The shed with the chandelier...
by Tracy Mcalister mackay - 08:54 on 04 March 2011
Coincidence/synchronicity seems to hit me square between the eyes quite often these days, especially when I am not looking.
After first arriving on the island, in the days of sitting waiting for tiny ballerinas to reappear from class, I had a conversation with owner of the ballet school (this is not a grand enough title for this amazing force of nature, Mrs. Nadia) – we talked of her time living in Zambia and my father working in Zambia and her son-in-laws’ father worked in Zambia. All of which would have be coincidence enough sitting on this small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and then we find out both the fathers also gave up there careers to go into the ministry, later in mid-life.
Moving on a few years with increasingly bigger girls and boys and the need for them, not me, to be in a water park. I am pleased to sit beside a very pleasant unassuming new mum to the island. We get chat, I get asking and she mentions she is the sister of son-in-law of the same ballet school owner and yes he is ‘that ‘ son-in-law and yes, we are the daughters of lovely dads who took themselves off to Zambia and we are, Heather and I, members of that elite group (heh, you got to big it up) of daughters of “men of the cloth” and all that illusion brings with it.
And both Dads are called. …David.
A few years on, our children are different ages and we see each other on and off, but as often is the case with busy mum’s it was not possible to do so but it is always good to meet my pal with our not so common parallel history.
One day, a the school gate, we bump into each other and I get to meet Heather and her dad David visiting from the UK. You will be reassured to know her father David IS different to my father DavidJ ……” chat, chat, chat “and David has to go and meet his wife Sylvia – “SYLVIA I shout in my mind!” … I calmly mention to Heather that my mother is called Sylvia too!
I get to meet the lovely Sylvia later and phew …she’s not my mum eitherJ
Heh Heather - we have the two lovely mums called Sylvia, Dads called David who both lived in Zambia….
Anyway, enough of all that, suffice to say the coincidences go on and on – at the point at which I tell Heather of our new tenants full name she informs me that that’s her brothers full name too… and the greatest one of all - we both played clarinet! I know. …that is not the coolest of instruments to admit to but Heather has now redeemed herself and now plays bass guitar…
OK, so we all have history’s and as women we are eternally seen often as only being mums, daughters, partners of someone (OK better give them a mentions too -the lovely hubbies Matt and Evan ;-))
We are also individuals with talents and the ‘apparently’ quiet, reserved Heather turns out be a trained and working actor of many years and of very reputable TV and stage. Probably film too (haven’t got round to asking that yet, maybe our joint God father is Sean Connery !).
Her acting talent is proven to me on every occasion by her bettering me in every accent we choose to talk to each other in (that’s another story…). Heather McHale has a fantastic sense of humor and gorgeous to boot .
To top it all she, is also a photographer ( and has the patience of a saint dealing my requests - " can you just get up that palm tree and shoot through there....") . Heather McHale (hethmchale@hotmail.co.uk) has been documenting my studio build – or “The Shed with the chandelier” as it has come to be known as…. I grabbed some previews from her before she had a chance to add her extra magic touch…. photos of the studio build:
"The Shed with the Chandelier" - a celebration of creativity and good friends….
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Love your ANTA bowl!! (You're shed is gorgeous too :))xx