When someone who was so deeply involved in the community, like Andrea was, passes away - it’s a measure of how much they were loved by how much everyone comes together in the days afterwards. In the lead up to Andrea’s day tomorrow, a call out was made to the community to help give her the send off she deserved and my goodness, what a response.
Fair Harvest offered the venue; the Shire, Community Resource Centre and Nature Conservation Margaret River are lending chairs and gazebos; IGA has donated drinks; lots of wineries have contributed wine (Howard Park, Stella Bella, Leeuwin, Fermoy, Yeah Wine, Vasse Felix and Idee Fixe, Juniper, Cha Cha Wine); Brewhouse, CBCo Brewing and Shelter have provided beer; Harlequin Desserts is coordinating catering with the community; Sari Bennett, The Nomadics, Tilly, the Rebel Choir and Crooked Brook are lending their voices and then there’s the flowers! So many flowers.
Alinta of Rose and Wild offered her floristry master skills to put together arrangements with whatever might be contributed from friend’s gardens and the verandah at the farm has never looked so glorious. Buckets and tubs and baskets of flowers were dropped off over the last couple of days, and as I write this Alinta and a team of women are working to arrange them in as many pots and containers as we can find. Andrea would have been blown away.
Her send off is tomorrow and all are invited, including kids. The service starts at 11am at Fair Harvest, then there will be a break while the family goes on to Karridale for a private burial, followed by a party that starts at 3pm back at Fair Harvest.
Gathered is open as usual tomorrow and all week. Tomorrow Mel will be at the helm looking after the shop and cafe, and the homeschool and community sessions are back to the usual routine from Tuesday.
