Memories of Nana

I’m one of those rare people to have the opportunity not only to know my grandparents, but have them in my life long into adulthood. Each of my grandparents served as surrogate parents to my self and my siblings. They all had their roles. Grandma as the nurturer that would take anyone in at any time, no reservations required and no complaints. We’d say “There’s always room for one more at Grandma’s place”. My Grandpa, the tickler, was our play buddy. Very seldom would you hear a stern word from his lips. Instead there would be jokes, gentle taunts and a wonderful belly laugh. Now Gramps (my other Grandpa) was the epitome of proper British culture. His accent still strong after over 30 years of living in the States, he had his own sense of humor. He was quite, gentle and kind. Gramps infused religion into the mix and taught me the importance of hard work, Kung Foo, Kojack and the simple pleasures found in a comfy chair.

Nana on the other hand, while certainly fun and caring, was often tough love. She didn’t take any crap and told you exactly what she was thinking, whether you wanted to hear it or not.--Though most times it was what you NEEDED to hear. So it should come as no surprise that while we saw butterflies at Gramps’ funeral, we saw a bumble bee at Nana’s.--Beautiful and instrumental but willing to sting you if you get out of line. Nana inspired us all to expect more from ourselves--To strive towards something better. In and amongst her lessons were these valuable tidbits:

There’s nothing quite like a good foot scrubbing: Despite giggles and screams emitted during the torturous tickling, I’d always plead for more when the “agony” ceased.--And don’t forget to scrub behind those ears, we don’t want cauliflower growing!

A swimsuit, also known as a swim costume (or “cozzie” for short) is acceptable attire under any outfit – Because you never know when you might find the chance opportunity to worship the sun. And work can always be coupled with play: Get the beach house tub scrubbed and run the Hoover on those carpets, and down to the sea we will go!

Some of the best cuisine will never be listed on a five-star restaurant menu: Potato Chip and Butter Sandwiches, Banana and Butter Sandwiches, Eggs and Soldiers (soft-boiled eggs with the tops cut off and buttered bread cut in strips perfect for dipping), Sheppard’s Pie, Mashed Potatoes Topped with Ground Beef and Gravy and a side of Peas (which usually wound up all mixed together – Some call this Poor Mans Sheppard’s Pie), Yorkshire Pudding (Heavenly!), and to wash it all down, a Shandy (Ginger Ale and Beer mixed half and half in a glass – also good for tummy aches).

There is only one way to enjoy a horror flick: The film must be frightening enough to scare the pants off of you. (Like “Visiting Hours” which left me attempting to sleep curled up on her bathroom floor with the lights turned on because I was sure the slasher was going to come out of the closet!). This type of thing makes you braver you know.

Hurricanes can be fun: Like sitting in a Florida style mobile home, listening to the wind rattle the siding and windows while rain pelted down like pennies on a tin roof and tree tops bent towards the ground.

How to set a proper table including lessons on which eating utensil is used for what: salad fork, dinner fork, desert fork... And exactly why was there a different utensil for each dish? (Did you know that real silver will hold the taste of food until they are washed? Picture eating pickled something or other with the same fork you’re about to use for cheese cake… ICK!--Now Nana taught you something too!)

Always speak proper English:

Say “Please” and “Thank you.”

It’s “Pardon Me?”, not “Huh?” or “What?”.

“Who’s SHE? The cat’s Mother?” – Always use proper names!

Presents are fun to give AND receive. Squeeze, shake, rattle, sniff, listen and if you get a private opportunity, pull up the corner a bit and see if it reveals anything. Then, as soon as you’re allowed, rip into that paper like your life depends on it. Be sure to place the bow on your head during this process.

There’s nothing quite like the cuddle of a soft teddy bear or the beauty of fresh flowers in the garden.

Shopping is a religion.

The Macarana can be fun! In fact when you saw Nana shaking her groove thing to that song in her advanced years, you couldn’t help but clap and sing along in encouragement! Some were even brave enough to join in!

This is just a taste of the wonder that was Nana. After her memorial, my mother, sister and myself were talking in the loft. The little Christmas tree with sea shells still sat on the table and the presents my brother and I had shipped down for Nana remained underneath. I handed my gift to my sister and offered, “Would you like to keep this as a memento to remember Nana?” “What is it?” she asked. At that moment, the video for The Macarana began to play on the television. Yes, Nana found a way to shout: “Oooh! Open it! What’s inside?” a brilliant reminder that while she’s missed terribly, she’s still very much a part of our lives.