We have a saying in our family - that is coined from Nanna Josephine.

 

If Nanna hadn't seen or heard from someone for a while, it could only have been a matter of days if it was Mum who hadn't spoken to her.

Well, the first time you spoke to her after that she would greet you with 'Hello Stranger!'

 

We use it now if we haven't heard from someone for a while. I use it with people who have no idea of what I am talking about, or why it's such a funny and dear saying for me!

We have a saying in our house 'a little bird told me'. It comes from Nanna Josephine.

 

The other night Ceilidh came up to me and said 'I have just remembered a story about Nanna that I want to always remember Mummy'.

This is her memory.....

 

 

Nanna used to say to us when we were little that she knew when we were good because the Little Bluebird had flown over to her house to tell her. And if we were good she gave us a custard treat. She always said 'The Little Bluebird told me'

 

Yesterday, at 2pm, Baby Mabel was born to my friend Lorraine.

 

Yesterday, at 2pm, Nanna Josephine was being farewelled.

 

My friend, Sal, sent me this song last night. Thank You Sal.

 

Welcome to the world Mabel, Bye Bye Nanna Josephine xoxoxoxoxo

 

 

lightning crashes, a new mother cries
her placenta falls to the floor
the angel opens her eyes
the confusion sets in
before the doctor can even close the door
.
lightning crashes, an old mother dies
her intentions fall to the floor
the angel closes her eyes
the confusion that was hers
belongs now, to the baby down the hall
.
oh now feel it comin' back again
like a rollin' thunder chasing the wind
forces pullin' from the center of the earth again
I can feel it.
.
lightning crashes, a new mother cries
this moment she's been waiting for
the angel opens her eyes
pale blue colored iris,
presents the circle
and puts the glory out to hide, hide

Today at 11am we say goodbye to Nanna Josephine.

Today we thank God for how amazing she was to be a part of our lives.

 

To quote from my beautiful friend Debbie...

 

 

 

 

Up until very recently Nanna would always always always come to the front porch and wave us goodbye when we left. In the last few months we would tell her not to bother getting up and seeing us off, but often she still would!

 

I remember when we were growing up, and we had been down at Nans, we were in our little green corolla and mum would do a U-ie to head home. And she would remind us 'Wave goodbye to Nanna' (because Peta and I were usually fighting in the backseat already!) and we would look up to Nanna's front door, and there she was - with the porch light on, waving goodbye to us.

I did the same thing to my children (who also were fighting in the back seat!) 'wave goodbye to Nanna' and they would turn and wave to her as we drove off.

 

On Wednesday, when the funeral people came and took Nanna away. We stood on the driveway and on the porch and we waved goodbye to Nanna....

Another Scotland story to do with Nan. Although this often happened at home too, but I learnt not to say anything cause Nanna had her reason!

 

When we were living in our wee house at Coaltown of Balgonie I noticed, after a couple of days, that when Nan put on her cardie in the house, when she was a bit chilly, she had it on inside out.

The first two or three times I didn't say anything, because I thought 'oh, she's just put it on the wrong way'.

But after those few times I couldn't resist, and I said to her 'Nanna, you've got your cardigan on inside out.'

Her response was 'Oh, I know that, it's so I can keep it clean for when we go out!!'

 

OH I laughed and laughed!!

 

And yes, when I would drop in on her at home and saw her cardie on the wrong way I would say 'Are you keeping your jacket clean for when you go out Nanna!'

I needed to find something that related to how I was feeling at the moment.

I think this stanza sums it up well.

 

Yesterday Nanna Josephine died. I can't believe that i just typed that. I can't believe that it has happened.

 

Mum rang me at 6.35 in the morning. She said that she had just received a phone call from Paul to come to Nanna's immediately. She asked me to ring Peta and let her know, and that she would call us from down there, but things weren't good.

 

A little while later mum rang and said that Nanna was gone.

 

I'm find it hard to type that. As much as I have proccessed it all day long, to actually put it in writing is something completely different and is making me shake.

 

The day at Nanna's was beautiful. (if that can possibly said about such a horrid situation)

 

After my inital shock of arriving and seeing two police cars out the front of Nanna's house, I headed straight inside. The police had to be there as Nanna didn't die in a hospital, so there had to be an investigation.

 

Mary, Paul and Karen, Stephen, Dad, Mum and I were there initially, then Michelle arrived and Peetie, and Liz and Robert and then Lauren and Ben, and others throughout the  morning.

After the police left we were able to say our goodbyes to Nanna. She just looked like she was asleep and I am so very very very very very glad I was able to be there to say goodbye.

 

Mark arrived  very soon after that.He had stayed home to get the children to school. We didn't tell the children in the morning, I was gone before they were awake.

 

Mark was able to kiss nanna goodbye as well.

 

About midday we all said a final prayer with Nan, and then the funeral people came and took her away.

 

During the course of the day people came and went, and it was the most glorious of weather days. We sat out in the sunshine and Nanna's back yard is so very big, so people could just go off and sit alone for a while if needs be.

 

A sad thing was that Jan and Michael were away in Cairns so they didn't get back until tonight.

 

I am going to sit down with the kids over the next few days and we are going to write down our special memories of Nanna Josephine, I will then blog them so that they can see them and remember in years to come.

 

Nanna never ever missed one of the kids dancing concerts. And this year she wont be there........

 

MY GREAT NANNA JOSEPHINE

 

My Great Nanna Josephine is 88 and now she lives by herself in her house at Granville.

 

Nanna grew up in Lismore. She rode a horse and sulky to school every day. Even if it was cold and wet they went in the sulky.

 

The horse’s name was Gotcha. When they were at school they tied him up on the school fence.

 

Lots of times Gotcha got loose and walked home. Nanna’s big brother had to walk all the way home and get the horse and then drive it back to school to pick up all of the other children in the family. There were 6 of them.

 

One day Gotcha got loose and opened a school bag and ate a girls lunch!! The girl said ‘Sister, Harmon’s horse ate my lunch.” The teacher said ‘Well Good Luck to Harmon’s Horse.”

 

My Nanna laughed a lot when she was telling me these stories about how she got to school. It was really interesting and funny!

 

As I climbed in to bed the other night!!

 

Con had made me a little present.

I had a giggle and put it up next to my clock.

The next morning he asked me if I'd seen my little creature he made me!!!

HAHAHAH

 

 

 

Last night I found 'The Bottle' on the internet. I was so excited when I found it! I had to send the link to Peta straight away. Well she obviously was equally excited. She went searching for DAAS songs and found GRAPEVINE. Plus a link to lots of their songs.

  

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Doug%20Anthony%20All%20Stars/track/Heard%20it%20Though%20the%20Grapevine
Peta and I were MAD about this song in the height of DAAS.

 

ANd then we have Misunderstood!! We actually WROTE to DAAS About this song!!!

And another!!

Trying to remember how many time I saw them live. I know that Peta saw them about double what I did! But I got to see them in Queensland, although never in Edinburgh - which was very upsetting for me! Mark's crutches got used on stage in one show!

Oh DAAS. I miss them so much!!

 

 

This is Ceilidh's last month in Intermediate before she moves up into Premier - and from Premier that's it - the highest you can go.

 

It has been a very good month for her, she's really improved and is dancing nicely. I wish she had 6months more in Inter - she would really really excel then.

 

Today we had Penrith Eisteddfod. Here is a photo of her with her haul!!! I love this photo - she has a Darcy growing out of her ear!

 

I am very excited.

Today I went to Borders with DeeDee for our girls day. We met Sal, Lorraine & Eliot and Mandy for coffee. The reason I wanted to go there because I wanted to have a look at their travel books about Turkey.

I am very keen to do a quick side trip to Turkey when we are over in Germany. Hoping that my Nannie is able to baby sit the kids for 3 days whilst we make that quick trip. I have been checking out cheap flights on German Wings, and they have single tix for about 35e, at the moment anyway.

So - I was off to just see how easy it is to get from Istanbul to Galipolli and all the stuff about Topkapi Palace etc. (Oh Francis my Francis!)

So, here i was, having a read of the books and suddenly I read 'Tours to Galipolli may also include a side trip to Troy' OMG OMG OMG OMG

I screamed!!!!

I had forgotten TOTALLY that Troy was in Turkey. OH MY GOD!!!!!

I am sooooooo excited. Seriously so so so so so excited!!!

I wrote down a few websites from the Lonely Planet book to check out on the internet. I didnt buy the book ($42) I will try and get one 2nd hand, closer to our trip.

Peta sent me a msg about the weather, and yes, it will be cold - but no colder than Germany. We are not going to Easter Germany (bordering on the Black Sea and Baltic stuff - oh how I wish we were - Francis AND Nicollo!!! - I wanna do Rhodes, and Cyprus. Visit Trebizond etc etc - But am excited that we can do Turkey. So shall be happy with that - for the moment!)

So yes, we have lots and lots to do on our trip to Germany!

I wanna do

Turkey - sans kids

Paris (with the kids)

Berlin - sans kids

Munic (with the kids)

Two weeks ago, after Saturday Dancing Mark took the children to his mums for dinner.

 

It was a lovely wee trip. I stayed home as I wasn't well - plus I'd been out all day.

 

The kids enjoyed seeing Nannie, they loved their spag bol, Mark got to catch up, Beau gave them wee things that she had collected from the shop. And they were all home by 8.30 at night!

Fantastic - must do it more often!