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We have a number of hanging baskets around the kitchen doors.
This one contains fuchsia Blue Angel;
here clematis Warsaw Nike, from its pot clambers up to another containing petunias and lobelia. The white pot contains apple mint, and borage occupies the bed.
Nearby, bidens blooms.
The New Bed is now taking on its summer garb. Fuchsia, dahlias, lilies, clematises, and solanum are all in evidence.
As it is my birthday today, I received a lot of messages. Some of these were texts. For the last couple of months anyone trying to phone me on the mobile when I am at home has not been able to receive a reply and has been sent straight to voicemail. I have then received a text saying I have a voice message which I have not been able to access.
I have refrained from boring readers with this, but today I decided to visit O2 in Christchurch in an attempt to resolve the issue. The problem seemed to have been a faulty SIM card. This was changed, and hopefully things will have improved.
While the O2 man was fetching the new card I reflected on another birthday when I could receive no signal on the mobile phone. This was the day of the London Underground suicide bombs. I is hard to believe that was 11 years ago.
This afternoon we enjoyed, within minutes of each other, visits from Helen and from Shelly and Ron They came bearing gifts. Including Bill, each couple had brought a birthday card and presents of wine and a book, and we drank sparkling squashes on the hand-made garden chairs, of which we now have four, and one, otherwise relegated, perfectly serviceable in black plastic.
An additional gift from Helen and Bill was an intriguing bookmark, made of cork, that they had brought back from Portugal.
Ian and Becky’s present to me was a meal for the four of us at Lal Quilla. This was great fun, particularly as the staff entered so well into the spirit of the occasion. My choice of a main meal was Purple Tiger (a king prawn dish) and special fried rice. We shared onion bahjis, parka dahl, and an egg paratha. Becky drank red wine and the rest of us drank Kingfisher.
At the end the head waiter sang happy birthday and brought me a ‘cake’.
Happy birthday, Derrick????
Many thanks MLK
Happy Birthday! It would have been my dad’s birthday as well, but he passed away at 63 (the age I’m at now). Hope it was a wonderful celebration!
It was, thanks, unassuming hiker. I’m sorry about the coincidence for you
no problem, and my name is Karen
Happy birthday, dear Derrick!!!!
Many thanks, Ann
Happy Birthday Dear Derrick, Happy Birthday to You. 🙂
Very many thanks, Mary
Happy birthday Derrick… must pop in to see you and Jackie one day. I still read your blog. Regards David your old next door neighbour from Minstead.
I often think of you, David. That would be good, and thank you
happy birthday! – the garden looks great!
Thanks very much, Lundy Girl
Hope for many more happy birthdays such as this one: special woman Jackie by your side, family and friends stopping by and a delicious meal out with birthday “cake” as the ending, Derrick. Lovely sum total of several gifts including your health. 🙂
Very many thanks, Robin
Happy Birthday Derrick – may there be many more! The area around the kitchen doors is one of my favourites.
Many thanks, Pauline. I do have to duck 🙂
Happy birthday Derrick! Lovely photographs as usual. For your meal, I was wondering if it was not Tadka dal.
I expect you are right, Geetha, I go on pronunciation. Many thanks
I just double checked on Google They have both Tadka and Tarka.
Some pronounce Tarka and others Tadka but it is the same dish
I like Tarka because I can crack the old joke – ‘What’s Tarka Dal?’ ‘It’s just like any other Dal, except that it’s a little otter’ 🙂
Ah ah ah. That’s a good one 🙂 Enjoy your birthday and may you enjoy many more
Forsooth
Nothing beats being long in the tooth.
Happy Birthday!
Thanks a lot, Bruce
a birthday! Splendid.Many happy returns!!
Thanks a lot, Geoff
Birthday greetings, Derrick!
Thank you, Jenny
Happy Birthday, Derrick! I hope it was as fabulous as your garden!
Many thanks, Jill
Happy Birthday, Derrick! It sounds like you had a splendid celebration–your Jackie, friends, wine, and a delicious dinner!
(I didn’t realize it’s been 11 years since the London Underground Bombing. I remember driving to Princeton to work and listening to the news on the radio.)
Thanks very much, Merril. Time flies, as they say
🙂
Gentle, joyous thoughts going out to you, my distinguished coeval,. as you mark your natal anniversary…. May all and only good things come your long continuing way.
Very many thanks, Cynthia
Happy Birthday! Love the otter joke. 😉
Thanks a lot, Quercus
Happy birthday!
Thank you, Leslie
What a lovely celebration and, haopy, happy cake day!
Thank you, walksandrambles
Happy birthday Derrick! Enjoy your special day.
Thank you, Miriam
Best birthday wishes! Many happy returns.
Thank you, oglach
Happy Birthday Derrick. Hoping all of your birthday wishes come true.
Thank you, Lonely
Happy birthday!!!!!!
Thank you Victo
Happy Birth Day. May you score lots of loot! 😀
Thanks a lot, Widdershins
What a great way to celebrate your birthday, Derrick. 🙂
Thank you, Sylvia
Happy birthday! What a great lot of visitors and gifts and what a nice meal. Many happy returns!
Thanks very much, Lisa
Happy Birthday, Derrick!!! I hope you has a marvelous day! 🙂
Thank you, Dorinda. It was
Oh, my. To eat like that. To reign in another year like that–sublime. Cheers to you!
Many thanks, Cynthia
I don’t celebrate birthdays, just like I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. So, Happy International Chocolate Day, Sir Derrick! Did you know that the Aztecs used chocolate as an aphrodisiac? 🙂
Many thanks, Johnna. A bloodthirsty lot, the Aztecs – was it the chocolate? 🙂
Methinks it was chocolate that saved the human race from extinction. (And possibly weed.) 😀
Many happy returns Derrick! Glad you enjoyed your day, love the ‘cake’. 🙂
Thanks very much, Bianca
Happy Birfday to you! It sounds like you had a good celebration.
Many thanks, Yvonne. Yep
Happy Birthday, Derrick!
Thanks, John
Happy Birthday Derrick! 🙂
Thank you, Terry
Oh, happy, happy birthday!
Many thanks, Laurie
Hope you enjoyed a lovely day!
Thank you, Joanne. Certainly did
Happy belated Birthday, Derrick. Sounds like you had a wonderful day/evening.
Just out of curiosity, do you have to water your potted plants every day in summer or do you have a automatic watering system set up?
At my old apartment, I often spent dusk watering our community garden in the warmer months and I have to say, it was one of the most relaxing tasks.
(I ran out of internet and couldn’t post, comment etc for the last couple of days, hence the reason for this late comment. This is happening every month nowadays and since I can’t afford a larger internet package, I’d better get used to it).
Thank you, Vicki. We do have a system of hoses for the ground, although, in truth, Jackie does most of the watering. What a pain about the internet.
Happy belated birthday!!!
Thank you, Lynn
Sorry I missed it!
Happy belated birthday, Derrick! ??
I am so sorry that I missed your birthday, my dear friend 🙁
I hope it was a beautiful celebration.
Hugs and kisses <3
Many thanks, Monica XX
😀
Happy birthday Derrick and many, many happy returns. I see you like samosas and bhajis and parathas, all of which are good to eat during our monsoon season here:)) I think I will make onion bhajis:) And it is sad about all terrorist attacks, at all times, recently in Istanbul and Dhaka. Why do they happen? There are answers but they don’t seem like answers.Best wishes to your whole family.
Many thanks, Lakshmi (now I know where to put the h in bhaji 🙂 )
☺It is pronounced anyway. In Kannada we call them neerulli baje. Neerulli is onion. Baje is bahji , bhaji or pakora or pakoda ☺
Oh, good. It doesn’t matter where I put it 🙂
Happy Belated Birthday, Derrick. Your old article (Three Score Years And Ten) only has 3 likes and that looks so weird. Also, I cannot fathom how you & Jackie have so many different flowers.
Many thanks, Weekly. Back then I hadn’t really got going in the blogosphere
Happy Belated Birthday, Derrick! We share the Zodiac sign 🙂
Thank you, Inese. Perhaps not surprising
Belated Happy Birthday, Derrick.
Thank you very much, Miranda
How did I miss this? Hope you had a lovely day Derrick.
Thanks very much, Jessica. Perhaps it was something to do with a dusty old fireplace 🙂