Part 1 : The Pepys

Another year gone and my household consists of myself, Allan and my sister Susan who stayed the last 2 nights in our spare room. My sister Wendy is staying with my mother at Townsend Park in Hove. My son Sean and his wife Belinda are in Ferryden Park and my son Chris and his wife Claire and my granddaughter Lucy are in Kilmarnock. My daughter Fiona is in London.

All the riches I have currently in my purse are two twenty dollar notes, and $2.90 in coins, a far cry from yesterday when I had a great deal more but we went out to dinner last night and then went out to lunch today. There are also 2 old shopping lists and a receipt from West Lakes Fruit Corner from the 27th July for 820gm of Lemon Bergamot pears, which we must have eaten. There is a loyalty card from Sumo Salad, and 2 coffee vouchers from Billy Baxters which Sandy gave me and which I will not use.

This year I have learned to blog and Tweet. Also how to take out and replace a zipper neatly in a pair of men's trousers. In the process I learned that men's trouser zippers are sewn in as if they may one day have to withstand a tornado or a nuclear blast. I have learned, too, that coughing is useful. I used to think you coughed up mucus and then swallowed it down again into the same place, which seemed quite unproductive. But my sister, who is a nurse, informed me today that it coughs up from your lungs and swallows down into your stomach. This is obvious when you think about it but until today I swear I never had.

I now qualify for a seniors card and free travel on the bus. This is excellent except for one thing, which is that the driver of the bus will know that I am sixty. If the driver of the bus looks totally indifferent on learning this, I shall not be able to avoid feeling rather low. If on the other hand the driver of the bus should look a little suspicious, how embarrassing it would be.