Saturday 7 September 2013

Family Life

I didn't get near the laptop last evening, it was being used by No 4 daughter.  Not for homework reasons that's for sure!!  So no post yesterday.  Today, being Saturday is house chores day.  Cleaning out chickens, guinea pigs and the house.  First this morning I got up about 8, having treated myself to a little lie in and then after breakfast got dressed and sorted out the hens, hosed down the back yard, tidied the garage, showered and re dressed after getting mites on me from the chicken house (bit of an ongoing problem there but not talking about it now cos it makes me ITCHY!!). 

Then decided to change the sheets on my bed, hoover the bedroom, dust the bedroom, pulled out the dressing chest and my mirror fell off, not broken thank goodness, its one of those you hang on a wooden stand, anyhow it smashed the base of an old china dog my grandmother gave me when I was younger.  She was born in 1890 and it had been a 16th birthday present for her, I think originally there were a pair but when granddad died and gran cleared out her house to go and live with my aunty she gave this one to me as a keepsake.  That was when I was 10, I am now 51!  I am gutted, I will try to glue it back together but I don't think its going to be that successful. 

I suppose Im quite sentimental really, Ive never thought of myself in that way and indeed when my husband died I certainly didn't hang onto his clothes or possessions.  I did what I thought he would have wanted and donated his clothes to charity with the proviso they went to another town quite far away as I didn't want to meet them walking down the street.  His possessions I sorted through and divided up between his two sons and our two daughters.  I felt that was the best way.  I have all the lovely cards he gave me and also two rings which I have now given to my two youngest daughters.  But as Ive got older I find it harder to let go of things, to clear out and seem to hold onto things in case they "come in useful".  I do feel I have to get stricter with myself as despite having a couple of massive sort outs this year my home is still cluttered with things I don't really need, e.g. an old t.v., digital box, old wires, connectors. 

I think when you have things have memories attached to them especially when those memories are of people from my childhood that are no longer with us.  When we are younger we think our family members are invincible, never have the concept in our minds that anything will ever happen to them.  Sadly my own children as many others have discovered know that parents do die but I was lucky enough to have my parents love and security for many years.

Talking of parents, I shall be relieved when my mum has finally moved, so far we have had two different moving dates and despite my attempts to pin her down to a day for me to go over and help her pack, she seems to have rallied an army of volunteers from her local neighbourhood to perform lots of little tasks to help out.  She rings me regularly to update me on all these developments so I guess its helping for me to just listen and make encouraging noises as needed.  I know she doesn't want me to have to do too much as she says I have enough to do with the girls, work etc. but I do feel I need to help especially with her being elderly now.  I drew the line at her dismantling an old wardrobe though and so she gave in and allowed a neighbour's husband to do the job instead and remove the pieces to the tip for her.

So life goes on here, now the girls are back at school we have settled back into our usual routine and its quite comforting really, hmmm another sign of getting old? 

Off to get lunch for ever growing children.  More soon.

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