a secret that can now be told!

my exciting event was a trip to ireland (sligo and county mayo to be exact) for my friend odilon's surprise (!!!) 50th birthday party

jackie, celia and i flew out from luton on friday morning during a torrential rainstorm, landing in knock to blue skies and brilliant sunshine. we stayed in westport in a wonderful hotel (the party was also held there). jackie had hired a car and we drove out to sligo and 'did' yeats country! we went to drumcliffe - here i am by yeats' grave :

we also went to lissadell and walked on the beach - it is sooo beautiful!! - there's celia in the distance paddling:

and celia and jackie sunning themselves on a bench overlooking the sea:

the party was tremendous!! odi was totally surprised!! - she said she 'knew something was going on' but had no idea what it was. brian had done an amazing job getting everyone together in such a short space of time (i only knew about it 10 days beforehand) and the atmosphere at the party was fantastic!! lots of people had managed to get there including some, like me, who had never visited ireland before. i didn't manage to get any photos of the party - well i did keep snapping but only seemed to get a lot of backs and arms!! - but here is odi just as she came into the dining room - she was saying 'What!! is going on??':

the party went on into the small hours - and odi and brian still got up to have breakfast with us before we left on our morning flight

. . . and ireland is wonderful - i will be back!!

back in blighty by early afternoon and just missed eric and janey who had come to collect o and g and take them home. i have spoken to them most days and saw them last weekend and they are both very much better though we still have our thinking caps very much in position in order to come to a sensible arrangement for them for their future

last week was mainly rather ordinary - i had offered to go up and help stella and rich to move house (which was partly why i had thought i would be extra busy) - but they managed fine just the 2 of them and both they and the pies are settling in and enjoying their new home

friday was my birthday - i took the day off work and had a lovely time. odi phoned in the morning and we had a long chat (this was her birthday too) - she was still overwhelmed by the party and all the guests!! and then frankie arrived with this beautiful bunch of flowers:

jackie had invited me round in the evening (i thought it was just a cup of tea - but it was a lovely meal with lots of nice people - yay!!) we were: jackie, pete, christine, jimmy, doireann, liam, barry, elizabeth, mary, kevin, ruth, brian, janet and moi - what a brilliant way to round off my birthday!!

sunday was lucia's baptism

lucia was a little angel and she looked beautiful in the gown - it has been worn so far by stella, (for whom o made it) frankie, clara and now lucia. o, malcom and collette were godparents and after the service we all came back here and had 'afternoon tea' in the garden. it was a lovely sunny day - after weeks of rain - and a good time was had by all

. . . and my ps: amidst all the excitement, harry potter no. 7 came out - stella, rich and the pies kindly included it in my birthday presents!! hoorah!! - and my flight to ireland was a kind present from jackie!! i think i should be 57 every year!!