The Best of Times ...
... yet just a wee bit of melancholy.
This morning we (as in the royal "We" being Mum, Dad and I) woke up at four a.m. in order to ensure my parents made their eight thirty a.m. flight from Heathrow to Toronto.
All went smoothly, but when I returned home, I couldn't help but notice all of the touches Mum and Dad had left during their stay. My garden is so incredibly lush (thanks to repotting and bags of manure and oodles of water -- including a new hose leading to the front garden), and the inside of the house is immaculate. My Dad was even on the roof last night placing a tar substitute in the various cracks he had discovered during his inspection of the flat roof which covers the additions to the property from ca. 15 years ago.
I am, simply, so utterly grateful that they were able to make this trip. To have the opportunity to show them my new home--utterly amazing. To share in their pure joy of experiencing what life is like in England can't be described. ::smiles:: And to talk about their experiences during their trip to Finland (as an adult rather than a teen) was incredibly satisfying.
And, although I'm rather stoic at most times, I have to admit that I was moved to tears upon receipt of a gift from my father from his trip to Finland. My paternal grandmother passed away in 2005. Unbeknownst to my father and I, she had specifically bequested that her father-in-law's wedding ring was left to my father. And my father passed it on to me a few days ago. Ergo, my great-grandfather's wedding band is now proudly part of my jewelry collection. It's a bit big for anything other than my thumb or my forefinger but it's value -- priceless.
On that note, underneath the cut are a few more pictures to show you what my Mum and Dad thought of their adventures!
I adore this picture. This is mum and dad upon their return from Finland to Chez Jhava. (Apparently, some of my cousin's kids were calling my dad 'Santa'! I can see why ... ;)
::hee!!!:: Mum drinking a half pint of English beer (London Pride) at a pub on the day before her birthday :D.
I gave my parents my older digital camera for their trip to Finland. Am I ever glad I did! My dad became a master photographer very quickly!! He took this incredible photo of a page from my paternal grandfather's army diary which was drawn in 1933 during his compulsory service. What an imagination! He named this "Turn of the Century Man". I wish I'd had the chance to know my paternal grand father better; between his artistic skills and obvious imagination and his love for playing card games (which I do remember playing for hours on end with him during our visit in the early 80s when I was a wee young thing), I think we would have had a lot in common.
And see that fine looking gentleman on the left? He would be my paternal great grandfather -- August. He married the woman who became *the* family matriarch in our clan -- Josefiina -- in 1907. It's her wedding ring given to him (with her name engraved inside) that I now proudly own.
In summary, 'twas an incredible and unforgettable sojourn. And to wrap it all up, on the very last day as mum and I were getting ready to leave the back garden for the final time after a thorough watering session, she *finally* saw one of the wild parakeets that I keep telling her have made their summer home in the tall trees near my house. After weeks of distant sightings, the parakeet actually sat on one of the bare branches in a nearby tree for a good couple of minutes in order to give my mum a good look. I wish I could have bottled her happiness upon finally seeing that bird!
This morning we (as in the royal "We" being Mum, Dad and I) woke up at four a.m. in order to ensure my parents made their eight thirty a.m. flight from Heathrow to Toronto.
All went smoothly, but when I returned home, I couldn't help but notice all of the touches Mum and Dad had left during their stay. My garden is so incredibly lush (thanks to repotting and bags of manure and oodles of water -- including a new hose leading to the front garden), and the inside of the house is immaculate. My Dad was even on the roof last night placing a tar substitute in the various cracks he had discovered during his inspection of the flat roof which covers the additions to the property from ca. 15 years ago.
I am, simply, so utterly grateful that they were able to make this trip. To have the opportunity to show them my new home--utterly amazing. To share in their pure joy of experiencing what life is like in England can't be described. ::smiles:: And to talk about their experiences during their trip to Finland (as an adult rather than a teen) was incredibly satisfying.
And, although I'm rather stoic at most times, I have to admit that I was moved to tears upon receipt of a gift from my father from his trip to Finland. My paternal grandmother passed away in 2005. Unbeknownst to my father and I, she had specifically bequested that her father-in-law's wedding ring was left to my father. And my father passed it on to me a few days ago. Ergo, my great-grandfather's wedding band is now proudly part of my jewelry collection. It's a bit big for anything other than my thumb or my forefinger but it's value -- priceless.
On that note, underneath the cut are a few more pictures to show you what my Mum and Dad thought of their adventures!
I adore this picture. This is mum and dad upon their return from Finland to Chez Jhava. (Apparently, some of my cousin's kids were calling my dad 'Santa'! I can see why ... ;)
::hee!!!:: Mum drinking a half pint of English beer (London Pride) at a pub on the day before her birthday :D.
I gave my parents my older digital camera for their trip to Finland. Am I ever glad I did! My dad became a master photographer very quickly!! He took this incredible photo of a page from my paternal grandfather's army diary which was drawn in 1933 during his compulsory service. What an imagination! He named this "Turn of the Century Man". I wish I'd had the chance to know my paternal grand father better; between his artistic skills and obvious imagination and his love for playing card games (which I do remember playing for hours on end with him during our visit in the early 80s when I was a wee young thing), I think we would have had a lot in common.
And see that fine looking gentleman on the left? He would be my paternal great grandfather -- August. He married the woman who became *the* family matriarch in our clan -- Josefiina -- in 1907. It's her wedding ring given to him (with her name engraved inside) that I now proudly own.
In summary, 'twas an incredible and unforgettable sojourn. And to wrap it all up, on the very last day as mum and I were getting ready to leave the back garden for the final time after a thorough watering session, she *finally* saw one of the wild parakeets that I keep telling her have made their summer home in the tall trees near my house. After weeks of distant sightings, the parakeet actually sat on one of the bare branches in a nearby tree for a good couple of minutes in order to give my mum a good look. I wish I could have bottled her happiness upon finally seeing that bird!