Practicalities

The fellowship deadline looms and I am deep in the throes of form filling and scribing the outlines of my project. Well, as deep as a combination of a looming deadline and school holidays allows one to be. It reminds me of the days when I was writing my thesis with my firstborn on my lap. I managed to write with a combination of multi-tasking, a supportive partner taking her for long walks around the neighbourhood and starting work as soon as she fell asleep at night.

Now I insist the younger children nap and the oldest read quietly so that I have a few moments during the day to write. “After all” my chant goes, “holidays are for getting rest.” Late evenings are the best, when you know (God willing) that the children will not wake up until the morning and you can think a thought through from beginning to end.

Last night, I spent several hours combing the State Library catalogue, trying to enter text whenever possible and avoid mouse clicks. It wasn’t so much the kids sleeping as my mother-in-law visiting and sleeping around the corner. I am really excited about the material in the library. There is quite a bit of material specific to the Rosewood Scrub but invaluably, a mass of information on early migration including shipboard diaries, personal records, early maps and newspaper clippings. I love the buzz I get at the beginning of a project when I track down materials and am about to dive into the ocean of minutia.