I have just read a beautiful Facebook posting on friend of mine who is leaving Australia to come back to the UK for two years. She described her gratitude for the people, times, places and special things that have been important parts of her life during her 10 years in Australia.
I recognised in her words and saw myself in a few months time saying goodbye to special people, memories and things. I have already started the process by thinking about selling my beautiful car. Lily, my lovely white BMW convertible which given me so much pleasure over the last five years, but it would be sensible to sell her at the beginning of summer rather than at the end. So today I will take her to the car wash and take some photos of her. Last night I did a deal with Gilly whereby we will share her car for a while, that will mean I can sell Lily and still be mobile, most particularly to be able to see my Mum.
When I talk about leaving Liverpool I can only feel one really big heartache - though I anticipate many smaller ones will appear over the next few months - and it is the thought of leaving my mother. Just writing this has brought tears to my eyes......... I will miss my mother so much, whether this is because I am no longer able to visit her regularly like I do at the moment, or whether it will be because she is no longer around, doesn't really matter. At the moment she is well, active and enjoying her life. Though I know there are times when she feels lonely and she misses my Dad terribly, she is living her life to the full. She said yesterday when we were out walking "Life is so interesting if you care about it." She is so right! I feel very close to my Mum and yes - the thought of not seeing her regularly does make my heart ache.
She knows I'm going to Australia for a couple of months and that is good, I have just worked out that I will send her letters via Jenny, I can email them and Jenny will take them over. That is a good plan! I have told her that I am leaving Liverpool once we were out walking, she looked me in the eyes and said "Don't not go because of me." She has forgotten the conversation but I haven't.
I have booked a holiday cottage for Mum, Jenny, Evie and Michael for July, it looks fantastic with a view over South Stack's Lighthouse in Anglesey, with puffins and seals and sunsets..... and a hot tub to enjoy them from. Mum is also going to London for her 95th birthday with Fiona, Jenny and Sophie and they are going to see Phantom of the Opera and have afternoon tea with 15 members of the family, she will enjoy that. She loved Jimmy and Rachel's wedding, she can't remember the details that she can remember how much she enjoyed it.
So I am anticipating leaving my Mum and starting the process of leaving Liverpool! This week I completed all the reports I had to do for the European Commission and now I just have to wait to see if they are accepted. I also cleared out my office and although I have some things I need to finalise and archive etc I have effectively said goodbye to it, without a team it was a lonely place anyway! So in some ways the goodbyes have already started, with the SiS Catalyst team leaving at the end of December and the others now working full-time in the Educational Opportunities team.
I go to Barcelona this afternoon to do a Spanish course, then the following two weeks Jury duty..... then off to Australia via Paris and Doha, returning via India - amazing, how blessed am I!
....... Then I looked at the time and realised I was to have a Skype with my boys and their girls - it was fun - though Alex looked knackered - little Alba had been crying a lot - she seems to have a lot of trouble with gas pains in her tummy. Despite this she is visibly putting on weight and thriving - though exhausting her parents in the process! I am now at the airport - I got the car washed but didn't take any photos because it was pouring down. Jenny was over at Mum's this afternoon and the letter from Australia idea was well received - I could also put them into my blogg - and I know a couple of blogg readers are also Mum visitors/phoners it would work very well I think. The time difference will make it difficult to ring Mum a lot - yes I am very happy with this plan!
So off now to Barcelona!!! I am living change.........
I recognised in her words and saw myself in a few months time saying goodbye to special people, memories and things. I have already started the process by thinking about selling my beautiful car. Lily, my lovely white BMW convertible which given me so much pleasure over the last five years, but it would be sensible to sell her at the beginning of summer rather than at the end. So today I will take her to the car wash and take some photos of her. Last night I did a deal with Gilly whereby we will share her car for a while, that will mean I can sell Lily and still be mobile, most particularly to be able to see my Mum.
When I talk about leaving Liverpool I can only feel one really big heartache - though I anticipate many smaller ones will appear over the next few months - and it is the thought of leaving my mother. Just writing this has brought tears to my eyes......... I will miss my mother so much, whether this is because I am no longer able to visit her regularly like I do at the moment, or whether it will be because she is no longer around, doesn't really matter. At the moment she is well, active and enjoying her life. Though I know there are times when she feels lonely and she misses my Dad terribly, she is living her life to the full. She said yesterday when we were out walking "Life is so interesting if you care about it." She is so right! I feel very close to my Mum and yes - the thought of not seeing her regularly does make my heart ache.
She knows I'm going to Australia for a couple of months and that is good, I have just worked out that I will send her letters via Jenny, I can email them and Jenny will take them over. That is a good plan! I have told her that I am leaving Liverpool once we were out walking, she looked me in the eyes and said "Don't not go because of me." She has forgotten the conversation but I haven't.
I have booked a holiday cottage for Mum, Jenny, Evie and Michael for July, it looks fantastic with a view over South Stack's Lighthouse in Anglesey, with puffins and seals and sunsets..... and a hot tub to enjoy them from. Mum is also going to London for her 95th birthday with Fiona, Jenny and Sophie and they are going to see Phantom of the Opera and have afternoon tea with 15 members of the family, she will enjoy that. She loved Jimmy and Rachel's wedding, she can't remember the details that she can remember how much she enjoyed it.
So I am anticipating leaving my Mum and starting the process of leaving Liverpool! This week I completed all the reports I had to do for the European Commission and now I just have to wait to see if they are accepted. I also cleared out my office and although I have some things I need to finalise and archive etc I have effectively said goodbye to it, without a team it was a lonely place anyway! So in some ways the goodbyes have already started, with the SiS Catalyst team leaving at the end of December and the others now working full-time in the Educational Opportunities team.
I go to Barcelona this afternoon to do a Spanish course, then the following two weeks Jury duty..... then off to Australia via Paris and Doha, returning via India - amazing, how blessed am I!
....... Then I looked at the time and realised I was to have a Skype with my boys and their girls - it was fun - though Alex looked knackered - little Alba had been crying a lot - she seems to have a lot of trouble with gas pains in her tummy. Despite this she is visibly putting on weight and thriving - though exhausting her parents in the process! I am now at the airport - I got the car washed but didn't take any photos because it was pouring down. Jenny was over at Mum's this afternoon and the letter from Australia idea was well received - I could also put them into my blogg - and I know a couple of blogg readers are also Mum visitors/phoners it would work very well I think. The time difference will make it difficult to ring Mum a lot - yes I am very happy with this plan!
So off now to Barcelona!!! I am living change.........
