Stop press - I'm a grandmother!

How can that be you ask? I'm single, unmarried and have no children! In fact I was once in the not too distant past called a spinster not surprisingly by a now ex friend when describing a cupboard-sized bedroom with a single bed which she had 'dressed' for a photo shoot. She delighted in describing it to me (3 times) as "Jan's spinster room." Wow - who needs enemies when you have friends like that! (Particularly as her bedroom was smaller than mine!!) What is it about the word spinster? It's such a hideous name when a man who is unmarried is a batchelor - the contrasting image is amazing. But I digress!

My pretty pond and fountain welcomes me outside the front door (with possum spikes at the front!)

When I first moved into my home just over a decade ago (the one with the big bedroom!) I was given two goldfish! Frank and Francine lived happily ever after until late last year when Francine disappeared. The culprit - the street cat who was often seen longingly watching them cruise the pond. I was devastated! And so was Frank! He sat on the bottom of the pond and hardly moved. He was depressed and lonely. I just knew it even though a friend of mine said "Fish don't get depressed" as a mother I just knew that he was!  But what to do? First I had to find a way to keep the street cat from helping himself to Frank, my now one-and-only depressed fish. After many musings - and a few visits to Bunnings - I stuck some clear 'keep the possums away' spikes at the front of my pond. 

Grandpa Frank welcomes Fred and Freda

Chatting to a friend one day (I do have two or three who don't call me names - at least not to my face!) she happened to mention "My fish are breeding like rabbits." To which I replied "Could I have a couple of rabbits?" She looked a bit startled but nevertheless agreed. So around I went with a kitchen sieve (washed clean since!) and a bucket and after many attempts I came home with 2 small goldfish. Well suddenly Frank burst into activity and swished around. He had some friends and company (pathetic aren't I?) Well Freda and Fred fish settled in although they seemed to hide until they became acclimatised to their new home. They even sent a text to my friend, their former mother:

Dear Mummy

We arrived at our new home safely

It was a bit scary when we met that big fish

But there is lots of room 

And we have places to hide and explore together

The big fish is surprised 

But we will look after him

I know we will be happy here

We miss you 

Thank you for looking after us so well

Luv Fred and Freda fish

My friend got a bit teary knowing she had been a good mother! Well they must have settled in well because yesterday I was stunned to see a little grey fish happily swishing in and out of the water plants. Google tells me that goldfish thankfully change colour as they grow - when they are first hatched they still have the colour of their carp ancestors but will gradually become the colour they have been genetically endowed with. I do hope that happens as I love the colour of Frank, Fred and Freda. 

Welcome baby Finn

So after all these years I am finally a grandmother - and can compete with all my friends who tell me tales of their two-legged grandchildren. I've always done things differently but never did I expect to be the proud grandmother of Finn!

Poppa Fred (or Momma Freda) have handed on the pretty tail gene to Finn

Both Grandpa Frank, Fred and Freda and of course Grandma Jan are all bursting with pride!