Birthday Gifts

My latest hen

On Thursday as I was clearing away some paperwork and old post, I came across the pile of my birthday cards from June.
Given the circumstances here I just filed them rather than put them on show, so I was rather pleasantly surprised to find 50£ in cash, a book token and a set of garden vouchers tucked inside the largest of the cards, ( presumably for safely)
Bluebell and I went shopping in a sunny, sunny Llandudno this afternoon.
Instead of doing the sensible thing and saving the money towards William's vets bill, I suddenly became a frivolous bitch and bought a limited edition print of a chicken from The Mostyn Gallery, the new Sally Field autobiography and a special offer box set of Bette Davis DVDs.
How gay was that basket?
The salesperson who sold me the print was a camp little chap in spray on jeans 
" Do you like Chickens?" he lisped ironically as he bubble wrapped the picture
( for those that don't know " chicken" is gay slang for a very young gay man)
" Only the feathered ones!" I said , playing along with the game
"Too right!" he cooed " they're more trouble than they're worth!" 
Afterwards I went to Osborne House and had coffee and a sandwich sitting in the window of the lounge.
It's the first time I've returned there since we split up
It was the venue of our wedding 
The sun shone and I read the first chapter of my book


73 comments:

  1. Found money is the best, sugar! ;) You did well on so many levels!! xo

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    1. Lucky I checked the cards, I never normally do

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  2. Sometimes I really struggle to put into words just what I would like to say. Nonetheless, I hope you're OK and that the coffee, at least, was good.
    Love your choice of print. X

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    1. It was meant to be , apparantly it had been there ages and had been reduced that day to half price

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  3. I saw Sally Fields on the Graham Norton Show last night. I can't believe she's 72. I've loved all of her films, in particular 'Steel Magnolias' - all of her co-stars in it were stellar too. Have you seen the mini-series 'Brothers and Sisters'? She's exemplary in that as the Mother. I went to my friend's art exhibition the other day but couldn't afford anything. He gave me a signed postcard of one of his paintings though!C'est La Vie!

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    1. I heard she was on Graham Norton but missed it as I was working...she reminds me of my elder sister

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  4. Anonymous5:03 pm

    Now that's resilience! Love the print. Pat

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  5. At times we need to be extra good to ourselves. Take care, have fun

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  6. Reclaiming places with strong memories is another step forward. And you did it with panache.

    Your writing sings, John. You truly have a gift.

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    1. Jenny said it for me! And better

      I'm happy for you, John
      Xo

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  7. What a lovely surprise. Am glad you enjoyed spending it. Also, thanks for the 'chicken' info. I like knowing these things.

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    1. Like Kirk said they are called twinks now

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  8. A birthday gift should be spent on more frivolous things than paying bills, love the chicken print! I'm so glad you reclaimed Osbourne House as a place you can enjoy.A bit at a time you're making a full life with the potential to be free of the difficulties these recent months have held. I hope you're as proud of yourself as I am of you,John. -Mary

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    1. I wouldn't have gone in if the old manager was still there

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  9. Glad you spent the money on frivolity John. Glad also that you went to the venue of your wedding to reclaim it for your own - a major step forward.

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  10. We sometimes find gift cards from previous birthdays. It's always a wonderful day when that happens. Great to see that you found that money. Have a great time spending it on something good. Have a great weekend.
    World of Animals

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  11. Congratulations on making the day your own. What a wonderful step forward.

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  12. Now that was a fun shopping trip. Bluebell is going to be a good friend. I hope Winnie and William are both improved.

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  13. Good for you John, time to reclaim your life. xx Hugs for William and Winnie xx

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  14. That sounds like a wonderful day. You added grit to it as well.

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  15. You have taught me something (the other meaning of chicken). I love your print. That is the next breed of chicken I would like to get! Well done reclaiming that location and creating a different memory. -Jenn

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  16. It's a strange feeling accepting that life is continuing and we're still in it. It is a big step and not an easy one.

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  17. Absolutely brilliant, lovely selection of gifts ... and lunch in our favourite restaurant to lay a ghost and claim it back as your own ❤️

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  18. So you get to celebrate your birthday a little later that all.

    As far "chickens" go, I thought they were called twinks, but I never been good with slang.

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    1. Chickens as well Kirk more old fashioned slang

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  19. Barbara Anne7:34 pm

    What perfect ways to enjoy your birthday gifts, belated, so they are twice the delight! Hope the birthday messages in the other cards brought a smile to your face all over again.

    Bluebell is already proving her (his?) worth.

    Hope Winnie and William are both on the road to full recoveries.

    Hugs!

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  20. I am so glad that you treated yourself. Sometimes frivolity is a neccessity.
    And thank you for the education too.

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    1. I .could have spent the garden vouchers too but I game them to the village raffle as a prize

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    1. It has a lightness of mood about it susan

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  22. Anonymous8:06 pm

    Good to read you enjoyed your day and was a bit giddy with the spends.
    Modern words eh, people were laughing the other day at the name of a shop quite nearby. It was called 'B J's on the beach' l had to look that one up to get the joke!
    Tess x

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  23. Never feel guilty about spoiling yourself ... especially when life has been tough !
    God I love Bette Davies ... what a first class actor she was!

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  24. Not too bad a Saturday then, good for you John.

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  25. Well done, John! I told you that you would reclaim your life. Once you can go places alone that were once "couple" places, the road of life is well and truly being travelled.

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  26. Yes, a good job you looked inside the cards before you threw them away!

    As Weaver said, an important step forward that you reclaimed the wedding venue.

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  27. Good for you spending the money, it has probably given you the lift you deserve and I just love that chicken.
    Briony
    x

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  28. Sounds like a wonderful day...here's to many more!

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    1. It wasn't wonderful
      It was just enough

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  29. Yes. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are well worth a bit of deliciousness. And that picture is definitely delicious.
    So are your words describing your conversation at check-out.
    "Do you like chickens?" Sly boot.

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  30. Money given as a gift is quite different to ordinary money! My late father-in-law used to give us money for Christmas and say "Buy what you like, not what you need." We did! Love the chicken!

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  31. That's a simply wonderful chicken. I'm so glad you spent the money gayly.

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  32. Surprise money....the best kind :)
    I love your black and white chicken print, so farmhouse and chic.
    Your little Bluebell is already proving it's worth, rendezvousing on a weekend, and not confined to four walls.
    You're happier and it shows !
    Hugs,
    ~Jo

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  33. Ruth Ellershaw10:19 pm

    Hope you enjoyed your afternoon mooching in Llandudno. I always used to like a hot chocolate in Clare's dept store. Had to chuckle at the chickens reference xx

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  34. Wonderful chicken. A day full of accomplishments. Pat yourself on the back!

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  35. We watched the Bette Davis film 'All About Eve' for the first time just recently & loved it. I'd never known who or where the Margo Channing quote came from until she uttered that fabulous line & the penny finally dropped!!

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  36. Yes! If you went to the Osbourne House and did not cry, YOU ARE HEALING. And was that young man flirting with you? I think so! Just makes the picture all the more fun. I love that you found the gifts later. You enjoyed them a lot more now than you would have back then. And don’t you EVER spend birthday money on bills, ya hear?

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  37. Good for you! And your basket does indeed sound gay but in the most happy way. Build happy memories and don't look back on the past sorrows. If I lived near, we would go to Osbourne House at least once a month for tea. Hugs to Winnie.

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  38. lol, my kitchen is full of chickens :) I have collected them for years .. not on purpose in the beginning, I just kept getting little chicken things as gifts but after a while, I started keeping an eye out for an especially nice chicken .. like yours :)
    Although killing a rooster is not such good luck -
    The chicken symbolism indicates overall good health for you and your loved ones.

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    1. My kitchen too! I refer to them all as my flock.

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  39. Happy belated birthday as well !

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  40. I did learn some 'polari' when living in London, but never came across 'chicken'. I shall watch my language in future.

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  41. llandudno once upon a time my ex and I stayed in a christian guest house, my ex was appalled . I however having come from that sort of background didnt really think about it . On the Sunday morning he asked where the newspapers were. The breakfast room went deathly silent and i was trying hard not to chuckle . the explanation that you could read nothing but the bible on a Sunday appalled him.

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  42. Fun choice of purchases John glad you enjoyed yourself and felt comfortable to reclaim Osborne House for yourself and make new memories.

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  43. Birthday money should always be spent on yourself. Sounds like you enjoyed your day. I like the print.

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  44. A great way to spend your birthday money. You're starting to recover (although it may not feel like it). I love that chicken print, be interested to learn what you think of the Sally Feld autobiography. I heard her talking about it on Woman's Hour this week

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  45. Liked hearing this . . .
    “you can never ever do enough for yourself!”

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  46. I really admire Sally Field, her acting in Sybil was incredible .
    I'm so glad you felt up to having lunch at your wedding venue and spoiled yourself with a few treats too xx

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  47. LOVE, LOVE the chicken print. I adore chickens and would have fallen for that picture instantly. Looks lovely in your cottage. Sounds like you had a mixed day, emotionally speaking. Llandudno in the sun looks great - hopefully you have blown a few cobwebs away.

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  48. Thank you for explaining the 'chicken' slang term, if you hadn't I wouldn't have understood what you were saying. Bette Davis: good taste, a brilliant actress.

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  49. Wow a great thing to discover the birthday money. You weren't frivolous. It was your birthday money! Happy belated birthday btw.

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  50. Step by step you are reclaiming your life. Props to you, John. Also, I love your gay basket!

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  51. What's wrong with a little chicken?????

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  52. Birthday money discovery! I would have bought a limited edition chicken, too.

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  53. I hope you remember to thank the people for these gifts - better late than never!!!!

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  54. I love the chicken story (and the print). I'm reading that Sally Field autobiography now -- it's pretty interesting! I'm about halfway through. I think you'll like it.

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