Goodbye dearest Nana ♥

My lovely Nana died on  Saturday 19th March, she was 83 years old.  It was expected, as she had been very ill and in hospital for some weeks before, but she came home a few days before she died. Nonetheless it was still very sudden, sad and emotional.
She was my last remaining grandparent, and the last of her generation, so it feels very strange, that there won't be any old folks in my life any more..

My grandparents have been such a massive part of my life for as long as I can remember, I talked about this in a blog last spring here  strangely a year to the day that I posted that blog, that was the last time I saw her. I can't imagine not ever being able to go and visit either of them again, My grandad died 8 years ago, so the house must be so empty, now she has gone too.

So it is with great sadness I make my way to the house for the last time tomorrow for the funeral , it's going to be so emotional, I will need plenty of tissues, my mum has seen to it that she has the send off that she wanted.

My grandparents were childhood sweethearts, and at the end of the service they're song 'Always' by  Harry Nilsson will be played.

I made my own flowers for her today, in her favorite colours, and I felt so sad that this will be the very last thing I ever do for her :(

I hope she approves, always thrifty she never wasted money and loved a bargain, she will be pleased that I didn't line a florists pocket {these wreaths can cost up to £75} and my own love and thought went into it..

She loved her garden so much and had  requested  that it be kept up until the house was sold. The though of it going to wrack and ruin upset her deeply. I will take whatever I can, and keep it alive in my garden.

I already have lots of her treasures to remember her by, as in last years post I mentioned she was always giving me stuff every time I visited her. These things are a great comfort to have, and will be handed down to future generations in my family, namely girls!  But most of all  my head will always be filled with happy memories of her and my grandad , throughout my childhood and a big part of my adulthood, I'm so grateful to have been blessed with that.

Treasure your grandparents while you have them, they are precious and there is much you can learn from them.

Thank you so much  Nana, till we meet again... RIP XX

Spring wreath

Spring has sprung!

Hurrah, spring has sprung! we have had some lovely days, I know its arrived when I no longer need my coat! I've been spring cleaning house, clearing debris from the garden, jetwashing decking as was so slimy and slippery, was quite dangerous for my little one.It's great to see all the buds on the plants, sure everything is a bit late this year though...

Well I have had a very busy few weeks, been working on a commission for an old school friend ,who lives out in Oz, and thank goodness it's finished, it was one of those  paintings that kept going wrong, it was really stressing me out, so glad its done, and perfect,  the verdict was good! I'm always on a learning curve when i'm painting, it is enjoyable, as long as you have long stretches of time with total silence and no interruptions, but life isn't like that, I have a noisy two year old, and two older children to see to, so its always a bit manic to say the least.

I visited my lovely nan, a couple of weeks ago, I love going to see her, she still lives in the same house in Hampshire, that I was born in 37 years ago, it still has a sense of magic for me, I can remember the garden seeming huge when I was a little girl, and at the end there was a secluded area that backed onto a river, its all fenced off, so safe, I used to peak over the top! My cousins and I used to build den's out of all the garden chairs and have picnics and make mud pies, golden days, we didn't need toys, just imagination...

It was strange taking these pics of my daughter standing in all the places in the garden where I was photographed as a child, she loved playing out there as much as I did, she  especially loved the little wishing well, where my nan has deposited some of my grandads ashes as he used to have a cigarette at the bottom of the garden and flick his ash in there, so very fitting nan! Whilst on my visit, I had my usual stroll up to the precinct, 1 min from her house, and bought my delicious pea fritters, oh I just love them, its just mushy peas in batter, but you can't get them in Essex, its a West country thing... and they are just divine, I scoffed it before I could even take a pic!

Before I leave to come back home, my dear old nan always tries to give me bits and bobs , ornaments and the like,  she says you may as well take what you want now, as when i'm gone  it will all end up in a charity shop! So this time I took her old china hen basket, I have loved this since I was a small child, so am happy to be storing my eggs in it now, and nan is happy its being used, as it was just collecting dust on her top shelf in the kitchen.

I'm not a happy bunny at the moment ,as on a really strict diet, what with my wedding being 8 weeks away now, so have cut out anything worth eating, no alcohol, which I really miss, I enjoy a few glasses of wine on a Friday and Sat night,so its very boring at the moment, Couldn't go out for my usual lunch and be spoilt on Mother's day this year, but had some lovely cards from the kids and lovely flowers, the boys bought me some Daffs, and little girl chose some stunning tulips with daddy!  Still cooking, and baking for everyone else, though, oh well, the smell is nice! Daugher and I enjoyed making these gingerbread men, I always put in about three times the specified ginger though, recipes are far too weak.

Anyway busy weekend ahead, hope weather stays nice! xx