Yesterday, to the funeral of my husband's father; a bitingly cold day with a grey mist. A small gathering of family and representatives of the public life he once led: a dignified end, a quality which serious illness often erodes.
In our garden, though, flowers of different kinds are in full bloom. The lovely, clear mid-blue of grape hyacinths.
Daffodils, against a background of budding pear branches. If Wordsworth were to visit Essex he would be overwhelmed by the jocund company: thousands of daffodils in every public space and road verge.
And the pure white of a hellebore, gifted to us by our neighbour.
The approaching Royal Wedding is bringing with it the usual odd range of souvenirs. I have a small collection of samplers from different periods. Imagine the feelings of the embroidress in this case. The design must have been from a magazine, intended for the coronation of Edward V111. Notice the stamp appliqued to the fabric, and the row of flags of the Empire. Then the shock of the Abdication - what to do? So she ( one can only imagine it was a she) added her own text to the border. A nation's disappointment, indeed.
In our garden, though, flowers of different kinds are in full bloom. The lovely, clear mid-blue of grape hyacinths.
Daffodils, against a background of budding pear branches. If Wordsworth were to visit Essex he would be overwhelmed by the jocund company: thousands of daffodils in every public space and road verge.
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3 comments:
Thinking of you at this sad time. It will be the 5th anniversary of my dad's death at the end of the month - I still think of him every day!
Sorry to hear of your loss. It takes getting used to when a parent goes.
I believe you are right about the sampler pattern coming from a magazine - I found the same design, worked but not framed, among my Mum's collection of linens. She told me that, at the time, her reaction to the abdication was less disappointment than relief.
It would not have to have been a woman who worked it - Edward VIII did needlepoint, as did his brother Bertie.
My sympathy on the loss of your father in law. We have yet to see spring flowers here. I am fascinated by that sampler. What a strong minded person the needleworker was - I would have thrown it away in disgust.
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