My Year As A Fifty Year Old

Today I am Fifty One.
Here is a look at this momentous year

That is an awful lot of candles, Thea has never seen so many in one place. I had a lovely surprise birthday supper with my friends and a freezing cold walk along the beach with Poppy.
 
and this stack of boxes from my Mum and Dad which revolutionised the way I am able to compute.

I had my real birthday celebration in March when we took a coach load of lots my friends on a mystery tour which included a Five Rhythms Dance Session, fun and games at the Druids Stone Circle in Cumbria followed by a wonderful meal at the Watermill

This was the most fantastic cake! Thank you Caroline, one of the best cooks I know.
I am enjoying reviewing my year!
The Knitting Group has been a wonderful thing for me and this year we added extra sessions on the occasional Satuurday, here is the first at my house

We have knitted some strange things. Hats for drinks?

The Hexham Wave for Knit a River

This is the latest, a blanket for Nancy, the newest Knitting Baby, after Angus and Cala and George.

My 50th year was the one when I lost two of my children to adulthood, an inevitable next step, but a tricky one for me nevertheless. I went to visit Martha in Bristol a couple of times.

Here she is freezing on the Clifton Suspension Bridge, that 'must see' tourist attraction for all visitors to Bristol, regardless of the weather.
John phoned me from South Africa to sing 'Happy Birthday' on the 27th Jan last year. In July, we went to see him. The bit where I got to hug him again after nearly a year was more exciting than the elephants and whales!

So here are my oldest two children at the extremes of cold and heat.

It's been a good year with a great workshop in Whitstable with Ali learning how to make strange papier mache people with Julie Arkell

a trip to Foolfest and the Knitting and Stitching Show for essential supplies!
I ran a workshop of my own for the Garden Station which was very interesting and not a bit like the usual teaching I do at work. None of them were pregnant for a start!

Oh - this is all a bit overwhelming - I've spent the last hour looking at photos from the past year. So rather than try and link them all together in some sort of order, here are a few of my favourites, a random selection of my fiftieth year.

Mum and Dad on their way home

Poppy enjoying the woods

This was half an hour before John shaved the beard off. Why?

My lovely sunny shed. This is before the great curtains and shelf. I'll have to take an update.

Cala yesterday.

Thank you if you are still reading. This has been a very indulgent post. I wrote it yesterday and asked Typepad to post it on my birthday. So at the moment I am on a freezing cold beach with Poppy, Geoff and Owen, enjoying my 51st birthday!

Comments

[Annie]

The sky is blue and the coast will be fabulous on such a crisp day. Enjoy every minute of your birthday celebration and mark the start of another wonderful year!

love, A x

[Sheila]

I hope you have a wonderful day, and how exciting with those large boxes..!!
Happy Birthday from France.
Love Sheila

[martha]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
I will ring you in a short while,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU X X X X x x x x x x x x X X X X X x x x x x x X X X X x x x x x x x x x X X X x x x x x

[islaygirl]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATIE!!!!!!

These pictures show such a lovely, blessed life (what wonderful progeny you've raised!).

Wishing you a wonderful celebratory day.

xo

[Zoe]

A very Happy Birthday from all of us in Norfolk.

Zoe, Michele, Wendy & Lucy xxxx

[melissa]

happy, happy birthday! I love these pitures, you live a wonderful life for sure.
xx melissa

[Alan Wright]

Happy birthday sis.

Thanks for the knitted square and have a super year before your next birthday x

[carolyn]

Happy Happy Birthday Katie, and thanks so much for sharing your year with us. I'm already looking forward to next years roundup.

[katie]

Thank you to everyone - I have had an excellent day for my 51st birthday! and feel very blessed to have you wonderful people as my blog friends!
Love to you all

[littlejennywren]

I'm a bit late but Happy Birthday. I enjoyed your review of your year of being 50. Doesn't look so scary after all.

[Sal]

Happy Birthday! I love your shed!

[wendy]

Sorry it is late but a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY. We were out celebrating my mother in laws birthday that day. Wonderful post from a wonderful lady.

[Sarah]

Hope you had a very happy birthday and that the next year is as great as the last.

[Alison]

Hope you had a great day.
Happy Birthday.
Alison

[Wendy]

A bit late, but happy birthday, happy year. It was lovely spending the year with you in your post. I enjoy your blog.