Anxiety over Mother; friends are a tonic; an owl brings pleasure; some lovely Tristan stamps; “Greaty” receives sherry; hot water in the taps and a new fireplace; the concern of neighbours; wicked pain; a wonderful surprise; Gran – an “old person”?; Isabelline envy, and a book by Barry.
Gran’s thoughts at this time are dominated by the state of Greaty’s present and future welfare. On October 30th 1974 she writes:
I rang the hospital at nine o’clock and was relieved to hear that Mother’s condition was satisfactory after an operation last night. Brother came as usual and was naturally very concerned.
She and Norris visit the hospital later that day having spent some time at Farley Mount where they see a Rough-legged Buzzard – part of a widespread influx of these birds from Scandinavia that autumn, and find Mother, as Gran says, somewhat drowsy, not very “with it” and expecting to be home in a day or two!
On November 1st she is uplifted by a chance meeting with strangers:
I went to see Mary [Harding] and spent a comforting hour with her. She has such a sympathetic and understanding heart. Near the Lake a very small and enchanting girl, whom I did not know, told me, with a bright smile, that her boots were new. They were red “puddle boots”. This led to further conversation with her and her mother, and a peep at baby sister, who was just as beautiful and endearing and their young mother was so obviously proud of them. A real tonic for me.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 144)
