Directions From The Window

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE IN A GROUP TO ACCESS ITS GALLERY, INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF WHICH CAN BE VIEWED FULL SIZE BY SCROLLING DOWN AND CHECKING BOX AT BOTTOM RIGHT.

On a dull day with intermittent light rain Jackie drove Elizabeth and me over to Mum’s to carry out a few tasks.

The major object of the trip was the rescue of a wayward wisteria, flattened, and stretching across the grass. Jackie provided the expertise

and a metal stake with which to reinforce the old rotted wooden one snapped at the base.

She took a heavy mallet to the new stake in order to hammer it into the still rock hard ground.

I lent a hand or two.

Elizabeth offered support, guidance, and assistance in positioning the plant.

Mum offered directions from the sitting room window,

Wisteria twined round post

and Jackie pruned to the level her mother-in-law required and wired the old post to the new one.

My wife and sister then went shopping while I cut up all the pruned branches and fed them to a green garden rescue sack. When they returned we enjoyed a lunch of salad, ham, cheeses, bread, quiche and strawberries, all fresh from Sainsbury’s.

Elizabeth then mowed the lawn and she and Jackie carried out more tidying and weeding while I kept my mother company.

After this we returned some inappropriate equipment to a local health centre, and made our leisurely way home.

This evening the three of us dined on Jackie’s succulent roast lamb; roast sweet and normal potatoes; Yorkshire pudding, cabbage, our own runner beans, and carrots. Jackie drank Hoegaarden, and, Elizabeth and I, more of the Merlot.

Β 

69 comments

  1. Mmmm – now I’m wondering what the ‘inappropriate equipment’ might be. Do you know Derrick I have never seen a photo of where your vegetables are grown, is this a secret part of your garden? How is the knee today?

    1. Don’t mention the inappropriate equipment, Gwen – far too large. Tomatoes are secreted in pots among the flowers, and tomatoes grown up the arches alongside roses and clematis. Knee was bad last night, but better this morning. Always the case after a work-out. Thanks very much for asking, and for your comments.

  2. Love the sequence of your mum and Jackie interacting through the window. Wonderful. AND – like Pauline- I am wondering about the inappropriate equipment. lol

    1. Not to be mentioned, Jodie. Almost everything gets ordered on the phone, no OT visit, no measurements, etc. Sometimes the authorities won’t even collect stuff – such a waste. Thanks very much

      1. Uh, I get you. I have been dealing with some similar online issues. Things that used to take 5 minutes in person now have to be done online in a series of excruciating online escapades that take weeks.

  3. How wonderful that the 3 of you were able to help your precious Mum! πŸ™‚
    You have some beautiful, wonderful women in your life, Derrick! πŸ™‚
    The lunch you and the gals shared sounds delicious!
    HUGS!!! for all of you! πŸ™‚
    PS…”Where nature blooms…so does hope.” πŸ™‚

  4. I love the shots of Jackie wrestling the wisteria, propping and trimming it. And the one of your mother — she looks quite amused–is priceless. It sounds like a good, fulfilling day!

  5. So glad you could go help out your mum! My two grandsons used to do that for me until my daughter and family moved to Colorado. But I think I have finally found some one for hire to help get my beds back into shape. And so hopefully I will at least be able to look out and enjoy some order in summer’s rampage chaos brought on by the blistering heat. Then when fall descends upon us and we get a smattering of new blooms and beauty it will be a joy to look at once again. Supper sounded splendid as usual. Have a grand weekend my friend. Love, N πŸ™‚ <3

  6. Derrick, Nice that you all helped out your Mom. I’m sure she appreciated your help and visit.

  7. Derrick, Nice that you all helped out your Mom. I’m sure she appreciated your help and visit.

  8. β€œDon’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.” – Luther Burbank

    Every day I am waiting to read your stories and my heart is so full of love and peace!!!

    God bless your family Derrick!!

    Send to all of you my love!!!!!!!!!

  9. Nice that you helped your Mum. I liked helping my mum. She is in a home now in Sydney AU.
    The roast dinner sounds yummy. Been a while since I’ve had it.

  10. It’s wonderful that all of you could come and help your mother–and I’m sure she enjoyed the visit, too. I agree with Jill and Jodie about the photos and Jackie’s smile.

  11. Jackie does indeed have a radiant smile. And speaking of smiles…this post sure made me smile.

  12. What lovely peek at a day in your life and photos of those you love. It’s days like these that are the best of life. I love best the photo of your Mum looking out the window.

  13. I’ve been a bit AWOL, Derrick – but I see you’re back on the Merlot. Could do with Jackie training our wisteria, which shoots out tendrils without warning and invades the first floor like something from a Grimm’s tale. It hardly ever flowers, but then the clots that had the house before us planted on a north wall, as if being north wasn’t already sufficient disadvantage. Still, it’s useful to hang the Christmas lights on…

    1. We inherited planting like that – including a fir in the gravel at the front of the house, on which we hung our Christmas lights. Great minds. Many thanks, Mike

  14. Wisteria is beautiful, but it is a mystery to me. The same applies to Jackie. πŸ™‚

    And now I have your attention, Mrs Knight, are you able to comment on Derrick’s “inappropriate equipment”?

Leave a Reply