Another year older.

 Well, that's another birthday done and dusted, another year gained and probably a few more pounds in weight due to the meal out and a beautiful collection of plants and flowers dotted around the kitchen and the living room...oh yes and decorating is to commence!

 

My birthday was yesterday, Sunday 9th March and I won't tell you how old I was but I am now well into middle age! 

 

I had a lovely visitors, my mother and my step dad came from Lincoln to Hereford to celebrate with us and to take us out for a meal.  I worked out that the last birthday I spent with my mum was when I was around 9 or 10, she shed a few tears on this one, but as I pointed out to her life throws us experiences and we learn from them, if my life had gone differently I wouldn't have met my husband had my kids or have a shed I love at the bottom of the garden where I make my glass flowers and animals.  I am happy to be at this age and where I am now, the road might have been rocky getting here, but, I got here in one piece.

 

 It was a wonderful birthday and I was lucky to share it with my mum, whom after many years of being estranged we are enjoying meeting up and having our experiences together as adults...einough of being maudlin....I can't wait to meet up at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford as soon as possible, I only made it half way round the museum on my last visit so it will be fabulous to go there with mum and Bob (step dad).

 

As well as some beautiful flowers that now adorn my dusty window sill in the kitchen, my mum made me this embroidered sampler....

 

The complete alphabet in tiny tiny embroidery stitches, each letter decorated with a flower that begins with that letter, the outside edge has a beautiful border of ivy leaves dancing around the letters.  This photo isn't a patch on the real thing, its really beautiful.  Its beautifully framed too and behind glass, all done by my step dad Bob.

 

The photograph below shows a close up of my initials L M, Lupins and Marigolds.

 

When my mum and Bob went back to their B&B to change for our meal out, I wandered around the house with my sampler looking for some where to put it.  I decided on above the fireplace in the kitchen.  I spend a lot of time in the kitchen...not cooking!...on the laptop and beading at the table and I wanted it somewhere I could see it often.  We live in our kitchen its a huge space and although we have a fireplace in the living room we only use the kitchen one.  So I was just about ready to take down the pictures that are up there already and relocate them, when my husband said 'before you do that I will buy the paint and we will decorate the walls its desperately in need of decorating in here and we have been putting it off for years, we will do it this week' he says.

 

Thanks Mum!! 

 

It will look nice when the decorating is done.. just got to get on with it!

 



Gordy might not have much to do with visitors but the upset to his routine has seen him comatose today and snoring.

 

Iz and Defi managed to behave, just, Defi did jump in a big muddy puddle this morning on the walk when I did ask him not too so it was a quick shower with the hose for him, he does love visitors and constantly seeks a pat on the head and a fuss, my mothers lovely black trousers had layers of golden hair on them as they left. 

 

 Its nap time for our Iz, look at those tired eyes!

 

Even Defi has only made it to the dog bed, which is a first he usually is on the other end of the sofa to Iz.

 

I had the best birthday and spent it with lovely people eating nice food chatting and laughing and we won't mention the awful birthday photos of me, Bob tells me I have an expressive face....he was just being kind!!