I had a really wonderful visit with my daughter and family, full of rich experiences, lots of Grandma duties and fun, and very special times with Meredith and Mark, the Mum and Dad.
It is hard to recall all the many things I did but here are a few:
- Becoming Godmother to my two granddaughters, Lakota and Myla, who were baptized while is was there at the Beaconsfield Catholic Church. Neither cried, and both were very interested in all aspects, candles, water, oil, and the very nice Irish priest.
- Teaching songs to Lakota’s pre-Primary classes to help prepare them to lead the school assembly. I played ukulele and we all sang Twinkle Twinkle and Leaving on a Jet Plane (very appropriate).
- Being woken every morning at 6:30 (or earlier) to do art work in bed with Lakota and Myla – I miss that!
- Bush walking in the hills above Perth, albeit in a gigantic national park – wanted to go to the wild but did not really have the time and opportunity.
- Walking on the beach and port many times in one of my favorite cities. I loved watching the enormous container ships come in and out and once, in very stormy weather, I saw two tall ships come in through the heads and anchor at the port.
- Experiencing a unique Cacao Ceremony with my daughter – it was my birthday present. We did two long meditations and I have never enjoyed sitting still for so long. Amazing experience.
- Buying new hot water bottles and fancy covers – Americans seem not to need hot water bottles in winter but I do.
- Cooking with my daughter and learning new recipes eg banana pancakes, totally delicious and healthy.
- On my last Sunday, driving to the port and having fun with Mark and the kids while my daughter rested – we drove in places we were not supposed to because of the construction but what the heck, it was great fun!
- Seeing David Helfcott play in Perth. If you have ever seen the movie “Shine”, he was the subject, and was played by Geoffrey Rush. He is now back to his concert career and at 65 is playing magnificently (often sings as he plays!) His technique is enviable and I loved the way his interpretations were so emotional.
- But the best thing was just feeling part of my daughter’s family for a whole month.
