70th Birthday Post

This post is about me recording my thoughts, events and photos regarding my 70th Birthday, and as it was last weekend, 28th July,  I hope I haven't forgotten too many details. Since then apart from all the everyday things, I've done the Community Garden newsletter and we have been to my High School reunion at Coffs Harbour, getting back this morning.  I will have to think hard to get back to last weekend.

 I've never bothered much with my birthday, though I have given Barry some nice celebrations, a trip to Tasmania for his 60th, and a party for about 100 at the Church Hall for his 70th spring to mind, but I don't believe I ever had a party as a child, and mostly had a meal out to mark the occasion.  And this year I even teed up some friends who were available on the day and was trying to decide where to go for lunch on the day. Two close women friends in Casino gave me beautiful gifts the weekend before, even though I didn't expect gifts.

My sister Lois, whom I am very fond of and see a couple of times a year when we get to Brisbane, approached me about her and partner, and two brothers and their wife/partner coming over for my birthday weekend, but I didn't go along with the idea. Even though we would have all gone out for a main evening meal and they would have stayed at a motel, I usually look round when people are coming and see a lot that needs doing, all the extra housework, baking for cuppas, lunch, breakfast the next morning, and I felt awfully tired at the thought of it.  Hopefully we will have a get-together before the end of the year.  They didn't offer to have it at their places, mainly because I live about halfway between Brisbane and Dorrigo, and then the Dorrigo ones didn't even send a card.....LOL   I love visitors, don't get me wrong, but this idea didn't feel like a big celebration for my birthday.

So I thought something more than a lunch out, nice though it would have been, was called for and hit on the idea of asking my daughter if they had anything on that weekend, and would it suit for us to come down to Lawson.  She said yes, and even rang back a little later to ask if we would like to come a day earlier to attend the Timber and Woodworking Expo at the Olympic site in Sydney on Friday 26th, and later that her daughters Laura and Beth and their men were all set to come over as well.  A very close friend of Laura is counted as a daughter too, and Cara and new hubby were coming, in fact I heard that the hubby Simon wanted to meet Grandma.  Isn't that just so nice.

I already had my main birthday gift, a digital piano, which I love to hear Barry play  by ear most mornings, and which I try to play reading the music (and don't give enough time to, to become proficient).
 

We planned on taking the train and use our free trips, but the times didn't suit, and a sleeper would have been $440 extra, and even then the times didn't suit.  Barry won't fly so we  drove down.  Fuel has gone up lately with our falling dollar, and our RV is heavy on fuel so that came to about $370 but we don't regret a cent of it.

We left home about 12.15pm on the Wednesday as we had to pack the van that morning, concert the day before etc.. We stopped in Grafton and encountered the first 'hands that handled money in cup" incident at Michelle's... pulling the paper cups apart from the top rather than underneath  when we ordered coffee.  When I see someone do that I cancel the coffee order. Daughter Catherine who was one of the food inspectors at the Sydney Olympic games says I should report them.  At least McDonalds have the cups stored so that they can only be handled from the bottom of the cups!

I also acquired a silver bracelet.

We free camped at The Rock at Tea Gardens that night.  Next morning we phoned a sister-in-law of Barry's at Gorokan near Toukley,  thinking we should take the opportunity to call in on her, but she was going out, so when we came to Morrisett we called in unannounced on a friend of Barry's who is an entertainer, at Aunt Mollys Bakehouse (she used to run the whole business but now leases out the restaurant side of it).   They were having Christmas in July, starting about 10 minutes later, in fact they had one most days in July, and she invited us to stay for the roast Christmas dinner and plum pud and her entertainment,  and jolly good it was too.  Then she put us on her e-tag to save time to go on the M7 on the way to our destination, and the return trip too, as we have never bothered now that we can't just pay cash at the toll booths. So that was a very pleasant extra birthday bonus that we would not have experienced if the sis-in-law had been available!

After all that we got to Lawson at about 4.30pm just before Catherine and Beth returned.  Catherine came in with a bunch of Australian wildflowers and said Happy Birthday, and it was Happy Birthday all the way, beautiful people with joyful demeanours, beautiful home,  extraordinary meals by Chef Gary who plied us with gourmet bacon, eggs and extras, for breakfast, restaurant plus main meals and so much more!

So Friday we went to the Timber Expo, along with Catherine's friend Jan from a few suburbs away, and they kept on meeting up with fellow members of their Woodturning Group even though there was a huge crowd there, mostly older men and teenage schoolboy groups.  There were a lot of stalls with expensive tools, and the main part for me, the gallery of outstanding items, boats, furniture, even a handmade guitar or two.

Catherine and Jan bought tools for their woodturning, and Barry and I only bought a couple of past issues of woodturning magazines at four for $10 rather than the original price of $9.50 each.   The amazing thing was that we accidentally left the page of one open, when called for lunch, of a page featuring the Blue Mountains Woodturners Club and a pic of friend Jan with three trembleurs that Jan had made, the longest 2165mm, a bit of a record apparently, as they are made from one piece of wood with extreme patience as it is very fine lathe work. And we didn't even notice until Catherine saw it.    I found a pic of Jan's trembleurs on google.

Jan Pennell's Trembleurs

Catherine's woodturning

Saturday we went on the train to Penrith to see Barry's son. Nuff said as he does not have a happy life.  We got back about 3pm and by then Gary and Catherine had most of the preparations for the Sunday birthday feast for ten people done. 

I did look around in Penrith at some watches as mine was on its last legs but did not buy and decided to return to the shop on the Monday morning. I usually only purchase a very cheap one and use it until its demise.  I did not notice but saw later that mine stopped at 3pm and the winder had fallen off. Actually I did not notice until the next morning.

Next day was Sunday and my birthday.  Catherine had a swag of gifts, and said leave that one til last..... it was a beautiful new watch, and not one of the cheap variety I usually buy for myself, and she had bought it the previous Thursday!

Gifts photographed on dining table back home.
Laura and Beth gave me cute gardening gifts; Beth the friendly ant and little bugs, and Laura the Welcome Plaque and Wall plague "All things grow with Love". I made up a garden to go with the Welcome plaque,

and it looked much better after I watered it.  Below Barry took this pic, see how it is much brighter than my photos...... you know what I am hanging out for next!

My birthday Lunch was a real feast with roast chickens, beautiful ham off the bone,  coleslaw, potato salad and green salad and more.  Cara brought along a gorgeous cake from the cheesecake shop, and Catherine made me a very tasty birthday cake with ginger and orange, my favourites. (Catherine remembered, I did not mention it.)

 

After lunch we all played Pictionary. Now Barry is good at drawing, and I admit to being useless, but the big problem was we just seemed to freeze, where were our brains?  All the others were great at it, especially the younger generation, who had their pic done and solved in the All Play before we even put pencil to paper.  Barry was heard to mutter "Before this I thought Scrabble was the worst game".

We left early on the Monday morning and the traffic was fine, no traffic jams at all. We did visit the sister-in-law. She is having difficulty walking these days.  We stopped for coffee at KFC near Hexham and another 'hands in cups' incident and I asked for my money back as I had already paid.

We free camped at Macksville on Monday night then went back across the river for a cuppa on the riverbank before continuing north before sunup.  They have made a lovely picturesque setting for their town. We got home to find our chooks very happy after Keith and Heather calling in on them, and we were very happy with the whole experience.

End of story and more pics, taken by Barry.

with Laura

We didn't find out why Jared climbed the tree!

Gary Catherine me Cara

Catherine Beth Barry Jared Andrew.... Laura must have taken this one, where were Cara and Simon?

 

Simon and Cara pic FB

 Laura and Jared

Beth and Andrew pic FB

Thank you for reading, and for being part of my memorable 70th Birthday.
Much love, xxxxxxx

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As the comments section is closed, responses by email, facebook or phone etc copied here:

Catherine

Early next morning I received a lovely phone call from Catherine, very pleased with, and touched by, the post, and that I had remembered the details.  

Beth

Hi Grandma, I just read the blog post, I am so glad you enjoyed the weekend. I wanted to post a comment on the blog but I couldn't find a comments section. I was just going to write that the ant looks great with the flowers!! and I love the group photo of you, me, Laura and Mum.


Heather

Enjoyed blog. Almost like being there - so glad you had a great birthday trip. XX

Peta

Wow, what a great time you had! Great blog! X x

Jan Pennell to Catherine
Hi there. Well what a treat to get a mention like that. She sure writes a good story and seems like everyone enjoyed that birthday.  I enjoyed reading about it.  Thanks heaps for sending it on.
Regards,  Jan

Sharon, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Loved your birthday post. Most likely one of the most wonderful things I have ever read and I am so happy for what sounds like a most wonderful and interesting birthday. Love to hear more about the silver bracelet.

My Niece Jeanelle
Thank you - I enjoyed the blog very much!  xx


Deanna, Virginia, USA 
Jan, that is really nice. Really enjoyed it.

Lynn by phone
Great write-up, and I should write books.... 

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