Happy 30th Birthday Cat

Yesterday was Cat’s 30th birthday; I can hardly believe that the lovely teenager we first met has become an accomplished, beautiful thirty year old woman. She spent the weekend with her Mum and Dad in Vienna and we will celebrate with her and Ally when we visit London in May. 

James and I had a pleasant chat with Jamie this morning (his evening) about our visit to New Zealand in October. Then I had a dentist appointment. It was a fine, sunny morning. As I left the house I could see Tom standing on the doorstep of our new neighbours’ house across the road, peering into their hallway through the open front door (they are getting work done in the house so there are workmen going in and out.) As I watched, Tom stepped delicately over the threshold and disappeared into the house. How nosy and cheeky he is! I know that he once sneaked into Suzy’s house and greeted her and the children, but then left in a hurry when he met Brian in the hall; Tom recognises a fellow Alpha Male when he sees one! 

Next, I saw Duke of Edinburgh group walking along Brownside Road. They were unmistakable with their huge backpacks and maps, obviously practising carrying the heavy backpacks and doing a bit of urban navigation. It made me feel quite nostalgic to see them, but so glad that I’m not responsible for pupils’ safety any more.

My dentist appointment was to get my new crown fitted. Unfortunately it didn’t fit despite the dentist chipping away at it for ages and forcing it into the gap between my other teeth about fifteen times. So he had to take another impression of my teeth in order to get a new crown made, and back in went the old temporary filling for now.

When I got home Tom greeted me at our front door and I noticed that the door across the street was now closed; I wonder if he was spotted prowling about inside the house and had to flee or if he exited quietly without being spotted.

I do enjoy cooking at leisure i.e. not in a rush, so I enjoyed pottering about making lasagnes (both meat and vegetable) in the afternoon for Gordon and Morag’s dinner. And I made extra ragout as well to freeze. We used the first of this year’s rhubarb to make a crumble, which turned out very well. We had a very pleasant evening and good chat with our guests. Tom was so friendly to them that he tried to climb onto the table and had to be ejected from the room temporarily!