Pleasure tinged with great sadness

I’ve worked like crazy for the last few days on my new garden tool store and I’m pleased to say that I’ve made really good progress. The reason is that I have to return to the UK and before leaving I wanted to finish the basic structure including the roof and make it water and weatherproof by covering it with a large tarpaulin.

I’ve succeeded in my aim as shown by the following pictures taken early this evening after yet another full day’s work.

Before covering it with a tarpaulin, I put the materials that I haven’t yet used inside under cover together with my recently acquired ride-on mower and afterwards with the tarp in place it looked a bit like a wartime bunker hidden in the woods.

The reason why I’ve been so hard pressed to get this work done is the source of my sadness. On Friday morning my elderly mother passed away. She was a grand old lady of 96 so although it was hardly unexpected, it still came as a complete shock when it actually happened.

She has been a seemingly permanent fixture and part of our family and my life for so long that we almost came to believe that she would go on forever. But now she is gone and we have already come to realise how much we loved and will miss her.

Good night and God bless, Susie Eileen. Sleep soundly and rest easy. I am proud that you were my mum and made me into the person that I am through your never-ending and unstinting love.