From the manse garden to Scotland

Thomas grew up in a big manse (his mother was a minister), with an even bigger manse garden. On one of our last trips there before Brita retired we took a few eranthis from the garden (bottom middle above) and planted them here in Newton Mearns. Nothing came of them and given that was back in spring 2008, I had long given up hope of seeing any sign of them. That was until last week, when suddenly, dozens of them decided to pop out, here five years on in February. What a strange little game of hide and seek they've been playing!

It's a lovely reminder of the big old house - a much-missed holiday destination, that sadly our youngest children never really got to know. The timing was sadly all wrong for them to spend their childhoods running about hiding in the house, the church at the bottom of the garden or the church hall which was also on the same grounds as Marcel and Charlotte had done for 3 or 4 summers in their childhoods. Léon, of course, came too but was too young to really remember and Anna was a baby when they moved out. They would have loved to see that spectacular Christmas tree in the dining room and the likes.It's so sad that Thomas and I got together so late.

But I bet you're laughing. You never thought you'd hear a grumpy old atheist like me lamenting my long-lost, beloved Church of Denmark manse! (I'm still surprised to this day I was never struck by lightning sleeping in it, especially before my divorce had come through ;-) )