Amusing anecdotes

Today, I will share a few anecdotes from my grandmother, which she seemed to find amusing.  

Eva Scott wrote me;

"I am the eldest of 5 and we were spaced out.  My nearest sister is 9 years younger.  John and I called those younger three  – 'the kids'.  The youngest was born Lorna Beryl.  We called her Beryl and John called her Sam.  One day those 3 were playing school.  Edna was teacher and relieved herself.  Straight away she said “Go on with your work children, it’s only a motorbike”.

"The kids" - Lorna, Edna & Hazel Pilgrim
Almondale - October 1928

 

"I am quite convinced that little people never think of hurting themselves.  I had finished my family before the others started, so Mum and Dad loved to have them up there and the car was often overloaded, so we used to have them standing behind the front seat.  One day Dad looked around and said to Don 'Don’t lean on the door mate, if it came open, you’d fall' and Don said 'It wouldn't matter grandpa, I know my way home from here'."

The Chev - The Pilgrim Family's first new car
Almondale - December 1928

Bert Pilgrim, Ern Muller and Bob Pilgrim
1908

"Dad had twin brothers and a lot of people couldn’t tell them apart – only one smoked a pipe and the other cigs.  Uncle Bob never married and lived with Uncle Perce and Auntie Ruby, whom we often visited, but Don did not know Uncle Bert.  In church I’d take his shoes off and let him stand on the seat between us.  One day he piped up quite loud 'There’s two Uncle Bob’s'.  A titter went around the church."   

1949
Don, Jean, Rob and Joy Scott

"Cash was short then and some one’s jamas wore out, so Don got new ones and I passed the rest down.  I was waiting for Rob to try Jean’s on and he’s fiddling about.  When I told him to hurry he said he was looking for the pop hole.  I said Jean doesn’t have one and he said 'No. She don’t have a big long extension like me'.  I wrote and told Mum.  Dad opened the letter and she said he got a fit of the giggles and she wondered what was so funny." 

1942
Allan Scott with Rob and Jean
Rob claimed everyone in uniform as his Dad!

" Mum had Jean for 6 weeks once and she forgot me.  She would say 'My other mother – down in Horsham – would let me'.  Rob was only 18 months when Allan went into camp, but he never forgot him – or rather the uniform.  It was very embarrassing; he claimed every one as Dad. In the street I used to turn the pusher around if I saw a uniform coming.  Just as Joy did with one of hers if she saw a truck, because hers couldn’t say truck properly and she’d yell it out.  Then there’s you, who called yourself  'Yours' because Joy used to put 2 plates down and say 'This is Daddy’s and this is Yours'.”

You all came to visit me and I took you to feed the chooks, never dreaming they would know you were different.  Well those stupid chooks, they squawked and flew.  Feathers and dust went everywhere and frightened the life out of you.  Next night I asked you if you were coming and you said 'No, Yours has got no shoes on.  Yours will stay with Mummy'."

 

1968 - I called myself "Yours"

"Joy could talk before she could walk at 16 ½ months.  She was only lazy as the others would give her a piece of string and hold one end.  She’d walk with them but if they dropped their end, she would sit down. Don never crawled after his birthday and each one got slower.  Joy just walked in and said she’s walking and didn’t crawl again.

I’ll go back a bit.  Once Mum’s brother and sister came to stay and I thought they should sleep together like my other Uncles and Aunts.  Some one said Grandfather doesn’t have any one to sleep with and I said “Old fellows like him don’t need anyone to sleep with” and everyone laughed.  It was years before I saw the joke." 

 

I thought of another funny saying of Rob’s.  He went to the cow yard with my sisters and this day there was a steer in the yard and said  'That’s a fool cow, it pees in the wrong place'.

 Mum always had birds.  She had a Major Mitchell cockatoo but it drowned itself in the bore water tank.  First time we went up there, after Joy could talk, she said 'That cocky is mad.  He said hello cocky to me and he’s cocky, I’m not'."

This post was prompted by Sepia Saturday
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