I'm Smiling...........

 
I last saw my very good friendHG in person two years ago when we met half way for lunch. When we were both working I used to drive to her's in Essex after work Friday and sleep over so we had a good amount of chat time, often chatting till 2/3am before going to bed. We'd try to do that maybe three times a year. Neither of us need to do that anymore as we are in touch daily with online scrabble games, WhatsApp and video calls but we did think it was definitely time for a face to face catchup. She arrived just before lunch Saturday and went home just after lunch Sunday (obviously with a dinner, breakfast, lots of tea plus cakes in between). She saw Hubby at every meal but he can't sit still so kept busy in between, at one time fixing the computer she happened to have in the boot of her car and another time washing her car. Meanwhile we talked non stop about everyone and everything current and way back through our shared history of more than 55 years! Hopefully it won't be another two years before we do it again. 

The weather was so in between Monday morning Hubby set the garden table and chairs up for coffee morning outside, I thought it was too chilly every time the sun went behind a cloud so put everything on the dining room table, in the end we stayed inside but with the patio door open. 

I've finally driven Hubby's car. Eight years ago when he bought it he insisted I drive it immediately but it was the worst wet weather and I had a stinking head cold. I drive a manual boxy car and his is automatic with high dash board and sporty bucket seats and I felt very claustrophobic. So after that first time I've never driven it again..... till now because he's planning for us to only have the one car. No problem of course. 

It may come as no surprise that we did the test drive, asked lots of questions, haggled for a discount and bought the car. Two things surprised me though, it will take six months before we receive our new car and that the really lovely sales chap not only had the same first name as our granddaughter's boyfriend but at the end when it was a lot of everyone signing things we discovered he had the same surname, surprised him too! 

I've had my big birthday but didn't want a big party. The most important thing to me is having my precious family around me and we managed to get them all together for a bbq lunch in our garden. Son and fiancé brought this great cake and as it was vegan everyone could eat it.  
We needed two bbqs to keep the meat and not-meat separate. 

And the weather stayed really warm and dry all day. 

I had lots of good wishes online, lots of cards in the post and lots of great presents. My very best present has to be from Daughter and Son who have booked a holiday cottage in November and everyone is coming to holiday together, although some can do fewer days than others.

The cake should actually have been double the size but the bigger chocolate bottom half suffered in transit. It was far too much for the two of us to finish and far too yummy to waste so I've boxed nine portions and popped them in the freezer.  

So a very good week and now R and their dog are living here for the 10 days Daughter, E and O are Tudor-ing. 

Till next week then TTFN.

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