We have a very special lady living within our midst, someone whom we hardly knew before this wretched Pandemic, but she has been a beacon of light to us both and also to several of our neighbours. From time to time she has popped up our driveway and given us some interesting homemade goodies, but on Valentine's Day she arrived bearing two large packages for us.
The first held some homemade savouries and finger sandwiches,
It was a really lovely 'high tea' treat which was much appreciated and greatly enjoyed.
Later on in the day our special grandson contacted us (no favouritism implied, we only have one grandson). We had a lovely chat and caught up with his news, and then he showed us around his new apartment on the computer. It is in the East End of London, and overlooks the Olympic Park. He is a Furniture Designer and this was very apparent in his choices for each room.
I know that many of you have good neighbours and friends that have helped you during the Pandemic too. One outcome of this year long situation has revealed the many thoughtful kindnesses and lovely gestures that so many people have made towards one another.
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Dearest Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely gesture indeed for leaving you such fine treats for Valentine's Day in the form of a home delivered High Tea!
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mariette - we never know just what goodies she will turn up with out of the blue. She can turn an ordinary day into something special.
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DeleteVery kind to do.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't even know her name before the Pandemic.
DeleteThat all looks delicious, how kind.
ReplyDeleteShe is our local treasure.
DeleteWhat a lovely neighbour!
ReplyDeleteShe is a blessing to several of us.
DeleteDarling Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteIt is the kindness of others that can really reduce one to tears, we find. How delightful these gestures are from your neighbour and they are memories which will surely last for all time.
We do so wish that your neighbour was our neighbour. We have, of course, no wish to deprive you of your delightful neighbour, and possibly, travelling might be curtailed at present, but, when the pandemic is over [as it surely will be] then we could suggest a holiday in Budapest for your neighbour. We can provide accommodation and a kitchen. We can show her the hidden delights of this magical city but there would be one thing we would ask......
Clotted cream....absolutely unobtainable in The Motherland.... and something that we have spied in your wonderful boxes of treats.
So, armed with clotted cream, [and, perhaps, strawberry jam as that also can be in short supply here] we could celebrate Pandemic Liberation Day with her fabulous teatime treats!! All will be well.
Dear Jane & Lance,
DeleteI wish I could oblige and send her over to you, but what a great idea you have suggested - a Pandemic Liberation Day. This is definitely something that I shall bear in mind for the future.
How kind. My neighbour continues to help everyone in the quiet way that he always did, tidying up all the shared areas, putting the bins back after the binmen have been "playing with them", etc.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say "playing with the bins" does he accidentally mix them up so that you all end up with the wrong bins?
DeleteOh how delicious, there is nothing better than an English High Tea. What a kind and special lady indeed, and one with great baking talent too. Grandsons are so special, and his call was a delightful touch for Valentine's Day.
ReplyDeleteDear Patricia - yes, he is a great grandson and is very thoughtful to us both. He is my husband's only hope that his surname will continue, a burden that he does not know he bears!
DeleteWe have four granddaughters, all of whom are the apple of our eyes.
That is interesting about your husband's surname, as my husband is in the same position. All other contenders are now out of the frame. For the past 11 years our Australian grandson has been the only hope for our surname, but now the twin boys have arrived the position has rather improved :)
Delete💚 good, that means your husband has more chances of having is hopes fulfilled.
DeleteHello Rosemary, I have a feeling that you and your husband's being gracious neighbors and grandparents had a lot to do with these kind favors. When things are appreciated, we are likely to be more generous.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Hello Jim - community is so important, particularly now.
DeleteThere are some chefs in our small town who are spending their days cooking organic meals. These are then frozen and anyone in the community can purchase them, but if money is a problem then they are free or cost whatever the person can manage. If you can afford to pay a little bit more than the set cost this theb goes towards helping make even more meals. They have 10 outlets scattered around the town where anyone can collect some food.
The best I get is a neighbour who sometimes clears my sidewalk with his snow blower so that I don't have to shovel it. What a wonderful person this neighbour of yours must be!
ReplyDeleteI am sure that you do appreciate the snow blower being used to save you having to shovel snow. But you are right, I think our neighbour is a little gem.
DeleteDear Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteHow very special that you have such a caring neighbor. Not only are the boxes beautifully put together but they must also be so very delicious.
I'm happy to report that we have, in our little town, such a neighbor. She specializes in baking country breads, which is so appreciated because a good loaf of bread is not available in these parts.
This special friend is also going with me on a long drive so that I can receive my first Covid vaccine. She wants to make sure that I don't have a negative reaction while driving home.
Dear Gina - I am so pleased to learn that your special friend will be with you when you receive your Covid vaccine. It is much better that you should be accompanied especially when it is a long drive. Hope it all goes well for you - both of us received Pfizer jabs - we neither felt the prick or had any reaction whatsoever.
DeleteHello Rosemary, how lovely of your neighbour to treat you to tea for Valentine's Day. She sounds like a real gem. In many ways, community has pulled together during this pandemic to ensure that people have food and transportation, as well as treats! How special of your grandson to call and show you around his apartment in London. Ours, too, is a favourite grandson, as we have just the one, plus 4 granddaughters.
ReplyDeleteThere will be great celebration when this pandemic is declared over, and a Liberation Tea sounds like just the thing!
Hello Lorrie - snap we have exactly the same 1 grandson and 4 granddaughters. I am beginning to think that a Pandemic Liberation Tea is the way forward for all of us - it will be such an historic moment for us all.
DeleteI could go for a real Devonshire (or Cornish) clotted cream tea right this minute! If there's anything that can't be replicated any place on the planet in any way, shape or form, it's real clotted cream from the two southwest counties! Those who've never sat in an English cottage garden on a summer afternoon with fresh from the oven scones, homemade strawberry jam and golden crusted clotted cream, I feel sad for them!!! Yes, let's all plan for the biggest Liberation Tea - SOON!
ReplyDeleteI often share our food with the two neighbors on either side of us - they are both great divorced guys who live alone and don't cook much, and really seem to enjoy my baked goods, soups etc. I love being able to do that - it makes me happy!
Your treats from a neighbor were awesome - but then you two are awesome also and deserve to be spoiled now and then!
Mary xx
Dear Mary - the scones, jam and clotted cream were perfect, but sadly there was no sitting in an English cottage garden - just the two of us in front of the sitting room fire.
DeleteI bet your two neighbours really love to see you arriving on their doorstep armed with goodies. When someone unexpectedly treats you with such kindness it gives you a great lift.
It's always good to get a boost to give you a lift in what appears to be a very long running situation in the UK. Mine was six inches of snow from nature last week. I was out every day.
ReplyDeleteYou are young at heart Bob - did you go tobogganing? No snow in our corner of the world.
DeleteWhat a lovely surprise! Your neighbour evidently gets much joy from making these treats and how lucky you are to have her take you under wing. She might like to see some of your travel pics? You could give her a virtual holiday in return!
ReplyDeleteAll thoughts are welcome here Pipistrello, but today you have given me an idea. She lives in a pretty house, maybe I could take a photo of it when her garden is full of summer flowers and have it framed for her.
DeleteOh, a lovely idea!
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DeleteDear Rosemary - What a tasteful celebration of Valentine’s Day filled with kindness and love! Your grandson is so thoughtful for the good timing call. I also have only one grandson other than three granddaughters. I like myself best when I’m with my grandchildren even electrically.
ReplyDeleteYoko
Dear Yoko - we have almost the same brood - I have one grandson and four granddaughters. They are such a joy, grow up far too quickly, but it is lovely to see them developing into young adults that you can feel proud to call your own.
DeleteMarijke left a message here which curiously has vanished.
ReplyDeleteGood morning dear Rosemary,
What a very lovely surprise from your neighbours. It must have tasted extra delicious because it's made with love.
Are your Crocuses already in bloom?
Have a wonderful day
Marijke
Sorry that the message vanished Marijke - the Crocuses are in flower, they do appear to be early. We did not receive the snow that blew in from the east like other parts of the country and now we have warm winds from Africa. My Crocuses sit in a spot that is sheltered by two drystone walls and catch the mid morning sun inviting them to open up.
DeleteNow that was a kind and thoughtful act, I don’t think many people received such delightful gifts.
ReplyDeleteIt was such a very thoughtful and delicious surprise Friko, and completely changed how we were feeling on what was a rather gloomy, grey day.
DeleteBeautifully packaged, timely, and you reported everything was delicious! What a neighborly gift to share on St. Valentine's Day! How wonderful for her to enjoy in the sharing and wonderful for you to welcome her contribution; especially during these "separate times". When this is over, no doubt we will all start taking every little "get-together" more seriously and we will never again take stopping to greet a neighbor or a friend for granted. Next week I will qualify for the vaccination! Hooray!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Mary - I am delighted to learn that you are soon to have your vaccination - it is a great relief when you have it.
DeleteYou are right about having little 'get-togethers' and not taking friends and neighbours etc for granted after the Pandemic. This strange period has been one in which to reflect seriously about our future.
There has been a lot written about how our lives will have forever changed once we are out of the dangerous times. How frequently we will be ordering take-out (I still haven't done it, although I have bought a few deli meals in the grocery store!), whether or not we will be attending movies, concerts or community events at the pre-covid levels and many more that will be written about in the future.
ReplyDeleteDear Mary - we don't do take-outs either, but I am always taken by surprise at how many people regularly go to a McDonald's etc. We did treat ourselves to a "Valentines Meal Deal" from M&S last weekend, it was really good, and even included a bottle of Rosé Prosecco and some chocolates.
DeleteWhat a delightful gesture! It all looks very delicious. I shall have to copy that soon and surprise a deserving neighbor.
ReplyDeleteFunny. Our newscasters kept saying during this artic cold front to be sure and check on your elderly neighbors. My Tom ask me who we could check on and then he was confused when three of the neighbors checked on Us!
That is amusing Janey.
DeleteWhat a beautiful gesture, I would call this lady a kind of angel , and you probably are lovely neighbors too :-)
ReplyDeleteShe has certainly brought glad tidings to several of us in this corner of the world
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