Friday, January 22, 2010
Highs and Lows
This has been a day of highs and lows.
This has been the week we didn't want - when the plans we had protested so vigorously about nearly a year ago would start to be fulfilled.
The small trees in the field in front of our house, not planted very long ago really - have been cut down.
We watched carefully to make sure that the one that is in the plans to remain was left alone.
I am trying hard to be reasonable about it.
There are many worse things that could have been built opposite our house - but after all these years to lose something that was important to us seems like a death.
I commented to Bill, though, that it is a little like the death of loved one after a long terminal illness. The final day is a shock in its finality, but quite a lot of grieving has already taken place.
I remind myself, too, that many people in the world are enduring far, far worse. In fact for many people in this area the new medical centre will be seen as something wonderful perhaps.
I look at the people of Haiti - they have nothing.
We have everything we need - just no open space in front of our house.
Bill is taking photographs of things as they change.
It will seem to change hourly.
Already things look different from the last photo because a big digger has arrived - presumably to deal with the tree roots.
The beginning of the week.
Similar view but the portable welfare unit (loos) has arrived.
The first tree to be lost. No more to catch the early morning autumn light and be surrounded by a circle of orange leaves.
From the bedroom.
This has been the week we didn't want - when the plans we had protested so vigorously about nearly a year ago would start to be fulfilled.
The small trees in the field in front of our house, not planted very long ago really - have been cut down.
We watched carefully to make sure that the one that is in the plans to remain was left alone.
I am trying hard to be reasonable about it.
There are many worse things that could have been built opposite our house - but after all these years to lose something that was important to us seems like a death.
I commented to Bill, though, that it is a little like the death of loved one after a long terminal illness. The final day is a shock in its finality, but quite a lot of grieving has already taken place.
I remind myself, too, that many people in the world are enduring far, far worse. In fact for many people in this area the new medical centre will be seen as something wonderful perhaps.
I look at the people of Haiti - they have nothing.
We have everything we need - just no open space in front of our house.
Bill is taking photographs of things as they change.
It will seem to change hourly.
Already things look different from the last photo because a big digger has arrived - presumably to deal with the tree roots.
The beginning of the week.
Similar view but the portable welfare unit (loos) has arrived.
The first tree to be lost. No more to catch the early morning autumn light and be surrounded by a circle of orange leaves.
From the bedroom.
Some might wonder why we value a view that includes the road and the phone mast etc.
But honestly all we have really been aware of was the trees.
Now for the good news.
It was news that thrilled me.
I suddenly got it into my head today that I should be doing more for the family history.
I have felt sad all along that Bill has an Uncle who we know almost nothing about.
I told my brother about Uncle Abraham (or Jim as he was known) in an Email.
Roger has his brain much more in tune than me with all the right places to look for things. And what I did know I seem to have forgotten!
Very quickly Roger was back with a date for Uncle A's marriage and a date for his death (1974) and for the births of three sons.
The sons are all now in their 60s - but presumably still living.
Where are they? That is my next task maybe.
Then a little later came something not nice.
Being excited I was on a bit of a high about these new found cousins of Bill's.
And being dutiful I decided to pass on what I knew to anybody in the family who has an email address.
It might have jogged some memories.
I got a very brief EMail back from the husband of one of Bill's cousins, who lives in France. I had already picked up some comments that he is an odd man and selfish and not supportive of his wife.
His mail asked me to delete his address from my address book because he didn't want to receive my tedious Emails ever again.
I realise now that he guards his computer with a rod of iron and no doubt Bill's cousin never gets to see anything we have sent.
Naturally I felt a mixture of being very angry and very hurt.
And sorry for his wife - because she loves to communicate. If you get her on the phone she will talk for hours - 2 or 3 hours!
But "let it go, Paula". It is not my problem.
Not my problem once the negative reaction dies away.
It made me realise that this attitude of his was one of the reasons I chose to pass on my daily news through a blog.
I hate to think I am imposing on anybody.
Grandma P's blog leaves it completely up to the people I know, if and when they want to read what I record.
I can rest easy that I have not intruded into anybody's personal in-box.
I do try to reply to the emails that others send to me, but these are never very long these days.
They know where to look if they want more.
Now I am signed up with Google Analytics I can see how many people do look and I find that I have a regular little following.
I also can see where (roughly) the people come from. I wonder who in Pakistan and Brazil have looked at the Pilgrims Antiques Centre blog!
Another high for the day is that the 1842 atlas has now reached a bid of three figures.
Soon we will have dinner - another Internet recipe today. It is a minced beef stroganoff. It smells just fine in the oven.
Tomorrow we will probably go to Ford for the car boot sale - it will be cloudy, but the rain will have stopped. And then we will have breakfast in Littlehampton.
Labels: home and daily life
