the big wheel keeps on turning

One of the throw away lines at my grandmother's funeral which I attended this morning, was a reply to the question, "Did you really stay up and make koeksisters?" which my mother jokingly asked one of the "aunties" who was in attendance.

Her classic reply was, "Yes, I was up until four this morning, you know our family always makes the tarts and the koeksisters, it's our speciality."

A big funeral with an old fashioned sense of community, right down to the making of pastries for the reception tea. I though am on a pre-team meeting diet of sorts, so those famous pastries are right out for me, as I will soon be going into a bulging three meals a day, afternoon tea and scones and evening drinks environment.

You never go hungry at these team meetings, you just get meal after meal, course after course and no exercise other than mental dexterity. So since I've been through a few, I know that from past experiences, to deflate my love handles prior to the event and to plan on hitting that treadmill running as soon as I step off the plane.

The funeral, as is the case with these affairs honoured the memory and gave support the immediate family. A family which continues to grow as I found out that a cousin in Australia has just recently given birth to triplets. Life does have a remarkable way of continuing unabated, my calendar and my no-koeksister diet are evidence of its joys.