Every Woman Should Have These

http://www.agracefuldeath.blogspot.com/ for an account of the exhibition of the End Of A Life that I am putting on here. Email me for venue details
http://www.antoniarolls.co.uk/ for my website
antonia.rolls1@btinterent.com

Every Woman Should Have These.

As you all probably know, life has not always been easy. Exciting, yes. Challenging, yes. Downright pooey, yes. And I keep going and I keep doing my Thing, and I keep managing to follow my heart, my dreams and my wild schemes no matter what monsters try and derail me (many of them my own fault, not thinking things through and not really wanting to give up on anything that I set my heart on Paint Wise, as they say)

What should every woman have? What is it that I have? Friends. Friends, my dears, friends.

Let us start at the beginning.

• Alan. Alan is my partner and has a hugeness of spirit that is hard to describe. When we met, I was in a total meltdown over losing Steve. We decided (quite rightly) to start a relationship, and what do I do? I compose an exhibition in memory of Steve. Add to that family difficulties, a personality that is so different to his that it is actually funny. What does Alan do? He remains Constant, Supportive, Truthful (ouch), Real, Generous and always able to listen. Alan is a Brick, a true friend, and has made "A Graceful Death" Exhibition work under some very difficult circumstances. I am so lucky to have him, and am beginning to do something I never even considered possible with Alan, to understand American Football. Steve would have thoroughly approved of him, and I thoroughly approve of him too. So, thank you to Alan.
• Eileen. How can such a small and modest person with such extraordinary intelligence, be so wise and resiliant? Eileen is a photographer www.flickr.com/photos/eileen_r for some idea of her talent. Eileen keeps a top quality job going during the day, is taking a degree in photography at night, is so very busy despite needing much peace and quiet. She had a genuis for photography, which is just as well as it is her passion. Please look above at her flickr website. And yet, yet, Eileen is always there for advice, comfort, a working-things-out-kind of conversation. Eileen never says No, Go Away You Bore Me or Oh Not Again. Eileen always gives me all of her attention when I need her advice and opinion, which is often, and on top of that takes all the photos of my paintings. It is becoming a fact, sadly, that Eileens photos of my paintings, are much better than the originals. That is because she is so clever. So thank you Eileen.
• Maddy. Hello Maddy! Maddy is my very sane very wise cousin who looks as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. It would melt. Let me tell you. Do not, just do NOT, underestimate Maddy. Maddy has a genius for putting the Under Dog on top, making it the Top Dog. Maddy has a sense of justice, a sense of fair play and an insight into all kinds of human behaviour that is borne of raw experience and her own difficulties. Did she lie down and die? No. Like the Dalai Lama she put it all into a box labelled Compassion and Forgiveness and Dangerous Deceptively Intelligent and got on with raising her three children, smiling, and putting other people first. So. Maddy is full of wit and when half a bottle of wine is involved, fury. And what fury! She is articulate, witty, razor sharp and oddly self effacing. Maddy has been here for me with such practical worldly and effective comments and advice on my life that I think that she must be the dalai lama. With attitude. And now Mr Pook and she are married, there is not a happier bunny anywhere. Good. So thank you Maddy
• Jemima. Maddy's baby sister. Min, to all of us. Min lives in the USA, miles away, with her husband and three children. Min is a font of calm and measured response. The fact that she is a firecracker, a whirling dirvish, makes her wisdom even more amazing. Min has involved herself through the goodness of her heart, in my various dramas here, and has had two of my Troubled Teenagers to stay with her. Needless to say, they prefer her to me. I prefer her to them. Only joking. A bit. So thank you Min
• My Three Children. 19 Year Old Daughter stands up for me with aplomb and verve, and is a wonderful terrifying wit when her old mum is being dissed. 16 Year Old Son, when asked, has extremely insightful and clever observations, when I am down. He is very good to his old mum really. He is very good at making quick judgements when needed. 13 Year Old Son gives me such hugs and kisses. He reminds me of all the lovely things he says I do for him, which makes me go gooey and garuntees more lovely things in the future. He is very loving and kind.
• All the Others. I don't want to name you all without checking if you want everyone to know who you are. My Scottish Friend in Dublin, an angel and a wise, dependable, deeply creative and intelligent, funny and loving old thing, she knows who she is. She needs a Thank you. My brothers, my friends here, my sister in law, all these people need big thank yous and so I do. My London friends (Cecil and Lucy...can I mention your names??)

Thanks all of you . You can all come to my 50th Birthday Party.

HOOORAY.