Catching up
Last week my sister came to stay with her two children. I haven't lived near my own family for years and years, in fact all my adult life. I left home to go to London for university and never came back. Despite that, I am close to my family and my sister and I have managed to twine our lives together, picking up where we left off when we see each other, sharing the same sense of humour, the same tendency to take on too much, the same taste in clothes and houses and men. Ten years ago she moved back to Devon and now lives near my parents so we often see each other when I go to see them. We tend to whizz in and out: a couple of days' visit, full of people and snatched conversation, lovely but squeezed. So when she suggested she might come and stay for a few days I was delighted.
It was so good to have time to cook together, to eat together, to chat over a glass of wine in the evenings when her teenage children had gone to bed. It was good to spend time with my nephew and niece too, chatting with my niece, playing cards and getting beaten at Scrabble by my nephew who has a scary eye for the huge Scrabble score. We sat up late and talked about my father's illness and my brother after his stroke and I knew, as I think she did, that I was talking to the only other person in the world who felt very much the same as I do. That doesn't mean that our partners and our children and our friends don't care because they do. But only she and I have the shared childhood, the shared experience of loving and being loved by our parents and my brother. We cried but we felt better for crying together and somehow finding something to laugh at and hugging and saying goodnight.
We went to the beach and walked my daughter's dog. We had a day in Chester shopping with my niece while Ian and my nephew stayed home and made bread. And on Thursday we went to the Flint and Denbigh show.
There were bulls and sheep of all persuasions.
and very junior shepherds
and micropigs
There were dancing diggers
Fabulous!
It was a great day.
It was so good to have time to cook together, to eat together, to chat over a glass of wine in the evenings when her teenage children had gone to bed. It was good to spend time with my nephew and niece too, chatting with my niece, playing cards and getting beaten at Scrabble by my nephew who has a scary eye for the huge Scrabble score. We sat up late and talked about my father's illness and my brother after his stroke and I knew, as I think she did, that I was talking to the only other person in the world who felt very much the same as I do. That doesn't mean that our partners and our children and our friends don't care because they do. But only she and I have the shared childhood, the shared experience of loving and being loved by our parents and my brother. We cried but we felt better for crying together and somehow finding something to laugh at and hugging and saying goodnight.
We went to the beach and walked my daughter's dog. We had a day in Chester shopping with my niece while Ian and my nephew stayed home and made bread. And on Thursday we went to the Flint and Denbigh show.
There were bulls and sheep of all persuasions.
and very junior shepherds
and micropigs
There were dancing diggers
Fabulous!
It was a great day.
Wonderful reunion of kindred spirits. Happy for you! Liked your photos . . . Dancing Diggers . . . a first for me . . .
ReplyDeleteDancing diggers are fab aren't they?
DeleteI have a brother with whom I have a similar relationship. As we become further removed from our roots this common ground becomes more precious.
ReplyDeleteWe have always been close and are probably closer now, even though we live miles apart and don't even talk on the phone that much.
Delete....and I wanted to add before commenting suddenly got difficult for whatever reason - what a great Show. Love the very junior shepherd.
ReplyDeleteLovely post Elizabeth. I love the graceful way in which you are open about your life- its problems and it's joys. And enjoyed all the pics, too
ReplyDeleteThanks Charles. It is always a balance between telling the truth and protecting others' privacy.
DeleteI often think that is one of the hardest parts of blogging.
DeleteI'd love to see a show like that.
ReplyDeletere Sisters - yes, a some point one realises that a sister is really the only other one with the same history and probably the same feelings about it.
Have you got a sister? I think I remember that you have.
DeleteMy sister and I seem to have grown apart over the last 5 years since I moved to Wales. We are not a very close family and my sister seems to think that I can't be 'friends' with both my brother who lives here and her. It is sad. I have made an effort but to no avail. There is 8 years between us which made a difference when we were younger, but really shouldn't now we are both 50+. So I rejoice that you have your sister and she has you. Keep each other close.
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't argue with that bull would you! Stunning chap.
I am sorry about the distancing with your sister. Things change sometimes, even things that look intractable. Bull was massive!
DeleteNow I want a micro pig.....
ReplyDeleteCould share a basket with Flossie
DeleteCatching up with your sister is so special.
ReplyDeleteLast year we enjoyed a day at the Usk show.
I absolutely loved it. I so enjoyed all the old breed animals and the old varieties of apples.
I bought a hand made wooden spoon and think of the show every time I cook!
Thanks for sharing
Chris
Australia
I would imagine that the Usk show would be very similar to the Flint and Denbigh - they are fabulous.
DeleteI can well imagine what you mean for I see it between my daughters. Great show. We've just had ours here. Lots of poultry for some reason. One man even bought a peacock which was put in a box with great indignity!
ReplyDeleteDo brothers have it? I suspect they do although they might express it differently.
DeleteGuess what? My sister and her family stayed with me last week too... and we had pretty much the same kind of conversation!
ReplyDeleteI do hope we meet sometime Chris. The synchronicity is astonishing!
DeleteSounds like a wonderful visit, times to treasure
ReplyDeleteIt was. I do treasure it! I know how lucky I am.
DeleteDear Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteYes, I am back and I am here to stay! Thank you for your patience! Your description of your time together with your sister moved me. I understand how you can live happily far from each other and then feel so right and listened to when together. I am glad you had the opportunity to talk about heartfelt subjects such as your dear father and to have a good soul-cleansing cry.
I am thinking about you and I wish you well.
See you soon, I promise.
Stephanie
I do hope to see you! That would be wonderful. You might have to come to Wales though. We are not very portable just now!
DeleteJust catching up here. Can you believe I missed the show because I didn't know it was on last week. And it's so nearby. Looks like I might have needed my wellies though.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you had a good time with your sister :D
It was definitely one for the wellies - good though!
DeleteMicro pigs! (Are they wild boars?) Dancing diggers! You were in Ambridge!
ReplyDeleteWonderful to have such a close sister.
Dancing diggers are a bit special I know!
DeleteDancing diggers!!!! O_o
ReplyDeleteWhen is the next show?! I want to see something like that!
Regards
Garden Chair