Thursday, September 03, 2009

Birthday Spoils

Some birthdays are painful reminders of the years passing, hurtling you onwards into incipient middle age. But they can be opportunities for three days of pampering and indulgence, the equivalent of a spring makeover, courtesy of the family pulling out all the stops to spoil you rotten!

That is what I got this year and I feel like a new woman, the wrinkles of age banished by a new haircut, a deep tissue massage to sort out the computer-knotted back and a shopping session with my mother to get some flattering new clothes to replace my baggy old winter uniform of fading jeans and cotton rib Gap pullover from twelve years ago. Not to forget my new film star sunglasses discovered in a sale next door to the hairdresser and secured as a pressie by a hurried sms to my husband.


Thus fortified I took the rest of the day off work and drifted around in a leisurely fashion, stopping by the sofa now and then to throw pills and remedies down our flu-struck son, read my book, planted out the lobelia and pansies that the children bought me to replace my unfortunate nasturtiums and had a photo session with a professional photographer (whose services I acquired for life by marrying him), to capture the glamorous new look, before the careful hairdresser blow-dry was lost forever.

The evening saw a flurry of activity in the kitchen as my two sisters-in-law and mother cooked dinner for all the grown-ups and my husband rustled up sausage and mash for the two healthy children. I was surplus to requirements and so took the unusual luxury of a late-afternoon shower to get the compost from under my fingernails and then went and watched Willow with the children while the others finished getting dinner ready. It was delicious too – tender oxtail stew and chicken and mushrooms with an abundance of fresh organic vegetables brought that afternoon from Spier.

And then a whole weekend to recover from being so spoilt and gradually resume my usual household duties, before Monday demanded the juggling act of work, children and cooking once more.

I hesitated to post this, as it sounded like a birthday gloat when I re-read it, but I want to make sure everyone knows how much my birthday spoiling is appreciated, and now reality is back in place again I want to remind myself of how good it felt too!

Our son is almost recovered from the flu now and starting to boss us all around again, which is a sign of return to normal.

7 comments:

  1. OMG, glamorous! You look gorgeous. Glad to hear you had a fabulous birthday and all the spoiling was clearly richly deserved.

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  2. Agreed! Absolutely fabulous darling! It is so special when one is spoilt like that by ones family! Glad to hear your youngest is also getting better.

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  3. You look awesome! What good birthday presents.
    Bon anniversaire :)

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  4. Happy Birthday Kit! If you aren't cuter than all get-out! From your profile pic, I thought you were a red-head. But with a face like that, you look great dark or light.

    Biotch!

    8-) hee hee!

    How weird is that, we just watched Willow last week, too! I went to college with David Steinberg, the dark-haired little person who played Willow's friend in the beginning /end of the movie. You know, the one who was supposed to go with Willow on his journey but agreed not to at the first chance he got - ha! He is now appearing as one of Santa's elves in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in NYC every holiday season. We got to go backstage and say hi last time we saw the show.

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  5. Your description truly makes me reconsider my decision to forego the hairdresser in favor of growing my hair out. I do lack both the sunglasses and the professional photographer, though.

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  6. Happy belated birthday! I loved hearing about it, and love love love the pic and new 'do.

    oh how funny: my word verification is "unkit." Kit and unkit. :)

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  7. Sounds sublime 0 and as i said at the time, the new hairstyle and the "Posh Spice" glasses rock!

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Thanks for your comments - I appreciate every one!