cyclamen :: snow :: our hearts

At the front of the house we have two pots of pretty cyclamen.
They do well in the cold weather, but last week week we had a night of temperatures of -12 here in Colchester!
They are holding onto their petals but I dare not touch them in case they all tumble to the ground.

And our snowman was such fun to make!
Frank and I had a great time making him and burrowing through the coal in the shed to find pieces small enough to decorate him.
He is all but melted today as we now have warm temperatures and are all out and about and mobile again.


And we made each other little Valentine's cards yesterday.
Toast was cut into heart shapes for breakfast and we made a yummy dinner to mark our love for our little family.
Sounds sappy, but we take any reason we can to have a special meal!
We love our food.
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Whilst on the subject of hearts and love, I have to admit that Andrew and I are rather heart sore this week, having delivered his Mum to her nursing home last Friday.
Seeing her leave her home of more than forty years and worse, her husband of nearly sixty years was tough on all of us.
In a kind twist of nature, and indeed fate, she has very little short-term memory left, I think, and we hope this might help her feel less stressed as the days go by.
The home is lovely and she is cared for by people who know how to help her.
Andrew's father did as much as could be expected of anyone, let alone someone of 84 who is not that mobile themselves, and is now resting after what must have been a tough six months before defeat was admitted and help sought.
He is the hero of all this.
We are visiting her daily at present, hence another week having gone by without writing.
We are spending quiet days reflecting on the nature of family and old age, and in taking in this new phase in which we find ourselves.