Letters to Ann

Dear Ann,

Today has been a red letter day for me & in Australia that means it was extra special. I almost missed out on it too, as I have had phone problems for over a month & the last fortnight without internet.

My provider came about the phone with good results but, apart from that, I need a new phone. In the interim David has connected me with an old phone, which is okay for the present.

Then, after some time I realised I had no internet. David again came to the rescue & had me reconnected two days ago. That was when I discovered an email sent nearly two weeks ago.

It was from my beautiful niece Karen, in Tasmania, asking if it was okay for her family to call on 22nd July on their way north to holiday with other members of the family. Thank goodness I received a phone call from Karen a few days ago about it, otherwise I would have missed out which would have truly upset me.

The last time Karen visited me was twenty one years ago as a young lady when we lived in a huge house. My grand daughter, Charley was a little girl & Riley not even thought of.

It was on that visit that Karen & I bonded & ever since she has held a very special place in my heart. I believe the feeling is mutual.

Of course we have seen each other at family reunions every four years but during those years other things developed rather rapidly with a marriage & a growing family. It really doesn’t take long for a decade to pass. All of a sudden there is another family almost grown up & seeing them very sparsely in four yearly eras is not enough.

The phone call from Karen was to say they were coming over from Tasmania & if it was okay would love to call & have lunch with me today.

I was elated with the news & could hardly wait. I had been to the hairdresser this morning, did some shopping & arrived home about ten minutes before the telephone call came whereupon I asked ‘Where are you”?

Karen said “Parked outside of your place on the street!”

I rushed outside & up the drive to see two parents & four offspring untangling themselves from their four wheel drive. I waved & rushed out on the road a bit to greet them. And what a lovely reunion that was.

Firstly, the youngest of the family was in my arms, Lisa aged 11, then came Benjamin aged 10, Bernard aged 13 who all gave their great aunt a great big bear hug. When young Kurt aged 15 years appeared hie also gave me a dutiful hug like the rest\, but a little more subdued which was understandable being the age he was.

Finally I got to greet Karen & big Kurt & how joyous that was.

Then the chatter started & we never stopped. We didn’t waste one minute of the precious time together. Somehow I got them down the drive & inside where we had a quick tour of my little villa with Karen remarking that it was much larger than she thought.

When I took them up to the spare bedroom with its door closed I counseled them that they had to be very careful going in there because there were some little beauties sleeping on the bed. Then when I opened the door a sea of cellophane wrapped Christmas Puddings greeted them: the whole 200 on the bed & the others in cartons on the floor!

They were astounded & of course I told them they had to take a couple with them on their journey, with Karen remarking there was no way she would leave without them & if I forgot, she would remind me. (I kept to my word!)

The children were amazing. They made themselves at home settling on the lounge room floor with games while I made coffee in the kitchen.

The night before I had made some Roasted Almond Slices, which you have heard so much about & stacked them into five take away containers, one for each of the children while traveling & one to have with our coffee.

However, itwas just big Kurt, Karen, Lisa & I sitting around the table while Karen got her phone out to look up all the photos stored. Lisa really came alive then & I saw photos of the newest addition to their family, a big black curly haired poodle dog called Jelle who is only a few months old.

I saw Mumma & Dadda Bunnies & their six offspring plus several guinea pigs. Every now & then I saw photos of the rest of my nephews, nieces & parents. I loved seeing every one of them.

There is no doubt little girls touch the heart strings & Lisa has excelled in my book. She was named after Karen’s eldest sister, Lisa whom I told you about in my very first letter to you & how tragically her life ended, which was a period in our whole family that was just the saddest ever.

Therefore, Lisa, my great niece had to be special from her birth. One of my treasured memories at a family reunion when she was such a small child & to me seemed so shy, she came & sat on my knee for hours not talking, just cuddling up to me.

I was very close to her Auntie Lisa & I guess took this as a message from her to let me know she was still with me. It was very simple but so beautiful at the time because Lisa was not one to just go to anybody & at that time, being so young, she really didn’t understand who I was.

Anyway today she was in my home & looking in the cabinet where I keep some treasures & I asked her what was the favourite thing she saw.

She immediately pointed to a glass bell with a panda bear sitting on top. I have a set of six of these bells with different birds & animals on them.

She also took a liking to two beautiful brown china bunnies made in Germany. I decided then & there that I would give them to her.

Well after two hours of non stop talk; them seeing the inside & outside of my home; me looking at pictures of there home, which was built in the eighteen hundreds. It is  situated on a half acre of land, which is indeed a very beautiful spacious mansion, it was time for them to go.

They had a four hour drive in front of them to get to their friend’s place in Coffs Harbour, further up north. We all got to the car with Karen in charge of Christmas puddings when I remembered the little bunnies in the china cabinet.

Lisa had already given me the hug of a lifetime which I will never forget, it was full of love, warmth & whatever other ingredient of that kind that brought the tears to the back of my eyes & I remembered the bunnies.

So hand in hand, Lisa & I trotted back to get them & when I put them in her little hands I knew she will love them.

I also told her I would bring the panda glass bell with me when I go to the next family reunion in 2019, but I changed my mind & wrapped it up tonight with lots of padding to post to her.

I also said in the letter I wrote to her that Koala Bear had been at Panda Bear’s side for fifteen years & they could not be parted. So when she arrives back home she will have two bell bears waiting for her.

With hugs & hugs all round, they were about to leave when Karen asked Kurt to take a photo. I would have been so angry with myself for overlooking this as it is so important to me so that I can send them to you. So big Kurt did the honours making us all laugh then they were in the car & six pairs of hands were waving goodbye all the way down the road until they out of sight

Then I had one of those rare bouts of feeling so alone like when David leaves after his Saturday afternoon visits & when Philip & Greg left after their four week stay last December. When family leaves me that’s when I feel a big lost.

Thank goodness for Micheles’ Patisserie & their coffee!

Sending Hugs & Lots od Love. Dawn X O X O

PS Forgot to say that Karen & Kurt manufactured some great offspring – those three great nephews of mine are so handsome I wouldn’t like to count the number of hearts they are going to break!!