Thursday, May 15, 2014

Lunch at the pub with granny Wanda


Wednesday, the girls, my mum and I went out for lunch at the pub with my Gran, to celebrate her 85th birthday.

We all arrived at the Sportsmans. Mum went and fetched Gran from the pokies lounge.

She balked about how beautiful all her grandchildren were, and just quietly, she's absolutely right in doing so. I'm gorgeous. She was obviously talking about my girls and marvelled at them.

She talked about her age and how she was lucky to get to 85. Her legs are failing her, her health is sketchy. She counts herself lucky, as the women on her mothers side of the family generally died at an earlier age. 

Whereas the blokes on her fathers side lived well into their 90s.

She chuckled as she reminded me, that all her brothers were dead. All that remained were Nora(her sister) and her. God love her. Imagine being alive after most of your siblings had passed away. It would be like pieces of your heart had gone missing. I can imagine it would hurt.

I hope to reach such an awesome age and be still getting around and active, even with a wheelie walker, after your legs could not carry you properly anymore. How useful are those things?! Walking support, somewhere to sit and storage under the seat for your handbag! Sound like something anyone could use on a good night out at the pub!! 

As far as my mum is concerned, and rightfully so, poor old Wandy(no, that isn't a typo, that's our nickname for our granny Wanda), drives like someone who's been on a bender and should have her licence taken off her sooner than later! I don't know what the government was thinking when it cancelled the old age driving assessment! I don't think she would pass to be honest. 

When we lived on the corner of Enderby Lane thirty years ago, when I was a teenager, Mum swore she saw her go up on two wheels coming around the corner. It's always been a running joke and one we laugh about often.

We love her all the same and I am so thankful, so thankful, that my daughters can know her, go out for lunch dates with her, mum and me. Four generations, enjoying each others company, laughing and loving. 

She is the only close surviving grandparent I have. Boris, her husband died when I was 15.

My dad's parents I haven't seen since I was 8. They came over from Spain, I remember the trip to go get them from Tullamarine in Melbourne. They didn't speak a word of English, but the grandie cuddles were all I needed. I still remember the chunky woolly socks my Abuela knitted for me. She died a while ago, she had Dementia. My grandfather Daniel is still alive, but as distant to me as the seas that divide us.

Summer was a little shy, she doesn't see Wandy much, but she opened up. It makes me realise that maybe we don't drop in on Gran enough when she is at home. I have to change that, I have great memories of my Grans' house in Southend, where I spent a whole heap of time when I was a kid.
Thankful Thursday with A Parenting Life

13 comments:

  1. How wonderful that you can get all four generations together. I loved reading this post - Wandy sounds like quite a character! I agree, I can't even imagaine what it must be like alive after your siblings had passed away. I didn't realise you had Spanish heritage. That's so lovely that you felt that love through their cuddles even though you couldn't talk to each other.

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    1. My Dad was born and raised in the North of Spain. She is a character, with so many stories to tell, loudly too, she is half deaf!

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  2. So super lovely that the four generations get to spend that time together. I never had grandparents as growing, one set had passed away, the other lived on the other side of the world so we didn't see them all that often. It makes me treasure every moment that my girls get to spend with their grandparents. Thanks so much for joining in with #thankfulthursday. Sending Granny Wanda lots of birthday fairy wishes and butterfly kisses

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    1. Thank you Rhianna.

      So glad my girls have my parents close. My Dad adores them, and now he is retired, he has lots of time to see them. He was saying the other day, laughing with what seem to be joy, never has he read as much with kids as much as he has with them. Not even us kids!

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  3. How cool to have four generations celebrating together. I never knew either of my gandfathers as they both died before I was born. I love that K has my folks to spend time with. My MIL forgot all about her birthday on Monday which I found rather sad but what can you do ?
    Have the best day !
    Me

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  4. Sounds like your Wandy drives like my mother in law use to before they actually took her licence off her. She had a bad habit of missing the road and taking the footpath around the corners instead!!!
    How special to have such a woman in our life.

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    1. I am sure if she was tested she wouldn't have a licence!
      A wise lady told me years ago to take lots of photos of Wandy with the kids, when the four generations get together.

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  5. I hope I live to that age too, I'll give me a good 15yrs retirement. It is amazing to be able to get 4 generations of your family together so often. I wish I lived near my grandparents, my parents and siblings as well. Unfortunately my Great Grandmother died in the last few years, it would have been amazing if she could have met her first great, great grandchild. I remember so many fun times as a child at her house and at my Grandparent's house and am so thankful to my Mum for making the effort to take us to visit every school holidays despite the travel involved. This has meant that as grown ups we all get along really well with our Grandparents. It would be horrible to have lost all your siblings, each would take a little piece of you with them, would leave a little hole in your life but it is so great to have lived a long life and still have family around who loves you.

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  6. It is really nice that you and your children can continue this relationship with your grandmother. We live with my husbands grandfather and it is such a lovely added dimension to our family.

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  7. It's always such a joy and blessing to be able to have our children know and love their grandparents and great grandparents! That is really such an amazing and incredible moment that you girls were all were able to share together.

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  8. Go Granny Wanda, what a champ!!
    We have 4 generations on both sides of our families. My grandpa is turning 90 next year!! It is special thats for sure.

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    1. Wow 90! Good on grandpa, I wonder what his secret is? Hopefully his longevity genes have rubbed off on you :)

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  9. Beautiful, she sounds like a character!

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