Betty...

I have a wonderfully eccentric elderly neighbour called Betty. Today her car ceased to work right here...in the communal driveway, in front of the communal gates, of our funky little hofjes. She was positive she had run out of petrol. Her delightfully humorous sister-in-law was dispatched to the petrol station with a jerry-can. 5 litres of petrol later Betty announced all would be good as her tank was now half full. It took a moment for us to gather our thoughts - and arrange our faces - before we could explain to Betty that there was no way 5 litres of Shells finest had filled her car to half way... So K pushed the car down the drive (another comedy of errors...suffice to say a 2 minute job took 15 with Betty at the steering-wheel and K giving instructions from the rear, as it were...) and the ANWB (our version of the AA or RAC) were duly called and diagnosed a flat battery. Then followed another comedy 10 minutes while the communal bloody electric gates wouldn't open - technology just over-complicates life at times! Through all this debacle Betty is busy telling us that she is off to the Opera at 6:45...pretty much obvious to the chaos surrounding her. So, I have decided, that that is exactly how I want to be at 76 - oblivious to chaos, wearing silk and pearls, and looking forward to a night at the opera! Betty is possibly one of my most favourite neighbours ever...

Life is good...x