Birthday celebrations and goodbyes

Another day that passed without any of the opportunities for sneaky daytime sleeps sees us back home with church in the morning and that slight sense of dislocation that travelling between two lives brings. Today was oldest grandchild Catriona's 16th birthday - unbelievable that it's 16 years - and we were able to go down to second son's house to have a morning celebration. There was a stripey tall birthday cake - cake for 11ses! - and coffee, and silver balloons as you see, and a birthday girl wonderfully delighted with her presents, including such esoteric items as a trombone stand and a book of lead sheets (also for trombone!) as well as the more expected girly gifts... It was a brief interlude in a busy day, but a wholly delightful one, before they all departed up to town in a taxi for more celebrations and we headed back to pack our belongings, eat some lunch and leave, bearing my daughter-in-law's customary and ever more inventive bag of culinary goodies including tonight's dinner.

We drove through a fairly brisk cross-motorway wind all the way, jinking through interesting byways to avoid football crowds (along the Clydeside Expressway and through the tunnel - thanks, Waze) and crossed the Firth in two big diagonals because of the southerly wind whipping up across our path.  Because I didn't have to cook, I was able to unpack and put things away, so all that remains for me to do now is get to my bed. 

Two lovely days, over far too quickly - just like those sixteen years!