Beware the ides of March!

Beware the ides of March!  That's me.  At least that's what I tell people when they ask me when my birthday is.  Some get the Shakespeare reference, or even the reference to Julius Caesar,  but not the date.  It is a date on the Roman calendar that corresponds to the 15 of March.  Now I usually lay low and don't announce my birthday, that way I don't have any sort of expectations that can be dashed.  In fact, I had set up visiting teaching appointments for that evening because it was the one day that would work to go out.  

I was doing well at hiding except for a couple of giveaways.  The first one was on Sunday when they announced the only birthday for the week was mine and handed me a card.  My visiting teaching companion, who happened to be sitting next to me, turned and gave me a dirty look and told me I was naughty.  ( I can't remember the last time someone used that term to describe me, if ever..) I had to talk like a mad woman to convince her there was no reason to change the appointments and it was a perfectly fine thing to do.  It's not like I have family close to celebrate with. The second was the fact that I forget that facebook sends notices to all of your friends to remind them that is your birthday and to say something nice. 

The celebrations, which I didn't expect at all, started on Monday. First off I got a notice from the reception that I had a parcel. One of my daughters, she was definitely naughty, had sent me a present that cost as much to ship and the gift itself!  Then my flatmate, who I surprised with a huge banner on her door the day before for her birthday, decided she needed to return in kind.  I was working on assignments in my room when she messaged me and said she was bored and wanted to go out.  We determined the place to go, like always, was Sprinkles and grabbed our other flatmate in crime.  The best of plans often go awry as did this one.  She had gone to the counter first so that she could set me up for a surprise.  However, the crew working that day made it all rather humorous.  First they brought me out the wrong order.  Then they brought out my other flatmates order, with a candle in it and the guy sets in front of her and starts to sing happy birthday.  She slides it across the table to me and I turn to the guilty party who insists it is for me, even though her birthday was yesterday.  The guy who brought it is now so confused he stops singing.... my flatmates finish it however, I blow out the candle, remove it from the ice cream and push the dish back to my flatmate that it belongs to.  We all laughed, except the server who was still very confused. 

Tuesday dawned a beautiful day.  My good friends who do way too much for me at is it picked me up at noon to take me to lunch.  I got in their car and they handed me a gift bag that had yummy smelling lotions and body soaps as well as two birthday cards and a box of cupcakes to share with my flatmates. I ran the goodies back up to my room, then they took me to Lyndhurst in the New Forest for lunch and dessert. (Scampi and chips with warm chocolate fudge cake with pouring cream)  My visiting teaching companion, after we finished our visits and were headed back on the bus, handed me a gift and card as well.  When I got home and knocked on my flatmates doors to give them a cupcake, the flatmate who got my candle in her ice cream handed me a bouquet of beautiful carnations!  Between all of that and the well wishers on facebook, and whatsapp, (including a voice message of singing happy birthday from my German daughter) the messages from my family, phone calls from two of my sons and my call from my brother who every year sings to me, I felt very loved and overwhelmed.  I did not expect that kind of fuss made over my birthday.  In fact I expected it to be a very normal day with at least my family remembering with messages.    

Thursday was more celebration.  I only see some of the people on my program this term on Thursdays.  My good friend and sidekick handed me a gift bag with a card and wished me a happy birthday.  She only knew because, well facebook told her. It was a fun bag full of music themed gifts. A mug, stationery, pen, pencil, and magnet.  I was again floored by the gift, it's thoughtfulness and extent.  And when in the midst of ugly assignment deadlines did she have time to go shopping?! She is a better friend than I Gunga Din.  That evening was the Relief Society Birthday dinner (not mine) and we had an English High Tea.  There were cucumber and salmon sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, hot chocolate and caro barley drink.  The china was gorgeous and the company fabulous.  

Beware the ides of March!   It might have been bad for Julius Caesar, but for me it was awesome! My heart if full of gratitude for the outpouring of love that was shown to me.  I cannot thank everyone enough for making it a very happy birthday. 


I have to share the pictures of the English tea, mainly because the chine was exquisite and the food was scrumptious! 

 clotted cream... ummm....

 homemade scones and jam

 true teaspoons. :)