Monday 19 May 2014

#One Week - Spring '14 - The Sweetest Goodbye


The first thing we eat is Granny's warming fish pie; that comforting mix of mashed potato, cream sauce with chunks of haddock and cod. And parsley of course, always parsley. A foolproof dish after a three hour journey in a rented van. No pudding though, Granny doesn't have a sweet tooth. I let her stay up later than usual, she's so excited to be here; too many questions to ask, too many cuddles to give, too many new things to explore in the garden... 

...Granny's garden, an idyllic suburban retreat. A quintessentially English back yard. A lawn shaped like a ripple, gentle and undulating. A shore of pale blue forget-me-nots, in their hundreds, waving hello. Fat tulips in magnolia and purple stripes, like boiled sweets. Others an unwelcome pink, rich and dusky, 'that's not what was described on the packet,' says Granny, 'I'd expected something paler, not this loud.' She isn't impressed.

I love the ramshackle shed, the faded paint, the flaking wood, the trug and the twigs, the logs piled against a wall. The huge urns, the way lavender pokes out from cracks in the paving stones, the bird feeders hanging from the branches of the winter blossom, the forgotten trellis buried under heaps and heaps of tangled clematis. At the back there's a little pond; my daughter crouches and watches the clouds of spawn, they look like one-eyed marbles, a little creepy, and she points to the tadpoles, some with tiny hind legs.   
    

The curtains over the back doors at the rear of the kitchen are closed tight, revealing nothing of the activity beyond the window panes. Outside, the Easter Bunny is doing his thing, scattering foiled eggs over the grass, in pots, on soil, around the pond, on low lying branches. She's finally let loose, and by tea time she's still finding eggs next to flowers, by stones, tucked under the succulents; her straw bag loaded with a six months supply of chocolate. I share in her every delight and surprise; 'the Easter Bunny must be so fast hiding all these eggs Mummy?' 'He is sweetheart, faster than your eyes can blink.'   

She doesn't want to go,  leaving Granny's is always bitter sweet. And she has a plan. Together, she and Granny cut flowers from the garden, and place them one by one on an alcove on the back wall. 'This is so that you'll remember me,' she says. As if Granny would ever forget.


This is the second day of the seasonal linky One Week. Over the next three days (Monday till Wednesday) I'm posting a photograph(s) and a few words that diarises and distills my experience of spring '14. Take a peep at the details here. You can join in for one, two ... or the full three days. And don't forget to add #oneweek on Twitter, and comment on each others posts...


Badge Code ...

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44 comments:

  1. What beautiful coloured flowers (never heard them called 'loud' before!) - and wonderful memories for you all :)

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    1. Granny's garden is very very pretty, and lovely memories for Little A :o).

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  2. Aww that's a beautiful way to say bye bye - a bit like throwing pennies in the Trevi Fountain to make sure you'll come back!

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    1. It was delightful, brought a tear to my eye.... but as if Granny would ever forget her gorgeous granddaughter!

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  3. Special times, never forgotten. Love the blues and white in a row x

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    1. It was very lovely and special. Glad you like the blues and whites X.

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  4. Sounds like a very lovely day at Grannys house. I love the sound of the purple boiled sweet tulips :)

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    1. We had a lovely time thank you... and the tulips did look like boiled sweets :o)

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  5. As always a beautifully written and gorgeous post xx

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  6. Oh my, that is just such a sweet, beautiful post. I love your writing. And your photos. xox

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    1. Thank you very much Michelle, that's a very kind comment. X

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  7. Granny's garden sounds fabulous

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  8. what a perfect day. Can you please blog the fish pie recipe too? You cant beat a really really good fish pie.

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    1. It was a really lovely day, and when I next see Granny, I'll grab a hold of the recipe.

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  9. So beautiful, the grandmother relationship is a very special one, in many ways I look forward to experiencing it myself x

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    1. Thank you! Grandmother's rock, it really is a special relationship - I was very close to mine. And I am sure you will be one day :o). X.

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  10. Little flowers in the alcoves - so sweet. What a lovely memory to make with Granny. x

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    1. It was so sweet it brought a tear to my eye. A lovely memory indeed! X

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  11. The way you write makes it sound like an enchanted garden. Gorgeous.

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    1. Thank you very much! It really is quite the enchanted garden.

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  12. Flower messages hold a special place in my hear too x.

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    1. It was so lovely it brought a tear to my eye. They are so sweet together. X

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  13. Granny's garden is so beautiful. I remember not wanting to leave my nan's house too.

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    1. It really is a special place and so beautiful; she puts so much effort into it, she's a very dedicated gardener.

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  14. That took me right back to walking around my grandparents garden as a child. Such a beautiful post.

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    1. Thank you very much. I used to love my Grandparent's garden too - I have so many memories of weeding with them and planting seeds...

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  15. So poignant, beautiful and also a little sad. As always stunning photos!

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    1. Thank you very much, it was a very bitter sweet goodbye - brought a tear to my eye. Little A adores both her Granny and Grandma.

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  16. Gosh this post is just magical. I felt like I was right there in Granny's garden. Beautifully written, and I love those photos - what beautiful coloured flowers. xxx

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    1. Thank you very much! It's such a pretty garden, Granny invests so much time in it, and it's a wonderful place for Little A to run around in. So glad you like the pictures too. X

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  17. So sweet so special! Grannys garden is so beautiful!

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    1. Thank you very much. Granny's garden rocks!

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  18. I echo all the other comments above, I think grandmas are vital to growing up and mine at 94 very soon is doing well but I know one day she won't be here, that's tough. It's great to savour every moment adn your photos are beautiful

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    1. Grandmas are the best. I was so lucky to have a lovely relationship with mine and now Little A has a wonderful one with both of hers. 94? She's doing great... Mine passed away at 90 but she'd had a good life and got to see all her grandchildren grow up. Thank you.

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  19. Lovely post. I love Little A's comment about the Easter Bunny being fast. Beautiful photos and wonderful memories to cherish. x

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    1. Thank you very much lovely! I am amazed she didn't twig it was Daddy outside, even with the curtains closed she wasn't the slightest bit suspicious - what a fabulous age where everything is magic! X

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  20. Just beautiful and such lovely memories to cherish xx

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    1. Thank you very much. We had such a lovely time. X

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  21. Gorgeous - I can just picture it. Every little one needs a Granny's garden xx

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    1. Thank you very much.... Granny's garden is lovely. X

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