Mysteries of Stroud Cemetery Part I

Headstones are not allowed to erected until one year after the burial, so this one is recently put up. I'd never seen it until today. My question is, how did Scamman Parker, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, end up as Frances Bendixson, jeweller of Stroud, Glos, England? If only the dead could talk. I like the simplicity of the
carving.

This afternoon I'd walked to the nearest postbox with some brochures, when I decided to extend the walk by going through the little playground in the centre of our estate, and on a tour of the lower cemetery. It is adjacent to my house, and the upper part, which is Victorian, is managed as a nature reserve. I think of it as my local park, albeit a theme park. Let's say I go there often, though during lockdown no.1 I did get a bit overwhelmed by the symbolism.

What else? Steve went off to the market early. I threw the sheets in the washing machine, hoping to dry them outside, when it started to rain. Not impressed! My friend AK came round to help me with some business. We ate a lot of chocolate, completed the business, then I happened to mention the cereal bars I'd been looking for. Bless her, she went off to Sainsbury's and came back with two boxes! I gave her some suet balls in return. Our garden birds won't touch them. I think they must think our garden is Waitrose or Fortnum's for birds.

Later, I put all my sweaters and t-shirts into moth proof bags, and gathered the surplus to donate to a charity shop. I hope to get into town tomorrow. Maybe if I go early, with CleanSteve, I can avoid the crowds. I wouldn't want anyone to hear me cough. I still do that sometimes, and it's embarrassing. I coughed so much in The Works the other day, behind my mask, that I felt I had to leave, even though I knew I'd just tested negative for CoVid.

I cooked supper for both of us in the mini-oven, because Steve was printing cards. GG had just rung to ask me something about our forthcoming trip to Wales. Today is the first day that I can actually believe we're going! Before, it was always too far away, or lately I felt too sick to believe in it. Now I've even found my two OS maps of Pembrokeshire and my guidebook. It's all plain sailing from here.