Lest We Forget

We spent the morning at the ANZAC day march in the city. I should have taken my sunglasses because I see those men and women - I feel overwhelmed and get very wet eyes. 


We caught the train in and caught the train home with the smell of rosemary with us the whole day. 

Today I thought of my grandfather, Gramps. Of my dad's uncle who died at Gallipoli. And Frank who I sometimes walk with in the mornings, who often tells me about shipping over to Singapore as a 17 year old, and returning two weeks later to find everyone had died. 


Those young boys who fought so bravely - I can't even imagine the horror. 

this is Gramps with my grandmother, Mars. 

I spent the afternoon baking ANZAC biscuits - that I stuck together with caramel (thank you Donna Hay), and then I spent a blissful two hours in the garden. 


Lest we forget. 

ANZAC Day

This morning we woke to Tiny tantying in bed. So the Doctor and I hot-footed it out of the house as quickly as we could, plucking some rosemary on the way, and headed down to our local ANZAC Day service.

The above photos of are of my grandfather, Gramps.

I don't remember Gramps talking an awful lot about war. He fought in Papua New Guinea. I do remember seeing that thick almost scratchy wool uniform though.

The top photograph is Gramps with my grandmother. A couple ever-devoted to one another, and I must say, theirs is a pure and undying love.

Gramps once stitched up a large cut (on his hand Mum?) with fishing wire.

Gramps had such a sweet tooth. He always brought us jelly rats when they came to visit, and their car always had sweeties strewn through it!

He made a fantastic baked cheesecake.

He would always pull his socks up and wear sock garters, much to my mortification as a teenager.

When we were little he'd let us drive the car through the paddock. I was the smallest, so I sat on his knee and steered while he worked the pedals.

Gramps loved Days of Our Lives. Turned up really rather loud.

He would always do all of the washing up.

Lest we forget.

ANZAC Day

Today is ANZAC Day. Have you ever been to see the diggers march through the city? I love it. Though we didn't do it today, maybe next year when the kidlets are a little bigger. But seeing those service men and women march is incredible. It has really helped me understand that these are real, live people that went off at an incredibly, heart breakingly young age to fight for our country. And many of them never returned. It made me realise just how many people went off to war.

My favourite spot to perch is right across from the non-marching servicemen and women and nurses. My goodness it is a good spot. They see someone they know and call out and a short dialogue ensues, just as the marcher is marching off. Left - right - left - right.

So I'm watching from home today, with the stray tear in my eye, listening to stories, watching with pride. I love the bagpipes. I love the drummers. It's incredibly moving. If you get the chance to go and watch next year, do it.

Still on the Aussie front, last night I started making my first project from the Mike's book.

Ta da! It's not finished, oh so close! This is Angela's (Three Buttons) pattern (check out her blog, it's delicious. It's capricious). It's the very handy 'Shopping bag keep-safe' that my kitchen needs! Oh yes, it needs it. I try not to have many plastic bags, but they do somehow muzzle their way into our kitchen and cause quite a riot. What a mess! This is a cure, and it just so happens - shazaaaam! It's an Australiana teatowel. How apt.

And now folks, it's on with the show. I'm going to whip up a batch of ANZAC biscuits to keep the memory alive. Smell some rosemary for rememberance. It's a small tribute.

Here's to honouring the sacrifices made for us. Lest we forget.