Another first

There have been several firsts since Grant passed away 11 weeks ago: a first Christmas and New Year without him; the first phoning of our youngest grandson Liam and then second oldest grandson, Joel on their respective birthdays. Grant and I always sang Happy Birthday to the children over the phone! 

As I said on Friday when I posted about his birthday, we celebrated our birthdays within days of each other and both loved to do so!  And so my 65th last Tuesday was another first. 

But...

I was so spoiled. Out of my shoes! 

From early on that morning,  friends and family phoned, sent Whatsapp messages , Facebook birthday greetings and also beautiful e-cards to my e-mail. Thanks to my wonderful Blogger friends, Penny, Sandra, Margaret, and Rosemary (my sister who lives in Spain) for these lovely messages. 

Once I got to work and opened up shop, I had people popping in to wish me. Two ladies, Georgia and her daughter, Tasia, who own the beauty salon along the veranda, couriered cakes from the supermarket to me. As they walked in, they asked if it was my birthday. Never coy, I said yes, and thanked them for bringing the eats. I had counted 30 people who I'd deliver cake, tart and scones to in the various shops in the center. 

Fortunately, as I started to cut and arranged slices of gooey Red Velvet Cake, milk tart and buttered cheese scones onto plates (a challenge in my small shop with no ready surfaces to work on!), Debbie and the children arrived. So I harnessed Eryn and Bethany in to helping me take cake to the people. Debbie ordered herself a coffee and rooibos herbal tea for me. The children had plates of cakes and tart while sitting on the veranda floor next to my display. 

   Debbie and the children joined me for my birthday!  

A new BFF, Marcia, who hails from Gauteng but regularly spends time in her home here in the mountains, brings shrubs and herbs to Collette. She (Marcia) says it's part of her garden insurance. Because she cannot give her local garden permanent attention and care, she brings sprigs and heels of cuttings to Collette who has an incredibly green thumb, to plant up. Marcia says she can always get from her should anything of hers die from lack of companionship and care!  Last week she brought me this potted plant below. For my birthday. How cool is THAT? I immediately said: Oh, it's a ginger plant. And she came back with: No, it's a tumeric plant!

 So that's a new one for me. And here below is my tumeric plant which I proudly displayed for the whole week. Yesterday I brought my trowel to work (which stays here now that Collette has reignited my love for gardening) and I transplanted the tumeric plant into the garden below my veranda rail.

 A tumerica plant 

While I was dealing with a customer, I noticed Georgia (my friend from the beauty spa who brought the party eats earlier that day) waiting on the side with a card in her hands. 

 She handed me this cute postcard which I flipped over to reveal...

 A birthday wish from Georgia and Tasia and a free gel manicure!  I went for the treatment the next day, which was Valentine's day. 

Charmaine who manages the off-sales next door to me,  

gave me this pretty handbag (purse) ornament 

 I attached it immediately! 

 Collette gave me a tub of organic hand and face cream made locally

That night Estelle, Caroline and I met at Dragon Peaks restaurant for dinner. Steve was unwell so it was a girls' night out where they treated me for my birthday.  I kept meaning to have someone take a photo of the three of us and never did. 

A younger friend of mine,  Estelle, her husband James and their son Josh, arrived to have a celebration dinner. I met Estelle last year on my birthday and while we were chatting another friend approached and wished her for hers. She and I share a birthday! (we share the day only - I'm 16 years older than her) She came to my table and asked if we could have a birthday snap together.

Estelle and Jo share the 13th of February as a birthday  

Caroline gave me a birthday with a generous cash note inside while Estelle and Steve spoiled me with this beautiful set of bath and lotion care products  

After a lovely evening out, it was time to leave. We ladies said goodbye outside; Estelle drove up to Highlands (and poorly Steve) Caroline drove up to Bergview. Remember this is where Grant and I were supposed to live - next door to Caroline;  and I drove straight up the regional R600 road which leads to the farm where I live with Skabenga and the four cats.  It had been raining since mid-afternoon and it was still raining heavily as I drove along.

Five kilometers along the road, I peered through the misty windscreen and saw two cars stopped with taillights flashing. I stopped and activated my hazards. A few meters ahead of the cars ahead,  facing us, was another car, headlights flashing. Separating us was a torrential river racing across the tarmac. There was no way on earth that I'd be able to cross this raging water in my little car.

To be continued... 

I'm linking to Our World Tuesday here