Parte 1

    Helen Parker’s life has changed a lot in the last few years. She used to live with her husband, Peter, and her three children in a big house with five rooms and a garden outside the city. They lived there until 2005. Now, their children have left home. Two of them live on their own and are quite independent. Peter has been married for four years and has two daughters. Mary got married last year and has just had a baby. John, their youngest son, went to live in London in 2007. So, Helen and Peter don’t need so many rooms and they have moved to a small flat in the city centre.                                                               

   Five years ago, Helen’s life used to be very busy. She used to get up at 7 a.m., have a shower in a hurry, get the breakfast ready for her husband and the children and hurry to work. They didn’t have lunch at home, but in the afternoon Helen used to do a lot of things in the house. Helen’s husband used to help her with the shopping, but he worked a lot and he used to be very tired in the evenings. They didn’t do many things together, they didn’t talk and they used to go to bed very early.

   Now Helen is more relaxed. She can get up later and she doesn’t have to drive to work, because they live quite near her office. The house is smaller and she doesn’t have so much work to do for only two people. Her husband helps her more than before with the housework, because he doesn’t need to work so much. Sometimes, after dinner, they go out with friends. It is usually the pub or the cinema. Sometimes they go to the theatre. As they live in town, they don’t spend long hours travelling by car to and from York. Now, they can walk everywhere.

   Some people say that getting old is sad, but the Parkers are really enjoying life now. They have no problems, more money, and more free time. And, at the weekends, not every weekend, they can have their children and grandchildren at home for a meal or just a family reunion.