Born days and bye days.

It’s been an unusual sort of week, very quiet and slow on the work front and some highs and lows on the personal front.

My great uncle Bob had a quiet death at the ripe old age of 90, but without his large close family around him. Then it was a very different sort of funeral to what we are all used to. One person is allowed at the graveside only. So it was filmed for the rest of the family, you can see my wonderful Auntie watching from her car whilst her husband of 68 years was lowered down and they played my Dad’s violin rendition of Danny Boy in the background. It was impossible not to cry watching that. Closure must be so much harder when people can’t follow the expected traditions. Rest In Peace Uncle Bob, you were one lovely man x.

I have had two clinic days this week seeing the clients that I couldn’t do over the phone and the ones with new babies. I’m getting used to mask wearing now, my cold is improving and I didn’t sneeze on myself while trapped inside one so I am winning there. A client reading the blog gave me some Banana Loaf and home made chutney, she said she thought I deserved that cake, not the load of pig scraps I got last week!

Speaking of cakes, Wednesday was my 45th birthday. You don’t get much more middle aged than that 😬. It was actually a lovely lockdown birthday, people thought outside the box and made me feel very special. I had photos of my birthday cards sent via fb and lots of phone calls. Husband bought me gin and tonic, blue cheese and chocolate - 10 points! No 1 son made me a wooden tray and no 1 daughter painted me a picture. So it was flash backs to when they were at preschool - but much better quality! I don’t think these ones will even have to slowly disappear. Husbands card was definitely a winner too, loads of effort went in there:

So we had some awesome family time and I dragged them all out to the horses, after a lovely but well burnt breakfast in bed. Daughter made two birthday carrot cakes (after the first one broke - don’t ask). I hollered for lots of coffees to be delivered to the hammock while I finally read a book, had a video chat with girlfriends and finished with pork belly for tea - we ate the husbands share as he had to go to night shift.

I didn’t have any candles on my cake as they reckoned I wasn’t allowed to blow them out, which I thought was a tad too COVID responsible - but they’d done so well on everything else I decided it was wiser to keep my mouth shut. My dad however, who turned 75 today had a much better plan:

So a week of missing out on the wider family made me miss them all so much, but also makes you appreciate your immediate family all the more. I’m lucky in love, even if for the occasional fleeting moment I do wish they lived with someone else - someone more patient, with a psychology degree 🤣.

I’m on call for our caseloads this Easter weekend. Someone having a baby would be nice, it feels like it’s been a while! Otherwise I’m hoping to attempt hot cross buns tomorrow (less the sultanas or currents as the four square must have had a load of people also suddenly thinking they had become Chelsea Winter). The Easter egg situation is looking a bit depressing too. The kids no doubt won’t forgive me for letting their dad sort that out. Apparently his Easter bunny is on a diet. I will have to hide my birthday chocolate. Or maybe I could sell it for chores.

Happy Easter everyone. May you eat too much and drink too much, although you can never laugh or hug too much!

Or sleep too much I reckon.