Birthday Lunch

I went to the birthday lunch of my friend L who was 77 on Wednesday. L lives in a residential home with three other residents in the small town where I have a house. I was the manager of the residential home for a couple of years before I worked in London at the university.

L invited his friends from the town where he lived for many years, as well as friends from the other two homes in the town. It was a crowded house, with wheelchairs and bodies everywhere! The ladies who work in the homes as carers cooked a lovely lasagna with garlic bread and salad. There was a fruit punch with sherbet to drink, then chocolate birthday cake and ice-cream for dessert.

I walked to the home - it takes about 10 minutes. It's been a lovely day with sun and temperatures in the 30s for the first time in weeks. Of course there's all the grit and dirty snow to walk through along the sides of the roads which can be a bit slippery. Yet it was a day to be out in the fresh air for a while. Made me feel alive again after being indoors for what seems like weeks.

L was very happy. He was given money by all his friends. he likes having apocket full of greens so he can go out to the store for sweets or a coffee when he likes. He has also got a computer set up in his room now so I can send him emails and pictures from England. He keeps reminding me to do that. He has one of the carers do the writing for him as he is not very good at that but he will tell them what to write and I will enjoy the contact.