Happy Birthday Nanny!

Dear Nanny;
I just rang the hospital but they said you were discharged...but of course! You had to get to the club for your birthday...yes?

Happy Birthday – 91 Strong! 

I hope you had a lovely day.  We are starting January 14 now so I will do something nice for someone else in your honor today.

It is extremely cold here (-2F) but life goes on.  Rose and Max have school today.  Neil is in OHIO (I think...last I heard he had a layover in Detroit because someone had blocked the aeroplane toilet...yuk!).  This weekend I am traveling down south to southern new Jersey to join a group of girls to make a beautiful doll.  I have found some of Betty's bits and pieces and I will take these with me in the hope I can incorporate a bit of betty into my piece.  I also have some lace given to me by mum that used to be lovely Margaret Murphy's so I am going to use that too. 

I think of you so much when I do "my art" as we say in america!  I have such lovely memories of the two of us doing things together.  Rug hooking, and copper art are my two big memories of where you always allowed me to really try and make something.  In my mind I can still see the rug all in purples and creams. 

When we stayed over I would like knowing you were right across the hall  - it always made me feel so happy.  Some nights I would tiptoe up stairs to visit Pa in his office/lair/radio room and I would sit on the top of the stairs so he couldn't see me but I could listen to him talking on his CB radio.

I loved my Pa. 


I think about the yellow candy jar – the one where I would eat two lollies and then take the wrapper of one, put it inside the other and wrap it back up again so nobody knew I had sneaked something sweet! Well I hope my name is on the bottom of that!

I think about how you loved to be on stage, performing, entertaining and making people laugh.  All the wonderful costumes that you would wear – I think we all still have some pieces in our dress up boxes.

 

Life’s stage comes alive when you walk into a room. 

Your determination, your love for others, your ability to always see the good in the people around you, your love for lemon tarts, your love of Bingo!, your love of a good bargain (no one will ever forget the Christmas that we all got bottle openers or the Christmas we all got frypans)! 

You have shared so many joys with us, you have shared so many sad times with us.  You have babysat us, and our children, you have cooked for us, and our children … deviled eggs, junket, and trifle are just few of the family favorites! and you always spoil us and our children.

I miss seeing you.  I miss being able to just walk in the door, make a cup of tea, and read your catalogues while I wait for you to come home from the club with the latest meat tray.  I miss not being able to share with you the world I am moving in here, so wonderful and so filled with art it would make your heart sing just like it does mine. 

I have always believed that you and I had a special connection.  I know everyone in our family believes they have a special connection with you) but mine is definitely more special-a!!!! 

There are not many in this world who have understood me, but you always have.  You have been a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother, you have been an actress, a volunteer, a babysitter, a golfer, a lover of purple, a bowls queen, a bingo champion, and a friend to all. 

Margaret Lloyd Stott – Peggy, Big Nan, Nan – My Nanny.  I love you today as I have done for my whole life.  I promise you that I will continue to channel you in all that I do and I promise that if I make deviled eggs I will put them in the fridge.

Happy Birthday Nanny.  I hope you won your meat tray and got to eat it too!

Sal x

(The Grand Babies of Christmas 2008 – Max asleep and since then more great grand babies have been added to this brood)