It was Mother's Day last weekend and Ithought I would take some time to honour my bestest buddy's mum - Auntie Anne or Nana as she was known to her family. Auntie Anne passed away earlier this year from a massive stroke. I miss her like crazy, crazy, crazy. It's horrible not having her there all the time anymore. She used to sit in the same spot at my friend's house, either on the chair in the kitchen, mostly with the cat nearby, or on the bench on the stoep, calmly watching the comings and goings of the neighbourhood. She was the softest person I ever met. Not only was her heart complete putty, I often watched in amazement at how she would let her grandchildren get away with stuff I know she would have given her own kids a complete bollocksing for, but when you touched or hugged her she was all soft and squidgy like old people get. She was also softly spoken, full of fun, amazingly talented at handicrafts, which all of her daughters inherited from her, intelligent, patient and kind and very very wise. Her favourite colour was pink. She loved to read, especially crime and conspiracy stories. She devoured the Da Vinci Code. She also hated pasta or anything she considered to be "exotic" food like Thai or Italian. If it didn't have rice, potatoes, three veg, meat and gravy, it wasn't food in her book. She left us at age 86 and on the day of her funeral the heavens opened - it poured - we all got soaked. She was wonderful and I miss her a lot. Rest in peace Auntie Anne - I love you lots.