Mother's Birthday
Aug. 5th, 2009 05:05 pmToday is mother's birthday. She's 60*. For her 40th and 50th we arranged surprise parties. We were wondering how to get away with it a third time but she decided she'd organise her own. So she hired the local hall for Friday night and she's having a "dance that just happens to be close to my birthday" party.
Today though, my nan (her mother-in-law) went out to Evandale to have lunch with her at the little cafe out there. She took me along, and mum's older sister and a friend also came. This was nice, and the guy behind the counter didn't seem concerned at us filling up his shop for two hours. Or if he did, he hid it well. (The Muse, it's a pleansant little place to stop for a drink if you're out that way.) Although towards the end the conversation turned to people dying. Mum's mum and nan's husband (that is, my grandmother from one side of my family and grandfather from the other) both died in 1992, so they got to sharing reminiscences about those times. And then they went onto my other's grandfather's death in 1973. Nan talked about them hearing the Missing Person report but not realising who it was. My aunt says he must have been a mess when he was found because he'd fallen to the side. He'd had a heart attack, probably the night before while sitting in his truck. Interesting, I'm sure, but it put something of a damper on the gathering :)
The Friday night party will be interesting. Much organisation -- involving old & new photos of everyone and anyone, balloons, food, drinks, music -- has gone into it, for weeks beforehand. I think we shall be glad when it's over.
* At her 50th, she kept saying she wouldn't be 50 until the following year, which I didn't think much of, until last year she said her mother once told her that she was actually born in 1950, and the year on her birth certificate was a clerical error. Oh. Quick visit to the library. Grab the microfilm for the Examiner 1949. Print out a birth notices August. Problem fixed
Today though, my nan (her mother-in-law) went out to Evandale to have lunch with her at the little cafe out there. She took me along, and mum's older sister and a friend also came. This was nice, and the guy behind the counter didn't seem concerned at us filling up his shop for two hours. Or if he did, he hid it well. (The Muse, it's a pleansant little place to stop for a drink if you're out that way.) Although towards the end the conversation turned to people dying. Mum's mum and nan's husband (that is, my grandmother from one side of my family and grandfather from the other) both died in 1992, so they got to sharing reminiscences about those times. And then they went onto my other's grandfather's death in 1973. Nan talked about them hearing the Missing Person report but not realising who it was. My aunt says he must have been a mess when he was found because he'd fallen to the side. He'd had a heart attack, probably the night before while sitting in his truck. Interesting, I'm sure, but it put something of a damper on the gathering :)
The Friday night party will be interesting. Much organisation -- involving old & new photos of everyone and anyone, balloons, food, drinks, music -- has gone into it, for weeks beforehand. I think we shall be glad when it's over.
* At her 50th, she kept saying she wouldn't be 50 until the following year, which I didn't think much of, until last year she said her mother once told her that she was actually born in 1950, and the year on her birth certificate was a clerical error. Oh. Quick visit to the library. Grab the microfilm for the Examiner 1949. Print out a birth notices August. Problem fixed
