Dear diary.................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know I have neglected you in these past few months......what with the moving, retiring? selling the family home, getting rid of all the millions of antiques! Its not easy for an old lady of 50! I've neglected all my cyber friends, those lovely green people in space..........one of whom.....believe it or not! as actually been out here to visit in South Africa!!!!!!!!! Sandy Grant.......the most wonderful lady from Atlanta, USA.. More of her later.
On top of which........to add to the trauma.........we have moved to a new town as well! The move???????? OY VEY!!!!!!...*you do this whilst throwing your apron over your head!*.....baskets by the hundreds......(you didn't expect me to be an organized mover .).....did you? His Lordship cracking the whip! (he was quite useless by the way). All he could say was.. "throw away!" ??.........never! I was TEMPTED mind, to throw him away! (off with the old and all of that).
We have sort of settled
in........if you do not count my nearly burning down the kitchen! Its a
noted fact that I detest cooking...........and now I am in charge......and
the garden tempts me when I am supposed to be slaving at the stove! The
fact that we now like in a mini paradise, has not precluded life from catching
up with us.......we seem to have "lost" so many friends to illness and
accidents......is this part of growing old?? BLOODY UNFAIR I SAY!!!!!!!!!!!
I wanted to share this all with them......do you think they can see me
now???
What is really perturbing
me is the getting old part. When did this happen?? I've always led a pretty
active life. Running in circles, doing not much good..........but all the
same, when I've looked in the mirror? hey! not too bad. (guess it was also
an antique?) This past weekend, whilst entertaining some new, very interesting
friends.............it struck me!!!!!!!!! You see the old chap, Ted, kept
getting up to go to the loo. Now in the normal course of events, this is
not really a subject for discussion, but on reflection, its part of the
"getting old syndrome?" His wonderful wife Cynthia, was talking about a
knee replacement? Oy! I mean hormone replacement is one thing.....but a
limb? I mean I know about the fact, that when the hair starts to thin on
the top..........it seems to take seed on other parts?? Sores take longer
to heal??? joints creak?? Then too, I started thinking of the other people
I had met recently. They are retired Professors, doctors, businessmen and
well, professional people. They all have the same sort of look about them.
Wrinkled, Grey haired, the wives wear "practical clothing," the men, depending
on the weather, short pants, with takkies!........hey! haven't they heard
of hair dye and leopard skin pants???
Look at Lord Ha Ha, bless
him, is still clothed in his Levi's, (occasionally his Black Bandit outfit)....(a
slightly larger waistline than earlier years.).............I told you he
had bought a great big Harley Davidson motor bike didn't I? He has shown
a marked preference for "water craft type clothing" lately, which is O.K.
if its over dyed, but hey!!!!!!!!! I will kill him if its "flannels and
a jacket"............trust me. Our retirement, here on the marina, planned
many years ago, has to date, been filled with gardening, boating, painting,
exploring the countryside.......all of this TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!..........its
has not precluded me from starting a fight with the local museum, taking
over the editing and writing for the local newspaper..........nor the fact
that I am now going to write two books simultaneously..........one on the
history of the area/village and the other on the indigenous veldt flowers
of the Eastern Cape. (a girl has to keep busy). Lord Ha Ha, is busy building
a factory in the village, there he will continue with his hobby of making
weather instruments, and probably items of hand-made furniture, for which
he is famous. That is acceptable, but he will rue the day, when he starts
complaining that he is unable to eat certain foods, or that there are a
few pains, in places where there did not used to be. At 61, I expect him
to walk the dogs with me, hold onto my tools while I forage for plants,
play bridge AT NIGHT!!!!!!!!! and not in the afternoons..(that what they
do here!!!!!) they have to be in bed early!!!!!!!
Lord Ha Ha is a real character..........did I ever relate the time we came down here for our first weekend??..................................
My spouse of 28 years, appears to take a seemingly "low-profile" in the course of our lives............let me assure you, that there are certain times, when this esteemed person comes into his own! Despite his age, and lack of total lung power, he seems to have found a new lease on life on the "water." ....this is a rebroadcast.......btw..
Captain, (I promoted him for the weekend!) Lord Ha Ha, donning the striped T- shirt sent to him by number two son from his second marriage and wearing an ancient cap, that he found lord alone knows where!........took to the canals in" manner born!" You are no doubt aware that between us, we lack the "housekeeping skills" of most people, so moving the few possessions that we managed to fit into the "Trooper" we set off one Friday morning. We were, by the way, expecting guests from Johannesburg, who had telephoned to say they would be passing through and Saturday. The making up of five double beds, was to say the least, the funniest piece of housekeeping that I have ever encountered! His lordship has his own way of doing things, and by the time we reached number three bed, he suggested a little siesta to try it out!
Two hours later......when the dogs woke us...(yes the dogs went on holiday too).....we found to our horror, a couple of new neighbours staring down at us! They, thinking this terribly funny, were suitably burdened by huge bottles of champagne! Naturally, in true South African style, we directed then to the kitchen, whereupon we tested this champagne (not a bad French variety) and since it took no time at all to finish the three bottles, we found it necessary to try out the dear little country restaurant nearby.
Now Lord Ha Ha being a "steak and chips" person, and still wearing the cap, decided that he would be "mine-host" for the evening..........it is also a known fact, that he does not indulge in the "devils brew" and for some reason or other, perhaps it was the "sea air?" he decided that champagne was not too bad after all. He then regaled the entire eatery with stories of my exploits, standing at one stage on the table to demonstrate how at fashion shows, (the one's I used to produce) I would end the evening dancing! This of course brought the house down so to speak, as there is a difference between a dancing lioness and an elderly carpenter!
He also had them in fits, when he described how amongst our other friends, we had all decided to be buried, (when the time comes) underneath our favourite indigenous trees, the only problem being...........that there would have to be a couple of extra trees, as he, being a carpenter, would carry on making furniture, and eventually, his tree would be all used up!
I personally, having put him to bed (the second time ever in our married lives!) have decided that I am no longer a fierce lioness, but a very tame kitty! It's the birds you see............the incredible Egyptian geese, the kingfishers, Fish Eagles and sea gulls, there are thousands of them! They make an awful din at times, but oh! the joy of watching them! Swooping, diving and carrying on....I had the most magical time. >Despite the celebration of Friday night, Lord Ha Ha then decided the next day, that we had to get to know the village! I, in my bemused state, followed him meekly and now and again prompted him, (as he forgets names). Not only did he purchase a further piece of land for a proposed factory................. but accompanied me on my forages into the delightful antique shops! We "coffeed and caked" at all the tea-rooms, and I was hard pressed to stop him, just in the nick of time, in making an offer on the railway station!! (you buy it, but it doesn't really belong to you?)
Our guests, when they
eventually arrived, were entranced by Port Alfred, this being a settlement
of some 150 years old, and as they had to make up the balance of the beds
themselves, (we had totally forgotten about them!) were very comfortable
with the jovial Lord Ha Ha, and as I had found some terribly interesting
books that morning, took him off on a "pub-crawl!" Needless to say, after
having sampled the local "brew" at the delightful pubs, they have names
like "The Pig & Whistle", "The Bathurst Arms" and a few others, my
spouse was rather quiet this am...........*sigh*.
Is it not done?? to want a "ladies Harley too?" after all there are all the trips to explore my beloved Africa? will I be too old? The walking tour of France is off, since spouse had a leg op, but that doesn't mean we cannot tour on the bikes........does it?
I have started exploring this village, and its really fascinating...............Port Alfred, which in the 1800's was known as Port Francis. It was originally used as a port/harbour........but all the ships sank. The local museum is a mess.......so I have decided to remedy that........and I am planning on taking a journey.......following the original voortrekkers.......as they ventured forth on their road to discover the interior of the country...........shan't be in an ox-wagon of course...........it is 45 kilometres to the nearest town.........Grahamstown.......and I shall walk there.............this naturally, will enable me to collect specimens of the indigenous flora, as I plan to write a book on this........gad!! I am even beginning to sound like an old lady!
Age of course, gives one a certain confidence. It allows one to be rude, forthright, and loud. We are then thought of as eccentric, and this in turns allows us to do almost exactly what we like, dress as we like, and dye our hair bright colours. So there are compensations......I think???? oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and by the way......I have gout............is this a sign of old age??........................ could be just the gardening..........eh?
Below, without permission
I have borrowed a poem............seewhatya think.......oh! and Sandy Grant???
well it just goes to show, that meeting people in cyber space is the best
time ever........she took to his Lordship and the port, like a duck to
water.....err....a goose..........
| Its from the book
"When I'm An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple" When
I'm an old woman I shall wear purple
You
can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
But
now we must have clothes that keep us dry
But
maybe I ought to practice a little now?
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