EH - Essex > Hebrides...the next step of the adventure?

boxofpaws

Oh EH, I am so sorry to hear about your Dad. Thinking of you x 

EssexHebridean

Apology accepted. No, please leave your comment there - it’s hopefully a reminder to others that too often people with strong party political views - even those that they claim are borne out of consideration for others - are so set on their determination to “bang the drum” that they cause distress to others in their approach. Consideration for others should apply on an individual level, as well as a wider population level. 

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There will be more grocery spending today - farmers market, then probably a trip to Al’s later on. I have a parcel arriving at some stage too - I did finally get around to ordering the LLL leggings with the discount code I had - I’m hoping not to miss the postie while we’re out. 

Assorted random jobs need doing here - MrEH is heading to Mum’s a little later to collect some bags for the charity shop, but other than that Mum and I have agreed to both doing “normal” stuff today. We’re going to take items to the Hospice charity shop as they’ve been incredibly helpful and supportive over the last little while, and to Dad previously too. We’ve been long term supporters of theirs anyway as they were wonderful when my Great Uncle was so ill many years ago. 

Banks checked - all fine. I’ll have a look at surveys in spare minutes later on - Prolific is over £5 with some pending, and the others are creeping up, as they do. 

There is music to be chosen for the funeral - and an order of service booklet to be designed. I need to get Mum to drag out the photo albums tomorrow so we can scan some bits for a photo montage. It was only a few months ago I was doing the one for my Gt Aunt - very aware all the while that in not too long I would be repeating the process for Dad. I didn’t know quite how soon, though. 😢  I’m also thinking through memories to be noted for the celebrant - that is both the hardest and the loveliest thing. I keep finding my eyes leaking entirely unexpectedly- sometimes over the silliest thing. When I was handed Dad’s wedding ring for safekeeping on Wednesday morning I automatically slid it onto my left thumb - it was always too big even for that but I could wrap my fingers round it to keep it safe - in the same way as I did when, while in hospital after his triple bypass in 2013 I discovered that his ring had been removed and “mislaid”. He was so upset when he realised he didn’t know where it was - and I promptly stormed round the hospital accepting NO protestations from anyone that they “couldn’t look for it right now” - it was found in remarkably short order once the staff realised I wasn’t going away, somewhere entirely implausible, and we have found out since that the hospital concerned has had issues for years with patient’s Jewellery  - including wedding rings - going missing. I still wonder if I’d not been so determined that night, whether it would have disappeared without trace by the next day. On that occasion when I got it back it went in that same place of safety until I could get it back to Dad - straight onto my left thumb. He mentioned how grateful he was “that I was such a stubborn little so-and-so” only recently! Well - who’s fault is THAT then Dad?! 

savingholmes

Eyes leaking is healthy. Hugs

carolbee

So sorry to hear about your beloved Dad, you sound a chip off his block. Condolences to you and your family. 

CRANKY40

I'm sorry to hear about your dad EH. My thoughts are with you and your family. 

EssexHebridean

SH - agreed, and thank you. Carolbee and Cranky - thank you both. 

Veg box just arrived and grocery shop done earlier - ended up going to T’s as it was the closest to elsewhere we were going so made sense. Total was £27.86 which broke down as:
Loo rolls £7
storecupboard £5.79
mini plant sprayer 70p
Weekly shop £14.37

it also included two potted herbs - a basil because my sown batch is still a good way off being harvestable, and a thyme because it was reduced to 66p and I felt sorry for it. 😂 In fairness we’d been saying for a while we wanted to get a thyme plant, so not entirely unplanned! 

A pricey grocery week as there was also a farmers market trip this morning - again, all planned, and a £32 spend. I’ll need to transfer money from the grocery budget account for that as I used money from my purse. 

A quick tot up suggests that I’m now on about £137 for the month - out of a £200 budget. That sounds OK until you he think that my month starts on the  10th - so I have another 2 weeks to do yet…eek! Having said that, I shouldn’t need *that* much so maybe… 

maggiem

Very sorry to read about your Dad EH and hard to cope with the speed with which it happened. 

We've had experience of palliative care getting involved with a parent but McMillan in that case and her intervention made such a difference, he was much more peaceful. Thinking of you. 

EssexHebridean

Thanks Maggie - as you will have gathered our big issue was egotistical medical staff refusing to let palliative care get involved because they seemed to feel they should be able to “cure” Dad - not something that was ever going to be possible. The anger I feel that his last weeks were made more miserable than they needed to be is immense.  McMillan are wonderful aren’t they - they, along with our local hospice, provided so much support to my Great Aunt years ago, we were really grateful. 

We have an utterly glorious day here - blue skies and bright, hot sunshine. I’m sitting on the balcony with my second brew of the day, and will need to watch I don’t get sunburned - it’s THAT hot! 

We’ve just marinaded some pork belly chunks for lunch - I’m opting for a straightforward stir fry probably with some rice - we’ve got lovely fresh Pak Choi from the veg box, plus other stuff as well, and it should be really tasty even if not the classic Sunday lunch. MrEH is currently planting the remaining nasturtiums - some have gone out the other side, but there are half a dozen or so left, so he’s finding homes for those. I’ve done another sewing of land cress, and found my felt-sorry-for thyme plant a pot, and will shortly be potting up my tomato seedlings into their “forever-home” pots! 😁

Off round to Mum’s this afternoon for more planning and sorting. I must have a look at the order of service before I go but it occurs to me I can’t do much with it at the moment anyway as I don’t have the photos we need other than one. (Which I need to find). 

Mr EH and I visited Dad’s favourite local drinking hole yesterday as we had some empty bottles to return to them - it’s a small brewery with a taproom on site so we stopped for a beer while we were there - it was the last place I’d sat and shared a few beers with Dad aside from their place at Christmas too so quite emotional but lovely memories. 

savingholmes

Good to keep his memory alive and feel your feelings on time.

Food sounds tasty.

milann

It’s such a hard time EH….enjoy your memories……I’m sure in time there will be a great many. The love you had for your dad comes across in your writing.