Crepeys in the Long Grass of Life

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Thanks Beachy for the frisky title suggestion.

Well, here we all are!

Tilly I was treated for Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma about 11 years ago. Looked after by haematologists as it's in the lymphatic system. I'm ok now but I won't let the discharge me!

No, you keep on going - better to keep an eye on it.

You reminded me I have another reason to be cheerful: I had a full pelvic scan yesterday because of recurrent pains that I was getting earlier in the year (it's taken some while for an appointment to turn up) and it appears that I probably had a haemorrhagic cyst which has resolved by itself. And the old ovaries are still busy ovulating and everything looks fine and healthy. Yay. And the scan lady said the oldest person she has scanned lately who turned out to be pregnant (natural conception) was 52.

Crap, I'm not getting on with my work very well. Will shut up now.

Eeeek!

Sorry your cake pleas have been ignored Herbs!

The classic birthday cake here every time is this easy peasy can't go wrong one:

Weigh 4 eggs.

Beat same weight (as eggs) of butter and same weight again (as eggs) of caster sugar together.

Beat in eggs one by one, after 3rd one sift in some of the self raising flour you have already weighed out - same weight as - you guessed it, the eggs, but replacing 50g of it with cocoa powder with the last egg.

Add vanilla essence to taste.

Fold in the rest of the flour/ cocoa.

Add around 2 tablespoons milk or enough to make consistency one where will drip from an upturned spoon.

Divide between 2 greased, lined sandwich tins (7"? 10"?) and bake in oven at 180c for around 25 mins. Turn out to cool.

Sandwich together with jam / raspberries / cream or chocolatey fudgy icing as you prefer.

Ta Da!

Fingers crossed for the weather. If raining I think you have to embrace that like you say. Ds2 once had a "tree climbing" birthday party on Hampstead Heath (his choice) in the POURING rain and it was great - if v damp. One mother wouldn't let little Tarquin attend as she was worried he might be struck by lightning.

Off to Sheffield tomorrow on the last leg of the Uni tour. Wish me strength.

Well done to all the proud parents with glowing school reports in their possession! Oh and their children....

Thanks QQ! That'll do nicely. It shall be lavishly decorated with fudge icing, marshmallows and sprinkles, as decreed by Himself.

And yes. Embrace the damp. I'm also going to introduce dressing up clothes to the mix. What could be more fun than a bouncy castle in a wig or a Buzz Lightyear costume?

Was going to write eek in response to Stropps and the 52 year old pregnancy and saw BTM had already written it. I think I'd cry if I found I was pregnant now and I also am a bit lax assuming it's impossible.

Well done to little Stropps all with good school reports.

It is DH's birthday tomorrow am going to try QQ's cake with MI's icing.

QQ Sheffield is fab! I lived just off West St, in the middle of what is now called the Devonshire Quarter

52 !!! Eeeeeeekkkkkkkk

Ds was only cross examining me the other day about siblings... God no, not at my age and the age gap!

BD - I'm just beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm looking forward to it BTM!
Will let you know how I get on...

I didn't have my last period until I was 57 if I remember correctly ..... just saying.

Good news of the day - the baby is home. He weighed just over 5lbs this morning and is feeding well.

I got home from my lunch with online friends at five tonight. Nice meal followed by drinks in a pavement cafe at the Monument in Newcastle city centre (yes, you read that right) in brilliant sunshine - could have been in Paris.

Herbs, I hope the weather is not as bad as you are anticipating. I use this chocolate fudge icing, it's lovely and very easy to make and use.

75g margarine
4 tbsps cocoa
225g sieved icing sugar
3 tbsps evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla essence

Melt margarine and the cocoa together.
Stir in the icing sugar and evaporated milk with the vanilla essence.
Beat well until smooth.

I put it inside and on top of a 7" milk chocolate cake (which also uses evaporated milk).

Congratulations to those DC with good reports.

Off to hospital tomorrow lunchtime for DH to have an echocardiogram (I think thats what the letter said).

QQ, DD is at Sheffield so if there's any extra info you want, let me know.

Herbs hope the party goes terrifically well.

NU hope it goes well with DH tomorrow

All this cake making me hungry....

We have broken up - no more stinky school runs EVER as dd2 is now going locally, so still a 10 min drive, not 30 mins down a motorway. The others can take the train!

Off on hols at 7 am tomorrow. Dh has been a major drama llama with everyone, with tons of shouting, allocation of jobs etc. I haven't finished packing, but my suitcase is already in the car .

I have always been the breadwinner here and dh has always had to be very flexible (which he has!)......

I am home from the Wild East. EU membership seems to have improved nothing and it still looks like a shithole. But the hordes of wild dogs seem to have gone, as do the beggars. The Daily Bile would say that this is because they have all come to UK...

Stropps, I am raising my beer to you and your dc too. Here's to a grot-free room, lovely report and job applications .

And well done to the year sixes with great reports (and MI and BD, do start bracing yourselves now for their leaving yr 13 ones which may well make you cry....).

I am very glad I don't have the stress to contend with that dh does - it has damaged his health but I think it would have destroyed me. I do feel invisible sometimes - in the eyes of others. Rose, that sounds awful. I volunteer in a public and noisy way (whereas my day job mainly involves sitting on my own with my laptop) and have found it very good at confidence-boosting and really sympathise at having the rug whisked out from under you like that.

NU, good luck tomorrow.

QQ I can't tell you how much I loved Sheffield. Great place to live; fantastic theatre, music and cinema; easy and warm relationship between town and gown ('our students are just other people's young').

DD broke up on Wed and warned us in advance that she would spend the whole of Thurs in her jammies. Good call, it was pissing down all day.

Working in Essex this afternoon, which involved over an hour and a half in the queue for the Dartford crossing on the way there and an hour on the way back. And anxiety about running out of petrol and sat-nav failure (that moment when it leads you to a red-and-white barrier across the road with prominent No Entry signs).

But got home to find DD had cooked burgers and DH had booked ferry for holiday

Happy weekend everyone.

Happy holidays, Beachy.

Good news about DD's clear out, Strops - I reckon it's quite significant that she's managed to do this. And great to hear about DS's report - what a nice feeling. No sign of any report yet from DD2 - I think her SATs results will be revealed on Tuesday's parents evening.

Herbs - you might be OK with the weather tomorrow, but if not, can I recommend Apple Bobbing?

Conceiving at 52? Incidentally, my last period was over a year ago, soooo... maybe that really is that.

Hey, how come you've all broken up? Another 12 days here.

Here too. Actually I was hoping for a full two weeks...but DD1 has a week and DD2 a week and a half.

DD2's school play was fab. I have a concert tomorrow but refuse to be fussed about it:)

Happy holidays, Beachy, where are you going, I can't remember? I hope the suitcase is off the car!

I have been awake since 3.30 - and DH has just asked me what I was doing.

Bon Voyage Beachy.
Happy Birthday pequeño herbs. Hope it stays dry.

Haven't broken up here. Last day 22nd...