Rosa 'Susan Williams-Ellis' 24 October 2024

The Rose family – Robert Frost

The rose is a rose,

And was always a rose.

But the theory now goes

That the apple's a rose,

And the pear is, and so's

The plum, I suppose.

The dear only knows

What will next prove a rose.

You, of course, are a rose -

But were always a rose.

Both Rosemary and I were well versed in botany so we knew what Robert Frost knew about all those fruits that are part of the rose family.

Today 24 October 2024 is a sunny day. The sunniness does not ameliorate my grief for the loss of my Rosemary. But I did notice this one bloom of English Rose, Rosa ‘Susan Williams-Ellis’ in a garden that is now devoid of open blooms. There are a few other buds that might surprise me.

When I saw the white rose I knew what seems to be my case now which is to somehow connect the scanner rose to my Rosemary.

Her favourite colours in the garden where white and blue. This scan would have been to her liking.

Rosa 'Bathsheba' 27 October 2024

While it really is a private matter since this blog is really a “Dear Diary”-kind of writing, It would be disingenuous of me to not admit to missing all those things Rosemary and I did in bed. Yes we did watch some TV, read the papers, pet our cats, discuss finances and plan trips. Yes. But I also miss all those gentle escapades that as we got older became ever more gentle.

I was thinking about all that last night in my bed with Niño and Niña right next to me. This happens every night as I sense that empty spot on my right on the bed. She was always there for 52 years.

Because of my Bunny Watson type of association the idea of chopped onion came into my head.

I make fabulous mashed potatoes. I use cream, lots of butter and I whip up the mixture with an electric beater. I like to add freshly ground pepper and grated Parmeggiano-Reggiano cheese. There is an additional ingredient that is most special. When I first met Rosemary she told me that her mother would chop up raw onion and put it into the mashed potatoes towards the end so that they would not cook too much. The final recipe for mashed potatoes involved both our families.

I make fabulous mashed potatoes. Rosemary called them comfort food. Last night the idea that sex with Rosemary was a frequent comfort that always had a bit of edge led me to thinking up the scan you see here. Why do I have Rosa ‘Bathsheba’ in it?

Our sometimes edgy sex did also have a gentleness. This rose, about to open, somehow reminds me of Rosemary when we closed the lights or in those mornings when we shared lazy, slow and gentle sex. This is something we did until a couple of months before she died.

Yes, mashed potatoes.