Beautiful Daughter, who you will remember is in Melbourne, still reads the Farmy pages every day. She was on the phone yesterday. Write more stories, she says. I said, it is summer here I don’t start the real writing until December 26. I cannot think of a single story in the summer. I am too busy or my brain is too hot or something.
She laughed, thinking of the many stories I cannot tell. Tell them. She said. Tell them how you made us jump off stuff for hours, when we were little, remember? So you could get a shot of all of us in the air. Tell them you were an avid photographer even then and your kids paid the price. Oh Sops, I said, I am sure it was not hours. We were exhausted, she laughed. I could hear her giggle at the memory on the phone, me in Illinois and she in Melbourne. I thought how strange this way of communicating was, using only the ears. I wanted to poke her shoulder with my fingertip as she laughed at me!. She laughed again, and you would say, Just one more jump! Just once more! Just to be sure! Get back up there and jump off! It is not high! Stop your moaning!
Well, I said. that was in the days of film. I was bracketing!
That girl.
Tell the fence story, she said. No, I said, I will not. What are you thinking, like I will tell THAT story. Why not? she says, across thousands of miles. Tell it.
Are you going to jump the ditch to see me when I am in NZ, I said.
Yup, she answers, I have the plane fare in an envelope in with my knickers. You are just like me, I said, I always save into seperate envelopes too. Duh, she said (well she didn’t actually say Duh, it was all on the inside , what she did was sigh just audibly enough to tell her mother that of course she saves into envelopes we ALL do! Then your savings are in their rightful places, labelled. Tell the fence story, she said. No, I said, it will make me look like a bad mother and anyway you were just a baby. Tomorrow, she said knowing when was the exact moment to extract the promise. Saturday, I said. Because I am the Mother!
I will try. Things are quiet at the moment, I could probably do a story.
I miss her so. Sometimes I miss my children so much my breath forgets to breathe.
Anyway. Yesterday. I had made a very good celery soup using my Mothers recipe and then set everything up for some exceptional food photography photos, I was really styling. But apparently Camera was not styling at all. It sat on the tripod and was silent. So I have no images of the soup. I will make this soup again though, there is a lot of lovely celery in the garden this year and it needs to be eaten up.
Later I took the poor unloved Purse Camera, shoved it into my french baggie and went about the business of farming with animals that refuse to behave like well behaved farm animals.
For some obscure reason Sheila pushed the bowl into the corner and then fell over the straining wire in the rush to get to the milk. 
And just stayed like that while they sucked down the milk. 
To take the time to stand up like a proper pig would have meant that Charlotte got more! Funny pig. Pigs love milk.
And peacocks like to sit under the light in the barn. 
Posing. Fat. Peahen. Fattened on my grapes.
Good morning. It is Friday here. Friday is always a busy day. So tomorrow I will begin to write the story of the boy and the fence. In fact there are few fence stories now that I think about it. But The Baby is right. They like the stories. Everyone needs a good laugh every now and then, particularly if they get to laugh at their Mum. Laughing at oneself is good too.
Have a lovely day.
celi
What were we doing on this day a year ago? Let me see. Oh! I made meatloaf. The Famous Meatloaf.
The Kitchen's Garden 
99 responses to “Pigs love Milk”
I think the life no matter what their ages love it when their mothers tell stories from when they (the kids) were little. It offers some sort of secure innocent delight.
Life should be kids…stupid fingers, stupid phone, stupid morning.
Oooo Story Saturday, I’ll be ready and Sitting nicely !
I look forward to the “fence stories,” Celi! I feel your heart really laboring over separation from your children. That would be a hard one for me, I know. I hope there is a reunion soon! My children have a few stories they like me to re-tell from time to time, and fortunately time has softened the rough edges and we can laugh at the fact we all survived! Before I go, I have to give a quick nod to those adorable pigs! They are just too cute! OK…I’ll wait now for your stories! 🙂 Debra
Surviving childhood is not that easy.. and it is good to have those laughs! c
Sheila is most Rubenesque!
Oh Alice, you are right, she is getting a wee bit chubby! little piggie.. c
I tried getting in that position (minus the fence and tail) just to imagine !!
The feet in the air would take practice…..that pig…LOVE HER attitude !
I have a fence story too. What is it about fences….I was the one left hanging
upside down with slats in the pockets of my coat….and I adore my brother ??
Looking forward to tomorrow morning !!
Have a great day !
N
They are contortionist pigs.. poor you, never trust a brother.. I guess you learned that the hard wayc
This sentence most struck me: Sometimes I miss my children so much that my breath sometimes forgets to breathe. I am feeling that now more than ever since my son, my youngest, left for college a month ago. So glad you will see your daughter soon.
You are having a hard time with that, I know, at least this is one of these things that time helps .. c
“Posing. Fat. Peahen. Fattened on my grapes.” This statement is loaded with personality.
It is hard to have a child so far away: ” how strange this way of communicating was, using only the ears.” Said perfectly.
The nice thing about the separate envelopes – you can touch them and it’s solid and real. It’s like being closer – a step closer to being on the way
Oh, waiting for stories!
I label the envelopes too. travel money. taking everyone out to dinner (an envelope that needs to get fatter!), wine, accommodation, rental car in NZ, cab and bus money for chicago. All these are put aside so that I have all my bases covered .. and then you can save for the important things first. And after that it is all fun money. I know it sounds a wee bit over the top but I have always done it this way. My finances are finite and I do not use a credit card. So it has to be this way. c
We grew up doing this too. Life is so much easier this way.
I like it! Hubby informed me tonight that he saves ever fiver he gets, and any extra cash from DJing or local computer repair is under a toy truck on a bookshelf. Who needs banks? Or even piggybanks?
That is fantastic because that is exactly what Ido too, if i get a 5 dollar note in change i save it. I call it my tip money! c
Growing up, we put all change into a big jar and then in the spring, we all sat around the table, counted it all out, and rolled it into paper wrappers to take to the bank. Then that’s the money we had to spend for the summer vacation trip. It does add up – but we camped out in national parks, hiked for free, went to ranger talks, fished for food and ate lots of tuna sandwiches and hot dogs!
But we all knew where money came from and what stuff cost.
what a fantastic way of teaching kids about saving.. the counting out must have been a fund day as well and also a way to put your maths into action.. I actually do that still. All change that I glean from the washing machine goes into a jar and just before I leave I take it into one of those coin machines and the money i gather is for my meals in the airports..I am thrilled that i am not the only one who does these things.. c
Now I am not only reading your post to The Good Husband, I am reading the comments and the replies. It’s better than a newspaper, and infinitely better than television. I am so looking forward to your stories Celi. The week-end here promises to be glorious. I wish the same for you and yours. Hugs Virgiia
Morning Virgina, it does look as though it is going to be fantastic and isn’t the comments lounge a fab place to hang out..
Your pigs on the farmy have started to become my virtual pets; i laughed out loud at the pig tipped over; love your writing; you are enchanting, enchanting.
I laughed out loud too when i loaded the shots! too funny.. c
Your story of your daughter reminds me of my Mom and I; I do miss her terribly.
I’m curious about the fence story, perhaps if enough of your followers band together and SHOUT: TELL THE FENCE STORY, you might. I’m shouting now, I hope others join in.
Yes, I’m commenting from Vienna, we landed this morning. I can’t sleep on airplanes. We showered and walked around a bit and grabbed lunch and then I did what I NEVER, EVER do: I had a two hour nap. Then we walked again. It’s a beautiful city, but this is our fifth time here so it’s not new anymore. We’re just taking a wee break just before dinner, so I thought I’d see what you’re up to!
MY son is in Vienna.. RIGHT NOW! Watch out for a wooly headed NZer and his gorgeous English girlfriend! That would be so funny! his name is sam, just stand on the corner and call him!! c
I have envelopes also! They are excellent for money management. I have been extremely blessed as my children all live around me. As I did when I grew up…all around both sets of grandparents. My children were not so lucky…My parents were 4 hours by car away. The other set of grandparents were three miles away, but they didn’t like my kids.
Their loss, I feel.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
It is not a grandparents job to like or dislike the kids. It is their job to be the grandparents.. their loss for sure.. c
Good morning, Celi. Look forward to the fence story — I’m sure your daughter is right and we need to hear it.
Piggy pigs!
Looking forward to your ‘stories’…….
Love GMom
That pig looks like me in my retirement except the milk will be beer. I can hardly wait. You can come and take a picture! HF
As long as you promise to tangle your feet in the fence! c
I love that pig 😀 And I’d love to hear your stories….