The Joy Of Spring
Without Prejudice
If you have never lived in Melbourne you won't have any idea of the Joy that the warm days of Spring brings. After what seems an interminable winter of mud, cold winds, rain, hail and grey sullen skies Spring sneaks up on us. Sometimes in a half day. I watch for the daffodils and sweet smelling jonquils. I am convinced then that Spring is about to start.
Sometimes the blooms blossom and Winter gives us another few weeks of misery but when Spring does eventually arrives Melboune absolutely explodes. The cold earth warms, the men, usually young and encased in a Commodore, queue at the Car Wash, happily blasting away mud and dirt. Their radios boom out with a bass thump and it feels like the earth is jumping. I have no idea why this happens, the car washing, but I guess it's the male equivalent to a Woman's frenzied Spring Clean of the entire house.
This year we are prepared for the Spring. We have worked hard to prepare the garden and our two dwellings for the wonderful long days of Summer to come. In fact it's been back breaking in ways but worth it. I am writing in the sun and resting my aching back at the same time. Two birds, one stone. I can at least lean back on the timber outdoor setting seat as I mended it myself. One big bolt and a shifter has cured the lop sided seat that has sagged for ages.
My daughter and I have decided we are turning into lesbians as we toil away at the garden together. She has a male partner however and seven sons but none of them feel inclined to help. They prefer the indoors and addictive games to fresh air and sunshine. They are terrified they will have to do something that involves that four letter word. W.O.R.K. They are of the generation that hates the word, sees no need to do anything but look good and have fun.
My daughter and I are baby boomers. Well she is 7 years shy of the last year baby boomers were born but had a workaholic Father and Mother, so emulates the generation. This year we had a lucky addition, the cleaning up of my parent in laws house, who were hoarders and even though the family are sick to death of the sight of 40 years worth of detritus, we welcome it.
Yvette, my daughter wants everything and wants it restored to it's former glory. Some of the things are from my former in laws farm, Mandalay, and Yvette travels back in time to when her grandma and grand dad ran the dairy farm in Soldier's Road, Loch, South Gippsland. She wanted every thing, every concrete flower pot her Grandad, Tiny, had made. The bikes, one a trike, Tiny welded a second seat on it and she remembers riding it at the farm
The other a woman's Malvern Star which she wants a basket attached to so she can ride it. She and I and her partner Pete, a youngster, are similar in that way. They love retro antique " stuff", as do I. Especially retro Australiana. Kitchenalia is especially prized and we did do some " skip surfing " to claw back what the Family, her Uncle and Aunties deemed " crap".
She hasn't spoken to her Dad for 15 years, refused to go to her Grandma's funeral for the reason he would be there and said she didn't need his judgement about her new partner or his negativity about her life. Both her Grand Dads were her substitute father and luckily she felt the love of both and adored them right back. She was delighted to find out the other day that her Son Acer, aged 6 shares the same birthday as my Dad, Ernie.
Tiny died suddenly the week that Acer was born so I forgot about the connection until recently. She named Acer after Tiny's Middle name. His real name Sydney Paul, so Acer became Acer Paul, making an attendance at the funeral, as a newborn. Her Grandma was bereft at losing her life's partner after some sixty odd years of marriage and she stated he was the only man she had ever loved. She
was never the same after Tiny's death, she felt so alone.
To be continued ......
If you have never lived in Melbourne you won't have any idea of the Joy that the warm days of Spring brings. After what seems an interminable winter of mud, cold winds, rain, hail and grey sullen skies Spring sneaks up on us. Sometimes in a half day. I watch for the daffodils and sweet smelling jonquils. I am convinced then that Spring is about to start.
Sometimes the blooms blossom and Winter gives us another few weeks of misery but when Spring does eventually arrives Melboune absolutely explodes. The cold earth warms, the men, usually young and encased in a Commodore, queue at the Car Wash, happily blasting away mud and dirt. Their radios boom out with a bass thump and it feels like the earth is jumping. I have no idea why this happens, the car washing, but I guess it's the male equivalent to a Woman's frenzied Spring Clean of the entire house.
This year we are prepared for the Spring. We have worked hard to prepare the garden and our two dwellings for the wonderful long days of Summer to come. In fact it's been back breaking in ways but worth it. I am writing in the sun and resting my aching back at the same time. Two birds, one stone. I can at least lean back on the timber outdoor setting seat as I mended it myself. One big bolt and a shifter has cured the lop sided seat that has sagged for ages.
My daughter and I have decided we are turning into lesbians as we toil away at the garden together. She has a male partner however and seven sons but none of them feel inclined to help. They prefer the indoors and addictive games to fresh air and sunshine. They are terrified they will have to do something that involves that four letter word. W.O.R.K. They are of the generation that hates the word, sees no need to do anything but look good and have fun.
My daughter and I are baby boomers. Well she is 7 years shy of the last year baby boomers were born but had a workaholic Father and Mother, so emulates the generation. This year we had a lucky addition, the cleaning up of my parent in laws house, who were hoarders and even though the family are sick to death of the sight of 40 years worth of detritus, we welcome it.
Yvette, my daughter wants everything and wants it restored to it's former glory. Some of the things are from my former in laws farm, Mandalay, and Yvette travels back in time to when her grandma and grand dad ran the dairy farm in Soldier's Road, Loch, South Gippsland. She wanted every thing, every concrete flower pot her Grandad, Tiny, had made. The bikes, one a trike, Tiny welded a second seat on it and she remembers riding it at the farm
The other a woman's Malvern Star which she wants a basket attached to so she can ride it. She and I and her partner Pete, a youngster, are similar in that way. They love retro antique " stuff", as do I. Especially retro Australiana. Kitchenalia is especially prized and we did do some " skip surfing " to claw back what the Family, her Uncle and Aunties deemed " crap".
She hasn't spoken to her Dad for 15 years, refused to go to her Grandma's funeral for the reason he would be there and said she didn't need his judgement about her new partner or his negativity about her life. Both her Grand Dads were her substitute father and luckily she felt the love of both and adored them right back. She was delighted to find out the other day that her Son Acer, aged 6 shares the same birthday as my Dad, Ernie.
Tiny died suddenly the week that Acer was born so I forgot about the connection until recently. She named Acer after Tiny's Middle name. His real name Sydney Paul, so Acer became Acer Paul, making an attendance at the funeral, as a newborn. Her Grandma was bereft at losing her life's partner after some sixty odd years of marriage and she stated he was the only man she had ever loved. She
was never the same after Tiny's death, she felt so alone.
To be continued ......
