End of an era

taddy · 01-10-2023, 17:11

After growing our own fruit and veg for many, many, years, turning over the land that is half the size of a football field by hand every year; will sadly be no more after this year, no more posts on the allotment about bumper crops of spuds, Onions, apples, Strawberries, Tomatoes etc, I am going to settle down to a life of reading the Daily Mail, doing numerous crossword puzzles in an attempt to at least keep the (old) two ounces of grey matter functioning and to enjoy more than a pint or two of real ale every day.
After Hazel, plus our oldest daughter, (who has our power of attorney) and myself visited a solicitor a few weeks ago to discuss our demise, the main thing that that I stipulated in my will was that I required a reversible coffin, so that if, (hopefully), I die first please put me on my back and when Hazel follows me the powers that be can put her face down in the same coffin and then turn it over, (plus), "PLEASE", make the coffin an extra foot or so longer in order to take a small barrel of "Hobgoblin" in case I waken up. (if it was good enough for the ancients then it will do me. The solicitor, a young lass with a sense of humour, said before we left, I cannot promise you anything but I will certainly remember you asking.

dotti34 · 02-10-2023, 01:11

Taddy I am sorry to hear that you are having to give up your plot as I know how much you enjoyed working this and the fruits of your labour were very much appreciated by Hazel.

I am not going to ask you why this is happening because I am sure if you had wanted to share the reason with us you would have done so (although of course I realise this has to do with your health) and I respect your privacy in this. However, I am going to say that whatever the reason you have to take things easier I am sending my very best wishes to you and to Hazel. Keep on keeping on - enjoy the days of relaxation and a pint or two (or more) of Hobgoblin. Cheers!

taddy · 02-10-2023, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by dotti34

Taddy I am sorry to hear that you are having to give up your plot as I know how much you enjoyed working this and the fruits of your labour were very much appreciated by Hazel.

I am not going to ask you why this is happening because I am sure if you had wanted to share the reason with us you would have done so (although of course I realise this has to do with your health) and I respect your privacy in this. However, I am going to say that whatever the reason you have to take things easier I am sending my very best wishes to you and to Hazel. Keep on keeping on - enjoy the days of relaxation and a pint or two (or more) of Hobgoblin. Cheers!

Many thanks for that Dotti, your post is really appreciated, yes it is a result of not just my health but Hazel's also, again, thank you.

Margaret Pilkington · 02-10-2023, 09:22

Taddy are you giving up the allotment?
It may be that you can no longer do the planting and the picking, but wouldn't it be a lovely place to go and spend time just 'being'. Nature is a great healer, though | know that it cannot restore us to our younger more vibrant selves.
We all have to accept the limitations that our advancing years put on us...but I just cannot see you doing word puzzles or watching daytime TV.
Taddy the outdoors is in your DNA...if you can spend time reflecting in the place that gave you so much...then do it.

I wish both you and Hazel many more happy years above the grass.

Tomorrow me and my old feller will make it to our 57th Anniversary...and they said it would never last!

There have been times over the last year that I doubted we would get there.

look after yourself Taddy

taddy · 02-10-2023, 11:28

[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkington;1274654]Taddy are you giving up the allotment?
It may be that you can no longer do the planting and the picking, but wouldn't it be a lovely place to go and spend time just 'being'. Nature is a great healer, though | know that it cannot restore us to our younger more vibrant selves.
We all have to accept the limitations that our advancing years put on us...but I just cannot see you doing word puzzles or watching daytime TV.
Taddy the outdoors is in your DNA...if you can spend time reflecting in the place that gave you so much...then do it.

I wish both you and Hazel many more happy years above the grass.

Tomorrow me and my old feller will make it to our 57th Anniversary...and they said it would never last!

Thanks for that Marge, all the best to you and Dave for tomorrow, you have beaten Hazel and I by six months, our 57th Anniversary is 25th March,(the old news years day), next year.
As for spending time just lazing and watching nature go by, I am afraid that this year I have let the allotment re-wild itself, another way of saying that it does not take long for all the work of clearing the weeds and scrubland over the past seven years or so to re-introduce themselves but then again I still feed the Goldfinches, Chaffinches ,Bullfinches etc in our house garden plus this year we have welcomed a couple of Grey Squirrels although they cost us a fortune in Sunflower hearts. (But neer mind Eh), Plus I still play with my pet ferrets who keep me happy.

shillelagh · 10-10-2023, 19:23

im so sorry taddy xx maybe a couple of pots on the window sill ... and a couple of tomato plants with a sunflower in the middle?

put your feet up and rest up .. and enjoy the birds singing .. though at the minute this afternoon the pigeons were scrapping with the jackdaws and a single magpie ... the magpie won!!! maybe birdwatcher extrordinaire taddy ...

taddy · 11-10-2023, 11:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by shillelagh

im so sorry taddy xx maybe a couple of pots on the window sill ... and a couple of tomato plants with a sunflower in the middle?

put your feet up and rest up .. and enjoy the birds singing .. though at the minute this afternoon the pigeons were scrapping with the jackdaws and a single magpie ... the magpie won!!! maybe birdwatcher extrordinaire taddy ...

A couple of years ago we received a letter from Hynburn council stating that they had received a complaint from, (it could only have been our next door neighbours), that the birds in our garden were; Quote, "singing and tweeting to loudly". This of course was like showing a bull a red flag.
I immediately built and erected a three partition sparrow nesting box, a single nesting box with a slightly larger entrance hole for Great Tits, two other boxes with only a 1inch hole for Blue Tits; plus a half open fronted box for Robins and a smaller half fronted box for Wrens, the last two were hidden in the foliage of Clematis bushes that cover the drystone wall that surrounds our back garden; plus Blackbirds have nested in the same Clematis for many years, guess what ? when springtime arrives the birdsong is magical. (Nuff Said), Bill Oddie, who is he when he is at home?

dotti34 · 13-10-2023, 05:27

Taddy. now is the time to relax and take things easy, enjoy a well-earned rest.. It comes to us all as birthdays come and go that there are some things it is better we shouldn’t try to do any more (for instance I don’t climb up on benches these days - I could but I wouldn’t be able to get down again). But remember, numbers are only that, and so just replace one form of enjoyment with another. I read something today which I thought I would pass on to you, and that is that life isn't about how to survive the storm but how to dance in the rain. So get out your dancing shoes and make the most of it, whatever ‘it’ happens to be.

taddy · 13-10-2023, 16:57

[QUOTE=dotti34;1274827]Taddy. now is the time to relax and take things easy, enjoy a well-earned rest.. It comes to us all as birthdays come and go that there are some things it is better we shouldn’t try to do any more (for instance I don’t climb up on benches these days - I could but I wouldn’t be able to get down again). But remember, numbers are only that, and so just replace one form of enjoyment with another. I read something today which I thought I would pass on to you, and that is that life isn't about how to survive the storm but how to dance in the rain. So get out your dancing shoes and make the most of it, whatever ‘it’ happens to be.

Many thanks for that "Dorothy", I only know that is your "real" name from reading Margaret's posts, I don't know about the dancing bit but as long as Hazel, my soul mate since we met in 1963 looks after me and I look after her, then I cannot ask for any more.