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Seeing as my 50th birthday was nearly one month ago now, it's about time I took the time to tell you all about the incredible presents which G gave me.

This post has taken quite a bit of time to assemble, but no where near the amount of time it took G to assemble the gifts.

It all started with a large box.

It's all just a bit of fun G said to me.

Nestled inside amongst a lot of shredded paper were the presents.

They were all tagged and had to be opened in a specific order as G had bought gifts representing (mostly each 21st July) from 1968 when I was born until my 16th birthday in 1984.

1968- the song which was No 1 in charts on the day I was born. Des O'Connor and I Pretend.

The Sunday Times Magazine, printed with my birth date. I love the photo on the front and hope to get this framed.

1969- when the world was glued to the TV and radio listening for updates on the moon landing I was having my first birthday. I now have a copy of the Daily Telegraph from when I was one. As you may know we like a good jigsaw here and this one we will save and be doing on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing next year.

1970- Number one on my 2nd birthday was In the Summertime

and where better to spend it than the beach so we have a night away to look forward to!

1971- A bit of glam rock with T-Rex at number 1 on my 3rd birthday

and just look at the main article highlight in this paper printed on my birthday!!

1972- He was bound to show up sooner or later, number one on my 4th birthday was Donny Osmond.

1973- G chose to go with number 1 in the album chart for this year because of the David Essex link and so I now have a copy of That'll Be The Day along with the Look In magazine also showing the date of my 5th birthday.

1974- I cried so much when I opened this Simplicity dressmaking pattern book. Although it isn't from 1974 it's what this represents which is so important to me.
When we were little my 2 sisters and I would spend hours upon hours cutting up old editions of these catalogues. We would use these 'cut outs' to play beauty contests with. So many memories. G said this took such a long time to track down as they are quite hard to find. I'm so glad he was able to find this one. A very special gift indeed and I cried an awful lot.

1975- Oh how I loved the Bay City Rollers. G bought this satin scarf off of a lady who stitched it together the night before she went to see them play live back in the 70s. Along with the scarf I also now have the single which was number one on my 7th birthday and the July edition of the Rollers magazine.
I should also mention here that later on in the day I found out that my sister's are taking me to see the band play live! The only original member of the Rollers in the band these days is Les but I don't mind about that, I'm just so excited!

1976- More David Essex, let's face it, you can never have too much! 

1977- When I was little and given money to spend on holiday I would always buy as many of these magazines as I could.

Debbie, Bunty, Mandy and Judy. I would read them over and over again and try and copy the illustrations.

I can even remember the smell of the paper.

Again there was more tears as they evoked so many happy times from my childhood.

 1978- I loved Grease from the very first second I saw it on the screen at the cinema. As well as You're The One That I Want, number one on my 10th birthday, G bought me this picture of Sandy and Danny singing that song surrounded by original film cells from the movie.
Plus very soon we are both off to a Sing Along A Grease Movie night. G said he wouldn't mind if I wanted to take a friend, but he's the one that I want so he's coming with me!

1979- a copy of the Radio Times for 21st July 1979 would have cost you 14p. What a bargain.

1980- the gift for1980 is so unusual. This badge was bought by someone who went to the 1980 Moscow Olympics as a souvenir. This was the year the USA boycotted the games.

1981- My love for Shaky had taken a hold by this time. He was Number 1 with Green Door on my 13th birthday.

G bought the badge from a chap whose job it was to promote Shaky's album.

1982- The newspaper headline from my birthday this year is one we would much rather forget.

The Number 1 album is one which I heard played many, many times as it was a firm favourite of T's, my best friend at school.

1983- Wham and Smash Hits. Staples of this time in my teenage years. Wham takes me right back in an instant to Monday nights dancing at the Top Rank. I couldn't ask for a better Number 1 album.

1984- Here we finish off with a Jackie Magazine published on my 16th birthday

and these two items of clothing which actually belonged to me and I used to wear!
Apparently G consulted my sisters and T, my best friend from school, to help him in his gift quest. During a conversation with T she told him that during the early 90s I had lent her this pink jacket and trousers as she and a friend were going to a 1980s fancy dress party. Her friend was a similiar size to me but had nothing suitable to wear. T has kept them since then, always meaning to give them back but just never getting round to it. The jacket is from Etam and the trousers from Chelsea Girl. The jacket still fits but the trousers go nowhere near me!
When I unwrapped these clothes I remembered them instantly although I hadn't seen them for near on 30 years. Again they bought memories, and the tears, flooding back.

As if these gifts weren't enough there was still one more. The final item in the box was a sheet of paper which had a crossword printed on it.
Solving the clues revealed that G had arranged for me to go and visit my lovely friend S in Virginia after first spending time in Washington.
Cue more tears.
I didn't want to appear ungrateful but how could I go on a trip alone to such a beautiful part of the USA, steeped in so much history, when I knew G would love it all too. I couldn't envisage returning and saying 'I've seen this and that' and 'we went here and there' and therefore not having shared memories of all these places.
S has been incredibly generous and said the invitation is open to me, G and S should that work better for us and for a time which suits us all.
At the moment I'm not sure of the who, how and when as we have had so many things going on and we have only been back a week from a really fabulous holiday in Belgium, but plans will be made you can be sure of that. 

French Fry

Thank you all so much for the lovely messages you left about our beloved Malcolmcat.

Blogland is full of such supportive friends and each comment was so very much appreciated.

It really is about time I did this post about the week leading up to my birthday and the final daily round of daily activities.

Friday 13th July was French Fry Day and I went for (slightly) healthier option and had a bag of these with my lunch rather than skipping along to the nearest takeaway and snaffling my way through a portion of deep fried fries!

Sunday 15th was another weird and wonderful day. Who would have ever thought there'd be a Gummi Worm Day.
From Pinterest I found instructions for making 'dirt cups', which is just Angel Delight and crushed Oreos layered in a glass dish. Jelly worms were added to look like they were slithering out of the earth.

For Ginger Rogers' birthday on 16th July G and I watched Shall We Dance. The story line was ridiculously flimsy but the dancing was sublime, especially this roller skating scene.

Next up are three food based days. Tuesday 17th was Peach Ice Cream day. I made some ice cream and up until now I had completely forgotten it's the in freezer what with everything that's been going on. I guess we should try some soon!
Wednesday 18th was Hot Dog Day so this meant there was only one choice for our evening meal. 
Thursday 19th was Ice Cream Day. I knew what I wanted to do for this day and because I didn't want to run the risk of it being a cloud free day I made sure I got some photos a little ahead of time.
G and I were very pleased with our efforts.

The day before my birthday I had intended to mark by jumping.
I knew there had been a photographer called Phillippe Halsman who at the end of photography sessions would ask his subjects to jump and he would snap them as they did so.
He believed this act would reveal more of the genuine character of a person than the polished and styled one they may want to project to the public.
I think this is such an interesting idea.
I may not have found the time to physically jump but I spent all day metaphorically jumping for joy at all the surprises my work colleagues laid on for me.
I arrived at work to be greeted by colleagues singing Happy Birthday and my desk covered in banners and primary coloured paper decorations, cards and presents.
As the time ticked round to lunchtime they surprised me further when a table full of food suddenly appeared and we all enjoyed a buffet of party food. 
One of my colleagues is an extremely talented cake maker and she made me this vanilla sponge cake. I told her it was the prettiest cake anyone has ever made me ever.
What a lovely lot of colleagues I have.

Classic

Tuesday was Teddy Bear Picnic Day.

Now you know that I don't need much of an excuse for a picnic, especially as we've been having perfect picnic weather.

As there wasn't time on Tuesday to go out somewhere and eat we ate our picnic indoors instead.

The reason we couldn't have a lazy picnic in the park was because we were going to our last therapy appointment.

As a family we have gained so much from these sessions and S in particular has learned a great deal.

It's been a very enriching experience and I'm heartily glad we did it together.

Wednesday 11th 1960 was the date To Kill A Mickingbird was first published.

G has read the book and it's sat on our bookshelves for a couple of years waiting for me to pick it up and read it too.

So yesterday I made a start, when I just couldn't bear watching anymore of the England football semi final.

Back in the early 1990s I worked for the china specialists Wedgwood. I loved selling such beautiful items, although I didn't enjoy constantly dusting the shelf displays.

I can't quite remember what the occasion was but the company gave each member of staff a piece of Jasper jewellery as a thank you gift.

The firm's founder Josiah Wedgwood  was born on 12th July and so today I wore the necklace I had been given.

However there is another occasion on 12th July which is closer to home and much more important, our 21st wedding anniversary.

Pucker Up

6th July was Kissing Day so S and I started off the day with a bit of sweet silliness with these cherry jelly sweets.

Macaroni Day on Saturday was marked on Thursday instead when S wolfed down a dish macaroni cheese. She was more than happy to do that as it's one of her favourite things to eat.

Staying with food for Sunday.

8th July was Kevin Bacon's birthday.

I have enjoyed many of his movies, but honestly those phone ads are just dreadful.

Anyway lunch in the garden included a handful of bacon crisps and crispy bacon and maple syrup popcorn was sampled whilst watching Poldark. 

Today is Barbara Cartland's birthday. My plan had been to wear a pink outfit as it was Ms Cartland's trademark colour.
But I am admitting defeat due to the weather. I don't have many pink items in my wardrobe and the ones I was planning to wear would have just made me feel too darn hot so instead later on this evening when I sit down to relax with a cuppa I'll nibble on a pink fancy.

Bikini

Bikini Day on 5th July is being marked with the consumption of these itsy bitsy teeny weeny sugar sprinkled biscuit bikini tops which S and I made together.
The inspiration came from this pin. How clever of someone to have seen a heart shaped cookie cutter and think 'I know what I can make with that'.

4th July

Some dates the choice of occasion to go for is obvious.
For 4th July it had to be American Independence Day.
Red, white and blue, stars and stripes.
Sorted.

One, Two, Three

Sunday 1st July was Build A Scarecrow Day and I took inspiration from Worzel Gummidge, the greatest scarecrow of them all, and enjoyed a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

A few weeks back I bought a new diary and spent a little time on I Forgot Day to write in all the birthdays and other such important dates which I don't want to forget!

Once home from work today I settled down on the sofa for a spot of tennis watching. A cuppa in one hand and a Chocolate Wafer in the other.

End of June

A round up of the final week from June.

Nothing sounds like more like the 1980s for me than Wham! so on what would have been George Michael's 55th birthday I made mini Careless Wispa chocolate cheesecakes.

This was followed by Chocolate Pudding Day on 26th. I have a ton of recipes I could have baked but I had no inclination to stand in a hot kitchen so cheated and went for the simple and cooler option in the form of this yogurt. It was very tasty and is something which will now be a regular feature in our shopping basket.

I have used my mini sunglasses brooch in my daily activities on a previous occasion but it is too cute not to have worn for Sunglasses Day.  Due to this I also marked Pineapple Day on 27th by switching my phone case to this new one which is suitably tropical for the day and the weather.

We stay with the accessories for the next two days.
Are You Being Served's John Inman was born on 28th June and his character was often seen sporting a tape machine around his neck, ready to whip off for a bit of inside leg measurement taking!

Camera Day was on Friday 29th. I still remember how excited I was to receive my very first camera as a birthday present. It was a Halina camera with a great big green button on the top to press when taking the photo and when you wanted to take a photo with a flash you had to attach the bulb separately.

G was away at a music festival this weekend and I had ordered this movie to settle down and watch on Saturday night to mark the birthday of Susan Hayward. It didn't arrive in time so maybe we'll end up watching it together at some point soon.

Other Stuff

G has been bitten by the wood construction bug.

I showed him a picture on Pinterest of a wooden pallet converted into a planter and within an hour he had created one from a pallet we had in the garden.

Can you see the sink?

Our bathroom is slowly being decorated and updated and we saved the old sink to use as a mini pond in the garden.

From old bits of pieces of fencing a neighbour was chucking out G has made this little shelter for his bike. The long stick on the left was bought back home by T years ago after we all went out for a walk and it's lovely it's been incorporated in the design.

There is another new fence.

This one is 3 quarters of the way down the garden and is screening bottom section of the garden.

We have two of these garden storage boxes, which you can make out through the slats in the fence, but this forms a nicer barrier between the grassed and graveled parts of the garden.

It's not just the back garden G has been busy, he has also built a fence along the wall in the front garden to corral all our bins together.

So as you can see we've been busy at home, but there has still been the odd jaunt out.

Love the original art work used to advertise a church fete we popped along.

Reminiscent of the old railway posters.

We had a lovely walk to the church and came home with two jigsaws

Two books read, both which has been on my bookshelf for the longest time. I've never read a Mavis Cheek book which I didn't enjoy.

This one of Katie Fforde's was more enjoyable than the last couple of her I've read and I think it may be because it's not such a recent publication.

A £1.00 sale rail at a charity shop turned up trumps for me with this top which will be perfect for work come the cooler weather. It's sheer so will need a t-shirt underneath and so will we good for layering.

S and I went to Cambridge for her annual eye check up. All is well.
We got caught up in severe delays from Waterloo on the way home and didn't get in until 11.45 which made for a very long day indeed.

G was working until 10pm on the longest day. 
We lit candles, sipped Bailey's and gazed at the stars.

On Saturday we went to Eastleigh Unwrapped. We've been going to this free arts festival for a few years now and it's always a great day out.
Our highlight this year was the Happy Feet show of 100 dances in 100 minutes.
Participation was entirely necessary when you had Elvis leading the conga!

Not the best photo as G took it from a distance but here are S and me doing the macarena.

A new addition to my dresser is this jug I bought whilst we were out on Saturday.
It has an Emma Bridgewater look to it and looks fab with my EB heart cup and saucer, but there aren't any markings on the bottom so I have no idea where it originally came from.