Thanks so much everyone for all of the kind words that were left on the last post about my Gangan. I know that my mum has also read all of the comments and that they mean as much to her as they do to me. I’m really grateful and very touched – a big thank you from the heart.

The school half term break seems like ancient history now, but we did have a nice time catching up with friends and just enjoying some quiet family time although the crappy weather meant that we were inside and Toby was reduced to bouncing on our bed rather than the trampoline in the garden. Amy did lots of drawing – I particularly like her family portrait (wish I could claim to be that slim and be able to get away with swirly high heels, bows, frills and puff sleeves – ahh well, nice to think that my daughter sees me that way!!)

I also had some lovely things in the post and wanted to say a big thank you to Emma at Sew recycled who sent my this beautiful little brooch for being a lucky runner-up in her competition.

And I want to thank Kat at Secrets of a butterfly who bought one of my rabbits and sent me this amazing handmade card – it’s got so many lovely little touches and my daughter was especially enchanted when I read her the text on the back:

While I’m on the subject, my thanks go to a couple of people who have recently had one of my toys;  the lovely Dave at Cabin Cove who wrote a wonderful and funny post about the monkey that I sent him. Mr Minky looks like one lucky boy to have ended up in such a loving home! And Tilly Bunny has also landed on her feet – read all about her adventures in Katie’s fabulous shed. My toys are definitely very lucky to be going to such great homes!!

This post is in danger of sounding like an oscar acceptance speech, "…and I’d like to thank my junior school teacher, my window cleaner, the man who clips my cat’s claws…."! It’s just that there’s a lot to be thankful for at the moment. I’m pondering how to say a more meaningful thank you to everyone who visits here (especially as I’m approaching my 100th post) so watch this space in a week or 2 – hopefully I’ll be able to come up with something more tangible than words, but for now, THANKS EVERYONE!

 

I was going to write about our adventures over the school half-term break but my Gangan died yesterday afternoon and so those will have to wait a while.

Gangan was my Mum's mum. For the last 12 or so years she has suffered from Altzheimers and since my Gampy's sudden death in 1999 she's been in a nursing home. When my daughter was born at the end of 1999 I took her to the nursing home to see Gangan but it's been years since we last visited her. I think it's because I found it hard that there was no recognition on her face when she looked at me. I so wanted Gangan to know that the baby she was cradling was her great granddaughter, but it was too late and she was not sure who we were.

Gangan was a wonderful Gran and she always made me feel like a princess. She spolit me and my brother rotten when we were growing up – she was always ready with little treats and our favourite things to eat or play with. She knitted and sewed many
of her own clothes including outfits for ballroom dancing and, along with my mum, she helped me learn to knit. When you concentrate all your attention on something it sometimes becomes hard to bring it into focus, so it's not easy right now to recall many of the memories that I know are there. But I do remember flashes:

the sound of her funny little fiat car that we knicknamed noisy

snuggling into bed between both of my grandparents when they came on holiday with us and sharing their early morning ginger biscuits

drinking PLJ (pure lemon juice drink) in Gangan's kitchen with it's formica table and pantry full of goodies

eating her delicious special concoction of desicated coconut mixed with drinking chocolate and the cream from the top of the milk

her devotion to our dog Brindle

back tickles

the way she treasured all of the little things my brother and I made (even after we could see how bad they were!)

swinging on the garden swing chair in my grandparents garden

homegrown loganberries straight from the bush

the painted spanish wine bottle in her lounge which was really a musical box

the wonderful sets of clothes that she hand sewed for my favourite doll Angela (the doll is long lost but the clothes are very much treasured)

I wanted to share some of these special memories of my special Gran, my Gangan. Thanks for reading.