Shine bright like a diamond

I'm flying home (again) tonight for a long weekend in the Rads.

It's my Grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. What a milestone! Diamonds apparently.

They are such a gorgeous couple, they call each other 'Darl' and are chalk and cheese. But their dynamic works.  

Here they are at Christmas two years ago with my brother, his wife and the ever divine Ruby.

And here they are at my second cousin's wedding (my first of seven bridesmaid duties!) a few years ago. 

Gosh, I was skinny*! And showing a lot more cleavage than probably appropriate for a church wedding!

I'm the only granddaughter and am very close with my Granny. We went to the same school, she bought me my first piano, we share a love of pearls and the Royal Family. She also introduced me to Tiffany & Co and inspired my love of tea sets. Granny is a great cook and always does the hosting, yet Grandpa does the nightly meals and takes such pleasure in trying new things. I often chat to him on the phone (when Granny forces the handset on to him), and we talk about what cookbooks he's reading and what new ingredients he's discovered. I think he experimented with quinoa before I did! He did the London thing when he was a young man and I was so proud to follow in his footsteps all those years later when I had my two years in London.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of sleepovers at Granny and Grandpas. It feels like we spent every weekend at their place - my brother and I had a bed each in the spare room and we'd wake to smells of egg and bacon frying in the kitchen. So spoilt!

It's so hard being away from home - you really notice how much they're ageing when you don't see them for months at a time. But they're both still sharp as a tack and always on top of what I'm up to. They're always asking after my friends and Granny has a little notepad where she writes down what I'm up to at work so she can tell her friends at their regular embroidery catch ups.

They have three great grandchildren and have the energy to entertain them and keep them happy - they delight in showing them their chooks or the wooden toys we used to play with as children. It's truly special times.

The pic above is from their anniversary dinner at my parents' house. I couldn't make it, so we're having a lovely Sunday lunch at a restaurant this weekend. I am wearing a new silk dress and a new shade of lippy for the occasion. I can't wait.

I just hope I inherit Granny's youthful skin and joie de vivre as I grow old gracefully.

Cherish your grandparents and make time for them regularly. The simple act of a phone call or unexpected knock on the door can really make their day.

Pop the kettle on Granny, I'm nearly home!

*Skinny, relative to my normal weight that is, not the rest of the world!