Lost Opportunities

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(Edited)

Grapple With Time

Over the years we normally celebrated big occasions with our families, many have departed or left our shores, no longer live in the same village, much happens over the years. Eating away quietly into my soul, I was the one arranging events mainly for the husband big days as they arrived and went.

Both sons had quietly entered the forties, my seventy arrived at a difficult time, none had been celebrated all falling in the hot months over here no go. January I said to the family, come July we are going out to celebrate my only daughter-in-laws big Four'0 on behalf of all missed during the past four years.

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Something my husband and I had always enjoyed along the coast was once a year driving into Durban to enjoy a Fish Platter, normally comprising of crayfish, langoustines, prawns, calamari and some line fish of the day. Going in a group of four or six it always turned out a magical evening chatting with friends or family, before we all had children.

Booked on Monday for Saturday, then prayed for good weather to enjoy outdoor lunch together, well it was superb with excellent friendly staff. Manager with sense of humour arrived at the table to explain sadly no crayfish due to over fishing and illegal harvesting! Be damned when these were available in great numbers thirty years ago, shows you how quickly much changes, plus how long ago I went for a fish platter.

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Delicious dish arrived with langoustines, prawns, yellowtail fish, mussels, baby squid accompanied by savoury rise, chips, greek salad, garlic butter, tatar sauce, chilli sauce. Time to dine, dig in, watching the pleasure it brought to faces that had never enjoyed a fish platter previously. Anticipation, waft of grilled fish, I only remembered to capture my plate not the platter with my starved mob eager to taste what I must have mentioned a good few times over the years.

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Relaxed, we ladies enjoyed the white wine while the guys went non-alcoholic raspberry lemonade both required to drive, given a bottle of complimentary wine for not having crayfish which we will save for another day when we let our hair down.

It would be remiss of me not to show you the gorgeous winter weather we enjoy, vista over the sea sparkling under the sunny day that reached 24C under an umbrella on the verandah.

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Our staggering warm Aloe varieties with Cycads in the rockery gardens.

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Geese out and about with a bossy one taking control! Let's go surfing!

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Koi fish pond, don't they look healthy lucky not for cooking.... _(Taken with cellphone by my son, my battery ran flat, dill brain left spare at home.)

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Male urinal, once again unique, spotlessly clean, photo taken by my son. Did say MALE!

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Now on our radar The Lazy Moose for another outing, will phone ahead and find out whether crayfish is available, something to look forward to along our south coast somewhere, many hidden restaurants waiting to be supported.

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Wishing you a wonderful new week, I am learning very quickly when something niggles at me to never let go of lost opportunities, grappling with time no more, find the time and go!

Today is #SublimeSunday is inspired by @c0ff33a and #BeautifulSunday is initiated by @ace108

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All photography my own using Canon Powershot SX730 HS, except where indicated. Time is equal opportunity, use it wisely.

Thought for Today: "One who eats alone cannot discuss the taste of the food with others." - African Proverb

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38 comments
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That looks a big plate of food there for you to munch through, I have sen those urinals in a few places , very trendy if you like LOL

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Massive platter came home with a 'doggy bag', boy it sure was enjoyable!

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LOl, doggy bag , left overs second helpings, nothing wrong with that

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I'm so glad you finally got out to celebrate your milestones! Coincidentally Arthur and I went to The Friendly Moose for lunch a couple of months before he passed. We were very impressed, it's a beautiful place, and the food was very good. A little pricey but worth it for a special occasion not so!
I love Durban winters, gorgeous weather.
Take care Joan🤗

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Deep dive and simply did what I wanted, turned out to be really memorable day spent. Although pricey well worthwhile, not something we have done in such a long time, bit of catching up.

I live here for the winters

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(Edited)

Sometimes you have to just dive in and do it! We've both learnt how quickly things can change, so we need to make special memories 🥰
What a gorgeous winter's day again! I love it.

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Superb weather helped to make the day great.

Appears another cold wet weekend arriving for the Cape on Friday once again, they really having a wet winter this year.

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It looks like you had a wonderful time with family, sis @joanstewart! And it is beautiful out there! Don't we all need days like these! Enjoy, sis!
!BBH
!LADY
!LUV

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Really thrilled everything went according to plan, pricey but nice. Pleasant outdoors relaxing to the sound of the waves breaking, nothing beats our winters.

!LUV to you and have a brilliant day.

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I was going to say what where you doing in the Males for the male urinal 😅
But then your son photographed the spotless clean urinal.

Beautiful spot, the meals got me salivating as I miss Ocean Basket in South Africa 🇿🇦, New Zealand 🇳🇿 is no where close to SA's seafood from all that I have had so far.

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Never frequented an Ocean Basket always find tiny places where fishermen supply direct.

I suppose I should not be surprised learning of over fishing or poaching our waters, even sea life cannot be left alone by humans or the filth we pumping into the sea.

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That's good. A great day in the company of family in such a pleasant place

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Long overdue and turned out brilliant in every which way.

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Time must be taken advantage of by enjoying it as much as possible, trying and having unique experiences is great.

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Excellent lasting memories are made doing something like this, has been a long time in coming.

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It would be cravings satisfied for me. Looking at your plate. Only you didn't have your crayfish this time.
Smiling at the geese taking control 😁😁

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Will find a place that offers crayfish, spoil oneself every so often, we could never do this regularly. Birds are free to fly off, yet stay when so comfortable and well looked after.

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Oh this is too beautiful. Your post hit a couple pf really sensitive sots for me, as I have just entered my forties and my mom is stuck, alone in her id 70s, all alone in the UK. Our circumstances are hard, but we are trying to get her back here as soon as we can. I can only imagine how horribly lonely she is.

She took herself out for a walk to a castle and a lunch of fish and chips! I', so glad she still gets out and about.

A nurse forced by an aging body to retire, she has certainly earned her retirement. I keep telling her to just pick one of her doctor suiters with a bit of a heart problem an then set herself up for life :p

It is painful to relive our stories of loss, but I am so glad you have found a way to celebrate with your lady friends. You are certainly spoilt for choice up there on the East Coast! Langoustines taste better than crayfish anyway!

It reminds me of the bitter sweet day I spent with my uncle, my mother and my closest friend, also Clare, as we scattered my fathers ashes in Simon's Town.

And then treated ourselves to the most wonderful spread of seafood. as the most delightful comfort food.

Unfortunately my previously estranged uncle from Pretoria passed away about 6 weeks after this, so I am so glad we went all out to enjoy that precious time together.

Ambitiously, I am hoping to make another paella soon! I found some saffron in my cupboard! now I just need @zakludick to finish fixing my electric frying pan :p

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We tend to move too quickly through the years, when looking back one realizes time did run away a wee bit.

Well I hope that paella materializes soon and Zak isn't too busy at work keeping the wheels in motion for the home.

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Having just celebrated my 40th, I look back with a huge amount of sorrow, pain and regret... for lovers and family lost and real hard, real world lessons learned. I am half way through my life and I am not nearly where I thought I would be. How do I celebrate who I have become?

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Happy belated birthday, my forties were tough years, I had lost my parents by then, made me dig deeper to keep going as they had.

We never celebrate what we have become, simply get on with life, try stop every so often for a breather.

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That's freaking hectic. I lost my dad when I was 38... and the reality is that my overworked and exhausted mother isn't 40 anymore....she's 75 in November. I have to prepare for that, which is going to be a huge hit. I don't know how I'll cope... really.

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With Mom around you will find a way to be together for her 75th. Having lost my parents a year apart me aged 39 it was never easy, we survive somehow.

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Wow. That must have been unimaginably hard. I lost my dad and my uncle a month apart, but both parents? That's hectic :(
!Luv
!Hug
!Lady

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We learn to carry on, not prepared to dwell on the past completely, still a lot to see, which is what they want you to do.

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