Tuesday’s blog rolls back the hours
Hi there.
Thanks for popping in!
Well, I fell asleep early yesterday, so missed the Monday Blog I had been building up to! Hahahaha. Remember? I was going to revive our daily poem blog?
Monday’s blog is Trees and Flowers
Tuesday's blog rolls back the hours
Wednesday's blog is something new
Thursday's blog is always blue
Friday's blog a private peek
Saturday a cool technique
And the blog that is posted on the seventh day, is a step by step - and typical Gray!
Good start! Missed Monday!
Much like New Year’s Resolutions: you make them – and they last all but a week at best! Rules, regs and resolutions ? Mmmm…and the minds zooms back in time…
I clearly remember a really sad scene in Park Royal hospital, when my darling Nan was dying. They had put gauze mittens on her hands, to stop her pulling the tubes out of her nose. I was alone with her, sitting by her bed. She was frail and fragile. She whispered to me, “please take these mittens off, Barbara”, to which I responded, “I’m sorry Nan, but they have to stay on. You know the rules here.” So she smiled, and said something which will stay with me forever: “Rules were made to be broken, Darling”.
And just like that, the hours have rolled back in my mind, to when I was about 29 years old, and pregnant with Gracie. That was the last time I ever saw my Nan. And I do do do wish I’d granted her that final wish, that I’d taken those bloody mittens off for her. I wish I’d just used my discretion, thought for myself, instead of following protocol, and freed up her thin, worn out, bruised hands. I wish I had broken the rules.
It‘s a funny old life, isn’t it. People come, and people go. But some stay with you forever. Like my Nan. My Dad’s Mum. She was just a lovely, lovely, gentle woman. A dinner lady at the local school in Willesden, London. Not a mean bone in her body, generous to a fault, and the salt of the earth. I loved her more than words can say. And I still do.
Six months after Nan died, Grace was born. I like to think she brought a bit of Nan’s spirit and goodness back into the world.
Love always,
Barb x x x
16 thoughts on “Tuesday’s blog rolls back the hours”
Aww lovely blog. We used to worry about my nan and the amount of butter she ate, once she got into her 80s my mum said why worry, she left us a month off her 104th birthday. I’m sure your Nan appreciated you being there even with her mittens on. Will never forget my Nans and Gramps, I was lucky to know them all into my teens and beyond. My nan was Dorothy Gwendoline Grace, hence my middle name is Grace – I definitely have some of her in me !
Have a good week xx
Well obviously the sleep was needed on Monday, but you’ve succeeded with today’s! Rolling back the years. I loved how you remembered your Nan. Rules can be broken but In Your nans case, it did keep her safe even though you have regretted not removing those mittens. What trouble would you have got into if you had removed them. Better to remember nan as she was! Xxx
Thank you Barbara for stirring these memories within me.
When we were very little our Nan used to keep us occupied while Mum cooked lunch. Very often she’d put the racing on the tv and get us to choose a ‘gg’ each to see if would win. We couldn’t work out why nine times out of ten Nans horse would win….what we didn’t realise, Nan was picking the favourite whereas we as little kids were picking a name we liked…. We thought she had magical powers…. Bless her. The other thing that sticks in my mind, is when we were on car journeys. Our Nan used to sit in the middle of us both in the back of the car. She was forever saying ‘look at the colours of the trees’ so many different shades. I used to sit there thinking, what is she going on about they’re just trees. I’m 62 now and I spend my time at the wonderment of the magnificent trees wherever I go and the shades ARE stunning. You were right Nan … thank you, God Bless xXx
Visited my 94 year old mother-in-law today with my two daughters and husband. She was so pleased to see them and we were all reminiscing. They have lovely memories of their Nanny when they were young.
(Thought of you this morning as I was cleaning the bathroom sink with no clothes on!)
Looking forward to what you have in store for us on Friday. Xx
Your Monday nap was obviously needed so never mind that you missed the blog, you are here on Tuesday reminding us of time gone by – memories will remain with you forever even if the people concerned have passed away. I never knew 3 of my grandparents & I only saw my dad’s father a few times as they moved to the middle of nowhere in Devon when he retired and I think we only went once to see them- travel wasn’t so easy back then.
Yet these days our family gatherings include 4 generations so hopefully we will have many memories to look back on.
My nanny was a brilliant knitter, she would knit fair isle jumpers, gloves and mittens without any pattern. I still have two of those jumpers and some of the gloves and mittens, though they must be over 40 years old, still wear them, keeping me warm in colder weather and knitted with love. xxx
Your nan sounds lovely! My dad’s mum was too – she could recite poems and speeches from Shakespeare that she had learnt at school, and was so quick and funny. She taught me to crochet when I was little, and when she had dementia I used to make the middles of her granny squares, then she could keep going for ages until her wool ran out!
I spent a lot of time with my Nana and Grandad from one side of the family. Doing Jigsaws, watching horse racing, wrestling on a Saturday. In later years my Nana taught me how to ballroom dance (nothing fancy) but treasured times. Thanks for sharing.
You must have needed the sleep and you are back now xxx
Hello Barb, thanks for sharing such a hearfelt and personal post with us. I am sure that your Nan’s spirit lives in you and in Grace. Take care all. Bx
Lovely memories – how precious they are…
Awww your Nan sounds lovely. ❤️
I’m sure that your words have prompted everyone to think about their own lovely Nans today and consequently your blog will have generated lots of smiles. Thank you for sharing. x
Jane 🌸🌼🌺
Love your poem and your blog. Sorry we missed Monday but I’m sure you needed the sleep.
What is it about Nan’s that memories stay with us forever. I never knew my paternal grandparents but my maternal Gran was wonderful. She taught me to crochet, advanced my embroidery skills, added to my cooking passion and most importantly guided me through some horrible events in my early life. I owe her so much.
Grandad was a card! He was kind and always made me laugh. He had a whole (small) room filled with 7 aquariums and we used to sit and watch them while he explained what each one was. He bought me 2 goldfish which mother killed and a tortoise which she also discarded. I was inconsolable but Nan and Grandad got me through the trauma, I was 6.
They both died many years ago but they will be in my memory for ever.
Take care, enjoy the sunshine.
What a lovely blog: thanks for sharing. When we look back we often say I should have said /done this, that or the other but, in my opinion, most of the time, with careful thought, we actually do what is the right thing to do at the time: when we are in the moment: when we have all the facts and circumstances, some of which we tend to forget when looking back.
Not sure if rules are always made to be broken unless made to suppress or brainwash: they definitely need to be reassessed, updated or dismissed with the changing times, certainly.
One thing for sure, no doubts, you did give birth to an amazing daughter and you do have wonderful memories of you nan in happier times.
Thank you Barbara for your personal and thoughtful blog.
Thank you Barbara. Sadly I didn’t get to know all my Grandparents as we lived abroad until I was 11 but I did know my Mum’s Mum. Her name was Bessie and her husband was Ernest. My Dad’s parents were called Hilda and Herbert. Not names you hear of these days.
Sleep is good for you.
Take care.