RECIPES

Thursday 3 February 2022

At Sixes And Sevens

 

Have you ever felt like the world is rushing by, that day is following day far too quickly, and your head gets to feel in a bit of a whirl?

That is what the last couple of weeks have been like.  Feeling tired from not sleeping properly on hot nights probably hasn’t helped.




My last uncle passed away, which has upset me a bit.  The only one remaining of that generation now is an aunt by marriage.

My uncle was 95 years old and until very recently was able to live in his own home alone.  His wife died about ten years ago, and I know I am going to miss having him around.




I spent several days housesitting for one of my brothers.  Some readers may remember I used to look after Merlin the Cat and Rusty the Dog as well as the housesitting.

This time I only cared for Rusty, as Merlin recently made his way over the great Rainbow Bridge in the sky.

As has Shadow, one of my son’s rats.  I am not very keen on rats, but Shadow was a favourite of mine with his lively personality and cheeky ways.

Mittens (one of our cats) has barely left my side since I returned home last night.  Three times she bounced up onto my bed just as I was falling asleep, to make sure I was really there.

Nice to feel wanted, LOL.




I am almost finished organizing my music files.  I even found several children’s stories amongst them – anyone care to listen to Thumbelina, or perhaps Jack and the Beanstalk?

I have also uncovered several photo albums that were my mother’s, that I have been hanging on to for years feeling I should keep them.

However, the majority are only photos of their various trips away – do I really need to hang on to someone else’s memories, even if they were people I loved?

I’m thinking perhaps I will pull out the family photos and maybe the best of the travel ones, but what to do with the others?




There has been one bright spot in the last ten days, and that is where today’s photos have come from.

I spent a day beside Tauranga Harbour, sitting under the shade of a tree but still coming home with a bad dose of sunburn.  The joys of having fair skin!

It was a day of peace, watching the tide come in and then going for a paddle up to my knees – no waves at this beach, and it is very flat so that is as deep as it gets until one reaches the channel across the other side.

I also managed to do a quick ink sketch while sitting in my chair under the tree.




My apologies for not visiting anyone else’s blog during this time either. 

Today is a new day, so hopefully things will improve from now on 😊

Margaret.


24 comments:

  1. Sorry about your Uncle’s passing, Margaret. It is sad to see that generation ahead of us disappearing. I love that sketch you did. Stay cool!

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  2. First of all I'm very sorry to hear about your uncle and I know that you will miss him. The photos in this post are very pretty as well as your sketch . . . sitting under the tree sketching in your pad sounds like a lovely way to spend an afternoon. And yes isn't it wonderful how our fur babies love us and show it in so many ways. I don't know what I'd do without my two dogs. They are so much company :)

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  3. I'm glad you're back Margaret.

    I'm sorry to hear of your uncle's passing. My last direct relative (an aunt who was the slitting image of my mother but outlasted her by nearly 30 years!) died a couple of years ago, and I recall feeling "un-anchored" - that cannot be a word, surely!! - by not having a generation "above me". There's no-one I could ask about family history any more, and that occasionally is a sadness.

    I, too, have been finding sleep difficult in this hot weather, and as a result I feel like a limp rag this afternoon. I think I'm also 'down' at the thought of another couple of months of 'being very careful' - I do wish it would all Just Go Away!!!

    Your sketch of the Papamoa Rail bridge is lovely. My parents lived the last 20 years of their lives at The Mount, but I have only fleeting knowledge of the wider area.

    I had to pare back the family memorabilia, and be pretty ruthless about it. I found it helped if I asked myself "To whom would this mean anything?" ... that got rid of a LOT, and photos were only kept if there was 100% proof who they were of, and only a couple of each person. It's hard work though, isn't it.

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    1. I like your idea of asking that about a photo - I know my children feel no connection at all to travels their grandparents did. I think it is going to take me a long time (months!) to achieve this sorting out.
      We were close to 30 degrees again today and cloudy all day. So humid, and "limp rag" certainly describes how I felt as well :)

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  4. That's a great sketch. It must have been nice sitting quietly under your tree. Hope you're feeling brighter now

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  5. The world is at a too fast pace for me, I am so glad we have settles to a slower life at home. Your sketch is delightful, and sound a perfect location to stop and enjoy a hobby. I hope you are feeling a bit better today, like you I have lost loads of my parents generation.

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  6. We all keep too much stuff and get to a point where we wonder why. My shredder has been active of late!

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  7. Very nice sketch!
    Sad when the last of a generation passes away. So many things I should have asked and didn't perhaps you feel the same way. So much knowledge lost.

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  8. Your sketch is wonderful! I wish I could do half that good. Sounds like you have had a lot going on in your life...I hope you can start getting some sleep. I am sorry your uncle has passed. And sorry about the loss of Shadow. My daughter had rats, and mice before them. I did really like the mice, but never got used to the rats, though they were really nice. I just never had the desire to pet them.

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  9. I am sorry about your uncle. My deepest sympathies to you. It sounds great to spend some time under a tree by the water. Your sketch is very nice!

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  10. Condolences on the loss of your uncle. I have one aunt left of my Mom's nine siblings.She is almost 97.
    And sorry you're unable to get a good night's sleep due to the heat and bouncy cats!! I hope your weather cools off soon; I hope you have a good fan.
    Your sketch is amazing. You have a real talent. My eldest daughter has discovered she has that talent. Sure didn't inherit from either of us.

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  11. You are an Artist!!!!!!!!

    So sorry you have had sad things happen, to make you upset. Plus the not sleeping. All conspire to make you feel, like your subject line. Something I have not heard in a while.

    Do hope your following days (and nights) will be more peaceful.

    Gentle hugs...

    🌺Thank you Dear Commenters🌺

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  12. That's a beautiful sketch. It's so hard losing the older relatives. Very difficult knowing what to keep and what to part with.

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  13. It is hard losing someone, and when we think of them as the "last" of a line, it hits especially hard. I'm hoping you can get some rest and find some peace of mind. The ink sketch is lovely...what a talent! I've been sorting as well...it can be a challenge. I am better with things of my own, but baby clothes and toys of the kids is infinitely harder. I've boxed up many things I couldn't part with. I have tried to weed out as much as possible...my line of thinking; I don't want the kids to have to sort through "junk" some day. On a happier note, I'll try and send some cooling, frosty winds your way to help you beat the heat...we're in the middle of a winter snow and ice storm! Mary

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    1. I'm looking forward to receiving some of those frosty winds! :)

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  14. You're an artist!! Lovely sketch. Please show us more. Regarding old photos - I've found that the younger generation do want to see their families' pasts, and know stories to go with the photos. I'm the older generation in my family and I still love going through old family photos, of my parents, relatives, grand- and greatgrand-parents.

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    1. I've included a lot of stories into my family history and the family seems to enjoy reading those. Not so sure about all the photos with nothing written on them though.

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  15. Sad and scary when your last "real" relative passes.
    I haven´t seen mine in ages, in fact when my Mum died, in 2012...
    A lot of passing. And caring.
    I´ve nerver heard of Thumbelina or Jack and the Beanstalk, but what is new to me. You write American English?
    Due to the job that jumps my eyes now. Atm I´m in Durban, South Africa and have to revert everything to British English, gaaaah.
    Difficult. I scanned all familiy pics and the paper version went to my Brother, no idea what he did with them.
    Beautiful last pic, but uhhhh, sunburn... isn´t that as dangerous as in Australia?
    You sure gave me an earworm with this! I added it today, makes me happy that song.
    Oh, lovely sketch, too!

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    1. I had to have a look to see what English I use!! Apparently it is "English (New Zealand) US Keyboard." You learn something new every day :)

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  16. I've kicked my human into some 'catch-up' - we are very impressed by your drawing. We were sorry to read about losing the last of the older generation of your family. That's a tough time and sort of leaves you feeling exposed. Hi to Mittens. xxx Mr T

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  17. Everyday seems to go faster and faster!

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  18. One certainly feels vulnerable when you realise that the previous generation has all passed - I had that experience a couple of years back... never mind that there are several of my generation have also passed on. But that is life, I guess. Nothing as certain as death and taxes...
    Loving your photos snd sketch - a lovely restorative day by the sea.
    Stay safe
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  19. Did you ever use to listen to the sunday stories on 1ZB in the old days? I remember them well in the 1970s.

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    1. I can remember Hop Along Cassidy in the 1960s and stories like The Little Red Engine, but generally my father used to play records for us.

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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