Wednesday 25 August 2010

Both orison, lament and joyful celebrations

Someone seeking a house to buy inspected our tankless water heater and doubted its ability to  heat all the water fast enough. I can assure her that it works well, although my hubby had difficulties convincing her at the time, and she couldn't run away fast enough.

We had a houseful last week with the two of us, plus visitors: three adult children, one son-in-law, a toddler and infant (18 diapers/ day!), and my brother.

Caitlin's birthday was a hit, with fruit bouquets from Creative Fruit Bouquets in Bracebridge.

I updated my facebook status:

5 loads of laundry done, the 6th on the line (soaked, but well-rinsed) 7th in the dryer, 2 dishwasher loads done. I'd forgotten about babies and diapers, guests and guest towels, and sheets.

Splashing in the lake
Somehow, even with the rainy weekend, we had much fun playing in the water. The circle of life is unending.

Life change in any form is difficult. For some it is caregiving for ill loved ones, job loss, moving, all sorts of psychosocial trauma changes our circumstances. How well we deal with it varies.

For me, during those long months of helping my dad die with dignity, it was my blog friends who read my posts. People who laughed at my trite comments, fun photos, or complaints about noisy folks on the lake.

Bala Ski Show a hit!
As we anticipate another move (3rd in 7 years) I am holding fast to my blog buddies. A simple comment warms the heart. I know you are giving back what you received and you are the better for it. Thank you!


The joy of having family here is balanced by both orison and lament for family that has gone before. For if you cannot celebrate death, then celebrations of life are so much less meaningful. And do enjoy each day!

We interred my parents, accompanied by a toddler. We explained that this was a treasure that we buried to remind us of my parents. Of course, Josephine misunderstood and spent that day and the next asking me if I was dead! I explained that it was MY parents, not her mommy's parents.

 
Requiem in pace


A. E. Housman (1859–1936).  A Shropshire Lad.  1896.
XXXII. From far, from eve and morning
FROM far, from eve and morning
  And yon twelve-winded sky,
The stuff of life to knit me
  Blew hither: here am I.
Now—for a breath I tarry
  Nor yet disperse apart—
Take my hand quick and tell me,
  What have you in your heart.
Speak now, and I will answer;
  How shall I help you, say;
Ere to the wind’s twelve quarters
  I take my endless way.

2 comments:

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Jenn -- what a lovely way to honor your parents and wonderful that all the generations could take part.

I think the older girl will have some visceral memories of this day when she gets older and begins to ask about her family.

Good luck on your ongoing changes -- talking people into being more modern about water heaters, selling the house, being happy that you sold it....lots of challenges ahead. But small and on the whole happy ones compared to some you've been through.

W.C.Camp said...

Nice sentiments and poem. Yeah the first time I saw a tankless water heater, I could not believe it could do the job for normal demand. But seeing is believing and they work GREAT and are pretty efficient but expensive to plumb in new construction. W.C.C.