Thirty Years And Still Counting...

We had a lovely Anniversary Meal with the family last night, Bob's brother Frank [plus his wife Barbara and son Robin] gave us a fine feast in their lovely garden.

Frank was BBQ chef

The men spent much time discussing technology and motorbikes

Barbara produced a wonderful Almond Pavlova for dessert

Then she and I went inside to look at her superb new sewing machine [technology isn't just a bloke thing, after all!]

 

 

It is a Janome 6260QC Quilter's Companion.

 

Altogether a very nice piece of kit!

 

 

 

When we got home, we found a card with a lovely basket of flowers on the doorstep from friends, and another card on the doormat

 

I was surprised by how many cards we had received during the course of the day, and before bed I arranged them all along the mantelpiece.

 

 

 

Today a lovely VegBox arrived from Riverford Organics - our Anniversary gift from Liz and Steph. Such a brilliant idea

This is a picture from the website - because Bob unpacked the box and put things promptly into the fridge when it arrived. [Which was very thoughtful of him - some husbands would have just left it to their wives to sort] Our box had cabbage not leeks, and some nectarines - and in addition there was a wedge of fancy cheese, some chocolates, a bottle of apple'n'ginger drink for me and a bottle of interesting ale for him. What an intelligent gift - the same sort of price as flowers, but really enjoyable, and so healthy. Thanks girls!

Some friends [cannot work out if they are really kind, or just that they need new glasses - I'll give them the benefit of the doubt...] have said I do not look my age, Steph says my hair looks better now than it did on my wedding day, and Frances asked for my beauty secret. Frances, I don't have any secrets regarding beauty[except hair dye - click here]

It certainly isn't eight hours of sleep a night, and it isn't expensive cosmetics, and it isn't a life free of stress. I'd like to say that being married to Bob for 30 years has kept me young - but I am concerned that the reverse is possibly not true - what little hair he has left turned grey before he was 30.

I have never smoked. I drink hardly any alcohol. But I honestly do very little exercise [other than putting out chairs for church functions, and climbing on and off the pillion of a very large, powerful motorbike] however I do race to meet deadlines, stretch my budget, throw my weight around, and jump for joy a lot.

I suspect that if I ever did work my way down to the bottom of The Great Stash in the loft, underneath all that fabric, I might possibly find a Dorian Gray type picture!!!

As far as I can see, the best facial workout involves laughing and smiling a lot - and when you are secure in the knowledge that God loves you, and Jesus is your Saviour, and His Spirit is with you, then it isn't too hard to maintain 'a cheerful countenance'

That reminds me of the great Baptist UHU Hymn, which refers to grey hair.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
He will not, He will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
He’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Now I must go and cook some of those lovely veg for tea.