Adelaide in a cuppla nutshells

With no Mum to visit, I had unanticipated time.  We went to the local library for some quiet browsing and community comfort.

This one leapt out at me because it is so beautiful and I've always been interested in calligraphy.  Last Friday I went to a finger painting class at The Village and, thinking about it now, this book may have influenced my attendance.

This is a book about Epicurus and his influence on philosophy.  It meshes nicely with my attitude to life.  The cover is so peaceful and I can see my reflection!

Of course, this one spoke to me.  You can see what beautiful books they have in the West Torrens library.  Sadly this one is only available as an online resource from our library service.  Part of the pleasure of the book is its delicate size and textured cover.

The cover of this one is not so beautiful but I was curious to know what Nikki Gemmell had to say.  Strangely until I started writing this I could not remember a thing about the book but it's coming back to me now - and I now remember enjoying it.  I also chose to read it because Steve had given me Wifedom, a book about George Orwell's wife (who knew?) and I was looking for parallels.  And found them.

Shortly after Mum's death I decided to have my haircut, not as an act of mourning but because I remembered that I had been growing it to show her there was still some curl.  I saw a man in Harbor Town with a style I liked (no photo - his wife was suspicious enough as it was) and asked him where he'd had it cut.  He said 'Madame Josephine's', which sent Heths and me into peals of laughter.  Back in the 1970s Madame Josephine and Arturo Taverna were The Place To Go for the sophisticated (older) woman.  We would never have dreamt of going there.  But go I did

and asked for George, as instructed.

I described the style to George, technically Giorgio, and asked if it would suit.  Yes, he said, it will look fabulous and also make you look    (bated breath)      taller.

You can be the judge - and I am sitting down.  It's not quite what I was after but it's getting there.  Back at Madame J's my curls looked wonderful on the salon floor.  I wish I'd taken a photo, and could have shown it to Mum.

However, you can see that my pursuit of pleasure led me to Mercato, a place Mum and I loved and where I feel totally at home.

Heths seemed pretty happy too.  She had a zeppole and I had the most curious mix of focaccia, pecorino, black pepper, kalamata olive oil and honey.  It was certainly a taste sensation, but the serve was far too big and it definitely required a glass of red.

Mum

Mum died at the nursing home on Wednesday 30 August.   The nursing home had been Mum's home for 2 years.  It seems fitting that she died there with Helly, Willowa and Daphne Greyhound with her.  For us, dogs are always part of the family and, to me, this seems the best way to go.

Helly, Willowa, Tamasin and I still celebrated her birthday on September 2nd.  As planned previously we had sushi and the rhum babas that Mum loved.  We went to the Botanical Gardens at Mt Lofty, and picnicked at the Magnolia Gully, a favourite place of Mum's, especially in early Spring.

We were not alone.

It was magic.  Mum would have loved it.  Perhaps she was there too.