March 25th, 2001

Mother's Day. What a lovely day we all had, all the family came except Martin. He phoned and will come next week. He's just got back from Brazil, and is busy getting sorted out. Sean came on the Saturday and stayed over until Sunday. I had lots of presents, flowers, chocolates and cards. It is great to have a big family. I went out with Myles and his family to lunch. We went to a Mexican restaurant called The Frontier Post. It was nice. We left there at about 3 o'clock and came home. Later on, Michael, Patrick and Mary came with presents. Patrick brought champagne. I was exhausted and glad to go to bed at 9 o'clock.

Wednesday 28th March, 2001

It is still raining, cold and miserable. 
I stopped for a little while as I took took Isabel to school, and made up for it and poured as I went to fetch Thomas from nursery school in Catford. Thomas doesn't mind the weather. He loves to come home by bus. Michael and wee Zoe takes him home on Mondays. He likes playing with Zoe and then Jacobo takes him home by car when he goes to pick up the children. Anne is at home the last few days, with a nasty cough and sore throat.

I have just been speaking to my sister Mary on the phone. We spoke a bit about our childhood in Ireland and that set me thinking. There were so few old people around. Of course we thought they were all old. Nobody wore anything bright or light. They all wore long black clothes and boots. They worked hard with few amenities. The wives didn't enjoy any money of their own. They were worn out before their time. I only remember seeing my grandmother once. She wore a black, straw bonnet. It was the headgear of the time. I thought she was about 110. She was probably in her late sixties, not a cuddly Grandma and she smelled of mothballs. Funny what one remembers. The oldest woman I remember was Granny Grehan, next door. She was a lovely granny. We thought she was so old, but she was probably younger than I am now.

When my sister Mary was nursing at Lambeth Hospital in the fifties, there were few old people in the wards. One morning they were having breakfast, when this young woman came rushing in to say she had a SEVENTY year old woman in her ward. Nobody would believe it and they all went to have a look at her. Times have changed. Now the wards are full of old people, mostly women. I have a 93 year old neighbour who does all of her own shopping and housework, and she looks great and goes to visit her son in Devon.