Great-Nana`s 90th Birthday at the Beach

Great-Nana’s
90th
Birthday at the
Beach
Alice Hunt’s
Story
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This Story
is for all my Family
so that they may recall
a Very Special Occasion
Five children with five partners
Twelve grandchildren with seven partners
Fourteen great-grandchildren and one more
born in March 2015.
This adds up to forty-four people who
celebrated the matriarch’s birthday.
Manuia Books
Alice Hunt
Palmerston North
email: [email protected]
Book website: www.manuia.org.nz
December 2015
XC DV
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Great-Nana’s
90th
Birthday at the
Beach
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G
reat-nana looked
at her big family,
gathered to
celebrate her
90th birthday. They were all
happy, enjoying the
occasion, and sharing a
special time together.
Great-nana thought of all
the planning for this event.
The operation was given a
code-name -
XC DV
Meaning: Ninety,
Deo Volente (God
Willing)
First it was just an idea - a long weekend at
Paekakariki Beach, just north of Wellington.
This would be much better than a party or
dinner, as there would be time for the younger
children to get to know each other, and for the
older cousins to rekindle their friendships.
When they were young they met together very
often, but now they were grown up, many of
them married and with children of their own.
They had scattered throughout New Zealand,
and travelled overseas at times.
The real birthday was on 13 January 2015, so it
was decided that the weekend of 17-18-19
might suit everyone. When the 13th arrived,
there were cards, flowers, visitors, phone calls,
emails and Facebook messages, and
everyone rejoiced. Reaching ninety
years was something to celebrate.
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A big surprise was a message from Kyle in
London who had recorded greetings for his Nana
with the three singers of Sol3 Mio presenting
Happy Birthday, Dear Alice.
So heart-warming, reminding the family of their
ancestral home, Samoa.
ʻHappy Birthday.........
.........Dear Alice.........
Three large beach houses
had been booked for the
special weekend, and
several cabins at the
Paekakariki Holiday Park.
There was much emailing
to everyone, to make sure
they would be there.
.......Happy Birthday to youʼ
“It will be like a short beach holiday, and my children
can do all the planning and catering, while I just sit
back and watch over it all,” said Great-nana.
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The weekend arrived, and Great-nana and Des were
taken by car from their home in Palmerston North,
down the coast to Paekakariki Beach, turning off the
main highway, crossing the railway lines, and then a
short drive to the house. This was a big house set on a
hill, facing the beach front, and looking out towards
Kapiti Island.
From the house there was a path down to the beach
where all sorts of interesting things were waiting for
the children to investigate. A small creek was finding
its way into the sea, cutting a riverbed into the sand.
Just the place for little
children to play.
The families began to
arrive, and were shown to
their homes for the
weekend. A number of
families went to the
Paekakariki Holiday Park,
further up the beach. They
had cabins to sleep in, and
a playground for the
children.
Nana and Des shared
a house with Verena,
Dave and family,
where they could
rest from the busy
activities in the
house where
everyone assembled
during the day.
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Fun on the beach.
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Back in the big house,
Great-nana said she felt like
a Queen Bee, sitting in state
with her big family milling
around. All were intent on
their tasks in the kitchen, or
preparing the barbecues,
checking on plans for the
weekend, and all the while
looking after the little
children, playing games
with them, and supervising
visits to the beach. At the
same time they were
catching up on the news
and stories everyone had to
relate. Laughter was
echoing around Queen Bee,
and she was looked after so
lovingly by all.
Busy People
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On Saturday more families arrived, and some of Greatnana’s friends and relations came to visit. There was time
to talk to them all, and share memories. The weather was
fine, so the children played on the beach, trying to dam up
the little creek with a big driftwood log. Some of the Dads
helped and seemed to enjoy the fun as much as the
children.
A big pond formed,
then the waters
escaped, and
everyone had to get
busy again. It was
hard trying to tame
the creek and the sea
tides. The water
always won.
Watching all this activity, Great-nana and Des thought
about the times when they were young. She and Des were
neighbours in Palmerston North, and with Viv (Des’s twin)
they were a happy threesome. Holidays were almost
always at nearby beaches. At Foxton Beach tents were set
up in the campground under the big pine trees, near the
Manawatu River which flowed into the sea. It was a short
walk to the ocean beach. Sometimes the families stayed
with other relations and friends in beach houses. One
holiday they remembered was at Otaki Beach, and another
at Moanaroa Beach, across the Rangitikei River from
Tangimoana.
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The above photo was taken at Otaki
Beach, with the Botcher family who were
friends of the OʼKeefes.
Back: Florence Fleck, Mrs Botcher
Middle: Molly OʼKeefe, Botcher children
Front: Botcher boy, Viv, Alice and Des
Alice, Edie Oliver, Bill Lennon, Viv
Tent, camping equipment and
car, set up on back lawn at
home,when a family visited.
Des, Edie Oliver, Bill Lennon, Viv and Alice
Viv and Des
The three photos above were
taken at Moanaroa
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Then the next
generation enjoyed
holidays, often at
Lake Taupo
Then the next
generation enjoyed
holidays, often at Lake
Taupo
And the O’Keefes went to Ohope Beach.
Des’s sons John and Peter,
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Sister-in-law Lois Hunt and Ian
Saturday and
Sunday passed with
more friends and
relations calling in.
The sun shone, and
the beach was very
popular, as well as
games in the house.
With cousin Isobel
Munro and
daughter Jane
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There was plenty of food to
eat, and many treats were set
out on the table.
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The playground at the Holiday Park
was a safe place for the little ones,
with the bigger children supervising.
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Carol and Alastair Woodfield visited
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Francisca came with Rob for a visit# #
Vaughan, Pam and boys arrived
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M
some songs accompanied by ukuleles
and guitars. What a lot of hidden talent,
but a lot of laughter when the singing
wavered. Andrea had prepared an action
song which included family names in
alphabetic order, and when they all tried
to sing Tofa mai feleni Great-nana did
not know whether to laugh or cry. They
were not really familiar with the old
Samoan song, but came together with a
fine ending. It was a song she had
learned when she was very young from
her mother, Florence.
ONDAY was the special
day. More family arrived,
Kyle and Francesca from
London, the OʼKeefes
from Whitby (Liz, Pete, Jessie, Josh)
and Australia (John, Adrienne, Claire,
Matthew), Vicki, David and Mitchell
Hopping who brought Viv, cousins
Isobel, Jane, Sarah, Lenora, Opal,
and Jacqui. Such a happy gathering.
After lunch the entertainment began.
The family had hastily practised
Karlo read the poem
she had composed at
Great-nanaʼs request In the Beginning was
the Word - which
echoed her thoughts
about her long life.
Then Kyle took Greatnana into an adjoining
room where Francesca
was to sing for her, as
for such a long time
Great-nana had
wanted to hear her
voice. Francesca was
shy to perform before
all the family, She
sang the Lied Du bist
die Ruh by Franz
Schubert.
It sounded so
beautiful, Great-nana
was overwhelmed.
Suddenly great
applause was heard,
as the whole
company in the next
room had been
listening intently too.
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Now it was time for the traditional
candle-lighting, singing of Happy
Birthday, cake-cutting and a few brief
speeches.
Royce had made two big cakes.
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The Paparazzi in action in a haze of smoke
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A 90th
Birthday Poem - for Alice Hunt
Karlo Mila read her poem to the family gathered
to celebrate this special birthday, January 2015.
This poem is dedicated to and inspired by my Nana, who asked me
(on her 90th birthday) to think about the words "In the beginning
was the word" (John 1:1) intrigued by the fact that as humans, we
are distinguished from all other species by our use of the spoken
language.
In the beginning
was the word
lava reaching the ear of the
universe
of the silent wide eyed
innocence of fish
a breath
interrupting the heavy
hushed tones of void
of the synchrony of animal
gesturing
given sound
reverberating its way
the beating of chest of the
ape
an arch of throat
into not-yet-galaxy
once the upright
a musical note
a meteor of sound
word was uttered
a noise
exploded
two legged mother sounds
moving its way
into stars, gasses, echo
were muttered
into meaning
vibration, frequency,
an intention fluted up from
the heart
spinning bits of broken
planets
to comfort the cry of
newborns
through the windpipe
gravity heaving it all in,
throated into utterance
gathered with magnetic
hands.
the relief of release.
communicating in primal
scream
once, mum, mum, mum
became meaning
The soft, seductive words
were
and da, da, dad meant ‘him’
In the beginning
“Let there be light”
and we recognised
was the word
and so it was,
the warm hitherto of come
a vibration, a hum,
stellar and solar.
and the ambiguous directive
of go
a whistle that flew like a bird
In the beginning
out of the mouth of a God
was the word
the multiflora ways of saying
hello
like a lyrical hiss from a
volcano
there was no return
to the paradise
that landed, rested, nested,
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the farewell of goodbye
fragrant and painful in any
language
then began
soap opera, drama, reality tv
already forged into
the business of naming,
showing us, teaching us how
to be
the iron type-set of letters
weighed, measured
knowing, explaining,
relating, communicating,
creating
Then within us
into organised sounds
uttered by others
was the word
for centuries
And then in-between us
the bounce of heartbeat
was the word
the red-flushed rush of blush
like birds flying out of our
mouths
structured into already
formed sentences
reaching, resting,
framing raw emotion
attempting
into the shape of words
to fashion the universe
the repetitive rhythm of
cliché
attempting to enunciate
the over-uttered of proverbial
infinity itself
holding each other there,
gently, nesting,
and we became such small
gods
creating our world around us
giving meaning, tone, shape,
nuance, name
following the chain letters
the ever-watchful eye of
archetype
the already ingrained of arc,
climax, anti-climax
the expected restoration of
resolution.
of narrative
it was not long before we
found ourselves in story
twisting plots transforming
uncertainty
into moralised, anticipated
endings
mythology, poetry, fairy tale,
legend,
well worn words
providing a thin skin
over everything
within a limited, finite,
human arrangement,
of sentence.
In the beginning
was the word
In the beginning
was the word
and
the
we inherit the earth
already described, designated
mediated, moulded
meditated upon,
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word
was
God.
There was another poem which Warren
Hunt produced some time later.
What does it take?
(To Alice, with love, from Warren)
What does it take?, I ask myself, to live for ninety years
To have loved and laughed and sighed and cried so many tears
To have raised a beau?ful family and coped with all their fears
And to have lent support and comfort to those in their later years
From whence comes?, I ask myself, this deep compassion for all others
Not enough it seems to limit yourself to those that call you “Mother”
Even ?me maintaining wider family links is never too much bother
And yet you s?ll find ?me for community work of one sort or another
How did you adapt?, I ask myself, with ninety years of change in all your life
From milking cows and feeding pigs and all the du?es of a farmer's wife
To absorbing the flood of latest technology to publish and collate and write
And to document this boom in babies (which takes a computer all right!)
How lucky I am, I have to think, to have shared in this family group
And bring my children up to share the influence of so much good
To delight in occasional reunions which we'd have more of if we could To mourn together when ?mes are sad as a suppor?ve family should
And what does all it take?: I have to think, a special person such as you.
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FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS
Mother with Royce, Lynda.
Vaughan, Verena and Gillian
Mother with Royce, Lynda.
Vaughan, Verena and Gillian
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Viv, Des, and Alice,
2015 and 1930
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ROYCES FAMILY:
Owen, Royce with Nina, Andrea, Jeremy Askin, Mark Morgan, Cecily, Fraser
Front: Isla, Aria, Brielle
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VERENAʼS FAMILY:
Verena, Mariam, Xavier, Dave Haynes, Sarah, Mike Gawith.
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GILLIANʼS FAMILY:
Back: Francesca, Kyle, Paul Roux de Buisson, Lochlan, Dugan.
Front: Natsume, Tomoko with Masaki, Kazuki, Gillian, Leena, Amy with George.
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LYNDA’S FAMILY:
Isaac, Lynda, Karlo, Karlos, Peter Rawlins, Tony Shields, Alice, Nikolas
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VAUGHANʼS FAMILY:
Vaughan, Jeremy, Pam, Oliver
Taylor cousins - Lenora Nysse, Opal
Crossley and Jacqui.
Alice with Munro cousins, Isobel (seated),
Jane and Sarah
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THE OʼKEEFES:
Back: Josh and Jessie Beyer, Pete and Liz, Claire, Adrienne, Matthew
Front: Viv, Des, Alice, John
With Vicki, David and Mitchell Hopping
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Nana with Grandchildren
And with Great-Grandchildren (and Amy)
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The Visitors Book
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And so the weekend of celebration
came to an end. It was time for
everyone to go home.
This had been an opportunity to renew
family connections, to remember our
past, and to look forward to the future.
XC had been accomplished, God being
willing.
Great-nana was very content.
XC DV
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Thank you
to all who helped in recording this story —
• Owen, and all the photographers at the
celebration.
• Daughters, Royce, Verena, Gillian and Lynda
who checked the text, and found details
I could not see. I would not have managed
without their practical assistance.
• Lincoln Digital Printers who co-operated with
us in getting the final print version ready.
• Des for his patience and for helping me in so
many ways.
• Finally, I am grateful for the technology which
has developed as I have aged, which makes it
possible for me to sit at my desk at home, where
I am able to research, communicate, contact
people, compose stories, and share them with
anyone who is interested in reading them. I do
not understand how these things work, to me it is
like magic, and I am glad to have lived to take
part in this magical experience.
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XC DV
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