A Final Send off for a funeral

 So, this year starts off on a note of sadness, albeit in-betweener the weeks i've been supposed to catch up on Admin and accounting before delays to get the tax done before deadlines. But this day was one to focus on a celebration.  One that had a send of of some bright proportions and some overdue near admin bits. This will be added in to the vlog from the week before of shopping in the morning. 

The Morning 

Well, it was a fap over a new cutie i've been chatting too from the glam part of the UK in some way, this now leads to the start to walking upo about 9:15, since there was a phone call to sort out via 10am regarding VOIP, which I finally got a nice breakfast of a toasted  chicken tika bites, frosites, ketchup and chocco nussa sandwich sorted. 

The choco nussa ketchup chicken tikka bites frosties toasted sandwich 

This then leads to getting some time to go through a phone call for some voip hardware never works up as it should, since it was near the hour phone call and macos does screensharing much easier now. But then it was soon time to sort out some bits and start to shave since it was going to be a shower. Before that happened it was going to time to see the flowers that were going to be arranged. It was emotional but nice to see the design of how  they looked.  

The flowers layout 

Then it was time to get the time to end up going to prepare for things and it was on its tail. But the time to shave, since i did top up the hot water from the kettle but that did not work out. It was then to be getting into the shower, but i weighed myself and now 174.6lbs, up 8lbs from 168 before I had the  time off to get the accounts up. But then it was that shower and shave done and time to get changed into the suit, the same for the wedding and the funeral. Before that was going to happen, it was actually going to end up to have a lush koka chicken noodle tomato soup. 

The koka chicken noodles with tomato soup and curry powder  along with bread and wheat sticks

But then it was time to get the suit on and start to get the speech printed out. Since there was one amendment in my head I wanted to write which made a bit of truth have to come out about family in some ways. But luckily it was charging up while having the soup since of the battery life. But it soon became time to print it off and then get ready to look presentable before it was time to head out into the car, I did have one phone call in-between this but a text later would ease that tension. But luckily i planed and closed the work line off but that would just cause more backlog as I was going to find out. Due to the hair cut from a lump on the back of my head to shave off 1 week before, the head was cold and a beanie was going to be needed.  

The selfie in the suit

Portrait on google camera 

Selfie mid filming with the beanie on 

We travelled by car, some ice was left on the edges of the road, but then i had a customer call up and that was to then have to end up texting him partway through the rest of the day. Eventually it was time to arrive by 1:15.

The Wait and Hearse to the Service 

Then it was time to wait for the hearse, since this in itself was suspenseful but at the same time. It was actually killing time to check some emails and give some whatsapps while in all of this, was  going to end up the time killed.  Since of the the time of the hearse was coming about 1:45pm to pick us up, which was fine, but it was the 20 minute wait to explore the house, check emails and there was more voicemails to come. 

But eventually it was 1:35 and the hearse turned up along with my sister and partner behind, but they drove up the road and parked at the top to greet us all. Then it was time to load the flowers into the hearse and it was a look and it was beautiful. Mum and Sister cried and i just stood still. But it was then time to go into the Limo for one final time for a while...i Hope. 

But in  the end game, we got in and drove. it was quiet on the road, but then it turned out for parking on the road.  A few cars were passing by. But then it was time to walk in and the Funeral service had begun. 

Now this was a bit more emotion and was close to a tear, not breaking down but a tear or so, but it was then the hymns and messages. Since unlike last time, this time I had a role to play. There was a speech I had to do with mine and my sister's memories. So what was meant to be said was below for my part. 

As many will know today, Nan as I called her, was always a sign of positive light, she always got a smile on her face, with so many memories that have been involved with the family over the years. Especially as being born on the same day as Nan, fate has its ways of bonding. 

As a toddler, she would always accompany me for various day trips to the park in Bere Alston, back when I was a blondie, trying out the slide.  She was always there to pick me up after nursery and eventually primary school. Sometimes we would go to the Café in the park after school for a bite to eat. There were always afternoons out to Panto which was still the last time I’ve been to the Theatre Royal.  She always stood up for me which has formed a part of my life in many ways. 

There were times she would join me when going to swimming lessons at some of the primary school times too. During primary school, I interviewed Nan on tape, regarding her WWII life as an evacuee. It was amazing to listen to and show how inspiring her emotional strength was, especially how she mentioned the past with her dad being an inspiring part of her life on many afternoons when spending time with her and Tom. 

Eventually, as age went on, I would be greeted at home with a sausage roll and those Co-op Bramley apple pies to eat before doing some homework with Grandad. Her hospitality was always generous and kind, even cooking sausage and chips for lunch while watching the news, on days I would travel on the bus to see them, even well into working at my first job on days off. 

She used to say “Give me 3 rings when you get home” which many of us now relate to “Text me when you get home”.  I still remember having my second Holiday on my own 4 years ago, calling both of them at Milton Keynes, letting them know I was ok, especially before what was to be one of the best weekends of my life. 

During the Holidays they had taken us on, she mostly was resting by the poolside at Dinham Farm while I, sister our friends and were in the Pool, she treated us to Fish and Chips and then to Crazy Golf, it was even on a first-name basis with the owner in Polzeath. For some days out, we went to places, like Shire Horse Centre (Camel Creek) and some of the tourist attractions, they were fun days out even as they always kept an eye on us. 

There were times when of went on the Train to Looe with her along when her sister, the only sister of Nans' regularly came down from Welwyn Garden City for a week's Holiday in the early summer days to see. There were days out to Dobwalls, which includes the saying “Mr Blobby”. There was going up with Nan and Grandad going with the coach to London and then getting the green coach to Welwyn via Hatfield to see her sister Jean which was my first experience of coach travel outside of school. 

Life changed for her when an accident happened in 2009, we all supported her but still, she was positive and strong through. Eventually, with lockdowns approaching in 2020, there were signs that she was starting to have Alzheimer’s which in 2021 became official. 

This affected her in many ways, again she was always being positive, even as Tom was becoming her full-time carer, she always seemed to be positive but was starting to want to ask to go home when she was home already, reminiscing on her past. When she moved to the care home, she started to say this less. On the final days, I saw her in the Hospital after her stroke last December, she still smiled and said the words “I’m alright” and kept that positive feeling. 

It has been a pleasure being there with you for so many years, you will be missed for those smiles and positive attitude I’ve needed more than ever in the past year.

My mind will always call back to you Nan. 

"

But it leads to itself being what it is, and I did mix up the tone and some of the words, not in a broken down sense but it was meaningful to say, some comments are made but a lot were impressed by it as I find out later. But then the service continued. Eventually after the final hymn where I nearly messed up the words less than the first. It was time to slowly walk out and wait for things to settle down, mum was in tears rightly so and a few pats on the back to me and getting told how good the speech is and got told, "you made me laugh" from my sister meant alot to cheer things up. Of course it was a bus queued up for the  travel to Tavi but it waited for the hearse, and limo. Unlike last time of me going to the post office, it was time to get in the lom and get the lift to the graveyard, especially with the understanding that i still had some texts to sort out with a customer that called me on the drive to Bere alston earlier. 

The Burial

This is the final part of the proper send off, the final time to see the presence of nan in a physical form, which the sun was glistening, the clouds were far way and the sky clear, the wind was picking up however, so instead we took time to walk up after the cars parked up and  then it was to see the coffin being laid into rest.

The burial set up in place 

The wreaths and flowers before the burial 

Then it was coming up to the burial stages, which the speech was still relating about the room for us in heaven and the passing to the father, but on a less of religion than Grandads,bur then it was time to throw the rosses on the coffin after dirt was placed onto it.  But then it was to reflect on things and say the final goodbye. 

The sun in the sky 

Then it was time to drive for the final time. Since it was to the bowling club to go to. There is some relevance to this. But having to text a customer in the limo on the way there. 

The Wake 

We eventually park out and got escorted out of the car, then it was time to go inside and greet, however, there was a chance that emails were going to pile up, so it was to check on them, but then it was to walk into the bowling club, but then it was to sit and chat at various people with the event, which it was time to reflect but most of the time was to just check phone and more emails. Some of nans friends spoken to me, given me thanks on how the speech was, but the groups  that formed from last funeral was the same. But this time the spread  of food was slightly different.  With chicken and bacon pasties and some blt wraps were lovely too, I might have to make them, but the ppasties looked like the had cheese in them, but it turned out it did not happen. Plus i had to go out when after a toilet break and 1 glass of water later. 

The first plat from the spread of food 

But it was then time to catch up on more emails which was a shame but had to be done, but it was passing time and sitting on a lone timble while eating and hearing more comments was nice in its own way,  but eventually it was talking to people about more bits including the accounts issues in work i'm catching up on. But it was then getting near the 5pm mark and it was people dispersing bits at a time, with the food to pack up, the memorial book looked at and the dusk was starting to settle in. I said my goodbyes on a clip around the 4:30pm mark.

The selfie with a beanie on 

The end of the clips

The sunset of golden hour overlooking the valley 

Then it was time to start to pack up, with the car back at grandparents (formerly) place, dad hitched a lift with a relative to then drive us back, my hands and fingers were going cold. Eventually the darkness came in and dad picked us home and we made our way home, talking and reflecting n all tat had to be said from a handbrake causing a pile up to the hypocrisy of those that didn't see nan when she was at home moaning on of their friends and relatives visit them. But all in all it was a very peaceful and pleasant sent off to a beloved relative that fat bonded me more than whats was ever said. We unloaded and got home to then get things sorted out, I was typing this up and then went in the warm and had a late tea, to only find more phone calls with a customer at 8:50pm to then i finally at a reduced fat chicken tikka masala while watching merlin. 

The reduced fat chicken tikka masala, rice, honey loops, rybread and chocco nussa 

But like there we are, 

Thanks for joining me on this one and more things are planned this year, whether they get implemented due to accounts to catch up then back to working as normal means to be seen but we can see what happens 


Take care

omracer