Well, there was something of a gap in between....

I did fall into a bad hole... and periodically I drift back into it... but in the main, I'm able to drag myself out of it...

We've had doses of the flu, helping Mama come to terms with living without Papa - and she's being so brave, dentists up the wazoo, doctors up the wazoo, all of that... and our colder-than-usual winter scuppered any vague inclination I had of exercising in the pool...

And my bestie, Barb, and I seem to have both had a run of stuff that's just sent us to ground in a big way... not at all conducive to resurrecting a more "normal" life... whatever that is...

But I have had to kickstart my energy with an afterburner... at Papa's funeral, one of my cousins suggested that we simply must have a party for Mama for her 90th birthday... which is on 6th October.  At first, she had a list of 130 people, at which point I had to raise some flags - particularly about which rafter we would seat them on if it happened to rain that day... she has pared that back to 110, and I am praying that our erstwhile friends and family will have such rich and fruitful lives that they won't be able to join us...  If that cousin turns up, and I find her sitting on a chair chatting, she may well have a full tray shoved gently into her hands :)

With some six weeks left to go, my head is now full of recipes, numbers, chairs, decorations, table centrepieces, balloons, cups, and all the associated other paraphernalia required for a celebration of such enormity.  My sister is going to help with the cooking - but she works full time and has four children, and lives west of Ipswich, so her help is going to be limited.

My dear friend from Singapore, Francyn Tan, gave us both a wonderful surprise recently - she has painted a picture of our Tiger from a photograph.  It's the most beautiful thing - and Ray said so - which is saying something for him!  It shall take pride of place in our home, once it arrives.

So dear friends, I shall blog on, inspired by Michelle, who has also started to reblog (there's a new word for you).  I shall return every now and again, and shall post pics of party stuff...

much love
Annie xx