Mom’s social calendar

Monday night I hosted book club at my house--eight women who are in their mid 60s and upwards and all very careful about whom they hang out with. When I wasn't working Monday, I was moving furniture, hoovering, and cleaning wine glasses, platters, etc.

Mom is in the room with the first of my guests, Pearl, only partly in the picture. The book was This is Happiness by Niall Williams. I hadn't read it, of course, but it was fun to listen to my friends discuss the memories it brought up. It's about the electrification of a village in rural Ireland. Book club members recalled neighbourhoods where there was only one TV and everyone in the neighbourhood crowded in to see it. Mom enjoyed chatting with Eileen, whom she'd met on a previous trip, and who told interesting stories about having a newlywed home in Galway with wall to wall carpet--a novelty that the neighbours were keen to see.

Tuesday afternoon mom made potato and leek soup while I worked--we got a soup kit from the farm. Then mom went to visit Eddis, who put on an impressive spread for mom, Christine, Thea and Patricia. Similar to the book club demographic--older women who are particular about whom they visit. Patricia worked for a US bank and has travelled on the Concorde twice, taking Eddis with her once. Mom was highly impressed. Patricia, like Thea, is a great story teller so mom was well entertained and recounted story after story as I cleaned up from Monday's book club.

Wednesday we were hosted by Fiona, who lives a few doors up. We had tea and Victoria sponge cake in her lovely kitchen and spent hours learning about her cottage in Donegal--which we were meant to visit when we were in Creeslough, however it turned out her sister had the cottage that weekend rather than Fiona. Which was just as well as it was a long drive and I already had a long drive booked to Ballyliffin.

Wednesday afternoon we went to the beach. I had taken the afternoon off, the sun was out, so why not? Paddy is a little dot in the middle of this photo.

I spent most of the time throwing sticks for Paddy.

Mom stayed on the coastal path chatting to passersby. This woman is originally from LA. Mom didn't find out how she came to live here, but did find out what she misses: the heterogeneous cuisine in LA and the diversity of humanity. This woman had a black lab, while the next woman she talked to had a shih tsu. Crawfordsburn House in the background, once home to the Wilson family (tennis balls).

Home for potato soup and cheese and crackers, followed by The Final of Strictly Come Dancing. I had already been tipped off that Bill Bailey would win, but I was still surprised as the level of competition was so high. Mom really enjoyed the series.

Oct. 18-20