Stuff you just need

I moved out of home when I was 18. Straight from 7th form in Paraparaumu to do the student thing in Christchurch. When you first leave home, your olds get you lots of stuff to start you out. A new duvet and Cover. Sheets. Toaster. Cutlery set. Towels. Grocery vouchers. A Cook book.  Common Sense.  Morals.  Birth Control.  Pretty much as many necessity items you can fit in a suitcase.  But there are 2 things that my mother has continued to buy for me 20 yrs later. These 2 things I have never had to go out and buy for myself EVER. The first thing is an Iron. She bought it and I never use it. It always ends up put away in a box, inside another box at the back of a cupboard in the laundry behind torches, plastic bags and a weird electric duster. If when she comes to visit she can find it, it gets used.  By her.  Otherwise it just stays in the back of the cupboard. Sitting patiently waiting for Lyn to come back. I figure at least it will be in mint condition when Te Papa call wanting to add it to their olden days collection.

The other domestic item which my Mum buys every time she comes to Christchurch to visit us is Pegs. I always need them but never actually go out and buy them. There's nothing more frustrating than not having enough bloody pegs to hang out the millions of socks and undies my family seem to wear every day.  This last visit my Mum and Dad made down to look after my little farm for a week, while I was drinking booze and sunning myself in Raro, was a chance to outdo herself.  Not only do I now have a new collection of coloured plastic pegs ready with strength and determination to combat the wind and stop my bloomers from flying into the neighbours yard, but I also now have 3 extra 'Glad containers' full of yellow polyethelene goodness as back up for when the environment inevitably starts swallowing and destroying the current active members. Those containers make me smile everyday.

I love you Mum. Thanks for still looking after me.