Monday, 7 January 2013

Be careful what you ask for!




Following on with my historical bent adding a touch of humour!

What senses were my sister engaging the morning of this event? I think ‘no sense’ at all.

Maxine had always admired Grandmothers blue water set.


She had first set eyes on them in the china cabinet when she was a little girl. She just loved the beautiful aqua glass sparkling in the sunlight. Over the years she dreamed and gazed at them lovingly, never touching, never asking, children didn’t back then in the 1940’s.

Her engagement brought forth a fresh and daring confidence. She visited our grandparents to introduce her fiancé and waxed lyrical about how beautiful the water set was, a wonderful colour, how she had admired them since being a little girl blah, blah, blah making such a show of admiring them. Now note here that this Grandmother was not noted for her generosity.

Oohhhhhhhhhh! Grandmother asked her if she would like some glasses – Maxine in total joy thinking her luck had changed said ‘Yes, yes please’. Grandmother took her down to the kitchen and gave her 6 peanut paste jars. Be careful want you ask for! She had no choice but to graciously accept.

Meanwhile Dad was cutting Grandfathers hair with the cow clippers, he laughed so much he tore a hunk out of Grandfathers hair. These clippers were attached to a stand with a wheel. The wheel was turned at speed by hand for the clippers to work. Lack of speed meant tearing the hair out (no fancy barbers in those days). Their original use was to prep and prepare cattle for showing. Multi function was obviously the order of the day in those days. The photo shows the wheel and stand, we could not find the actual clippers!

It is enough to make your shudder, imagine going to the hairdresser today and seeing such an antiquated piece of equipment…let alone the agony associated with it’s use…and worse still what on earth would you look like after a ‘style cut’ via the clippers!

Forward many years, our grandparents long gone and an Aunt offered the water set to Maxine…she got them in the end!



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