The latest Great Niece.
I have so many!
The other day, my nephew, he of startling intellect, his spelling is less than that of a 'Sun' writer, informed me he was coming on Sunday. Now, Sunday I was taking off as I intended to go to Muswell Hill for a funeral. However, as I have not seen him for five years, and he was bringing his baby I had to say yes!
So for two days I swept, scrubbed, dusted, moved things, and improved the look of the place. I then attempted to buy things that may suit them. Money flowed, and I was tired!
Anyway, he came on Saturday night to the hotel round the corner, but I was not sure if he was there or elsewhere. Anyway, I was knackered so ignored him. Come Sunday I realise where he is and go get him.
There followed a day of delight with a cheerful 7 month old baby, a less cheerful mum, whom I have not met, and who looked bored all day. There was little to connect us, and I did not meet her expectations I think. Oh well, most people find this.
However, I was tired, and walking towards the park, down the slope, I found carrying the babe, which I was determined to do, just too much for my old age. My wizened fat body cannot deal with things like it used to. Eventually they left, I scrubbed the pawmarks off the phone, the laptop, the everything else, returned the place to the usual mess, and sat eating all the fancy cakes I bought and they rejected.
While it was not the happy time I hoped for it got one family visit for mum out of the way. It enabled me to get my hands on a baby that looked cheerful and full of life and indeed was such. She was determined to stand, refused to crawl, and is into everything. In a few months time she will be uncontrollable! Good job they live in Burnley. He only came this way as he was dropping her brother off, in Kings Lynn! Driving is no problem for him, he is used to it, and he thought this would be the only time I might see Nina as a babe, he is right, I could not get to Burnley at the moment. Good on him!
I loved having her around, took some poor pictures, fed her, bounced her around, stopped her flinging everything of the desk, and had a great time. Next time I see her she will be at least a toddler of not more.
So, that's four Nieces, all good looking and highly intelligent. Two grown up Great Nieces, beautiful and intelligent, and one new highly active Great Niece. One Nephew, one grown up Great Nephew, and one Toddler Great Nephew. I think, there may be one or two more somewhere I missed. Now I have met the youngest I am happy. I have dandled them all, spent money on them, and now can die happy - but not yet, not yet!
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I ought to have been in Muswell Hill today for the funeral of a long time friend. This was to be an awkward journey. I eventually worked out how to do this, Liverpool St to Kings Cross, Northern Line to East Finchley, or train to Alexander Palace, then a bus 134?, onwards. Already you see I have made it more complicated. All this to be there by 2:30 pm.
As I searched this out, spending a lot of cash on an 'Oyster Card,' not yet working out if my 'Pay as you go card' will allow me to cover as far as Zone 3, something at the back of my mind grew all the time that I would not be there. It was a constant thought as I prepared, especially as this was one of my three closest friends.
Then on the Friday my nephew's call made me realise why this was bouncing around my head. The Good Lord knew this was going to happen, and after the exertions of the weekend I am glad to sit around at home, rather than struggle there and back for a 30 minute service. However, I feel so guilty at letting her down. This was a close friend, a real one. I am not there, just sitting here acknowledging how I failed her, and I did that often. I am glad however that her God has been looking after her, is at this moment listening to her only musical outlet, Bob Dylan, and seeking how to meet her demands for chocolate! Her going might save me around a hundred pounds a year on that alone I say! But my guilt remains, though if I had forced myself there I may as well have gone on to the crematorium, family only or not, and waited there anyway.
There are less rude emails about now...
At Prayer (no details)
5 comments:
Oh my, you got to give attention to a sweet baby! At the risk of giving, you too much info about me, my brother used to call me a "Baby Hog" whenever babies were around! And he didn't mean anything about my weight either, he meant I didn't want anyone else to have the baby!
Sorry for the loss of your friend.
Babies for all the mess and fuss, are absolutely wonderful, so full of hope and joy and also determination and a deep desire to be sociable not to mention a massive aversion to being ignored for more than 5 seconds at a time. How nice that your nephew brought your new little niece down. I wouldn't be too sure his mum was bored stiff though. She was probably desperately tired and wishing she could go and have a lie down somewhere. It's always the first thing I would guess with a newish mum, anyway. Other people sometimes looked like talking heads on TV to me, not real at all, after very little sleep in the previous week! I am sure that wherever your friend is viewing this from, she is not criticising you for not making that struggle to the ceremony. She sounds a nice person and having escaped the earthly life and gone to a better one, it is hardly likely that she'll be angrily condemning those still dealing with all the peskiness of this big world. Funerals are for the living, so it is upsetting for any close friend still alive not to join with others in commemorating her publicly, hear about aspects of her life and say a final goodbye. You remember your friendship while she was alive, and can say goodbye in your own way.
Kay, I knew you were a baby snatcher! Mine has returned up north, way out of your reach.
Jenny, Babies are indeed fun and cheerful, but messy! Mary will be happy where she now is, with a real joy filled life at last. But I am still guilty about not being there.
You had a lovely time with your latest baby....and I agree with Jenny, poor mum was just hoping to put her feet up in a darkened room. Nice thought of dad to make sure you could see the latest while she was a baby. She's a sweet looking child.....and active!
Missing the funeral does hurt, though. A chance to celebrate a life with others who loved her.
Fly, Happiness and guilt, that is what I ought to have called the blog today.
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