Sunday 19 December 2010

A happy birthday

I thought Reidar wouldn't be able to do much about my birthday, so was prepared for the usual anticlimax, but the day before, while we were at the hospital for Reidar's chemo, my friend Annabel rang and said she was sorry she and Jørgen wouldn't be able to come the next day. She also asked how many would be coming. I gave a vague answer and began to wonder a little.
On my birthday Reidar went off early in a taxi, first to more chemo, then on to his daytime session at the hospice. I was eating breakfast when he rang to say he had the car-keys in his pocket, leaving me high and dry with no way of dashing about, doing my planned pre-Christmas errands. I rang a good friend and she drove me to Hamar to fetch the keys. In the afternoon I got a crypical text-message from May Sissel telling me to dress up in something nice, and to expect her at 18.30. After that there was a whirlwind of activity in the kitchen, and the guests began to arrive. Reidar had invited a whole crowd of friends and we were 16 people who spent a very happy evening with good food and drink. I got lots of presents, flowers and, as you can see, cakes. All this was planned in secret and I knew nothing until the day before. It was my first surprise party and I loved it!

Wednesday 8 December 2010

Family

This is Reidar and his family, taken on the occasion of his mother's 90th birthday. In the back row are Sigrid, Else, Dagfinn, Wendy and Margrethe.
Nanna wasn't too keen to be celebrated, but soon enjoyed being surrounded by her six children,
and various grandchildren and great-grandchilden. A few were missing, but the majority were there, and even a couple of dogs.
I wonder what my 90th will be like? I wonder what my 60th will be like?