A sad week and a catch up

Hi everyone! I know I have been somewhat absent of late. So I thought I would update you on what has been going on.

A painful loss

My father died two weeks ago, after two months in hospital and a couple of years of declining health. Even though he was 92 and had lived a happy and long life, his loss has left a painful, gaping hole. I guess it doesn’t matter how old you are, losing a parent is tough.

We are a close-knit, large and loud family, with my Mum and Dad at the heart of everything. I am one of four siblings, and once you get all of us together with partners, children, extended family and the odd dog or two, our gatherings are noisy! My Dad loved nothing more than sitting quietly in the heart of the madness. His family brought him so much joy, along with his garden, the odd day of fishing and watching his beloved West Ham in action. 

He had a beautiful funeral, full of family and friends who let us know just how loved and respected he was. The sun came out, and everyone wore either claret and blue in honour of his football team or colourful florals like those in his amazing cottage garden. I even had my nails painted in a West Ham theme for the occasion.

Now we will be focussing on my Mum, who had Dad in her life for almost 70 years. It’s going to be hard for her, but she is tough and has a lot of support.

Going forward

Dad would want us to get on with our lives and we will. My own garden is a bit neglected, I have been doing the bare minimum work-wise, and the redecoration of the house has stalled somewhat. We have forgotten about budgets, meal planning and scratch cooking, so it is time to get back to basics.

One thing I have been doing, as I explained on my YouTube channel, is looking for secondhand bargains. Some are to keep and some are to resell. Hitting the charity shops between hospital visits has proved a good distraction, and listing a few things here and there to sell online is something I have been able to do when I found it hard to concentrate on much else.

I know the grieving process is just beginning and there will be a lot of tears in the months ahead, but now it’s time to regroup and reorganise myself.

So watch out for more of my usual money-saving content. I think most of us need to watch the pennies more closely than ever!

RIP, Dad. I will miss your calm and reassuring presence in my life, but will focus on the things you left behind for me.

Ronald Berry – 1931 to 2023