Afternoons in Grandma's Kitchen

And I'm Emma Wells. Jack is right, of course. My kitchen memory is my grandmother's kitchen in Cardiff. My Nan is one of the most important people in my life. I can't wait to share her story.

Her name is Rosa, but nobody calls her that. To everyone in the family, she is just Nan. She's eighty-five years old now. She lives in a small house about ten minutes from my parents' place in Cardiff. When I was growing up, I visited her almost every week.

We always cooked together in her kitchen. Her kitchen was small, but it always smelled amazing. She taught me how to make bread, cawl, and her famous Welsh cakes. Cawl is a Welsh soup with lamb and leeks, by the way.

Yes, I was about six years old. She let me help her make Welsh cakes. I made a huge mess with the flour, but she never got angry. She just laughed, and we cleaned up together.

All the time! She told me stories about her childhood in a small village in west Wales. She talked about her parents, her brothers, and her life on the farm. She moved to Cardiff for work at twenty years old.

Yes, very difficult. The city was big and noisy, and she didn't know anyone. She missed her family a lot. But she always told me one thing. Hard work and family love helped her through those tough years.

So many! She taught me to be patient, to work hard, and to always help others. She also taught me something important. A home doesn't need to be big to be full of love.

Definitely her cawl. She made it every year for my birthday, without exception. She used a recipe from her own mother. I still don't know all the secret ingredients.

She tried many times! But somehow, mine never tastes exactly like hers. She just laughs and says it needs 'a grandmother's touch.' I think there's some truth to that.

Yes, actually. She was married to my grandfather for over forty years before he passed away. She always said that real love isn't about big romantic moments. It's about small daily actions.

She said my grandfather made her a cup of tea every single morning. She never asked him. It seems small. But she said that small habit showed her his love more than any expensive gift.

Yes, at least once a month. I take the train to Cardiff on a Friday evening. Life gets busy, but I always try to make time. These visits are precious, and I don't want to take them for granted.

We still cook together sometimes, but now we also just sit and talk for hours. She asks about my job, my friends, and my life with Sam. She gives surprisingly modern advice sometimes!

She actually learned how to use video calls last year. Now she video calls me every Sunday, even when I'm travelling. She always wants to see what I'm eating for dinner.

Yes! She insists on meeting everyone important in my life. She cooked a huge dinner when I brought Sam to meet her for the first time. She wanted to test if Sam liked her cooking.

Yes! Sam asked for a second bowl of cawl, and she was extremely happy about that. Now she always asks me how Sam is doing whenever we talk.

Yes, she does! She grows leeks, potatoes, and runner beans in her back garden. Every summer, we pick vegetables together and use them in our cooking. She says fresh food always tastes better than shop-bought food.

Mostly, yes, but the family helps her more now. Two years ago, she hurt her back while gardening, and it scared all of us. After that, we started helping her with the heavier work.

She's doing much better now, thankfully. She still walks every morning and does light exercise. The doctor says she's actually healthier than many people half her age.

Definitely. Before that, I sometimes skipped visits because I was busy with work. After her injury, I realized how important every single visit really is. I stopped taking our time together for granted.

Yes, quite often. He passed away about fifteen years ago, but she still talks about him with a smile. She keeps his old jacket by the door. It's still there after all those years.

A little bit. I was a teenager when he passed away. I remember he always whistled while he fixed things around the house. He built the wooden table in her kitchen. It's still there today.

Sometimes, yes, especially around their wedding anniversary in October. But she always says she prefers to remember the happy times instead of feeling sad. She calls it 'choosing joy on purpose.'

Yes, every Christmas, the whole family gathers at her house. This tradition is more than thirty years old. She cooks for two full days before everyone arrives. We all offer to help, but she says no.

It's the little details, honestly. She still uses the same tablecloth from her wedding. She plays old Welsh songs in the background, and she sings along in Welsh. Every dish on the table has a story behind it.

I hope so, honestly. Last year I started learning how to make her cawl and her bread from scratch. I want to keep her traditions alive for the next generation of our family. Rhys and I talk about it a lot.

Yes, honestly, I do sometimes. She's still healthy and active, but I know she won't be here forever. That's actually why I try to visit as much as I can right now.

Yes, she has a group of friends from her street. They know each other from more than forty years ago. They meet every Tuesday afternoon to play cards and drink tea together.

All the time! She tells me all the funny stories from their card games. Apparently, one of her friends, Gwen, always cheats a little, and everyone pretends not to notice.

I really do think so. She always says the same thing. Staying connected to people is the secret to a long and happy life. Family or friends, it doesn't matter. She never wants to feel isolated.

Yes, she often tells me not to wait too long to visit people I love. She says that time passes faster than we expect. We should never assume we'll have unlimited chances to say important things.

Yes, actually! Last year, I started a small notebook. I write down her recipes, her stories, and even her sayings. I want to pass these things on to the family someday.

I hope so. I think grandparents carry so much history and wisdom inside them. It would be a real shame to lose those stories over time. They took a lifetime to create.

Yes, one Christmas Eve, we ran out of bread. So we made bread together at midnight. We laughed so much. We ended up eating warm bread with butter at two in the morning.

Thank you for asking, Jack. It means a lot to talk about her. Grandparents give us so much love and wisdom. We should treasure every single moment with them while we still can.

And remember, a little practice every day makes a big difference. See you next time!