Catching Up

So after the fun of Wednesday's lunch it carried on into Thursday morning when my friend Kay came for coffee. We first met in September 1979 when we both started work in the Midland Bank in Brighton. To be strictly truthful we actually met in Katherine Street in Croydon on the training course. It was a residential course and all of the B&Bs were full so we ended up staying with one of the tutors and his family. We formed an instant friendship which has lasted over thirty years through thick and thin, marriages, divorces,children and all sorts of fun and games. The strangest thing of all is that we are now related by marriage! Her husband is my husband's cousin, so her father-in-law is my husband's uncle, her children are my children's second cousins, you keeping up?
I hadn't seen her since last February at a funeral, unfortunately it was her brother's funeral and it was only a couple of weeks since we'd met at my father-in-law's funeral, so it was lovely to be able to catch up and have a good old gossip.
She very kindly pointed out that I was one of at least four of our friends who is going to be 50 this year and she suggested we have a joint party in the summer. Brilliant idea and I put the wheels in motion straight away and am meeting another old friend on Thursday morning to start planning.
Be prepared to be taken back to the eighties with this photo:

Love the hair!
On Friday I went into town with my husband as he very kindly said I could use his Next voucher, he'd had it for his birthday in October and hadn't spent it all. Back in the eighties when Next first opened, it was my favourite shop. Some of my all time greats were bought  there. Alas, now I rarely see anything I like so all I managed to buy was a long sleeved white t-shirt! Well the thought was there. We returned home after a coffee in Nero as I had to make something for afternoon tea. Sounds posh but not really, it was just my Dad and his partner coming for a visit and I like to make fresh cakes as I know he only gets (shudder) shop cakes at home. Another reason he shouldn't have divorced my Mum!

I made chocolate cup cakes and scones:

They were delicious served with home made plum jam. Lots of people have asked about my Chocolate Cola cake, so here is the link

On Saturday I went to Dunelm Mill as they had a sale of Bazzill Basics 12x12 cardstock, I also wanted some material for my patriotic bunting I'm making for craft sales. I got the Bazzill but no material, this is quite good because it means I get to go to my favourite ever material shop The Eternal Maker in Chichester.
Later, for some reason, I had an urge to do a scrapbook page, so I gave in to it and made this:

This was the layout before I stuck it down and, after a little advice from my virtual friends, I straightened the photos and I also added some words using multi coloured letters: Sea Lane Cafe.
Saturday night found us boarding a train for a night out. In 1994 my first marriage ended and I spent a lot of time with my brother and his friends in a pub called The Kendal in Hove At one point I also worked there as a bar maid! Well, it is just an old back street pub but it has been taken over and is going to be turned into a Gastro Pub. So before they ruined it my brother arranged a reunion so we could remember the olden days. It was fun although I find it so difficult drinking in pubs as it is so expensive! How we change once we have children and mortgages! We returned home rather drunk but happy!
Sunday was the usual round of football,friends and roast dinners but whilst my husband was sleeping on the sofa, my youngest was killing virtual enemies and my eldest was making an animated film I decided to make a few simple stamped cards. I haven't taken a photo of them yet but I'll post them tomorrow.
Hope you had a great weekend.
Thanks for dropping by