Birthday Old Bat

My bro in Paignton sent a lovely card and personalised bottle of Prosecco which I shall down soon. A card arrived from Madeleine, very kind, and last night Evon and Kate took me to the musical theatre night at Brasserie Toulouse Lautrec, featuring the Pink Champagne Sisters. Evon gave me a box of pink champagne truffles too. We had an excellent dinner, and right in the middle of sketching came the announcement that there was a 'very special birthday' and happy birthday was sung by one and all to one's deep embarrassment. Sweet of them. We staggered back, and they relieved me of some of my spare canvases, but plenty left for David who took a few home earlier. Evon gave me a fifties type of retro card, very good, and Kate had drawn me lugging the door I had found along Gaywood Street. This morning I opened presents from Saffron: a very cute brooch with dangling swallows and crystals, and a fabulous bag from Nibby. This had been purchased for me from the maker, Saffron, part of her Freddy and Violet brand. It is super soft brown leather, oblong shaped and with a zipped compartment inside. It is on a gilt chain and has a snap at the front. She has pinned a very pretty vintage leaf gilt brooch to the front. This will be incredibly handy since it will easily hold my sketching stuff including an A4 sketch book and looks extremely stylish. Such a clever niece and generous sister! This morning (my actual birthday) had breakfast at Mamuska, who have invited me to their private Christmas party at the end of the week. As I arrived back the doorbell rang and Rupert and Anne-Marie stood on the doorstop with an enormous bunch of flowers and a card. They had planned to stay and take me out for breakfast but had to rush off as Rupert had a call-out. The flowers were lovely green, pink tinged hydrangeas and pale, mauvy pink long stemmed roses. Gorgeous. I have been spoiled this year. Later Dorothy is coming around and we will go to dinner at Toulouse Lautrec, and look in on the jam session later.