Today, we the Grantham Gardeners, pay tribute to our friend Sandra, who passed away this week.

For many years she was a hard working member of our little gardening community, sharing her energy, knowledge and friendship.

She made sure that we made time for social gathering during our gardening work. Talented in needlepoint, knitting and crochet, she created this bright tea cosy for our teapot for morning tea.

She was active in the wider community in a variety of organisations and gave so much of her time volunteering for the causes that meant a lot to her.

Sandra was an early adopter of living sustainably for the benefit of the environment and was always coming up with creative solutions to problems in her environment and in the home.

She was deeply interested in science and history, especially Egyptology and had a love of poetry and travel. Sandra was a wealth of knowledge and had an interest in everything in the world around her and had an energetic zest for living.

Some time ago Sandra shared her delicious Oat and Cranberry and Fruit Slice with us on this site and I repost it here:

Sandra’s Oat and Cranberry and Fruit slice

(also at this link on the site: https://granthamgarden.org/2017/09/13/oat-cranberry-and-fruit-slice/

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of oats
• 1/4 cup coconut
• 100g self raising flour
• 50 g dried cranberries
• 50 g sultanas
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 90g butter, melted
• 1Tblsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp orange zest
• Method:
• Pre heat oven to 170 ºC F
• Line a 30 x 20 cm slice tray with baking paper
• In a large bowl, place oats, SR flour, brown sugar, coconut, cranberries, sultanas and mix throughly
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over a low heat
• When butter is melted stir in golden syrup, vanilla and orange zest and allow to cool a little
• Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture
• Add the butter mixture and lightly beaten egg and mix through so that everything is thoroughly combined
• Spread the mixture over the lined tray and smooth down
• Bake for 20 -25 minutes until golden brown
• Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the tray for 5 minutes before removing the slice to a cooling rack
• When fully cooled, cut into slices and dust with icing sugar
• Serve with your favourite tea or coffee or just a snack for work

Her smiling face, endearing Scottish accent and cheery disposition will be missed by all the people that knew her.

At her passing I post an image of this rose in her memory. Vale dear friend and rest in peace.

Auld Lang Syne

By Robert Burns (one of Sandra’s favourite poets)

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint stowp!
And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
Sin’ auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin’ auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie’s a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.