Back again!

You may wonder why I haven't posted anything on my blog since Burn's Night. The fact is my mother died on 19th January and I've found it difficult to settle or even accept that she is actually gone. Well I mean I know she's gone but I can't figure out where exactly because she keeps chatting to me in my head. I wonder do other people have this experience? I was very lucky I had her for 68 years. She was without doubt the most generous person I have ever known. She had no interest in owning anything. Practical possessions were a bore as far as she was concerned. She adored animals and was a brilliant grandmother, never treating her grandsons as children. Most people would say she was eccentric and I suppose she was in some ways, more than Mother and daughter, we were close friends but I always knew that she loved me more than anyone else does/did.
She was a brilliant artist - got within 6 months of a 3 year degree course to qualifying as a graphic designer and then threw the whole lot up because my father was posted to West Africa and she refused to stay behind to finish it. I always thought it outragous that my father didn't
encourage her to finish it. She was never a sort of Mumsy huggy type person - some bereavement councilor asked if she had ever been a housewife. 'Good God no'! I said loudly she didn't know one end of a hoover from another. She had a great circle of wonderful friends - that was what she missed most when she reached her eighties - not being able to see or chat to her friends.
'they will keep droppin' off their perches' she would say sadly. By the time she was 90 they had all gone. Apart from her art she also wrote 3 books - 2 need publishing and I will have a go at trying to bring them up to date and have a go. For a time she worked for the Washington Post during one of her travelling bouts. After the break up of her marriage to my father she travelled all over the place, America, West Indies, Hong Kong, India and Sri Lanka. I hope now that she is up there with all her lovely friends somewhere and having a fag with Leigh Ayres and Dorothy Davidson, two incredibly beautiful women, as my Mother was.
The funeral was fine - so far as funerals go - Charlie my son was great and old friends of mine who knew her from way back came, which was so comforting.
Its all very strange.
Anyway, the day after the funeral, 28th Jan was the golf and bridge comp. which I won which was odd as I'd won it last year - so I gave myself my own present! Poor Chris P - I know she despairs of me - I didn't get anyone to pay for the comp - it rather passed me by cos I'd already got the presents.
That evening was the General Committee Meeting which fortunately I'd already made my apologies for because Norman Reynolds, double Oscar winner and BAFTA winner was giving a
talk and I was definitely not going to miss that - although to be honest I don't think I could have faced driving back to the Club anyway. I was a facinating talk - the most facinating thing about it was that he was so modest. Norman won his Oscars for Design and special effects for Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars. It appeared however modest he was that he could not hide the fact that he virtually designed these films for Speilberg and George Lucas!
The evening ended in calamity I had my Max Mara coat taken. It was all too much - the coat left was in no way like mine and someone had deliberately taken the long shawl think off the hook that was on top of it - removed the coat and put the red shawl/cardy back!
I don't know why but it really got to me - I had already lost my reading glasses, had by wing mirror smashed off my car and had to have a tooth capped all on account of a piece of granary bread in the space of 10 days - but the loss of my coat seemed to me to be the most upsetting thing and I whinged about it continuously to anyone and everybody who would listen!!
Three weeks later it turned up!! The wretched woman who took it - wore it for 3 weeks without realising she had the wrong coat - she even took it to Birmingham to a concert! Apparently she was mortified when she brought it back - I should hope so - but she did offer to pay for the dry cleaning. Am not sure if I will give her the bill or not.
Funnily enough, although the weather has been pretty foul we have been able to play all the fun comps since 28th Jan. including the Valantine's Foursomes on Sat. 13th Feb. which Sue had organised brilliantly and everyone enjoyed enormously. 18th Feb was the coffee morning where Ann Brady, the Marie Curie Nurse came to give a talk and Steve produced a lovely lunch.
One was humbled by the talk and the caring that the Marie Curie nurses give over and beyond just nursing. All the stalls were great, deliscious cakes much better than my bricks, good books,
good raffle and bottle stall was a bit too generous!! Raised over £400.
This week I'm concentrating on the 'My Fair Lady Day' on 8th July to celebrate the centenary of the course and in aid of Marie Curie. Sue has designed some stunning invites which I really need to get a sample on this blog. My idea is to invite most of the Lady Captains of Glos. and others of clubs we are associated with. I had a good start, meeting some of the ladies last Monday 15th at the Gloucestershire Lady Captain's Society AGM where I worked the tables so to speak - they were all really enthusiastic - especially about the best hat prize (I'm inviting everyone to dress up Ascot style) only one was rather snooty - wanted to know if it was my idea and she wasn't sure if she already had a fully diary - I think I should have told her that I was going to have a Mad Hatter's tea party for my Lady Captain's Day - I don't think she would have been very amused.
Nevertheless, I hope she is not as serious as she appeared - it'll be a bit gloomy for her ladies this year if she is. Interesting to see if she graciously accepts the invite or graciously declines! I've now sent 34 invites out and hope most will accept.
The Colonel was off at 7.30 this morning for a shot gun start - the weather is great - hope it will be good for tomorrow, I'm playing with Meg.