Concerts

I had bought tickets for a couple of friends and us to go to Elton John's concert some months ago.  I was surprised that my husband even wanted to go with us.  He prefers classical music.  I like it, but after 8 years of piano playing at school and having nuns teach me, I would rather leave the piano and the classical music aside.

The music I like is more the 'ballady' sort of tunes. By the likes of Lionel Richie, Nora Jones, Kate Melua, Johnny Cash and so on. And some Jazz like Nina Samone ....My husband doesn't particularly like listening to these although he tolerates it, because that is what gets put on the stereo when I clean the house without which the house would not get cleaned !

 In a previous post I believe I talked about my husband getting skin cancers on his head. Well, yesterday was the appointment with the Skin Specialist.  We didn't have a choice with appointments, it was take what we were given or wait for six months.  So, it happened to be that the appointment for the specialist and the day of the concert fell on the same day.

I was worried because I didn't know what the doctor would say, whether Victor would need to go into hospital for surgery, whether they were going to harvest skin off somewhere else, how would he deal with the whole process.  So, with great trepidation I woke up yesterday.  We had a big day ahead. The appointment for the doctor was at 4pm and the concert started at 8pm.

The doctor apparently was born in Kenya, which was interesting because Victor was born in Botswana. They had much to discuss and a very interesting and lovely person he was too.  He was on time with his patient list. He was friendly and not at all condescending as some doctors are prone to be.  He explained the skin condition and how Basal Cell Carcinomas can change and what I can do to try and stop them in their tracks. He was also able to use nitrogen gas (?) to burn the spot on Victor's head instead of having to have surgery - Thank God.

He did give him some local anesthetic because he was going to give it a good blast.  It is quite painful to get an injection on your scalp because there is no fat whatsoever but Victor being his normal self was a trouper, stiff upper lip and all of that !

After the doctors, we decided to get dinner although it was only 5.30pm and we went to the Country Club.  I was able to play on the poker machines (my annual spend on them) after dinner and got to the concert in plenty of time.

What can I say ? Elton John still has it. He was just brilliant, sang all of his songs. Brought tears to my eyes when he sang 'Candle in the Wind' and a very dear friend of mine Bernie who is no longer in this world loved 'Our Song' and of course when Elton sang that it brought tears to my eyes.   Bernie was one of those living saints, he adored his wife and children and later his grandchildren. I always wanted to meet a man like Bernie who would love me the way Bernie adored his wife. I think they made him and broke the mould. Although, I must say Victor would come a close second !

Elton sang for a good 3 hours non stop. Brilliant concert. Very very tired today, because it is a good 45 minutes drive from the concert hall to come home, but there was also a good one hour of traffic jam just in the car park to get out of the place. So we didn't get home till well past midnight.

Thank you Elton John for a brilliant ending to a pretty good day.

The Wedding

My daughter got married earlier this month.  I couldn't believe that all this time had passed and it was time for her to get married.

Which brought my thoughts to her birth.  I was married at 21, and for as long as I can remember I had wanted to be a mother. I had taken care of my siblings since I was 7 years old. My brother born when I was 5, another brother at 7 and my sister when I was 10.  Although we had servants for each child it was deemed that I was to oversee the children and their nannies.  One would think with that experience that I would refrain from having children but I longed for my own. So, needless to say I was quite sure that within 9 months of getting married I would be holding a baby in my arms.

The Universe had other ideas. It took me 9 long years before I got pregnant. With much heartache and longing, disappointments and tears during this time.  9 years is a long time to wait for anything but I knew in my heart I was supposed to be a mother. And then all of a sudden I was pregnant, and with all the dramas of one who has yearned for a baby I had them all. But then my most gorgeous gift from the Universe was born.

I relished the time I was pregnant, in awe of what was going on within my body. And I had cravings for chocolate ! And most of all cravings for Chocolate frosted donuts from Dunkin Donuts ! I used to devour a dozen at a time ! I put on so much weight but it was akin to being addicted.  I would shake until I ate it !

Kryssy was born by C Section.  Luckily it was so.  I was not so much into 'must have a natural birth'  and by the time the doctor suggested surgery, I really didn't care how they got her out.  She was 11 lbs 4 oz !!! Luckily, I had surgery.   She was a gorgeous baby and so easy to take care of.

She grew upto be a caring and loving human being. She learnt a lot of things the hard way through me, with me being a single mother and then having relationships that broke down etc. But she has come out of that understanding that everything doesn't go right all of the time in life and how to pick yourself up and push through the hard times to come out the other end.  She is a beautiful human being and I am in awe when I look at her, listen to her speak and everything about her.  That I could have given birth to this special lady.

So, now, she is married and they are on their honeymoon in Bali.  She arranged the wedding all by herself with little input by me and it was even harder because I live in another state from her. She is so organised that there was nothing at all in the day that I could have said 'we should have done this differently'.  Everything ran like clockwork and so smoothly.

Need I say that she looked breathtaking ? That Michael is a very lucky young man to have such a loving, loyal and gorgeous lady by his side for the rest of his life.

I still can't get back to the swing of things since coming home from the wedding.  I had a glorious one week with her before she got married. And loved being part of the last minute preparations. But such an anti-climax coming home. To the quiet, the no family, the no hustle bustle, the no friends... Don't get me wrong, it is peaceful, it is breathtaking here and this is the place that my husband is the most comfortable, but I still miss everything that I have left behind. It seems more so on my return this time. I can't seem to shake the depression, the sadness....

But, my girl is married and will live happily ever after.  I await the news of her being pregnant in silent thought, the joy of being a grandmother.. Could it be more joyful than being a mother I wonder...