A Legacy

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 21^st 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.