Older Ladies

My neighbor who is about 80 decided to invite a few ladies who sometimes quilt for an afternoon get together. There were five of us. Two were 89-1/2. They were entirely competent and active women. A third had become frightened after a broken hip in January and a similar fall in the spring [nothing broken] Jenny, my neighbor who is about 80, is a little cautious because of neuropathy in a foot. The interesting thing was that she was extremely solicitous of the the older women as if they are frail -- which they aren't.

I was thinking the other day that when we are in grade school a couple of years makes a big difference between kids. But once they get or 20 or so, a couple of years is not significant between people. In middle ten years make very little difference. But then when people get to 70 or so suddenly five years seems to make a big difference. Except it is much more arbitrary and depends much more on the individual. I think Jenny is over solicitous because she is a nurse by training. Some of it is a show of respect but there's also an expectation as she spoke about one of the almost 90s possibly having trouble with the stairs -- which she doesn't really have at all. The stereotypes are enforced even by those in the same category.

By the way - that is my tomato plant on its last legs. I've had 6 or 8 or maybe 10 tomatoes from it -- small ones with tough skins. But they were tasty as most purchased tomatoes are not The ones in the picture were eaten but there are another couple reddening and a few little green ones that may or may not make it. Thus my foray into gardening, thanks to Rachel plopping the pot with the plant in it on my patio.