Soooo, Friday saw us going to The Venue for our coffee morning with friends as we usually do. Nothing unusual about that. Except I didn’t expect to be celebrating 30 years!
Jane wheeled me to the table that we usually sit at and I hadn’t noticed a thing that looked different. Sat in my usual spot at the end of the table, when I’d finished fidgeting, I looked up in front of me. There in the centre of the table were two of those helium filled balloons that you buy for special occasions. The penny dropped with a big ‘clang’ when I realised they were there, and why.
It was my thirtieth anniversary of when I was operated on for cancer! I’d said for a long time that when and if I get to it, I wanted a celebration. Well, my lovely daughter didn’t let me down, she did me proud, with a little party celebrating 30 years.
Queen for the Day
Along with the balloons was a gold crown that kept slipping off my head! OK, some might say I have a big head, in size I mean and hopefully not the other interpretation! Eventually I got the hang of it and realised it had to come down onto my forehead and then it stuck there!
Next, out came a medal on a ribbon which was hung round my neck, followed by a big ‘Queen for the Day’ rosette and a 30 badge. So by the time I’d finished, I was trimmed up like a Christmas tree!
Then out of the bag came a beautiful card to say well done, and my good friend Brenda brought out a card for me too. Again it was beautiful, along with what she had written inside.
Of course we had our usual photo shoot of us all, with me looking like a plonker. Goodness knows how puzzled people round us were thinking. With a balloon with ’30’ on and another one with ‘mum’, they must have wondered how I’d managed to get to 30 with an older daughter!
Celebrating 30 Years with Friends and Family
The next surprise came when Derek and Kevin walked in – they don’t normally come with us on a Friday. It was lovely to see them and share part of my special day with them and my friends. As usual there was lots of laughter and a nice lunch and then…. Jane brought out three packets of M&S cakes! So we tucked into those again just as we had when she got me my chocolate cake a week before! When we’d finished all the fun, it was time to go, so off we went to decide what to do for the rest of the afternoon.
After much deliberation we decided to go to the big Sainsbury’s at Blackpool. We do like a look round in there, especially at the clothes section. We’ve had some good bargains there I can tell you, although Jane only got a tshirt and I got a pretty blouse. It’s nice to mouch round the aisles as we have our groceries delivered. So for once we could get things that we saw.
…and a cake crawl!
Of course, we also went for a drink in their café upstairs, so I suggested doing a coffee and cake video. Especially since I was celebrating 30 years and it was a big day!
But we hadn’t come prepared with our microphones, stand etc. And as Jane balanced the phone on a coffee jar, it kept sliding off and nearly cut us out! Well maybe that might not be a bad thing! The chocolate was delicious and the millionaires shortbread was too, shared of course as we were still pretty full after all that food.
Fireworks Night
Changing the subject, just a quick mention about Saturday night. Our two heroes were going on another expedition to see the firework display, this time held by Ireland.
We hadn’t filled the car up since the previous adventure, when they completely ran out of petrol. Kevin had only put enough in to get home, so we decided to queue at Sainsbury’s petrol station. We couldn’t risk that happening to them again could we!! Once in the queue we were told it was going to run out in 10-15 minutes. We did manage it though, just! Only two pumps were in use and all the other tanks were empty.
Luckily, Jane had asked one of her town centre friends if they could park there. A parking space assured, and a tank of petrol, off they went feeling a lot happier than last time, when they missed the lot!
A good time was had by all…
So they set off at 6pm and were back for 9.30pm all excited at what they’d seen, bless them. They weren’t too keen on the display being on the beach though, as it was all a lot lower down.
And they were both bemused about the way some people were dressed, or hardly dressed at all…. As they described it ‘with their cheeks hanging out’ and I don’t mean the ones on their faces either. According to Kevin, hubby had a good look at them all as there were some sights it seems! There’s obviously life left in the old dog yet! He says it was because he didn’t understand how anybody went out at night with hardly any clothes on. So that was his alibi!
The roads were packed again and the crowds horrendous. But they did their video and Kevin did an interview with the announcer Hayley, who used to present on Radio Wave. Jane knows her well and she’s another chatterbox – here’s the video if you haven’t seen it –
Toilet Talk
Anyway, we had our own bit of fun here.
We went in the bath, separately in case you wondered, and left two dogs sitting quietly and all OK.
Jane was first out and went up to them, while I was laid in the bath, wallowing. Next thing I heard the upstairs shower being used. Not a good sound me-thinks, especially when she’d just had a bath. So, it could only mean one thing….
Yes, Koko’s bowels aren’t quite right… As you may know, he’d been at the vets again after never being away for one thing or another. He hadn’t done a poo all week as he hadn’t got much food in him. We’d left the doors open so they could go out, and he had gone out and done what I call a ‘cow pat’. Unfortunately it was all over his fur at the back end….
Happy days. She put him in the shower and gave it a good wash. Of course it was also on the carpet because he’d been sat in it, so she was cleaning that too. I’m just glad he went outside for the main one!
Other blogs you might be interested in:
- Being a bit more normal
- Breast Cancer Stories
- The arrival of September
- Making up for Lost Time
- Frog Farm
- Daddy Long Legs
While you’re here…
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