Since the photo in my earlier post didn't work, and you were all just a tiny bit curious, I thought I'd try to post the photo of my father and his sister again. So, hopefully, here it is. Taken at her 104th birthday party.
Aunt Gertrude has been living independently until about 6 months ago, when her children sort of pressured her to pack up her things and move into a home for the elderly. Where, funnily enough, her daughter had already been living for years. So Aunt Gertrude gave in and moved into an old peoples home to live with all the 'old people' who are all younger than she is. According to my father the fact that she is living amongst the elderly is the reason she's getting old herself now. Yes... well....
Aunt Gertrude is almost completely blind and deaf, but she still has all her marbles and organizes her birthday parties herself. Choosing the venue, making the arrangements, etc.
My father suffers from an eye disease, which affects his sight, but he can still see enough to ride his bicycle. At least that's what he tells us and we're keeping our fingers crossed that he's right. For reading, doing his crosswords and telephoning people, he has a cunning device that electronically enlarges everything he puts under it and projects it onto sort of a computer screen.
My mother is 80 in this photo, taken in 2010, and she doesn't know the word 'no'.
Which is why my father telephoned his sister.
Your father has such a happy, smiley face! He appears to be a charming man. I bet he is a great storyteller. I would love to listen to him and watch his face while he told stories.
ReplyDeleteGertrude looks like a hell-raiser(!) and your mother looks as if she could SAY no just fine.
It's so amusing to see photos of other people's families and snatch little character assessments from them. :-p
Hahaha, you've got it right. And fortunately I do take after my father. I hope. I think. I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteLet's just say that you do and leave it at that without further examination, shall we?
ReplyDelete@ June: Let's. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI repeat my congratulations all round!
ReplyDeleteTo your mother as well, she looks like one of those Dutch and German ladies who have never had to learn how to rule the roost, they've always known it. Is your Dad an 'anything for a quiet life' person?
Your Aunt Gertrude reminds me of an ex's Gran.
ReplyDeleteAt 92 she turned to me and said
"I wish we hadn't moved to Hunstanton it's full of old people waiting to die".
She redecorated a kitchen, putting the wallpaper up with a broom, whilst kneeling on step ladder,with her husband holding onto her ankles.
However she was not averse to going doddery when handsome young shop assistants were around. Then she would hold onto a young man's arm and wink at us when he wasn't looking!
We need to respect these old timers for the treasures they are. In the blink of an eye, they're gone. They have so much to teach us.
ReplyDelete@ Friko: I think that he just has a very long fuse ;-)
ReplyDelete@ Charlotte: Your ex's Gran sounds like a wonderful woman. Much nicer than Aunt G. in fact ;-)
@ Stephen Hayes: You're probably right.
ReplyDeleteAunt Gertrude looks formidable , and your papa has a lovely twinkle .... probably comes from knowing that your mama is staunchly looking after you all !
ReplyDeleteAs for the so-called elderly ... my uncle was teetering up ladders clearing his gutters , and his neighbour's , till he was ninety . He only stopped when they confiscated his ladder .
Aunt Gertrude certainly doesn't look her age! Nothing frail about that lady.
ReplyDeleteThese are lovely pictures. Thanks so much for posting them.
ReplyDeleteS and S. Who confiscated his ladder? That's not fair. Few jobs around the house are more satisfying than getting the rotting gunk out of the gutters.
There's hope for all us 'oldies' yet! LOL Lovely pics and stories of how to grow old (dis)gracefully!
ReplyDeleteSo neat! 104!!! Good for your Mom. We all need someone like her pushing us along.
ReplyDelete- The Tablescaper