Remembering by MYN

Hi everyone,

Its difficult to decide whether nine months seems like a very long or a very short time since Mum died.

The beginning of August brought back many memories...all happy ones. Merv and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary and I remember the amazing weekend we had all those years ago. Mum was in her element organising the grand Sunday reception for four hundred people. It was a marvellous day and lots of people still remember it in detail! She was always so talented.

Last year on our anniversary, we went to Mum and Papa's to have a drink with Aunty Judy, Uncle Matthew and their friend John. Mum looked so well and had set her usual beautiful dinner table for her guests. We had a good laugh as she told me off for bringing a bottle of champagne. John took some great photographs of all of us with Mum. As I look at these pictures, it is hard to believe she was with us a year ago.

On a positive note, I attach a picture of the one and only Naomi Nazareth Sweet Pea which bloomed recently for many of us. It was so exciting to see the flowers which also smell lovely....and so life goes on.

But even more exciting, the grower informed me today that the Naomi Nazareth Sweet Pea was put forward for the Wisley trials recently, and was one of only two picked, from over thirty candidates, for the Award of Merit 2008.

It is sure to be popular with professionals who grow for exhibitions. Next stop, Chelsea Flower Show for Mum!

Max will be back from his World Challenge trip on Sunday and I wish Mum could have been here to welcome him home. She would have been proud of him as I think she would be of all of us and how we have coped in the last nine months.

I still miss her terribly, but I am beginning to enjoy the many, many wonderful memories that Mum gave me. I know I am very lucky to have them, but I just wanted her here for another 10 years so she could deal with Lily's boyfriends!

Love,

MYN