From A Song I Sing To Ease The Sadness

The Other Side Of Christmas

Hear me read 'A Family Christmas Story'

You can hear me read this story on this link - https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018778108/kiwi-christmas-stories - and/or read it here below

A Family Christmas

One memorable Christmas for me was the time my Aunties from Dunedin came to join in our family celebration when I was aged about 9. To get the four Benson sisters together in one place was a rare event and my parents pulled out all the stops by preparing a meal with an unusual amount of exotic treats - the like I had never seen before. The table was lit up with candles and set with highly polished silver, glittering crystal and English china on my mother’s best lace edged tablecloth. My three eccentric Aunties could have jumped out of a Charles Dickens novel. Aunty Gladys arrived stooping under her fox fur coat and she reminded me of a tortoise with her large hooked nose, moist eyes and wrinkly face. She told me that several of her fingers were missing because she put them too close to the fire and they just melted away. “So let that be a lesson to you!” she said as she waved the stumps at me. Scary stuff for a young child, but I was told later she actually lost her fingers in a factory machine accident - alas there was no ACC in those days. Aunty Enid was bulging at the seams with good humour and eating more of her delicious sponges and puddings than was prudent. Her face was coated with powder, her mouth smeared with bright red lipstick and she was fond of talking loudly with a hand rolled cigarette bobbing up and down on her bottom lip. She had twinkly blue eyes that never missed a thing and they bulged so much at times I thought they might fall out when she coughed. She would shake like a jelly and the ash from her cigarette would fall onto her ample bust and accumulate there like snow on a Christmas tree. The eldest of my mother’s sisters was Aunty Vi; but you would not have guessed so if all you had to go on was her appearance. She had finely cut features and amazingly white skin. It was as translucent as the porcelain figurines that my mother kept out of reach, high up the mantelpiece. Another feature I remember well, was Aunty Vi’s dark hair that was pulled back to a bun at the back of her head and seemed to push her face out with a kind of obsessive energy. She had, as my mother put it, “A bit of a nervous disposition Dear. Not surprising really, since she looked after Grandma all those years and never married.” The Christmas meal with my Aunties was the best meal ever! My father presided over the occasion with theatrical dignity and cracked jokes that I did not get, but nevertheless, had most of us rolling laughter. Aunty Vi, her face now a rosey pink, said something like “Oh George you are so wicked,” and popped another piece of crystalized ginger into her mouth. I remember looking at her and wondering how long her hair really was, when she suddenly sat bolt upright and left the table. I could see her looking at herself in the hallway mirror and then she started screaming. What happened next is a bit hazy because it happened so fast. However, I do recall her yelling as she was taken to another room, “I’ve been poisoned… poisoned! You’ll never get the house do you hear! Never!” Aunty Vi returned later that night and nothing was said about her antics – or about her being allergic to ginger. Before she returned to Dunedin she gave me a pound note and said, “You won’t tell people about your poor old aunty will you.” I am sure she would forgive me for breaking my silence after all these years and be very pleased when I recommend you might like to go easy on the ginger this Christmas.

Efposs Animation

Merry Christmas Efposs

In New Zealand, introduced Australian oppossums (we call them possums) are plentiful almost everywhere. They are notorious for raiding fruit orchards in search of food. I have named my cartoon possum Efposs - after the NZ credit card payment system (Eftpos - Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale.) I see him as,"a bit of a ratbag!" Mischievous, but not the brightest of animals.

A Christmas Wish

I drew this one years ago and sadly nothing seems to change in the Middle East where centuries of enviromental degradation and war have destoyed the periodic green shoots of civilisation. However let's hope peace will finally come to Syria, Palistine and Israel - long enough for a new generation to take over and build a more permanent peace for all to enjoy.

Solstice Songster

It is the longest day again in NZ. For some of you it is almost the shortest day. Happy Solstice to everyone.

Some Old Photos Of My Pottery

I made these about 16 years ago in Matakohe NZ.

More Posts Above

If you click on the links in boxes under the banner with my splattered name, you will be able to access more of the the stuff I have done in the past.

The Family Bed - One Solution To Getting A Good nights Sleep

Many years ago when we had our first daughter, we followed the usual advice at the time to have our baby sleep in its own bed, in its own room. However she did not agree to that arrangement and cried her heart out until we relented and let her cuddle up to Mum in our bed. She stopped crying immediately and slept reasonably peacefully all night - I went and slept on the livingroom couch. Now it was me who had trouble sleeping!!! We discussed this with a family friend, who also had very young children, and she recommended a book called something like "The Family Bed"and it gave us confifence to all sleep together. Now this went against official advice at the time that warned of the risk of smothering your baby. So as a compromise I built a platform beside our bed and put a small mattress on it at the same level as our bed. I got back into the big bed and my wife simply rolled over at night to breast feed our daughter. From then on we all slept much better and when our next baby arrived we did much the same and our first daughter was then quite happy to sleep in her own room. Our daughters now have their own children and sadly did not folloew our advice. Consequently the men often slept elsewhere or with their other child. Their children continued to need someone to be near at bedtime for many years and both parents had many nights of insufficient sleep. Of course for thousands of years families have slept together and only recently has that changed in many Western societies. I am writing this to help couples having their first child. Believe me, the above set up I have described really works. If you don't want to build your own baby bed platform, a cot with a drop down side might be okay, or perhaps mattresses on the floor might work and be cheaper. If you do the latter remember to put slates under the mattresses to allow the mattresses to ventilate and not get moldy.

Guy Fawkes And My Father

My Father would be 115 today and on every Guy Fawkes night I remember him. He ws born in England (Norwich) and passed on to me his pyrotechnic passion for playing with fires and being delighted to see fireworks exploding into action. Happy Birthday Dad!! Click on the photo to get more details.

Labour Day in NZ

A day to take time off to remember the continuing struggle to get better wages and safer working conditions for the people who built and maintain our societies.

Genetic Engineering Threatens New Zealand Again

Sadly, a GE Free NZ is at risk once again! The Coalition Government is proposing to allow genetic manipulation once more after years of being quite happy to have a "GE Free NZ" and promote it with advertisements of a "Clean Green New Zealand" which helps sell our agricultural products abroad. This action is probably going to re-activate widespread opposition from people (like me) who do not want to be part of a scientific experiment. I expect we are in for a politically turbulent time ahead. Here are some old revamped cartoons of mine Click on the cartoons to enlarge them. Opinions welcomed

A Plate Of Mine Brings Back Memories

I was looking around the Hospice Op Shop in Whangarei last Monday when this plate caught my eye. I recognized it immediately as one of mine. I turned it over and there on the back was my name, "D Wolland '95" scratched on the back. It was made when someone close to me died and I composed a song about him but never finished it. Some of the words are on the plate and so with mixed emotions I bought it. I had forgotten about making it and the song I wrote. I think I will record the entire song now as the melody and words have jumped out of the plate and called up the memories from the depths of my mind.

Getting Closer To Printing My Novel

When Will It Ever End?

My Slavic Dirge

What's Up Dad?

Can you recall where the title came from all you Elmer Fuddy Duddies?

Another Song Of Mine

A You Tube recording of another song of mine played by me with a charcoal drawing by Levin NZ Artist Sylvia Lovell.Here is the link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geI7ONu4Lhg

My Take On Bob Dylan

Now that there is the film on Bob Dylan in local cinemas I thought you might like to see and hear again the animation I made with a song I composed,sang and recorded. I Played a rather unusual Mandola that was made from a 12 string guitar. Watch carefully Bob's shifty eyes!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJmna8Dzauw

My Novel "2060" - A Cover Page Idea

You might be thinking "what is this book all about?". Well, I would rather you read it than have me tell you. The cover is intended to provide some clues but parts of it probably won't make sense until Mike Stevens finishes telling his story. If you can guess what my book is about by the cover, I will give you a signed copy when it gets printed. Clue: it is set in New Zealand.