Excited Teddy

A couple of weeks a go I saw a post on good old face book advertising Il Divo's 2016 tour.  Seeing Il Divo has been on my bucket list for a few years now - but they have not been coming near to me and the cost of travelling up to London just makes it a very expensive experience though sure it would be worth it.  Any how, a quick look at the dates told me that next year could be my year for ticking this one off - they are going to Cardiff and to convince me even more that 2016 is the year - they are performing the evening before my birthday :)  Trying to contain myself with excitement was difficult especially when Mick said he would come with me and we could make a few days of it for my birthday and attempt the steam train ride that didn't happen this year - admittedly it involves going on the bike which I am fine with lol.
So for a whole week I told myself that I would not get tickets as they apparently sell out asap and I know as with all tickets some are sold prior to release to fan club members etc.  Any way Friday arrived and tickets went on sale and after a frustrating 15mins of the website not doing what I wanted it to (nothing to do with user incompetence I hasten to add!!!) two tickets were in my basket and paid for !!!!!  Happy Teddy dancing around the house - still can't believe it as I write this post!!!  So

April already.

Nearly four weeks without posting anything, lots of reasons why, main one being March is a very busy month for us and this year seems to have been more so than normal, then Mick and I went to Iceland last Monday (31st March) and only returned home last night. Thankfully I had taken today off work as well as I am off to the Hall for Cornwall tonight to see Fiddler on the Roof, with Paul Michael Glaser, of Starsky and Hutch fame (for those old enough to remember it!!)

So what has happened since I last posted, well Bernadette turned 21 on the 15th, so we took Amanda up to Bristol for the birthday celebrations, and we headed off into Wales and into Herefordshire for a couple of nights, then back to Bristol for Sunday Birthday lunch, then home, bringing Amanda's boyfriend with us as he had finished at uni for easter.  The next day was Mick's birthday so another meal out (my diet has gone all to pot!!) The 24th was our 24th wedding anniversary, so yet another meal out!!  Then the 29th we had a dinner dance, 30th Mother's Day and 31st we flew to Iceland!!  So all in all March came and went in a flurry of celebrations and eating out - rather nice actually ;)

 

So now we are back for four days then off to London on Friday for a reunion and back home on Saturday and that will be it for awhile!!

 

I have just uploaded my photos from Iceland to my computer but not started to go through them yet, I will share them with you all over the next few days/weeks but for now here is one of the birthday meal.  Two of my best friends.

 

 

 

 

The cake

I took the Christmas decorations down today - for the first time ever I was really reluctant to do it, no idea why but I was.  Anyway they are all packed away in the loft for another year.

 

Last night's meal went very well, I am almost disappointed to say that granny said nothing  - I think she was more nervous than Aaran was lol. The meal was very nice and a good evening had by all. 
As for the birthday cake, well......................it was amazing even though I say it myself.  So light and fluffy, I couldn't believe it.  To look at, it was probably the worse cake I have ever done.  It was browner than I would of liked, my chocolate covered orange segment didn't look as pretty as they could have and the chocolate drizzling had a lot to be desired, but apart from all that, it was good.  It was orange and poppy seed.  It should have been vanilla but I had run out - hence the orange!! It was a combination of two recipes one from the net and the other from the flour bag lol

The birthday girl about to blow her candles out.

Birthdays

Over on Lucky Snapping April challenged us to write about Birthday's.  Well I thought a lot about this one especially as I have a big one coming up in a few days time, but didn't really want to bore you with all that again - well not too much anyway!! lol

So I was struggling with what to write until last night and now I just have to tell you.  Mick and I went out for a meal at the Hawkins Arms again and we went with our friends Barbara and Nick, it was an early Birthday meal for me, with not being around for the actual day.  Anyway, the evening is going well and someone Mick works with (Steve) turned up with his wife and brother and said hello, I had never met him before and off he goes.  Half way through the meal the landlord appears with a bottle of champagne and four glasses, asking if I was celebrating a birthday, so I explained it was next week and he said well this is for you, from the gentleman sat around the corner (Mick's work colleague!!) well I was speechless (so was Mick!!) (and yes Yvonne I cried but just a little!) I was so taken aback, never had anything like that happen to me, especially from someone I didn't know!! Anyway, as usual the food was fantastic and we had no room for dessert so just settled for a cup of tea.  Then the lights went out and I moan "great a power cut"!!!!  then the landlady appears carrying a plate with a dessert on it and a candle and Happy Birthday written in chocolate on the plate from them and the chef.  Well yet again I was speechless and somewhat overwhelmed by it all. 

It really started my birthday celebrations off a treat.

 

Nick trying to get out of the photo.

Me feeling rather overwhelmed by the whole evening.

 My birthday dessert :) yummy treacle tart.

One down one to go

It is BIG birthday time in the house this week.  Yesterday we celebrated Bernadette's 18th and tomorrow it is Mick's 50th.  So a lovely family meal out last night for the birthday girl and her first official glass of wine

She thoroughly enjoyed being able to go out today and buy her dad a bottle of whisky for tomorrow, sure she will soon go off that idea.  As for tomorrow we have both taken the day off work and are off out, Mick doesn't know where yet as it is a surprise, there are going to be a few of them this week for him!!  If he is really lucky I might even take my camera with me !!

What a week...

It has been none stop and very enjoyable.  Started off Monday evening going to see Calender Girls with a lovely group of friends, good food, good company and a great performance. Tuesday was my birthday meal with family, another lovely evening, more lovely food, good conversation and the bit that really blew me away was the cake that Bernadette made for me, it was a replica of my camera and it was brilliant (have to use past tense as we have eaten it all!!!)  Here are the pics.

The back view

Front view

   
Over head

Looking at the pics now I'm still amazed by it.  When I saw all the black food colouring and icing I did wonder what she was up to but by the time I got home Mon evening there wasn't a trace of anything (and I did look!!) never thought I was going to get this.  I was thrilled to say the least.  Thank you Bernadette.

Wed was college as usually, feel like I am getting to grips with a tiny bit of photoshop.  Thursday night out for an Indian with a another group of friends, very enjoyable again.  Two nights off then Sunday off to Birmingham to see Westlife in concert......phew, I shall need next week to recover.  Oh and in between all that it has been a hectic week at work as well!