Day 05 - A picture of… your favorite memory.

My favourite memory is not one defined moment. It is something that I did almost every summer of my childhood. I went to my Granny's house on holiday.

Posing outside the milking parlor

My grandmother lives in Kinvara in Co. Galway. It is a beautiful wee fishing village on the Clare/Galway border. My fondest memories come from being at her house.

My youngest aunt is only 6 years older than me so it was like having big sisters much of the time rather than having aunts. The aunt title only came into play when they had they arduous task of babysitting me. Then it was used quite liberally by whichever aunt was in charge.

When I was six I remember going to Kinvara on Christmas morning. My auntie Aileen had just received the Home and Away board game. To an average non-Irish person this may sound mediocre, perhaps even crap but in Ireland Home and Away is an institution. Especially back then.
I was in awe of this game. It had little cardboard cut outs of the characters heads that you moved around the board. The board was made up of the main places in Summer Bay. It was just fabulous.
Then Aileen explained that because she was 12 Santa wouldn't be coming to her after that Christmas so she got a extra special present that year. It was the first time I found out that Santa wasn't infinite. The shock was so great that I remember the moment I found out, 22 years later.

Chasing chickens at Granny's house

As I got older, and as my aunts go bolder, summers became even more fun. One or two of them would bring me for a 'walk', or as reality proved, use me as a screen for having a cigarette. Naturally I was bribed wonderfully to keep my mouth shut. Even now when I go to Kinvara I smile when we pass the aunt's hiding places.

My grandparents at my christening

My aunts weren't the only people who would bring me out on adventures. My grandad did too. We used to visit his friend Andrew and I would make tea. Sometimes he brought me to see his old house from before he went to England (he lived in England for years before he married my granny), sometimes we nipped into a pub so he could have a small drink. Again I got bribed with bags of sweeties not to tell 'Mother'. He always called her 'Mother'. I remember always liking that.

Granny with about 1/3 of her brood of grandkids!

My granny used to bake the best bread I've ever tasted. One of the favourite memories is going to help Grandad milk the cows and then bringing the warm, creamy milk into Granny for breakfast. She would have chunks of her homemade bread and butter with creamy, milky tea waiting on the table. It was wonderful!

I have so many fond memories of my holidays in Kinvara. I could probably write a full book and have enough for a sequel. I hope you enjoyed sharing my memories with me and much I enjoyed sharing them with you.

Lu x