Joanne Rada
My Mummers Bag M
y friend Janet had no idea what she was to start when she gifted me with a large, sturdy, vinyl, beautifully bright, fuchsia gardening bag. It was something she picked up at Lee Valley, simply because the colour reminded her of me. Mummers is the name my daughter gave me long before my first grandchild, Benjamin, was born last summer. The bag has become “the Mummers bag” and has developed a story of its own. At first it carried all the things I needed in my car for a fun summer day early into my retirement this past July. The sunny days beckoned for a good book, a towel and a large bottle of water, or sometimes the fresh fruit and veggies from a trip to the Root Cellar. Then in August my daughter returned to work and I was delighted to be babysitting one or two days a week. Each day I go to babysit little Benjamin, I bring this bag, which I carefully load the night before, needing only to add my lunchbag in the morning. At first I used the bag for bringing things that I might need for my day and perhaps a treat for my daughter—a jar of home canning or a little something that I had knit for wee Benjamin—but I soon realized that Benjamin sees this bag as a place of wonder and magic. He would scootch and then crawl over to the bag as soon as it was set on the floor of the doorway, anxious to explore its mysterious contents. It was a delightful and seamless transition to creating my own Mary Poppins bag. Now, the bag is filled with things that I think will amuse, surprise or interest him. At 15 months, the choices are simple and, surprisingly to me, often provide hours of entertainment for him. One day it was a small, stuffed, striped zebra with magnetic paws, so that Benjamin could make him stick to the fridge. That was fun and kept Benjamin busy for a long time. He discovered that the little zebra would also stick to the washing machine and the kitchen garbage can. He carried the zebra around all day long to see if it would
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stick to other places and was surprised to find • Kodaly music program that it also stuck to the side of Mummers’ car • lovely rural location connecting children to nature and to the bars of his stroller. It even stuck to the lawnmower that Daddy had left out in the yard. The next time I arrived Benjamin remembered the zebra and he was very curious about what else might be in the bag. He 5575 West Saanich Road pulled out all of the things that were familiar (across from Red Barn Market) to him… Mummers’ fingerless knitted gloves, 250 592 4411 imhs@telus.net the fat Sudoku book and an apple. Down at www.islandmontessori.com the bottom of the bag was a square container. It rattled when Benjamin picked it up and he was so curious. What was inside? He gave it a good, hard shake and then handed it to me to F GIRLS! open. Plastic clothespins IN THE LIVES O became the discovery of that day. Benjamin had no idea what they were, but they made him smile and then laugh. They were just the right size for his hands and Benjamin spent a long time taking them out and then putting them all back into the square container. Another day my near empty waterFUN WITH MARY ROGERS! SEASONAL bottle became the thing BMus (Piano Performance) UBC, JOIN TODAY! ARCT and BCRMT of interest as he figured PRIZES! 1-800-565-8111 girlguides.ca out how to open it and tip it sufficiently to get a drip of water. Small toy cars, balls of yarn, an extra pair of socks, and a small box of felt wine glass markers shaped like butterflies—almost anything could appear in the Mummers bag. FUN WITH MARY ROGERS! SEASONAL I recall with great fondness as a child watchPRIZES! ing Mary Poppins pull out a lamp and an umbrella from her carpet bag, that delicious place where small things are magical and surprising because we have not yet learned about the limitations of the bigger LESSONS FORworld. Now, fresh into LESSONS FOR retirement and into my life as a grandmother ALL, BEGINNER ALL,I BEGINNER TO ADVANCED! to Benjamin, am learning a new lesson while ! being reminded of an old one…stay curious • ENTHUSIASTIC, FLEXIBLE TO ADVANCED! LESSONS! • ENTHUSIASTIC, FLEXIBLE LESSONS and delight in the surprises as they appear 250-744-9049! 30+ YEARS OFOF TEACHING • 30+• YEARS TEACHING EXPERIENCE every day. Thank you, Benjamin, and thank mrogersmusicstudio@shaw.ca! EXCELLENCE! • STUDIO NEAR UVIC ENTHUSIASTIC, FLEXIBLE you, Janet, for my• wonderful Mummers bag. • STUDIO NEAR UVIC
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PIANO! ! BMus (Piano Performance) UBC, ARCT and BCRMT
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MARY ROGERS PIANO STUDIO!
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Joanne Rada is a new grandmother, recently • 30+ YEARS OF TEACHING retired from a 35-year career in Mental Health Nursing. EXCELLENCE! • STUDIO NEAR UVIC
MARY ROGERS PIANO STUDIO!
250-744-9049!
mrogersmusicstudio@shaw.ca!
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