95 Tomorrow

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Aaron building earth retaining wall

This morning Aaron built a low earth-retaining wall around the greenhouse. As usual, I made him a print of the photograph.

Red seaweed

Mum is afflicted by severe macular degeneration. This means that she now only has peripheral vision, that is that she cannot see the centre of any subject. My ingenuity in producing a Birthday Card was therefore somewhat taxed. I took the centre of one of the red seaweed pictures from 26th September and expanded it. Trimming it to size, Jackie then produced the finished article. The idea was to tell her that whatever she can see covers the whole image.

Birthday spread

Although it is not actually her birthday until tomorrow, when she will be visiting us, a special tea had been arranged for today at Elizabeth’s. Adam, Thea, and Jasper are all ill, so could not attend. Jackie and I stood in for them. Danni and Andy had produced beautifully textured scones, Victoria sponge, muffins; and delightful, egg, tuna and cucumber, and ham sandwiches. Elizabeth had produced a moist carrot cake and cooked her grandson Jasper’s favourite chipolata sausages, so we just had to help out.

Danni and Mum 1

Danni settled Mum in her favourite chair.

Today would have been our brother Chris’s birthday; Mum paid homage to this; and I passed on messages from our cousin Yvonne and her father, our Uncle Ben.

We tucked into the food on offer, and Elizabeth and I drank Calvet merlot 2016 while the others drank teas, coffee, and orange juice. This, of course, meant that Jackie and I could partake of nothing more when we arrived home this evening.

Mum, Jackie, DanniMum

Danni and Jackie assisted with lighting and extinguishing the cake candles.

Finally, the soon to be birthday girl opened her cards, and, with a little help, was able to decipher the seaweed.

 

 

73 comments

  1. Happy, happy day to your mother! My mouth was watering as I read the description of the food. Sounds like you had quite a feast.

  2. What a kind and sensitive gesture to tailor that card for your lovely Mum, Derrick. Well done. She is blessed to be 95, as are you all to be a part of her life. Happy Birthday to her.

  3. How wonderful to be able to celebrate this special milestone with a mum who is still going strong – despite the pest of macular degeneration. A very thoughtful way to get around it. That feast is daunting! I would have completely lost my head over it. Happy birthday to your mum xx

  4. Happy soon to be #95 birthday to your Mum. 🌹 🎂
    I am sure the pink seaweed card was interesting and at least, memorable! 🙂
    The moist carrot cake, sandwiches, scones and muffins all looked delicious.
    Sounded like a lovely party gathering.

  5. Happy birthday to your Mum, Derrick. What a fabulous feast you all set forth for her, and the cake looked fabulous. She looked pretty darn good herself! And what a great idea to create something she could experience as a whole in your pink seaweed. I like the picture lighting the candles.

  6. She’s going to make the ‘ton’ no worries; looks a picture of health and happiness, well done mum 😀
    As for the spread that’s the tucker I like to sit down to now. Wish my scones turned out like that, I bugger them up every time 🙁

    1. Thanks very much, Brian. The scones were Andy’s work. I was well impressed. Actually Mum is really very frail, but has all her marbles. Will pass on your congratulations.

  7. I liked the open title of the post. Aaron must have an album full of images created by you. I am touched by the idea of the greeting card for your mother. For all the advancements of technology, we haven’t found a cure for macular degeneration. It’s time to grow corneas and retinas in labs. On a personal note, I can savour image intensive posts such as yours better after I acquired an iPad recently. Multiple maladies afflicting my eyes have rendered prolonged reading on a smartphone painful. I too have spread the seaweed, you see.

    1. Sorry to read about your eyes, which makes your careful reading even more appreciated. Actually, I have given Aaron an album so he has a portfolio to display. Thanks very much, Uma

  8. Happy Birthday to your mom! My 95-year-old mom also has macular degeneration.
    The birthday tea looks and sounds (and I’m sure tasted) delicious! I hope your mom had a wonderful time.

  9. Belated Happy Birthday to your Mum! Her special tea looks wonderful and I like the card idea very much. My mother has macular degeneration too and has injections to keep it under control.

    1. Many thanks, Clare. Mum has been having the injections for some time, but now has only peripheral vision in only one eye. I hope your mother’s is better controlled.

      1. Thanks Derrick. Mum has had the injections for just over two years but were not begun before some damage had been done. Mum’s eyesight is deteriorating, but slowly. She also has glaucoma and cataracts!

  10. You touch my heart, Derrick. Thanks so much for sharing all the love and delicious pastries. I’m now tempted to run to the bakery and eat at least half a dozen cookies and cupcakes!

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