Trentham

A year ago I went to Trentham Gardens in Stoke-on-Trent with hubby and a photo of us popped up on my Facebook memories yesterday. So I decided to go with a friend today. I felt so sad and very tired to begin with, but as I walked with my friend I started to feel better. But I am so tired now. I can’t walk as far as I used to. I’m shattered. But I’m so glad I went. Took lots of pictures to make new memories. But I need to try and get some sleep now.

View through

Looking through a window in a door at Spode out of the studio window. The layers of lines and squares superimposed on top of each other made it interesting. The wood frames each section neatly.

What you can’t see is the bright sunlight catching the building in the background. I could see it, but here it’s over exposed and looks almost white,merging into the line of sky above it. Eyes are so important, cameras are wonderful, but seeing in reality is a better experience sometimes.

Lobster thermidore

What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?

I once went for a meal and decided to try Lobster thermidore. It was cooked with a mild cheese and wine sauce.

I don’t know how it was cooked, it was a special treat, but I’m glad I tried it.

I think its 15 to 20 years since I tried it but I still remember it. It was tasty and rich. But I wouldn’t be able to afford it now.

I guess, anything could be delicious if you have not had it before. If you don’t have money or resources you may never get to eat anything than the basic food, that you eat everyday if you are lucky. I’m not sure if I would eat it again now I think about their situation.

Stuck

Not My house.

Six months after he died and I’m still stuck. It’s hard to move things, clear them away. I feel like I’m walking through treacle. I’ve got too much stuff, mine and his. I’m still holding tight to things.

Can I donate to charity? Or sell things? Or bin things? But I’m still attached. I can’t do anything but look at things, I rarely move any of it. My mind is fused into a lump of static thoughts, unable to move on.

Maybe I’m overdramaticising the situation? I don’t know, but I think it might take years to get sorted out. I’ve done a lot of the legal stuff and paperwork, but forty years of belongings, especially when you have been with someone for so long, are hard to organise.

Threatening rain

Cooled down and gone overcast. The temperature is now 23.2°C, the screen is showing rain and a barometer reading of 1006 millibars. I think it is hotter outside.

My friend is experiencing 26°C where he lives which is about 100 miles north east of here. I think the worst thing is the humidity. I feel like I’m sitting in a sauna. Hopefully it will cool down and feel more comfortable as the evening goes on. I’m very tempted to eat another ice cream, but I’ve already had one today!

Esther’s prompt Home

Esther Chiltons weekly prompt was Home.

I’ve posted this to her blog page:

Home
I hear the accent of a fellow midlander and I’m home again. There’s a twang, a sound that I recognise. I tentatively ask them if they will say where they are from. Usually I get a friendly response. Then we discuss where we come from. Either the same town or close by. Memories of town centres, historic areas, parks and zoos. So many things have changed. But hearing a friendly voice takes me back over 40 years to when I left. I can’t go back, my family has all left, homes sold. Only a couple of relatives and friends left and I can’t drive far so it’s out of the question to go. But I’d like to drive down on a nostalgic trip. Some negotiation with friends required as I couldn’t get on a train on my own I don’t think. Anxiety is not a good friend.

Wild plants and flowers

Walking through the middle of Stoke today, there is a small patch of land next to a car wash that was seeded with wildflowers a few years ago. Every year I walk past and I’m amazed with what springs up. I think the local bees must be happy. Just down the road from there another patch of land in front of a large billboard has become overgrown with buddlea and grass and amazing clover flowers. I hope they don’t get cut down!