Saturday 28 September 2019

The Park on the 28th ~ a recap, and why I started it.

My Park on the 28th series on this blog has been so popular over the last year (thank you if you've enjoyed looking at it!), and as I have now completed a year's worth of photos, I thought I'd do a recap of the 12 posts (links to all of them, further down), and have a word about why I started it.

Last year, on the 28th of September, I went for my usual walk and took some photos because it was such a beautiful day.  I'd gone out because it was the first anniversary of my father's death, and I wanted to think about him.  

September 28th, 2018
It was when I was posting the photos on my blog that I had the idea of taking similar pictures on the 28th of each month.

Dad loved walks amongst trees and green; in 1971, he and some friends started up a walking group called The Strollers, and he would stroll along country lanes and across fields with them most weeks, year in, year out; in fact he last went out with them two days before he died!  

Dad was the last surviving original member, and my Park on the 28th series is a kind of tribute to him, because he would have loved looking at it.... but this is not intended to be a sad post - it's been two years now, and we all go through it.

Dad (on left) with some of his Strollers chums, probably about 15 years ago

A tree is planted for each Stroller when he goes off to 
walk the great country lane in the sky :)



My brother helping to put the tree and its frame together ~ 
was pouring with rain that day!  Julia with umbrella, me with camera😉



Six months ago, a few hours after I'd completed my 'Park' post for the 28th of March, I had a phone call from the nursing home where my mother had lived for the past 6 years, to say that she'd died.  

She'd had Alzheimer's for 10 years, and since a stroke early in the year she'd become unable to acknowledge anyone or feed herself.  We knew she was fading, but the end came quite suddenly.  We'd thought we might get a chance to see her again; my sister was actually just getting ready to make the journey when we got the call.  

March 28th, 2019
She died exactly 18 months after Dad, on a Thursday, too, so the 28th has, in a way, become my day to go for a walk and think about Mum and Dad.  Not in a morose way, necessarily; just to think about them.  I still don't believe they're dead - I hear that acceptance comes much later.

Mum with Julia and me in 1987
I loved doing this series—if you would like to look at any of them again, please click the month above the photo; looking down the changes in these single pictures over the months is a quick overview! Thank you for enjoying my walks with me over the past year. 😎

















 


 




May 




June 



July 








Thank you again, for your interest in this project :)











11 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for doing this, Terry, for our lovely parents.

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    1. They would have loved looking at it, wouldn't they?!

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  2. My condolences on the loss of your parents.

    What a beautiful way to honour them.

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    1. Thanks, Lydia - I just wish they could have seen it!

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  3. A lovely tribute to them both. The tree for a stroller is a brilliant idea too.

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    1. I know, isn't it great? There are a few of them, now, down a quiet country lane at the side of a farm - the farmer whose land it is gave them permission to plant them there.

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  4. Wow, what a great idea and amazing how events connect to each other. Good way to honor them.

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  5. Such a touching tribute to your parents TT, and a lovely way to remember them. I loved your series too. Trees, for me, are the most magnificent of nature’s offerings and the ones in your park are glorious at any time of year. I’ll look at all the posts again.

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    1. Thanks, V - yes, I'm a total tree worshipper these days! I miss doing the series already :)

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  6. This is such a beautiful blog and the most lovely tribute to your parents. I distinctly remember this charming photo of your father. It's so special. It touched me the first time I saw it as it did again now. And what a lovely photo of your mum at the table!

    Such a very very special blog! Thank you for sharing!

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