Well, four weeks into the New Year and I'm staring out at a panorama of greys .... the bright, grey, London winter sky; the various shades of grey of the trees, wood stripped of leaves and just the slightest hint of green made by the little patches of moss that grow up in the branches when winter's freezing fingers strip away the foliage.
Even the evergreen bushes have a grey sheen to them, catching the reflected colour of the sky above. And this morning I watched as a grey squirrel burrowed into the grass, reclaiming his prize - some nuts or a bulb that he secreted there so many months before.
Although I'm not a big fan of the grey squirrel (I prefer the red squirrels that are now only found in the northern regions of the UK), I can't deny that they look cute, especially when they shake their tails, which shimmer like silver dresses on a ballroom dancer, or when they chase each other, streaking up & down the trees, jumping from one to another and shrieking their excitement..!
One of the regular features of our UK winters - and a bright, colourful, fiery orange/red contrast to the rest of the grey surroundings - is the humble Robin. They flit in & out of the lower bushes, protecting their little nests and feeding their young from the scattered seeds & nuts, especially under the ubiquitous 'Bird Feeders' that so many of the British place in their gardens.
They are exquisitely happy little creatures and I frequently get into conversations with them - the Robin tilting his little head back and his neck and chest quivering as he warbles, tweets and trills, cocking his head in surprise and outrage when I reply with a rather sad whistling imitation ...!
For both Julia and myself, the Robins hold a more poignant, special place in our hearts - as we both lost a parent late in the year and were surrounded by Robins in the aftermath (funerals, etc), so they have become the virtual embodiment of our respective Mother & Father.
We engage them in conversation and they make us smile with their happy, cheerful tunes, often jumping along the ground, or on a fence, right next to us as we move about the garden.
I had a long conversation with an especially plump and colourful fellow last week - as he sat on my Mum's dustbin outside her flat. I think he was after some seeds - Mum goes out every day with various bits & pieces to feed the birds.
However, with the strains of Mr Robin's song reverberating in my head, I had pause to think of some other colourful injections into my life during the cold and grey. More specifically, special friends - who bring colour into the drabness of winter. Our own special rainbows!
On Friday evening the children came over for dinner. It had been meant as a chance to catch-up with ALL the children, Godchildren included. Unfortunately the G/c had to cancel at the last minute as their Grandmother was ill ... so we went ahead with Lauren, husband Ryan and Joseph (whose fiancee was on a business skiing trip!). Immediate family.
For many years now we have been blessed with the services and friendship of a lady called Naseema, who provides cleaning services to Julia & I, as well as my Mum and even Lauren & Ryan (among other families). She has become a good friend over the years and, in the last months & weeks of my Dad's illness, she was one of the few people he felt comfortable with (despite the fractures in his mind, he always remembered her and was happy if he could hear her in the flat as he sat trapped in his immobile body and splintered mind).
Naseema is a Muslim lady, devout in her faith and a peace-loving, good humoured mother of three and wife to a lovely man. Husband and wife come from an area split when Pakistan gained independence from India, so they have families in different countries separated by a few miles (but in practice very separate). They have experienced trouble and division (religious and political) in their lives, yet they epitomise the behaviours claimed by many of the principle religions .... love, family values, peace, generosity of spirit, charity ..... the things most of us would like to be associated with.
Anyway, for some time Naseema has been offering to cook for us - a proper, home-cooked Indian meal. Unfortunately my wife has extremely sensitive tastebuds and avoids chilli and curries, but she eventually decided that this would be a wonderful opportunity for us to share some of Naseema's generosity.
Well, Friday evening arrived and Naseema and one of her daughters arrived ... talk about bearing gifts & goodwill..!
Samosa, kebabs, roast chicken, lamb curry, chicken curry, freshly made Naan bread, Pilau rice, Biriyani and a variety of accompaniments. What a feast..! More than enough for all of us .... and bags of food carried off home by the ever-hungry younger family members.
And it struck me that this simple act of kindness is such a special thing. It didn't only bring the most wonderful flavours and aromas into our home. It brought colour and fun and variety (truly the spice of life..!) and shared something intimate between two families (the food had been prepared for the whole day by Naseema, as well as her husband and children).
And in a Charlie Hebdo world that is being battered by religious fanaticism, it highlighted for me (once again) that most people are just like you and me. They want to live peaceful, happy lives. Lives with family and friends, where we celebrate our differences as well as our similarities. Where a simple gesture of kindness is met with a reciprocal act, a smile, a laugh, or a shoulder shared to spill some tears.
I know that Naseema has swapped tears with my Mum - they have developed a mother-daughter relationship (Naseema's Mum died on the Indian subcontinent a few years ago, not long after Mum lost my Dad). I know they practice different religions too, but when you strip out the customs, the theatre, the 'perceived wisdom' of often none-too-wise religious leaders, they are pretty similar at their core.
Love, respect, support, charity ......
And so, as I ponder on another of life's little gifts, the grey of winter seems a lit less grey, a bit brighter, a bit more colourful. In this case, the colour of a Sari, a bowl of rich, red saffron stamens or a pile of yellow/gold rice. And popping their heads out of the snow - some snowdrops and a few VERY chilly, buttercup yellow Daffodils.
I have a bit of time on my hands .... as you can probably tell.
Anyway, it is the start of a new year and so i decided to revamp the Blog slightly. Maybe reflect some of the energy I am detecting from friends and family .... everyone getting excited about what 2015 is going to bring!
So, with a slightly electric new look - and one of my Mum's positive drawings - I am looking forward to a fun, friendly, frantic & fantastic year.
I am told by those who have a really positive outlook on life and are always 'half-full' (rather than my usual 'just about in the middle' viewpoint), that this promises to be a really good year. For myself and my family, I am pretty sure that will be the case - new jobs, engagement(s), new homes .... all looking good.
For the poor souls who have no option but to scratch their survival from the bomb-ravaged hell that is Syria, or the unfortunates who have to live a semi-life under the scourge that is ISIS, the millions in Africa, North Korea and numerous other repressive regimes .... I can only hope for them that their lives improve.
For those who suffer illness, my fellow cancer fighters, the aged and infirm - I'm right alongside you in your battle. And, as the numerous fundraising challenges (who can forget 2014's 'ice bucket challenge'?) attest - so are millions of other people around the world. Don't give up guys.
And to all my poor friends & family in South Africa, who suffer the slings & arrows of incompetent leaders and have to battle without basic infrastructure like electricity, or any sort of half-decent postal service .... believe me, it could be a lot worse .... but our thoughts, prayers and sympathies are with you all!
So come on 2015 .... SHOW US WHAT YOU'VE GOT ...!
Welcome 2015 ... you have shown every sign of growing into a really good year...!
On the 31st December, as the sun rose over the water in Camps Bay, Cape Town, marking the final day of 2014, something special was afoot.
It had been quite a year, all in all - we sold our flat in London (Battersea) and our home in Windsor. That took a while, as regular readers will know.
But it all came right in the end and we moved into our lovely new home in Ascot.
We had a few lovely holidays - caught up with old friends in Turkey and family & friends in South Africa and Switzerland (and Julia did some shopping in the US..!)
I completed a consultancy role at Thames Water and took a few weeks off ... then was asked back again to 'babysit' the role again for a few more months.
And that too came to an end just before Christmas ... just in time to spend some quality time decorating the new apartment and settling-in.
Julia was in and out of the UK on various business trips during the year, generating loads of dosh for her company and spreading her educational IT around the globe. She joined a group of Colleges & Higher Education academies as a Governor (on their Board of Governors).
She is also advising business leaders, government ministers and even royalty on how to use technology to improve education for children (especially girls). Not bad for a 'Northern Lass' ...!
My Mum flourished in 2014. It takes a while to get over losing a husband (especially when you've been married & together for over 50 years), but despite the trials & tribulations of family life, she had developed a whole new life last year.
Organising & decorating 'her' home was a seminal event and the newly recovered chairs were a triumph. All topped-off by her Christmas present - a lovely large painting of a fox, with a big silver frame, that now has pride of place in the lounge.
Not to mention the new-found 'career' volunteering for the Save the Children Charity. Twice a week she manages the shop selling donated clothes, jewellery, crockery, toys, books, CD's, etc. And massively increasing their turnover .... something to do with a skill in talking to customers! Dad would be so proud.
Daughter Lauren, an Account Director at a PR company, helped the business develop and grow new business with big brands like BMW.
There was even a trip to New York to develop an alcoholic drinks client. Not a lot of shopping though! And just before Christmas she accepted a new job - handling 'Consumer PR' for the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). I hear Wimbledon calling..! #prouddad
And she and Ryan celebrated their second wedding anniversary and even managed a cheeky two weeks in Croatia to catch-up on some sunshine...!
Son Joe's business is no longer 'new' ... he and his business partner have been building the company for over two years now and it is coming along nicely. Watch out Richard Branson - new kids are on the block..! And I'm looking forward to enjoying the fruits.....
Joe and his girlfriend Kate had moved into their new house in London and set about deconstructing it - and refurbishing the place into a snazzy little two-bedroom London 'pad' (those of you not familiar with the excruciating costs of London accommodation, or comparing to what could be purchased in South Africa, should adjust your mental image accordingly. No indoor swimming pool, for example).
Anyway, the house is now coming along in leaps & bounds and Kate's 'nest' is looking really cozy. We all visited them (and the two cats) on Boxing Day - for a lovely, relaxing Festive celebration. And then they were off for a two-week holiday to South Africa.
Which brings us back to Joseph and the beach at Camps Bay.
After being frustrated in a bid to climb Table Mountain (wind!), Joe & Kate decided to spend the early morning on one of South Africa's most beautiful beaches. It is a place I know well and I too have spent mornings there watching the sun creep slowly out of the sea, breathing its warmth into the sand and, quite frequently, waking the slumbering revellers too drunk to move after passing-out on the beach..!
In any event, a short trip over some rocks and they settled down to watch the sun ... whereupon he produced a rather lovely ring (if I may say so) and popped the question ... and she said YES!
It is rare that I start a new year off with quite such a spring in my step, but this year we are all skipping. Joe is the son I would have chosen, if I could have .. and Kate is a beautiful young woman. A delicate soul and has already captured my heart - and those of all our family.
So - CONGRATULATIONS guys.
And a happy, healthy, prosperous and fun-filled New Year to you all.....!
