Retiree's day in North London

Written on August 12th 2010

Written by a 60 year old retired female from North London.

7.30 am up and had breakfast (meusli, fruit, yoghurt and peppermint tea) whilst reading the weekend newspaper and listening to radio 4. Didn't open back door to garden as weather gloomy. I have been able to open the back door most days this summer as the weather has been lovely most of the time.

9 am checked emails - deleted unwanted ones such as those from Amazon and Last minute.com; electronically filed ones from National Theatre and National Portrait Gallery; finalised details of meeting tomorrow with friend when we are planning to sketch in Ally Pally, weather permitting; purchased a book on Amazon called the Last Kestral about Afghanistan in response to an email from a friend who is a friend of the author.

10 am approx. Friend who is decorating the interior of my house arrived, cheerful as ever. We had a chat and agreed strategy for the day. We then started to empty the next room to be decorated, transporting furniture and boxes into an adjoining room. Stopped for a tea break and biscuits after a couple of hours (chatted about family and social issues) and then continued to lunch time. Located a folder with silk screen prints of Afghanistan my father had given me in the early 1980s and I decided that when the decorating was finished I would frame these images and put them in my hall. My father had given them to me because I had travelled overland to Afghanistan in the early 1970s. Realised, again, how much I need to declutter my house - another trip to the charity shop is needed.

1 pm approx. had lunch with friend in garden as weather had improved (bread, cheese, an orange and peppermint tea). Chatted again but eventually had to return to the task in hand. Friend left about 2.15 pm. I read the newspaper a little and sent a cheque and card to a friend who had booked flights for me to join her in Italy. 3 pm decided to go out and buy food for the friend visiting for lunch and sketching the next day so set off walking to Muswell Hill. Stopped off at local community centre (128 Myddleton Road) to talk to someone about whether I had paid my membership. Fortunately, the Treasurer came in, with baby, and said she would deal with my query. We had a chat and then another mum and baby came in and I left at that point hoping to avoid the rain. During my walk to Muswell Hill it rained intermittently. I shopped there - fruit, vegetables, yoghurt, feta cheese (for making greek salad for tomorrow's lunch with friend) and bread flour at Sainsburys; bread and a dip at Planet Organic and vegetables and herbs at a small shop. It was then raining more heavily so I caught the 102 bus back home.

5.45 pm home, did some house cleaning and listened to radio 4 news. Made evening meal of quiche, baked potato and greens and fruit and yoghurt and then did some ironing. Had a text conversation finalising arrangements with a friend I am meeting the next evening.

8 pm watched Location, Location on Channel 4 and then a film The Untouchables on Film 4. Partner rang during film and we discussed what we had been doing and finalised arrangements for the weekend.

11.15 pm read a book called An Atlas of Impossible Longing for a book club meeting later in the month and then went to sleep about 12 midnight.