Wednesday, May 21, 2008

May

Hooray for a dry May and time to spend it in the garden! I've planted up most of the vegetables and done some tidying up in the front garden, edging the lawn and pulling out a few weeds. I've made a nice sitootery outside the conservatory, surrounding it with potted plants, and I've had fierce words with Mr T over why he shouldn't use that space to mend the car - broken plants, strange substances, aesthetic reasons, that sort of thing. What's so wrong with the garage area I say? My sitootery is for sitting with a cup of tea and a book!

It's just so much more pleasant than sitting in a stuffy cupboard somewhere in the school, scribbling away. Only two more exams to go - Higher biology is one of them, my nightmare exam to scribe because of all the scientific names. There should be a scribes' crib-sheet for that one.

Fidelio's ready to go into the water. We polished her hull this evening and she's looking good. The dogs came too but were disappointed there was no walk involved. They lay sulking in the car while we beavered away.

Mum's been gone fourteen years on Sunday. It's nice to think of her at bluebell time, but I still miss her.

7 comments:

Christine McIntosh said...

You musta been gardening when I phoned, huh?

Anonymous said...

Your mum was really special! I will never forget her! I know your memories will be extremely fond ones. Mine are!

Di said...

Thank you Kenny - yes she was :)

fr dougal said...

I do recall the funeral well, Di. There was such a superb turn out from the Glasgow Jewish Community with which your mum was so involved. A real tribute to the lives she touched. Glad we finished with Kaddish rather than the Nunc Dimittis - it seemed to touch many who were there. But 14 years ago - golly, it doesn't seem that long.

Di said...

Kenny and Dougal - Mum was very fond of you both. She considered it her duty as wielder of the 'wooden spoon' to keep young curates on their toes! I'm sure she'd be delighted that we're still in touch. Wouldn't she have loved Cursillo??

fr dougal said...

Yes, she would have enjoyed Cursillo and the wooden spoon would have been v useful even to this day. She was always one of those people you visited and left feeling better from having spent time with - despite the idea being that it was you who was supposed to be boosting her!

Anonymous said...

One of the things I well remember about St Nin's was your dad's "back pocket". Whenever there was a wee special collection to be taken for some minor thing, Dougie Reid would tell everyone that Phil's back pocket is open for donations. I still use the term myself! I often wondered if it was your mum who emptied the back pocket before washing day!

I once preached something which was, in effect, the importance of Phil's "back pocket", saying how happy he was to do this and how much it was important for us to respond to these smaller appeals. Your mum gave me hell afterwards for mentioning an individual in the congregation during a sermon, and told me in no uncertain terms that I must never do it again!

I was left looking mystified in her wake, wndering what would have happened had I said something negative about him!

My fondest memories? Sunday lunches!