CHANCES ARE (1)

Striking Balkan features are accentuated by a purple and gold star-printed bandana secured tightly about her forehead and scalp. Grey streaked dark hair frizzes wildly below the scarf framing giant beaded hoops that drag on her aging flaccid ear lobes. Richly detailed ribbons and robes cloak her body in mystery. Creating an eerie atmosphere of other worldly powers, gnarled crone-like, garishly painted talons caress her crystal ball in hypnotic circular motions as she peers intently into her magical orb.

"Why am I here?" I chastise myself. Uncomfortable with fortune tellers, I worry, "How frequently do their words morph into self-fulfilling prophecies? Chances are you will regret this," I warn myself.

"I see retirement. Not in a city. In a small town."

In full drama queen mode with eyes rolling back, I silently scoff at the absurdity of her prophecy. Happily active in my real estate brokerage and firmly entrenched in Thornhill, I smugly write off her initial pronouncement. "Rubbish."

"I see water. Ah, pool water and much swimming. A new friend. E? No, an A. Alexis? Avery? Anne? Anna!"

"Whoa," I uncomfortably chuckle to myself. "Slow down here. I'm just adjusting to the idea of retirement in a small town and now she has me swimming with new friends. At least it is not with sharks! Talk about off base, but how did she know I swim?" My fingers, suddenly restless, begin to fidget.

"I see money being counted."

"Hmmm! I'm liking this part."

"No! It's a cash register I see. There are racks of clothes. Men's? Women's? It is unclear, but chances are you will be working in a store."

"Oh goody," I indignantly mutter. "Just what my parents envisioned for their university-educated daughter." I dismissively stand. "Enough!" I raise my hand in a halting motion. "This session......"

"Ma'am! Ma'am!" Insistent, impatient words sharply wake me from my reverie. "I would like to purchase these items, please." Anna, also on duty this afternoon, glances quizzically sideways at me, concern radiating on her face. But now fully alert, I promptly process the transaction, smile, and from my cash register viewpoint, scan the store I have so grown to love.

.......to be continued.

THE BLANKET

Rich in its display, a vivid multicoloured blanket spreads out before me. The tapestry, a confused maze of vibrant colours, appears to have been woven into its rough texture by a frenzied, half mad craftsman. A confusion of rich gold and bronze tones is punctuated by vibrant reds and more subtle shades of maize and pumpkin. Obviously created with complete abandon, no discernible pattern is evident.  Revealing its advancing age, the blanket's edges and corners have begun to curl like fingers on an crippled arthritic hand. Tendrils, exert their independence, escape and move independent of any design. An earthy pungent odour of decay assaults my senses. "Too long in one place?", I sadly muse.

Rake in hand, I linger, savouring the cool crisp air, welcome sunshine and colourful work of art. I am reluctant to begin removing Mother Nature's glorious autumn blanket.

IN LOVE WITH OCTOBER

"I'm so glad to live in a world where there are Octobers."  Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

From my first memories as a young child through to my adulthood, October has, hands down, been my favourite month in the year. You can argue all you want for June, July and August, but I won't budge. Nope! October, it is!  October, it remains! Jim and I even chose to be married in October. Imagine!

Mother Nature's magic paintbrush dramatically sweeps a change in her palette from a mixture of sun burned, heat-faded greens to a riotous canopy of oranges, reds and vibrant yellows. Albert Camus wrote of October as "the second spring when every leaf is a flower". Leaves drift like feathers on the crisp autumn breezes as they journey to the ground where they form autumn's crunchy sidewalk and street blankets. How I love that sensation and sound beneath my shoes. I wonder how neighbours would view a woman in her sixties jumping into a their freshly raked piles of leaves. Mental case, probably!  Ah! the fun-filled memories of childhood.

The musky scent of burning wood invites images of curling up, great book in hand, before a roaring fireplace. For Jim, it is football season at long last! 

Heady aromas of cinnamon, baking apples, pumpkin and mulled cider commingle to create the perfume of our kitchen. Comfort foods- stews, soups and pastas - make their welcome return to our table. And my favourite colourful harvest root vegetables abound. Not to be forgotten is the bounty of Thanksgiving's turkey or, even better, it's scrumptious leftovers.

Gone is summer's often stifling humidity, replaced by cool, fresh, breathable breezes. Sleep at night descends easily, window open, snuggled under a downy comforter. Cooler daytime temperatures allow me to don once again my favoured jeans and sweaters. How I treasure this timeframe, albeit short- lived,  between sandals and boots.

As the month draws to a close and Jack Frost threatens with his first tendrils of chilly, frosty northern air, all manner of pumpkin faces are carved and ghostly, ghoulish apparitions, treat bags in hand, haunt our streets cheerily demanding "trick or treat" from 'spooked' householders.

October is "the time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature has been saving up all year for the grand finale" . (Lauren DeStephano). Yup! October is upon us. And I, for one, intend to savour it!

SO PRECIOUS........

Pet peeves? I am generally a happy, positive person, but I fully admit to having pet peeves. Do you have any? Irksome occurrences that raise the level of your blood pressure? Sadly I admit that I do. The lady in the grocery store express check out line with thirty items in her cart. "Ah, come on! Can't you read the sign?", I mutter under my breath.  The gentleman in the car in front of me who misses the advance green because he is deeply engaged in a conversation on his cell phone. "Hey fella, have you been living in a bunker?" I yell in the confines of my car. "That's illegal." The group of teens sauntering en masse across the width of the sidewalk, preventing any possible passage. As my frustration increases, I envision myself in a football uniform ploughing through the inconsiderate oblivious group. Insane? Probably! What can send my ire right off the Richter scale is spotting a car, without proper designation, parked in disabled parking. "Why haven't they been ticketed?", I fume. "Where are the police when you need them?" Such is my frustration, I find it necessary to then relate the incident to whomever will listen to me blather on. Let's just spread the negativity, Daf!

This week has proven to be a difficult one. Saying goodbye to our beloved, Tony, who fought so hard for every minute of his life and watching Sue, his wife, and Michelle, his daughter, begin to cope with their loss has proven heartbreaking. I feel helpless. Yesterday, we received news that literally brought me to my knees. A dear, life-long, much loved friend, part of our lives since our teen years and a favourite of my parents, is in a battle for his life, fighting stage 4 cancer. The flood gates opened. Pent up emotion from this past week and the news from our friend totally overtook me and I sobbed.

A gut wrenching cry for Tony and John and fury with myself for negative moments of frustration in meaningless situations. So precious is our life, it should not be wasted. In my self indulgent moment of anguish, I promised to spend each day in laughter and positive thought, to get over myself in those my moments of frustration. To savour each precious moment of my journey. To not take for granted or waste this precious gift of life.

THE GIANT RED MAPLE LEAF ON THE TAIL WING OF OUR PLANE (Sunday, September 22)

Our full trip aborted, we are home. Although saddened to have cancelled the final two weeks of our journey, given the circumstances, I would chose to be nowhere else.

Switzerland did not disappoint. The rugged stunning beauty of the Alps, dramatic raging rivers and waterfalls, gentle verdant valleys, charming towns and cities, quintessential Tyrollean architecture festooned with flowers, and spotless cleanliness make Switzerland a European gem worthy of a visit on its own. Vienna, the city of classical music and Hapsburg's glamour, is nothing short of glorious and can easily hold her own amongst the great cities of the world such as London and Rome. This tantalizing taste of Austria is now beckoning Jim and I to return. Ideas for a return trip are already churning away.

4:00 am this morning and our wake up call rang. Why does a wakeup call so jangle one's nerves? Thus began our journey home from Vienna.  Fog had socked in Zurich Airport. Flights were being spaced out and so our Air Austria flight understandably but frustratingly sat on the tarmac in Vienna awaiting clearance from Zurich and Vienna to take off. "Let's just get this show in the air", I impatiently thought. Once over Zurich, we then circled for over a half an hour awaiting clearance to land. It was amusing and dizzying to watch the tight red circles form on the little GPS display above our seat and to enjoy the sun rise five times in one morning.  Not a big deal, except Jim and I originally had 75 minutes between flights and a terminal change. How nerve wracking it was to watch that time frame rapidly diminish. Once disembarked, we ran, catching the train from Terminal A to Terminal E, and arriving at our gate just as Air Canada was boarding. Phew!

Both Matt and Michelle discouraged us from coming home. In fact, we were ordered to stay put!  Michelle wrote, "My Dad would never have wanted you to cut your trip short". I believe that. If there was anyone who understood the full meaning of "carpe diem", that would be Tony. What he might have underestimated, though, is how much Jim and I loved him. How important it would be to honour his life.

Once our return travel arrangements were finalized, Michelle wrote, "I have to be honest in saying that I am glad you both will be here for Mom and Matt, and especially the kids. I think that they need to see you and know that you are both still okay". Copious tears flowed upon reading that note.

In my final Italian blog, I wrote, "That glorious red maple leaf on the tail wing of our Air Canada flight. No matter where we travel when I see that symbol, my heart sings. For me, that symbols says, 'Home has come to get you' and I love it". Walking down the Zurich Airport passenger tube to the plane, I glanced up and there was my maple leaf. Now it seemed to be saying, "You are needed at home and home has come to get you". My heart felt great relief.

We had discouraged all offers to pick us up at the airport. Jet lagged and exhausted, it would simply be easier to grab a limo for the final drive to Uxbridge. Upon exiting the customs/ baggage area into the main concourse, we heard music to our ears. "Grammie! Grampa!" yelled our little blonde bombshell, Morgan, as she threw herself into Jim's arms. Then came Matt's beaming smile and warm welcoming embraces. I would cancel a hundred trips for that moment in time.

Really, in the final analysis, that's what is most important in life - family and home!

OUR QUIET HERO

Jim and I have many blessings to count, one most definitely being our daughter-in-law, Michelle. Matt and Michelle's marriage brought a budding friendship with her parents, Sue and Tony. That friendship has evolved over the years to the point where holidays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, to name a few, are spent together as family. To Jim and I, Sue and Tony are quite simply adopted family. It is a deepening relationship we have treasured.
Should you view Tony on the street you would see a greying, gaunt man older than his true age, very slow and tentative on his feet. That vision outside, however, belies the strong, fiercely determined inner hero of a man.
Over five years ago, after undergoing hip surgery, Tony's body was invaded by a massive, life-threatening infection. That he survived amazed both his medical team and family who had prepared for the worst. The infection sadly robbed Tony of all kidney function forcing him into a five year routine of exhausting kidney dialysis. As if this were not enough for one man, during this timeframe Tony successfully battled cancer, a plethora of additional infections and most recently, a highly virulent case of pneumonia. Loss of core balance has led to numerous bruising falls and severe osteoarthritis has wracked his body with ongoing pain.
Many would have said, "Enough!", but not our hero. Why? One need only catch a glimpse of Tony in the presence of his grandchildren. This I have personally witnessed. An inner light and love burns so strongly it is palpable throughout the room. In my heart I believe that Tony has struggled and never given up so that he may watch his beloved grandchildren grow and thrive.
After another tragic fall that ultimately led to bleeding in his brain, Tony today fought and lost his battle and war, taking his final journey to a more peaceful place.
To Morgan and Zachary, our mutual grandchildren, I would say that such enduring love can never die. Morgan, when you jump into the lake and swim like the little fish that you are, know that although you cannot see him, your Papa is happily watching you from the cottage window. Zachary, when you reel in that big fish, the dock chair beside you may be empty, but your Papa is there helping you grasp your bending straining rod. Morgan, when you are whizzing around a winter rink, know that Papa is skating beside you and Zachary, when you ski that first black diamond run, Papa will be cheering you on. At school ceremonies and graduations, at weddings, and at holiday times, know that your Papa is present in spirit joining you in the joy of the moment. And when you sleep at night, he will be watching over you. Your Papa loved you and will continue to do so. Think of him as your guardian angel.
"I pray you'll be our eyes,
"And watch us where we go
"And help us to be wise
"In times when we don't know". The Prayer (Andrea Boccelli)
And so Jim and I will cut our vacation short. Europe is still in full tourist season and a change in air travel almost impossible but thanks to our amazing travel agent, Connie, and her compassionate contact at Air Canada, we will fly home Sunday. Home to now support Sue who has so long been Tony's rock. Home to love and support Michelle, Matt, Morgan and Zachary whenever and wherever they need us. Home to pay our respects to Tony Slot. Home to say goodby to our quiet hero.

IN WIEN (Tuesday, September 17)

Cold, dark and rain were our welcome to Vienna last night as we disembarked our eight hour train ride from Zurich. Exhausted, we signed in at our hotel, immediately crawled under eiderdowns and fell blissfully asleep. What a wonderful discovery it was, upon opening our drapes this morning, to find massive gothic St. Stephen's immediately across the platz from our hotel. This cathedral is considered by many to be the heart of Vienna, although some would argue for the Opera House or Hofburg Palace.
Skies were dull and temperatures distinctly chilly, but the torrential downpour of last night had dissipated. Thank heavens for the heavier coat I packed for our mountain top adventures. Wishing to walk for a day and stretch our train-strained legs, we followed good old Rick Steve's "Vienna City Walk", taking in the primary sites, absorbing the atmosphere and pace of this vibrant classic city, peaking in chandeliered cafes offering scrumptious delicacies, and deciding which sites we will concentrate on for the next three days. Traffic free cobblestoned streets make it clear - this is a city for the people.
Fountains and sculptures are in themselves storytellers and Vienna has no shortage. I was reminded that as beautiful as Vienna is, her past has been a difficult and scarred one. One monument in particular -The Monument Against War and Fascism - moved me to tears. The monument consists of four thought provoking and heart breaking statues meant to remind Austrians of the consequences of not keeping their government on track. The first section with two white slabs of granite is cut from the infamous quarry at Mauthausen. Moving towards these slabs symbolizes standing at the gates of a concentration camp. Carved into the granite monoliths are chilling wartime images such as chained labourers and gas masks. At the base of the monument is a low sculpture of a hunched over Jew forced to wash anti-Nazi graffiti off the street with a toothbrush. Citizens would stand over these workers jeering and spitting on them. So starkly moving is this piece that it reduced me to tears. Behind is the 1945 declaration of Austria's second republic, the first having been annexed by the Nazis, with the human rights built into it actually carved in stone. The experience gains emotional impact when you realize that this monument stands in the spot where several hundred people were buried alive when the cellar they were hiding in was demolished in a World War II bombing.
This evening we ate at a local wine cellar, Gigerl Stadtheuriger. Music, good Austrian wine, and an assortment of inviting local foods, the names of which I had no comprehension, made for a great end to our first day in Vienna (Wien).
I am going to list what these photos contain as I have not described most of them in the written part of my blog:
1. The view of St. Stephen's from our hotel room.
2. Cafe Sacher. One of the delightful chandeliered cafes.
3. Cafe Sacher is famous for their Sacher Torte. Two forks please!
4. Concentration camp gates - Monument .against War and Fascism.
5. Carvings on the granite monoliths.
6. Hunched over figure of Jewish street cleaner.
7. Austrian Human Rights Code carved in granite.
8. Opera House, considered one of the world's premier opera houses. Note giant outdoor screen on which some performances are projected for the public.
9. Vienna's walk of famous opera stars, conductors and composers.
10. J.& L. Lobmeyr Crystal in business since 1823. Gorgeous crystal museum on the third floor.
11. Interior of Lobmeyr's. Chrystal chandelier in centre of store reminds me of a trilobite!
12. Holy TrinitynPlague Column erected by Leopold I to thenm god for sparing his city in the 1679 plague.
13. Lady Faith and Cupid toss an old naked lady, representing the plague, into the abyss thus aging the city. Mesh covering on statues is to keep the pigeons off!
14. St. Peter's Church - ornate organ
15. St. Peter's Church - cupola
16. Celebration at Hofburg Palace - a new ambassador's presentation of credentials to the Austrian President. Problem? We don't speak German so we don't know which country he represented.
17. Can you identify this new ambassador to Austria?
18. Hofburg Palace
19. Roman ruins outside the palace.
20. Jim and I - dinner at Gigerl Stadtheuriger
21. Interior of the charming little restaurant.