He remembers nana the best
December 26, 2005Ruby Bay, New Zealand
8:56pm
I just went upstairs and my father, my favourite man of all time, is lying on my, now his bed, with a cold wash cloth wrapped on his face to sate the sunburn he received today. He looks like a sarcastic radish.
New Zealand is known for their proximity to the hole in the ozone. A fact I shared with our guests in the car ride on the way home from the airport. It will be a tan tomorrow. My father is part Indian you know, right spike?
So duh, my father and his wife Miriam arrived on Christmas Eve day, father decked out in his traveling sports coat and Miriam looking smashing even though they had spent about a week on many airplanes to get to our little nook of the world. Hudson was shy for about 45 seconds before trying to wrap them both around his little finger. What a joy to watch my son with my father. It was like crystal balling my own childhood to see how I became a goofball. A total treat I tell you.
Christmas itself was a total success. We set up the Thomas wooden set we bought for just under $62,000 and put it under the tree and told a wide eyed Hud that Santa must have put it together between bites of lemon cookies we left out for him.
He was totally mystified and even admitted to seeing Santa arrive at our little cottage, even though he is sleeping on a bunk bed above Steph and I. It was rich and beautiful and the stuff legends are built from.
Hud loved all his gifts, but admittedly, the Spiderman costume stowed away in Papa and Oma’s luggage from my sister and her clan was a pretty big hit.
It was immediately adorned and worn for a good long time before we convinced him to remove the mask so he could eat the cheesy farm fresh eggs I made for Christmas breakfast. Good call Aunty Mitch, good call.
After all the presents were unwrapped.
(I got running shoes!! We bought them four days ago! We wrapped them for Hud’s benefit! Teaching him a non-greed lesson! Aren’t we progressive!) and after breakfast we went for a walk on the beach. Just something you have to do in the whole reverse season phenomenon. I swam; in a rocky, clandestine floored ocean, waiting for a lion fish to puncture my heel before realizing my heel is basically like lathered diamond juice, only penetrated by other diamonds, leaving me to sigh and wade further into the water.
Later on we caught crabs and all three of the Grahams feared the pinch but soldiered on
Dinner was at six, a full turkey ensemble and home made gravy, which was great, if not a little burnt. Steph made Pavlova for dessert, a classic Kiwi soft meringue dish that melts in your mouth and makes you beg for more. All in all a pretty successful holiday dinner.
Today, boxing day, was spent on a small cruise ship up the coast into the Abel Tasman National Park for a day of adventure and walking and golden sand beaching. In other words, total boxing day traditions.
Hud is really enjoying other people. I will give my father and Miriam the benefit of the doubt and say it is because he really loves them, although it really seems he is just happy to have the attention of other adults besides his sometime milquetoast parents. One thing I know, he will love going back home and basking in the glow of the rest of the parents. We have become old and boring to the shooting star himself. Maybe by high school he will dig us again.
Tomorrow we are going up to hippie country for a café lunch and perhaps a couple of gallery visits. Not really my bag, but I will suffer through it if only to watch my crusty goofy father waffle the blonde mane of my crusty goofy son.
I, of course, will continue to muck around in the gap.
Love to all,
J.
posted by Jason @ 12:43 AM
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