Jami sings

This time yesterday I was in the supermarket.  Shopping of any sort is not a favourite activity for me and grocery shopping is my least favourite. I do admit I don't mind it as much these days when I have no time constraints.  And I do try to not be one of those oldies that gets in everyone else's way.

I was already in a pretty happy mood as I'd had my laugh for the day when I had an amusing exchange with a rather morose looking young Maori guy while I was parking my car.   He was standing smoking beside his car when I pulled alongside it to reverse into the space behind his vehicle.  He must have thought I wasn't up to the task as he came up beside my car and started giving me hand directions and let out a very loud "whooa" when he thought I was close enough to the car behind.  I was amused by this as I don't need any help to reverse into a carpark, thank you very much.  But I decided to be polite and called out a thank you to the man as I locked the car.  

He was still there when I returned to the car but had undergone some sort of personality change.  He approached me and with a big smile and asked did I need his help to get out of the parking spot?  I was tempted to give him a half smart response but instead told him I'd appreciate it if he could keep an eye on my back bumper for me when I reversed.  As I got into the car he said, "See ya.  And you have a lovely day, young lady."

I wonder if he still feels as good today about helping a senior citizen as I do about letting him do so.      

It was busy in the supermarket.   I seemed to be moving through the aisles at the same speed as a young man with a little girl, around two years old.  He obviously wasn't very familiar with the lay out and I'm just slow.  When he threw goods into his trolley it's a wonder they didn't break or burst open.  He wasn't a very gentle soul.   I was behind him when we reached an aisle blockage.  A lady had left her trolley in the middle of the aisle.  Without hesitation the guy advanced on the trolley and with a quick right hand down movement flicked his trolley to the right, knocking the other out of his way.  There's probably a better word to describe that trolley driving action.  He said, "Oh sorry" (yeah right!) and marched on through the gap.  I smartly followed, trying to suppress my smile.  The look on the face of the unthoughtful shopper who had just left her trolley there without a thought for anyone else, was gold.                    

When the young man next stopped to add to his purchases I remarked that he had some good trolley action back there.   

"Haven't got all day.  The missus is crook." 

Then, in a much softer tone, "I need to get home to her."  

I hope the missus is feeling better day.

I try not to brag too much on my blog about the achievements of my grandchildren.   I don't mind if the world knows how much I love them but I don't really want to be one of those boring overly adoring grandmothers.  

Young Jami does deserve a special mention, though.  She has been blessed with a lovely signing voice and I firmly believe it is our duty to develop the gifts with which we were born.  Jami has done that.  On Wednesday and Thursday nights she performed with her all girl school band in a charity fund raising concert with the theme being a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones performing at the Auckland Town Hall, a dedication to the Rolling Stones concert.  Imagine - my 16 year old granddaughter, performing at the Auckland Town Hall and getting a standing ovation after performing a very scaled back version of Sympathy for the Devil.  I reckon Mick would have been proud. 

The photo is courtesy of Blair Quax.

                    

Hope this link works, I'm hopeless at this sort of thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVk6lHf2AT4

 

Meet the man night

I rarely see my first grandson these days so seeing him 3 times in as many weeks has been a rare treat.  He came to dinner on Saturday night.

Love this shot.  He's wrapped his arms around his mother as he says goodbye, he's back at uni in Wellington today.

It’s not self promotion if…..

 

No, it’s definitely not self promotion unless you are promoting yourself.  I’m merely promoting a talented grandchild.  There must be a little bit of me in her somewhere but definitely not in the area in which she is shines.
 

All the music in me is in my heart but I can’t sing, the Wards are a tone deaf bunch.  I sometimes sing quietly to myself when I am absolutely, positively sure there is no-one around who might hear.

As for dancing…well, let’s just say I can easily amuse my grandkids by dancing with them.

Acting?  Nah, can’t do that either.

But my grand-daughter, Jami, can do all three and to prove it she has just been selected as one of five finalists in a Disney Australia and New Zealand competition …out of 6,000 entrants!  It was an open casting call for one of Disney’s Australian productions ('As the bell rings') where any young person aged 8-18 was invited to send in an audition tape for a new role on the show.

A few Sundays ago Jami and her aunt, Justine, my youngest,  spent the day putting together the audition tape.

Can you imagine a little 11 year olds excitement at being chosen as a finalist?  

The first step was a trip to Sydney last weekend for Jami to attend an acting workshop with the other finalists at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts), promo filming and her formal audition with the Director.  She was beside herself with excitement and was so happy to get to experience it all.  Jami is the youngest finalist.  Her mother Leone & Aunty Justine went with her and had to sign a confidentiality agreement, swearing they would not tell anyone until yesterday when the finalists tapes started being aired on the Disney Channel and voting started.

  

Imagine keeping secrets from mother and grand-mother!!

So here comes the promotion bit.  Voting can be done from just about anywhere.  So far we know you can vote in Canada, England, Scotland, Brazil. 

  

Voting starts TODAY and snippets will be aired on Disney from now until the winner is announced on June 16, so we are calling on all family and friends to VOTE JAMI!!!

How to Vote:

Go to: http://www.disney.com.au/DisneyChannel/castingcall/?utm_source=hp&utm_medium=charnav&utm_campaign=castingcall

Click on 'View Top 5', then click on JAMI. 

Once you have watched the audition, you can click 'VOTE FOR JAMI'. 

You may want to check out the other finalists to make sure you are placing your vote for the best contestant.  

But I have no doubt who is the best.

  Needless to add I’m very proud of my “Jamjar”.

Jami and her proud mum, Leone enjoying the sights of Sydney

Jami's birthday

Thanks to Denise from The Seasonal Cottage and Mark, at The Butler and Bagman Chronicles, I've been reminded of a special night, just on eleven years ago.

My granddaughter, Jami was born on the morning of 18 November, 1998. In the early hours of the morning one of the nursing staff tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Come for a break. Come and have a look out the window." She lead me to dark room in a north facing corner of the building and I followed her lead and pressed my nose up to the window and put my hands up around my eyes to shut out the glare of the city outside. We could just make out the dancing lights in the sky.

The nurse couldn't leave her post but she assured me nothing was about to happen with my daughter in the meantime (I'd reached the same conclusion myself) so why not go for a walk down to the lake to get away from the lights of the buildings and perhaps see better.

I'd gone in and out of the hospital a few times during the night so the security guard enquired, "Any progress." When I said I was going outside down to the lake, the guard assured me he could not allow me to do that by myself, to wait a minute for him to call for someone to cover him and he would come with me.

So, around three am the security guard and I were down by the lake, in the spot with the least reflected city light that we could find, watching the Leonids Meteor shower. White and coloured sparkles seemed to fill the sky to the north of us. It was extremely beautiful. I was tired, very tired. I was concerned for my daughter. But I took being a witness to this spectacular show as a good sign. And returned to my daughter's side refreshed and feeling much more positive.

I haven't seen the annual Leonids Meteor shower again and tonight the weather is very dark and overcast so I will miss this year's show.

I wonder if other children born under the meteor shower are as bright and sparkly as Jami. It seems to me she absorbed some of the brilliance in the sky around us that night.