Soop's welcoming kitchen...

I meant to say a warm welcome back to the kitchen to Swanny and dustyangel. Should I have already done so (and forgotten) it does no harm to repeat the welcome. I've said it many times but I shall do so yet again...^you lot are lovely^ so there!

Maw It is evident that you, your family and friends all contributed to the perfect farewell in memory of Paw. Us lot felt that we knew him.
Was Hattie a good very girl?

granniequeenie Yet more beautiful photos for us to enjoy. Thank you.

I've had a care home visit of mixed blessings today. M (94 years old) was in tears when she told me that her father had died a very short time ago. She was genuinely proud that he had "served his country well."
The staff have made a marvellous job of decorating every inch of available space both inside and outside the building. M and I sang two Christmas carols. She used to participate in the MOD - celebration of Gaelic culture - when she was very much younger. She told me that the choir had won awards.

Oops! Sorry greyduster made me laugh too. Still perhaps you will be a little more relaxed tomorrow .....maybe ?

kitty dear you've got that all wrong . It's not empty wine glasses and cupcake cases you need to follow, it's bottles of and proper to give you stamina for the trip

maw hope you slept last night. Yesterday must have been exhausting emotionally but you must be so proud of your family. What a lovely place it sounds for paw's final resting place. x

Sorry, greyd, but I had to laugh. Better luck next time. .

Oh that sounds lovely but heart rending Maw xxx

Well that went well! Got myself all psyched up, went to the dentist - and it is tommorrow ?! B****r!

I echo everyone's thoughts Maw. Thank you for sharing the day with us. It sounds as though it was a very loving, and lovely, day. Don't forget we are here if you need us.

Bakewell is fabulous precisely because there in nothing much happening. The youngsters will learn! I expect we wouldn't have thought much of it either in our youth.

Call, brass bands get me going without having any other meaning attached so I'm not surprised that you shed a tear or two.

Fabulous birthday photos N&G - that's one happy boy.

I'd proudly give that painting house room Soop. I'm in awe of your talent. I have none apart from producing children (as my mother once said)

We met Dh's 'next brother up' and Sil yesterday and were quite shocked at how old and infirm he has become since we saw them in the summer.

On a brighter note, we are meeting friends from DH's year at Birmingham University. We meet up 3/4 times a year and always have a great time. The gossip this time will be all around the 50 year reunion which was held in November. Only one couple of our friends went but we saw photos and couldn't believe how old the attendees looked. It's a good job we didn't go as they would all have been envious of how much younger we look than the rest of them.

What with that and Dh having shingles (which has nearly cleared up thanks to having had the jab last year and the anti-virals prescribed by the GP) I'm feeling particularly old today.

If we move before I get back, please leave empty wine glasses, corks and used cup cake cases for me to follow.

Maw thank you for sharing with us your very special day. It sounds like you and your DD's will have some wonderful memories.

Maw good to hear the funeral went off so beautifully. It is heartening that there was what my mother would call “a good turnout” for Paw. Your girls did very well, bless them - I have seen readings defeat the strongest.
Gq that looks a very fishable bit of water you have photographed! I am beginning to get angling withdrawal symptoms. I went into Orvis in Bakewell yesterday to look at their waders and had to be picked up off the floor when I saw the price! It’s time I gave up floundering around in rivers anyway! Getting in and out of them gets harder. I mentioned to someone yesterday that when we went for a walk recently I got stuck on top of a stile for the first time in my life! I got one leg over easily but the other one wouldn’t come up high enough at the foot end! Efforts to rectify the situation were very undignified indeed!
I have to go to the dentist soon - I’ll look in later.

I read your post as I went to bed last night and it was good to hear from you and to know the day went well. How lovely to be buried in a village churchyard. How peaceful.
I was going to ask you about the music and now you have told us. What great readings too and brave of the girls to do them. Thank you for coming on here and giving us a little account of the day. Difficult times ahead but please keep coming into the kitchen and as well as that, keep yourself busy, but I’m sure that you will. x

Maw reading the day's events really moved me. It sounded like the perfect send off for a much loved man. I do hope that you were able to sleep last night and can have a lie in this morning unless Hattie has other ideas.

Thank you maw. Yes, we’ve all been thinking and wondering. A personal service, thoughtful and filled with love. Just right. I’m hoping you are sleeping peacefully now, you must be exhausted. Look after yourself x

maw thank you for sharing this day with us. You have been in our thoughts a lot today. It sounds a lovely service for a much loved man. God bless x

maw that sounds as perfect as such a sad day could be, I’m glad it went so well. Thanks so much for letting us know x

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Stunning photo gd, I like Bakewell, even though there’s not a lot going on there. Have taken our 2 teenage gds there....let’s just say they were underwhelmed by the retail opportunities!
Sorry you’re struggling with those deer, soop, to me it’s lovely but since I think my art teacher’s assessment would have similar to yours Ann, so I’m not sure my opinion counts for much! Hope your Oban trip goes well and your tum is behaving.
I think the right piece of music on the wrong day can finish most of us off callgirl it just touches bits of us other things don’t reach and these wobbles seem to come out of nowhere Oh dear, sorry if that sounds like an advert for beer.
Like others maw has been on my mind all day, I hope all went as well as it could for them all.
What lovely birthday photos n&g that’s one very happy little boy. I’m not able to post pictures either, anno, but like you often feel bursting with pride for our crew, your gs sounds like a lovely lad.
The well house trained decorator beavers on apace and it looks like he’ll be gone by the end of the week, lovely as he is I’ll be glad. There’ll be a good bit of sorting involved in putting it all back together again. Not to mention catching up with others things too. At present rate of progress I don’t think there will be many cheery little notes on Christmas cards this year.
We skived off this afternoon, well the sun was shining and it would have been rude not to and had a walk in a favourite spot. Just what was needed after a busy week or so. It never fails to delight me that places have their own beauty whatever the season.

Bless you MawB

Maw, we have all been wondering how you and your family are.
It is so uplifting to read your post. Please God, you will get some sleep tonight.

Oh callgirl it is the little things which catch us out isn’t it?
Today has been perhaps the saddest of my life but also the most beautiful.
Everything went perfectly. And the church which is a big one, was FULL.
Three sons in law acted as pall bearers and the DDs and I and the grandchildren all held hands as we walked into the church to “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring(DD1’s choice for her entry into the church on paws arm at her wedding. )
Our opening hymn was “O Jesus I have promised” and our final hymn “Thine Be the Glory” (come on girls, let’s give it some welly I found myself muttering)
The girls’ readings were simply beautiful and so brave The Road Goes Ever On from Lord of the Rings, Prospero’s speech from Act IV of The Tempest and the closing paragraphs of CS Lewis’s The Last Battle.
Our priest friend gave a lovely warm homily recalling time he had spent with paw and his Christian “journey”and a good friend from the village gave a very moving tribute.
Even the sun came out and the burial in our village churchyard looking down the hill and over the fields could not have been more perfect. Tears streamed down our faces as we “Broon girls” had a group hug but we were at peace just as we knew paw was. DD3’s godfather who is Chancellor of Hereford Cathedral said an Anglican prayer and then the final burial prayers were Catholic.
What a day -friends and family from Sussex to Mull (!) , Edinburgh to Herefordshire and all stations in between.
So that is it, then.
Now for the rest of our lives.
Thank you ALL for your thoughts and good wishes, xx

Don’t fret callgirl, collywobble moments are bound to happen. The unexpected link will do it every time. Doesn’t matter if anyone did notice a tear or two. Sending a big hug.

Yes, I am sure we have all been thinking of maw today, hard not to. I’m hoping she is fast asleep now.

Lovely photo greyd, looks a beautiful spot.

You aren’t alone anno, I’m not permitted to post photos either. Well, not of any people, plants and places are OK . The visit and Christmas plans sound just right, happy things to look forward to.

Good night everyone, sleep tight.

Beautiful photo Greyduster.
I too have been wondering how the day went for MawB.
I had a touch of the collywobbles in town on Saturday. I stopped to put some money in the Salvation Army collectors tin, and then listening to the carols it reminded me of the early days after I met David, he was a brass bandsman, and was put to work knocking on doors with the collection tin. Suddenly the thoughts of it made me burst into tears, I hope nobody noticed.
What a happy chappie Jackson looks, he obviously enjoyed his birthday.

Wish I could show you a picture of my youngest GS on his 10th birthday, tucking in to the biggest hot dog in Oxford! But I'm forbidden to show photos of GC. The said hot dog was appropriate as he is big, strong, heavy and fast on his feet - perfectly designed for rugby which he has taken up recently and turned out to be a good try scorer. When their cat was claiming to be stuck on a roof joist, he was the one who said, 'Come on, Milky, don't doubt yourself.' Looking forward to a visit from him and his brother (12) the week before Christmas and then their dad (DS2) is going to take me back with them and deposit me with DS1 and family.

I cant help wondering how maw is. I have been thinking about her all day.

Lovely photo greyduster

That stretch of the river has some very large, very old brown trout that hold station by the bridge I was standing on, waiting for people to throw bread to them, and to the ducks, although the ducks don’t get much of a look in. The gulls are just rank opportunists! ?

That is such a good photograph, Greyduster. The birds are having a lovely time. And so they should. x

Forgot the picture!!