February! A week of birthdays!

               A Week of Birthdays!                                     

Birthday bouquet.

The first week of February begins for us in a rash of birthdays. Three in quick succession before we reach February 8th.
There has been a sense of week long celebrations beginning with mine on the 4th. It was an extra special day, as we went to see our new granddaughter. She was born before the expected date of 7th, which would have meant one more event to cram into the first eight days!
  Libby Joanna made her entrance into the world in a precipitate hurry on 30th January. A sister for   Samuel.
The next birthday was on the 6th, our friend Rosie. More cake and presents enjoyed with friends that evening.
Stephen's came next on the 8th and we spent the day having lunch with one friend by the side of a roaring log fire at a country pub nearby. In the evening, a lovely dinner spent in the company of another couple of close friends.
   
So much for thinking maybe I would join "Weight Watchers"!!
How is it whenever I think about it, I just gravitate to all the food that should be "forbidden" !!!
Naughty but nice!

Well, it WAS all our birthdays!

At the end of the week on Saturday I found myself with a group of friends (organised by my hubby) making a clay sheep in a craft session.

Can you hear the concentration! 

We all enjoyed it very much, and await the sheep back from the kiln in around 15 days time.

We were guided by the artist who had set up the workshop.
Afterwards, our group went for more lovely food and nibbles, and a glass or two of red wine, at Rosie's house. Although the nibbles in themselves were fairly substantial. (I think I have said before that our friends do not do things by halves!)

Substantial nibbles!!

                                   The end of a thoroughly enjoyable week!

All we are waiting for now as February is passing by, are more signs that spring may be fighting it's way in!
This winter has seemed long. Today it is very wet, and hasn't really become properly daylight. Grey, dull and very cold. Cosy indoors.
I finish with a poem from my favourite poet, Edward Thomas, as already, inspite of the weather, the rooks are beginning to build their nests in their familiar colonies. And the blackbird has begun to sing his sweet song early in the morning.




"Thaw" by Edward Thomas

Over the land freckled with snow half-thawed
The speculating rooks at their nests cawed
And saw from elm-tops, delicate as flowers of grass,
What we below could not see, Winter pass. 

Baa...aaa..rmy. (Before kiln firing)