Finally it's Warm!

The kids are going back to school, and finally we are getting warm and sunny weather! That's about typical. 

Image from WikiCommons, taken by Dietmar Rabich

Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons / “Dülmen, Vorpark, Narzissen -- 2021 -- 6901” / CC BY-SA 4.0

Today would have been my mother's birthday. She would have been 83 but she passed in 2003.

Me and mother really, really, really didn't get on. At all. The rest of the family encouraged us to meet once a month and that's all. DH had moments of being absolutely appalled. But no-one is ever completely bad. I feel I ought to write more about her today.

She was difficult, contrary and stubborn. She had a phenomenal memory, had worked in weird places as an extremely good secretary, and would answer back to anyone. She held herself like a lady, but not necessarily a timid lady. If she had been born in a different time, she would have been a suffragette. 

She was incredibly well informed across an amazing range of subjects, and was always eager to learn more. She had a restless spirit. We travelled all over most of North and West Yorkshire by bus together, always looking for the odd and unusual. 

She adored DH, and she would have spoiled bear, if she had met him. He would have not been able to move for books and educational toys, and he would have been dragged out on adventures whether he liked it or not. She had an incredibly generous spirit.

She liked daffodils, which is why I chose the picture. She was of a generation that perhaps should have liked roses or orchids, but she was seriously contrary. She always liked pampas grass in the garden as well. I never told her that it was sometimes used as a sign that swingers lived there. She would have been mortified, but probably kept the pampas grass because what the hell.

She got a lot wrong, but she did her best. I suppose that's all that we can do. I know I get things wrong with bear even though I'm doing my best, and I keep hoping that my best is good enough. So right now I'm remembering her mischievous delight in new places and new ideas and being grateful for all the good she did.

And as an aside, when the minister rang to tell me that they had lost my mother's grave, one of my first thoughts I had was that she would very much enjoyed being so distinctive, memorable and awkward. 

Hugs and good health to all.