Janet Baraclough wrote:

My sympathies over the salad tongs :-( , men should try that some
time, we'll see who's "new". Hope she improves soon

I can tell ya now ... and anyone else who cares to read ...if I had to
bear the children the human race would die out ...I know women say the
same thing regarding men giving birth and you get no argument from me.


At this point I just have to relate to you a paragraph found while
researching Australian history. It has nothing to do with childbirth but
has everything to do with women's lot in life.

Eyre was the acting Chief magistrate of the Murray district of South
Australia at the approximate time.

***************
Originally published with "Journals of expeditions of discovery into
Central Australia, and overland from Adelaide to King George's Sound, in
the years 1840-1".

An account of the manners and customs of the Aborigines and the state of
their relations with Europeans
by
Edward John Eyre


"Like most other savages the Australian looks upon his wife as a slave.
To her belongs the duty of collecting and preparing the daily food, of
making the camp or hut for the night, of gathering and bringing in
firewood, and of procuring water. She must also attend to the children;
and in travelling carry all the moveable property and frequently the
weapons of her husband. In wet weather she attends to all the outside
work, whilst her lord and master is snugly seated at the fire."

******************************

Oh how things have changed in the last 150 years :-) pass the remote
dear ...... I just had to post that for you and Fran cos I figured you
two would appreciate it .... although it has nothing to do with the
topic per se,(since when has that bothered me) Whilst reading it I
immediately thought "I know who'd appreciate that" :-) see how much I
thinks about ya's?


Are you the first grand-daddy on altpc? How sustainable is that?

I dunno if I am or not... sometimes it feels like I'm the only person
here let alone the only "aged" one.


I'm looking forward to the burping and farting contests, I used to have
em with his Mother but she grew out of em.


I always wonder how people manage to grow out of farting. You could
power a small village on our domestic windfarm.

I don't think it was the farting she grew out of ... just the
competitive aspect. :-)

pete