Birthday - 47 again!

August is the month of long school holidays, sitting in the garden, seaside trips, ice cream, fish and chips, harvesting summer fruit and veg, and, most importantly, my birthday!   I like birthdays, although I don't particularly like the thought of getting older, so I have decided to suspend time and, forever more, will be no more than 47 years old.   I liked 47 so much, that I have decided to stay there!  

This year, the Knitters with Attitude had a jaunt to the seaside at Sheringham and Cromer (to be written up in a separate post as there were a LOT of photos!) and, because it was my birthday, I acted the spoilt brat and decided what we were doing and when!   The power!  

The weekend started off well when I was presented with these beautiful flowers by some of my work colleagues.  Oh, and chocolates too.   And, because I'd rubbed blisters on the way to work - why, oh why, did I wear new heels on my mile and a half walk to work? - I rang Amanda in desperation to ask for a lift home - which also saved me having to carry home half of Kew Gardens!   (Amanda, weirdly, gave me the best part of a pea and ham quiche too - but apparently that was not a birthday present.)   And, then when I got home, I found the most enormous gift bag in my recycling bin - it was a day of surrealism clearly - and when I opened it up, I had a fab Cath Kidston flowery rucksack (which you can just about see on my shoulders in the picture above) from Rachel.   Lovely.

I am very good and always save up my cards and presents for the 2nd, even if they're given to me early - so, early on Saturday morning, I opened up a fab parcel of prayer flags - I reckon I have about eighteen metres of flags to get up in my garden and I can't wait.  Unfortunately, I've had to so far because, despite my best efforts, I really couldn't erect them on my own and, every time I've had someone over to the house, the weather has been shocking.   Watch this space for the prayer flag story .....

Mum and Dad gave me a toolbox - which I had specifically asked for.  I'm starting my new sewing course in September and all the other ladies have toolboxes to keep everything neat and at hand.  For my first two terms, I've rocked up looking like a bag lady with everything in carriers, so now I will be in the gang too.   Mum and Dad also gave me some spending money which, no doubt, will go on fabric or wool.

The celebrations continued for a few days actually - Shannon presented me with Yoda at our knitting group on Wednesday ... and love him, I do!  If I don't get a Yoda hat for Christmas, I will be mightily disappointed!

And Mum also celebrates her birthday the same week as me, so she was dutifully sung to (although not necessarily in tune) and presented with a birthday cake.  I love the fact that she's holding the cake while winding wool in this photo!