Day 13, L3: Mothers, Hippodrome, and Swan Lake

Today is Mother's Day in NZ (but not everywhere) and it got rather beautifully and unexpectedly under way for me at 12:06am Sunday NZ time with a call from my Sam in London. Oh yes, this crazy night-owl Mama was still awake! 

I had to chuckle ... after he'd wished me Happy Mother's Day, he asked "Mum, why are you still up!?"

Oh Sam, the fact you rang me at this hour means you know that of course I'll still be up. It's early for me, your eternal night-owl mother!  My modus operandi having always been "available all hours". We laughed.

I suspect I was potentially the first mother in the whole wide world to receive well-wishes from their child on Mothers Day this year, May 2020, Covid days. NZ, after all, is the first country to see the new day. And what child rings their mother moments after midnight from the other side of the world? A gorgeous fabulous connected old-soul one - that's Sam.

I didn't go to the beach today. Too busy doing other stuff and don't really want to see how many are flouting the rules. 

So here's a pic of me and my boys - taken Christmas 2007. Mum sadly died just a short time later on 1st Feb. Still miss you mum x

December 2006

Three generations. Me as a baby, Mum (aged 22!) and Nana. With Uncle John.

Mum - celebrating her 58th birthday. That's my next b'day!!

I spent this Mother's Day on my own. It's okay, it's really just another day. And of course I reflected and remembered my Mum.

To be honest, Mums are probably more valued when they're not there all day, every day, every minute, taking care of everything. Sometimes people (and things) really do get taken for granted. Until they're not there.

Sure, absence may make the heart grow fonder. But that's often a vagary. 

I believe absence makes people appreciate those who have made their life better. No matter what form it takes. My motto - appreciate everyone in your life. Now. Not on their deathbed or at their funeral. Afterthought and hindsight is not appropriate. 

Nice thing is, I had more Ma-Day surprises to come ... read on.

Brett phoned and we did the Sunday quiz. We did okay. And learnt a bit too.

Phone call from Michael, chatted happily. He and Brett played golf today. Brett cleaned up much to Mike's chagrin!

So how did I spend my Mother's Day ...? 

SWAN LAKE:

At 10:30am I watched the live-stream of the ballet "Black Swan White Swan" performed by Royal NZ Ballet. It was such a nice morning but I had to have the blinds closed to stop glare as I cast it to the TV. Having the blinds closed in the daytime isn't great. But I settled in and I didn't give a shit if it looked, to the outside world, as if I was laying low and working off a shambolic hangover or something!  I had a nice indulgent ballet morning. 

This ballet is a new interpretation of Swan Lake and it consumes you in the most surprising of ways. It's modern yet classical, simple yet complex. It's danced with so much feeling. So many layers and it certainly takes you on a journey. And that evocative Tchaikovsky score that resonates every time. The strength involved in pulling off some of the lifts and moves in this ballet is exceptional. I'd seen it live last year but wow, loved it all over again. And funnily enough, Swan Lake came lurking again today ... read on. 

Once I'd got back to earth after watching the beautiful ballet on screen, I did a bit of housework, washed the sheets etc. Okay it's mother's day and I shouldn't be doing this stuff - but it's just me and it's okay. 

I'd done a good sort-out and catalogue of old photos a while ago, but today's second glance consolidated things more. 

And I had an eye on the "mother" thing today as I flicked through pics. Gives a different perspective when you have a filter. 

As I grew up, I always appreciated my mother and all she was (I could never understand the disrespect some youngies had for their parents). 

But I know for sure that I had no idea what being a mother entailed ... until I became one myself. Only then could I have honest authentic conversations with my mum about motherhood. I got to know what she went through bringing up three very different girls. 

I remember saying this to Mum and the magic look on her face when she realised I realised!

That I think, is the true beauty of grand-motherdom.

LUNCH: Rye bread with cheese & tomato (yum best rye bread ever).

DINNER: Well - it was kinda destined to be something very mediocre like Leftovers (which I don't really have) or eggs on toast or similar! But it turned out so much better than that. Read on!

At 5pm we had our usual Zoom catch up with friends. Such good fun. Love it.

Half way through, there's a knock on the door. I think it must be the neighbour so excuse myself and go investigate. 

OMG it's the local food delivery people with a package for me - delicious ribs, chips, slaw and brownie. My Mothers Day treat! Fan-bloody-tastic and very appreciated as cooking tonight was feeling wearying. 

Shit it was tasty. 

Makes being a Ma a good thing! I like being a Ma! Okay, so maybe Mothers Day isn't just another day!

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:

There's an album that contains photos of a trip mum and dad did when they visited me in London in 1983. We did a trip through Europe together and there are lots of photos of us all over Europe and UK. 

But here's the thing - and the ballet link, which I'd totally forgotten about. The Swan reappears ... 

History:

Swan Lake had its English premiere at the London Hippodrome on 16th May 1910 - performed by Ballet Russes. 

After its very early days as a theatre for ballet, circus etc, the Hippodrome then became a nightclub called "The Talk of the Town" which then closed down and was revitalised again in 1983 as a nightclub/restaurant by Peter Stringfellow. It reverted to it's original name: The London Hippodrome. 

In 1983 I won a competition that gave me a year's membership to this revitalised London Hippodrome. OMG it was a new decadent and iconic 1980s London nightclub and I was part of it's entire first year, there just about every night!!!

It was pricey and hard to get into as it was so popular. Everyone I knew wanted to go and experience it - and I had the means to enable that - the much lauded membership card! I could get one person in free of charge with me - so I think I went to that incredible place just about every night for an entire year, taking some friend or other to experience it. I was 21. It was amazing. We had some great times. I'll never forget it. 

This was the first nightclub that let gays do what the hell they wanted. 

"Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood was the big song of the moment. So you can imagine what the heaving dance floor was like! 

Truly iconic days right there. I don't think I ever slept. Perhaps that's what created the night owl in me!? But despite stumbling out into the London night around 3am, night after night, I was never late for work! Thank god work in London starts at 9.30 and I lived very centrally at the time. 

So ... and this is where the ballet element comes in ... the London Hippodrome had the London Festival Ballet come and perform excerpts from Swan Lake on 16th May 1984 to mark the anniversary of the premier. Kind of ground-breaking and unusual at the time. Mum and Dad were staying with me in London and we went along. So they saw some great ballet and also the "Relax" lot in full swing - and had their eyes opened!  

BTW Michael was born on 16th May!

Mum and Dad at The London Hippodrome 1984