REMINISCENCES

The Designer

I am so lucky, after I had two girls close together in the seventies; I was blessed, with another girl seven years later.  Life was so hectic then, but I was so grateful to my husband also my two elder children; Melanie and Jane.  They understood that they had a new baby sister, Susan, who needed to be cared for but also a friend who they could play with. 

Susan is a character.  She knows what she wants since she was very little.  One day we had a plan for a holiday.  We took her out for a shopping because she needed a new pair of sneakers; she was about three years old.  She did choose herself a pair of sneakers that worked with velcro.  The velcro was the new things at that time.  That was OK, but I noticed that they were slightly too big.  She insisted to have them.  I thought she was so fascinated about the great job of this velcro could do.  She kept pulling them out and putting them back, so easy to fix.  I do not need to learn how to do shoe laces (so she thought).

She got them, and she was so pleased with herself.  But a few days later, while we were pushing her pram to go for a walk, she dropped one of her shoes unknowingly.  The shoes were too big of course.  That was the end of the story of Susan and the new shoes. 

And how about this, when she was six years old, she wanted new clothes and she decided to design them herself.  She drew a picture of the design for the new dress for me, so I could sew it for her.  It worked beautifully and she looked just so cute in it.

As the story goes, she was at year eight.  She asked me if she’s allowed to cook a roast dinner for the family.  A roast chicken!  she said.  I was so surprised and terrified at the same time.  Cooking!… Hot oven…..I thought it’s not easy.  Anyway, she did it, I remember, she said: “I needed a lemon mum, no lemon in the house” (she always calls me mum, never mummy). I sent her father to get a lemon in a shop.  The roast chicken was delicious and we all enjoyed it. 

The stories continue, she came home not long ago to give us a delightful gift; she cooked a dinner for us “Henry The IV Braised Chicken”. It was quite a feast. It was her father’s birthday.

She has always been determined whatever she wants to do and today she loves details, enjoys cooking too and she is a creative graphic designer.

Susan In Her Own Smartly Design Suit

Henry IV Chicken: La Poule Au Pot

Delicious La Poule Au Pot:  The Feast