A week of happy, sad, and everything in between, with Kim and Juliet
Good morning, friends. It is time for Weekend Meanderings with Kim and Juliet. Join us as we share all the things that piqued our interest this week.
I won’t lie, this past week has been all over the place. We celebrated my stepfather’s life and mourned together, which is both a grief and a gift. In the middle of everything we also learned that my uncle is now in hospice. My cousins and I find ourselves in a tender, strange season, losing our two fathers who were the best of friends. They spent decades of weekends together, campin in our Airstream at their favorite state park, fishing, sitting around the campfire, reading, trading stories. The simple things. The best things. If the call we received last night holds, they will be together again before the weekend is out.
And then, right in the middle of all the visits and shared memories and sadness, came the news that my niece is expecting. A new life on the way. Happy and sad and everything in between, all in the same week. That is just how it goes sometimes.
Between the family and friends who came from far and wide there were quiet moments too, stories and laughter and the kind of conversation that only happens when people have known each other long enough to remember everything. Since we got home I have felt one weight lift from my shoulders. Caring for my brother-in-law in the weeks leading up to the funeral had fallen to me and Bill, a task my sister-in-law took over when we left to the funeral. It takes a village, or at least a wonderful family and many good friends, including all of you, to get through hard times. But another weight has settled in, right on my heart. Now that the services are over I sit with the memories and the grief of all that will never be.
Sorry to be a little heavy this morning. This is the season I am in. If you feel inclined this is a safe space to share your season.
On a lighter note, Kim, Juliet and I always have plenty to share. Let’s meander.
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Home Tours
A Victorian Terrace, Transformed.
Gemma and her husband bought a derelict Victorian terrace in Balham in the middle of Covid, smoke-stained walls, back door held together by plywood. They moved in from day one, stripped it back themselves over six months, and when the cheapest contractor walked off the job they finished it themselves, learning panelling, skirting boards, and sash window restoration from YouTube. Heritage detail throughout: original cracked hallway tiles left exactly as found, a stained glass front door recreated to match the conservation street, Crittall-style sliding doors, and a bespoke two-tone kitchen. I love everything about this house!
Trematon Castle
When Frieda Gormley, co-founder of House of Hackney, and her husband Javvy took on a Norman castle in Cornwall, they swapped a tiny Hackney garden for nine acres of history. Eight years on, Trematon is home to their family of four, maximalist color, leopard print, and a 1068 Norman keep that now houses extremely well-kept chickens.
Gardens
Monty Don in Venice — If gardens, Monty Don, and Venice are among your favorite things, this one is for you. Behind the famous canals and palaces lies a hidden world of extraordinary gardens: palazzo gardens, monastery vineyards, rooftop terraces, a modern Scarpa garden, and the grand Baroque drama of Villa Barbarigo. Monty explores how trade, faith, flooding, and Venetian privacy shaped one of the Adriatic’s most surprising garden cities. I watched it twice.
At the Cinema
Callie is an awkward pre-teen whose one true friend is a plant named Mabel. As her attachment grows it puts her at odds with her mother and threatens her first real shot at human friendship. I am charmed already.
A young man leaves home to find his estranged grandfather and uncovers a series of letters that unlock family secrets none of them saw coming. This one screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and I am looking forward to watching it.
Frank and Marlene are retirees whose marriage has quietly hollowed out over the years. They haven’t spoken directly in so long that their dog Alfredo has become their interpreter and unwitting couples therapist. When their careful balance is finally disrupted they are forced to face how far apart they have truly drifted. Funny and sad. I think you will love it.
A Reminder
Why Extraordinary is Overrated.
This one arrived in my inbox at exactly the right moment. The message is quiet: none of us moves through life entirely alone. We are shaped by those who walk beside us, by those who came before us, and sometimes by people whose lives only briefly brush ours. Being present for someone does not mean fixing them or pointing the way. Often it simply means making room for them as they are. And that presence does not disappear when someone dies. The people we have loved stay with us, in memory, in the way we see the world, sometimes in the face looking back from the mirror. We carry one another. Perhaps that is why, even in the loneliest moments, none of us is ever truly alone.
I hope you have a wonderful Saturday, friends. Tell me what you have planned for summer’s last hurrah.
Be sure to visit Kim at Northern California Style and Juliet at Make Mine a Spritzer for everything they are sharing this weekend.
You can find me on Pinterest and Instagram for more of what I am loving this week.
On My Radar
Elizabeth I always look forward to your posts as I love how heartfelt you are and open. You’ve been through quite a bit lately, all at once. As we age, it does seem like seasons like this occur more often. I pray that the days are gentle with you and you are helped by the presence of friends, family and memories and of course your precious doggy companions. So grateful summer is on the wane and we have autumn to look forward too. The videos you shared look fun and I may just spend the weekend watching those, reading my book, and staying cool inside. Take care! ( thank you for your kind reply to my comment yesterday )