25 Things in 2025: Thing #6

[smallhobbit]

Facilitate family birthday celebration

It was J's birthday last Sunday.  Ideally he would have liked a family meal with us all together, but with one working shifts and booked for the weekend and the other working weeks, plus having wife and daughter, this wasn't going to work.  So instead the celebration was spread out.

We began by going to the launch party of the Elmore Chamber Music Festival.  Elmore is a village a few miles from us, and J enjoys chamber music, so when the launch party was the day before his birthday it seemed a good idea for a present, with the possibility of buying him tickets for some of the festival concerts at the same time.  It began with a piece by Haydn played by the Elmore Quartet, a chamber music quartet who J likes.  I'm not a fan of chamber music, nor of Haydn, so I let my mind wander.  He enjoyed it.

Elmore is one of those villages where you could easily imagine a cosy mystery being set, with the standard cast of characters.  I wonder if Miss Marple fancies going to the Music Festival?

I had also made a trifle and a birthday cake:

   


Sunday afternoon we were invited by Son to go to Tortworth Court for afternoon tea, which was lovely.  There were more sandwiches than it shows, but I forgot to take the photo at the beginning.



   

Then yesterday we met Daughter halfway between us and her and had lunch together.

Comments

[debriswoman]

Lovely…your baking and itinerary look wonderful. Nice stitching, too 😊

[smallhobbit]

Thank you - I rarely bake, but it was his birthday... And we did have a good time, even if Son only sorted things during the week!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

A spread-out birthday is nice. I like the desserts! And tea! I like the cross stitch, too. Lighthouses are always pretty.

[smallhobbit]

Yes - extends the celebrations. And more opportunity to eat as well :)

[adafrog]

:)

[smallhobbit]

Thank you.

[therealsnape]

The baking looks scrumptious, and such lovely activities! My (belated) congratulations to your husband.

[smallhobbit]

It's one of his favourite birthday cakes and after I'd made a trifle for Daughter at Christmas (which we had to take up to her!) I got the impression he'd like one too. And thank you.

[nagi_schwarz]

Sounds like a lovely birthday! Glad you were able to celebrate.

[smallhobbit]

It was - it all came together well in the end.

[tellshannon815]

That building reminds me weirdly of my old hall of residence at university (which was nowhere near Tortworth Court!) Sounds like you had a good time.

[smallhobbit]

It was built around 1850 in imitation of an earlier period, so probably typical of a number of buildings of its time. We did have a good time.

[apachefirecat]

It all looks wonderful, but that castle is AMAZING!! <3 Love the display/trolley of treats as well!

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much. It's an impressive building. And it was a proper afternoon tea :)