71 not out! Celebrating a Birthday

t was quite a full day for my birthday yesterday – so busy that I missed many telephone greetings. I’m only just getting to read some of the messages via various social media and email. Thank you for your greetings. (You’ll be pleased to know that I have been to the gym already this morning to counteract any ‘computer back’ problems from sitting here writing letters, making videos and sorting photos.)

Strawberry and banana on my porridge

I started the birthday casually with my bowl of porridge with strawberries and banana, and a pot of tea in the bed watching the political reporting about the upcoming Elections on the News. But it got a bit hectic from there. We were celebrating a Feast Day with some added bells and whistles (and a trumpet) down at St Canice’s, and I was very much involved, and trying to keep it ‘simple’ at the request of the parish priest. (I told no one about the trumpeter!)

Trumpet for pageantry

Anyway, it was going to plan till a few minutes before, the main Reader wasn’t there, and nor was his script!!! In a last minute rush, I hadn’t brought an extra copy. So, stress levels rising, I had to get the Mass started (with ladies carrying the flags that I’d bought online for a bit of added colour and pageantry, and hoisted on two wonderful brass poles from decades past), and then race home and print out the script, and race back and coax someone to do it while the Mass was fast approaching the time for the reading. And then to try and capture a bit of the proceedings (and the trumpet) on my little video camera. If you’re exhausted reading this paragraph without taking breath, imagine how I felt yesterday!

If you’re inclined, please click on link below to see YouTube Video and Photos – on the new St C webpage that nobody else knows how to post anything. It’s another string to my bow, and let’s me indulge my hobbies (‘and feed your addiction for ‘blogging’, I hear some of you say. You can say it.) We have a Cantor with a lovely voice on the first Sunday of the month. I asked her to add a little descant where she could, but I wasn’t ready for the bracket that you can hear around 1 min 35 sec into the video. I was pleased nonetheless – it all adds to the show, and nearly made my birthday for me.

http://www.stcanice.org.au/wordpress/?p=1739

(Or go straight to YouTube)

usy snapping away outside after Mass, I missed the chicken sandwiches and fruitcake, but then across the bridge to a BBQ gathering in the back garden in brilliant winter sunshine, to celebrate a friend’s 50th birthday. I drank only one glass of punch. 

Not quite 71 candles

hen home again to start on the video before going to travelling companion and good friend Pam’s, where she feted me with my favourite veal fillet with anchovy green sauce, and Sephardic Orange Cake with crushed almonds, big red sweet strawberries, and lashings of cream so light that you just dolloped it on in large quantity. I attach pictures below.

Vic, Ken, Pam, Juanita and Hyunju with Michael

Roasted Veal Fillet with my favourite Anchovy green sauce

I’m waiting to feel a bit tired later today.

Again, thank you for your birthday greetings.

Michael