(baby) shower me with love...

Look at these two. You'd never know from the look on their faces that they're full of plot-planning-evil-scheming would you?

What do you see when you look at this pair? Do you see two wholesome looking friends who would never do anything wrong? Or do you see a couple of scheming bints? Scheming bints? You got it in one, buddy.

Actually, I will stop this diatribe because it makes it sound like they've scorned me in some way and they haven't at all (unless by 'scorn' I mean 'planned secrets behind my back that resulted in me having a lovely baby shower on Sunday with lots of cakes and presents' and I do. I do mean that. I'm just so, so glad I put a smattering of lipstick on before I opened the door to the sea of people who were all sat on Vicki's floor going 'SURPRISE').

I am amazed that my friends went to so much trouble and my cockles have been well and truly warmed. So many people! So much home baking! And all for me. I was a bit overwhelmed and had to sit down, but stand back up again and urge people to stop looking at me, because I thought I was going to cry.

But they've all seen me crying before - drunk crying, laughing crying, falling over & grazing my knee crying, crying at old men, crying about the news - good god only knows what that lot have experienced alongside me, every step of the way for the many, many years we've all been friends.

So to all my friends - but especially to these two Anneke & Vicki - and in the words of The Golden Girls:

"Thank you for being a friend, travelled down the road & back again, you're heart is true, you're a pal & a confidente. And if you threw a party, i-i-invited everyone you kneeeeew - you would see, the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND".

I shall end this now, before I whack a few lines out from Littlest Hobo and then the greeting would commence....

(p.s I think that both Anneke & Vicki will hate this picture, but I love it) x