Me at Ninety

Well!  That was some Birthday celebration.  My lovely family and my dear friends did me proud!!  I was deluged with cards and flowers and all sorts of nice things.  To have my family all here (with one or two exceptions  -  who were much missed)  gave me the greatest pleasure.  The arrival of so many friends added to this.  I kept thinking how lucky I was.
Amanda ,Mike and Martin ably assisted by Naima, Lan, Roger and all the grandchildren provided a cooked lunch for 32 people.  It was a miracle of organisation carried out with military precision and willing helpers.
After coffee and a birthday toast we all got down to the serious business of eating a delicious lunch. The diners were upstairs and down and from the buzz of talk and laughter seemed to be enjoying themselves.Considering some people were meeting for the first time I was intrigued to follow the conversations they had in common ranging fron football to dogs, to  the Army, the Navy, the war, sewing and cooking.  There were people washing up in both kitchens.  At 4 p.m. we had tea and a magnificent birthday cake with sparklers!!  It was quite late before the last of the guests went.  Six extra people were staying in the house so there were a lot of beds to be made up.  I think all the surplus furniture and things ended up in my bedroom which looked like Paddy's Market.  Shall I ever be straight again?

Now the house is so quiet.  As my mother used to say it is back to old clothes and porridge.