Betty in a buggie

Today was a long but productive day.

Mom passed PCR test number two so all arrangements moved a week later. I got up at 2:30 this morning, drove to Dublin and found my poor mother waiting in the arrivals lounge, where she had been for a half hour. At 2:30 this morning, Aer Lingus said the flight was on time, with a 5:05 arrival. In fact, it arrived around 4:15 and mom was in the terminal by 4:30. I thought that if the plane arrived at 5:05 and I was there by 5 am (which I was), I'd beat her by 20 minutes, due to deplaning, luggage, customs. Long story short, those flight status pages are useless.

Anyway, she was no worse for the wear and we had a good chat on the two-hour drive north. I gave her a quick tour of the house and then we both went to bed. Me for an hour, mom for four hours. I worked from 9-3:30, then we hit the golf course for 12 holes. I was playing with two other women in a scramble format, which was much easier than hitting my own ball tee to green.

In a scramble, you choose the best ball from each of the three then all play from there. So I was spared having to deal with the consequences of bad balls. And I was driving well so I provided some of the best balls. Poor mom again--a day that started sunny and cool (at 4pm tee off) was much cooler by 6 pm as the sun fell low in the sky, then we were both freezing by the end. For reasons I don't understand, the round took nearly three hours when I thought it would take two. I had mom put on a fleece and anorak before we left but I forgot to give her a hat, which would have made a big difference. She had a hood, but she was pretty cold as the wind kicked up. She did enjoy the round though, she's always happy on a golf course.

Here is bouquet number two after all flowers refreshed. And another from a friend up the street with a wonderful garden. The bouquet has two kinds of fuscia, bamboo, gentia and fennel.

Sept. 28