Birthday Festivities

We had quite a busy day on Saturday.  We went to Bishops' House for the morning, and were visited by the grand total of four people.  Unfortunately, we had to close at 1 because there were no volunteers for the afternoon.  The Builder and I might have been persuaded to stay on, but we had other plans that couldn't easily be changed at short notice.

After Bishops' House we went to Waitrose so I could use a £6 voucher that was about to expire. And then we went to visit Joan in her new care home, much more conveniently located in Walkley. We didn't ever get to visit her in the home she had moved into on the other side of Sheffield, partly because she wasn't there very long (it wasn't entirely suitable for her needs) and partly because there wasn't a convenient time to drive out there.  She didn't know who we were - we were two amiable visitors who arrived bearing festive chocolate cakes. But that was OK.  We knew who she was.  One of the lovely attendants made us a cup of tea each and brought a plate of biscuits so we had a lovely afternoon tea with her and then made our way home again.

Sunday was my birthday and we spent it fairly quietly.  I received lots of birthday cards, many, many Facebook messages, a teabag and a poem :-)  (The teabag came in a birthday card from Yorkshire Tea, the poem was written and framed by Freyja). I also received a book and some Amazon money, which I have spent on a terracotta pizza stone.  And The Builder and I went to The Nettle for a celebratory lunch.  I had a truly lovely starter of pheasant, bacon and pea puree, followed by turkey and beef and all the usual Sunday accompaniments, followed by ice cream.  The Builder managed a proper dessert but I think anything more weighty than ice cream would have defeated me!

I had Monday off work and we headed out to Chatsworth to the Farm Shop for a few bits and pieces. We had thought we might have lunch in the local pub, but we were there way too early for lunch.  So we ambled about for a bit, calling in to the Garden Centre on our way past, and then into the supermarket.  We were pondering whether to go to one of our local pubs for lunch, but then I thought that I had bought a nice piece of lamb shoulder in the Farm Shop and we might as well have that.  So we had a lovely Sunday-Lunch-on-a-Monday at home instead.

I didn't go to my Japanese class last evening.  Partly I  was a bit tired after all the birthday celebrating.  But mostly because the idea of spending an evening playing games, singing songs and watching anime in celebration of the last class before Christmas did not in anyway fill my heart with joy. I went home and roasted a chicken instead :-)