Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, here I am, another year older and deeper in debt!! Not the debt bit thank goodness, but the year older is true. Yesterday was my birthday and mine began at midnight precisely!! Rob and I watched a movie and finally got to bed on Thursday night at about 11.15. Then we tossed and turned, hips ached and shoulders twinged. The dogs around us were disturbed by something and so we lay trying to get to sleep. I heard Rob's phone beep once or twice but by that time I was drifting off. Suddenly the peace was shattered by Rob serenading me as his mobile clicked over from Thursday to Friday! I think that's my very first midnight serenade! Dare I say I also hope that it's the last!!

The birthday girl! (Pics thanks to Rob)

Although it was really my turn to make the coffee (being an even number day), Rob brought me coffee in bed, and then the phone calls started! I felt like the Queen as I sat in bed chatting to family and friends and replying to text messages from afar. For me, the best part of my birthday is that it is my day alone, I am not sharing it with the whole country, no Valentine's hype, just me, me, me! It becomes an excuse to leave the housework, have a glass of wine with lunch, forget the washing and ironing and leave the leaves piled up on the veranda! (Most of those things are a daily thing with me, but there's no guilt on a birthday!)

'Gaatjie' restaurant in Paternoster

Anyway, after wonderful chats with all my loved ones and seeing my gorgeous granddaughter on skype, Rob took me out for lunch! We went to Paternoster to a tiny restaurant that is perched on the shore, a stone's throw from the sea and we had the entire place to ourselves! Even better!

Any closer and we'd be swimming!

It was one that was featured in 'Masterchef South Africa' where the contestants had to cook on the beach with the wind howling and the sand blowing into their eyes.

What a view.

Yesterday was warm and calm, the food was fantastic, and the wine was cold!

Snoek pate, pickle and bread baked in a jam tin.

Perfect! Roll on next year, at the rate time moves, it'll be here next week!

All pumped out!

On the way home we saw this windpump. Roughly translated, the clean version that is, it means that it has pumped itself to death!

What a way to go!