Cottage by the Sea

I've mentioned previously that Mum has dyslexia. When she arrived in South Africa, she started school along with all the other kids, but the 'authorities' insisted that she study Afrikaans - a language so foreign to her that it must have seemed alien, even without her dyslexia.

And yet these 'authorities' kept her in the same grade for four years because she was unable to pass the Afrikaans exams.  They told her she was stupid.  Hence, Mum has spent most of life apologising for her spelling, maths and various other perceived failings.

Yet, if you take some time to look at her abilities and the things she has produced (myself excluded, obviously..!), you cannot fail to be impressed by her abilities.

In 1991, several years after my Dad retired, he bought a plot of land in Belvedere, Knysna (an extremely beautiful part of South Africa on the Eastern coast - called 'the Garden Route') and proceeded to build a very large house.That was impressive (for a man who had never really set foot on a Building Site before).

However, look at the drawings Mum sent in her letters to me, explaining what was happening and the various trials & tribulations of building her 'cottage by the sea' ...

.... the level of detail in some of her letters would do an Architect proud. And the detailed observations in her sketches show a true artist.

Be honest - if you were asked to describe (far less draw) a scene from a Building Site, would you include the workman grabbing a 5-minute break, behind a wall, to smoke his spliff...?

And they genuinely did that .... some months after the house was completed, we discovered a very verdant bush growing behind the place where the Supervisor's shed had been located.  A very fine Marijuana plan indeed...!!!

A Building Site - Belvedere, Knysna, 5th July 1991

 This is the little church, which still exists in Belvedere, that sat alongside my folks' property.  If you're ever in the area, go and have a little visit.  You may even decide to sample some local tea & scones...???

Apple Pies

While I'm on the subject of Africa, Mum & Dad eventually ended-up in a little village called Greyton, about 1.5 hours out of Cape Town.

It is fairly well known as a very relaxed, quiet country village, with numerous lovely old 'Cape Dutch'-style cottages and the most magnificent Rose bushes.

Greyton regulars will know that they also have a weekly Saturday morning Market, where locals buy, sell or 'barter' (swap) food, hand-made items, plants and all sorts of other items.  

Mum was well-known for her home-made 'Apple Pies', very much a family favourite and a best seller on the Markets.

In fact, Mum made enough money out of her little Apple pie sideline to be able to cover expenses such as plastering the roof in the old house (it had the old-fashioned reed ceilings - a haven for spiders & other insects..!).

One of my very good friends in South Africa - Fiona Cameron-Brown and her husband Tom - moved from Cape Town out to a similar village called McGregor (in fact it is just over the mountain from Greyton).  Both villages have a very similar 'laid-back' approach to life.

Fiona not only provides her local Market with home-made soups, pesto and other goodies, she has also started a Blog in which she writes about cooking, entertaining and life in the 'country-lane'.

A link to her Blog is on this site - go and have a look.  But make sure you're not hungry when you do...!

A place in Africa

Mum arrived in South Africa just after World War II, barely into her teens and never having had much exposure to sunshine.  Her younger brother, never having seen a Banana before, tried to open it with a pencil sharpener...!  Africa was very much an adventure for them all.

The family had been living in Luton, England during the war, while my Grandfather (Charles) fought in a few places, but mainly on the island of St. Helena.  It was en-route there that he discovered a love for Africa - and the opportunities that were on offer to a relatively humble family from working-class England.

One of the qualities that I have always loved about my Mum is her ability to see 'creatively', but without prejudice.  Africa for her was all about colour, sunshine, vibrancy ... it was exotic.

I have inherited that child-like love of life.  I don't buy into the old "I don't see people's colour" argument - it is ridiculous.  But don't be frightened of those differences - revel in them. Rejoice in the things that make us different. Make us special.

And so it was that Mum began a period of her life that would last almost 60 years in this new country.  You can see her love for the country and it's people in her drawings.

As an ex- 'Saffie' living in the UK (full British citizenship & very happy here), I have many wonderful memories of the country and it's people - and I celebrate it for it's exceptional beauty, variety and specialness.

No country is free of the idiots who cloak their greed, selfishness and hubris under the cloak of 'politician' ... and boy, has SA got a few special ones ... but judge a country by it's people.

I like to think of my old country as personified by a man I met several times - I even worked with him once or twice - and who shared the same unwanted guest (prostate cancer).

He is irrepressibly bubbly, raucous, noisy, colourful; he can be quite harsh and doesn't suffer fools gladly (something else we share) - but he has the biggest heart, he radiates warmth, kindness and generosity of spirit - and always sings with his eyes.


That's how I like to remember Africa.

Lovin' Life...!

As my family & friends know, I was born in what was then called Rhodesia (which had declared independence unilaterally, hence my British passport at the time of my birth), moved to South Africa when I was one year old ... and spent most of the first 30 years there.

At the turn of the new Millennium, I packed my bags and, with Julia and the children, flew the nest off to find adventure, happiness and, hopefully, fortune.  So far, so good...

Here's how Mum saw my departure...

Now, some 14 years after having settled into the UK - specifically into the lush landscapes of Windsor, Eton and Ascot - I came across a fun 'questionnaire' in a friend's Blog.  Janet is a friend from school. In another two years I will have known her for 40 years...!

Anyway, I have watched Janet's journey over the past few years via her Blog, Facebook and email and it has been an amazing journey. Be proud girlfriend - you are a very special lady and an inspiration to many.  Also, I don't remember a time when she looked as good as she does now - the benefits of finding your 'second wind' in life.  Leave behind the bad, go after the good ... and all that!

 So, I thought I would complete this little survey here, to see how my life has changed over the past years.

1.        What time did you get up this morning?   9am (but I'm effectively on holiday!)

2.        How do you like your steak?  Medium

3.        What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Grand Budapest Hotel ... bit strange but fun!

4.        What is your favourite TV show?  Probably NCIS - love the Gibbs!

5.        If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?  Right here - Windsor/Ascot

6.        What did you have for breakfast? Toasted Bagel & honey

7.        What is your favourite cuisine?  Mediterranean / Italian, especially in Italy!

8.        What kind of food do you dislike?  Shellfish - they don't like me...

9.        Favourite place to eat?  A small little restaurant, under the Rialto Bridge in Venice

10.     What kind of vehicle do you drive?  Mercedes ML350. Deep Blue. Magnifico!

11.     What are your favourite clothes?  Work uniform - good suits & tie;  Casual - jeans & cashmere  (I'm in touch, OK..!)

12.     Where would you visit if you had the chance?  A million places - next up, probably the Aurora Borealis somewhere in the Arctic Circle!

13.     Cup ½ empty or ½ full?  Usually I'm a 'right in the middle' guy, but working on the 1/2 full attitude

14.     Where would you want to retire?  Right here!

15.     Favourite time of the day?  5am when the sun comes through and the birds whistle at me

16.     Where were you born?  Bulawayo, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)

17.     What is your favourite sport to watch?  Hmm.  Not a massive Sports fan, but probably ice-skating or Olympic Gymnastics.  But I watch most sports

18.      Bird Watcher?  When I'm in the garden.  Not a Twitcher.

19.     Morning or night person?  Probably Morning if I had to choose

20.     Do you have pets?  Vicariously ... daughter's Spaniel, son's two cats...

21.     New and exciting news you'd like to share?  Um ... not yet!

22.     What did you want to be when you were little?  Bigger!

23.     What is your best childhood memory?  Difficult to choose. Probably horse riding in the Drakensberg

24.     Are you a cat or a dog person?  Cat - learned all I know about women from them!

25.     Are you married? Yes (twice)

26.     Always wear your seatbelt?  Yes

27.     Been in a car accident?  Several small bumps, nothing serious

28.     Favorite pizza topping?  Don't really eat them any more unfortunately, but Chicken, Bacon & Feta does it for me...

29.     Favorite Flower?  Rose

30.     Favorite Ice-cream?  Pistachio.  Or Vanilla.

31.     Favorite Fast food restaurant?  No longer a Fast Food eater.  Probably Yo! Sushi or Nando's at a push

32.     How many times did you fail your drivers test? Zero. Passed at around 11am on the day I turned 18!

33.     Who did you get your last email from? Work - Imogen, one of my agents;  Home - my wife, confirming a restaurant booking at Gordon Ramsey's new restaurant  (too much..?)

34.     Which store would you choose to max your credit card on?  Don't do Credit Cards any more.  But probably Bang & Olufsen or Mont Blanc (a personal weakness)

35.     Do anything spontaneous lately?  Decided to sell house & move into an apartment (ongoing...)

36.     Happy with your job?  Some days (roles) are diamonds, some more coal-like

37.     Broccoli? Yup. Especially coated in butter, or with a cheese sauce (bad for me!)

38.     What was your favorite vacation?  Too many. Could be Maldives, Venice, Beckenridge near Aspen, .... or the week touring the Karoo with two spectacular nights in Graaf Reinet...?  (I'll post a pic of the special coffee & cheesecake below)

39.     Last person you went out to dinner with?  My wife!

40.     What are listening to right now?  L'Enfant by Vangellis.  But could equally have been Puccini, Wings, Rumer, Caro Emerald, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or Yemenite Songs by Ofra Haza....  Variety, the spice of life!

41.     What is your favourite colour?  Purple  (royal blood..?)

42.     How many tattoos do you have? None. Too many people have too many bad tattoos ... can't trust most people with good design.  Would have to be something really special!

43.     Coffee drinker?  Cafe Latte thanks.

Filling your Time

So, once again I'm sitting in my (home) office, catching up on all the things I don't get time to do when I'm in contract.

My career, such as it is, is that of a 'Management Consultant'.  That means I get to go into businesses when they need some specialised resource, which is not immediately available internally, and hopefully I can hit the ground running and help to solve the problem (manage the project, sort out the politics, deliver something ..... or often just smack some heads together to get things done ...!).

What that means is that I work in blocks - for as little as three months at a time I am contracted to perform a specific task with a particular client.

The longest stretch I have completed with a single client was four and a half years (although they merged with another organisation during that period - and I was asked to cover several different roles within the organisation).

It is certainly an interesting way to earn  a living and has exposed me to a mad variety of industries, people ... and politics..!

Still, that results in time 'between contracts' when I get to do all the things that need doing.  The things that working-life often 'gets in the way of' when you're busy working.  Like producing this Blog for example..!  Or spending time with Julia and the kids (and our grandchild - Oskar the Cocker Spaniel ... more on him later!).

And it gets me thinking about the differences between my career and my Dad's.  His free time came mainly when he retired.  Golf, travel, relaxing, washing and waxing his beloved Mercedes.... (some things are definitely inherited..!).

So I looked back at some of Mum's doodles ... when she had time to herself.  I was always on at her about spending more time on her art.  Mainly the drawings were (and still are) done on letters to friends & family.

But she is wonderfully creative and produces a wide variety of artistic output.  I will dedicate a full Blog to the intricate Quilt work she has been doing for some years now - later.

Meanwhile, some doodles of Dad .....

Butterflies

Dedicated to June Klonowski

We have a strange connection to the humble Butterfly in our family.

My Aunt (Dad's sister June) was a Lepidopterist.  She collected butterflies.

She even discovered an unknown species and had it named after her - Lepidoptera Junae...!

As a kid I remember her very precise, immaculately maintained wooden cabinet with butterfly specimens contained within it (I believe it was donated to a University after her death).

So it is not surprising that Mum has any number of drawings of butterflies. She loves them too - for their lightness, incredible fragility and beauty, iridescence and freedom to flit around the gardens from succulent flower to flower, artfully distributing their fragrances.

Retirement

When my Dad retired, he was in is mid-50's. 

He had worked since he was 15, rising from a travelling salesman (in the days when he really did traipse around the countryside, flogging his wares to little shopkeepers around the country) ... to being one of the Directors of South Africa's premier retailing organisation (Pick 'n Pay) There he was General Manager of a Hypermarket (huge, super-sized supermarkets selling everything from peas and fresh meat to camping equipment, furniture, clothing and audio-visual equipment.

He and Mum retired to a sea-side cottage (well, quite a big house that he had built on the side of a lagoon actually!) and settled into a less busy lifestyle.  I suppose that applied to him more than my mother, who still cooked, cleaned, maintained his home, fed the cat & dog, etc....!

One of Mum's letters talks about his burgeoning friendship with a 'Wag-tail' that became tame enough to eat from the table inside the house...!

It also includes another of Mum's recurring themes - the Gnomes!

Feline Friends

Mum also loves cats.  And her love for them can be seen in many of the funny, quirky looks at our feline friends.

When I was a child, Mum had "her" cat, called Yum Yum - a pure white albino cat who sadly died of skin cancer (she suffered as a result of the South African sunshine on her exposed ears..!).  Later, when we children had left home, she inherited (from my sister) a jet-black cat called Rags, who drove her to distraction with his, er .... 'wandering ways'.  He was quite a player by all accounts ....!

Some of her cat creations ....

The Power of the Flower

My mother loves all things related to Nature ... animals, sunshine, the sea .... but just like my wife she just loves flowers - all flowers.  Every pink, blue, orange, yellow, white, peach; soft-petalled, dainty little one of them.....!

She has her Irish Father's 'Green Fingers' too - she can make things grow to life that, by rights should have been compost by the time she gets hold of them...!

So her pictures often reflect these lovely little 'flora' .... here's a few of them:

How Mum saw me in the 80's

After a few false starts in Finance and Retail, I started in the Marketing & Communications industry. The first company I started was called Indigo Promotions - I provided what was then called 'Below-the-Line' marketing services ... organising events and promotions on behalf of corporate clients (an example was M-NET the TV company in South Africa, with whom I worked on various events and campaigns, including Comic Relief - Red Nose Day!).

Here's how my Mum reflected me in a letter congratulating me on this new venture...!

How this all started...

So here's the thing ... once you get past 50, you generally have a bunch of things in your 'experiences bank' that should provide a good foundation for thinking about life, making comment on things that 'wind you up', or make you happy ... and generally looking at life without the rose-tinted glasses.

In my case, a marriage, a divorce, great happiness (another marriage), great sadness (the loss of my father and both my wife's parents) and a fairly realistic view of my own mortality (cancer will do that for you!).

I have a great life, the house, the car, the toys - and a wonderful family (wife Julia, daughter Lauren & husband Ryan, son Joseph & partner Kate), a sister and a niece & two nephews in Australia, a number of nieces and their families in the UK, various cousins and an Aunt in South Africa ... and my Mum - Hazel - who now lives in Windsor.

Ever since I left home aged 17, my Mum has kept up a stream of hand-written letters.  Sometimes every week, sometimes much less frequently (depending on circumstances), but almost all containing her own drawings, cartoons and doodles, together with her simple views of life, love, family and people.

Growing up in England during World War II and moving to South Africa as a teenager, Mum's dyslexia was never diagnosed and she found creative ways to deal with it - hence the artwork.  And the spelling.  So for the spelling zealots, don't slam the door on your way out......

I hope you will join me as I wander through the years with the help of my mother's drawings and child-like, common sense approach to life ... along with my own (never let it be said ... modest) views on the world.

Welcome inside the envelopes of my Mum's Letters.