Here I am again this is the continuation from yesterday!

Part II

Right where was I? Oh yes Fiona's 50th. As I wrote Fiona thought that it was going to be dinner for them four, with Paul Caitlin and Shaun on 3rd;there was another party on her actual birthday the 4th! She had no idea of the other guests who had congregated in town. Only in the afternoon after Nancy & Jim had arrived together with Sue and Alistair that morning, had gone for a walkabout in the afternoon ( they were not going to sit in their hotel room) and Nancy was trying on a blouse while Jim kept guard when all of a sudden he spotted Fiona at the same time as she spotted him. Fiona being Fiona did a double take gave her Dad a little wave and sauntered off. That evening they had a good laugh about it; and Fiona admitted she mentally enlarged the dinner to 6. But what a surprise when she entered the private room at Loch Fynne (the restaurant) and saw all the other guest. There were balloon a ginormous pink 50, champagne ready for pouring a black board decorated appropriately by John and Siena (Darra's daughter) and all of us signing Happy Birthday. Fiona looked lovely in her black top with 3 rows of pearlized buttons round her neckline and cuff. And me without my camera, I had been too cold that to remember it!!! A shame because we were all in our best finery. We had a wonderful time and meal lots of wine to drink for those who could and Fiona had some great presents including a diamond pendant to which we had all contributed and is on order. Well if you don't have diamond by the time you are 50 when then?

After this birthday it was John's on the 8th of Jan, a Thursday. We intended to go out for a special meal that evening at a super restaurant Kinghams in Shere. By special request. But unfortunately John had a very important meeting in Brighton, lunch with someone he was anxious to see, and I had to go along as a witness.

This meant the Jellies as well. We were due at 12 o'clock at a Manor near Brighton and left at 10 am which didn't give us much time for a walk and anyway it was fiercely cold so it was once around a picnic area at the bottom of the South Downs. We decided that two big meals on the same day was too much so we decided to postpone it all for a day to Friday. He had his cards which I had saved, and his presents some nice glasses to replace our chipped collection and another DVD series: Band of Brothers. Its quite a series which we had not seen and its very good, only after all that war, fighting and soldiers who all looked alike to me we decided to give it a bit of a rest. By as a contrast I got the Rosamund Pilchard series much more my style that John's. We now take turn and turn about. And all this time it was bitterly cold well below zer0. this was taken on Sunday 11th when we were envelopped in a freezing fog all day. But we went out specially to take some photos like this cobweb there were masses of them about, really spectacular. Unfortunately I find the cold really doesn't help my sciatic nerve and I was in too much pain to walk further and take many pix.

And then Monday 12th a very special day: "Beanie as she still is to me" was 1 year old and we had been summons to a family party at the Piper Building. There were at least 6 from Rita's side of the family and only me from Micko's side, as John elected to stay at home with Jellies; he had too much to do from his Thursday meeting. So I went on my own and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The Birthday Girl looked so lovely in this gorgeous dress; French of course, Giovanna had bought it in Paris no less. When I arrived she was sitting eating her lunch with most of the females fluttering around . She got masses of presents from all over the world, a lot of clothes, in fact that girl could change clothes at least 3 x a day and not wear the same thing for a month! But she got lots of children books which her parents will read to her; and best of all lots of toys. Her favourite was a giant lego box. She loves taking things out and putting them back.

Here is one of her favourite men in her life who can't do enough for her!

She is definitely begining to walk and was given a wonderful stroller for Christmas with lights, tunes and even a telephone on it! Here she is going up and down the corridor with her Grandfather cheering her on.