Last Thursday the clan (the affectionate and correct term for my husband's Scottish side of the family) had the sad news that Elizabeth 'Granny Mac' McCubbin had passed away unexpectedly.
Granny Mac had only been ill for a few days and her decline was rapid. We should be very grateful for small mercies I suppose. But still the news came as a shock. As I write this Gav, and his eldest brother Clive, are driving to Ayr to attend Granny's funeral tomorrow. So I thought I would take this time to write my farewells as I can't be there to support my husband's family at the passing of the clan matriarch.
Granny was an amazing women, 96 years old and head of the family, she never once forgot a birthday or anniversary for any of her 6 children, their spouses, her umpteen grandchildren and their spouses, and great grandkids..... you get the idea, her birthday notebook was full ;). Her family is sprawled everywhere, from all over Scotland to Canada and over in Oz, Granny kept in touch with everyone, she truly was the centre of the clan.
To give an idea of how truly extraordinary Granny was, I'm reminded of when she had the new carpet fitted in the dinning room of Four Acres, the bungalow the boy's built for her on what was the old pig run on the family farm. Now to any person having a carpet fitted means having to ensure that all the furniture is moved and the area ready for the fitters and if you are say 93 years old (as Granny was at the time) you might wait for the kids to come and do that for you. However, Granny being Gran didn't see the point in waiting and was never one to bother others to do what she could do herself.
I remember Gav and I arriving at Four Acres only a day or so after the new carpet had been fitted, it was in the summer and Gav and I had gone up in the middle of August as his parents hadn't long returned from living abroad. Out the side door were these wonderfully exact bundles tied off with a bit of string. On closer inspection they appeared to be bundles of carpet, rolled up neatly and tied so that they didn't fall open and make a mess out by the garage.
Granny had cut the carpet into strips in situ, then carefully rolled each section up lifting each table leg of her heavy pine table, in turn, just enough to squeeze the carpet out, tied them up and had simply but effectively cleared the space for the fitters. All they had to do was remove the table and fit the new carpet. 93 and taking up carpets!
But that was Granny. She was a farmer's wife with a very practical nature, an amazing talent for home baking and a huge heart.
The world is a little less bright without her but I'm grateful that I got to know her and privileged that she allowed me to call her Gran.
While I can't be there tomorrow, my love and thoughts are with all the clan and a candle will burn in her honour.
Rest well Granny Mac, and in your own words....
Ta-ra the noo.
xxx
(Thanks to my cousin Alex McCubbin for use of the photo)
