marsden_online (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
marsden_online) wrote2022-10-09 01:12 pm
marsden_online) wrote2022-10-09 01:12 pm
Entry tags:
- family,
- good times,
- life,
- memory,
- rip,
- travel,
- wellington
Wellington trip in brief
Thoughts in vaguely structured order.
17th of Sept (a Saturday) was the memorial service for D's mother, who passed away at the beginning of August. D. flew up at the beginning of the week to spend some time with the boys and help with organising. E, myself, and my Mum flew up on the Friday. One evening during the week I helped out formatting the service sheets via a google doc.
D picked us up from the airport and took us to see the rose garden (not yet in bloom) where J's ashes have been interred atop those of D's late father who passed away many years ago. Friday evening was a dinner for 'the adults', including E & the boys' father, at a local pub/eatery.
Despite the lead time things weren't as organised as I would have hoped; specific example the photo albums had not been gone through before we arrived and so I was up to after 1am Saturday scanning and organising the slideshow. I believe the master of ceremonies (an old and dear friend of the family) was up to about 4:30am writing his speech/es.
The venue was supplied by the local Bridge Club, of which J had been a long-time member and organiser before she became too unwell. The building had I understand originally been a local theatre, but is not split among multiple organisations and businesses. We were able to do setup on Friday evening but had a hard time to have the space reset and be out on Saturday, which we barely managed.
I had some minor technical issues getting the slideshow going, nothing to do with the venue but with failing to actually test it properly on my laptop beforehand.
The service itself was a mixed bag with some very moving tributes including from D., too many hymns (but we didn't get a say in that), and also a few people who when the floor was opened spent too much time talking about themselves / over-broad shared history / the organisations J had been involved in and not enough time actually talking about J's place in things.
J was a determined (stubborn) woman who contributed a lot to the communities she was involved in over the years. The relationship between her and D was complicated at times but ended on a high note, inasmuch as that was possible. I am sorry I only got to meet her a few times.
After the service I wandered around with my camera, as I do (overall disappointed with how the photos came out on-the-whole, but better than having none at all) and engaged back in conversation with those who engaged with me, until it became clear that if someone didn't start moving things we were not going to make our deadline to be out.
Post-memorial there were drinks and socialising and consumption of the leftover catering back at J's home, from which I eventually retired for a nap and later after a little board gaming (Splendor) with P, D & I both collapsed for an early night.
As is the way of things you learn a lot about elder family that you didn't before at funerals, and this was no exception, but it's not my place to put down those details. The memorial did however provide the opportunity for D to reconnect with branches and members of the family from whom she had become estranged through no fault of her own, and some of those reestablished bonds are already bearing fruit.
~~~
Sunday was family time, and Wellington turned on it's absolute best weather for us. Our party met up with A and the boys at the Cabletop Eatery for brunch, followed by a ride down the cable car and back. We then connected with P & C (J's friends and caregivers) at the Mt Victoria summit, and finally relocated to Kaffee Eis for ice cream.
The happenings were marred slightly by my addle-headedly entering /my/ car's licence plate number in the Wilson's parking machine instead of that of the borrowed car we were driving and the resulting ticket, but that has since been cleared up.
Our flight home (four of us) was late afternoon/early evening, and after dropping mum home it was with great relief and exhaustion that we made it home ourselves.
17th of Sept (a Saturday) was the memorial service for D's mother, who passed away at the beginning of August. D. flew up at the beginning of the week to spend some time with the boys and help with organising. E, myself, and my Mum flew up on the Friday. One evening during the week I helped out formatting the service sheets via a google doc.
D picked us up from the airport and took us to see the rose garden (not yet in bloom) where J's ashes have been interred atop those of D's late father who passed away many years ago. Friday evening was a dinner for 'the adults', including E & the boys' father, at a local pub/eatery.
Despite the lead time things weren't as organised as I would have hoped; specific example the photo albums had not been gone through before we arrived and so I was up to after 1am Saturday scanning and organising the slideshow. I believe the master of ceremonies (an old and dear friend of the family) was up to about 4:30am writing his speech/es.
The venue was supplied by the local Bridge Club, of which J had been a long-time member and organiser before she became too unwell. The building had I understand originally been a local theatre, but is not split among multiple organisations and businesses. We were able to do setup on Friday evening but had a hard time to have the space reset and be out on Saturday, which we barely managed.
I had some minor technical issues getting the slideshow going, nothing to do with the venue but with failing to actually test it properly on my laptop beforehand.
The service itself was a mixed bag with some very moving tributes including from D., too many hymns (but we didn't get a say in that), and also a few people who when the floor was opened spent too much time talking about themselves / over-broad shared history / the organisations J had been involved in and not enough time actually talking about J's place in things.
J was a determined (stubborn) woman who contributed a lot to the communities she was involved in over the years. The relationship between her and D was complicated at times but ended on a high note, inasmuch as that was possible. I am sorry I only got to meet her a few times.
After the service I wandered around with my camera, as I do (overall disappointed with how the photos came out on-the-whole, but better than having none at all) and engaged back in conversation with those who engaged with me, until it became clear that if someone didn't start moving things we were not going to make our deadline to be out.
Post-memorial there were drinks and socialising and consumption of the leftover catering back at J's home, from which I eventually retired for a nap and later after a little board gaming (Splendor) with P, D & I both collapsed for an early night.
As is the way of things you learn a lot about elder family that you didn't before at funerals, and this was no exception, but it's not my place to put down those details. The memorial did however provide the opportunity for D to reconnect with branches and members of the family from whom she had become estranged through no fault of her own, and some of those reestablished bonds are already bearing fruit.
~~~
Sunday was family time, and Wellington turned on it's absolute best weather for us. Our party met up with A and the boys at the Cabletop Eatery for brunch, followed by a ride down the cable car and back. We then connected with P & C (J's friends and caregivers) at the Mt Victoria summit, and finally relocated to Kaffee Eis for ice cream.
The happenings were marred slightly by my addle-headedly entering /my/ car's licence plate number in the Wilson's parking machine instead of that of the borrowed car we were driving and the resulting ticket, but that has since been cleared up.
Our flight home (four of us) was late afternoon/early evening, and after dropping mum home it was with great relief and exhaustion that we made it home ourselves.