Birthday boy

When I switched on my phone this morning, the first birthday greeting I received was from Darren in Singapore, sent about half an hour after the time I was born seventy four years ago, in the early hours of this day. That made me smile. There were also greetings from Andalucia the Swiss Canton of Vaud, Gothenberg and Rachel in Arizona during the day. Very much a reflection of the life I have been blessed with since leaving the Valleys at eighteen fifty-six years ago. It was great to have long phone calls today with both my sisters, that much older than me. So glad they're both still around.

When I opened the bedroom curtains at half past six, the sun was shining and the sky was clear blue. What a birthday gift! We had a great breakfast with porridge, escargots and cold chicken pieces for a treat before opening presents and cards. I have a new Barbour all-weather cap from Clare. It's hard to believe that its predecessor, so pale with a broken peak, was once the same royal blue colour. Kath gave me two Spanish novels by Pablo Poveda, knowing how keen I am to read and improve by comprehension of the language.

I stood in for Emma again, and celebrated the St John's midweek Eucharist, then returned home for lunch before my afternoon clinic visit. It's a week today since the second operation. I'm getting used to having this sizeable extra wound to live with. The original continues to dry up slowly, although it is not yet completely healed. It's wonderful the way the body copes with and repairs the injury, given the right treatment, even if it is slower than I'd like it to be. So far, so good anyway.

From the clinic, I went into town, intending to buy a replacement camera for my broken HX50, but failed again to act upon my resolve. At the moment I'm doing fine without, perhaps because I'm not travelling, and use existing kit for brief outings without needing to carry something that conveniently produces good results anywhere I go. Having a suitable 'travel camera' evidently depends on opportunities to travel, which I don't have for the time being.