My plans to have a birthday bash this year at 69, so that I could spend my 70th in Oz, got swallowed up in Post Christmas lethargy. However I did decide to have a do on Friday 5th of February for all our Gisborne friends. This would be about the time we would have race day - except there are no races at our course now. Since we have such lovely sunsets out here I billed it as a Sunset Soiree. Sadly the weather did not play ball, and it was cool and windy with the odd flick of rain.
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Storm clouds gather. Heather (50s F)and Brian Cochrane, Anne Harvey and John Clarke.
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I asked a friend from 50's F if she would come and help out in the kitchen and this worked wonderfully well. I have 2 gluten free friends and had gone to extra lengths to provide a gluten free platter, but neither of them came! Never mind, the sausage and dukkah mushrooms which were gluten free were the hit if the night.
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| First course. |
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| Sue, Dawn, Anna, Alice, Norma, Jean, Robyn |
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| Jean, Robyn, Olwyn Graeme, Cliffie, Ray and Linda |
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| Camille, Sandy, Duncan, Shirley, Vance, Sandy, Teressa (back) Judy, Rocky |
As you can see they were friends drawn from the whole spectrum - old friends from bringing-up-kids days, walkers/trampers, golfers, 50s forwards, bookclub, fijjam teachers and spouses. There were about 40 in the end.
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Some people even bought wine, chocolates or flowers. I think they thought it was my 70th. Cheeky! As I said in my speech - do I look 70??? No I'm only (just) 69.
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All we needed was a sunset. What about this one, taken about 10 days later at Ohiwa.
