Memories

 

The 2nd of September is a significant day for me.

It is the date my Nanna was born.  She was born in 1920 and lived for 88 years on this earth. Today she has her 101st birthday in heaven.

It is also the day I got married in 2006. One of the main reasons we chose the date was because it was Nanna's birthday.  We even asked if it would be Ok if we did.

Nanna passed away in 2008.  My marriage broke up in 2014.

And guess what? Today is one of my favourite days of the year.  

My wedding day will always be one of THE BEST days of my life.  It was such a lovely day, we got married in a local garden that was just beautiful.  At the reception, in our speeches, we asked everyone to sing happy birthday to Nanna. I'd like to think she had a lovely day because it was as much about her as it was about us.

My memories of my Nanna are just so precious.

  

 I used to get out all her bobby pins and brushes and combs and brush her hair at the kitchen table and she would just sit there patiently and listen to me gabble on about nothing.

She had a pack of cards that she would play solitaire with and they were that worn down that they resembled more of an hourglass than cards.  Some of them you couldn't even read the numbers on but she wouldn't use new ones.

She had a teacup  and saucer and spoon that she used everyday.  The spoon was tiny and the end was bent in but she wouldn't change it.  I now have that cup and saucer in my display cabinet.

Her garden was amazing, it had so many parts to it.  The side rose garden, the greenhouse with all her succulents and cacti, what I called the "secret garden" through a little walkway behind the tank stand, the fernery on the way out to the shed, and the lawn down the other side of the house that I really don't remember much of because it was pretty much just a lawn to me and not that exciting.  I think my brothers and cousins played cricket there occasionally. 

She knew SOOOOO much about plants.  If ever Mum didn't know what something was, she would just take a leaf to Nanna and she would know.  She loved her garden just so much.  In fact, I was going through all her photos not long ago and about 90% of them were of gardens and flowers - no people at all, just gardens.

I remember her melting old records in a cake tin to make them into pots for plants.

Nanna lost her husband (my Pa) when I was 7.  I don't really remember the person she was before that but I know that she lost a part of herself when that happened.  My older siblings all remember the fun loving person she was and found it a little bit harder to be around her afterwards as it made them sad to see the difference.

To me she was just my Nanna.  She got grumpy and talked to herself (or Pa) a lot, but I loved her so much.

Today isn't about sadness, it's about happy memories for me.

I took my son out in the garden today and we created 2 new gardens from an overgrown spot in honour of her.  It was such a beautiful day and I just couldn't stop smiling.  She would love the garden at this house.  It has so many parts to it and I am still discovering what I have.

My son didn't get to meet her but I talk about her all the time to him.  

Today was such a lovely day 💗