Anniversarial
A year ago today, I climbed the familiar track from the farmhouse up Norman's Law, along with the Horse Doctor, my brothers and sister, in-laws, nephews, nieces and various other family members to scatter the ashes of my parents. It was an overcast day, with less wind than I would have liked, but we did the deed, then trudged back home.
It had been my intention to make the trip north and somehow mark this anniversary, but that never happened. The farmhouse isn't really habitable right now, as my little brother rips it apart and rebuilds it prior to moving in with his family next month. I was up just a few weeks ago, helping to move everything out and into storage, and there's nothing useful I could be doing there right now. I couldn't really justify the time and expense of yet another trip.
We're going to put a plaque up on the hill, just as soon as the whole legal nonsense has been sorted out, so perhaps that will be a good moment to start an annual pilgrimage. Mind you, at the rate they're going, I'll have moved back north anyway by the time the revenue has finished. You'd think a year would be enough for the taxman to decide how much he's going to screw you, but apparently not.
The first anniversary of the accident fell on the last day of Harrogate. I travelled down to stay with my sister and we drank a toast, but it didn't feel like a day to commemorate. Neither did the anniversary of the funeral, yesterday. But I think the scattering of ashes is more of a celebration, and I'd like to mark it each year in some small way. This year it's just a blog post. Next year, who knows?
13th August 1936 & 5th July 1940 - 26th July 2008
Rest in Peace
It had been my intention to make the trip north and somehow mark this anniversary, but that never happened. The farmhouse isn't really habitable right now, as my little brother rips it apart and rebuilds it prior to moving in with his family next month. I was up just a few weeks ago, helping to move everything out and into storage, and there's nothing useful I could be doing there right now. I couldn't really justify the time and expense of yet another trip.
We're going to put a plaque up on the hill, just as soon as the whole legal nonsense has been sorted out, so perhaps that will be a good moment to start an annual pilgrimage. Mind you, at the rate they're going, I'll have moved back north anyway by the time the revenue has finished. You'd think a year would be enough for the taxman to decide how much he's going to screw you, but apparently not.
The first anniversary of the accident fell on the last day of Harrogate. I travelled down to stay with my sister and we drank a toast, but it didn't feel like a day to commemorate. Neither did the anniversary of the funeral, yesterday. But I think the scattering of ashes is more of a celebration, and I'd like to mark it each year in some small way. This year it's just a blog post. Next year, who knows?
13th August 1936 & 5th July 1940 - 26th July 2008Rest in Peace
Comments