"...Every Saturday morning my mother and I went to Grandma's house. While I cleaned house, my mother did the washing and sorted garments and bed linens to be taken away to be mended. Grandma reciprocated in her own way; she knitted socks and stockings for everyone. She knitted so fast the four steel needles flickered with light, and while knitting she said aspirations to the Sacred Heart, Our Lady, and St. Benediction. Indulgences were attached to these brief prayers and Grandma carefully counted up the days of grace she had thus earned and dispensed them to various souls in Purgatory. It can thus be seen that as far as indulgences were concerned she was not on Martin Luther's side, but neither was she on the Pope's team. She once gave me forty days' indulgence as a Christmas present..."
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A couple of years ago I stumbled upon New Zealand (and later, Australian) writer Ruth Park's first volume of autobiography, A Fence Around the Cuckoo. Once I read the first one, I had to find the second, Fishing in the Styx. I have never read such compelling tales of a writer's triumph over adversity.
Born in New Zealand (1923), Ruth Park came to Australia to continue her work as a journalist. Here she married D'Arcy Niland and travelled with him through outback Australia, working in a variety of jobs from shearer's cook to fruit packer--all of which provided a rich source of material for her later writing. She wrote over fifty books, including ten novels and twenty-seven children's books, and several travel and educational works. She won may prizes for her writing.
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Comments: 33
It is a good description of a life, I would have love to lead.
You've really opened up an interesting world of literature! I will have to write down this author, as she sounds fascinating. I try to get my mom to read more non-fiction -- she is into Gladys Taber who wrote on a lot of natural subjects. I'm sure she would enjoy Ruth Park's books too. Thanks for posting this!
Thank you for this taste of writing which is lovely fresh and sparkling.
Loved that one, dear Alison! :-)
Blessings and best wishes - S.
Spicecomments.com - Hi Hey Hello Comments
Cute little leopard!
Excellent review and the quote is precious!
Thanks for commenting, John.
I was sitting here thinking here about that dear woman and her knitting needles flickering in the light. What a beautiful sight that must have been.
I love that image, too, KD!
Alison, now that I think of it, that image reminds me of my Gramma and her crocheting!
Thanks for sharing your memory, KD. My grandma crocheted and knitted, too. She taught me how to single crochet. But by the time I learned, it was getting very difficult for her, as she had rheumatoid arthritis. She said that when she was young, she used to knit a sock a day!
A sock a day! Wow, she must have moved like lightening!
I agree, KD! She must have been knitting every minute she could.
I've been working on a crocheted shawl for the past nine months or so! I just might still be working on it nine months from now!
Or nine years?? I have sweater pieces that have been sitting around that long, LOL!
What a marvelous quote, Alison! Your excellent review has piqued my curiosity!
I like it!
The weekends I stayed with my grandmother were some of the best,I learned to quilt from here and try to take time to do it still.I will have to find some of the books she wrote.
Have a great gather day!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for posting to sparealine.gather.com
Thank you. Knitting has become a lost art. Too bad people are so busy, they no longer take the time to learn these old skills.
Thanks for commenting, Elsie. Knitting has actually undergone a revival the past few years, though. There are SO many new ideas and books out now, and people are forming knitting groups everywhere as a way to connect and to learn a new skill. Everything is cyber now, so knitting fills a gap for something real, and tactile, meaningful and comforting.
Lovely review~
Thank you, PGDNNYS!
Ruth Park sounds like an amazing writer and woman. Thank you for the introduction. I'll be looking up her work.
I think you'll enjoy her autobiographies, Marge. I will soon be dipping into her first novel, "The Harp in the South."
Can't wait to read your review of that one too.
This goes on my "books I want to read" list! Hope the library has it... I've bought so many books lately, my living room looks like a library.
Pat, you should be able to get it through interlibrary loan, if your libe doesn't have it. It's well worth your time!
I know what you mean.....I have WAY too many books....but I do sell them, too. Through Amazon and sometimes Ebay, and if they hang around too long, I sell them at yard sales.
I checked with the library online and they don't have it. It's almost time for a trip to the library, so I'll see if they can find a copy for me.
I used to sell books on Amazon, but haven't in a long time. Life got too busy! :)
While not Roman Catholic (so not specifically applicable), this sounds like something my grandparents would have given for presents -- something of themselves, earnestly pursued, with application far beyond the opening of the gift. A wonderful lesson, and great quote.
Thanks for commenting, Debra. I'm not Catholic either, but I thought it was an interesting quote!
I'm not Catholic either, but I like the thought that you can earn indulgences for the souls in pergatory. I bet they can use all they can get!