Encounters With Joy: week 10

Friday 29 May 2020

week 10

Deaths of flowers

I would if I could choose

Age and die outwards as a tulip does;

Not as this iris drawing in, in-coiling

Its complex strange taut inflorescence, willing

Itself a bud again - though all achieved is

No more than a clenched sadness,

The tears of gum not flowing.

I would choose the tulips reckless way of going;

Whose petals answer light, altering by fractions

From closed to wide, from one through many perfections,

Til wreched, flamboyant, strayed beyond recall,

Like flakes of fire they piecemeal fall.

Edith Joy Scovell

I was reminded of this poem by my birthday bouquet.

I haven't written In a while. Life is moving forward again, trundling slowly. The relief of walks with friends and now we can have people in our garden from Monday! I've been poised for this moment having worked hard to plant and tidy these past couple of months.

I had my 32nd birthday, it was wonderful, flowers and scones and an online game with my family in the evening where we all groaned at my brother's slow internet connection and slower turn taking! Lovely presents and cards, all in all a fantastic day.

We've also had word that the girls can go back to preschool in the next couple of weeks! We are going to send them and feel happy to do so. Which will leave me with two days a week and just the baby! Luxury.

Matt's decided to take a week off to have a proper break, we would have been off on holiday to France next week so trying not to think about that too much. Hopefully we'll be able to have a day trip to the seaside and do some nice things as a family.

Dominic Cummings has dominated the news. I like many others have been furious. I've really struggled to contain anger the last few weeks when I've heard of or seen people breaking lockdown unnecessarily and sometimes selfishly.

This and other stories like it are particularly painful. I miss my family a lot. I find it hard when politicians talk about being able to see 'both parents' now with the increased gathering numbers as I don't know when I will be permitted to travel and stay with my parents.

So many of us don't live round the corner from family and are wondering when this will be possible. Trying to tread lightly and not indulge the anger but also to acknowledge the feelings.

I don't know what else to say about that other than that I am a work in progress.

We finally got our hands on a trampoline this week which makes me feel like a teenager again in a great way, I can even still do a front flip!

Here are some photos of the nice moments xx