Tuesday 13 January 2009

Party Bags!


Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me!

Today I will mostly be here enjoying my birthday treat from Mr Marmalade.

And to give you a clue as to which birthday this is, here are 40 random facts about me ...

  • I’m a Capricorn, born in the Chinese year of the Monkey
  • I spent my early childhood in South Africa
  • I could speak Zulu before I could speak English
  • I went to boarding school in Scotland until I was expelled at 15
  • I attended 4 more educational establishments before giving up at 16
  • I left home at 17
  • I worked in hotels from then until I was 20
  • When I was 20 I went to Secretarial College in Oxford as part of a pact with my parents
  • I met The Italian Connection there, she was my room mate and is still my best friend
  • My mother nearly fainted when she saw that said room mate had bright pink hair
  • It turned out that we were both fans of Toyah Wilcox, this was a relief to me
  • My favourite song when I was 14 was "I wanna be Free"
  • My mother thinks this was the main reason I was 'difficult' during my youth
  • I don't believe in private education
  • I can write Pitmans shorthand @ 100wpm and touch type at 70wpm
  • When I started work, I had a typewriter on my desk, there were no pc's
  • I gave up an opportunity to work in New York, because my social life in Oxford was too good!
  • I think happiness and family is more important than career
  • If I had gone to New York, I would not have met Mr Marmalade
  • My husband and my best friend have the same name, but hers has an 'a' on the end
  • I have blood in the following varieties: French, Spanish, Scottish, English and Welsh
  • My grandfather was a 'celebrity chef' in his day
  • So was my great grandfather, and my great uncle, and a few more before them
  • I grew up in hotels and am not modest about the fact that I can cook
  • I wish I could sew as well as I cook
  • I have been keeping chickens for the last 5 years and wouldn't be without a couple
  • The one piece of advice from my mother that I regret taking, is not going to art school
  • I wanted to be a beautician when I left school but wasn't allowed
  • I put myself through beauty school 10 years ago
  • I worked in a salon part time for a while, and then became disillusioned by vanity
  • I do not use products which are tested on animals
  • I abhor rampant consumerism
  • I don't like shopping much and do my best to avoid it
  • My parents think i'm a socialist bean eating hippy
  • I can't grow flowers but I am expert at growing fruit and veg
  • I am upset by waste
  • I can't abide snobbery or discrimination of any kind
  • One day I would like to own a field with a yurt on it
  • I think time is the greatest gift we have
  • My best advice for staying young: Avoid sunbeds at all costs, and laugh ALOT!

It's also my blogoversary soon, so I think a giveaway is in order. I will decide what to put in a bag of goodies for the prize when I am fully relaxed, refreshed and massaged

In the meantime, all you have to do to enter, is leave a comment with a random fact about getting older and put a link on your blog. I will make the draw on 21 January which is the day that this blog is 1 year old!

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Julia... from another 'monkey'. I turned 40 last year and it's a good age to be. You like me are lucky to have a birthday at the begining of the year so why not celebrate on the 13th day of each month for your entire 40th year?
Have a great day. Ginny xx

dragonfly said...

I have spa envy! Hope you had a wonderful day.
My advice? Live for the day

Twiggy said...

Happy Birthday Julia, I'm 4o next year and your blog anniversary is my birthday!!!
My advice is don't be a crowd follower, listen to your inner voice and not other people.
Have a great day.
Twiggy x

Pink Feather Paradise said...

Happy Birthday !
I am 2 years behind you, but after spending most of my childhood being told to grow up by 3 older brothers, I feel older!
I would have to say that life is really too short, so be happy and if it feels right, it probably is!
enjoy your spa day!!

Alex x

Gina said...

Happy Birthday Julia. Loved reading all those random facts. Random fact about me - I should have gone to Art School but it was positively discouraged so I did a Maths degree instead! I'll try to remember a link next time I post!

Lorna said...

Getting older ... I still float on the top of the 'pond of life' ... still get bitten on the arse by denizens of the deep and the sun still shines on my face.

http://eynshamgods.blogspot.com/

CurlyPops said...

What a great post!
I think you're a lovely socialist bean eating hippy...he he he.
Happy Birthday and cheers to many more...by the way, what is a yurt?

CurlyPops said...

Whoops forgot my piece of advice - life is way too short to not be happy every day

Selfsewn said...

Happy Birthday Lady Marmalade!!

I too would love a field of my own!!

Clare x

Unknown said...

Random fact - on my telephone I have written 'don't complain, do something about it'
I try to follow my own advice.
Happy birthday and happy new decade.

Veronica Darling... said...

Happy Birthday! You have a great sense of humour, so v. glad to have found your blog!

Kitty said...

Happy Birthday Julia! Have a wonderful time at Kubu.

Random fact about me? I'm a fully qualified astrologist ... but then you knew that ;-)

x

Mrs Jelly said...

Happy Birthday - how sucky is it having your birthday in January?! Mine is right at the end of the month, but just before pay-day so everybody is always skint for mine!

The Perks of Being Over 40...

Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.

Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them anyhow.

Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.

People call at 9 PM and ask, "Did I wake you?"

People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

Things you buy now won't wear out.

You can eat dinner at 4 P.M.

You enjoy hearing about other peoples' operations.

You get into heated arguments about pension plans.

You have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it.

You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.

You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.

You sing along with elevator music.

Your eyes won't get much worse.

Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.

No one expects you to run into a burning building.

xx

Daisie said...

Happy Birthday!!

I'm not sure if it's because I'm older or because I now have children but I brim with the feeling that I don't actually care what people think of me. A big digression from how I felt as a teenager and young adult!

My advice to anyone (growing old or not) is to just be happy with what you have and change the things you can and ignore the rest. Does that make snese?

Hope you are now very relaxed, am a teeny bit jealous!

xxx

Anonymous said...

Your 40 things make me adore you all the more!

NancyDaQ said...

My advice: it's ok to be selfish sometimes.

Congratulations on your milestone! I enjoyed reading 40 Facts.

driftwood said...

happy birthday, hope you have a lovely cake filled day. love the list, my comment on being older - lists are good, they help you remember - if you can find the list that is.....

A Time for Stitching said...

Happy Birthday, I hope you have a great day. My comment for getting older is - why is it that you realise in your 40s what you should have been doing since your 20s and is it too late to start.

Florence Knapp (Flossie Teacakes) said...

Julia, I loved reading all the interesting things about you. I had a spell at Pitman too...and it's actually one of the best things I've ever done - far more useful than my degree in sociology!

Happy 40th birthday - that is a big one indeed and what a lovely treat you have been given - it looks like an amazing place.

I'm so pleased that you like the meringues & fabric, by the way, please forgive how tardy I have been in replying! x

Gone to Earth said...

Happy birthday! Enjoy it. Love your random facts - I could tick quite a few of them (!) Has your mother forgiven you yet for the hippy tendency, mine hasn't.... love your life - it is as they say the only one you've got.

My random observation about getting older is that you get less concerned about how others think you should live and more concerned with living how you feel is 'right'. (You get more beligerant - my husband says)

MissT said...

Happy Birthday - I have no great words about ageing per sey, but I know that in the end 'all that's left of us is love' (see the wonderful poem Arundel Tomb by Larkin).

Random fact - I gained my Girl Guide flower arranging badge. Hard to believe I know!

love

Lucy

Kathi D said...

Happy birthday! (from a fellow Capricorn)

We are going to get older no matter what, so we may as well enjoy the passage of time.

Anonymous said...

Ahhh your blog has the same birthday as me! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! xx

Mrs Moog said...

Happy happy birthday Julia!!

Great random facts about you!

My advice? No-one will ever remember you for being good at housework, so forget the housework and do something you enjoy :-)

xxx

p.s. got an excruciating case of spa-envy going on over here! Hope it's lovely.

dottycookie said...

Happy Birthday, and welcome to the over 40 club - well tomorrow, anyway ;-)

walter and me said...

Happy Birthday to you! So...the naughty forties....mmm....have fun!!
Appreciate the little things...
D x

Garden Girl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Garden Girl said...

Oops, sorry, that was me!
Your cake looks rather yummy- I hope someone made it for you!!
Happy belated birthday wishes from me for yesterday. Hope you has a fabulous day at the spa-what a great present.
Can I bring my fantasy VW camper van and visit you in your yurt one day?!x

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday Julia

As for growing old, my motto as I fast approach my 50th is:

"Only lucky people get old, unlucky people die before then"

pettie1019 said...

I like what Ann Shirley's teacher in Ann of Green Gables said "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes."
Happy Birthday!!

alice c said...

Happpy Birthday!
Now that you have reached the age of 40 I will share my secret with you "a treat a day and a party a week..."

Diana said...

Getting older is... being more relaxed. I've stopped fretting about things I can't do anything to change. Stopped worrying which is *the* best age-defying moisturiser to buy, whether I need a change of hair colour, whether painted nails look sophisticated or tarty... in short, getting older is just being myself and learning to enjoy it! Happy birthday!

Anonymous said...

I loved this post and really loved the comment by Jellybelly. My fortieth is four years away yet - although they seem to disappear into thin air - My advice is to ensure that the big good belly laughs are plentiful. Also smiling is a natural facelift!!