Happy Bloggy Anniversary to TJ whose blog has just passed its first year. For this week’s Household Haiku Challenge we get to choose from any of the categories that have gone before, I have chosen ‘photograph.’ No, I am not crazy choosing this subject with my limited photography skills, it is one that was taken by a professional (over 100 years ago). It is a photo of my paternal grandmother and my great aunt.
Sisters:
Two young girls. Guess which
one remained a spinster and
one an unwed mum!
I have been invited by the effervescent Ritu to take part in this relatively new challenge that is going around at the moment. I am sure most of you are already familiar with Ritu’s blog, a mix of wisdom. scrummy recipes, laughter, love and lots more. If not, then go over and say hello, you will be made most welcome.
I particularly like this challenge as it all about being thankful. Sometimes it is so easy to take the most basic things for granted, yet for others, it is something they aspire to. or might never have.
So without further ado let me give you the challenge rules:
*Share this image in your blog post
*Write about 5 people in your life you are thankful for
*Write about 5 things in 2015 that you are thankful for
*Spread the love and challenge 5 other blogs to take part
Five people who I am thankful for in my life:
Coming from such a large family this is going to be really hard!
My Mum: Although my mum is of the generation that traditionally stayed home and looked after the home, my mum went out to work when I was young. She qualified as a registered nurse but gave up after marrying my dad. However, things didn’t work out between them, and although divorce was not that common, mum went ahead and did it anyway. I should imagine she had plenty of gossiping to deal with but ignored it. She then went out to work, forging a career for herself in Social Services. This showed me that it is possible to break with convention and to do what you believe is right, whatever others may think!
My husband: Yes, good old Mr Grump. He is very supportive of whatever I want to do, and encourages me to challenge myself as he has faith in me.
My daughter: I was beginning to think that I would never have children, for one reason and another, but along she came when I was 37 years old. She makes me laugh and drives me mad, in equal measure, but I love her from the very bottom of my soul.
My younger sister: I call her Mrs Masterchef on here. We share the same birthday but are two years apart, so are very similar in many ways, especially with our sense of humour. She is there when I want to have a moan, and I always get a warm welcome, whenever I go to see her.
My older sister: She has always been there as someone I can go to when I am feeling upset or down. When we were younger, she looked out for us quite a bit (as well as telling us off)! As with my other sister, she is very family oriented.
Five things in 2015 that I am thankful for:
The rest of my family that I didn’t mention. Despite us all not living that close to each other, I know that when needed, they are there, and it is always lovely to catch up with them at family dos!
My health: I know I have been moaning about my cold, then feeling sick (now I have got cold sores all over my top lip), but in the grand scheme of things I am bloody lucky really. Some people would love to be able to get up in the morning without pain, or actually be able to walk to the shop. I know how lucky I am to be able to do these things and so much more, and am very thankful.
My job: I know I have only just started this job but I am thankful that I have it, and am really looking forward to actually getting ‘stuck in!’
My blog: I am so thankful for my blog which helped so much with my depression, leading me to meet some wonderful people.
My friends: I actually do not have many friends as such, that I see, as I am pretty unsociable! However, I am very grateful for them, and always love it when I see them.
My Nominations: I am going to have to break the rules on this one, as I cannot choose only five people who I want to share the love with! If anyone fancies having a go at this challenge, then please, consider yourself nominated!
“Nooooo, Get it off me!”
My mother’s anguished cries jolted me awake in my makeshift bed. My half-open eyes tried to focus in the darkness of the unfamiliar room. Silence. Eerie, stillness enshrouded me in a cloak of uneasiness. I shuddered, someone had just walked over my grave…
******
I awoke several hours later to the sound of the TV in the next room. I noticed Mum and Lewis had already got up. My younger sister Kat was stirring in her zed-bed, and as she stretched and yawned, the bed springs squeaked in protest.
“Did you hear Mum last night Kat?
“No, why, were her and Lewis ‘at it?”
“Don’t be disgusting” I retorted, unnerved that it seemed to have only been me that had heard her.
****
After waiting an age to use the bathroom. (Eight people + one bathroom + an early start for a long trip = chaos, leg crossing, and frenzied banging on the door) I was hastily eating some toast that my sister-in-law Karen had rustled up for us all.
” Doug, is Bobby up yet? It is unusual for him not to be first up, especially today” Mum looked concerned. The events of the past few days had aged her considerably. Travelling from one end of the country to the other had been traumatic enough at such at time, especially when Nan had not been conscious when they had arrived.
The funeral yesterday had added an extra pallor to her face, highlighting the black smudges under her eyes.
” Please go and wake him up”, she begged Doug and Mark, my two brothers that had slept in the same room as my Uncle Bobby… although us kids never called him Uncle. He was special. Mum’s baby brother (despite now being 36) who was coming to live with us now that Nan had died, and we were all excited.
The boys had been gone for a good ten minutes, then they trooped into the room joined now by my other brother Charles, flanking Mum on all sides.
“We don’t know how to tell you this, Oh God Mum. Bobby is dead!”
The boys caught her as her legs buckled, and we all looked on in horror as an animalistic howl emanated from her body, which was now heaving and quaking with gut-wrenching sobs.
Lewis was by her side in instant, and Karen ushered the rest of us into the kitchen to give them some privacy, then she went into the bedroom with Charles to check on Bobby, and phone the authorities.
‘He called out for Nan in the middle of the night” Mark informed the rest of us. ” I heard him shout ‘Mum’ twice then he went quiet. I thought he had gone back to sleep.”
“Nan must have come for him in the night” I had the feeling that as Nan had always looked after Bobby and given him all of her love and care since he needed extra, due to him having Muscular Dystrophy that she wanted him to go with her. They had never been apart, and although Mum loved and cherished him, he needed his own mother’s ministrations.
****
It was rather a palaver getting poor Bobby out of the tiny house. He was after all almost 20 stone with Nan’s loving care, and manoeuvering him down the narrow staircase was a Herculean task. It was accomplished and Bobby was taken to the same undertaker that had just buried my Nan.
Tears and shock were mingled with practicalities of arranging another funeral. Trips into town to order more wreaths. Suitcases unpacked, more groceries bought; schools and workplaces phoned to explained the situation
****
Evening closed in, dark, cold and miserable, like us.
“I had a dreadful nightmare last night” blurted out my mother.” I felt like someone was trying to put me into a coffin; Mum was trying to tell me something. ”
I shivered. Someone had walked over my grave….
This is in response to Writing 101. Re-create a single day.
My wonderful friend Erika has nominated me for a new challenge,
Rules:
• Thank the bloggers who nominated you. Thank you, Erika
• Link back to the challenge creator, Dreams and Movie Screens so she can track your progress.
• Share 5 things about your future (jobs, kids, marriage, travel etc). Then one day you can look back and find out how psychic you really are.
• Tag 5 bloggers and put them up to the challenge.
Ok, onto my future!
My nominees are:
Today is my 6th wedding anniversary to Mr Grump. Although we have only been married a short while, we go way back and actually met for the first time in 1984. This is our story here
We were originally going to wait for a while before getting married, but after a few months, neither of us wanted to wait, bearing in mind how long it took us to get back together again.
As both of us has been married before, we decided that we would go for just a quiet ceremony with mostly family and a few friends. The local Registry Office was closed and in the process of being relocated, so in the interim they were using the Sports and Leisure Centre.
This was ok but had a hell of a walk leading up to it, almost like a helter-skelter, and that put me off, as both Mum and Dad would have a job with it, not to mention me with my high heels!
There was an alternative which was much cheaper, and in the centre of town, which I thought was ideal, so we booked it up and set about organising everything else. The evening was taken care of as we were going to a small pub which had karaoke (Miss Hap loves it). The landlord was laying on a BBQ, and my brother-in-law (Mr Musician) was going to sing for us later on.
The cake was being made by one of my sisters (Mrs Masterchef), and we had got everything else off of the internet (yes, even the dress). My sister-in-law just happens to be a hairdresser so that was sorted as well.
Just before the big day, the dress arrived (luckily). It was a little more elaborate than I had envisaged and had a huge skirt, plus small train at the back. This would have been fine had we opted for the Leisure Centre to marry in, but our ‘venue’ was not quite what I had expected.
When we went to see it, there were beautiful gardens out the back, but the ‘wedding room’ was tiny, and only accommodated about 6 or 8 guests! Bearing in mind, Best Man, witnesses, Miss Hap and us, that was going to be it! Everything else was in place invitations sent out, the lot.
After crying and getting myself in a state, we decided who was going to come with us. Everyone else waited at our house (we were only going to be about an hour all told). My sister-in-law gave me and Miss Hap a lift to the venue, and we met up with the others there!
Our best friend Karen, who was in the army with us was a witness, as was my older sister, and my Dad too.
Despite everything, it was a very emotional service and we both cried! It was out in the garden for photos, and back to ours (which had suddenly been decorated with banners and balloons), for a buffet until we headed off to the pub a few hours later!
It might not have been the fanciest of weddings, but it was a brilliant day that we all enjoyed. Sitting on patio chairs in our small back garden, with a load of family dressed in all our finery was so relaxed; we all had a great laugh. Especially when we found out that our lovely Best Man, forgot his cufflinks and improvised with some paper clips!
Then later when some friends came to the pub. The kids on the karaoke, the bangers and burgers on the barbie, and then Mr Musician serenading us with ‘Hotel California’ was brilliant; tucking into a delicious chocolate wedding cake made by Mrs Masterchef completed a fantastic day.
Miss Hap has been nagging at me this weekend to go to our recently revamped McDonalds, as it has had quite a makeover.
Needing to go into town and never being one to resist the lure of a double sausage and egg McMuffin, I decided to give it a whirl, and of course Mr Grump came as well.
On entering, I noticed straight away that there had been several major changes. The first one being that there was no queue at the counter which was straight in front of us. Although it was not overly busy when we arrived, this is still unusual.
Dotted around the restaurant were ‘pay stations’ where large screens were placed in order that food could be ordered. It was all the latest touch screen technology and a card reader was placed below it to take the payment.
Pretty impressive so far. We had a receipt spewed out which was to be taken to ‘collection point 1’ (very Argos), which Miss Hap went to collect whilst myself and Mr Grump settled on rather low down stools of different colours.
Attached to the tables were the latest tablets on pedestal type things which could be twirled around according to whether you wanted it portrait or landscape. I was just browsing through the apps on the desktop when our food arrived, a; present and correct and in under 5 minutes.
Of course we at the tablet tables as Miss Hap wanted to play, so I chose the Logo game which we did extremely well at.
What a bizarre experience, though, playing on a tablet with greasy fingers seemed wrong to me (all this brand new and shiny equipment getting all mucked up)! Not only that but isn’t eating together supposed to be a social experience? Granted we were all playing the game together but it was a bit odd, seeing as at home whilst sitting around the table eating, technology is banned! (I am the worst offender with my laptop).
I cannot decide whether it is a good thing or a bad thing!
I was visiting my mum a couple of days ago when my brother had brought over a load of stuff that was still over at the house she used to live in. Amongst all of the nick-knacks, books and other bits were some old photos.
They were taken back in 1984 when I joined the Army just after my 18th birthday. Most of them were of my passing out parade.
How the hell I ever learned to march in time is beyond me as my co-ordination is pretty rubbish. Mind you I had my fair share of tellings of by the NCOs and found myself doing extra duties when I cocked up, or turning up to ‘show parade’ when I had ‘failed to turn my iron on’ (in other words I had a miniscule crease across the back of my skirt, which the sergeant had noticed)!
Still, I made it. I got through the basic training, I managed to pass the fitness test (which I hated) and I could invite 2 people to my passing out parade. Now was you may know, I come from a large family; Mum and Dad had divorced and re-married, and I have 5 siblings. As you can see from the pic, both parents and spouses came, 2 or my 3 brother and my older sister and her daughter, How they all got in I don’t know especially as my eldest brother was on crutches after breaking something!
Still it was a magical moment for me when I marched past and saw them all there, as I didn’t know they were all coming.
A sister is a good friend
Who knows you very well
A sister is a confidante
To whom secrets you can tell
A sister is a shoulder
To cry on when you’re sad
A sister is a comfort
For when things turn out bad
A sister is a treasure
More precious than pure gold
A sister can be relied on
Whatever the future holds
A sister will support you
In all you say and do
A sister is a Godsend
And lucky me to have two!
Although I have published this poem on my blog before, I decided it needed another airing!
Fridays are coming around so quickly it seems at the moment and here we are will into July, and the midst of a beautiful summer.
I have some wonderful blogs to share with you this week, that will make your Friday even better! There is a mixed bag of goodies as usual,some funny, some inspirational, but of course, all brilliant in their own way. Please check out these blogs if you have not already done so, as you really don’t want to miss out on some of the other posts that they have written!
10 Years A Single Mom A heartfelt and heartwarming post from a loving mother. This blog is all about spreading the love!
John D Eccles This post did make me laugh. I like the style it is written in, and the self-deprecating humour. The poor hapless husband, who tries hard!
Fill Your Own Glass The lovely and wise Karen has written a great post here which, although makes lots of sense, many of us still do not put it into practice.
Little Miss Menopause This post, although not on Stephanie’s actual blog, was written by her for an online article. It is a beautiful story of a real act of love.
Runaway Nuns And Leprechauns A fun post that I really enjoyed. so cute!
So there is a small selection for you to get stuck into and enjoy!
Happy Friday! 🙂
Yesterday was Mum’s 83rd birthday. She had invited my two sisters and myself with our families for tea. The weather could not have been nicer and we only live a few minutes walk away which is handy.
Both of my sisters were there when we got there and one of my nieces. It was great to eat outside in the garden and also catch up with each other as we had not managed to spend all that much time together lately. Later my nephew and other niece and her husband joined us as well which completed our little tea-party,
My sister had set up the table and chairs on the raised patio so there was not a huge amount of room around it to walk freely. Mr Grump had partaken of a couple of beers and went to help himself to something to eat from the table. Unfortunately, he tripped over a quadruple plant pot type arrangement filled with compost, which upended and went everywhere; this had Mum tutting at the mess.
She also has these huge planter type boxes as well which Mr Grump fell against when he tripped. Seeing her chance, my little sister gave him a shove which sent him reeling back straight into it, squashing Mum’s plants. That set the rest of us off laughing, especially as Mum was telling my sister off for pushing him in!
Ahhhh, Just like the old days!
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