Going to Gran's house

When I was a little girl, my mother would often take me to my Gran's house for lunch and afternoon tea.

We'd travel by train and bus and then take a short walk from the bus-stop to Ethel St.

I always loved turning the corner and spying the pretty pink lantana hedge, which grew along the front fence, past the gate and down both sides of the pathway to Gran's front door!



The house was very old and large with a shaded verandah running around all four sides.

It's ceilings were extremely high and all the rooms seemed voluminous to this small girl.

We would sit at the family table in the big kitchen, surrounded by cupboards of various sizes and designs.

While the adults chatted over their tea, I would look around and wonder what lay stored up in all those old wooden cupboards.

Homemade pies and cakes would emerge from them as the day wore on...and fizzy ginger beer or even fruit wines!

Eventually, I would leave the talk and wander out to the backyard, where fragrant roses grew on big bushes and budgerigars sang and whistled from their fancy cages.

Time somehow seemed to slow down whenever I was there, at Gran's old house.

 Memories.. can be funny things I suppose.

Perhaps I just choose to see those magic days through the romantic eyes of the day-dreaming child I used to be.

All I know is that 40 years later...I still dream of having my own big shady, wrap-around verandahs, and a pretty pink lantana hedge!

image source: Spots and Greens