Eloise

Happy Birthday…

…to me!  Earlier in the week, I celebrated another birthday. Heavens they do come around quickly, don’t they?  We’d had the large family gathering at my cousin’s house on Sunday so I’d seen all my children and grandchildren – together which is a rare occurrence and a lovely one. However, eldest son and eldest grandson called in briefly on the afternoon of my birthday, as did a few friends.

I took cakes to work as is the custom in the office – Coffee & walnut, Apple fruit cake, Carrot cake, Blueberry & white chocolate (an experiment – successful taste-wise but sunk slightly in the middle), Lemon cake and Oaty raspberry buns. I also made my usual Slimming World raspberry roulade as four of us are members, but I forgot to include it in the photo! They went down very well (and very quickly)!

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I could have taken the day off but wanted to save it for my holiday later in the year and it’s not as if I work all day, so there was plenty of time to enjoy the (albeit low key) celebrations. Husband had asked where I’d like to go to eat but I said I’d rather stay in and have him cook my absolutely favourite thing to eat – Tomato bruschetta with chilli, garlic and Parmesan. It was as good as ever.

When I got home from work there was a surprise waiting for me. Instructed to close my eyes and walk into the garden (I did wonder whether Alan Tichmarsh might be there but all had looked perfectly normal before I left home in the morning and there’s a limit to what even he can do in five hours). Husband had transformed a little corner of the patio from a drab fence and plain wall into this. I love it! You can also see the refurbished (with bunk bed slats) garden table here. I’ll never again complain how men hold on to every bit of wood that ‘might come in useful’.

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I was totally spoiled by my lovely family and friends with flowers, vouchers (Cream tea, manicure and Debenhams), perfume, skincare products (a range by M&S which I tried in sample size and really liked), my favourite foot balm and books. Here’s just a few pictures:

But wonderful as they are, one birthday a year is quite enough.

 

 

Published by Eloise

Welcome to my blog. I am a 'sixty something' year old mother of three and grandmother of five. Having worked for many years for an international energy company, I took voluntary redundancy in 2011. After a couple of years of short term interim jobs I decided to become a mature student, graduating in 2016 with a First class joint honours in English Language (mainly sociolinguistics) with Creative & Professional Writing. I am currently working part time and in the process of writing a novel

20 comments

  1. Happy belated birthday, Eloise! What a lovely birthday surprise from your husband! The whole set up looks lovely! You made quite an assortment of cakes to take to the office! They all look delicious! I’m glad you were able to celebrate your birthday with your family and friends. 🙂

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  2. PS I forgot to add … you are also a Virgo, then! I am, too! Next month, and our daughter in law is on the cusp, and our son just misses by being the end of September.
    Margaret P

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  3. A belated Happy Birthday to you Eloise! All the best people are born in August 😉 It looks like you have been thoroughy spoiled by friends and family and what a lovely surprise from your husband. X

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    • I hated having an August birthday as it made me the youngest in the year at school. I guess that means you have an August birthday too, so a belated happy birthday to you too ( unless it’s in the next couple of days and in that case, I’m early)!

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  4. Oh, Happy Belated Birthday greetings, Eloise! I’ve been unable to use my blog as you know and also my Office Outlook for email, and so I’m very late to this special party! But blog up and running again and although I can use email via Blue Host, I can’t yet use Office Outlook for some reason and I really like that for email. Lovely presents, but what a lot of baking you did for the office! Six cakes, plus the roulade! That would take me weeks to do! And they all looked so scumptious!
    I love the garden area! Was it the wall device with the plants that husband did, or painted the table or what? It all looks lovely!
    Margaret P

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    • Both. He refurbished the table recently but the surprise was the wall frame and the plants. Unfortunately it’s been rather rainy since so not a lot of opportunity to enjoy it.

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  6. What a lovely celebration you had. Those cakes you made look wonderful! I loved seeing the Jinny Ring gift card as I’ve been there twice on my visit to friends in Rubery. Sending you belated birthday wishes, Pat 🎂

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