golden jubilee

 Last Friday saw me having a Big Birthday: I am celebrating my Golden Jubilee this year!
 This was my face on Friday: I'm still pretty surprised and shocked by how old I am.

 That birthday card on the right at the top is from my brother and his bride and is my favourite: it starts screaming when you open it.

I haven't been sitting around in my tiara for the last three days while my slaves wait on me. I don't think people over about 18? should talk about or fetishise their birthdays too much: it looks a bit  weird and needy to me. We have been doing mammoth cleaning and sorting in daughter's room: 15 bags of stuff to the op-shop, 5 bags straight in the bin. All the furniture moved. Big, big job. In between this we had a little family dinner out on Friday night, BIG family dinner here last night, and non-birthday themed dinner with old friends on Saturday night.

When I think about it, it has been a huge ten years between forty and er..... this birthday.
Two months before I turned 40 I returned to permanent part-time work after 9 years of only working here and there in contracts and short term jobs. So I've just racked up ten years. I lost both my parents, have had significant health issues, moved house, have  survived the bulk of the teen years - still so much more to go! And for me, the last 12 months being the mother of a 15 and 18 year old has been the most difficult time I've had in the whole time I've been a parent. The earlier part was a total cakewalk compared to 2012.

Anyway, here's to the next 10 years: I wonder if I'll still be writing this blog in 2023?

S made me a marble cake...

... it was delicious

I made Peach Melbas for everyone last night

my work buddies brought round a new rose bush. Lucky.

This is what 50 looks like: grey hair, wrinkles, no lippy, happy as Larry!