Marian Hanly

It's all you will ever need

Memories are to be cherished, is what she always said, and wow what memories there are! She, oh grandma that is, Ellie Melrose, fun, chic and practical too was how grandpa described her, but she was that and more. Ellie taught me so much about her philosophy that to fully enjoy life, you had to understand the importance of being kind, and that by doing one good deed a day, we can get so much more from life. She had given so much of herself: always generous with her time, her kindness to others, those she knew, and in equal measure, to those she did not know. As a novelist, Grandma wrote mystery books, and we would always have her read them to us. Ellie would entice us as kids to read, by, leaving clues for us around her shuttered yellow clapperboard house, hidden around her wildflower garden, little notes left for us, clues and riddles which in turn would lead us to discover treasures, easter eggs, birthday gifts. From my ninth birthday onwards my gifts would always involve a little black book, like the one’s she had in her car’s glove box, in her handbag, in her study, she said all you need in life is a little black book and a good sharp pencil, indeed, this was true, as a novelist she would suddenly reach for one of her books, to jot down a new idea, the next chapter, the resolution to writers' block, I loved to see her do this, I loved to read her books, always mysteries to be unraveled, her love of intrigue. Staying at their house we would watch episodes of Colombo and I would marvel that she always knew who the culprit was.