Stonehenge re-enactment

Oh, how things become imbued and not always in the expected ways.
I have no long association with this stone trough but it looks like I am inheriting it.
The bench I’ve always enjoyed, and it is just ‘my size’ and, although initially, I had thought there’s no point in transporting it, when I realised it was smaller and lighter than I remembered I decided to bring it home with me and am already enjoying sitting in it in my own garden very much. Small pleasures.

The stone trough on the other hand I had always liked and mum had made a smashing job of planting it up with sempervivums but no connection to it beyond that (apart from feeling rather sad when I realised an overflow pipe had been dripping into it constantly so the plants deteriorated roughly in tandem with mum). What I didn’t know was the back story which my sister told me just recently. When I was at university my parents moved. Apparently mum had delivered a prescription or something to these two elderly ladies at their home and had said how lovely their home was. ‘Do you like it?’, they said. ‘We’re wanting to sell and move to something more manageable...’
The house never went on the market and was exchanged very quickly, easily, and with all parties very happy. There was just one proviso ... that mum should take care of their prized trough which they couldn’t take with them!

When they came to move from that home to this home that they retired to, this hefty lump of rock (you wouldn’t believe the weight) just had to come along too.

So, my sister couldn’t bear us leaving it ... but didn’t want it and doesn’t anticipate staying in their rabbit hutch home for much longer before heading to warmer climes.
So, guess what ....

And then there is the added layer of association that this poor old stone is being burdened with ... no wonder it’s heavy ...

I tried to manoeuvre it into the car and got it in but couldn’t shut the door. I realised it was difficult enough at that end but the other end posed a whole host of more challenging problems. It triggered the whole thing of, ‘if I can’t do it myself then I can’t take it on ... ‘ and then all of the facing life alone and having to do everything and all the fears of not being capable or getting sick ... and wouldn’t it just be a good idea to ‘quit whilst ahead’, etc. ...sigh!

Anyway, we shall overcome, and all that. I got it home and asked my friend. She realised it was tricky too and it stayed in the car for ages whilst we wondered what was to be done. Finally I decided to put my mind to it at the weekend and by a combination of levers, planks, wizardry and rolling pins, I did it! Life in the old dog yet.