With things feeling a little bleak at the moment I seem to be spending some time thinking back to happy memories. Whilst I do not believe in wishing my life away and living in the moment matters, taking moments to look back and smile are good too.
I was out in the garden the other day and I noticed that the Southport Broom was flowering. This is not its real name, in reality it is Cytisus 'Goldfinch'. It is a fine shrub and I always think that Broom is a great Spring flowering addition to any garden. I do not find it very long-living generally, but I know that this one has been in my garden since May 2015.
I know this as I bought it on 13th May 2015 from a small nursery on the outskirts of Southport. I can be this precise as it was the date when I had one of my tattoos completed (yes plural, shush.) I have a routine when I visit Southport, which has had a change a little over time as my 'stop for breakfast' place closed a few years ago, but on the way home it is always a must to stop off at Crosby to have an ice cream and gaze out at the Anthony Gormley 'Another Place' figures. If I can I also pull in a visit to somewhere else as Southport is a bit of hike from Leicester but it depends on what time I leave and various other things.
On this particular May visit my sat nav took me on a detour into town which was a way I had not been before. As I was driving along I saw I was approaching a nursery. Aha! I thought, a plant buying opportunity; I shall stop off on the way home and buy a plant. I pulled in briefly to make a note of the name of the place as I had no idea where I was (sat nav detour, remember). One tattoo session later and I was googling the name of the nursery to find the address. I did not make a mistake and firstly write down the name of the registered office and end up outside a house in a nice Southport Street, no no no, that would be silly. I eventually found the right address and made my way to the nursery.
One cytisus purchase later and I was on my way home again.
It flowers well every year and the flowers are like flames lighting up the space.
Once it has finished flowering it disappears into the background and I do not usually notice it very much. Whenever it flowers I stop and look at it and smile. When I was looking on this day I thought about how travelling feels like a dream at the moment, a thing belonging to a previous time yet now feeling just out of reach. I know that life will resume and that we will get through this. Until then I will look on all the memories that grow in my garden, reminding me of people and places, friends and family and I will smile.
Stay safe all.
