The bits and pieces of life
"It is terribly important that the 'small things forgotten' be remembered. For in the seemingly little and insignificant things that accumulate to create a lifetime, the essence of our existence is captured. We must remember these bits and pieces, and we must use them in new and imaginative ways so that a different appreciation for what life is today, and was in the past, can be achieved."
James Deetz, In Small Things Forgotten, 1977.
I came across these words on a friend’s Facebook page this morning and wondered how I’d not come across them before. It sent me straight to google to find out more, to identify the context and see if James Deetz had anything more of interest to say. Maybe it was the moment and the frame of mind we’re in right now but for the second time this morning, something prompted a memory and I took a moment to savour and enjoy that before getting on with the day.
The first moment came when I was getting up and heard Georgia Mann talking about T E Lawrence and the film Lawrence of Arabia before playing Maurice Jarre’s memorable and atmospheric theme music. I was immediately taken back to Wadi Rum where we spent a wonderful day during our trip to Jordan. The picture in my mind was of Edward and Amy climbing the huge sand dune - he looking handsome in his dark glasses and she wearing her scarf bedouin style thanks to our driver who was concerned about the sand blowing about. Needless to say, when I sat down at my desk, the first thing I did was to read my blog about those lovely days we spent.
Because, here we are, at home for a second lockdown until the start of December at least. We’d seen it coming, because although the numbers are still comparatively low here, they’ve been rising over the last month or so and something needed to be done. Here we were in September…
and here we are in late October/early November.
We immediately realised that our week in Scotland booked for the end of this month is not going to happen. Nor will we be able to drive up to London to spend the day with Edward and Amy as we’d hoped. We shared our disappointment and went about our days as usual but there’s no doubt, both of us felt low and in need of distraction. We’ve eased back into our limited routine in the last few weeks and have become used to being able to go out, even with the CV restrictions in place. I’ve been enjoying my early morning swims, my Hero’s been out walking and we’ve both appreciated time spent with friends. The prospect of going back to being at home 24/7 during this, the darkest time of year was gloomier than I’d anticipated and I was definitely in more of a “counting blessings” mode than usual.
It didn’t help that the weather had turned wet and windy - actually, very wet and very windy indeed as the remnants of a couple of tropical storms blew in. Thankfully, the sun came out in between the heavy showers and I could dash outside to take a photo or two.
As I did, I spotted the two slices of wood seasoning in our woodstore. I’d collected them from the sawmill just up the road last week and was delighted with the care they’d taken to keep that lovely bark intact for me. because they knew how these pieces of wood were going to be used.
One and the same destination as the flowers I’ve been pressing this week: for the wedding cake!
I took the opportunity to get the last couple of boxes of summer flowers from Maddocks Farm last week and spent a happy morning putting them in between sheets of absorbent paper before finding every heavy Le Creuset pan in the house to fill with bags of sugar and press these little beauties into submission.
Yesterday morning, I opened them up and changed the paper, checking that all was well and nothing was mouldy. Thoughts of wedding cakes are good distractions from the gloom, for sure.
Coming across that quote from James Deetz this morning prompted a welcome rabbit hole down which to fall then. I was surprised to discover the context, was pleased to read the bit about using these “bits and pieces in new and imaginative ways” and read on to the bottom of the page. By that time, my eye had caught that bit about “remember me as you pass by” and my mind was trying to recall where I had read something similar.
Actually, my memory was not 100% accurate. I recalled the time and the place - Piata Ovidiu in Constanta, Romania, where there was a series of gravestones, but I was wrong in thinking that Ovid had been the author of those words.
The text actually translates as “Live Long Passer By” and the only connection with Ovid is the name of the square in which it sits. Nevertheless, I am thankful that I did something with those bits and pieces of knowledge I collected that day, even if the imagination bit was in misremembering the author.
I’ve always written my blog as a means of saving days, both the ordinary and the special. On days like these when I am receptive to any form of distraction, it’s a Godsend to be able to return to a lovely moment and remember. I suspect that we might be doing quite a bit of that during the next four weeks - in between making cards, baking cakes and mince pies, creating new ideas for here and there, working my way through the pile of books I am looking forward to reading, getting started on some gifts I plan to make, working with colleagues on new and exciting projects which are about to begin and dreaming about this and that.
Life is never dull and for that, I am thankful.
