There are plants in my garden that are really confused. First there was a viola which insisted on standing up through rain, storm and snow. Even when battered down and seemingly defeated, she stood up again within a couple of hours. She’s still standing. I’m sure that’s a metaphors for something.
Then there are the odd (as in peculiar) daisies, not your normal white with a pink tinge at the end of the petals daisies but, if I remember rightly from when I planted them, some kind of African daisies. The leaves have kept going throughout the autumn and into the winter but the flowers gave up months ago. Then recently we had a very cold spell, with snow and ice. When the temperatures went up a little the plants decided to start producing flowers, as if convinced that winter had come and gone and that spring had come round again. Strange things happen as a result of climate change, I suppose.
Today I have accompanied my daughter on a drive to York to collect Granddaughter Number Two, coming home from university for Christmas. As we packed stuff into the car my daughter and I marvelled at how much stuff she was bringing home. She is actually home until early February because of the way the university semester system is working, but even so, she has brought an inordinate amount of clutter home with her. I remember travelling home for Christmas with just one suitcase when I was a university student. Mind you, I think we had less clutter generally back in the day.
I went along with my daughter partly to keep her company on the drive but also because it gave us a a chance to catch up and have a proper chat without small children joining in or eavesdropping on stuff inappropriate for small ears. Granddaughter Number Four was in school anyway but Grandson Number Two doesn’t usually go to pre-school on a Friday. Today though the preschool children were going to a pantomime in the morning and then performing a concert of Christmas songs in the afternoon.
So off we went to collect Granddaughter Number Two and her clutter, and then she and I went to the supermarket and after that to her favourite cafe where she consumed bacon sandwiches while we waited for her mother to collect us after listening to the Christmas concert and collecting the smallest members of the family.
We seem to be rushing into Christmas, trying to coordinate a visit from the southern branch of the family, also trying not to feel guilty about preparing family festivities when we know that others have nowhere to sleep for Christmas and don’t have enough to eat. But we’ve bought our charity Christmas cards, contributed to the foodbanks and hope that will ease our consciences a little.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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