Birthdays

This time of year we have a glut of birthdays.  Maggot 1 at the end of March, three of the four parents start of April, so it would be easy to get birthday'ed out.

However, one of these birthday celebrations was for my mum's 80th birthday.  We offered to host the party since we do, it has to be said with boasting or exaggeration, a lovely space for a party.  And so it was that around thirty-five oldies descended on Scobi Manor for the party.  The food was done by "Chef", who herself is eighty though acts a lot younger, and we were the first to say, since we were the first to see, that her spread of food was fantastic.  One slightly unusual item was a beetroot jelly, basically looks like a round jelly but made with beetroot and vinegar, and it was pretty unusual and very nice.  Otherwise it was really good grub designed with the "older eater" in mind, in as much as the choice was all stable favourites, so none of your new-fangled stuff, but neither was there prawn cocktail or cheese-on-a-stick.

Great fun was had by all, and even Ma Scobi, never one for overdoing things, may have raised a smile at one stage and also managed a short speech to thank those present.

We also had the pleasure of meeting "Gordon" - which was his real name actually, however it was always spoken in terms of "you know "Gordon" is coming don't you?" kind of terms.  He had been off to a Mason's convention, however once he heard that "Chef" was doing the food, he changed his plans and came here instead.  "Do you want a beer Gordon?" asked LO.  "What have you got?" he replied.  "Fosters", she responded.  "My favourite".  And thus many such Fosters did disappear down his gullet, no doubt adding to the slight red and bulbous "drinkers nose" he is developing.  I think it is fair to say that he was a very likeable rogue, who you would want to keep away from your daughters, and also would want to keep away from your liquour cupboard.  LO was rather taken with him and wound him up beautifully.

The food was so extensive that we were able to invite my sister's family and my parents over for lunch the next day, made entirely from leftovers.  In fact, all three parties have taken away various bits of the food for later consumption so as meals go, this one really has fed the masses, several times.

That was pretty much the weekend.  We have succumbed to the cheap drugs that are Dr Who and The Voice, the latter I am sure you should not declare liking in public, but what the hell, I am coming out the closet to declare that no-thinking TV is exactly what you want when you are in your onesies (the others, not me of course), even if the back-stories of dead nans was a little draining even for the 10 brain cells I had left switched on for the event.

It is now Monday, there is the promise of warmer weather, but with it wetter weather, so our third attempt at a day's fishing may still be cancelled, this time for rain rather than cold, there being a 65% rain risk with 51% confidence, if you can work that out.  Oh well, fourth time lucky.