Daisy

In yesterday's post came a birthday card from my Nan in the UK.

Earlier in the morning my Dad had called to say she had died. Sometimes living so far away sucks.

It was more than eight years ago that I last saw my Nan. The lovely photos taken at her 90th birthday a few months ago made me wish it was more often, but still I feel lucky to have been able to spend lots of time with her as a child. Thanks to my Dad's job with an airline, we were able to travel to England regularly and see our family. I am thinking of Dad, his brother and sisters and all my cousins today.

A few of the memories I have of my dear Nan:

• The smell of toast cooking under a gas grill (and putting coins in the gas meter under the stairs)
• Her love of word puzzles 
• Riding the double decker bus to Staines 
• Wading in the stream near Nan's home in gumboots with a fishing net
• Buying special treats (like chocolate mint sticks) at Marks and Spencer
• While staying with her one cold January, she told all the shopkeepers that it would snow tomorrow, so her granddaughter from Australia could see it. And it did
• Nan riding to work on a yellow moped... not sure, but I think she was about 60 then
• The letters she wrote on blue aerogramme paper. I still have them
• Nan cooing over my baby cousin Joseph (Jojo) as he lay on the lounge room floor. He's now a grown man
• Playing housie at the local club with her friends
• The tune that Nan hummed. When we asked, she didn't know what song it was
• Nan's visits to stay with us in Sydney. She loved the sun and warm weather and it did her good
• The hug at Heathrow airport when she didn't want to let go for fear we would not see each other again

RIP Daisy. xxx