Friday, May 18, 2007

Goodbye Fran

My dear friend Frances is moving back to New Zealand. She's been living in the UK for "yonks". She arrived about twenty years ago as a newly qualified nurse with just a backpack.

She is repatriating herself and taking her UK acquired husband with her along with more possessions than will fit comfortably into a backpack.

Really close friends are sadly always a bit thin on the ground. She is one of those friends who I speak to on the phone every single day, if not more than once a day. When she was in hospital for some skin problems, I sneaked some Bailey's Minis and gossip magazines onto the ward for her instead of the customary grapes.

Fran is going back to a beautiful country, a new job and a whole change of scenery. She has said that we can come to visit her at any time, staying for weeks on end. If we ever did get all the way across the planet to New Zealand, we'd have to stay for a couple of weeks, just to make it worth the long journey. Sadly, I don't know when we will ever get across to that part of the world, so I don't know when I'll ever see my friend again. I'm going to miss her terribly and her friendly "G'day Piggy" when I answer the phone. By the way, she doesn't call me Piggy. That is just how Peggy sounds with her Kiwi accent.

This is what the front of Whitelees Cottage looks this afternoon (partially obscured by trees). I thought you readers would like to see.

You can almost see how the pink clematis is taking over the front of the house and almost obscuring one of the front windows. FYI, Clematis Montana is a real thug of a plant.

12 comments:

J-Funk said...

I'm so sorry your good friend is moving so far away!

I never knew that New Zealand accents were called "kiwi" accents. That would be so much fun. I need to go out and find me a friend with a kiwi accent too.

Jay said...

It's always so difficult when a good friend moves so far away. I hope she loves moving back home though.

Love the cottage. It's just beautiful.

Joy Des Jardins said...

Good luck to your friend, Fran; but I'm sorry she's moving away from you. I guess there will be a lot of phone calls, e-mails and blog comments between the two of you.

The pictures of the cottage are just gorgeous. What a beautiful place.

Peggy said...

J-Funk - Thanks for that. New Zealanders are called Kiwis. If I say that the accent is similar to an Australian accent, I'll get letters, so I'm not going to say that. ;-)


Jay - She is happy about moving back. Her father is quite elderly and she wants to be closer. I'm glad you like the house.

Joy - Franny will always be my friend, its just that she'll be far away. I seem to have a number of far away friends. Thanks for the compliment about the house.

Betty said...

I'm sorry your friend is moving so far away. Like you, I seem to have more far away friends than local ones.

Tink said...

I'm sorry your friend is moving!It's a bit like losing a limb isn't it? You wonder, "How am I going to function." Don't stop calling each other every day.

LOVE the pictures of your house. It looks so cozy!

Dogbait said...

Knock, knock.

"Who's there?"

"Da godfather. Dogbait sent me"

You thought it and that's bad enough!!

Shammickite said...

You'll HAVE to visit her in NZ, I was there 3 yrs ago and it's wonderful. And yes, you have the Kiwi accent just right.
My NZ cousin's name is Glen... pronouced GLIN!
Funny that you posted a pic of your house, cos I just posted a pic of mine!! Great minds think alike.

Jeanette said...

Hi Peggy sorry your close friend is moving so far away,dont think of loosing her N.Z think of the lovely times you have shared. You will have to start saving up for a visit to her

Xtreme English said...

sorry fran is moving away! hope it all goes very well for her. IMs are fun in a pinch. as you well know. chin up.

the cottage looks fantastic! lucky you!!

Anonymous said...

You took look so happy just being together in that picture. I'm sorry that your friend is moving away. I hope you can make it to Kiwi land for a nice long visit!

Peggy said...

Betty - It is one of the hazzards of a mobile population

Tink - Fran and I will continue to phone but there is now going to be the problem of a 12 hour time difference!

Dogbait - To the untrained ear, the two accents are similar. Naturally, my ear has a bit of training but I am allowed to THINK it. ;-)

ex-shammickite - We may go someday. Possibly when we've retired

Jeannette - Thanks for your comforting words

Xtreme - Thanks Ma. Whitelees does look pretty in the spring.

Susan - It would be nice to visit sooner rather than later, but I just can't see it.