Happy Birthday To Us!

Ahem...(clears throat in preparation for raucous singing)...

'Happy Birthday to Us,

Happy Birthday to Us,

Happy Birthday dear Me and Olly, and Olly's friend who is 60 today, and Heather's Boss Mike who is 41, and the Daughter-in-Law of Elke,my pen pal in Germannnnneeeeeeeeee!!!

Happy Birthday to Us!'

Andy was up until 2 this morning, making this marvellous edifice of chocolate glory...

I think I need to enter him for next year's Great British Bake-Off!

 

I have received some lovely presents. Lots of arty-crafty, reading, chocolatey stuff.

And now we are preparing for a super-duper proper British afternoon tea. Eggs for egg mayo have been boiled, an orange marmalade roast ham is, from a vegetarian point of view, contaminating the oven, but then I am not a veggie who insists on guests being veggie, too.

Yesterday I made mini-scones for cream tea purposes, and butterfly cakes. I bought stuff for posh sandwiches and wraps, I bought posh crisps and various pastry-based nibbles and salady stuff to counter-balance the fat content. I bought mini-meringues. I should have asked my Mum to make them because she is Queen of Meringue Making, but I thought she might not need reminding she has a 48 year old daughter who is a grandmother, which makes her a great-grandmother, but then making some meringues may have a distracted her from this fact.

I am just about to make some vol-au-vents. Yesterday, I suddenly thought, 'I haven't had a vol-au-vent since 1978. Darn it, I shall make some!!' I also made some little food-identification flags for the sandwiches and crisps so I don't have to stand by the table going, 'They are tuna mayo, they are cucumber, those crisps are Best Tangy Cheddar Cheese and those are Balsamic Vinegar and Sea Salt,' because, let's face it, when you have debagged and bowled three varieties of crisps, they all look the same. I made the flags from cocktail sticks and post-it notes, which at 10 last night seemed a stroke of genius, but in the cold light of day look like post-it notes wrapped around cocktail sticks so I may need a re-think.

Andy has hoovered all surfaces. I am trying to encourage all cats to have their daily poo NOW. Flora Bijou Mybug has obliged, but I suspect Phoebe and Tybalt will save theirs for three minutes exactly after the first guest arrives and has tucked into a sausage on a stick. That's the only trouble with having house cats - they do feel the need to share.

I am marginally disappointed by the weather. I can remember only one birthday when it has rained. Currently it is not raining, but the sky is grey and I think the sun is off on holiday. But it is not cold. So it is mostly okay.

And that's about it for BlogLand today. Things to do, people to see, baking to attend to, books to read. If you are in the vicinity, drop by for a spot o'cake. This evening will be fish and chips and Strictly Come Dancing.

Marvellous!