My Story - A True Story Part 9 - Black Saturday

Part 8
Another piece of therapy I pursued for my own sanity and a way of helping the people of Marysville is this:- Marysville Cookbook It’s self-explanatory.

The opening blurb reads:-

Welcome to the cookbook, designed and printed for the residents of Marysville and surrounds.

This book is not your average cookbook – that you look at – and take a little bit from and then put back on the shelf

You are meant to write in it. You are
meant to enjoy it and do what you do best –
COOK!

There is plenty of room in the margins for scribbles – there is plenty of space for you to add your own recipes – there are blank pages, just for that purpose.

The idea of this book came about with one person, who like you, lost everything they ever owned, saying that they were unable to remember a special recipe that was passed down from their mother.

It will be a long haul back – but like the fires of 1939 and those that made it through – You can and will do it. You need to remain strong – You MUST talk about what has happened, both amongst yourselves to help and support each other and with outsiders, this will ensure that your children and your children’s children never forget and are never affected in the same way.

Now is the time to make sure that you don’t become complacent, that you keep your network of friends and families close. You need their support more than ever. Yes there will be rough times ahead – but ask your friends and they will help you
– that is the spirit of Australia and the nature of small towns.
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP

I can’t replace that recipe – but I can try and find new recipes to replace the old. Most of these recipes are old recipes with the old measurements, they are simple
and easy to make. I only hope you can enjoy these recipes as much as I do and they make your kitchen the heart and soul of your new home.

On a personal note, I would like to say thank-you to all the paid and unpaid people, who on the day, stood in the face of danger to try and protect everything I love and know. You did everything humanely possible and then some. I admire your courage, I admire your strength. Yes there were losses, both life and
property but you are not superhuman men and women – you are human and
that means that sometimes you have to accept you did everything you
possibly could – without losing your own life.

Thank-you

The recipes themselves contain basic ingredients, with basic recipes, nothing too complicated. The recipes are easy and the index follows not only the title of the recipe but also the major ingredients, thus if you open the fridge door and wonder what to do with what ingredient, refer the cookbook index and you will be offered many recipes.

This was good therapy for me, the time spent compiling gave me something else to think about. I gave 300 copies to the people of Marysville, as a way of knitting the town back together with something made just for them, by someone who grew up in the township and whose parents still live there. By all accounts they have taken it to their hearts. I only hope that it helps the
residents as much as the sharing helped me.

Due to demand a second print of the book is being done as we speak - I can't believe that something so small is wanted by many - Of the first run, a small number of books were sold, of which $5.00 was being given to the community - The second run will see $10.00 from each book being given back to the community - to help make Marysville home again for those residents staying. - I only hope my little bit can help replace things that have been lost for the township.

Part 10