This is my life

[Lizzy]

We have to thank DOLORES for this so if you find yourself bored to tears remembver it was all her idea - LOL!

Elizabeth Margaret (there may have been some royal family obsession going on with my parents), born 20th April 1963 in Sydney, Australia. First child for Francesca (a hairdresser) and Peter (a tyre salesman). My brother Chris came along a year later, followed by a sister, Francine and then another brother, Shane. We lived in a little town called Eastwood (about 25 miles from the city) and our neighbours also happened to be my grandparents. Our home perched on top of a hill and at night the view of the lights below was beautiful.

My grandfather was italian, grandmother irish so there were some passionate family gatherings next door - LOL. My mother had 4 brothers (all younger - one was only a few years older than me) who at some stage or other when I was young lived next door. They were BIG on practical jokes and most afternoons after school I would be set upon with a hose or a bucket of water would fall on my head as I walked through a doorway. I learnt to pay back as well but never as good as what I got. I guess that's where I got my crazy sense of humour from.

Stand By for the next episode.

[Denirae]

Lizzy your birthday is the day after mine, but I'm 10 yrs older.

Isn't this fun remembering way back when?

Look forward to next chapter.

[DOLORES]

I THINK YOU WERE NAMED CORRECTLY !
YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL NAME !
DID YOU PASS IT ON TO ANY OF YOUR CHILDREN ?
WAITING FOR YOUR PART 2 !
THANK YOU ;)

[DOLORES]

OH PLEASE CONTINUE ............;)

[Lina]

Liz, we are waiting for the next chapter...

[Lizzy]

From a very young age I enjoyed school. Of course it helped that my first grade teacher, Mrs Chaston, possessed magical powers. I am not entirely sure whether she was a fairy, a witch (a good one of course) an angel or what. In her presence lost things would magically appear and childrens tears and troubles would disappear. At the end of grade 1 four students were chosen to go on a special outing with Mrs Chaston and I was one. We took a train trip and visited the zoo - on the return train trip in a throng of adults, I dropped my little handbag onto the tracks, in the void between the platform and the train. We sat in our seats and I began to cry and when asked why, I said that I'd dropped my bag. Mrs Chaston smiled and said "What this bag here" and held my bag out to me. When I asked her how she got it she just winked at me - I knew it was magic. I think she retired when I was in Grade 3 - my brother may have had something to do with that - LOLOL.

Not all the teachers were Mrs Chastons. There were some (especially one or two of the nuns) that did not appreciate my constant questions and compulsion to talk. I think I had one or two appointments with "6 cuts of the cane" - my crime, talking. Didn't help though?? LOL.

To be continued

[Denirae]

Lizzy.....I can't imagine you getting in trouble for talking. HEHEHEHE

Guess what so did I...........

Looking forward to the next story!

[Lina]

What wonderful memories Liz. The magical powers that your teacher had reminded me of some thing my mother used to say to us when she caught us at something and we wanted to know how she knew...she would always tell us a little bird told her, LOL...we hated that bird and my sister and I would watch to make sure no birds were around when we did something, LOL...of course now we know we told on our selves being to loud or what ever...and I would say the same to my girls, "A little bird told me"

[cljsgarden]

Oh Lizzy I love the story . . . . you tell about your life & you have just taken me back to my first train ride with my dear grannie. . . . I believe your first teacher imparted some of that magic to you. . . dear angel.

[Lizzy]

Grade 1 was also where I met my first love - Paul Barnes - although as you will read the love was more on his side than mine. He wanted to kiss me behind the boys toilets but apart from the fact that kissing boys was disgusting as far as I was concerned, the back of the boys toilets was even more disgusting. He asked me almost daily to marry him and of course I told him the only boy I was marrying was my Daddy. I think it must have been in Grade 2 when he decided to show me just how serious he was about our "marriage". One day he came to school and gave me an engagement ring - it was a big diamond with rubies all round it. He said now that I had the ring I had to marry him. So we snuck into the church with our 7 year old officiator and witnesses. And then.... I did the runaway bride act and left him at the altar. At 7 I thought if it takes place in a church it's real (plus I was a bit worried about being struck down by a bolt of lightning - LOL)

Well that night at home the phone rang. Paul's mother had been frantic all day searching for her engagement ring. She'd taken it off to wash up and it was gone. She'd even had the plumber check the pipes and turned the house upside down. Finally Paul broke down and told her he'd taken it and given it to me. WOW - what a scafuffle over that ring. Lucky it was in my school bag and was safely returned. That was the end for Paul and me though!

[Lina]

I met my first love in first grade too! He would swing me on the swing every day ...And I would walk around singing "I will follow him"...I am so glad his mother got her ring back...wonder what our first loves are doing now?

[Denirae]

Lizzy that is too funny. Glad she got her ring back okay.

Keep the story coming, I'm enjoying it so.

[cljsgarden]

Lizzy,

More more more . . . . can't wait for the next chapter

[Lizzy]

I guess when I was in primary school most things you just didn't question (at school or at home). You were taught about democracy and free will but you didn't actually get to exercise it too much - LOL. In Grade 6 this all changed with the arrival of a very liberated, radical, free thinking student teacher who was placed in our classroom for a term.

Under the watchful eye of a very strict, Sister Mary Cletus, she stuck to the curriculum for the first few weeks. Once the Sister felt comfortable enough to relinquish control and permanently remove herself from the class room, our lives (well mine anyway) took a different turn. Her mantra was "question everything", "don't be afraid to speak up" and "keep an open mind". We discussed so many interesting topics - things that our usual teachers would never allow - not anything untoward, just things like whether we believed aliens existed etc. She was interested in our opinions and many of us suddenly discovered we had opinions.

Womens liberation was also a favourite topic of hers - yes, in the early 70's women had made much progress but we had a long way to go. We were still told that girls had the choice of careers as nurses, teachers, secretarys, hairdressers or nuns. These (except for nuns) would only be short stints as we would get married and have families by no later than our early 20's. Boys had no limits as to their career choices. Our student teacher (and I can't remember her name) dispeled this myth, we could be whatever we wanted to be and no one could place limitations on us except ourselves.

What happened to this amazing young woman? The Department came to grade her on her teaching ability before reassigning her for a permanent position the following year. They observed classes from the back of the room along with some of the schools nuns. Maths, english, etc all went well. The last class was general studies - I can only remember the shocked faces and dropped jaws as the class discussed communism and the vietnam war. This was not a suitable topic according to the other adults in the room so the class was stopped and the teacher whisked away, never to be seen again. Her last words were - "remember if you keep an open mind, the possibilities are endless".

[Lina]

Sounds like a wonderful insightful teacher you had, to bad some people minds are not more open...

[Denirae]

Enjoying your writings Lizzy. Your school days were very different than mine. It is amazing how we can look back and see how our teachers really did influence our lives.

Next chapter please........

[Lizzy]

Let's just say I'm better on 2 legs than 2 wheels! When I was about 11 I got my first grown up bicycle - a 2 wheeler a Malvern Star, green and white. I rode that bike everywhere. "You want anything at the shops Mum?" I'm your girl! My brother Chris who was a year younger was what you might call a Mr Fixit. He loved to get things pull them apart to see how they work and put them back together again. My Mum was not impressed when her new toaster would go missing and she'd find it in a million bits in the garage. Well my bike went down the same path - my Dad gave his marching orders and told him to put it all back together. Eventually he finished it and he took me for a test ride (me on the back) down a very steep hill, where he discovered that he'd forgotten to reconnect the brake cable. Well we were flying and I was screaming "stop stop", so he did by making the bike fall over. I went over the handle bars and landed on the concrete on my face - OUCH - now that hurt and it didn't look real pretty either. My mother screamed when I got home and rushed me to the doctor - only a tiny scar remains.

Oh and then there was the motorbike - next time.......

[cljsgarden]

Lizzy,

You daredevil you . . . . & to trust your brother . . . lol I remember when we were young just being thrilled by my little brother.

[bug]

Lizzy....
please keep going, I am loving the story of your life.
makes me think that I should do the same.....for my great-great grandchildren to read some day to their children.
k

[Denirae]

I can see you now, flying thru the air......I know that must have really hurt.

So did you beat your brother up? Come on tell us now.....