h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have known terri since about 2003, when i met her on this site, yabbering about life in general and the various mad stuff she gets up to.
we stuck up a friendship and have been mostly conversing on either here or Msn for 7 years.
As i am Irish she always told me stories about her childhood and how her daddy was irish, and that one day she would love to live here and have a nice peaceful fulfilled life with animals (for some reason a Donkey being the most desired animal in her managerie) grow her own vegetables, and flowers and live a fairly eco friendly chilled life.
Where she was, in her head and in the world in France was rather chaotic and stressful at the best of times..
We became close friends and i found her fascinating, highly intelligent and well informed on any number of topics, the life she had led, the mad capers she had been involved in, and how her resiliance despite several ailments that would knock bigger people than herself down, allowed her to always accept new challenges and keep going in all sorts of difficult circumstances. she always talked it out on here with her friends, and always bounced back. She had a wonderful outlook on life in general and saw the most optimistic things in every day circumstances.
Fast forward about 5 years to when she met Peter, with whom there was an instant chemistry, not to mention shared interests and life goals, and they hit it off.. Hhe, like a knight in shining armour, drove couple thousand miles to France in his van and 'rescued' her and brought her to his remote country house in the west of Ireland, where she started her new life as a 'partner' and 'half of something'. They stayed with me on their long journey back, and i met her for the first time in person. it was like we had known eachother all our lives and we got on like a house on fire, chatted most of the night, and most weeks would phone eachother up once she was settled.
They started their new life together, and this took a deal of getting used to for both of them i would guess, but it was obviously meant to be, and finally in the last year i could see that she was happier, and healthier, than any time since i knew her.
She got a job last week in the Samaritans !
This is so typical of Terri, that it makes me laugh out loud. she would give everything of herself to help others, even when she had little to give, but she was hugely compassionate, a great listener, and giver of practical advice. this would have been right up her street.

That she passed so peacefully is something she would have dreamed about,as would we all i am sure, but Terri in particular had some brushes with serious illness in the past and dying alone was something that terrified her, so if there is any solace to be taken from it it is that she had Peter, was happy and contented, and just forgot to wake up.


Wherever you are Terri, my dear dear friend, i hope that you are a peace and that you know how much we miss you.

Yoda, for those that know yoda, has been ill since Sunday and that i guess is no surprise.

xxx rest in peace .

val

Aye Bee,

What beautiful memories you have of Terri.

I will be writing something for The Post, and you have truly caught the essence of Terri's life. Would you mind if I quote parts of your journal?

Poor Yoda, she's been through so much too.



lil xx

i would be flattered if you wanted to quote me my dear!
my ramblings rarely make sense but i felt the need to put something down.

Between yourself and Gnomon, you have made it so much easier for me: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/F1712450?thread=7767954&latest=1 Post 74, I think. Psychocandy has also reminded me of so many things that Terri had done during her life. You really can't say it was boring, although I would have prefered it to be a little gentler for her. Yes, we (Hubby and I) will be raising a glass or two for her next week! lil xx

What beautiful memories you have of Terri!

I met Terri when I first began posting here in 2002. She was one of the first people I met here, and introduced me to many people I now call "friend", present company included.

Gnomon's words are so perfect. Terri was classified as a crazy lady even by those of us who counted her as a friend. That was just part of her charm.

She shared my love of music, so I used to send her stuff to listen to, and in return, she sent me little trinkets she'd made (including a catnip mouse for Herman the cat). I used to pick random things up off the street to send her for her cheeseboxes; when I was employed briefly at a business which shared facilities with a clock manufacturer, I gathered up a bunch of clock hands to send her, and when she received them, her response was as if I'd sent her a million dollars.

Wonderful memories share, Aye Bee and PC ... I do wish that I could have known her better and longer. But between you and times past, what you have said of your chats and times, I feel that I have known her. I will have a small candle lit at work on Thursday (discretely)

Happy Birthday hon... i just realised that it is 23/9 now, Terri's birthday.

champagne all round i think? ..

I couldn't have forgotten, even had I wanted to.

At midnight I received 4 (!!) reminders from the windows calendar.

That's never happened before... Do you think she's telling me something?

Happy Birthday, Terri

Seeing yer note elsewhere, Wench (and a smidge of other chats), I am really pleased to hear that the lady had a fine birthday and send-off.

And a beautiful album you assembled on FB ...

I've only just found this journal entry. What a beautiful line this is: "she had Peter, was happy and contented, and just forgot to wake up".

That is exactly how it seems.