Do you remember what we children would get up to Gill? Can you remember Peter asking me to highlight his hair and me turning his soft floppy locks bright orange? He was about 16 at the time and I killed his street cred! You had to cut his hair to put things right! Do you remember giving Debbie and I responsibility for cooking the Sunday lunch and we cooked the chicken upside down. We even carved it upside down (we thought we had the skinniest chicken in the world) and you came and turned it over - we were very relieved to actually be able to eat. Do you remember us girls being into fashion and you helping us out by lending us odds and sods so we could go out? Do you remember sitting up waiting for your brood to come home safe and sound after we had gone out? What about Bens very first walk when he fell in to the river and you jumped in after him? Peter was away at University and his friend - who witnessed the whole event - told him about this crazy lady jumping in to the river. Peter had to admit that was his mum! What about you staying with Sooty when she had her kittens and being her midwife? Do you remember choosing Bens kennel name - Polremy - very suitable for our family. I remember my very first hangover - very sensibly you gave me 'hair of the dog' I still use that remedy to this day. Ha ha. Nan Smith was visiting.... What about when we grew up and you simply adapted to life with four grown up children. You were always there with advice and support, and we always knew how proud you were of us. You gave us some of the very best memories. Lots of them involve food. You would experiment and copy recipes, they were always a success. I found your recipe for Christmas pie today...I may give it a go this year and raise a glass to you when I do. You always knew what to do and how to best protect all of us from the bad things in life. Even as I - the youngest - approach 40 you still worried about us and loved us all, I hope that I can be half as good to my two. It was only a few weeks ago that you came over for coffee whilst dad was at the footie and we talked through the plans for dads 70th and put the world to rights. Life was so easy, relaxed and natural. You were so interested in all of your grandchildren. Proud of Tom joining the army, of Louise wanting to go on stage, of Lydia being musical and wanting to be a vet and of Isobel for her reading.Isobel asked me if you will be the tooth fairy now ? (I think she is hoping for more cash). What about last summer when we had a BBQ in my garden and we all read to Isobel and dad did his part in a pirate voice. Do you remember last November when I had swine flu? You were feeling rotten yourself and just wanted to look after me and take care of my children. I love you Gill and I know that there will be lots of times in the future when I will think of you. Perhaps a smell, a tune, a word or a picture will remind me of you. I will be glad of these times as they will make me think of you and I will smile because it will feel like you are still here with me - which I know you are in a special way as you will always be one of the biggest influences in my life. Tracey xxxxx