RECIPES

Monday 27 July 2020

Monday Sunshine



Sometimes it is hard to look for positives, especially when this past week seems to have been tinged with sadness.

First I remembered the passing of my husband two years ago, then an extended family member died that same evening.  His funeral will be this coming Wednesday.

Yesterday I remembered the passing of my mother ten years ago, and then in the evening son’s pet white rat, Mayo, died suddenly.



Dying is part of living, but that doesn’t make handling it any easier.  And, as I said in a post a couple of days ago, our pets become part of our family and so we grieve for them almost as much.

With so much sadness around us, it has been comforting today to welcome a calm sunny beautiful winter’s day.  The house has been well aired, there is washing drying on the line, and an Apple Crumble has been made for dessert tonight.



I have been unpacking a few more storage boxes and found all the framed family photos that used to be dotted all around the house.  Now most of them are sitting on top of my bedroom drawers and the room feels a little cluttered – time for some selective choosing so only the best are on display.

My mother loved to paint, so I will end this post with one of her paintings as a sort of memorial to her.



Keep smiling J

Margaret.









21 comments:

  1. Oh heavens what a week of loss! The painting is lovely - cabbage tree in grassland. Years ago I saw a photo display on someones wall where they had framed all the photos without matts and narrow frames (to minimize size) and fixed them all with small spacings to a backing made of dressed old weatherboards - so that the framed photos were almost a collage. It doesn't sound great described, but my word it really looked fab.

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    1. I wondered about making some sort of collage - good idea :)

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  2. What a week Margaret - you have my sympathy. I have just packed up the family photos... wonder how long it will be before I unpack them??? isn't it wonderful to have some sunny weather and pen the house up :)! I pruned the last rose today.
    Stay safe
    Blessings
    Maxine

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    1. These had been packed away almost two years. It was rather nice unpacking them again :)

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  3. I know that sadness often hits like that. The number of things that have happened on my birthday (on which our elder son died in 2006) is such that I've stopped noting them. I used to keep white rats. They are very intelligent creatures. I do like the painting.

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    1. One of my grandmothers said everyone she knew died in August - we thought she would too, but she died in November!

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  4. Sending prayers for you and your family. So sorry for your loss. I hope you find comfort in this time of loss. The pie looks delicious. I love your Mother's painting, it is a lovely memorial. Take care! Wishing you a happy new week!

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  5. Like you. I know death is part of the circle, but it dies not make it easier. An . Our fur babies are our babies, too.

    Love your mother's painting.

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    1. Sometimes I think I am too sentimental, but then I remember that it is okay to feel emotions (good and bad). The painting was made from a photograph that I took, so it is rather special to me :)

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  6. That´s a lot to deal with. I am sorry.
    Oh, how to choose.
    How about scanning the pics and using a digital frame that shows them all one after the other?
    Great painting.
    And you are such a positive person! Hugs from here!

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    1. LOL never thought of myself as a positive person!!
      I have seen those digital frames and my one complaint would be that I can't walk past them - I have to sit and watch the pictures, although I guess I could turn it on and off :)

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  7. Your mom was a very talented painter! When I first looked at it I thought the horses were real! // Aww, little Mayo, so sorry for your son to lose a pet. And your extended family member. Prayers and blessings for the memories of your parents.

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    1. My mother would have been thrilled to think you liked it. She was self-taught and was always very modest about her artistic ability, but the family were always very proud of her :)

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  8. I'm sorry you have had such a difficult week. Isn't it the truth that in the
    midst of sadness we do the laundry, hang the clothes out to dry and make a nice dessert.

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    1. Sometimes I think we can switch on an auto-pilot and do things without thinking! Much better than sitting and brooding and getting distressed :)

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  9. So sorry to read you have had a difficult week, sending my thoughts and good wishes across the miles.

    All the best Jan

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  10. I love your mother's painting. What a wonderful tribute. It has been a hard two weeks here as I've had the anniversaries of multiple family deaths, including one by gun violence. That is never easy. I admire you immensely for your strength in light of your loss a couple of years ago.

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    1. Thank-you KB, for that lovely comment :)
      I lost a nephew many years ago as a result of a hunting accident - sometimes I think those needless tragedies are harder to deal with.

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  11. Gentle hugs...

    💛 💛 💛

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Thank-you for visiting my blog. I love it when you leave a comment so please feel free to have your say. Have a great day! Margaret xx