A very sad day

Sadly there is a bright new star looking down on us today.   Our beautiful, kind, funny, amazing friend Joani was laid to rest this afternoon after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.  Our thoughts go out to all of those whose lives she touched and who will have been affected by her passing.   John and I feel so very privileged to have been able to spend some memorable times with her and Roger and Daisy Dog and to count on them as 'family'.  Rest in Peace dear friend you will be sorely missed.

Orchids will always remind me of Joani - her father grew them in the hot-house they created for him when he lived near to them - she always referred to him as 'Daddy' and he managed to live reasonably independently into his 90s.  

Joani loved gardening - one of the last emails I had from her was news on the work she had been doing in their new garden having moved house - she sent photographs of her hard work for John's birthday last September. 

Her previous garden sported a fabulous terracotta warrior which I am sure she referred to as The General - I can't remember if he got to move with them.

As I repotted the plant I rescued from Mum's (when it had only one leaf remaining) I thought about the people we have lost since moving out here - a sign of getting old I suppose but too many of them have been taken far too soon.