Sunday Sept 10th 06

To Mother's for a family celebration to mark her 86th birthday - my brother and his wife and family had taken her out for lunch and there was then a general gathering for Presents and Tea, and a most satisfactory moment when my sister-in-law produced a birthday cake glittering with candles that spelled out HAPPY BIRTHDAY and we all sang and everything was extremely enjoyable. There were presents for me, too, and a very delightful time of hugging and celebrating and afterwards I went home all in a happy glow and was sitting at the station with my book and a feeling of deep contentment and with two slices of cake in a box for later....and on the opposite platform a crowd of shouting people came out of a train all sullen and kicking and shouting obscene things at one another, and one sprayed drink from a can everywhere and then threw the can on the stairs and another took one look at me and spat on the ground. Oh, dear.

But it was fun to come home and find that people had written things to my Blog. The nieces and nephews had seen it too and expressed general approval of my ability to use a computer: I think they generally feel that my technical abilities lack behind those of the public at large and worry that I function rather at the level of an early 20th-century Girl Guide. It is nice to show them that I am competent.

In reply to the kind enquirer who wondered whether Jamie would be allowed an occasional contribution to this blog - I'm afraid the answer is: no jolly fear. He writes superbly, has lots of ideas and very effective ways of expressing them, and he can have his own blog. We love each other very much but a blog is one's very own, like a toothbrush.

Sunday supper together in the garden, with the lovely lamp that was given to us as a Silver Wedding present from Cristina Borges at EWTN. Birds gathered in the sky overhead, fanning out in a glorious swoop: "They're all gathering to be on their way....Autumn coming" Jamie said and I thought about Keats "...and gathering swallows twitter in the skies." This is my favourite time of year.