On my mind....My Nan, My inspiration

Edeline Parrish was the 6^th child born to George Albert PARRISH & Emily Cooper on 22 July 1916, born in Kangaroo Valley, Edeline was one of 8 girls and one boy to George and Emily.

She married her sweetheart Richard Cady in Berry in 1933. In 1934 Edeline and Richards first child; Joyce, was born. Joyce is my mother and for whom I am thankful for giving birth to me and much more. Edeline & Richard went on to have 2 more daughters and 2 sons.

Nan lived a very simple life raising her family on a farm in Foxground....When they moved to Oak Flats to build the family home...it was too new and made Nan uneasy...she soon bought the local Doctor’s surgery from up the street...and had it put on the same large block of land....At this time Oak Fats was still very much unpopulated and these houses were the only ones in the street.

I remember Nan telling me that the house cost $450 pounds....and when Pa came home from work one day...she told him she had spent all of their savings...Nan used to laugh when she told the story of how when they moved the house...having it transported on a truck; they only broke 3 bathroom tiles.... she was very proud of this story and told it to those who would listen.

I have many fond memories involving my time spent with my Nan....When I was little we made the yearly 10 hour drive to spend Christmas with Nan and Pa.....they had these little foot stools that Pa had built....and us kids were allowed to use the magnifying glasses to burn graffiti into them...It was so cool...AND the only time we were allowed to do it too...On our visits, we made kites, went fishing, played at the park, fed the ducks, got shirts made for us out of Wheat and Flour bags......those were the days....Nan never used a pattern either...and only years later had her Singer Push Pedal converted to electricity....

When we went to feed the ducks...I’m sure Nan broke her bread up smaller, just to make the outing last longer....she got a big kick out of feeding the ducks...and even sacrificed fresh bread if we were visiting....I can hear her laughter still.

Nan spent many hours in the kitchen stirring jams and pickles...and preserving other fruits too...but I mainly remember the jams, pickles, pies and KB Rolls....she was a life member of the Red Cross and donated a whole bunch of baked goods for every stall, she never missed one while she was healthy. She tended a great vegetable garden down the side of the house too....which she loved to show off... When visiting years later, I still enjoyed the afternoon walks around the garden with Nan explaining all the things that were going on....

When I had had my first child, we made the big move to the Illawarra...and it was then I was able to help Nan out and spend much more time with her...I used to take Nan to do her shopping...I left her to do her own thing occasionally...but always had one eye on her while doing my shopping.  This way she was able to keep her independence for longer.

I enjoyed those morning phone calls to let me know that IF I was going to bingo that she wasn’t doing anything for the morning and she would come too if I wanted the company…..It was rather funny playing bingo with Nan....having to sympathise with her that she hadn’t won for so long....but knowing full well that she won the previous week or a few weeks before last.

Nan loved to go swimming at the baths at Shellharbour early in the morning. We would do laps starting on the ocean side and we would laugh how we got washed to the other side by the waves lapping the side of the pool....We’d start on one side of the pool, and by the time we had finished the lap....we were on the other side.

Whenever I took Nan for a drive....she was always amazed at the amount of cars lined up in the streets...especially in Oak Flats at the Shopping Center. “Look at all the cars” she would laugh.... She would always be amazed at how much we could achieve together in such as short time having the car to run around in.  I guess my car is a lot faster than a horse and cart…Nan never got her licence, she couldn’t see the need for both her and Pa having a licence.

I can still hear her bursts of laughter when I took her through McDonalds drive through for an ice-cream.... “What! You don’t have to get out of the car to order it?”, “They even hand you the change through the window” she would say....”Now I’ve seen everything....what a silly thing to do....being handed your ice-cream through the window of the car”.

with son Donald

Back row: My Mum and Nan
Front row: Irene, Joe & Evelyn
At the Berry Show

Christmas 1982

Christmas 1982
Evelyn, Don, Pa, Nan, Joyce, Irene

Another Christmas lunch at Nan's

Oak Flats with Douglas (my now DS19)

Oak Flats Rowing Club jetty

Swimming at the baths at Shellharbour

Swimming at the baths at Shellharbour

Nan & Pa's Golden Wedding Anniversary
1983

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary
1983

4 Generations
Me, Nan, DS19, & my Mum

Cleaning out the flu 

Back Row: Uncle Don, Pa, Nan, Aunty Heather, Uncle Ike (Isaac)
Front Row: Aunty Irene, Uncle Joe, Aunty Evelyn and Joyce (my Mum)

3 sisters
Nan, Aunty Eva, Aunty Millie

I convinced Nan to climb in my father-in-law's truck...
abt 1989
Look how much fun she is having.

Pa & Nan with baby Joyce (my mum)

Pa & Nan with baby Joyce (my mum)

My sister Sue with Nan

Nan survived her sweetheart by 20 long and lonely years...waving to a photo of Pa on her dressing table every morning, saying...”I’ll be with you soon”.  She left behind 14 grand-children and 24 great grand-children and died nine days before she would turn 88 or 14 days before her first great-great-grand-child Callum was born..........

I learnt many skills over the years watching my Nan work....I like to think that she would be proud of me today...doing the things I do....I also like that I am keeping Nan’s memory alive through my blog.....I miss ya Nan!...but I'm happy for you; knowing your finally with Pa........