Yesterday I told the true tale of my youngest son who, as a toddler, climbed to a high cupboard and sampled the fluoride tablets, fluoride being a real necessity when rain water off the roof is the only water supply. It could have been disastrous; and the party-line telephone, strung from tree to tree in the virgin bush during a thunderstorm was the only means of communication on the isolated cattle property.  

    A pioneer woman of coursewould not be supplementing her child’s diet with fluoride tablets; they wouldbe drinking from a well or a creek; but I easily identified with the character Mary in the novel in the area of food preparation. Mary purchased flour and sugar and a fewcondiments and got on with the job as I did. She bought fabric and cotton and clothedher children and herself with the aid of a Singer sewing machine as I did.Rob’s dear Aunty Janey gave me recipes and I made my own jams, jellies andpickles. With the sewing, I taught myself with the help of the Enid Gilchristpattern- making books (not sure if they were global).  I became very proficient at boy’s shirts (having four boys) and onoccasions sewed my own evening gowns for the numerous charity balls weattended. It was a whole new world of creativity and endeavour. I churned thecream to make the butter for both families– the butter going into biscuits, scones, cakes and slices. I rearedcockerels for the table and kept hens for the fresh eggs they laid daily. Thevegetable garden was always productive. Attimes we had our own beef and mutton. It was as close to a life of self-sufficiencythat was possible at the time. My apprenticeship for my pioneering family inthe novel was played-out in reality. It was the era before massive stores likeTarget and Big W with their affordable ready-made clothing. We offered our listof groceries to a man in a calico apron at a heavy timber counter in the mainstore in the little town. Life was full to the brim and I left my writing ambitions on hold until thechildren were almost reared.

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