Letters to my Grandchild

Hello my darling Em, August was a busy month - it was my 70th birthday on 6th August and I had a High Tea at home which went off exactly as I hoped it would.  Some of our oldest friends were there, like Barbara and Charles Mason.  Gumpy and Charles worked together in 1961 and I first met them 50 years ago.  Charles was our groomsman at our wedding.  He is the tall man on the right with my friend Colleen who was my bridesmaid.  We still keep in touch. Three people in this photograph have passed away.  Brian was Gumpy's bestman, Patty was my Matron of Honour and her daughter, Caroline, was our flower girl.  They have all passed on.  You have met the other two people - Gumpy's cousins Anthony and Carol who now live in Australia. Do you recognize our page boy, the little boy next to Gumpy?  Believe it or not that is Uncle Jeff!  My brother was 10 years old (not much older than you are now) when we got married. Jenny, Marion, Barbara ...

Hello darling Emily,   It is your birthday month - 8 years old!  Wow!    On the 7th October you went for your treatment.  You are so brave when they put in the port and you don't cry or complain.  Tam and Gail stayed with you and you were allowed to have a chocolate ice cream during the infusion.     Your Mom and Dad bought a big new King size bed.  For a few months you have been going through to their room at night and getting into bed with them.  There wasn't enough space in the double bed and Mark said you were kicking him in the 'you-know-what' and his head!  This bed is huge and you can all fit in it.  Tammy usually puts up a side protector but this time it wasn't up.     On Friday you were given a Happy Birthday rosette to wear at school all day.     Sunday was your actual birthday!     You had two parties!  One for the children at your home ...

Hello my darling Emily-Ann,   I went hiking in Switzerland and Italy from 23rd June to 27 July.  While I was away, Tammy posted photographs of you with Gumpie at Botanic Gardens. It looks as though you three had a good time!   I started my hike in the Swiss Alps, crossed the Grand St Bernard Pass (where the famous St Bernard Dogs are) and  into the Aosta Valley in Italy.  Then we got a bus to a hilltop town in Tuscany called San Gimignano and hiked from there to Rome.  I loved the walk but I missed you very much.  Every time I saw a little girl with blond hair I wanted to give her a hug.  By the time I reached Rome I thought that maybe at 69 I was getting too old for this sort of long-distance hiking but there were other people five years older than me at 74 years.  So, I might have to carry on for a few years still! After I got to Rome, Gumpie flew to meet me and we walked 110km together to Rome.  He ...