You may (or may not) have noticed that my blog has been quiet for a week.  My husband’s father died a week ago, and we have just come back from his funeral in Adelaide.

Peter died of malignant mesothelioma (due to asbestos exposure) and although his death was expected – even hoped for, because he was in such distress over the last few weeks – it has still been a shock.  An intensely emotional time for my family.  My husband has lost his father, my children their Opa.  My extended family have lost their husband, father, father-in-law.  His funeral was a fitting farewell, with a touching and appropriate eulogy beautifully delivered by his only daughter.  I thought that some of you would enjoy the flowers that were on his casket.

If you look closely, you’ll realise that among the tulips (Peter and his wife emigrated to Australia from Holland many years ago) and other flowers there is garlic, spring onions, chilli, cauliflower, purple lettuce, and broccoli.  Opa was a very keen vegetable gardener!

And as Peter always used to say whenever we had a toast of Bols, “may your children have healthy parents”.  May he rest in peace.