Mum

Through to sunny Largs to see 97 year old Mum after a slow start to the day in Edinburgh. Dd stayed home, still trying to recuperate energies, while Mum and I went out for dinner to Scotts at the Marina.

She really enjoyed the lively change of scene and tucked into her tempura prawns, fillet steak and summer berry pavlova cake with gusto, even ordering a second glass of wine for herself while I was distracted!

She also told me many new stories from her childhood, such as the one with Sammy Russell and her having to run off as a small girl to look up the word ‘consequences’ with which he had threatened her if she messed up the virgin snow on his drying green, and how her older piano-playing sister when posted to the kitchen of an airbase during WWII spent her time tinkling the ivories for the American airmen there, who loved dancing to their favourite jazz numbers, or how she had an especially close relationship with her ‘Dada’ who forgave her constant fascination with big words (and his need to be constantly consulting the dictionary) and how the policeman was always at his door looking for the rosy-cheeked girl who had broken yet another window with her ball or stolen apples from the posh house’s garden!

Later, at home, she gave both of us a hilarious account of the detailed process and pains she goes to produce her toast with jam and cup of tea every morning in the most meticulously effective way possible. A choreography presented verbally and brilliantly!