Forget me not................

..............I saw the first of these little flowers bloom in my garden last Friday. I love them because even tho they look so fragile, they seem to defy bad weather and my horticultural skills and bloom every year. I love my garden, it's a good place to sit on a warm day, we've had parties that spill into it and when it snows, there is nothing better than a snowball fight!!!
Me being the target of said snowballs and my kids laughing, cos i fall for it EVERY time!!!!

But there was a touch of sadness this year to seeing the first bloom. My cousin's husband had died the Friday before - remember the one we took the photos for - Cinderella and the mice, just to cheer him and my cousin up. I think it did and someone did comment that they'd seen the photos.

The funeral was on Friday morning. Several things were going on in my Cousin's family - obviously organising - and for us as well. I e - mailed my cousin and told her if there was anything we could do, just shout and we'd be there. (and believe me, if there was ANYTHING i could do for this cousin, i'd make a damn good attempt!!)

Anyway, the week Chez Johnston continued as usual.
On the Monday we had a meeting @ college about what had been happening in one of the classes. We were unsure what was going on and attempts to find out had hit a brick wall. THe course leader was great and said it was time to sit down and sort it out. So i put on my serious almost made up face - i wasn't going in looking upset!! I WAS upset, but this was neither the time nor the place to say it.
Louise came with me - i think she was a tad worried i may go off and rant. Who, me?? Rant??? Heckle?? Wherever did she get that idea????
I did behave and we did get sorted the issues. Mind you, i don't think one member of staff was pleased about being there, but tough - deal with it.


Remember - don't push me over that line into pissed off mode - you will not win!!

Tuesday morning was our time to go and record the Ad for Enable Scotland that's going to be aired on  Smooth Radio. I had nae idea of what i was going to say!! I did say something to Ashleigh a few days before. Just as well she'd written it down, cos i promptly forgot!!!!

It was a good experience and not as bad as i thought. But i kept hearing my cousin's hubbie laughing and telling me i have a great face for radio!!! But he would have followed it up with a remark like "aye - just like me!!!"

Did i tell you this guy could be a bit of a joker??? A nice one tho - he would never want to leave you feeling hurt.

After this venture, we decided to go off to the SSPCA rehoming centre. We're planning on being adopted by a cat!! We'd been to Cats Protection, saw a cat, had a home visit done, but in the end, it was decided it wasn't the right cat for us. So we went to Cardonald . Wasn't that just an adventure!! To be honest, we were a bit annoyed at the attitude and found them a bit unfriendly. So we left, muttering that we should have gone to Bothwell rehoming centre (better class of cat my auntie told Lou and Paul!!) or better still, just stick to CP!
On the way home, Lou pulled out to overtake a but sitting at a bus stop. An promptly smacked her passenger wing mirror!! I screamed, she told me to shit up!! SHut up - i could have been getting down and dirty with the back end of a No 56 bus and she tells me to shut up!!! So she parks the car and runs back to get said mirror - bashed but usable. My comment was that it must have been Cousin's hubbie telling us to stick to the CP rehoming place!!! This led to much laughter and joking.
THat evening Paul and Lou went down to see the family - hugs, again telling them if they needed anything.................. and the recounting of the story. My Auntie asked "But, Louise - did you get a cat??" - such are the ways we deal with sadness and i'm sure i could hear the laughter again!!

Wednesday lunch time, true to her word, my cousin appeared - for a loo stop!! She and her daughter were going somewhere and she needed - like NOW!! So off she went upstairs. So at least i could be of some use!!
We went down that evening, just to show our faces and i gave the kids hugs and then did a few dishes. Not much, but at least i felt it was one less thing for them to do.

THursday evening we went to the church - it was full. It was nice to see people remembering him. SOme of the extended family were there and we caught up. Most of them were chuffed about Louise and graduating and getting the car. My cousin had asked us to remember Hubbie and write to tell our stories. I knew what ours was - and i did tell, but said i would write as well. It's a story like the cat one above, but the poser question is "did her hair stay dry???" I will share the story at some point, but not till i've written it for her!!!

Friday morning, Paul sent to school (another story, but not for now!) and Peter to college. We drove to the church and met one of the Aunties, a cousin and his wife and a family friend. It was sad to meet in such circumstances, but we wanted to support. Again the church was full. THe Priest was lovely  and made a few comments that made us smile. He asked for the people who were going to take the Book Of Gospels and the Crucifix to come and do that. SOmeone - i don't know who, Priest , family, started humming Danny Boy. Everybody joined in - it was soooo moving. It did make me cry. (Damn - had the slap on again - did i hear some giggling - sounded a bit like him!!!)

One of my other cousins asked if Louise would keep an eye on his grandaughter at the cremetorium - she said yes and the 2 of them stayed near the back. They got back to the car before Matthew and i. SHe was sitting proudly in the front "cos Louise said i could"!!! I didn't mind - she's def a special kid and i didn't grudge sitting in the back!! (in fact - all the kids in this part of the family are special - they are GOOD kids who want to help and care about others)

Back at the place we had the meal - it was nice sitting listening to people talk about him telling stories about the extented family - we had one to tell to our addition to our family for the day about her uncle!! She thought it was funny and went off to tell him so!!! So more good memories.
My cousin decided to have a free bar so we could all toast he hubbie, either with and rink, or a soft drink. I heard her talk to the folk beside us and now know that he'd have been pleased and gutted in equal measure!! Pleased at the free bar, gutted cos he wasn't there to partake!!

Last week also taught me a few things about my own immediate family and i'm proud of them. Peter asked me if this person would have met his friend Gordon in heaven. I said i was sure he haad and they had prob hunted down his grandad Quin and they would be thinking mischief and fun to get up to.
Paul said in the house on the thursday that if they needed someone to help carry the coffin into church, he would gladly offer to help - a sign of how much he likes, no, loves my big cus.
Matthew asked me about something and i said that they would have been chuffed, the offer was lovely, but to just enjoy the drink. I did tell my auntie what he said and i told her what i'd sugested to Matthew and she approved, so i'm happy.

And Louise - well, i shouldn't really say i'm amazed, but i was and i was cheering as well. She had been taken to task by another relative about a comment i'd made. Instead of being apologetic and cow towing, she told this person very politely where to go. Not nasty, no swear words or tantrums, but said it as it was. She also pointed out that no one else had issue with what i'd said and we knew the rest of the family well enought to know that anyone else would ahve taken us aside and pointed the complaint out. No one had and in fact , people were pleased. I was chuffed with the way she conducted herself and i know my cousin woul be as well.

Which brings me back to the forget me nots - small, but sturdy, telling us nwe shouldn't forget those we love and care about!