Yes, martin_fierro, I was Daddy's Last Great Hope, one older sister married and the other a primping teenager - although she was the one who at 14 shot the wildcat out of the lemon tree in the grove by the house.
One learns survival techniques or else living 12 miles from town, Daddy tired of Miami/Coral Gables city life and wanted to be centrally located for projects all over Florida.
At 11 I gathered all kinds of *skills* - -
Learned to be patient without complaining handing tools to Daddy when he worked on cars - could start the generator (power lines came out the next year) - took over Yard Boy duties and loved it, using a push mower and clipping the zillion Australian pine tree shoots down along the lined driveway - cut firewood for the fireplace - beat/chopped to death any and all snakes that abounded in our Florida setting.
At the same time, I'd watched my Mom and sisters sewing, and insisted I could make a blouse with set-in sleeves by myself, and did, buttonholes and all - embroidered - alternated daily with Mom doing the crossword puzzles in The Miami Herald (and able to get all but 2-3 letters or complete it) - and made great Jello..:)) Okay - cakes from scratch, too.
One day Daddy decided to check some of the property lines for accuracy (1,000 acres then - sold down to 640 later) and took me out, teaching me how to use the transit and he held the rod.
We girls never had any gender lines drawn, thankfully, and were encouraged to sit in when professional friends visited and spent the night. So long as we exhibited proper manners (Mom was from SC, and had taught school), we were allowed to interject questions and thoughts and opinions.
For fun, I roamed the canal banks and read a lot, including our set of The Book of Knowledge that was more than an encyclopedia.
That was in 1945, the last year of WWII...I thus was more than a little Betty Crocker with apron...:)) and patriotic to the max.
In early 1949, I was *allowed* at 14 ("A" brain-teacher's pet) to be included in the First Driver's Training Class at Melbourne High, dansy, learning the engine and how it worked before we were given actual driving - made the highest grade on the text finals with a 98. In my Senior year, was the first girl to take Mechanical Drawing at MelHi. Lines and curves and figures are not For Males Only !!
Had my own drafting board at home to do my projects and played in class....
Yes, martin_fierro - I am both LadyX and the Zot Woman whose image you created..:))