Christmas 1963...




I was looking through old family photos and came across these two.
Unsure if I have posted these some long while back but as its almost Christmas they are getting an airing.
Here we all are Mum (in the first one) and Dad (in the second) with the little tree behind us and our
water tank next to that. Hard by, but out of sight is the outdoors toilet which always seem to have a crazy lean. Dad was a weekend house painter (an extra job) and he would paint the house and toilet with all the left over paint. One year the house and toilet were green, later on

pink and other colours...

My sister Veronica is the tallest and she was only14... she never grew an inch after this and now at 57 she is a tiny person these days (she shrunk a lot), then there was June...the delicate femme one... who no longer desires contact (sad really) she of the Social Worker mindset and the baby is Joanie...she is 47 now. Veronica, June and I were only 18 months apart respectively... They had another one in 1964 and she lives in New Zealand at Dunedin.

I am the one who always had a bad haircut...and no I did not do it myself.

Dad and Mum were a dream... they mucked in as many parents did not do in those days, but there were rules and manners and the odd smack.

I am so lucky. I had a wonderful childhood...free able to become whoever or whatever I wanted. Sadly Dad was killed in the late 60's by a drunk driver...but Mum still held it together...and laughed and smiled again, but she was never quite the same person after...thats understandable.


Charlie says "they are us, we are them" thanks Charlie...and this is truth. In my case what they gave to me grew because I was able to be myself all my life, living in the present, enjoying the kids when they were kids, not bemoaning not being able to travel or whatever...and yes...for me its true...I did marry a man just like my dad...


sometimes if your dad is a good bloke that can work... it was really hard work in the early days... rough diamonds are the best ones...as no doubt it was for mum, but I have a lot of pleasure in considering the love my parents had was equal to my own...we are the lucky ones.


These photos from so long ago in my life... well over a generation age. I am lucky to have them because without them so much gets forgotten. Looking at these photos I can remember the day as if it was yesterday and even the feeling of the sun behind the clouds...
We Australians would never have a tree in the yard if the sun was out in December... in all my childhood we only ever had two Christmases using outside trees...