of morning tea. I have never seen someone that could sock it away like my ex husbands Dad, Tiny, and he was tiny!
We must have burned it all off with the Hay baling. My ex husband would take off his shirt and burn himself black. He was different to the rest of the family as he looked almost Spanish, he was so dark, with olive skin and dark hair. We teased Gwen mercilessly about his ancestry and said he probably belonged to Luigi the green grocer. But it was all tongue in cheek, no one was more devoted to her husband than Gwen
To Be Continued
