The Best Birthday Ever

I'm not really sure where to begin but I had the best birthday surprise ever. I went to bed at midnight on Saturday (three days before my birthday) dosed with Beecham's powders, cuddling a bottle of oil of cloves and nursing a bad toothache...I'm sure I can see a root canal in my near future. 'A' was downstairs marking maths papers which I thought a bit of a strange occupation for a Saturday evening.....Sunday...yes, but not Saturday.

I eventually dozed off, only to be woken up at 3am by H jumping on the bed.....she'd caught the 1am coach from London to pay me a surprise visit, in-between essay writing. 'A' had been waiting to pick her up. It was the best birthday present I could ever have......... I've missed her so much the last few weeks but it's her final year and she's really busy.

After a middle of the night catch-up and then back to bed, I woke next morning minus toothache to be greeted by H's homemade birthday cake with one diplomatic candle. A Nigella recipe appropriately customised, and a massive box on the kitchen table.....ooh......

I couldn't believe my eyes. I had vaguely mentioned wanting one of those digital radio's for Christmas.... you know the retro ones that look like they come from a 1940's or 50's kitchen.

I'm all for music piped into your ears and have the appropriate equipment as well as the sterio's and hifi's but sometimes I want music in the air, in the garden and not just in my ears. I just have this old school love of radio's.

I saw the most amazing radio a few weeks ago on one of my favourite blogs A Beautiful Mess which you can link to here. It was an Orla Kiely top of the range digital radio but it was designed to look vintage and it was the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time..all wood and painted leather in amazing 40's colours...even the label is made from cream leather. I wanted to post an image here but all the ones I could find were copyright so I just forgot about it...that was until my birthday morning....

I must have done something good because I hadn't mentioned it to anyone...not a soul...but H and 'A' had bought me the exact same radio...the one I was in love with....I couldn't believe it. It really is beautiful...H chose the exact one....

...then perfume and lipstick arrived from my lovely sister-in-law

and a cool handmade wooden porridge stirrer from one of my sisters. Also known as a 'Spurtle' or 'Theevil' complete with instructions on how to make porridge without summoning the devil...useful....

..don't want that to happen...