I know it’s been a while (Well for me anyway) you see I’ve had diversions, Olivia’s Birthday, Rebecca’s Birthday, Our Wedding Anniversary and My Birthday all in one week. This has put the kybosh (Probably another made up word) on the healthy eating and no drinking regime.
I have not seen my age written down in numbers for a very long time! It did come as a bit of a shock, best thing about a date of birth is that it doesn’t change we’ve all be saying it since we were old enough to, I kind of feel mine has a nice ring to it 30/7/65 unlike 43 which has no ring what so ever, and seems to belong to someone much older than me. I have also noticed that people are using the age 43 as some sort of trophy how great Liz Hurley, Sarah Jessica Parker & Joely Richardson look for 43, How much JK Rowling & Bjork have achieved by the age of 43. This just makes me feel un-great about myself, both about the way I look and how much I haven’t as yet achieved.
I had a plan you see, I thought I was un-naturally talented, witty, creative and all round fabulous that was until I was 4, until the age of 4 I was relying entirely on the opinion of my devoted parents and then I started school met equally and indeed more talented, witty and fabulous people. This gave me a bit of knock, and then there were brothers and sisters who were brought into the world with the soul purpose of shattering my confidence. By the age of ten I knew I was chubby, had flat feet, wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box and I actually wasn’t funny at all! All of this my adorable brothers reminded me of daily.
Back to the plan, I was going to be an artist, a famous one at that or an author my Nana taught me to read, she loved books, she could read two a day and even remember the story lines, looking back I expect this was to escape the monotony of her life, but at the time I thought it was incredible, she taught me to love The Faraway Tree, Ratty & Mole, I even wanted to go to boarding school and have midnight feasts. She said that the best thing for me would be to write books and illustrate them myself; I would be rich living by the riverbank in an amazing cottage with a spaniel, drinking lashings of lemonade and eventually sending my children to Mallory Towers what a life I had planned out. Then came the Donny Osmond/David Cassidy years this is, I feel where my life has all gone awry, those of you who are old enough will know that you could only be a fan/in love with one, I however loved them both. This love triangle was not acceptable to anyone, and this has been the dilemma of my life, I can and do love in equal measure apposing ideals. I love nice clothes (Which requires a slender well toned body) and I love food (Which doesn’t), I love friends and of course parents who don’t always love each other. My brothers and sisters of whom there are many don’t always like me or each other, though the love thing that always remains steadfast.
I saw Donny recently my friend Claire was on a TV show and he was the host, Claire’s sister Hilary and I were beside our selves couldn’t wait to see him, then it rained, heavily so we decided to go and have a bite to eat, the true Donny fans however stayed and queued braving the weather, we returned nicely timed for the doors opening, we were sat at the back of the TV studio’s nice and dry with full tummies. We were amazed at the dedication of our fellow Donny lovers, some had travelled all night, had been all over the world on coach trips to see their idol, we soon realized we were in fact frauds, we weren’t Donny fans we just liked him a bit thirty years ago!
On my actual birthday, Emma baked the most beautiful lemon birthday cake and Stewy Vuitton & Perfect Peter cooked me the most fantastic birthday feast, with the biggest bottle, bigger than a magnum of Champagne ever seen. Peter was in charge of the food, lots of my favourite things, smoked salmon and prawn canapés, Cheese, Mushroom & Pancetta salad and then the most delicious home made fish and chips with mushy peas, so Blackpool! and so good! Chocolate melt in the middle pudding for afters (apparently this word is back in after a time in the wilderness and dessert is out unless you’re southern!). Stewy had set the scene complete with table gifts, candelabras and exquisite flower arrangements. The evening was filled with music, chat and laughter and I realized though I may not have achieved all that I planned I have got some of the very best friends any one could wish for, and in the words of another famous 43 year old Shania Twain “Man I feel like a woman!” a rather voluptuous one!
