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    50 Years with my hands in a basin: A memoir by Susan Ratapu
    50 Years with my hands in a basin: A memoir by Susan Ratapu
    50 Years with my hands in a basin: A memoir by Susan Ratapu
    Ebook54 pages54 minutes

    50 Years with my hands in a basin: A memoir by Susan Ratapu

    By Susan Ratapu

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    ...
    "There was always something happening on the farm. Our cousins from Wellington were not used to the farm, and we would play tricks on them. I can remember they wanted to know how the milk came out of the cow, and Dad told them he pumps their tails up and down and milk comes out. He told them to come close and watch. They were all eyes and when he pumped he turned the cow’s teat towards them at the same time, and squeezed, and they would end up with milk in their mouths. Dad was a good shot."
    ...

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSusan Ratapu
    Release dateJan 19, 2016
    ISBN9781311021038
    50 Years with my hands in a basin: A memoir by Susan Ratapu

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      Book preview

      50 Years with my hands in a basin - Susan Ratapu

      50 Years

      with my hands

      in a basin

      A memoir by Susan Ratapu

      Smashwords Edition 2015

      ISBN 978-1-3110210-3-8 (EPub)

      © Copyright Susan Ratapu, 2015

      All rights reserved.

      Except for the purpose of fair reviewing, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the author.

      CONTENTS

      Early Years

      Into The World

      Motherhood And My First Salon

      Early Years

      I was born in Greytown on the 12th of July,1947. My parents had a farm in Papawai Road, Greytown. I am the youngest daughter of Alfred and Molly Mahupuka. I have two brothers who are four years older. I always wondered why my father was so proud to have a daughter, as my Mum told me he was drunk for a week in celebration. It makes me feel good, as Dad and I always had good times. My brothers played rugby and I would go along with my Mum and Dad to watch. We always had to go home to milk the cows but that was OK as Mum told me that when I was little they used to put me in the cream can so the cows didn’t tread on me. My brothers would play together in the sand and then they had to take the cows down tho the paddock after milking. As I grew older I enjoyed my job, which was to feed the calves.

      Dad played rugby too. He was a fullback for Greytown. When I was about 7, Dad made the reps for Wairarapa Rugby team and he was great. When they played once against Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield, Wairarapa won because my Dad kicked the rugby ball from halfway just on full time, to win the game 3-0. When he played Mum and us kids had to milk the cows. Dad used to take me to the factory in an old truck. There was a friend of his we would catch up with. I used to be scared of him as, when he saw me he would pull out his pocket knife and say If you don’t watch out I will cut your toes! He never did, but for many years he always had me on about my toes. Sometimes when Mum and Dad went to his place I would hide behind my Dad.

      Then there were times that Dad and Mum would get the vet for one of the cows. I remember that his name was Jack, and he was a very good vet. He had the biggest hands and he was very strong, as when a cow had her calf stuck inside her he would use a big rope, tie the calves legs up and pull. If he didn’t get it the first time, he would put the cow in the bail, put the chain around her back, tie the other end to the tractor and pull! Most of the time the calf came out. He taught Mum to inject into the vein of the cows if they had milk fever and she was good. To put the needle into the vein is very tricky, then she would hold the bottle up so that the mixture would drain faster.

      I loved the farm life. I was always working and I always had an animal beside me. I remember once Mum came into my room to say goodnight and she said What’s that? I had one of my pups in my bed, which was a no-no.

      I had my own horse to play cowboys, and he would wait at the lounge window for me. As Mum was trying to make a lady out of me, I would be in the lounge practicing the piano. When I thought Mum couldn’t hear me I would jump out of the window and ride around the house.

      We lived in a house that had 24 rooms. I used to train out on the lawn – sprinting practice. I loved to run and race. I held the record for 100 yards when I was 10, but there was always work to be done. My eldest brother used to dub me to school across the paddocks and my other brother would ride with us on his bike. My brothers were close. I was only allowed to catch the rugby ball and bring it back to them. My brother

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