If you’d seen it you’d remember the little blue house, the one just up from the corner of the street. You’d know it by the white picket fence the wrap around verandah and the wee blue hatchback parked in front of the garage. That’s it! The one with the Aussie flag hung from it’s aerial!
But then again maybe you wouldn’t remember… there could be any number of houses like that on the plateau… it isn’t exactly remarkable. But if I mention the stained glass witches guarding the garage, or the dragons along the porch, the gnomes and the goblins, the thunderbox bedecked with redback spiders and the sputtering water features maybe you’d have noticed.
You could have spent hours stopped and staring if the house had caught your eye as you walked past; and every time you stopped you’d see something you missed the time before, or something newly created and installed. It was just that kind of house.
It was just that kind of house because it had just that kind of owner. You probably wouldn’t even notice her if you saw her at the supermarket. She was pocket sized, a little wheezy, greyed around the edges. But if she opened her mouth you’d remember her. She’s just that kind of woman. A ‘true blue’ Aussie who smoked like a chimney and swore like a sailor, and truth to tell wasn’t afraid of the occasional drink or two either.
She was colourful. Funny as a fight who’d just as likely express her appreciation for you by telling you to “Fuck Off” as give you a hug. More likely, truth to tell.
I could write a 1000 words and still not sum her up. But she loved her kids, and her grandkids, and her kid’s friends (me) and she made her peace with God without losing any of the things about her that made her so unique.
She would sit in church and quietly mock the pastor and the trappings of the church but she never mocked God, keeping her bargain with him right up till the last. And I just know the two of them are sitting up in heaven having a glass of wine and a fag and she’s bending his ear about her kids, and about her grandkids. She always did bend his ear about them. She’s not about to stop now.
You may not remember the old lady who lived in that blue house near the corner of the street. The crazy house with that wild, crazy ornamented garden but I will. I’m glad I knew her, glad I ate from her barbeque, glad I laughed with her and her kids and glad that I could call her ‘Trouble’. She was that for sure, but she was also my best mate’s mum. And all of us who knew her are going to miss her something fierce.
We’ll have a drink or two for you on Friday Helen, and many more to come, I’m sure.
Thanks for the memories.
Godspeed.
Week 6 Wrap Up
Day 38 What a Difference a Day Makes
I was high as a kite yesterday, no particular reason. Life was good.
Today, not so good.
Bad news to kick off, fever to finish. Just as well tomorrow’s another day.
Silver and Gold
“Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.” Mark Twain
It’s been a week of friends. This is quite an achievement for a self confessed ISTJ introvert but I’m holding my own. (Late nights and noise canceling headphones help…) But the truth is I’ve been loving it. It does this body good to be reminded of the sterling people around my world.
Charm and Just spent a week here, all tucked into my shoebox of a flat. Charm is a sterling musician and one of the best bits of the week for me was to spend an afternoon around the piano singing along to some of my favourite Jazz standards interspersed with quality piano solos. I’m pretty stoked that they’re coming over again next year, so we can do it all again. Actually, quite apart from the musical benefit, as someone I’ve known since she was 14 it’s fantastic to see what a great woman she’s become and great that we’ve stayed friends! Even though I’m an old duck by comparison… And Just? A brilliant choice of partner for her and fast becoming a great friend to me too! Guys, January can’t come fast enough!
Kirk and The Guy had us all for lunch and provided the piano, and well, as she reads this regularly I don’t want to embarrass her. But she’s been to hell and back with me and there’s no one else I’d rather have there too. Hardly fair on her… but that’s the test of a good friend really, that and whenever I need corned beef I only have to ask and they’ll throw it in the pot. Oh, and she’s the mother of my 2 favourite Australians which makes her a gold medal winner.
Then there’s Shoe who’s back in Sydney after 15 months away. She’s back. That’s bloody awesome in my book. As sterling single women of a certain age we’re both prizes that are yet to be snapped up. It can’t come soon enough for either of us to be honest, but while we wait we are going to have some fun painting the town together, let me assure you!! We started tonight here. We’ll be back… in Margarita season. (Who am I kidding… every season’s a Margarita one!)
Monday night saw me at the MacFriends place. Now there’s where you go when you want deep and meaty conversation. If you can fit it in around the kids coming and going and climbing all over you and the chatter and the dinner and the ridiculous Skype conversations with the neighbours up the road. Mrs MacFriend is a regular reader too… and so this is a ‘Hi’ for you busy mum… you rock, I love hanging out there! We may not get to hang out often but it’s worth it when we do!
Ok, so I think I’m approaching the cheese border line. I’ll forego all the other gushing I may have been tempted to do when thinking about my fabulous friends. But before I go I did have one other social engagement on the weekend.
One that really could be considered a bit of Boy Action…
Heh, that woke you up!
If you’ve been around here long enough you’ll remember Clayton. Well… finally after months of talking about it we finally hooked up.
Sunday night he came over to admire the Mac and talk about web development and projects we’ve got going on. I cooked him dinner and actually, if I had taken him at his suggestion and gone out to eat I would never have burned my fingers.See Extended Entry Guess that’s what you get for diffusing the ‘potential date’ scenario by attempting to create a casual ‘friends hanging out at home’ vibe. It’s either that or it was the cunningly calculated ‘ouch, I’m an invalid, can you please ‘carve the chicken’ for me’ man trap ploy…
*bats eyelashes and passes the knife…*