Age-forced changes Pt 2

Gma & Gpa
Originally uploaded by caelamaia

Dad’s Mum is an artist (predominantly a printmaker) and Grandpa worked as a weed scientist (title: plant ecologist according to Dad). That Grandpa is still alive is quite remarkable. He has had long-term cardiac complications, had quadruple bypass surgery 15y ago and has had so many small heart attacks in the past 3y that I’ve lost count. Yet, just like the energizer bunny (with a little less bounce) and to my delight, he keeps going. They surprised me a few years ago by attending local computer classes, investing in a PC and a webcam, so I’ve been able to keep in touch regularly via skype.

Like my Mum’s parents, age is slowly catching up with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa has slowed down and rests a lot more than he used to. Grandma spends a lot of time supporting and caring for Grandpa and doesn’t like leaving him alone. She’s still doing a little bit of artwork but it’s fairly limited these days. I love Grandma’s art, which is fortunate because my parents’ walls are covered in it and Mum mentioned recently that there are another 40 prints to be framed! I’ve been very fortunate to receive gifts of a few of my favourites for special events and there’s something very cool about telling people that a particular item was printed by my grandmother.

Grandma and I visited the Dunedin butterfly house. It was wonderful. Over 400 varieties of butterfly in a humid 28° environment. The prettiest was a gorgeous blue creature (pictured) that was large, seemingly quite aware of it’s beauty and happy to parade.




I also visited the Dunedin Chinese Gardens. It’s an example of a late Ming, early Ching Dynasty Scholar's Garden. It was in the Scholar's Garden part of the compound where guests and important visitors were received and entertained, and where the Scholar himself (a highly regarded member of Chinese society) lived and worked. The rocks, water plants and buildings are important, symbolic, elements.



The Dunedin Chinese Garden uses authentic Chinese materials crafted by a team of artisans/craftsmen for Dunedin's sister city of Shanghai. In addition to the hand-made wooden buildings, the Garden features hand-made tiles, bricks and lattice-work and hand-finished granite paving stones all imported from Shanghai. Very impressive, and lovely to be able to visit with Grandpa who outperformed physical expectations.