MIL

Sorrel, my mother-in-law....doesn't DO the outdoors
She is pathologically terrified of birds.......
Which doesn't help on her visits here
She is much better suited to a nice coffee and some designer shopping
HOWEVER, she is doing a bit better with the wildlife here at Bwthyn-y-llan
Which includes a moment of closeness with American  turkey stag Bingley ( below)


Her country experience lasted 20 minutes
She has now gone to Chester with Chris for some retail therapy
and some clean pavements

I am making her a birthday tea later
Now where do I find 70 candles

66 comments:

  1. She is adorable! You can probably get by with fewer candles and just have her squint for the illusion of more...

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    1. I have decided against candles..... Instead I bought her a chocolate chicken

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    2. John, that's evil!!!

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  2. Oh, wishing Sorrel a happy birthday. You could always do one candle per decade. If you do light 70, make sure to disarm the smoke detectors.

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  3. She's doing great.
    But you must have a spare pair of wellies somewhere?

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  4. Retail therapy? What's that? So long since I had any that I am now feeling thoroughly deprived.

    70 candles? Use one big one - that's what I did for 80.

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  5. Anonymous10:35 am

    Wow. I hope I look like that at 70. Fashionably casual suits her. Hope she doesn't get any turkey poop on her outfit.

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    1. She will be tickled with that comment susie x

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  6. I hope you did a risk assessment on those candles :-O

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  7. If you want to be in her 'good books', you'd better just put 27 candles on that cake!

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    1. p.s. My daughter's third given name is Sorrell; but with two L's.

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  8. Happy birthday Sorrel - such a lovely name

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  9. Sorrel looks wonderful. On a lady's cake, one should put 10 less candles. Better yet, no candles, just draw a smiley face.

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  10. I LOVE the name Sorrel, and the colour. One candle will do the trick to wish upon, as I know you will not do 70. x Happy Birthday Sorrel.

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  11. Anonymous11:51 am

    Just stick one candle in the fancy icing and tell her she's as young as she feels.

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  12. so my sister was terrified of birds and had been all her life... everyone knew her as 'Maureen the woman who was terrified of birds'... until she went to therapy and her therapists told her that part of her phobia actually included the attention she got from people who made a fuss of 'Maureen the woman who was terrified of birds'... it was a hard thing for her to swallow but in the end she admitted it was true and her bird phobia has since been greatly reduced. Sometimes admitting we like the attention our issues give us is part way towards resolving those very issues... just worth a thought...

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    1. Over the years I have always taken sorrel over to the field.... It has desensitised her but its been a long job.....
      Good point though

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  13. Your Mum in law looks fab at 70. Hope you all have a lovely birthday tea later.
    Jo xx

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    1. I have made tiny sandwiches with the crusts cut off.... Cream scones, cream cakes..... Doilies, goat cheese tarts and lashings of hot tea
      X

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    2. One day, I hope that someone will love me enough to make sandwiches with the crusts cut off......

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  14. She looks a lovely lady, I hope she buys some wellies on her retail therapy expedition!!

    Either do one candle for every decade or go for 35 and stand the cake in front of a mirror :-)

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    1. I agree she never looks her age..... She's fitter than me by far

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  15. Candle light is flattering to any woman,so don't worry about the amount!
    Jane x

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  16. Anonymous12:38 pm

    she tried with your menagerie and for that I give her an A++...tell her HAPPY BIRTHDAY...she and I are now the same age!!! 70 candles and the birthday cake goes up in flames...dramatic but perhaps a little too much so for MIL Sorrel (love her name). perhaps I understand your Chris a little better now :)

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    1. Yes Theanne...it's wonder to have an interesting name.... Mind you I wouldn't kow

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  17. Happy birthday Sorrel. Is it me, or does the turkey look nervous at the thought of celebrations...in this cold he probably thinks it's Christmas...

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    1. He was nervous cos sorrel kept on screaming !

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  18. 70? For real? Not by that photo! I do love her name, btw. And if you can't find enough candles, just decorate the cake with some pretty feathers. I'm sure you find a few around. Perhaps in the kitchen sink?

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  19. Happy Birthday Sorrel, and what a great-looking 70! You have a nice MIL but I bet she loves you to bits too (minus the birds!) Love the chocolate chicken idea. Ha!

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  20. Happy birthday, Sorrell! On this side of the Pond, you can find candles in the shape of numbers. Buy one "7" and one "0" and bob's your uncle.

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  21. Hope I look as fit at 70! Beautiful name for a lovely lady. How about 1 scented candle on the table. How thoughtful you have been to MIL with such a beautiful yummy tea.

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  22. Sorrel is quite a fashionable woman!!! I hope Bingley was impressed with her outfit as I was - shes a young 70!

    and a chocolate chicken? John, you are so naughty! are you going to add little jelly bean eggs to spell out "70" then? Jelly bean eggs would make the chocolate chicken less frightening I think...

    Have a wonderful time celebrating!

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  23. Look how brave she is!! And Bingley is magnificent.

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  24. I'd like to add my name to the 'Happy B' list.
    Regarding her phobia, can't help wondering if she's ever tried to sit through a certain Hitchcock film. (You know the one.)

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  25. It's been a long time since I last saw Sorrel. Please do say hello and happy birthday!

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  26. Reminds me of the time I stayed at a farm in Cornwall. I was prepared to muck in with the farm routine but I wasn't very good at it. I was hopeless at milking the cows and equally hopeless at getting the goats to do anything they didn't want to do. It was all a very educational experience....

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  27. Wow, she really is a great looking 70! And I'll bet she's enjoying the visit with her boys! Happy Birthday to a lovely lady.

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  28. Too funny! She does look a little wary of that turkey. Hope she has a happy birthday!

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  29. It seems Sorrel and I share essentially the same birthday, and definitely the same age. I would use my cane to fend off Bingley. Happy Birthday, Sorrel. Jeans rule.

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  30. Ever since I saw the first picture of Sorrel some months ago I've thought she was a lovely woman. I'm closing in on 70 this year, and I'd love to have her face and body! She does look a little wary of Bingley, though. No wonder - he looks huge next to her!

    Happy Birthday, Sorrel - and don't take any crap from John!

    Nancy in Iowa

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  31. I suggest using a torch as the candle. It would be easier to 'blow out' by pushing the on/off button. And you could use it again later. What do you think?

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  32. Reckon, like me, your MIL has a bird phobia thanks to AH. After all your scrubbing and cleaning you must also be very relieved that MIL didn't step into a pile of turkey turd.

    Looks like she's having fun - hope she enjoyed the rest of her day too :)

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  33. what a beautiful lady she is..happy birthday!

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  34. Looks like you might have had to clean up after her when she left too.

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  35. Seventy candles is just cruel!

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  36. Chris has good genes then. Shopping in Chester - a girl after my own heart.

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  37. Goodness, 70 ? MIL looks fabulous and I love the name Sorrel.
    Happy Birthday !
    Let there be cake !

    cheers, parsnip

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  38. She puts me to shame and I'm nearly 16 years younger! That's it! I must get in shape! Thank you Sorrel, and Happy Birthday to you.

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  39. Sorrel doesn't look anywhere near seventy. In fact she looks stunning. Wish her a happy birthday from all of us.

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  40. Just a weee bit tentative with Bingley! Happy Birthday Sorrel! She needs to kiss a goat! Weeee! xoxoxo

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  41. Oh Sorrel! Did you ever think in your wildest dreams that you'd be face to face with a turkey! An American one at that! You are a sport, I must say.
    And, Happy Birthday to you.

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  42. Well the general consensus is .....Sorrel does not LOOK 70.......
    She's made up!

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  43. You're still funny! Got my blog going again. Still gotta work out the kinks, though. Mike and I are doing well. Lots of changes since the last I was up here. I'm excited to be back! Good to see old friends. Some I've kept up with on Facebook. I also keep up with Amy and Tracey. We've skyped and chatted and emailed. Look forward to catching up with you!

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  44. That is great news, John!
    Maybe your neighbors could help you out with candles? Or perhaps one would do?
    Happy Birthday to her!

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  45. Happy Birthday to Sorrel. She looks very stylish, and that was quite sporting of her to meet Bingley.

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  46. John, I kept thinking what a good bit of luck it was that the turk didn't decide to run directly to MIL to give her a bday peck! (the resulting MIL running, screamin, and possible tumble in muck would have been oh so bad)!

    Worse still would have been Chris coming in to find his mum getting a cleaning up from farm goo on the kitch drainboard roflmao (clorox bleach for everyone) :-)

    Last but not least, happy belated bday Sorrel!

    Issy

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  47. Such an elegant woman - goes beautifully with her name.

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  48. You ask where we are going on holiday John - we are spending a week in the splendid Blakeney Hotel on the
    Norfolk coast - top quality room and balcony looking out over the water. I can't get insurance to go abroad, but sure this is the next best thing.

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  49. She looks like quite the brave lady.

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