I've mentioned previously that my old friend Jock's birthday fell on St Valentine's Day. His mother (one of New Zealand's finest poets) must have been thrilled.
Jock was a bonviveur. Nothing was more enjoyable for him than to eat well in a simple restaurant, whilst passing time with friends.
I introduced Jock to the above nearby restaurant even before he'd settled in France, and we ate there regularly together. He loved the friendly atmosphere, the wonderful regional cuisine (a female kitchen), and the fact that as soon as the all-inclusive bottle of wine was emptied, another appeared as if by magic at no extra charge.
So happy St Valentine's Day to everyone, and a posthumous Happy Birthday Mr Veitch.
More snow this morning, but much warmer (minus 2 C). Hooray, our exterior gas bottle has un-frozen; bacon and eggs for breakfast!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear you are thawing some. What a nice tribute to your friend. Good friends are hard to come by. Happy ST Valentine's Day to you and yours.
Deletelol about the bacon and eggs..how nice to remember your friends birthday not a usual thing for a man to do,Bob would not have a clue when his friends birthdays are,it is enough to remember his own lol...seems like a lovely way to spend a day having a long lunch with a nice friend and a good wine..or the other way round lol..
ReplyDeleteI only remember Jock's, because it was St Valentine's Day. But he never received a heart-shaped box of chocs (not from me, anyway).
ReplyDeletesounds as though you miss him
ReplyDeletenothing like real friends eh?
Yes, I do John. He was quite special.
DeleteThat's the first time I've seen you without a beret, Cro.
ReplyDeleteThey had a crowbar at the door.
DeleteThis piqued my curiosity, Cro, with his mother being a poet and all ... so I read up about him and I found his obit in the SMH. He sounds like someone I would have loved to have had a drink with. I like this quote "... asked why he had left NZ, he claimed to be a "sports refugee". I feel like that sometimes as someone who is totally uninterested in sports in this sport-mad country.
ReplyDeleteHis shape confirms this, Judith. Never a sporty type.
DeleteHappy hearts and flowers day Cro.
ReplyDeleteSad that he is no longer with you but a lovely post to his memory. Good friends are with us always.
ReplyDeleteNow Valentine's is a nice "special" day to have a birthday on. Not like Christmas, not like Leap Years which both have disadvantages :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a Valentine's baby Cro...our eldest daughter's birthday is today. More thrilling for Rudy and I than she, I think. 'Sharing' your birthday with an event means sometimes you take second place to it. However, I choose to think she was more influential in making her appearance in this world on Feb 14 than I was...don't they say babies decide when it's time to be borne?
ReplyDeleteHandsome photograph of the two of you. Loving friendship shines through.
That's wonderful, Jacqueline. Valentina?
DeleteMy mother's birthday was February 4, but my brother always thought it was February 14th, which is when the flowers arrived. Mom loved that. Happy Valentine's day to you.
ReplyDeleteA most wonderful Valentine's Day to you and the lovely Mrs. M
ReplyDeleteGlad you are thawing out. Its finally gotten the normal cold here, don't like it, but its here.
Happy Birthday Mr Veitch. Tonight I will have glass of wine to ALL my friends in France (That would be one)
ReplyDelete"Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”
ReplyDeleteI don't know who the author is but the words ring true.
here,here!
ReplyDelete