DOUGLAS

14 years ago today my husband Douglas passed away.  It was a Saturday.  He was 73 years old. The previous Friday he had suffered a slight stroke and was taken to hospital  During the following week he suffered two more serious strokes and in the end nothing could be done for him.  It was a real shock when he died as we all just thought he would be OK. He was on tablets for high blood pressure but apart from that he seemed fit and healthy. The day before the first stroke he had been out jogging as usual.  No sign anything was wrong. He was a real loss to the whole family as he had a big personality - a very colourful character. He left a big void. I have included a photo of him with his 4 children as an extra shot.  I took this photo in 1990.  My stepdaughters  - Fiona on the left was 34 years old at the time and Moira on the right was 33,.  Becky was 8 and Neil was 6. So a big gap between his older children and the young ones.  

My blip shot is an  entry for Tiny Tuesday.  Its a Dichroic Memorial Pendant  which encapsulates some of Douglas' ashes. My daughter Becky has a ring with some of the ashes in too.  I got them made a few years ago by a firm in Bath.

Neil came here early this morning while I was still asleep.  When I went downstairs later I found a lovely bunch of Lilies in the kitchen sink and a bunch of grapes on the bench. Such a nice thought to help me cope with today.  However Neil wasn't aware that Lily pollen is poisonous to cats.  I wasn't sure how to solve the problem but in the end I have put the flowers in a vase on the kitchen windowsill as the cats never go there.  I have wrapped clear cellophane round the flowers and as soon as the blooms open I will cut off the stamens.  Hopefully these precautions will be enough. And I do love lilies so the faff is worth it.

Becky phoned me while she was on her lunchtime walk and we had a lovely chat.  She is preparing to jet off on holiday on Thursday.  She and Mike are heading for Cyprus.  A last minute cheap all inclusive deal. 

I went to Gateshead this afternoon - shopping in Iceland and Tesco.  I wore my special pendant. .Nothing else to report really.

Steps today - 5,965