On my 21st birthday, I had a rotten cold - one of those where you are really blocked up and can't taste anything. We went to a nice restaurant in town where everybody said how good the food was. As for me, I might as well have been eating cardboard.

Years later, when I was separated and my kids were young teenagers, I had no money, my mother wasn't speaking to me (a very common occurrence unfortunately, but that's another story) and I spent the day at home feeling sorry for myself. About a week later, my mother rang up and abused me, saying "Why didn't you ring me for your birthday?" This is true, believe it or not.

This year will be different however. John and I are planning a combined session and birthday party in a couple of weeks - just practising warming up the house for you, Charley and Brett. And who knows we might have a session in October too, when Giok comes! Must get the house nice and warm!

Jenny