"Amy, crazy ladies have been leaving stuff on our door step again*.  I found this casserole dish.." 

It turns out that crazy lady is me.  Mum had passed this dish onto me, finding it had become too heavy for her wrists.  It was on the front seat of the car and I hastily put it on the step rather than drive it around for the school drop off trip.

In all their speckled glory these are sweet examples of New Zealand made durability.  Every home and bach had one when I was a child.  The brand is boldly imprinted on the base  - "Radiation". 
I am gradually accumulating my mother's enameled cast iron.  This blue dish, joins the elegant oval one that is just right for coq au vin or venison casserole.  The lid sits a little loose so care loving care, or copious wine, is often needed if the casserole is to work out..



*We still cling to the memory of a random bag of china left on our doorstep.  Enough people know I cherish old things that they sometimes just turn up.  The random bag was pure confusion.  I had offered to price items for the church fair and when a bag of beautiful crown lynn turned up on my doorstep I thought that was what it was for.  I admired the pieces, adored the jumbo colour glaze cups, admitted I had no space for any more and then I priced it and took it to the church fair. Of the ladies I asked, no-one could remember dropping a bag of, but remembered that one had been set aside for me.  I remained a little puzzled as to where it had come from.  A year later a friend asked if I ever found the bag of china she left me.  She picked up all the NZ made items at left over from the plunket sale and thought I might like them.  I almost wept.