*Matilda Special Edition* Cazza and Mym Interview

I have interviewed my Grandmother Cazza and Aunt Mym. Here are the results.

• Do you enjoy living on your farm/property? Why / why not?

Cazza: Yes because I love living on the land and I don’t want to live in the city. I love to take my dog walking and look at the mountains.

Mym: Yes. I love the animals that surround me and I love the work that I do and the open spaces and it’s safe.

• What do you think of the blog so far?

Cazza: Some of the blog posts are a bit flowery, but apart from that it’s great!

Mym: I thought it was excellent. It’ll be very long by the time you get home.

• Are you glad that you’re being interviewed for a Matilda Special Edition? Why / why not?

Cazza: I feel privileged.

Mym: I’m very happy to be interviewed because it gives me an opportunity to share my knowledge.

• Can you give us an outline of your normal day?

Cazza: I chase my tail for a lot of time (I waste as much time as possible doing nothing). I waft around and achieve very little. I rev myself up to do my aerobic exercises. I love my breakfast. (Truth be told, I often have to have breakfast before I’m revved up enough to do my aerobics.) I say good morning to Pepperpot (my dog) and I throw her two liver treats which she leaps in the air and snaps up. With my coffee I have a quiet time of meditation and prayer in a cosy corner of the couch with my feet on the heater. Faith is an important part of my life. I talk a lot on the phone (I always feel that I have lots of important phone calls to make: keeping in touch with family and friends. I convince myself that these calls are very important because I don’t want to start work.) I may pay some bills, do a bit in the office, put off as much housework as possible and eventually may end up doing one job in one room. I do some work on history of family (which I love). If I’m rostered to work at St. Vincent De Pauls I rush around, put some food in a container to eat on the run, put my badge on and be there by 11:30. By 12:00, people needing help are taking tickets at the waiting room and three volunteer counsellors combine to listen to people’s problems and address them if possible, listening to often tragic stories and helping them with food, clothing, furniture and the like. At 3:00 we hope we’ve seen the last client so I rush out, do a few jobs in town (by now I’m starving, as I haven’t had time to eat very much). Pepperpot is tied up at home to keep her out of mischief and if there’s time, I try to walk her on the hill which is the base of Mother Mountain. I have to try and stop her biting the dairy cows who graze on my paddocks. I love this time. As she bolts past me, I think how lucky I am to live here and the reason I don’t want to move to Brisbane. I love my beautiful farm and my life.

Mym: I run the dogs, then check the cattle and fences and put lick out: do some housework and bookwork and sometimes muster cattle.

• Which is your favourite duty? Why?

Cazza: Keeping in touch with family and friends.

Mym: Riding my horses because I enjoy the challenge of improving my horse and my performance.

• Least favourite?

Cazza: Housework.

Mym: Bookwork.