My Nana is turning the big 80 soon in about 3 weeks
time. All 5 granddaughters have been invited
even my sister in law Toni and even my brother and a step cousin also out to
dinner one Saturday night in August.
My Nana and I have a very special bond because she knew
that there was something quite not right with me when I was born. She was one of the first ones even before the
doctors knew what was wrong. I was the
first baby on my Mum’s side of the family that Nana rubbed my back when I was
crying.
When I grew older I must have been about nine I requested
to my Mum can I go and stay with Nana and Pop in the school holidays for a week
because I knew that I would get more attention and get spoiled heaps so Mum put
me on a plane, bus or if someone that I knew was going down for the day I would
get a ride with that person.
I would love the week because Nana and Pop would do
things with me like go to Nana’s craft group on a Wednesday morning I would
bring down what I need and set myself up at one of the tables and colour in and
or read. One year I went to Nelson which
is the top of the South Island to go and watch the wearable arts show with
couple of their friends.
From where I live to where they live it is about a two in
a half drive by car, by airplane it is half an hour or by bus it is four hours
I think.
My Pop is an air force pilot who is now retired and he
was in charge of the whole New Zealand air force at one stage. My Pop is also a keen gardener, sailor,
camper, a walker (I think I got his walking gene also his chocolate gene
also.) I remember walking with him up to
Karori wildlife centre to find our wooden fence post that he donated to the
Karori wildlife centre.
Earlier this year I went to Napier and I got to ride in a
parade in his 1938 Morris Minor and I got overwhelmed by all the crowds and sensory
overload. My Pop has also a Jag
too. Both him and my Nana do classic car
rallies all over the country.
Also when I was younger my Nana used to collect cats and
every school holidays I would go round the house counting her cats and there
were at least over 100 cats (statutes of cats) not the real things.
When I come to stay Pop makes these wonderful puddings
with ice cream and chocolate sauce and chopped banana. Nana used to be a wonderful baker and I would
help her to make sconces and other such wonderful goodies.
I haven’t been to stay with them for a while but
hopefully these school holidays coming up for a few days.