blending an assortment of thoughts and experiences for my friends, relations and kindred spirit

blending an assortment of thoughts and experiences for my friends, relations and kindred spirit
By Alison Hobbs, blending a mixture of thoughts and experiences for friends, relations and kindred spirits.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

At the Bridgehead coffeehouse, Tuesday morning

This afternoon I'm going to call on two women living very different lives in parallel streets. The younger one, born in China, has just bought a house with her boyfriend and is a software consultant now looking for work after taking a year off to travel the world. The other one, born in England, is a journalist and retired public relations officer for the National Art Gallery who knows Sir Roy Strong and other VIPs in the art world. She is just convalescing from a nasty bout of flu and needs some help with her shopping. Funnily enough the two women who have no connection with one another (apart from me) are both interested in the Antarctic. Y. was lucky enough to take a cruise from Ushuaia to Elephant Island and back on the Explorer at the end of 2006 and J. had been booked for four years to take that same cruise at the end of 2007 when unfortunately the ship sank so she couldn't go after all, a miserable disappointment for her.

My attention is wandering now as five young mothers have just come in carrying their babies of a few months old. One of the mothers is Julian Armour's wife Guylaine Lemaire and I must say his son does look like him. His name is Francis. All the little ones are fascinated by the rotating ceiling fans: what a happy sight! Not for the first time I notice how early motherhood enhances women's looks (my daughter being no exception). All these young people seem radiantly beautiful; it's the sense of fulfilment that does it.

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