You'll never guess where I've been

I've had a very fast, surreal 4 days.

I got on a plane on Saturday night and winged my way home to Perth, via LA and Melbourne, to attend my nanna's funeral. After all the times nanna had been there for me and welcomed me into her home every time I was in Perth, it was the least I could do to be there and bid her farewell from this life.

I went from the airport straight to my grandparents' house, where my mum and aunt were staying. They had no idea I was coming (I'd only told Jus and Allan that I was going to come) and my uncle happeneded to be there when I arrived. There was lots of clutching of chests and hugs when I rolled out of the taxi in pouring rain, bags in tow. They were shocked to see me but glad I made the effort.

Jus flew in from Melbourne at 2am (no rest for the wicked) and it was bliss to see him again after 2 months apart. Instant solace. We whisper-talked for a couple of hours before falling asleep (although by this time it was the middle of the day for my bodyclock).

Nanna's service was marvellous: mum was the MC and gave an overview of nanna's life and remembered her as a wondeful mother, their 'soft place to land'. Sue, Jan and Graeme also spoke, and painted a picture of nanna that went beyond her roles as wife and mother. I left the service with a new appreciation of her, and missed her even more. I also went to the burial, something I had never experienced before. Its so confronting to watch the casket being lowered into the ground: its so final. There's no return from that. Nanna and grandad are buried together and I like that there will always be somewhere to visit them.

There were signs from nanna and grandad that they were around. On Tuesday night, after the funeral, the family went to a restaurant for a low key wake. It was quiet and empty in the restaurant, with some soft musak playing. Just the tempo we needed. Graeme mentioned how he had asked nanna to give him a sign of some sort if there was some kind of afterlife, and she has promised she would, and he was waiting for a sign. The next song that played in the restaurant was 'Moon River', which was a favourite of my grandparents, and a song that we had played at nanna's funeral earlier that day, and at my grandad's funeral a few months ago. We all sat stunned. I think Graeme got his answer.

Janine and Mum also mentioned that 'Moon River' and 'Far Away Places' played on the radio in the room when nanna was dying. 'Far Away Places' is an old Bing Crosby song that my grandad's mother had made a vocal recording of, and it was played at my grandfather's funeral. (Bing Crosby was his favourite singer.)

I also think nanna visited me when she died. Last Wednesday night I was typing away on my laptop at home, around midnight, when my TV and DVR spontaneously turned on. I sat there, spooked, staring at the TV, hands floating above my keyboard trying not to get freaked out. I noticed it was around midnight, and I had to talk to myself out loud saying 'its just a power surge or something' and promptly shut down my PC and went to bed. This is just the type of thing you don't want to happen when you live by yourself! I found out at the funeral that nanna had died just after midday on Thursday, which is midnight Wednesday in New York.

I imagine some of you are raising your eyebrows at this, but anyone with a faint interest in the spirit world, anyone who's watched John Edwards or Medium even!, will know that these are the types of signs that dear departed ones can send to let you know they are there.

I'm looking forward to many more years of lights flickering and their favourite songs playing on the radio when we're reminiscing about them :)

I'm back in New York now. Its 34c, I'm guzzling VitC, and I have the attention span of a fly.