Sue's Blog - Some assembly required.

View over the lake

This is a view over Lake Michigan.
I took at while we were at my friend's memorial on Saturday.
I was dreading going but when we arrived we found the most beautiful building with lovely surroundings.
This was taken from the patio.
Once inside we found that in the first room tables were set out for tea.....proper English tea.
Lettie had been so very, very English.
There were lots of people there, some dressed very flamboyantly.  There were many people wearing big hats.  It was like Lady's Day at Ascot.
There was even a guy wearing a huge pink feather hat and boa.
Lettie would have loved it.

We made our way onto the patio where we found, Eldon, her husband.
That was when it hit me.
He was talking to people but......he was alone.  There was no Lettie standing with him.
That, unfortunately was when I lost it.
Eldon was brilliant.  After I had, almost, got myself together he explained what happened.
Remember, he was a doctor and she was a long time nurse.

She'd had no symptoms, seemed in perfect health and was in the garden pruning some roses.
She adored her garden.
Apparently, some workmen saw her just drop to the ground.
After 6 days in the intensive care unit she died.  She'd had a massive aneurysm in her brain that, as Eldon put it, just exploded.
She'd had no warning signs what so ever.
He is devastated.

Eldon introduced us to her daughters.  I had never met them as they live in Mexico.
Oh bugger, that started me off again.  They both look so much like her.

We decided to go inside in search of tea.  Bearing in mind this is America and you can't get a cup of tea anywhere let alone a decent one, it was lovely to see a perfect English tea laid out.

There were scones with jam and cream, little finger sandwiches and tiny cakes.
The sandwiches (again remember where we are and how unlikely any of this is) were MARMITE and cream cheese, ham and mustard along with salmon and cucumber.
Lettie would have adored this...it was so HER........and she should have bloody well been there.
There was also proper tea to drink ...with MILK...not with poxy coffee creamer......or iced with lemon.

In the other room a violin quartet was gently playing and then another friend of theirs got up and sung a couple of songs.
Again, too much for me.  We stayed in the tea room.
They put on a wonderful memorial for dear Lettie.  I am still thinking of it.
We said our goodbyes and we given a gift to take home.
It was a memorial card and photo of Lettie plus a Day Lily bulb for the garden.
These were Lettie's favourite flowers.
I shall plant mine and hope it grows.  It shall be Lettie's Lily.

This was the front of the building.
Lettie would have had a really good giggle about this "Don't look Ethel" statue.

Saturday evening was Lauren's school's Homecoming Dance and Sunday was a chance to take part in an experiment for Donna and her course.
That was something of an experience that I shall relate in due course.  At least it meant the weekend ended with laughter.

posted by Sue Banks @ 1:12 PM