Sunday 15 June 2008

Thank you Mrs 'B'

We are blessed with very good neighbours here. Not the sort of neighbours you would have coffee with, but those that would help you out in a crisis...be there in your time of need. Mrs 'B' and I will often have a chat over the garden fence,about the meaning of life, healthy food, or forthcoming events in our lives. Mrs 'B' has never had much interest in gardening. She often has said to me "Don't give me any plants, I will only kill them." We have exchanged views and accepted each other, and the differing opinions.
I was in the garden this morning and Mrs 'B' called over "Cheryl, I have a present for you."
I walked over and a trug of beautiful vegetables and strawberries greeted me. "These are for you, you have inspired me." The said lady had tears in her eyes, and I had a lump in my throat. This is the sort of gift you can never buy. Fruits and vegetables nurtured by an individual, a labour of love. Picked, and carefully arranged in a trug and given with feeling. Mrs 'B' has found her niche....not for her pretty flowers.....or a wildlife sanctuary....but in the veg and herb garden. Does it matter where, as long as we are in touch with the soil and getting our hands dirty.
Mr. P and I had a lovely lunch with good home grown produce, as fresh as you can get, and given with a good heart. Mrs 'B' thank you, you really made my day.

12 comments:

beckie said...

Cheryl, what a lovely and thoughtful gift. I told you that you were an inspiration to others. I saw the word 'trug' on another English blog the other day and wasn't quite sure what it meant...now I do. I am learning so much. If I ever get to England, I will be able to speak the lingo!

Cheryl said...

Hi Beckie.....It was a lovely gift and so much apprectiated.

I have noticed that the spelling often differs between us.....there are also words that you and others have used that I have not understood. It is interesting, don't you think?

Zvrk said...

What a kind neighbour you have!
In our household it's me who tends to flowers and my husbands who 'does'veg. I do saw them and nurture them into seedling stage but then they are let to my husband to make the most of them.
Today I went to Sissinghurst garden. I have never seen it so busy (and I have been there many times).
White garden looked stunning, white peony, foxgloves, poppy( I have to get it!)and rose on the pergola. Wonderful!!!

Wendy said...

How nice! What a thoughtful gift. She sounds like a kind person. Isn't it wonderful when you can spread a little of your gardening around - and inspire somebody else?
I think that true friends are the kind who enjoy each other's company and yet respect each other's differences.
I also didn't know what the word "trug" was. Good thing you posted a picture - now I know!

Cheryl said...

Hi Zvrk Sissinghurst is beautiful....the white garden I can imagine was ....white poppies are beautiful, I had some a few years ago...they never came back. Sigh.
It is good to work together in the garden, it sounds as if you have a good arrangement.
Glad you had a good day.

Cheryl said...

Hi Wendy....It is good to have neighbours who are like minded.
Hope all is well with you.

Grand Life said...

What a great post. I have neighbors like that. I don't think I could ever move from my neighbourhood just because the people there are so good.
Judy

Dawny P said...

How lovely - and sooo thoughtful. You are lucky to have a nice neightbour. Unfortunately, ours are not and they don't talk to us because of our beautiful birds. They don't talk to other residents for a variety of reason - oh dear, it is quite sad I think!! But the rest of the villagers are just wonderful and there is a real sense of community here which is perhaps old fashioned by todays standards, but we love it. Hope you had a great weekend Cheryl xxx

Cheryl said...

Hi Dawny....being neighbourly and there for each other is sadly lacking in many places now. I count myself so lucky that we have such kind and caring people living close to us.
Weekend was great, hope that yours was to.

Rose said...

A gift from the heart means more than any other kind of gift. How fortunate you are to have such a thoughtful neighbor. I lived most of my life in a small community where neighbors were always there for a person in a time of crisis. That is something that has been lost too often today.
Not everyone can or wants to be a gardener, but we can all be a friend!

Cheryl said...

Hi Rose...you are so right. We moved here because the town that we lived in for 26 years had changed dramatically. People found it too much trouble even to smile sometimes.
Being in the country is so different. I find people are kinder and somehow more genteel.
I fit in better, I like to smile and be friendly and I love being part of a small community.

My friendship with you and Beckie is a good one.......the pond may be between us, but we are connected by an invisble thread across those miles.

Libbys Blog said...

What a fantastic gesture. How you must have helped inspire her.