21 today!

Did you know it was a tradition in the UK to give the "key of the door" to someone on their 21st birthday? In fact, it's more likely to be 18 these days, since the changed the age of majority - but it's the reason behind this new little meerkat:



He'd also make a great housewarming gift, especially for someone with their very first home!

available from folksy

Competition time once more!

Yet more finds from my "decorating tidy up"

I have a dozen birthday cards suitable for children (or the young at heart!) with no envelopes - but they'll all fit in "normal" A5 envelopes.



I think I must have bought a bumper pack and then gradually used the envelopes for other purposes - either that or they're hiding. Ideal for the busy mum whose child announces at Breakfast that his best friend's birthday is TODAY.

To enter - leave me a funny story about a birthday. Easy! I'll pick the winner next weekend.

To start you off - halfway through my 40th year I was moaning about how I didn't like being 40. Mr Nifty looked at me with his usual patient expression and announced that I was actually still 39. I'd lost count.

Happy Birthday to me - yesterday!

I'd had my pressie from Mr Nifty a while ago, the GPS so we could start geocaching. This card was from my oldest - isn't it perfect?



We drove to St Margaret's at Cliffe , near Dover. to find two geocaches. The first was near the lighthouse and is in memory of Yves Rossy who was the first person to fly solo across the Channel using a single jet-propelled wing - he landed right here!




We ate our picnic looking out to sea - it was too misty to see France, you need a clear day for that.




This is the view looking back - the lighthouse is midway on the horizon.


We then walked along the cliff and down to the sea briefly - saw a beekeeper colecting a swarm that was setting up home in the car park. I could have done with his protective gear last week!








Up again (149 steps!) to the next section of cliff to the War Memorial (visible on skyline in pic above) and on to the next cache.



The Memorial recognises the Dover Patrol's protection of the Channel during WW1. There is an identical memorial on the French Coast, and one in New York Harbour to commemorate the work of the US Navy in protecting the Channel.

Amazing what Geocaching can teach me!

Birthday in Brighton :-)

My two sons both live in lovely Brighton so we drove down on Thursday to have a birthday lunch on Friday. We stayed once more at Hudsons who do a great full English brekkie!

Then off to wander North Laine and a trip to the bead shop before lunch with OH, my boys and DiL.

We saw some great street art - though I suppose some would call it graffiti.

We went on the Galloping Horses after lunch, that was always my favourite ride when I was a child. Very tame for this generation, of course, so the boys kept doing bareback riding tricks - not to the amusement of the bored fairground guy.

We had another mission - to find a copy of the current Komedia(local venue) programme - my middle son's band A Scandal in Bohemia is on the front cover!

*proud mum glow*