I have been brooding over what I said in my last post
about my great aunts, I called them ‘batty’, it has been bothering me and I
want to redress the situation, I should have used the word eccentric. I have decided to dedicate a post to them as
I am beginning to realize that I owe them a lot.
Berta and Magda emigrated to NZ from Germany/Poland
with their parents in the late 1890’s; they were the youngest of 13
children. They helped their parents’
clear bush to create the family farm in Taranaki. They looked after them when they were elderly
as they never married. They were
allocated some land when their parents died and had a cottage and about 2 acres
of land on which they had a house cow, pigs, chooks (hens), goats and a couple of
sheep. They lived to great age Berta 103
and Magda 102!
I first met them when I was 9. My Grandparents decided that my brother and I
were to be taken on a tiki tour around the family. I still remember going down a mossy path to a
little house with trees crowded around and being sternly by my grandfather to
behave and not fidget. I thought that
they were the oldest people I had ever seen, I realize now that they must have
been in their late 70s.
We were told to sit down on a hard sofa and they
bustled about getting tea and cake. The
cups were of fine china and the cake was apple cake. I was petrified about
breaking the cups they were so thin. The
room was crowded with furniture and knickknacks. After the tea the aunts told
my brother he could be excused and look at the animals. However, I was to stay and was cross examined
about my life, then they smiled and offered me a jar with chunks of white
stuff, it was foul. I learnt later that
it was nougat; to this day I can’t eat it!
The round crystal jar was the same one that the nougat
came in.
I met them again when I was 12 when my sister and I
were summoned to spend the summer holidays with them. I didn’t want to go, but they were the most
magical weeks of my childhood. I learnt
to milk the house cow, about herbs and vegetable growing, roses, they taught my
sister and me to crochet and do needlework.
I see now that how they lived set a standard for me to follow. I don’t know if it is genes or personality,
but I find myself now living like they lived.
Being self-reliant, industrious, and eccentric! I did marry but was not blessed with children
and now that I am on my own, even though I am nowhere near their age, I am
wondering if my nieces and nephews consider me batty!
When I married the crystal and silver bowl were
wedding presents. The doilies I was sent
on my 21st birthday. All
these years I have kept them, they have travelled the world with me. Even though I never crocheted again after that
holiday, I think that what they taught me stayed with me and that is why I was
able to start with ease when I took it up again after 40 or so years.
To celebrate their legacy to me I have started a
centre piece for my dining table in n. 20 cotton that I found in an op shop.
I was going to try my hand at a table cloth, but
thought it was too ambitious for my first attempt at this fine work. I found the motif in a book on classic blocks
I got out of the library.
Berta and Magda
Buhr I salute you, you rocked. You now
live on in cyber land.
P.S If you are interested
in the recipe for the apple cake I have posted it on my new cooking blog, Zana’s Kitchen. I have decided to have my cooking separate as
I want the recipes all together as my sister and I want to compile a book on
family recipes and self-publish so that future generations don’t miss out on
our heritage. I will make a button for
my sidebar and have the latest recipe listed for those who are interested.
