Yesterday's Journey

Yesterday I was up at normal time in readiness to make OH his pack up (he worked all day yesterday).  Mum had asked for a couple of things she wanted  taking to her so I walked into town looking for fresh beetroot on the market and some cough sweets.  I went all over looking for the beetroot to no avail and in fact I missed a bus just by a couple of minutes as a result; so frustrating.  

Eventually I got the bus to take me to my mum's.  Its a while since I have been on a bus journey, but it did bring back one or two memories of when I was small; passing through sunkissed country villages where life trundles on at its own peculiar pace.  As a child I lived in a hamlet in Rutland and the bus was the lifeline to the local town and food shopping. Cottages used to have pantries too where all sorts of basics were stored.  We always used to go to town on market day when the traders would come and sell their wares and mum used to get stocked up for the week usually veggies and eggs etc.  It was an older style coach but you were sat up high and I used to love looking out of the window seeing the wider world devouring everything that came into view; mum used to take me to see her friends every so often too (this was all before my brother was born) when life was gentler.

Yesterday's journey took me past fields filled with ripening corn and oats, green trees and past Nine Bridges where we had taken Missy swimming earlier in the week and we had had a paddle. Into Market Deeping where I had to get off the bus, as I had just caught the first bus home and this bus did not go to Deeping St James; the Deepings are the villages I lived in during my school years and each time I go "home" to Mum's its like another layer of the onion is peeled away and I can breathe really breathe.  

It was overcast but muggy yesterday and I walked through the villages noting  the subtle and major changes in my mind's eye; passing the craft and antiques recycled emporium that always has a load of goodies within its depths with always some kind of treasure to be found and then on to Mum's and home.  

Mum was not 100% yesterday she hurt and could not move much so we got her settled and I started on the food cupboards yesterday dragging everything out and giving it a good scrub and then mum deciding what she did and did not want and so the afternoon passed and I did several other bits and bobs for her.  

It was a quiet time but good to be with my mum and to gently just enjoy each other's company whilst plodding along doing this and that including the watering up.

OH came to collect me later on and on the way back we stopped off at Nine Bridges to let Missy run off some steam.  Earlier in the week it had been enjoyed by families and children paddling as well as young pups and dogs.  Yesterday evening no one was there but there had obviously been young people there; there was the debris of broken glass, portable barbecues, there had been a couple of fires the grass was badly burnt and there was glass in the water.  This has made me so cross because this has always been a place for families to enjoy quality time and to let their children play safely but an unsavoury few who cannot tidy up behind themselves or respect natural countryside conditions so that it can be enjoyed by everyone has really made my blood boil.  I could not blame the farmer who owns the land if he closed it off for good because of this behaviour and desecration.  There is a golden rule in my book go and by all means enjoy beautiful surroundings but for heaven's sake take your rubbish home and away with you and leave no imprint of you being there.  We should all tread lightly; but sadly some of the younger members of our communities (not all) do not seem to have any respect for others let alone themselves.

This so saddened me as there is no need. 

We had home made hot dogs for supper last night; proper sausages fried with some onion and then popped into finger buns with the onion and some tomato ketchup.  Simple and tasty and nothing fancy, but oh it was good.  

Catch you soon.  

Pattypan xx