Day 44: IWD special - Daisy's boots

Happy International Women's Day to all my wonderful women family and friends out there, and to all the great men who support and respect us! To celebrate I'm wearing the fabulous pair of boot earrings designed by my niece Daisy that she gave me when she visited a week ago - weaving one generation to the next. To me they encapsulate exactly the right balance of fun, femininity and feistiness needed for IWD!

IWD is always an important day to reflect all the groundbreaking gains that have been made, and the work that still needs to be done, to achieve gender equality. In the current global political climate, it's an issue that seems more important than ever. If I've learnt anything in all my years studying this area it is that: gender transformations are possible; that they will arrive first in local spaces, in small, incremental and fragile steps; and that their entrenchment will require constant vigilance from dedicated activists.

I think Eleanor Roosevelt put this view the best (although the gendered language jars!):

“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”

Nanna with Dad, son #2 with her roses

Today is also significant for our family because it's the first anniversary of the death of my dear paternal grandmother - Nanna Chappell. Nanna died aged 98, after living a full, family-focussed life. It seemed appropriate that she died on IWD after making such a contribution to the world, not least by giving birth to 10 children - 8 boys and two girls (amazingly having babies 6 and 7 in the same year!). She left a legacy of 26 grandchildren and on my rough count, 45 great-grandchildren, but I could be a little behind. 

Cazy, Nanna and me, 2015

Nanna worked hard all her life taking care of her children, including always contributing to the family income through garment piece work, laundry work, and catering; backbreaking tasks given this was all done without the appliances we take for granted today. For many years, she took charge of the kitchen at the presbytery of the Armidale Catholic Cathedral, supporting at that time the local Bishop, whom she adored and would brook no criticism of (perhaps the less said about him the better!), and a large number of parish priests (ditto!). The presbytery was adjacent to our school, and as kids we'd pop in to visit her on our way to class to enjoy an extra serve of breakfast. After her shift Nanna would then return home for the second shift of preparing family meals for 10-12, often with fresh produce from her garden. 

Great Nanna Chap Chap
with James and baby Angus, 2006

Nanna had an incredibly strong constitution - after Pop died, she lived independently until the last two years of her life, and aside from childbirth, didn't go to hospital until her 90s, and only then minor for procedures. Nanna was an avid crossword puzzler, cricket fan, gardner, and was always interested goings on in the world. She had a sweet tooth - her lolly jar was never far from reach and a honey pot for generations of great/grandchildren. She is sadly missed. (Alongside Daisy's earrings, today I'm wearing the brooch Nanna left me: not big on earrings, Nanna did collect enough brooches to leave to one to all her granddaughters, given to us by Aunty Meg, Nanna's 10th child, on the day of her funeral). 

Day 44: I'm hot and puffy thanks to the steroids and feeling a weird mix of tiredness and buzziness because of the drug combination. The queasiness is manageable but constantly lurking in the background. Back to the Kinghorn for my white blood cell injection, but otherwise a restful day, indulging in watching a midday film with Robbie, snoozing, and tapping in on a conference call for Nat's final PhD review - almost there Nat!