My Nana and Pop

My Nana is turning the big 80 soon in about 3 weeks time.  All 5 granddaughters have been invited even my sister in law Toni and even my brother and a step cousin also out to dinner one Saturday night in August.
My Nana and I have a very special bond because she knew that there was something quite not right with me when I was born.  She was one of the first ones even before the doctors knew what was wrong.  I was the first baby on my Mum’s side of the family that Nana rubbed my back when I was crying.

When I grew older I must have been about nine I requested to my Mum can I go and stay with Nana and Pop in the school holidays for a week because I knew that I would get more attention and get spoiled heaps so Mum put me on a plane, bus or if someone that I knew was going down for the day I would get a ride with that person.

 I would love the week because Nana and Pop would do things with me like go to Nana’s craft group on a Wednesday morning I would bring down what I need and set myself up at one of the tables and colour in and or read.  One year I went to Nelson which is the top of the South Island to go and watch the wearable arts show with couple of their friends.

 From where I live to where they live it is about a two in a half drive by car, by airplane it is half an hour or by bus it is four hours I think.

 My Pop is an air force pilot who is now retired and he was in charge of the whole New Zealand air force at one stage.  My Pop is also a keen gardener, sailor, camper, a walker (I think I got his walking gene also his chocolate gene also.)  I remember walking with him up to Karori wildlife centre to find our wooden fence post that he donated to the Karori wildlife centre.

Earlier this year I went to Napier and I got to ride in a parade in his 1938 Morris Minor and I got overwhelmed by all the crowds and sensory overload.  My Pop has also a Jag too.  Both him and my Nana do classic car rallies all over the country.

Also when I was younger my Nana used to collect cats and every school holidays I would go round the house counting her cats and there were at least over 100 cats (statutes of cats) not the real things.

 When I come to stay Pop makes these wonderful puddings with ice cream and chocolate sauce and chopped banana.  Nana used to be a wonderful baker and I would help her to make sconces and other such wonderful goodies. 

 I haven’t been to stay with them for a while but hopefully these school holidays coming up for a few days.