Saturday 25 July 2009

The Birthday Party!

After we got home, John took a nap, I trawled through papers and pictures and others set about creating the birthday feast: kebabs and roast potatoes were the main items, with lots of munchy stuff on the side. I didn't know where I was going to find room for more food, but you know what? I managed just fine.

As excited as Elizabeth was about the 4th of July, I was about 10 times more excited for John to open the gifts we'd brought. We'd thought long and hard about what to buy an 84 year old man we'd never met, with not very many ideas. It was Bill who spotted the miner's lamp at Beamish and later went back to purchase one.

About a week before we were due to leave, inspired by Sharon mentioning a similar project she'd done for another of her family members, I decided to try doing a family history book. Bill says he hardly saw or spoke to me for that week, I was so absorbed in pulling it together. Sharon kindly proofed it and I added pictures from her and from Frank in Scotland (I mean, if you have a picture of a relative in a kilt, you just have to put it in, right?).

After shopping for the just right binder with no luck, Bill pulled one out of his cupboard that was just what I wanted, except that it was black. So, at about the last minute, I made a simple book cover. I included a CD in the back pocket

with an electronic copy of the book's contents for any other family members who were interested. John seemed to like it a lot and I was well pleased with his response.

And then we had the piece de resistance: flag cake. There was a wonderful cake underneath, but with all that luscious whipped cream, and the beautiful strawberries and blueberries, who cares?

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