Chaiselongue - A Wonderful Life

Everyone was with Chaiselongue today; her husband, extended family, many, many close friends from her village and environs and, represented by DD and myself, all of you, her dear friends from Blip...KendallisHere, Ceridwen, SooB, Meles and DaveH, Veronica, Fotodiario, localfoodlover and 5000vines to name but a few. And she was certainly with all of us too, gazing out from her portrait and living on in the passionate words of those who played a part in the beautiful ceremony which marked her physical passing from this world, in Beziers, Languedoc, today.

She looked so peaceful when we had a few moments alone with her, a sense of completion that she had passed her ''force'', as her husband called it, onto others through her energy, determination and inspiration: the force behind a life exceptionally well led, with such a wonderful and enduring legacy.

All of us would have recognised the many facets of her life from all the songs, readings and contributions shared in Welsh, Occitan, English and French. The sweet Welsh girl with the exotic upbringing, the hip-bop groovy young adult and lover, the impassioned protester always there for the under trodden, the fighter for woman's rights, the keen intellectual, the poet, the sensitive translator, the preservationist, the cultural enricher, the jazz lover, the market gardener and the wonderful wife, mother, aunt and friend. And how will we ever forget larger-than-life Ray with his feather plumed hat, dark glasses and beard that could house a thousand starlings, animating our gathering with an unaccompanied, gutsy and soulful rendition of the blues number 'Ain't No More Cane On The Brazos'!

Perhaps it was in the smallest things that we saw the all pervading presence of Chaiselongue's love and example most clearly; her son's arm round his father's waist, his thumb reassuringly rubbing his back, the speakers and singers tapping the coffin lid as they went to and from the podium ("We're still connected; you with us, us with you'' they seemed to be signalling), and the most gentle laying of flowers by everyone present on the same lid each taking the utmost care to place them in a pleasing way. And as the fragrances were liberated into the air, it was as if all her garden had come to accompany her on her way.

Later, we had time with LoJ and her family on the terrace of a cafe in a nearby village, then visited her photographic exhibition (see the photo above - we helped find a new home for two of her works!), before sharing local olives and their oil, bread, water, apricots and cherries around Chaiselongue's kitchen table. All too quickly we had to leave but it was an honour and privilege to be so welcomed, and a delight to meet C, E, S and H in person. LoJ has great support from his many local friends and from his own kin and their lovely partners. He, and they, are also amazed by and very appreciative of the wonderful support and tributes they have received and read in our various contributions here.

LoJ shared with us a photo album they had made of Chaiselongue's life and, let me assure you, in every shot from her very earliest days to her recent extraordinarily happy ones celebrating 60th birthdays, family weddings and 40 years together with LoJ, the lyrics of the traditional Welsh song with which we received her into our midst today rang out clear and true:

Mae nghariad i'n Fenws - My Sweetheart's like Venus

My sweetheart's like Venus, she's lovely and light,
She's fairer than blackthorn, she's slim and she's white,
There's no one like her, from far or from near,
It's truth I am telling for all men to hear.