Friday, July 05, 2013

One way to celebrate the Fourth of July

 
Since the descendants were: 1) on the way to Worcester; 2) in London; 3) in Perth, Mr Life and I went Darby-and-Joan-like up town. As we got off the bus, it suddenly started to rain so we had coffee in the Royal Scottish Academy, looking out over the Old Town. There are some advantages to having no commitments and being able to sit over a coffee and wait till the weather improves.

 
Then we went up to the Chambers Street Museum and visited the Mary Queen of Scots exhibition. It was interesting to see (among other things) documents written by her. Her handwriting was extremely tidy and readable. The older you get, the more you realise that 400 years or so isn't very long - just eight times 50 years, and that fairly whizzes past when you're busy. Mary was only 44 when she was executed, poor soul. Shudder.
 

We then had lunch in the museum...


... and walked along to the National Library to visit this exhibition. It was perhaps not quite as exciting as the poster suggests, but interesting all the same.


By this time, the sun was shining and it was very warm, so we headed for home and watched Wimbledon - which I've just been doing again now. Andy Murray is in the final again - hurray. I do hope he can do it this time! He might even smile.

This was my first birthday without my mum, though last year she was in a very poor state in hospital and I was visiting her twice daily so I can't even remember what happened on the day. It's pathetic, at the age of 63, to feel slightly abandoned... but once you've had children yourself you realise fully that birthdays belong to the mother as much as the child. She will never again tell me the story of my father being on the golf course when a message was brought to him (by whom? I have no idea - no mobile phones then) that I was on my way into the world. He finished the round. My mother never quite forgave him.

9 comments:

  1. What an attractive museum building! Yes, Mary was only 44 when she died.....but she had crammed quite a lot in that life, hadn't she.

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  2. Belated Happy Birthday.
    That also means another wee person must be going to be 2 on the 17th.
    My time does rush by.

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  3. Happy Birthday! My sister has never forgiven me for arriving on the night that the fair came to town! She (being almost five at the time) had been looking forward to going, and was quite put-out the following morning to find out that I had arrived in the night, and was therefore the reason she had missed out on a once-a-year treat!

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  4. Happy Belated Birthday, Isabelle. Hopefully Mr. Murray will deliver for you tomorrow... it promises to be quite a match!

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  5. Belated birthday wishes Isabelle.
    It is true to say that a birthday is a special day for the mother and the child...and you were a good daughter.

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  6. Yes , Happy Birthda ! And an excellent way to celebrate . Pity about the African exhibition , though . That's a very fine crocodile and I expect your grandson would love the poster !
    And as for feeling slightly abandoned when one's mother dies ? We all do , whatever our age and it's not feeble at all .

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  7. Happy belated birthday - and hugs to you, missing your mom on that special day. Glad you got to go out and do some fun stuff - thanks for sharing it with us.

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  8. Second comment from me. I am sure you are delighted with the tennis result!

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  9. Happy, Happy Belated Birthday Dear Isabelle! Your birthday is always so busy and festive here -- we even had a flag cake in your honor LOL. The end of your post brought tears to my eyes. Isn't it funny how we always recount the birth story to the birthday child? XOXO

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