I visited Gary's grave today, as I always do I paid my respects to Gary. Tided up his grave. laid a dozen fresh roses, mixed with pink carnations and had my usual chat with him. May sound silly to some people as has departed from this life, but I still talk to him, not only when I visit his grave but also in my day to day life. As always I visit his Fathers and Mothers grave, a stone through's from where Gary is interred. I usually speak to them and ask them to look after their son Gary. I know they loved him. I do believe that in life as in death they are reunited. It was nice too see that on visiting Gary's father and Mothers grave that someone had recently planted a few plants on his parents grave. I do hope they visited Gary's grave as well.

Tricia Gary's loving partner xxx

My sister Barbara and brother in law David are over visiting from Ireland and for the last two days we have met up, spent time together, went for lunch and reminisced about times gone by. Over the 17 years Gary and I shared a life together we visited Barbara and David many a time in Ireland. We all got on as they say like a house on fire. I enjoyed the fact that I could openly talk about Gary and the good times we had and they too could do the same. It gave me great comfort in knowing that they have happy memories of Gary and we are still able to talk about him and the happy times we spent together.

Tricia. Gary's loving partner.

The 30th September 2002 brings back sad memories of the day my father passed away. I went to work that morning and shortly after starting work Gary telephoned me to inform me that my father had passed away suddenly but peacefully at home. My father was 70 years of age. As my father got older he would at times state to the family that when his time comes he would rather pass away peacefully in his sleep, alas he got his wish. Gary met my father and they got on extremely well. some of my sister's ( I have 6 sisters) who all new Gary used to say to me that Gary reminded them of my father. Looking back I suppose they were right. Gary was the type of man who did not suffer fools gladly, my father was like that. I would also say that they were men that once you got to know them you knew they were true genuine people, salt of the earth as they say. I did not have the opportunity to get to know Gary's father as he passed away when Gary was only 16 years of age. When Gary through out the years I live with him did speak of his father it was with love and I realised the effect on Gary of his father dying when Gary was young had on Gary. I would have liked to have met his father James, alas that was not to be. However the way Gary would speak about his father made me feel that Gary had his fathers nature. I suppose I was lucky in life and had the privilege of knowing my father a lot longer than Gary got to know his father.

Tricia Gary's loving partner.

I visited Gary's grave today and laid a lovely bunch of yellow roses. The cemetery was quite busy. it is nice to see people visiting their loved ones. It shows they will never forget them, like I will never forget Gary. I did what I always do when I visit his grave. I let him know how I am getting on and that I still miss him even though he is always in my thoughts and heart.

Tricia, Gary's loving partner.

August is nearly finished, September will be upon us as quick as you can wink. Funny I feel as I get older the years just pass by so quickly, I am beginning to feel that's the sort of thing my mother and father would say at my age and probably their mothers and fathers did as well. I do believe that at some point in our lives we eventually all reflect back on our past. Perhaps this does not occur, when we are young and we think life is going great and we at that age know it all, we plan our lives as we are confident that is how our lives will work out forever. However as time goes by Life has can I say has a 'funny way of surprising us all'. Life surprised me, as when in my middle years of life I met a wonderful man named Gary.

Tricia Gary's Loving partner.

Had a lovely day at Jimmy's 70th surprise birthday party last Friday. The only person missing was Gary. However, Gary's name came up on many an occasion, when we were all discussing occasions that we all attended in the past with our friends from Carluke. For example, the night we all attended a charity night, all items auctioned made money for the riding for the disabled. The auction began an unusual shaped bottle of whisky was auctioned. I began bidding and so too did a lot of men at the event. I thought I will keep biding thinking that as there were more men bidding than women I would be out bided by a man. However that was not the case. I won the bottle of whisky. Just as I was paying for the whisky Gary stated he was going to the toilet. When I paid for the whisky I stated to the organiser Keep the bottle of whisky and auction it at the next charity event. When Gary came back to our seat he stated where is the bottle of Whisky. Well for years after when we attended charity events he would always remind me about that bottle of whisky. Our friends to this day remember that evening. I find it very comforting to know that I can still to this day, talk about Gary too our friends and never feel uncomfortable in doing so and neither do our friends.

Tricia. Gary's Loving partner.

Tomorrow I will be attending Jimmy's 70th Birthday party. Jimmy and his wife became a friend of both Gary and myself when we moved to Carluke over 20 years ago. All our friends from Carluke will be present. I am so lucky that the friends Gary and I made all those years ago have remained friends with me even though Gary passed away 7 years ago this September. I know he will be extremely happy that they have remained my friend in his absence. I know he will be there in spirit.

Tricia Gary's loving partner.

Happy Birthday Gary. Until we meet again.

Your loving Partner. Tricia xxx

It has now been 7 days since I was Covid 19 positive. I am now almost fully recovered. Just a little blocked nose and slight cough to go. Apart from that my health is returning to its normal self. I suppose for a woman who will be 65 years of age this year my health has been very good over the years. However, with the number of people in Great Britain over the past 2 and half years who have contracted Covid, I regard myself as being lucky, as it has only happened to me recently and after having kept in isolation I have recovered. I will be returning to work on Monday. I will visit Gary's grave on Sunday, take away the old flowers I placed there the last time I visited his grave and replace them with new ones, have my usual chat with him, let him know I have recovered. However unusual to state I know he already knows that as I know he is always by myside watching over me.

Tricia, Gary's loving partner. XXX