I went to Brighton over the weekend, cold and windy but an incredibly blue sky and sunshine and striding along the beach was totally invigorating and felt great. Went to visit and aunt of mine who has lived in Brighton all her life and now lives in sheltered accommodation.
Auntie Kit was always my favorite aunt, she is totally scatty, has been all her life, and we used to spend all our time together helpless with laughter. I remember once when I was staying with her and Uncle Tim, I must have been about thirteen and she decided to cook lunch using her new pressure cooker. Not quite sure what happened but halfway through the allotted time for the rice it contained, the top exploded, blew off, hit the ceiling and half cooked rice ricocheted everywhere. Some of it hit me in the eye, very painful it was too, and we both dived under the kitchen table to flee from the barrage. At that moment we saw two large feet in the kitchen door and when we peered up under the tablecloth there was Uncle Tim 'Hello dear' says Auntie Kit 'lunch is not quite ready yet'. We have never forgotten that and laughed about it again last week. So far in the flats where she lives, she has set off the fire alarm at least three times because she has burned toast on the grill as she has been too busy chatting to a neighbour. This has resulted in her being surrounded by, and I quote "simply gorgeous hunky young firemen". In the end if happened so often she was accused of doing it on purpose. 'Don't know why they would think that dear"
My mother rang me earlier today, from her sheltered accommodation, to wish me a Happy New Year and to say 'that she was going over to Dot's flat with the rest of the gang and they were going to have a party and so she would not be in to answer the phone'. She then went on to say 'I won't ring you at midnight. I know you like to go to bed early....'
My aunt is 93 and my mother is 95.