E stands for Endings and Endearment.

As many of my friends on ABCW may know, my dear sister Norma passed away on the 28th December 2015.

She was suffering from the terrible affliction of Type 1 Diabetes incurring sight loss and eventually kidney and heart failure.  I just couldn't believe that my lovely 'big sister's' life had sadly Ended.

  All that I could think of was that my clever vivacious sister, of almost seventy years was no longer here. The last couple of times when we saw her she didn't recognise me, yet recognised Ian, she just stared at me blankly. At present my grief knows no bounds, grief is very much a subjective thing,

 I know my dear brother Clive is grieving but it's something we don't  yet seem  able to share.

 I can't bear to think of how she was when she was so poorly, so I have the image of the picture below, in my mind, when she was so  Endearingly lovely.

She was such a kind and supportive sister to Clive and I and looked after us a lot when Mum had  to work.

Norma Margaret Courtenay 1938-2015. RIP darling sister,

 It was Norma who encouraged us both to read and write, to speak properly also to appreciate great literature and recite poetry maybe she was meant to teach but she ended up working in a bank, and I followed her, into what was considered to be a good job, in those days!

This picture was taken when she was 24 years of age and just married to her darling husband Roy, who, sadly, passed away twelve years ago. They had a full and happy marriage, although they were not blessed with children, they had many pets including  four goats, two Labrador dogs and four cats.

My sincere thanks to the EXCEEDINGLY  talented Denise for devising abcw.

 Also my thanks to Roger for his  EXCEPTIONAL administrative skills in keeping this successful and interesting blog running smoothly!

Again not forgetting the team of workers who assist Roger by visiting and commenting on participating sites.