Where I’m From

by | Sep 20, 2011 | Uncategorized | 26 comments

Where I'm From

I am from summers spent by the swimming pool, from Vegemite and family games of Monopoly that always ended in tears.

I am from the house on the hill, ruddy red bricks, lush green lawns, the crunching gravel driveway sharp under bare feet. 

I am from sweet jasmine circling the verandah posts, the front paddock, the back paddock, tall grass yellowed in the summer sun.

I am from coins in the Christmas pudding and reading several books at a time, from Tina and Geoff, and a woman I have never met.

I am from screaming fights and the best cuddles in the world.

From ‘you couldn’t be more mine if I’d given birth to you’ and ‘I love you up to the moon and back.’

I am from lapsed Catholicism and skepticism and the belief in a higher power who will take care of you always.

I am from Melbourne and Holland, from sliced potato barbequed to crunchy perfection and the best lamb roasts in the universe, swear to God.

From the frightened eighteen year-old who believed she was doing what was right, the grandmother who was ashamed and the family whose arms were finally full when they held aloft this baby girl for the first time.

I am from fading photos of 1970’s babies, albums jumbled from years of pilfering favourites, from a lock of golden hair cling-wrapped for safe-keeping, a tiny handprint in hardened clay and the mysteries of ancestry contained on a single sheet of creased paper, read and folded, reread and folded again by the girl who knew exactly who she was and almost nothing about how she began.

 

Mama’s Losin’ It

This piece was inspired by a writing prompt from Mama's Losin' It. See the original template here.

Hello friends

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I’m Angie!  I mum. I write. I wife. My husband would say this is the correct order.  He’s so neeeedy. I live with my family in Melbourne, Australia, where I complain about the weather for 90% of the year – but I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Except maybe in Lake Como, waving to my neighbours George and Amal each morning.

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26 Comments

  1. Jane

    beautiful ! xxxx

    Reply
  2. E

    love. xx

    Reply
  3. MJ

    I love this, so much. x

    Reply
  4. Melissa

    Great post and what a pic – stunning.

    The lock of golden hair … I have one of those too and now can’t believe how really golden it was.

    Reply
  5. Angie @ The Little Mumma

    Look how brown I am, Mel! Can you tell my mother worshipped the sun? It’s proof that I CAN get a tan but I had to spend entire summers by the pool to get it. Now? Oh, so ghostly.

    This was so amazing to write. You should try it and then link up on Thursday. YES!

    Reply
  6. Angie @ The Little Mumma

    Thank you, my friend.

    You should try it. It was sort of nostalgic and lovely. And then link it. Do it!

    Reply
  7. Jess

    This made me cry. Love love loved it! X
    You write so beautifully.

    Reply
  8. MJ

    Sounds fun! Maybe I will have a go… if I can stop sneezing long enough to get inspired. No idea how to do those fancy link-ups though.

    Reply
  9. Belle

    LOVE! And that top you are wearing in that super cute pic, Supre would die for that, he hee!!!

    Reply
  10. Katie E.

    You did such a great job with this – and I’m also from summers spent by the pool! Sometimes I feel like my girls are missing out on real summer because I go to work and they don’t get to spend their summers by the pool.

    Reply
  11. Dianna

    Visiting from Mama Kat’s. I loved this prompt, and reading all these entries is so interesting.
    It’s amazing what things each of us pulls from our memory to include in our post.
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  12. Diane@BeStillaMinute

    Very powerful and that last line said so much.
    Came over from Mama Kat’s.

    Reply
  13. MarytheKay

    Oh, this was so beautiful! I especially loved your last paragraph: albums jumbled from years of pilfering favourites, from a lock of golden hair cling-wrapped for safe-keeping, a tiny handprint in hardened clay and the mysteries of ancestry contained on a single sheet of creased paper, read and folded, reread and folded again by the girl who knew exactly who she was and almost nothing about how she began.

    I can just picture an adored little girl! It made me smile.

    Reply
  14. Mama Kat

    You were trendy!! I would actually wear that top today. Ha!

    And this “albums jumbled from years of pilfering favourites”…love the way you worded that and I can totally relate! Our albums have been pilfered too. By me.

    Reply
  15. Grams

    Really lovely job with this prompt. I especially liked “the mysteries of ancestry contained on a single sheet of creased paper, read and folded, reread and folded again by the girl who knew exactly who she was and almost nothing about how she began.”

    Reply
  16. Robin @ Farewell, Stranger

    Angie, wow. This is beautiful. It makes me want to come and visit you and drink endless cups of tea while we talk.

    Reply
  17. Jackie

    Angie this is brillant! I especially love the subtle contrast between your “Parents”.
    This line “… the mysteries of ancestry contained on a single sheet of creased paper, read and folded, reread and folded again by the girl who knew exactly who she was and almost nothing about how she began” perfection!

    Reply
  18. Galit Breen

    Lovely. Each line opening a bit of your story. Again- lovely.

    Reply
  19. Louise Calvert

    Absolutely lovely – a real emotional journey, and a very special one.

    (And I’m so envious that your family actually had coins in the Christmas pudding!)

    Reply
  20. Tina

    I cried at work reading this. You brought back a life long gone and sometimes missed. An honest but loving account of our family. Thank you Beautiful Angie

    Reply
  21. Megan @ Writing Out Loud

    I’m coming for a visit after hearing you on Nova the other morning!

    Beautiful writing, what a lovely introduction to your blog. 🙂

    Reply

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