Categories: friends
Date: 05 October 2007 23:39:28
An era came to an end today. It was probably noticed only in my humble dwelling but it came to an end nevertheless. After 18 months of sharing my little cottage with me, the Lödgerin has moved back to Germany. She was originally intending to remain only a year but life here seemed to suit her and she extended her stay. The hospital was more than happy to have her on the cancer ward and I was more than happy to have her company but I think, in the end, the call of home became stronger over time and she felt she should answer. Over the past few weeks, she has been packing up enormous quantities of stuff that she had somehow managed to shoehorn into her bedroom. Some enormous boxes have gone by mail (or maybe not, as we currently have a postal strike), some stuff has been taken back home by visiting friends, some has gone to the charity shop and I have acquired various useful bits and bobs.
Over the months we have lived in the same abode, we have had a lot of fun together. We have planned the restructuring of the local transport system, the opening of a café serving German Kaffee und Kuchen and generally set the world to rights in other respects. We have been on little Weltentdeckungsreisen (world explorations) ranging from walks locally to Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove and to exploring Wells Cathedral. We have also explored the world of the kitchen by making yoghurt, quark, elderflower cordial, various jams and blackberry recipes.
The Lödgerin has been an ambassador for both Britain and Germany. While she has been here, she has boosted share prices in jam doughnuts, Nutella, Finnish crispbreads and Milka chocolate.
Her many visitors from Germany have been introduced to the delights of clotted cream teas (the mandatory welcome meal on their arrival) and to other quintessentially British customs including the vagaries of our transport system. If you ever know want to know how to get from A to B via Q, Z and K, the Lödgerin will find out the best and cheapest route.
She has brought German traditions to the cottage by making an Adventskranz (wreath) and also Advent calendars, each made of 24 separately wrapped chocolates hanging on ribbons. In November last year, her bedroom looked like some sort of cross between Santa's grotto and a massive cat's cradle as she made these calendars for her 6 nephews and nieces. At her request, we bought a Christmas tree with roots so that it could be replanted in the local wood. (“Chrissy” looked very pretty in the sitting room, I don't think she has fared too well in the big wide world but - shhh....because the Lödgerin is very sensitive on the tree's behalf.) The Lödgerin is also an enthusiastic recycler - to the extent that I would have to retrieve items from the green box and surreptitiously put them in the landfill bin without her knowledge. Her other skills include baking an enormous range of Kuchen for her colleagues and church friends - in some cases bringing ingredients from Germany when they haven't been available here.
We developed a little jokey habit that, often, when she left the house, she'd call out, “I'm going!” and I would shout from my study, “Missing you already!”. This morning at 9 o'clock, she climbed into the taxi as the driver heaved her over-the-airline-limit bag into the boot. “Don't miss me too much!” she called. Standing at the front door, I raised my hand in farewell. With a lump in my throat I replied, “Missing you already.”