Water Lily

Some time ago, maybe a couple of years ago I gave David the gift of a water lily to plant in our dam. Nothing happened so I thought it had died. Last year the water level in the dam was low and the plant pot just sat lifeless. But to my joy David told me this morning that there was a water lily.

So I went and took a photo. On the way back to the house I remembered one of the reasons I like water lilies. When I was young - pre teens young - my mother went out on Monday and Wednesday nights. On Monday nights she went to the Stawell Tech to do a class. Firstly it was millinery and Mum made many wonderful creations. I still use her hat block.

The next class she took was cake decorating. The hats she made were good but the cakes were really something special. One of the cakes she made was decorated with water lilies. Each lily was carefully moulded and then hand painted. We didn't madly take photos in those years and I'm sad that I don't have photos of some of the decorated cakes. I remember the Dolly Varden cake made for my 8th birthday - I still have the small two faced doll.

When I was at boarding school I remember one birthday cake my mother sent me - decorated with a horse and horse shoes. And there were the cakes for friends and relations, special birthdays and weddings.

And the Wednesday nights Mum went out. Well Mum and 4 friends played solo. These women didn't play for money, they used counters. I still have the box of shells. When "cards" were at home (there was a strict rotation around the houses) I would count out the shells and give each player the required number. Sometimes these card nights went late and Dad would worry if Mum was not home by midnight. Strange the things you remember.

The big deal about card nights was that there was supper. The magical country supper. If it was at home my brother and I would hope the ladies didn't eat it all and maybe there would be leftovers for us the next day. I remember Mum used to make a luscious slice from her Elizabeth David cook book. I have that book now.