SPRING IS COMING!

Today was the Memorial Service for Joan, the Mum of our friend Sue, who had had Alzheimer's since 2004 and who died a few weeks ago.  Her funeral was on 23rd December, but we didn’t go because, of course, our own Mum had died just the day before.  

We parked on a friend’s drive and walked through The Lawns on a grey, dull and dank day.  However, our spirits were lifted when we saw lots of snowdrops (see the extra collage) and then Mr. HCB spotted some crocuses (or should that be croci?) so I tip-toed over the grass, being careful not to step on any little shoots poking through, and got a quick shot of the crocuses before we headed towards Christ Church.  I decided that as we all need to know that Spring is coming, this would be my Blip for today.

As we walked we saw lots of other people obviously on their way to the service too and the Church was quite full.  It was a lovely service;  a little poignant for me, as one of the hymns chosen was the same as the one we sang at Mum’s service, “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” and they also sang another of Mum's favourites, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”.  

Chi, Ngozi and Kosi sat with us and Kosi had found his voice, so Chi took him to the back of the Church where he eventually went to sleep. When he woke up, I took a few shots of him - so he also features in my extra collage, along with a shot of the floodlit Church, as we were making our way back to the car.

After the service we joined with lots of family and friends for a lovely spread of sandwiches and cake and a good Church cuppa.  An older lady, who was probably in her 80s came to join us on our table;  she told us she was on her own, her husband having died several years ago, had no family except for a brother who was quite ill but liked to chat to people.  She had originally lived in London, and told me that she had even played tennis at Wimbledon.  I’m sure she could tell that I was quite impressed by that but then she chuckled and said she hadn’t actually played in “the” Wimbledon I might know, but had made her way in after finishing school, which was only a few minutes away and played on the Wimbledon courts.  She reminisced a lot and I hope that she felt a little less lonely having sat with us to eat her tea.

I also had a chat with Rachel, a young lady we used to look after many years ago, who is now married and has a child of her own - it was lovely to catch up with her. 

Just heard on the news that today is National Handwriting Day, which reminds me I need to write several cards to thank all those who took care of Mum in her last days.  I know I could email, but I too, believe, that a hand-written card is so much better.

“The flowers of late winter and early spring 
     occupy places in our hearts 
          well out of proportion to their size.”
Gertrude S. Wister