60th Birthday! and House happiness

Jenny Mark and James have worked miracles. It's wonderful to see the House coming alive, coming into its beauty.
Doors, floors, garden, an outing to magical Wentwood (see pic - click it to see full size) and finally birthday celebration evening - I am 60!
I just managed to get the four poster room ready for Jenny, Mark and baby boys when they arrived. Great to be able to offer them the kind of guesting they deserve. It's all white with green carpet, pine four poster, and lavender sprigged curtains.

Mark the Magician installed the beautiful old doors I found to open on to the garden. They have green swirly bottle glass in leaded panes. He also put in one of the Dance Room doors, heavy pine framed panes of glass, more light! more light!

Meanwhile James took charge of the new fencing and John cleared the overgrown grass, and Tal cleared away my store of leaded glass windows. All together we have a garden again. Young Matthew and Michael much enjoyed roly poly on a blanket.

James also laid blond parquet in our study so it too is getting beautiful. As ouyr most used room that's so welcome instead of a mucky hole. Oh and last but not least he and Tal abolish the horrible old bar opening up the Lounge for a dining area. What a relief - that old bar just magnetised rubbish and dominated the whole room.

Jenny is all the time everywhere, clearing, encouraging, buttying, organising - with a baby on her hip and a toddler never far away. This is a matriarch extraordinaire. I am so lucky in my friendship with her.

I should also mention my admiration for Mark who often works at carpentry or plumbing with 2 year old Michael pottering about under his care. Like our son long ago, Michael has been strictly trained on safety and is remarkably good on it. But even so it's not easy to work on skilled tasks with a young person right in your zone.

SATURDAY we had a lovely outing to Wentwood (pics to follow) in very hot sunshine - but it was cool under the trees. Michael explored happily in all directions up and over the tumulus mound, while certain elders dozed peacefully.
The bluebells were everywhere and the green was so rich, deep and mysterious it was entirely likely for the fae to pop out of the shadows at any mopment.

In the evening, late after the heat died John cooked me a grand birthday dinner. It was held in the lounge on John's beautiful oak table which Tal laid and surrounded with lots of candles. A festive spread was much enjoyed by all though sadly Colin was unable to be there.
I understand some presents await me on my calendar birthday in a few days time. Meanwhile Jenny gave me a fluffy Little Hug, Tal a ridiculous pulp romance (so appropriate for me) and John two exquisite silk scarves and a tiny model of witch, cat and cauldron.
At the end John put all the little candles on a plate and I blew them out - somewhat too enthusiastically sending hot wax splashing. I wished, prompted by Jenny, and my wish was the same numeric that John and I shared at out beginning. He'll know what I mean.
I also made a speech about how 60 is gaining the wisdom that "you can't do it all." That has been a hard won recent win, but although I accept there are things I have not done or had, how rich I feel in what I have. The inner voice is also clear that I have another lifetime now as Crone which will be a greatly fulfilling and creative one.
And so to bed.