Yesterday I had an email from a dear friend in the village, and I cried for all that is lost. She said the roses were beautiful in the garden last summer and that the house had a sold marker on it. Perhaps it will be better when it has last finally gone.
She gave me all the news of the village, and I saw them in my mind's eye, David our village crier having bought himself a mobile scooter now swanned up and down the village in a yellow jacket. C was in hospital once again, and I remembered that terrible cough of hers. I used to drive her to the hospital and I miss her gentle conversations as I do the person who sent me the email.
I have not looked at all the many photos of the village for a long time, but I decided to face up to looking at the cottage and village Paul loved so much. For she had given me one good piece of news, the old coke house in the grave yard had been restored by professionals. As she said Paul would have been very pleased. The money had come from the Margaret Wood legacy, an old lady who had lived in the village all her life. In fact, Irene's house was built on the plot of the old cottage. It was J who had arranged the restoration, he is in charge of the conservation of the church.
The defibrillator has at last been agreed upon, and will hang on the side of the pub. A quiz night over Xmas brought in some of the money to buy it, but you also need money to keep it going. I know Jo will be pleased it is there and Irene is going to learn how to use it.
I have tried to move forward but each day I move with the heartache of losing Paul and our way of life. I have a fabulous family for which I am eternally grateful and I am sure when the warmer air hits this part of Yorkshire I shall be a happier bunny - chuckle.
So what to choose.... Mostly taken from a Xmas folder. You can see Lucy, lazy creature that she was with her Xmas presents. It was after her stroke that I decided to leave the cottage, my bantams and little cat went to their forever new homes
The coke house seen from the front window 
The patched up old coke house. 
Jo's Xmas decorations with holly from our garden
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| The old chair, I collected chairs at one stage, is upstairs amongst the jumble of furniture in the spare room. Paul would always complain that people admired the chair more than all his Japanese stuff that furnished the house. |
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| Lucy and my daily walk in the fields |
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| Bluebells in the orchard |
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| Roses will always be my favourite |
I am glad you were able to revisit your memories of cottage life though of course they will be tinged with sadness. What lovely photos, and what a beautiful chair (sorry Paul!) Never seen its like. I'm glad you still have it but a shame it's not on show. It's good that village friend still keep in touch.
ReplyDeleteThink the chair is a style called Chinoiserie, mock Chinese, it is a bit wobbly though. I am glad to look through the photos, they do in the end bring forth happy memories.
DeleteSome lovely photos and memories.
ReplyDeleteMissing my old life at the smallholding too. Looked on the Camping and Caravanning Club website for pictures of the campsite now and all the trees have grown and look beautiful - I won't ever go back to visit.
"I won't ever go back to visit." Same here Sue, it tugs the heart too much, but hopefully my ashes will go back - chuckle. I think having a life means you must experience it to the full, both the sad and happy times.
DeleteIt's nice that you have so many lovely memories to cherish and photos to remind you of them. I am glad you have family near.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to Spring also and more walks in the sun.
Just been into Hebden Bridge, to pick up some new glasses. The sky was very blue but it is also very cold here Ellen.
DeleteThank you for sharing your memories with us. It is a reminder to us all to savor what we have while we have it, because things change, don't they? Sometimes they change so quickly, you haven't even got time to catch your breath at the shock of it.
ReplyDeleteThe change I experienced was slow, but those last few weeks sorting out the house was difficult, and of course it arrived in the Covid period.
DeleteYour losses amount to a paradigm shift Thelma. All the familiar touchstones of your life changed. Your village. The villagers. Your comfortable home. Your walks with your dog through the places you knew intimately. Most important you lost the person whose life was so intertwined with your own hat It is hard to tease those threads apart to continue on alone. It wasn't sudden, but it was total and sometimes when I read your blog, my heart breaks for you.
DeleteYou are very insightful Debby and wise with it. I did not want to whinge but the sadness of what has gone left me rather lost. My daughter has told my grand daughter to challenge me more. That was not a wise move!
DeleteAh...those daughters! How did we ever raise such take charge girls?
DeleteIs your rose Jam and Jerusalem or some such name? I remember you telling us. Lovely photos but they hurt don't they? But best to face up to them to keep one's memories alive.
ReplyDeleteNo the J and J is a orange/pink/yellow one. Yes one should look at them every now and then.
DeleteA lot of worldly-wise comments here. The Calder Valley can seem a harsh place in winter, with its steep valley, stone and dark hills, but lovely when the better weather comes.
ReplyDeleteYes Tasker, Blog land can be a pretty impressive place for wise and kind words. As for the weather. The sky was blue yesterday when I went to Hebden Bridge and traveling along the road in the bus, the steepness of the valley was very evident. Little terrace of houses will be built on the smallest scrape of land, the hill rearing behind them and maybe a small terraced garden in front. I think the mist lingering in the valley makes it so cold.
DeleteI read your post this morning, pondering off and on during the day. Face Book and One Drive both present me with 'memory photos' tied to the day's date. Mostly the photos conjure pleasant thoughts, sometimes they give me a jolt. Going over old photos whether in a cherished album or a box of vintage ones can be a risky journey into the past. Especially as we age, we have so many memories behind us, places we've lived, dearly loved people, others who have simply made up our day to day rounds in other years. The pets who have companioned us. I find that nostalgia is best managed in small doses.
ReplyDeleteHello Sharon, all ways wise in your sayings. I haven't even tackled the box of physical photos with young children, perhaps it is wise not to. Forward motion is needed, though I do envy your new garden. X
DeleteIt was nice to read of the loveliness, though it made you cry.
ReplyDeleteYes Joanne, unfortunately the human race was given the added blessings of emotions!
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