Happy Birthday Nona! Rest Peacefully! xx

Me, My Nona, and my cousin N

Me and Nona on my 2nd birthday! Wonder what I wished for...

Today would of been my paternal grandmothers 94th birthday. Sadly she passed away last night. :( Her passing brings mixed emotions.... of course sadness that she has gone, she will be missed. But also a sense of happiness and relief that she finally got her wish. She has been unwell for quite a while and has hoped and prayed that she would pass, but the years just kept ticking away as did her heart.


Her husband, my pop, passed when I was 2, so she has been without him for 32 years... I couldn't even imagine the hole your heart to be away from your partner for so long. I bet it was a beautiful reunion.....


So today, I am going to remember my Nona! I am not really sure why we call her Nona...all of our cousins call her Nan and Nanny, but my brothers and sister and I have always called her Nona! I love it! :)


Nona and I used to make beautiful frangipani necklaces while my mum played tennis when I was just a little girl... I guess I would of been 4 or 5. I can remember pushing the stems inside the petals until they were a long chain to go around my neck. I used to break alot of frangipanis while doing this and I think in all honesty that I would end up wearing Nonas frangipani necklace all the time.


Tennis and Nona went hand in hand... so it is funny that she passed while the Australian Open was on too. I remember when she lived at Funnel St the tennis would be on all the time... If it was Wimbeldon time, then she would be up till all hours watching it.... if we were having sleep overs, we could stay up late to watch it too. Yay for Nona! :)


She taught me to make piklets... she taught met to not make them too big, and to wait until there were at least 9 air bubbles popped before flipping them. I felt very grown up being able to flip the pikelets...


I used to love climbing her mulberry tree and eating all the mulberrys.


She had a sort of maroon/cherry red car when I was little and she loved to drive it sooo much. I remember how sad she was when she was told she wasnt allowed to drive anymore. Now that I drive I understand why she was sad.


I remember I used to look in her letterbox all the time for mail and I loved to play with the barbies and their clothes from the cabinet in the front room.


I remember her soft squishy cuddles.


One of my favourite things about Nona is that because of her my dad could come to visit with me and travel while I was living in the UK. It was fun to pick him up at Heathrow and take him around London and over to Paris. (growing up watching my dads slides of his travels inspired me to do it too, which is why it was so wonderful to have him over there with me)


Nona, I didnt say it enough, or spend enough time with you, but I miss you and I love you. And I am so glad that you are not in any pain anymore. Fly! xxx

Memories of my mum.... growing up!:)

Mum and I on my wedding day. I wore her dress
and had it altered to my style.

Mum and B

Mum and K

Memories of my mum will be one that I will come back to lots and lots I think.... there are just sooo many memories.....

I remember going shopping at Toombul with here, (there used to be a massive T outside Toombul) We would always stop at the donut shop on the way in and out of the shops just so that I could watch the batter plop in the fat and go up the ramp! I loved that soooo much.

Then more often then not we would have lunch at a little cafe that used to be at the entrance of coles... it must of been a small cafe, only half a dozen tables or so... I would always get an egg and lettuce sandwich and a strawberry milk.. they are still among my fave things to have... And I craved strawberry milk when pregnant with Braith....

I remember helping my mum do the cleaning... I used to love polishing the banister railing that lead from downstairs to up. It must of been the cleanest bannister in the world.

I remember doing the washing with mum. I had a hand basin and I would wash my dollies clothes and hang them on my mini clothes line!

I remember mum always giving us a big warm bath on a sunday night after all the yard work was done and then we would have eggs or soup for dinner and watch Disneyland.... I loved Sundays!

I remember she always used to sing Frara Shaka..... totally the wrong spelling, she still sings that to my kids....

I remember I loved trying on her clothes and her shoes.... and even her bras. lol

I remember her and dad throwing me to each other on their bed, it was a game, not bad throwing, lol I loved it!

I remember all her cuddles and kisses and always telling her I never wanted her to die and leave me.

I remember clinging to her as she threw me in the pool for my swimming lesson... that she had paid good money for. lol

I remember crying so hard for her not to leave and chasing her down the path when she dropped me at kindy.

I remember her doing my hair every morning.

I remember wanting to sit in her lap at night to watch telly, even right up into high school! :)

I will remember more.... now for a photo..... I like photos with posts.....

Memories.... Like the corners of my mind....

Is that how it goes??? Im not even sure.

The other night I was lying in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep cause of all the thoughts and plans running through my head. Its exciting in there. lol
But, one of the things I was thinking about was that it would be nice to jot down memories that I have... just randomly.... as far back as I can remember.... My long term memory seems to be alot better than my short term. ooops.
My older brother and I have little competitions to see who can remember the most...I always win, of course, he he he. He thinks I am making things up and tricking him.....

Today I am going to start with my maternal grandparents... Nan and Pappy!

I remember loving their garden, full of mint and strawberries and hydrangeas... I loved to play in the garden and smell the mint and pick the strawberries... I also loved that their next door neighbour had a big macadamia nut tree and the nuts would fall in Nan and Pappys yard, and I would collect all I could and get pappy to help me crack the nuts. :)

I remember that nan had a sewing room... we werent really allowed in, but I loved it anyway. And Pappy had a room he kept his beer in. We werent allowed in their either...
I remember they had plastic on the carpet in the hall to protect it. I remember the front room was always sunny and Nan used to sit in there all the time and talk on the phone.
I remember Nans pea and ham soup... i hated peas, and I hated ham, but geez it was yummy! I remember being burnt on the arm by a cigarette at a party in their back yard while getting a cuddle... it hurt... put me off ciggarettes! :) But that the burn was followed by the yummiest cheesecake I have ever eaten!!! I remember swinging on the hills hoist with my brother... and getting in big trouble for it...I remeber Pappy bouncing me on his knee all the time. I remember the little radio... i remember eating those pillow bickies with the spicy centre, they were a treat. I remember looking at the stars in their back yard...I remember the little door that lead under the house (it was like a half door) and always wondering what was in there... like it was magic, till I discoved it was just the dirt and cobwebs and some old newspapers.... I remember they gave me my first sewing machine, which I loved, for my birthday in grade 9, then sewing scissors in grade 10... which I didnt love, (back then)... i remember them playing the pionola..... my memories are thinning...

I think If I write them down I may never forget them! :)

I saw on telly the other night the results of some report about men sleeping through the sound of a crying baby, supposidly it is all true, they just dont hear that pitch when they are sleeping.
I can completely attest to this. There have been many an occaision where it has been hubbys "turn" to get up to the kids... I wait and listen to them call and think yes he heard it, he must of.... no movement... oh, a snore... he'll hear in a second..... nope, so I push him... nothing, shake him... nothing.... I am almost ready to jump on him when I realise it is just much easier to go myself. lol

Not us ladies though, our maternal alarm bells go off the minute they roll over or whisper our names!

I used to be a deep sleeper, a reeeealllly deep sleeper. When I was growing up we had a ute, an 18 foot boat and trailer and an outboard motor stolen from a couple of houses in the street all in one night. Now the whole street slept through it, so I am not taking any responsibility, but just to say that some of it was stolen from the house next door, right below my bedroom window....didnt hear a thing!!! Ooops!

These days all it takes is a whispered "muuuummm" and I am up in a shot.

I do love it though... Braith has a King Single, so there is plenty of room, and I know that in a few short years he will be putting a padlock on his door to keep me out.... so here is another thing I will treasure for now! :)