REMEMBERING

We sang 'Happy Birthday Grandpa', he would be 65 today, it's the 8th birthday we've remembered without him.

We went to A's birthday party today, it got me planning Alice's party as it will be at the same place. I came home and had a trial run at Alice's cake. I wasn't sure about the capacity of the shaped cake tin. When it was (eventually) cooked and Alice had gone to bed, I had another practice - icing it! Then I couldn't resist putting 3 candles down the middle and remembered Grandpa as I blew them out for him. The result of the cake test was fine, as usual the finer details are the bits that I need more practice at and I probably need to find a different way to do them.

Also remembering 25 years ago - was the day I started boarding school. That day is etched on my memory, most of all the devastation of being left there - I was well prepared for what was going to happen but I hadn't thought through actually being left there! We had a welcome tea with our tutor in the main dining hall, I remember Mum's horror when another parent (a famous rockstar's ex-wife) produced the embroidery silk and asked what it was for, Mum had spent many evening using the silk to embroider my initials on every piece of sports kit (and many more naming everything!) I can remember feeling very lost and following a girl from my form, she was tall and had blondish, curly hair - so she was easy to spot in a busy corridor!!