Today is my birthday. A lockdown birthday. I had no expectations. And I wasn't really feeling in the birthday mood to tell you the truth. But a couple of lovely things have happened. I was pottering in the garden, hanging out the washing. I was doing something down the side way when a red car stopped outside the house. I didn't recognise it. And somebody rang the doorbell so I went round to see who it was. It was a lady. I didn't know her. And I said hello. And she said there are some flowers for you, my love. When I looked there was an absolutely beautiful bouquet of flowers from my dear friend and her partner. And in spite of all she's going through at the moment she still found time to arrange this delivery. She and her partner are supposed to be coming round later to sit in the garden and have some birthday cake. But the weather isn't really good enough. I don't want her to get cold.
Trust me the photo really doesn't do them justice. So that was lovely.
And then later in the morning there was another ring at the door. When I went to answer it there was a gift bag on the front doormat and a lady retreating to the gate. Again I didn't recognise her although I had a vague feeling that I had seen her before. She said the bag was for me and I had to read the label and that would explain everything. All kinds of thoughts are going through my head. I wondered if it was some kind of present delivery service for the lockdown/pandemic. But I was really worried it was somebody I should've known. I really couldn't think who. When I read the label it said "thank you for being a friend". That left me even more bewildered. Because I've been in lockdown. I don't think I've been a friend to anyone for the last couple of months at least! I was still puzzling over it and I felt really bad because the poor girl that delivered it just went with me barely saying a word to her. I read it and read it and then it hit me. Thank you for being a friend, it's the theme to the Golden Girls TV show. Then I knew exactly who had sent it to me. It was my dear, dear friend who emigrated to Gran Canaria. Made me cry. When he lived here we used to spend every Friday night watching the Golden Girls on TV, back in the late eighties! At that point he lived just over the road. But what was in the bag, I hear you ask? Well, chocolate! Lots of it! And strawberries as well! Two whole punnets! My favourite things.
It feels quite strange. It feels very much like a Saturday afternoon. But not quite so much like a birthday. I think that's partly down to the lockdown and circumstance and mood. I had some other cards and presents. My old boss dropped a card off. My sister sent me some facemasks. My brother sent me an e card where he'd taken a photograph of me and superimposed it on a mountain of books. Very appropriate. I don't like to put photographs of myself on here otherwise I'd post it for you to have a look at. My friend from Devon has sent me the new Hilary Mantel book. I've actually had it here a few weeks because she sent it in jolly good time so that I didn't have to worry about sanitising it. An old school friend has given me a beautiful journal. She knows how much I love notebooks and stationery and I can't wait to start writing in this one. A former colleague dropped a plant off. And I've had a couple of cards from other family and friends. So it's not been a completely barren birthday by any means.
And while I was writing this there was a ring at the door, another one, and it was my friends who turned up with a cake and a candle. Because it wasn't pleasant to sit outside in the garden, they sat in the porch and I sat in my hall and I had happy birthday sung to me which I think is probably a first! And in the midst of that my cousin rang too which was kind. So this lockdown birthday has been and nearly gone. And I can't help but wonder what the situation will be this time next year............
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