Breakfast Conversation

I tend to have rather vivd dreams. Last night I dreamt that I had to check into a hotel for work related reasons. My room was the miniature replica of a medieval castle, with a fancy basin in the bathroom. It was covered by a marble slate which slid away on opening the cupboard above it. There was also a closet which was literally stuffed with fluffy black terry robes in all sizes, for men, women and children, as well as matching terry slippers. There were also some skimpy silk nighties, one of which I would not mind owning in real life ;-) But the closet was pretty messy. Anyway, I put on one of the robes and wondered where to get some food, when the door of my room opened, and the lady from reception was there, with an Asian woman who wanted to see what the rooms looked like. I was pretty angry....after all they disturbed my privacy and they did not bother to knock! I wanted to storm out and see the manager to complain, but was held back by a young porter, who suggested that I might not really be properly dressed for such an act. Of course, he was right. He also showed me how to secure the door with a device that I also have on my lanterns outside in real life, and remarked that the girl from reception was new to her job. So I did not complain and simply asked where I could get some food. Then I woke up....

This morning, at breakfast Thomas asked me how I slept. Now, us both not really being morning people, we sometimes are just silent during breakfast, but, after such vivd dreams, I do tend to be quite chatty...I told Thomas that I slept well and told him my dream, as I often do. He then asked me whether I heard the wind rattling during the night, which I denied. After all I was very busy dreaming (which might explain why I am so tired during the day...). So he said that, seeing that I slept, he could understand that I did not hear the wind, to which I asked him what he did during the night.Thomas is a very down to earth person, not at all prone to fanciful outbursts, sensible nearly to a fault. So you can imagine my surprise when he said that he was watching over me, always ready to protect me. Baffled I asked him what he wanted to protect me against, and he answered that he was on the alert in case a werewolf would come and get me. So I asked Thomas whether he would wake me when the werewolf arrived, so that I could rescue HIM. To this my Thomas said that he would put on his armour and tackle the werewolf outside in our garden....

All this happened before my first espresso. We are just a normal couple, right? 

Meanwhile the cat was snoozing on one of her many chairs, probably wondering why it was so noisy and regretting that she missed out on her "early morning in bed" cuddle. She did sing an aria at about 6am, but did not come upstairs. I wonder what she dreamt about...

A Christmas Story

Once upon a time a little girl with a big voice was born in a town in Germany in the height of summer. To get the girl to be quiet, her parents had to emigrate all the way to South Africa. There the little girl grew up in a nice house with a big garden. She had a happy, sunny childhood and especially loved Christmas time. She adored going to ballet performances at the theatre on Christmas Eve. The little girl, remembering her german heritage, and thinking that all of her birth country was covered in snow during this season, making it look like the pictures on cookie tins, took great pains to cover all the window sills with white cotton wool and sprinkle silver glitter over them, so as to create a wintry atmosphere while the outside temperature was somewhere around 30 degrees. Every year the parcel arrived from the grandparents in Germany, with the most important ingredient: the black syrup, which the girl's mother needed to bake her special gingerbread cookies. As usual, the syrup leaked out of its container and created a sticky mess with the rest of the parcel's content, which did not exactly reduce the stress level of the girl's parents....but somehow this was as much part of Christmas, as the dinner of fried baby sole with potato salad and home made apricot sorbet served inside some sparkling wine :-) The artificial tree would be decorated on the 24th. Every year two kudu horns were placed in front each adorned with 10 candles and naturally generously sprinkled with silver glitter. Sometimes, the family would go to the beach on Christmas Day and then friends would come over for dinner, for which the little girl made place cards, urged her mother to take out the special plates, and decorated the table with lots of silver glitter ;-)

With the passing of time, the little girl obviously grew up...I may still be little, and the girl bit can only  be noticed with very reduced lighting and by an extremely benevolent beholder on a very good day... As fate would have it, the "grown up" version of me now lives back in the town where I was born. The loud voice is  no longer there...it must have been left behind together with the very sunny disposition I used to have back in South Africa. Some things, however do not change. I still love Christmas even though there hardly ever is snow, and I still have the tendency to put silver glitter over things :-) I am often cold and maybe a bit lonely, the mostly grey weather makes me sad... It took quite some time for me to accept the fact that I would never have children of my own. We do have a real Christmas tree with the candles actually ON it. I still decorate the tree on the 24th. While doing that my mind tends to wander, and, being ever so slightly materialistically inclined, and inspired by the grayness outside, I tend to bemoan the fact that I have no induction stove top, I will never get the pretty diamond ring that I am dreaming about, nor that dreamy lingerie.... But then, by chance I casually look at Thomas, as he puts the top decoration on the tree, and it suddenly strikes me: of all the beautiful, wealthy, accomplished, smart women in the world, some cosmic force has decided to entrust this man to my care. This handsome, clever man, caring and patient has decided to put his entire trust in me. I may cook for him, it is my lap he lies on when he is tired, he cuddles up to me when he has bad dreams, and he comes home to me after a long day's work, trusting that I will be there for him. This is ME we are talking about here, 154 cm of not always easy to handle ex little girl, not some super model, power woman who has both feet firmly planted on the ground. And then I feel completely overwhelmed. This one person has given his life to me. And I realise that indeed I have my very own Christmas miracle on the ladder just in front of me. Of course this does not mean that I would complain bitterly of a new pair of Louboutins...

I still miss the little girl and I wish, for the sake of Thomas and for myself, that I could recapture some of the sunny nature I used to have, and yes, I get terribly homesick for Christmas in summer. But truly, I know that I have been given a wonderful gift in the shape of Thomas. And of course my little furry "daughter", the cat, who would sing loud arias of displeasure should I forget to mention her ;-)

Have yourselves a Merry Christmas:-)

Conversations

Sitting at dinner with Thomas. 

Me: So, what would you like for Christmas?

Thomas( furrowing his brow, rolling his eyes and sighing more dramatically than I ever could): Hmmm... I don't know.., actually I have everything...

Me: But surely there must be something you would like...

Thomas ( after much mumbling and more sighs): Well, maybe a new really good tennis racket...

Me: Ok, but I can't get that for you (acquiring a racket is like getting a violin bow... It has to feel right, have the correct weight, etc). You will have to get it for yourself

Thomas: hmmm

Me: isn't there anything you would just like, what you don't really need, something just for fun?

Thomas: what do you want for Christmas?

Me (lighting up like the proverbial Christmas tree): Well, remember that painting I showed you on my Pinterest page? The one I want to hang over the bed?

Thomas: (something intelligible)

Me (getting into the spirit of things): and remember that ring I told you about? The one that looks like a wedding band surrounded by diamonds? And I would truly like a little solitaire to hang on my gold chain...

(By this time, Thomas has gone  a frightening shade of grey. I notice and decide to calm down a bit)

Me: I do want a violin case which is a bit lighter and thinner..

(Relief floods over Thomas. The owner of the music shop and I had a fling long before I met Thomas and he promised me a substantial discount on a new violin case. Thomas knows all about this slight glitch in my past)

Me: and there is this wooden bread tin... You know they say bread keeps a lot fresher in it...

Me: well perhaps you can make a list of things that might make you happy..

A few days later, just before going to bed. I have just removed my face and stand in front of Thomas in my beloved, ancient, well worn nighty, full of holes in the strangest places...

Me: So what would you like for Christmas?

Thomas (places his hands on my shoulder and looks into my green eyes): World peace...

Now how am I supposed to do that? It's not as though I can order world peace from Amazon and put it in a box with a pretty ribbon around it.... But then... Maybe I can...;-)

Now the cat is much easier to please. She meowed to me that she wants a few pieces of raw organic chicken filet, followed by some cream and a tiny piece of butter :-)

Fortified by a nice cup of hot chocolate, I shall now go in search of world peace and a pretty box to wrap it in and some Christmas decorations for the house...'Tis the season to be merry after all ;-)

It still exists !!

We have been covered in fog for quite a while now. This past week was exceptionally hard, as it was spent in a cold, gloomy church, rehearsing and performing rather gloomy, but partly still beautiful music, namely the Brahms Requiem. The other "work" was a contemporary something, based on Korean death liturgy...not very cheerful....So, I opened the curtains in the morning, grey outside. Into a grey church, outside again, still grey and so on. Things did get slightly better after I discovered some hand warmers, a gift from my brother in law from the US. But life was still pretty grey.

This morning it was the same. I opened the curtains....grey. In addition I have an awful backache, but I am applying my trusted cure: I ignore it, then I ignore it some more, then I hope for the power of Tender Loving Care and a nice fire, and if that won't work, painkillers :-) So I settled for the fact that the sun is somewhere on holiday, and has forgotten all about this little town and me. I sighed most melodramatically and then, suddenly, the fog lifted and we were surrounded by a burst of colour. It was magical and very beautiful. I felt so joyful...I even had the urge to burst into song, but, sadly, the only bursting I can do right now is a low grumble, having lost my voice somewhere in the cold church. Of course Thomas is being very nice about it, saying the sounds I utter are "husky" ;-) 

Anyway, the spectacle is over by now, and it is all grey again. Still, the magical experience from earlier this morning will stay with me for a while. Such beauty....and I know now that the sun has not quite forgotten us over here.

Even the cat felt the magic and was very silly, jumping around and catching leaves...not at all becoming for a lady of her age ;-) Naturally she is now quite exhausted and resting on her sofa (yes, she has her own sofa upstairs in the bedroom).

Who knows...if we all concentrate very hard, we can make the sun come back for a few minutes....Will you help me?

Two musicians in the forest

It was a lovely day today, the first in a long time where the sun managed to make its way through the fog. That is why Thomas and I felt inspired to go to the forest. My ulterior motive was to gather pine cones for decorations. Note to self: when searching for pine cones, go to a forest which actually has pine trees....it makes things a lot easier ;-) So, no pine cones. In fact, we were completely alone. No joggers or dog walkers, or other humans. It was very quiet,except for an occasional bird, probably telling its fellow birds about these two weird humans, one in proper walking shoes (that was obviously not me) and the other one in ballerinas and a long dress ( that was obviously not Thomas). Other than pine cones, I did hope to see some animals, maybe a squirrel or a deer, but they were apparently not there today. However, what we did see was a sign, asking us to protect the forest ants. Now I don't know what makes forest ants different to other ants, but according to the sign, they are extremely useful. Having a rather active imagination, I inmediately saw Thomas and myself dressed up as warriors, complete with flaming swords (yes I know that Halloween was yesterday), standing in front of an ant and fiercely protecting it against whatever.... I'm sure Wagner could have composed a five hour opera given this scenario ;-)

Oh well, in spite of the absence of bears, wolves, deer and squirrels, it was a very lovely walk. The sun filtered through the leaves, and everything was bathed in a soft orange light. The crunching sound of the leaves which we walked over, the hammering of the woodpeckers on the trees, and not a car to be heard.....And the forest smells...a bit mushroomy and fresh and clean....yes, it was very nice.

And the cat is presently telling me to get away from my iPad and into the kitchen to cook her some chicken. As always, she reminds me of the REALLY important things in life: food and cuddles.

The last Rose of summer

We have been living in our little house for eleven years now. After about a year we planted things in our garden, including two rose bushes. Of course I wanted red and white roses, but, like many other things, that went wrong and now we have a yellow and a white rose bush. These things happen when you trust a "garden designer"... But, the roses are of course not to blame. In fact they do their best to flower every year and are the reason for much happiness in our little household.

This year we sadly did not really have a proper summer. It rained a lot and it was not really hot, which also has the positive side effect that we could sleep at night (our bedroom is situated under the roof, where heat usually gathers). Presently we are settling in for autumn. So far we can't complain. It was mild and often fairly sunny, and the colours outside are very beautiful at times. A few days ago I noticed that the yellow rose bush was actually carrying one blossom. Two days ago it opened and looked quite nice. Today it really opened up and looked so cheerful and actually perfect. As the nights are starting to grow very cold, Thomas cut off the rose and brought it inside so that it can live a little longer. Now our roses never had any kind of scent, but that didn't bother us. I have no idea why, but today Thomas decided to smell at the rose. Without saying anything, he passed it to me and I took a sniff and was amazed! The rose gave off the most painfully beautiful scent...not too weak and not too strong...in other words, just perfect. A mixture of memories, hope, sadness, as well as happiness....it utterly baffled and moved me. It was as though the rose wanted to send me a message...

And for once, the cat had no fitting aria to sing. Maybe the language of cats and roses is a bit too different. But I'm sure she will make up for it just before the crack of dawn tomorrow ;-)

Belonging

This morning while putting on my face (yes, I do take it off every night and hide it in a safe place, so consequently I tend to get up faceless in the mornings...poor Thomas), I suddenly realised that, if it weren't for the theatre here in Würzburg where I am currently working, I would not exist. If I remember correctly, my late grandfather did a bit of freelance acting in the theatre in his day, and my parents met at the ball which was hosted by the theatre. My mother is from here and my father studied the French Horn here at the music college. He also played in the orchestra as a student when the then "new" theatre re opened, after having been destroyed during the war. I uttered my first screams here, not exactly in the theatre, but certainly close by.... Shortly after these screams, and I sincerely hope not BECAUSE of them, my parents and I moved to Regensburg, where my father had a job at the opera house, and shortly after that we emigrated to South Africa.

I spent my formative years in that beautiful country, went to government schools and got my university degree. I felt very much at home there, but was always treated a bit like an outsider. Not at all in a nasty way, but it was always clear that I was not really "one of them". After the completion of my studies, I came to Germany to further my education. Things did not quite go as planned due to circumstances beyond my control, and I found myself short of funds and in need of a job. For some or other reason, fate decided to send me back to the city of my birth. Being young and optimistic, I told myself that everything would be all right as I now was where I belonged. Still I could not warm to the city. Just as I was about to leave, fate cemented my stay here by firmly fixing Thomas in my life. Still being young and optimistic, I told myself that it was a sign and that I now belonged here, but after some time I realised that it was the same as in my beloved South Africa: I was "at home", but never got to be "one of them" until today...

So, how does one know where one belongs? Of course there are all these sayings like "home is where the heart is" etc. Well the two most important people of my life are here...and yes, I certainly consider the cat as a "people", and so would you if you would have heard her rather long and voluminous aria at the crack of dawn this morning, just before she came into the bed for her cuddle, I have my job which I love and my cute little colourful house, but still, even after all this time, I never managed to feel as though I belong here...

Anyway, I am still young (ok...on a good day, with the right lighting and seen from a certain angle maybe) and there is still some optimism there somewhere, so I will firmly tell myself that someday I will arrive somewhere, with the cat and Thomas and know that I finally BELONG. And the cat will sing another aria, and all will be well :-)

A Violinist with a Mission

On Sunday it will be Thomas' birthday. He already has his "big" present, a fancy flash for his camera, but I like to have something in pretty wrapping paper, which he does not necessarily expect, to surprise him. As I had this morning off and he had to work, I decided that today was the day to set out on my mission. Needless to say, the rain is pouring down, but I do have a very pretty umbrella, so I braved the elements and set out. First I did the groceries, even a  birthday having husband gets hungry, and deposited the basket in my dressing room before I set out again. Thomas expressed the wish for a headset for his smartphone some time ago, so that was my purpose. After all, it should not be too hard to find something like that in town, or so I thought.....

On my way to store No 1, I had been splashed by passing cars three times, and therefore my legs and shoes were rather wet. Action HAD to be taken, so I detoured into a shoe store, where I probably unearthed the last pair of rain boots in town. They were affordable and not too bad looking, so I bought them and wore them at once. Now that the crisis of wet feet had been remedied, I cheerfully set forth to complete my mission. In the store of my choice, there were two customers standing ahead of me, but I decided to wait. I like studying people, so I did not really mind. I waited....and waited.....and waited...nothing at all seemed to happen with the customers who were being served. Meanwhile the line behind me went all through the store and continued outside. After 20 minutes of standinding, I gave up and decided, still rather cheerful, to try another store.

On my way there, I took full advantage of my new boots and gleefully stepped into every puddle. That was fun...I arrived at store No 2. All counters were busy, but there was no one else, so I decided to wait. After 10 minutes of no action, I decided to leave, and try my luck on the way back. Now comes my true act of heroism: slowly being at a loss of where else I could go to look for this headset, I took several deep breaths and entered one of these big, confusing media stuff stores, which are always completely full and cause me to panic. I even approached a salesperson and, with my most charming smile, asked whether he could help me. The man did speak to me, but mumbled so badly that I had to ask several times what he meant, until I finally thought that I possibly recognised the word "Bluetooth". I took that for a good sign and followed him. He, rather uncharmingly, lead me into an aisle and pointed to a shelf and left. I was faced by a variety of headsets in an even greater variety of prices and felt utterly at loss. Thoughts of emigrating entered my mind, but I pulled myself together and left the store, or rather fled from the store.

By now I was running out of time, but needed some positive imput, so I interrupted my mission to head to my favourite store to buy some lovely bubble bath...a very cheering act. In the shop I listened to the shopkeepers life story, smashed front car window, lost handbag, and was given a large handful of toffee's. On my way back I wanted to give store No 2 another try, just to see that NOTHING had changed during my absence. Still the same customers at the same counters. 

I tried two more shops, and finally, in the last one, and exactly five minutes before I was to meet up with Thomas, I found a lady, who spoke a language that I actually understood, who was able to smile, and to help me. Of course I did not get exactly what I wanted, I have no idea whether it is the right thing, and it has to be ordered and will only arrive next week, but the mission was completed. Unfortunately I will not have anything surprising for Thomas on Sunday, but I can always wrap up an empty box and put a note inside, reading: "Will be delivered sometime next week. Love, Sonja"

Meanwhile, back at home, the cat is wondering why I rather spend time writing this, than petting her instead. After all, in her world, I am to blame for the rain....

Maybe I should go jump into a few puddles now

Inventions

There are so many very clever people around, who invent all sorts of things. Unfortunately many of these people spend a huge amount of time developing highly complicated stuff which nobody can really use. Now if they would ask me....I have a few sensible suggestions for inventors. For instance, the self cleaning bathroom...all those tiles that need to be washed....or a dust eating house...no more notes for loved ones written in the dust on some cabinet ...or a vacuum cleaner that climbs up the walls and takes away the cobwebs that inevitably gather in corners under the ceiling...

Today it is raining, actually it has been doing that quite a lot lately, and , as usual in this weather, I got wet feet. Now I have a suggestion for shoe designers...Messrs Louboutin and Manolo take note : How about inventing some nice, affordable pairs of gum boots, that are stylish enough to wear with a dress, and do not make the potential wearer feel like an overgrown ten year old... I'm sure there would be a huge market for something like that. On the other hand....the thought of donning pink rain boots with a matching cape, wearing my hair in pigtails and jumping gleefully into the puddles just like a ten year old would, does hold a certain appeal ;-)

Naturally the cat would have four little booties too and a cape matching mine...now here is yet another idea for a sensible invention...:-)

Here is to singing in the rain and hoping...

Oh dear...Holidays

Once again the time has arrived for me to break out in holiday terror. We tend to book our summer getaway in February, by which time we already have endured a few months of cold and very little sun. Invariably thoughts of immigrating are very alluring, and the idea of 40+ degrees and glaring sun combined with an ocean becomes rather appealing. So we head off to our favourite travel agent, brainstorm with her and leave the agency a whole lot poorer, but filled with tantalizing visions of sunshine , a nice hotel and walking bare foot over soft white sand, whilst listening to the gentle murmur of waves...

Then the time arrives. The season has ended and I go into my post work depression. My parents are "booked" to look after the cat and the turtles. The day before we leave is filled with bringing the violin for its check up, the obligatory "my mother is coming the house has to be clean" panic, the packing of the suitcase (we always travel with only one suitcase ...actually we own only one suitcase). The usual worries..did we pack enough underwear, does suntan lotion actually go off after five years,what jewelry shall I take, what to wear on the trip, do I have everything I need to put my face on....all accompanied by the mournfully accusing looks of the cat. My parents arrive with what looks like all their worldly belongings and then we head out to dinner with them. By this time I am convinced that the whole holiday thing is highly unnecessary and that we should just pass on the tickets and everything to my parents and stay home with the cat. After all I wanted her and she is my responsibility and I am a terrible cat mommy, abandoning her like that. The taxi is ordered for just after 7 am. Finally we head to bed, knowing that we have to get up at 5.30, fervently hoping that the cat will not throw up during the night, which she usually does....

The morning of departure dawns. We creep out of bed, so as not to wake up my parents. I cringe innerly and shush the cat as she begins with her rather loud morning aria, this time tinged with accusatory notes... After a hurried breakfast and a severely disrupted morning routine, the taxi comes and brings us to the station. We stand there, feeling lost in the early morning,waiting at our singularly unattractive station for the train. Once we arrive at Frankfurt airport, total confusion sets in on my part, and I never fail to be overawed by the fact that Thomas always knows exactly where to go. I would just get horribly lost. By this time I have only one thought in my head : COFFEE ! After much running we arrive where we have to be and now starts the part of feeling like a criminal. The handbag goes through the security thing and a usually butch lady in unbecoming health shoes makes me take off my shoes, paws me down and then runs the metal detector up and down me, which always starts beeping because of my hair clips and makes me feel awful. The COFFEE voice in my head has grown very persistent. When, after much trials the suitcase has finally been checked in, and I have not given in to the urge to murder someone, I see a coffee sign on the horizon. Finally, after the first sip of the strong, black, hot liquid, I can at last relax and begin to realise that I am supposed to be on a lovely holiday....that is until bewilderment hits me on arrival at our destination ...

I never claimed to be a rationally thinking,grown up person. That is all I can say to my defense...

Happy holidays ! 

30 Days

A while ago I took part in a Facebook experiment, requiring me to post three happy things in the space 

of one week. It was a very enjoyable adventure, even though it was not always easy- a week can seem very long. However, thanks to the support of Thomas, I stuck with it and I had some nice experiences. Of course, nothing spectacular like being discovered as the only living heir to a kingdom and enough money to buy Louboutins for the rest of my life, wear a crown every day and breakfast on Russian caviar and French champagne . And no, the conductors of the world did not come to realise that they absolutely HAVE to book me for concerts, but little things, like making people smile after giving them 3 minutes of my life to listen to their stories, the realization that a bunch of flowers, given in the right spirit can be one of the most beautiful things in the world...and that the purring of the cat can make up for many of life's hardships. Anyway, the week came to an end and somehow I thought that things would carry on from there. Instead I have found myself in a semi permanent depressed state, a frame of mind, which I am more than tired of. I discussed this with Thomas (who is very clever and knows a lot) and he said that, in order to really change something, I would have to stick with it for a space of 30 days without interruption. If I interrupt, I have to start all over again. I decided to take up the challenge. Once we are back from our week's holiday in Mallorca, I intend to post three happy things on Facebook every day for 30 days. We'll see wht happens. Of course it would be more fun if some other crazy person might join me, but I have a sneaky suspicion that I am on my own with this one.

So, until then, I will allow myself some serious wallowing in a semi depressed state, tinged with a good amount of self pity. I mean, EVERYBODY has more fun than I, more friends (well, I do live a very secluded life), no one cares for me, other people get all the good stuff to play. Other people have children (I will have to live with that), nicer kitchens than me, they cook better and have nicer houses and gardens. Other people look nicer, are nicer and have prettier shoes and live in nicer countries where there is an ocean and the sun shines....Yes, I am VERY good at this game ;-)

So here's to some weeks of being happily unhappy and then, who knows.... Maybe I will turn into a beautiful butterfly, or get to wear that crown. Should that be the case, the cat will get her own throne and a diamond neckband.

In need of a good Fairy

Most times I try to be a sensible, down to earth kind of person, but every now and then I like to believe in fairies and magic. I even have a lovely iPhone case featuring a sparkly Tinkerbell. I hoped she would be able to put some magic into my life, but since I have her I must say that I feel a bit comfused....However it is said that confusion is always the first step to something new. I can wait...

While waiting, I have come up with some wishes my fairy could make come true : First and foremost comes the wish to be the best possible wife for my Thomas. I wish for him to feel loved and safe, and I want to have our little house all warm and welcoming for him... I am afraid that my other wishes are more self centered....I wish deeply to be able to play a concert at home in South Africa. I know which piece , and I already have quite a clear idea as to the dress I would wear, as well as the shoes. I have not actually seen a dress like I want, so I take it that it still has to be designed, which is maybe the reason for the concert not yet having been scheduled. I would also very much like to see some of my friends from old times in person again. As one of my friends likes to put it, there is quite some unfinished business around...

My next big wish is to be able to lead a very good orchestra, playing Richard Strauss' 4 Last Songs. Especially the solo in the third of these songs is calling to me, wanting to be played by me on my violin with its sparkly fine tuner :-)

On a more somber note, once I am called away from this world, I would wish for a friend of mine, who currently leads two notable orchestras in the UK, to play the Strauss song "Morgen" at the funeral. I don't think anyone could play it more perfectly, with exception of myself of course ;-)

And I would wish for a little financial boost so that we can have our house renovated by some firm....it would be a relief to Thomas' nerves if he did not need to do it with only me and the cat to help.

I have other, more intimate wishes too, but, should someone actually read this, I find it prudent to keep these to myself :-)

Well, there they are, my wishes sent out to the universe, and I remain hopeful that some fairy picks them up and sets to work on them.

I hope you all have a happy, magical day

Do it yourself

My good friend from childhood days in South Africa organizes a tour through Europe for her students every two years. This year one of their stops will be here, in our little town. They are spending two days here, the first day will be devoted to sight seeing, and the second day to culture. So my friend asked me whether they could visit our theatre and whether I could arrange something. Not being brave by nature, I gathered all my courage and emailed the director of the theatre to ask him what he thought. He inmediately wrote back, assured me of his full support and said that the project was a wonderful idea. Naturally I was very excited and my mind was brimming with ideas about how we could organise a memorable day for the teenagers. So far so good. Then reality set in. I dutifully went up to the admin and spoke to a few people of whom I thought that they would help me. After all, I am only a musician in the orchestra, and in no position to order anyone to do anything. I got sent from one person to the next, all claiming how wonderful everything was, but sadly they are not responsible. Finally I got to one lady, who said that she would make it her thing. Again much happiness from my side. I did everything she assigned me to do and......nothing happened. So after two weeks of waiting I contacted the lady and asked her what she had come up with. She replied in quite a cheeky mail, the typical "oh...that person is not available, this will not be possible, they have no time, this will cost money...bla bla" In fact she had done nothing and left me feeling like a fool.

Time was running short and I found myself faced by two possibilities: I could sit down and cry, which is great to clean out the eyes so that they shine brightly again, but it did not really help my case and gets a bit boring after a while, or to get myself together and do my thing. Out of the blue I suddenly remembered the slogans of the two different high schools I attended : "Wees Uself" (be yourself) and "Aanhou Wen" (keep winning). And then my path became clear. I will be myself and continue planning the project and by doing just that, I will keep winning. I have learnt that, if I want to get something going, I am the only one to do it. After all, these are MY fellow South Africans and I will organise a lovely day for them. And, funnily, as soon as I made my decision, things started falling  into place.

Of course the cat won't much like it because she will have to spend the day alone, but I will find a way to make it up to her. On that note: AANHOU WEN !

Lydia

Yesterday evening I took a lift to work with some collegues. We arrived at the theatre earlier than usual, so I decided to sit outside for a little and watch the rain. Just as I settled on a bank, a very elegant elderly lady asked whether she could join me, and of course I said she could, presuming that she was waiting for the bus and did not want to get wet. As soon as she sat down, she started telling me how she had lost her favourite gold cigarette case earlier that day and that, even though she was a bit sad about it, she hoped that who ever found it, would appreciate it, and that there were more important things to life than cigarette cases, to which I heartily agreed. Then she looked me over closely and asked me whether I worked at the theatre, and I told her that I did. At that she grew quite wistful, telling me, that, as a young girl, she wanted to go to the theatre , but her father did not allow it. But, she said, she played her share of comedy in her time, just without payment. She said that I would understand, being an actress myself. So I had to tell her that I was actually a musician in the orchestra. She wanted to know what instrument I played, so I told her I was a violinist, and then her eyes really started to shine. It turned out that she lived in the same building as a collegue of mine, whose name she could not remember, but discribed the collegue and asked me to send her greetings from Lydia (the lady's name), which I promised to do. I kept my promise. Lydia then asked what was on our schedule and I told her. She told me that she loved operetta, so I informed her that we would be doing Gypsy Baron next season. And then a change came over Lydia. She asked me for my name, and then repeated it for a couple of times. After a short silence, she turned around suddenly, and said that she used to go to the theatre often, but since her husband did not really enjoy it, she stopped going. She missed it terribly, and said she would get a program and round up a few friends and start going again. I could see it in her eyes, that she was already planning her wardrobe :-) and then she said that, when she got home, her husband would ask her why she was so radiant, and she would tell him, that, besides the joy of seeing him again, she spent a wonderful time chatting with me, and that people like me made life a joy.... I had to leave then, to start work, and she actually seemed sad.

I don't know whether Lydia will actually go to the theatre from now on, but for a few minutes outside in the rain, she believed it wholeheartedly and that made her shine with joy. The dreams of her youth seemed to have come alive again....she was quite a different lady for a short while. I have never met a lady like Lydia...such style and elegance, and such a joy for the little things in life. It was quite an experience!

Three positive things

I am taking part in a "thing" on Facebook where I am supposed to post three positive things from my day, every day for one week, and nominate three friends to do the same. At first I was sceptical, but then I began to like the idea . The world has become such an unpleasant place ... filled with all sorts of cruelty, anger, the hunt for money, senseless wars, etc... So the thought, that once a day people from across the world who are in some way connected, break out of their everyday for a few minutes to think of three positive things, is a very nice one. The things don't need to be grand, and we won't save the world , but maybe the combined positive energy might help to improve things, if only a little.

So I now look forward to my first positive for today when I get home: the welcoming purring of the cat, to be followed by the "give me food NOW" aria. 

Have a happy day :-)

This Morning

This morning I was woken up at 5.30 by a complicated aria sung by the cat. I staggered down the stairs to see what it was all about, and found the house bathed in the most incredible light. I looked out of the window and was treated to a spectacular sky, cloudy , but bright orange....something I had never seen before. I would have taken a photo, but sadly I do not function at that time of day. Eventually I went back to bed (the aria was all about the cat wanting to join me in bed for a cuddle, which she consequently did). Soon after it started raining vehemently. I am now considering buying the cat pink rubber booties and a matching little raincoat.