We have been away for three days, carrying out the memorial service for my step-father Don in the area where he lived …. plus continuing the big job of packing up the house and preparing it for sale. The memorial service was brilliant: Our dvd slideshow and music (thanks to our son Toby) set a cheery tone, the speakers were excellent, it was funny, moving and serious, and apparently greatly enjoyed by his friends and neighbours, and people from the many areas of his expertise, such as bowling, gym, Probus and the 7th Division Cavalry Association. Clearing out the house reminded us of abundance, and also that Don had served as a Quarter-Master, there was plenty of everything that might be needed, even though he was 92 years old.
pickings from the garden
When we arrived home this morning we went straight out to the garden to see how it survived the heat …. and to pick the produce! For the first time we have summer peas, perhaps due to the unseasonable cool weather in December. There are beets and carrots, and all kinds of greens, but this is what we picked; kilos of beans from the Purple King and Blue Lake climbing beans, a few zucchinis and button squash, tomatoes and cucumber, and a bowl of strawberries. Next we moved on to the fruit trees.
Now to find a few friends we can share our abundance with!
Christine, what a wonderful send off for Don! I hope he saw and heard Toby’s dvd. And the bountiful homecoming was like dessert after a feast of love and rememberance..
thank you for your very perceptive words Barb, one image of Don winking, dressed in his suit and medals, will stay with us all I think, definitely the man we remember!
What a wonderful diverse harvest, you must have worked hard to plant and care for all of it. Sounds like you gave Don a lovely send off, just as he would have enjoyed.
my husband is a passionate gardener, involved in starting an amazing community garden http://sageproject.wikispaces.com/ and always innovating …plus our plants enjoy seaweed from the beach to help them grow …and some are in wicking beds that encourage easy growth and abundant harvests … yes Don would have enjoyed the send-off, all his friends certainly did, so we are pleased about that!
Outside of the blue sky, there is very little color here at this time of year so seeing your beautiful arrangement of fruits and vegetables is a delight! Thanks for sharing the photos with us.
Disassembling a home is always a time of reflection whether its previous occupant(s) have passed on or merely moved away. Following the death of my parents, I realized no one can cherish objects in the same manner as their original owners. The candy dish with the twirled glass handle given to my mother from her grandmother simply cannot have the same importance to me as it did to her since I don’t know its complete history or the occasion when it was presented. Each object holds secrets we cannot fathom although we can bring them to life through imaginings.
I’m sure it’s a bittersweet time for you, a time when memories flood your senses while your body is tired. My thoughts are with you.
After a swim in the wild ocean this morning we feel greatly recovered 🙂
I really understand what you mean about possessions, it is so hard to let those things go that meant so much to someone you loved, yet the smallest thing will do as a touchstone for all those memories. I did bring some pretty pink glass vases and little pink and silver salt dishes (no doubt very like your candy dish) that belonged to my great grandmother, but I hope that one of my son’s wives will take them. Order is returning, and now it is all the legalities etc that demand our attention. Great to turn to my blog for a break!
A lovely homecoming for you. And good to hear Don had a good send-off too.
Blue Lake beans are delicious aren’t they!.That’s a good reminder for me to grow them again 🙂
yes Blue Lake are a perennial favourite here … what are your favourite beans? i also enjoy the yellow butter beans that grow as a bush … mmm mmm!
For green beans I love Safari (dwarf) they grow to a perfect size for eating whole
Climbing I havea few favourites like Blue Lake, or Cheroke Trail of Tears, but a lot o fmy climbers tend to be for shelling, like Borlotti, Major Cooke, Madeira Maroon, or Haricot and Lima type beans. I’m still on the hunt for a great tasting yellow bean for eating whole. Do you grow any?
For some reason I relaise hat I managed to log out while leaving you the message below! Claire (aka computer genius!)
Sorry for your loss. It’s never easy to loose someone you love. It was a beautiful and touching ceremony from what I read. As for the harvest…. Just amazing…. So much colors. Looks delicious! Have a great weekend.
thank you island traveler …. so glad you enjoy the rich summer colours of our home grown food 🙂
Amazing abundant harvest! Love the photos. Everything looks so scrumptious.
It sounds like you gave Don a wonderful send-off via a celebration of his life. Condolences on your loss. May you find comfort in the memory of the life he lived.
thank you cecilia, the wonderful people at the service made sure we knew how well appreciated he was, a real community asset until the end 🙂
I Love to watch it again and again
excellent post and Delicious too 🙂
thanks jake, delicious home grown organic food, nothing better for body and soul!
It must be such sweet solace for you and your family to have come home to such an abundance from your hard work in the garden. My condolences on your loss and best wishes to you all with your abundance of memories to share on a life well lived.
thanks so much patti, you are right, the garden is such a solace!
The pho tos could go in magazines! How delicious looking; I’d like to learn gardening from you.
thanks sue, you are such a great encourager! our climate is much milder than yours … growing is easier here all year round 🙂