Another birthday celebration

 Good morning, dear Blogger friends.

Some of you may remember that when I celebrated my birthday last year - the BIG SEVEN OH - I had a week of parties, dinners, breakfasts and outings. So, when the 13th of February arrived this year, I thought, oh well, this will just be another birthday. Nothing more.

This was further than the truth than ever!

From daybreak on Tuesday, I was inundated with messages on my WhatsApp and phone calls from various friends and family. Thank you to dear Penny, Snap that blog, for your wishes. 

As I walked into Ron's office at the farm, she wished me and handed me a gift - a fragrant linen spray. 

Later, on the way to the bookkeepers for the farm and Weigh-Less that afternoon, I first stopped off at the Waffle Hut. There I was greeted by friends from church who meet regularly every week for coffee. I was spoiled with beautiful gifts of fresh nuts;  snack packs of dried fruit; handcream and designer nougat beautifully wrapped. 

When I arrived at my Weigh-Less group, several members arrived with gift bags of spoils: bath salts and a loofah; a set of body butters and a trail pack of fruit n nut snacks; bath oil and handcream; a beautiful red candle in a jar (perfect a day before Valentines Day) and a pack of dried kiwi fruit which was delicious.

That evening Steve and Estelle (I worked in Steve's art shop for two years before Covid enforced closure) took me to dinner at a restaurant at the foothills of mountains. 

Dinner with friends with the sun setting over the peaks

When I walked into my little cottage at the farm later that evening, I realized I had not been home for long enough to check emails. I sat down at my laptop and checked my inbox.

There, in between my accommodation booking reminders and other emails, was a BEAUTIFUL birthday card from Weigh-Less Head Office management and staff. 

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Birthday card from Weigh-Less HO

All in all a wonderful 71st birthday!

MAY YOU ALL ENJOY A WONDERFUL WEEK AHEAD! 

Teeny green critter

 Good morning, dear Blogger friends. 

Thank you all for the kind words and future good wishes for my little car. 

Several other events have taken place since I posted this, but firstly I'd like to share rescuing a very small grasshopper just recently. By the photos you can see it is miniscule and by the photos of the glossy starlings on the lawn enjoying Skabby's leftover bone, you'll agree I managed to save the grasshopper's life. 

He would have been fodder for the starling, but I inadvertently supplied an alternative snack for the bird...

The tiny grasshopper...

...perfect in every way...

Glossy starlings often land on my lawn and nibble at Skabby's leftover bone.

I'm linking toe Saturday Critters with Eileen, here

Happy Saturday to you all!  

A milestone...

 ... for my trusty chariot!

Good morning, dear Blogger friends. Thank you for all the well wishes with my recent bout of Covid. On Monday morning, I got up, got dressed and walked over to the farm office next door. Ron and John were off on a short holiday at the coast, so I was in charge for the week.

It was monthend, I had guests leaving The Bunker and the next guests checking in; I needed to run a Weigh-Less Group on Tuesday as the previous week had been online and I had to pay wages here on the farm. 

It certainly jolted me from my previous week's slumbers and energized me!

At the same time, I noticed that the speedometer on my little car was approaching the 100,000km mark. I taped a reminder on the dashboard a little earlier this week.

On Saturday, as I drove to Parkrun - not to run but to volunteer -  I saw that it was clocked in at 99,991.

Earlier this week, I added a printed note to remind me of the big one!

On the main road traveling back home, I kept a beady eye on the speedometer. I stopped to take this photo above

And then...

100,000 KM! 

Parked in the car port, I patted my faithful little car and took a photo

Why the fuss about mileage? (kilometers in this case).

Firstly, because I can. I had no-one in the car asking What are you stopping for? What are you photographing? So, I was free to record this milestone.

Secondly, for those dear friends who have known me for longer, you may remember how I posted about buying my own car way back in 2019. At the age of 66, I had to do the whole deal on my own. For the first time in my life.

And thirdly, this little has served me so well. And I trust it will continue to do so for a long time. I do take exceptionally good care of it even though it is used primarily for business.

Oh, and as many of you know, I love numbers and making a fuss off numbers. 

Ironically, I personally have not driven all those 100,000 km. I bought this lovely little car as a previously-loved car with 27,000km on the clock. 

MAY YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL MONDAY!