Cheers!

We've had such a lovely day ... from sitting in bed watching the fog creeping across the Firth to engulf us by the time I was up, to the sun breaking through when we arrived at church only to vanish again when we came out, to the vigorous singing of favourite Epiphany hymns in church to the joyful reception once again of Himself's closing voluntary, "The Camel Music" that people actually talk about with anticipation - all lovely and it was still only midday.

Thing is, Himself is on the verge of a Significant Birthday. Today he had to play HBTY not only for a small boy in the congregation but also for himself, which was fun. However, I had decided that a Sunday afternoon is a good time to have a tea-party (as opposed to a Tuesday when the non-superannuated have to work), so that's what I spent the afternoon preparing. My main inspiration was my indefatigable daughter-in-law, who had sent a box containing birthday table decoration, napkins, party champagne flutes decorated in gold  and - the main thing - a birthday cake.To do this justice, I got out the wedding tea service, the Greek tablecloth bought in Crete many years ago, the candles saved from another cake. We had three kinds of tea on the go - Christmas Tea, Jasmine Tea, Pointless Tea* - and milk, cow milk, in a delicate china milk jug. We had fizz and Irn Bru (don't ask). And most importantly, we had friends.

Four close friends who also knew each other well (the fifth, sadly, had to call off with a horrid cold) made for a jolly, carefree and ultimately somewhat raucous teaparty (the raucous bit came when we sang along to a recording of The Codliver Oil and the Orange Juice - goodness knows how we got onto that, but I suspect we were inculcating some Glasgow culture into two of our friends who aren't native). When they left, holding onto our new handrails lest the steps were icy, they were lighted on their way by two of the candle lanterns left over from the 90th birthday party we attended in Edinburgh in the Autumn - and I've tried to incorporate all that into one mad collage. 

And then all that was left for us to eat a big dish of cauliflower cheese and watch Call the Midwife. Himself, despite not yet being quite two years older than me, fell asleep in his chair. 

The cake, by the way, was wonderful.

Extra photo of the view outside church before and after the service.

*Decaffeinated tea