| Family Non-Fiction posted February 25, 2024 |
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There are only memories left now.
Grandma's House
by Patricia Green1
Grandma's house was very old, or so it seemed to me as a child. With its hessian / wall-paper covered walla, chairs with kangaroos carved into them, and a 6 inch thick, ticking covered, feather mattress on her bed.
Grandma lived a block from the main highway going through the small country town of Lilydale.
The house was originally a main bedroom, a lounge-room, a kitchen and a front verandah. The laundry was another building in the back-yard, which contained a large copper, cement sink and wringer. The toilet was an old wooden building, way up the back of the yard, with a large pail which a man came to pick up, once a week.
Over the years, because she had 6 children, the house got changed around. The loungeroom became a bedroom for the 2 girls, and the verandah had canvas blinds put up to enclose it, as a bedroom for the 4 boys {which would have been freezing in the icy winter in Lilydale}. There was no electricity until 1957 when my Mum insisted Grandma let her get it put on.
So I have many memories of sitting at the large home-made oak kitchen table, trying to read my p;icture books by oil-lamp, with the large black wood-stove alight beside me, keeping the room cosy on icy winter nights.
My Mum also had an extra room built on as an entry way, with an enclosed bathroom, but as there was still no hot water, we used a large tub of water heated on the stove and poured into the bath.
I am forever grateful to whoever invented the "potty", so I didn't have to go to the loo, in the middle of the night, as it was a nightmare to go there during the day!
Thank goodness the song "a red back on the toilet seat" hadn't been written yet!
My sister and I enjoyed many holidays at Easter and Christmas or long week-ends, staying with Grandma. One of the things I loved most was her backyard and garden. grandma's garden was a new adventure every time I went out there. So much to see and do, I never got tired of being outside. On sunny days I spent hours sitting up in the mulberry tree gorging myself, with the lovely scent of her purple and white lilac trees wafting around me, and watching the antics of the rooster and chickens in the chook pen.
On special occasions one of the chickens would be sacrificed for Sunday lunch. I can still remember Grandma chopping off the chicken's head as we stood in shock, watching the chook run around the yard with mno head, which fascinated and horrified us, at the same time. There was a large patch of home-grown vegies, curly lettuce {picked fresh} and sprinkled with water and sugar, was yum! Large juicy tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, peas and beans, rhubarb and even a large Gooseberry bush.
There was nothing nicer than sitting at the table in that cosy kitchen, shelling fresh peas and stringing beans ready for tea, as Grandma related stories of long ago, to our big eyes and gaping mouths.
Grandma always had something yummy put away for supper, home-made jam sandwiches with dollops of fresh cream on top, home-made rhubarb cobbler, or apple pie.
My sister and i spent hours playing games in amongst the trees and bushes, climbing the wild cherry tree, or playing with toys under the shady canopies. There was always flowers, no matter what time of the year, daffodils and jonquils, pink carnations, red poppies and lavender, a delight to the senses. Large clumps of johnny-jump-ups, snowdrops and snapdragons, amongst wildly growing curly mint, which left the whole garden with a fresh minty scent.
With strawberries, gooseberries and blackberries so abundant Grandma always had dozens of jars of yummy home-made jams and preserves, stocked in her larder, along with an array of bottled fruits.
Unfortunately everything comes to an end and urban growth caught up with Lilydale, and my Grandma's house.
The small country town is now a large, thriving suburban City, on a large main Freeway.
The house where Grandma lived is now a four-storey Real Estate business amongst many other large buildings, on a main road. What used to be paddocks, as far as the eye could see, at the front of the house, is now a large lake and community park.
There is nothing left to even hint at the lovely oasis, which was my Grandma's house and garden, where my sister and I spent so many lovely holidays, long ago.
But the lovely memories of my Grandma and her little old house and garden, will live on forever.
True Story Contest contest entry
Grandma's house was very old, or so it seemed to me as a child. With its hessian / wall-paper covered walla, chairs with kangaroos carved into them, and a 6 inch thick, ticking covered, feather mattress on her bed.
Grandma lived a block from the main highway going through the small country town of Lilydale.
The house was originally a main bedroom, a lounge-room, a kitchen and a front verandah. The laundry was another building in the back-yard, which contained a large copper, cement sink and wringer. The toilet was an old wooden building, way up the back of the yard, with a large pail which a man came to pick up, once a week.
Over the years, because she had 6 children, the house got changed around. The loungeroom became a bedroom for the 2 girls, and the verandah had canvas blinds put up to enclose it, as a bedroom for the 4 boys {which would have been freezing in the icy winter in Lilydale}. There was no electricity until 1957 when my Mum insisted Grandma let her get it put on.
So I have many memories of sitting at the large home-made oak kitchen table, trying to read my p;icture books by oil-lamp, with the large black wood-stove alight beside me, keeping the room cosy on icy winter nights.
My Mum also had an extra room built on as an entry way, with an enclosed bathroom, but as there was still no hot water, we used a large tub of water heated on the stove and poured into the bath.
I am forever grateful to whoever invented the "potty", so I didn't have to go to the loo, in the middle of the night, as it was a nightmare to go there during the day!
Thank goodness the song "a red back on the toilet seat" hadn't been written yet!
My sister and I enjoyed many holidays at Easter and Christmas or long week-ends, staying with Grandma. One of the things I loved most was her backyard and garden. grandma's garden was a new adventure every time I went out there. So much to see and do, I never got tired of being outside. On sunny days I spent hours sitting up in the mulberry tree gorging myself, with the lovely scent of her purple and white lilac trees wafting around me, and watching the antics of the rooster and chickens in the chook pen.
On special occasions one of the chickens would be sacrificed for Sunday lunch. I can still remember Grandma chopping off the chicken's head as we stood in shock, watching the chook run around the yard with mno head, which fascinated and horrified us, at the same time. There was a large patch of home-grown vegies, curly lettuce {picked fresh} and sprinkled with water and sugar, was yum! Large juicy tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, peas and beans, rhubarb and even a large Gooseberry bush.
There was nothing nicer than sitting at the table in that cosy kitchen, shelling fresh peas and stringing beans ready for tea, as Grandma related stories of long ago, to our big eyes and gaping mouths.
Grandma always had something yummy put away for supper, home-made jam sandwiches with dollops of fresh cream on top, home-made rhubarb cobbler, or apple pie.
My sister and i spent hours playing games in amongst the trees and bushes, climbing the wild cherry tree, or playing with toys under the shady canopies. There was always flowers, no matter what time of the year, daffodils and jonquils, pink carnations, red poppies and lavender, a delight to the senses. Large clumps of johnny-jump-ups, snowdrops and snapdragons, amongst wildly growing curly mint, which left the whole garden with a fresh minty scent.
With strawberries, gooseberries and blackberries so abundant Grandma always had dozens of jars of yummy home-made jams and preserves, stocked in her larder, along with an array of bottled fruits.
Unfortunately everything comes to an end and urban growth caught up with Lilydale, and my Grandma's house.
The small country town is now a large, thriving suburban City, on a large main Freeway.
The house where Grandma lived is now a four-storey Real Estate business amongst many other large buildings, on a main road. What used to be paddocks, as far as the eye could see, at the front of the house, is now a large lake and community park.
There is nothing left to even hint at the lovely oasis, which was my Grandma's house and garden, where my sister and I spent so many lovely holidays, long ago.
But the lovely memories of my Grandma and her little old house and garden, will live on forever.
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