My 60th Birthday

Yesterday (30th May) was my 60th birthday. Yes, I know, I can scarcely believe it… I don’t FEEL 60, and 60 isn’t a number I would choose to associate with myself lol! Still, it can’t be denied, and I have to live with it as best as I can! Everyone says I don’t look it, so that’s some consolation, I suppose.

We had a lovely day. My hubby and I drove to Dorset to visit my sister and her husband, and also to see Mum who is staying with them until our new house is ready to move into. The weather was generally nice apart from a gloomy patch in the middle of the day, but we did manage to see my sister’s new place at its best. They moved fairly recently and had a great deal of building work done, and it is absolutely gorgeous – it’s right out in the country, an old farmhouse, and they are very thrilled with the new kitchen and bathrooms, and a large room which had originally been for animals, with a high roof, now converted into a studio where they host regular art classes.

My sister had prepared a beautiful meal for us with some canapes and champagne to start, and then fresh cold salmon with lots of delicious salads, followed by my first taste of strawberries and cream of the year, and some gooey choccie pudding.

For my birthday my dear hubby gave me an exquisite little tiny gold pendant in the shape of a picnic hamper.

It opens, and inside is a tiny mouse eating a cupcake! He spent a lot of time choosing it.

He also gave me one of the most beautiful cards I’ve ever received from him – very Great Gatsby! So glamorous, with lots of gold and bling and glitter on it. Here’s the outside:

and inside:

Isn’t it just gorgeous? I shall keep it forever! His message read “Always 30”!!! (I wish the photo did it justice – you can’t see any of the shimmer on it!)

I thought that was it, but when we sat down later for a cup of tea, suddenly a birthday cake appeared! My hubby had had it made for me, and I had absolutely no idea – he’d managed to smuggle it up in the car without me noticing. Knowing how I love sunflowers (I have painted them all around our kitchen), he requested sunflowers, and also the cake maker had created two little grey cats!

Isn’t that fun? My dear hubby always knows exactly what I like, and I am so thrilled with this beautiful cake! Here’s a picture my hubby took of me, enjoying the surprise:

and here I am, admiring it:

Not only was the decoration beautiful (made of soft icing) but the cake inside was delicious, a light Victoria sponge with jam filling. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep the sunflowers and kitties but we shall see!

While we were there, my sister showed me an exquisite little silver box her hubby had given her – we both love ducks and this was a particularly charming representation:

I love the concentric rings representing the ripples, and I’ve always loved watching dabbling ducks! She said “Open it!”

I’m afraid it’s a bit difficult to see, as it was very shiny and reflective and hard to photograph, but on the inside of the lid, you see the underside of the “water” and what the ducks would look like from beneath! It is really hilarious – the little duck tummies and paddling webbed feet, and the head of the dabbling one! The feet and beaks are silver-gilt. It’s an exquisite little piece, very quirky and humorous and just the sort of thing I love. Apparently it was made by a silversmith in London who has now gone out of business, which is a real shame. Such a little treasure! It measures about 3 inches across.

As we drove over in the morning, we had a phone call from the solicitor to say that contracts had been exchanged on our purchase at long last! Shortly after this, the agent phoned to say the same. This was such great news after all we’ve been through over the past months – there were times when I wondered whether it would ever happen. Completion is today!

This news was the best we could have received and an extra bonus birthday present for me. It did mean, however, that I had to closet myself away in my sister’s study after lunch, trying to sort out the buildings insurance, but that is now all done so I don’t need to lose any more sleep on that score.

From now on, as long as my energy holds out, I should be more active on my blog, as I go over to the house on a regular basis, taking photos of the work in progress. The builders start early next week.