Birthday Cake!

My 40th Birthday!

Although it was (a) a Sunday, (b) my birthday, and (c) we hadn't been to bed until rather late after last night, Smudge still thoughtfully provided an early alarm call! Bless her!

After pancakes and sorting, we fell asleep on the sofas until it was time to collect Scharwenka & Mrs Scharwenka from the bus stop. Shortly afterwards, my family (Mum, Dad, Stepmum, Brother & Sister-in-Law) arrived and it was time to go out for lunch.

Lunch was entirely delicious - I had chicken liver parfait & toast, followed by roast beef, followed by lavender creme brulee / treacle tart (Mrs Scharwenka & I split the puddings and had half of each each).

Then back to our house for present opening - plenty of mojito (which bodes well for future baths), some money (which bodes well for car MOT), and some other entertainments too!

Mum had made me this rather splendid birthday cake - date & walnut inside, and decorated with 5 cats (with instruments), 2 rats (well, sugar mice anyway - they're sitting at the back corners, just peeking round the side), guitars, pianos and an aeroplane!

Charlie & Moses came down in their rat carrier to meet everyone, and were also given a little icing flower each to nibble!

Then the guests departed, the Wonderspouse & I packed an overnight bag, and headed off to Stratford (the upon-Avon version, rather than the upon-Central Line (as my friend Maud calls it) version)!

We checked in to the Mercure Shakespeare, where we had a gigantic room (I'd gone for the "Junior Suite" option - booked ages ago & prepaid in order to get it at a price that wasn't TOO hairy). We watched the Grand Prix highlights programme (oh the joys of BBC3 in a hotel), then ambled down to Sainsbury's to collect a picnic supper and had a walk round a quiet evening Stratford (very different from the bustling busy day one).

I finished the actual birthday in fluffy bathrobe & slippers, sitting on the sofa in our hotel room, eating anchovies and salmon mousse, drinking wine, and then rounding off with a chocolate eclair and a slice of birthday cake!

The Wonderspouse then rubbed my legs with hotel body lotion until I dozed off!

Excellent - this being 40 this is good so far!!!