On the first day of my birthday my true love gave to me...

My birthday is actually tomorrow. I will be 43 which seems incredibly hard to grasp as I still feel like a kid inside. As my mum says "I have a highly developed sense of playfulness." Spiderman, who loves me more than words clearly doesn't mind that I enjoy being a kid and taking pleasure in simple activities. I am easily entertained by coloured lights or other "magical" experiences.

Spiderman has been giving me gifts every day since last week for my birthday. Little treats here and there to make me smile. He gets a lot of pleasure in planning surprises and I get a lot of pleasure receiving surprises so we are equally matched on the front.

The first present he gave me was SNOW. OK, I realise he didn't actually make it snow, but it snowed and the ground was all frosted like a wedding cake when we woke up last week. He left for school around 7:00am and I was to follow shortly (I was still getting dressed and needed to say my morning prayers) and he said,
Spiderman:  "Now little kitten, don't frolic too long in the snow!"
Me:  "Don't worry! I am just going to make some footprints and make some designs in the snow. I love being the first one in the snow!"
Spiderman: "I'll see you about 9:00 then, shall I?"

Well, I only took about 15 minutes, but I had a wonderful time by myself. First when I walked out the door I walked in his foot steps and pretended to be the Page in Good King Wenceslas. You know...In his master's step he trod, where the snow lay dinted and all that. But his strides were too long so I quickly gave up having legs like a dachshund. Then I walked in all different ways--close steps, far steps, wide steps, narrow steps, toes pointed out, toes pointed in steps. I like to look back and see what the steps look like. then i wrote my name in the snow (not by widdling) but with a stick and then I tried to make bird tracks to make it look like Big Bird from Sesame Street had been walking by. Because there are few things funnier than bird tracks in the snow. FACT.
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from picstopin.com

The next day my true love gave to me a music stand. What a thoughtful way to make my ukulele playing so much better! I feel like a professional musician! It is wonderful to not have to perch precariously on the edge of the bed whilst trying to read the sheet music laid out on the dresser. I have had such fun playing since then. he also assures me that a songbook of ukulele tunes is on its way from Helen Arney--the wonderful geek songstress who got my playing the uke in the first place! It won't be shipped until the 13th of December so I'll have it by next week I hope!

 

On the next day of my birthday my true love gave to me an autographed picture of  actress Carey Mulligan  who played Sally Sparrow in the best Dr Who episode Blink. Don’t look at the Weeping Angel behind her….

 

On the next day of my birthday my true love gave to me a trip to the PANTO! I *love* going to a pantomime! I love that the lead boy is played by a woman and the lead woman is played by a man. I love the singing and the corny jokes and the shouting at the actors. I love to boo the baddie and cheer for the goodie. I take audience participation to a whole new level. I am out there, giving it all that just like a kid, shouting “Look out! He’s behind you!”  Spiderman does not seem to share my love of this type of theatre. He is not the shouty type whereas I go home with a sore throat every time. Despite not digging the pantomime scene as much as I do, he took me to Stevenage to see Robin Hood and it was the best one I’ve seen in *ages*! I had such fun! He doesn’t even really mind when I poke him excitedly in the arm-poke poke poke poke! because a good bit is coming up. That’s what pantos are like—the stories are the same, only the jokes change. I never get tired of it. God bless him for taking me.






On the next day of my birthday my true love gave to me an autographed picture of actor Burt Kwouk (mostly known as Cato in the Pink Panther films) but loved by me as Major Yamouchi in charge of the POW camp in the grippingly realistic telly series TENKO.  


Well, today is Monday and I am told that a copy of L. Frank Baum's book of The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is winging its way here way from Amazon. This is an amazing book by the author of my beloved Wizard of Oz!

Tomorrow is my actual birthday. We always settle in with a nice warm bowl of leek and potato soup, put up the Christmas tree and watch the Muppet's Christmas Carol. I look forward to it every year. I like the anticipation almost as much as I like the actual birthday and Spiderman has given me loads to look forward to.

Thank you, my true love.