2005-06-28
Back from the hometown and Mum�s 80th birthday bash. First time in over 4 years that, we the siblings have all been together. It happened without drama this time. Probably because Mum was the focus and her life is drama enough for us all.She was very unsettled because her sister-in-law came and at the moment she has a set against her. Her normal filter mechanisms just don�t work. So she says what she thinks and unfortunately she was not very silent in her dislike for my aunt, my godmother, her sister-in-law. She kept saying �what the hell is she doing here? She just sticks her nose in where its not wanted� all that sort of palaver. Totally embarrassing when, the aunty is right beside you.
We all arrived at the dinner along with some wonderful family friends. It was a real piss up as they say in GI (hometown). We all drank, ate, laughed, chatted, and reminisced. My eldest bother (in true fatherly mode) gave a speech about Mum, a wonderful friend of the family spoke loving of mum and how their friendship started. The T family and D family grew up together. The T�s had 5 children and they matched in age from the 6th down to the 9th child in ours. We spent a lot of time together. Mrs T spoke about how alike they were with their buns and big bottoms and hoards of kids.
My middle brother gave a small speech and said he loved her in public which I think might have been the first time I think I heard him say that. It was difficult cause he had a lump in his throat as he spoke.
I couldn't resist so I spoke about the lovely shaped bottoms that Mrs T and Mum had and I recalled a time when we were all on a family picnic down the �Big Hill� (such a simple name bit like Hanging Rock very close by) which was a great spot and it was full of granite rocks and the water would spill over those rocks creating rapids and we would all slide down them ripping holes in our swimmers, getting grazes and bruises. We loved it though.
This one particular Sunday lunchtime (the usual time we would go as we would all decide after church) we met down the hill and another friend of the family a guy called Hupert was there I remember him because he had a hole in his throat and would talk with a tuning fork pressed against it. Anyway Mum never drank much except for this day. Her and Mrs T got thoroughly pissed one minute I saw mum who hated the water dangling her feet in. I thought this was odd but didn�t pay much attention to it until I saw Mrs T and Mum squealing and they slid down the rapids and the dresses they were wearing were around their necks and there lovely shaped bottoms were exposed for all of the children to see. It was hilarious, scary and highly unusual. Of course we all piled in after them and followed them down and all ended up in the deep pool of water at the bottom. Everyone remembered I could see everyone listening, laughing and nodding as I recalled the story. I even heard my godson who is 10 years younger than me say �oh hell yes I even remember that�.
Then my sister spoke about the time when the Monsignor from the church did not like the fact that one of Mum�s children were marrying outside of the catholic church and marrying the Church of England. Instead of him speaking with her he spoke about it in his sermon from the pulpit in the church. My mother was so incensed and hurt that she got up in the middle of the sermon and walked out, leaving all us kids sitting there. We all looked at one another and single file we followed her out of the church. Some new what was happening others didn�t. It didn�t matter if it was good enough for her it was good enough for us. So 11 of us up and left that day in church. Stupid arsehole that he was.
Then no one else wanted to speak or so we all thought until my darling Otis said �Mum I have something to say�, I hushed everyone and said Ok last speech, and this is what he said. �Ummm well�ever since I have known Nanna I have always found her to be a sweet and kind hearted woman, and that�s all I have to say� He brought the house down, I was so proud. There were grandchildren from the varying ages from 34 down to 9 and it was my darling 13 year old with ASD that spoke openly and direct from the heart. Can you see me smiling? I still am!!
This is a pic of the family all 10 of us and Mum as well. (I was relucatant to put this up cause i look so freaking big, it's just the jacket....smile)
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Mum
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Mum and Mrs T
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all text is the � of Ms Do