Tricia's Thoughts

What a day!! I’ve spent the whole day sorting through all my music and copying it onto my laptop and IPod so that I won’t have heavy CD’s to cart with me and still have everything I love with me. I’ve not finished yet, but I’ve 951 albums recorded so far!!! There’s at least another 100 to go!!

It’s not just copying them … it is also that I’m taking the time to sort them as well and having such fun meeting old faithfuls that I’ve not heard for some years.  Nostalgia!! It’s hard to beat.

When I get this finished, I need to sort all my pictures ……

What a week!!!

Tanya went into hospital yesterday and they operated to do a bone graft on her so badly, sadly mangled and broken bones in her leg. The operation went well so she is home now and starting the whole recuperation process. The leg hurts a bit, but the modern painkillers are superb. She’ll have to keep her leg up for the weekend, but after that she’ll be hobbling around again and the healing process should speed up dramatically.

Zilla, my other daughter will have her knee operated on in December, 7th. This looks to be a simple procedure through a “key hole”!!  She should be out the same day, and then a week later she flies out here for 4 weeks holiday. 4 weeks!!! This is going to be the longest holiday we will all have had. The time is planning out beautifully. We will have a week in Mozambique, 4 nights in a game reserve, another 4 at a popular beach resort (so the grandchildren can be with other youth for New Years Eve) and then down to St Francis and the wonderful restful time by the sea in Tanya and Paul’s house there. Bliss … I can’t wait.

Meanwhile, the movers are moving in on 18th to pack and move all my stuff, and before that I’m off to Cape Town for 5 days to do some teaching.

At the guesthouse, the whole sale process continues, and it looks as though this wonderful place will go to Auction in the first week of December. It’s been a difficult time, because we had an offer, and had to decide if we accepted the offer or took the risk of auction ….. the odds make the auction more attractive right now.

And … they finally managed to put Windows 7 on my laptop. Now I’m having to discover what all the differences are. The machine has speeded up, and that’s the first thing I notice, and it all looks cleaner. I’ll let you know as I find other advantages …..

Take care, all of you and have a good weekend.

Sunday morning …. SUN day morning … sun shining softening the slight crispness of this still spring like morning … all the trees in bloom so that Johannesburg seems to be wearing a wonderful green and purple mantle that picks out all the avenues. Johannesburg is THE most treed city in the world, and at this time of the year it is magnificent with it’s coloured mantle.

I woke gently, and took time to shower and dress, revelling in the beauty around me. Then, with a friend went in search of breakfast …. Zoo Lake beckoned, but when we got there it was crowded with people. Artist’s in the Sun display their work on the 1st Sunday of the month, and there was a large Marquee up which indicated that there was more than this happening. I wasn’t in the mood for crowds, so we drove round the corner to a little Italian coffee shop that makes the best cappuccino’s in SA! They’re closed on Sundays. Un-deterred, we drove around another corner to a new place I’d noticed with a large garden patio area so we could sit outside under the trees and surrounded by birds.

This place turned out to be a delight. A wholly organic place with the lightness of touch of French patisseries!! Free-trade Coffee, a shot of wheatgrass (terribly healthy but rather like munching alongside cows!!), Eggs Benedict, and an oatmeal apple pancake with creme fraiche. A totally decadent breakfast leisurely taken. Catherine who runs Gingko is a lovely hostess/chef/owner. and the experience is definitely one to repeat. By the time we left, Lunch was out on the buffet, and it was a very tempting site with lots of unusual combinations, colours, smells. I’m definitely taking Sally (the chef at High View Gardens) there to sample and be inspired.

Then we cruised the streets of JHB, heading north towards my daughters home. She’d been calling me all week to come and see the changes to her garden. We spent a lovely couple of hours admiring her work, sipping champagne (I’ve forgotten what we were celebrating – probably the changes to the garden) and feasting on a delicious salad my granddaughter made.

From there, back towards home, but a brief side visit to see a friend who is feeling very crook, with a viral infection. We didn’t stay long, but long enough to cheer her up a bit and make her laugh, before heading home, tired … extremely well fed, and with that lovely glow that comes after a day outside with friends, family, laughter and the odd glass of bubbly!!

Now, I’m all set for a busy week again. It’s been ages since I’ve had such a decadent and relaxing day.

I’m off to the hospital this morning to hear what the doctor has to say about Tanya’s leg, then back to meet with the removal people who will be here to give me a quote, meeting with the auctioneers who will give me a valuation on this place, and then a meeting with some staff who have concerns over the changes ….. meetings, meetings, meetings!!!!

OooH, and also somewhere in there, I want to pop in and have Windows 7 installed ……….

Enjoy your day ….

I can’t believe the news I got tonight, there is simply too much going wrong for people right now, and lots of it physical.

So many people in my life seem to be going through serious problems …. I’ve just spoken to Zilla in Italy, and she tells me that while she was lunging one of the horses her knee popped out, and although she managed to get it back in, now she is hobbling about with it strapped up and she’s planning on a trip up to Germany to have it looked at …. and possibly operated on.

I suggested she wait till I’m there to drive her around, but she doesn’t want to waste the winter months and recuperate in the spring, so she’ll probably go up next week to investigate this.

And, next Monday I will hear if Tanya, my youngest daughter will need bone graft on her leg after that horrid accident 3 months ago ………

And there are others … but this is really enough. I simply can’t believe that there is so much pain around …..

This month is nearly at an end, and I realise that it is ages since I wrote anything, and the last time I was in touch was when heading off for Europe and Jane’s funeral.

The date of the funeral was not set when I booked my flight, so I decided to go to Italy and spend some time with my daughter, Zilla. I was thinking that it would be good to have some quiet time to mourn and to be with family and able to talk about Jane and share remembrances. Well, I arrived in Malpensa, Milan around 11 o’clock, and was rushed back to the house for a quick shower, and time to drop my bag and repack my hand luggage with the bare essentials. Why? Because she had to be at a dressage show that afternoon at La Mandria. This is a spectacular park and was home to the Duke of Savoy. We were there for 2 nights, sleeping in the horsebox, but enjoying being together in between the demands of the show itself. Friday night was a night out of a Tuscan dream, as we joined several other friends at a superb restaurant for a long, lingering, sumptuous meal. Conversation around the table was rapid and loud, in Italian, English, German and even the odd smattering of French!

We got back late on Saturday and the next morning after riding some of her horses (she had 13 in the stables at that moment) took off to another show at Cameri. where Zilla had 2 of her students competing who needed some extra dressage lessons prior to moving on to an International Eventing show in France. When we got back, a friend of mine from way, way back … around 1980, descended on us from Zurich having heard I was around. The next day was spent exercising and schooling the horses, and I took lots of video of them to bring back for my other daughter here. Tanya is always keen to know what is happening with Zilla’s horses.

That evening, my friend from Switzerland and I escaped from the stables and joined Zilla’s husband for a cruise on the lake, which as you can see was suitably accompanied by a liberal glass (beaker) of wine. It may have been early October, but the weather was superb.

Back home we had a wonderful supper once Zilla got home.

Now, I start to loose track of time …… The next thing I remember, was being woken at 3 am on Wednesday morning, bundled into the car, and setting off for France and La Mondial du Lion the Eventing show where Zilla’s students had gone. The drive was spectacular, through Frejus tunnel ……

It was a long drive … all in all about 11 hours, with only a couple of stops to load up with coffee, and for a brief cat nap around 6 am. Always the darkest time of the day.

France was beautiful, and though we had only planned on staying 1 night, we changed our minds and stayed for 2 so as to see both the riders compete on the Friday morning early. They did very well, and came in 4th and 14th our of around 50 riders, so Z was very pleased. It is quite an honour, and mark of her professionalism, that she has been invited to train the Italian Cavalry for the dressage section of the Eventing!! Friday saw us heading home, though this time we took a short cut that took us off the motorway and brought us home a couple of hours earlier …. to sleep … to rest … to dream!

The next weekend was quiet … well as quiet as it ever is there!! Saturday and Sunday were taken up with working the horses, and on Sunday evening, some people came down from Germany to buy one of the Grand Prix horses and for their trainer ( a top international trainer to give Zilla a couple of lessons). They arrived late, and we took them to their hotel Villa Borghi. It is a stunning hotel and surprisingly cheap …. certainly far better value than we experienced later in England!! We gave them a bit of a sight seeing tour around the lakes and stopped for a glass of Prosecco (Italian champagne) and a few snacks.

It was passed 11 pm by the time we finished tall the riding and the lessons, and headed to a little Osteria (small village restaurant) for dinner! They brought us plate after plate of the most delicious starters, and by the time I’d had those, I was way passed having any interest in a main course. I’m not sure what time it was when we headed home, but I slept like a log, because the next day, Monday Zilla and I flew to Luton airport, for the drive through to the family at Sutton Bridge. The drive was horrid, drizzly, road works and diversions and seemed to take forever.

The house was full when we got there, so we went hunting for somewhere close to stay and checked into a little place on the riverside.  We were lucky with our room, and our host and hostess, not that we saw that much of them. We had a lovely evening together with the family, talking and reminiscing. Jane would have loved it. It was the first time that all of us had been together at the same time, and her presence was sorely missed.

People came to the funeral the next day at the crematorium from all over. I find it difficult to write of this time, but suffice it to say that the funeral directors provided wonderful ceremony and Jane was escorted on her way, by friends and family none of whom had a dry eye. I only wish that she could have been so honoured in her life. Why do we not say the things we think and feel to each other when we’re alive? I don’t think she had any idea what she meant to so many people.

I was sent this poem the other day, and though it was not included during the service I’m taking it for a mantra for myself from now on ….

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck
(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.'
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute.look at it and really see it . Live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!
Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

The Service included much of her son, Danny’s music, a brief eulogy, a few words of farewell from me and some poems, after which people left for the Club. It was wonderful to see so many of her friends there with their dogs. Jane would have been in her element. I cannot thank enough those who came. Some I know travelled from as far away as Scotland to be there. What a mark of how much Jane meant to so many people. Thank you all.

Late that evening Zilla & I headed back to Luton as we had an early flight back to Italy where the next day she took off to another show, and I flew back to South Africa. South Africa is looking fantastic, It is spring here, and the Jacaranda trees are in full bloom. The beauty is so intense it is painful.

I got back here on Friday morning, and haven’t stopped since. We finally have an offer in on the Guesthouse, and I’m in the midst of packing and sorting and closing the deal. I’ll move the middle of November, and although I’ll continue to run this place until the new owners take over, or the middle of December when we close for a month, I’ll be commuting between here and my daughter Tanya’s, so life goes on ………….