HOW I ENJOYED MY 89th BIRTHDAY

Well, Why shouldn't anyone enjoy a birthday just because they are starting their 90th. year ?

To answer that question, (and,just to cheer you up !!),I will give you FIVE reasons why I might not have had a happy birthday !

1/ I am very deaf indeed and both my hearing aids broke down shortly before the birthday.

2/ I am classified as "blind", (complete with white walking stick), with the right eye totally blind and only blurred vision in the left.

3/ I am a diabetic and so must avoid sweet things

4/ I have an irregular heart and therefore take warfarin to prevent a stroke.

5/ I have had prostate cancer for two & a half years.

So why am I so happy ?

Partly because of my present background : I am blest with a loving wife, 2 daughters, two sons, 13 grandchildren, (some of them married), and now my wife and I have 3 great-grandchildren.

Thanks to 2 excellent Carers, we remain in our own home which we saw being built when I retired 22 years ago. We now feel secure with equipment loaned by Social Services and have our surgery 5 minutes away.

It is with a contented mind that I now tell you

WHAT I DID ON MY BIRTHDAY >>>

In the morning our daughter took me to a favourite place -- the garden centre a few miles away. This is extensive and very beautiful. We had our morning coffee and then she helped me look around and choose two heathers for the box outside our front door. We called home to pick up my wife and a grandaughter to go to my favourite pub where there is a top-grade chef to provide lunch.

I don't suppose you can guess my favourite meal .... it's cauliflower cheese with crispy bacon and crusty bread roll 'n butter.

As soon as we returned home my wife and I took our usual afternoon sleep and then got up for tea and scone with clotted cream & jam.

At 4 o'clock someone read my birthday cards to me and I opened my presents.

Those were the simple things which enabled me to enjoy my birthday very much indeed.

Best wishes to you for 2009, from philipbell.

PS If you wish to comment I can read it by magnifier on my screen. If you prefer to E-mail just use size 18, to >>>phildil@talktalk.net