Gifts and progress seems to be a good heading for this weeks blog, although there are definitely times when gifts seem to be received more than progress is made.  This will make sense, I assure you.
Let's start with a gift or two.
Sam and Molly returned from a happy holiday in Devon with gifts (they are both not only well brought up, but kind too.)  Sam gave me a jar of one of my favourites, heather honey (it was full when presented to me, honest) and Molly gave me another of my favourites, kitsch shell ornaments.

I already have some shell animals wearing spectacles, including an elderly poodle, but Molly gave me my first Asian-inspired mermaid, she is just fab.

When I returned home I added them to one of my cabinets.

Here you see the tortoise, also complete with hat, looking at home alongside a bespectacled owl.

The Asian mermaid joins a couple of seagulls.  She and the smaller seagull then look to their left, and cast many admiring glances at the new bathroom curtains.  Progress has been made on the curtain front, two windows now have curtains, with four more looking forward to receiving them.  The llama curtains are ready to go when filling and painting is complete, and fabric for the spare room curtains was purchased today.  So only two windows now are totally neglected!

On Tuesday, as well as working for ten and a half hours and receiving holiday gifts, I also received a phone call to say that the installation work for the wood burning had met with a problem, which then took 3 hours to sort out.  Although the work had been booked for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, this 3 hours meant that Wednesday was cancelled as far as stove-progress was concerned.

I got back to view the progress that had been made, which was not inconsiderable.  But tired and fed-up at the end of a long, hard day, all I was really seeing was that the hearth had been fitted as a lot larger than we had discussed,

And that the spare room now needed decorating sooner, rather than later, and

The stairs, and all the floors downstairs were really grimy.

What better way to start a Wednesday than by getting up at 6.30am, quietly so as not to wake Mr Cooper, and spend two hours cleaning all the floors and stairs before leaving for my every-other Wednesday cleaning job?
Luckily that was where my progress in cleaning houses ended till Saturday, when it began again but in earnest this time.  However, on Wednesday at 2pm I set off for Southsea to get my hair done at Garbos.  But not before paying a visit to the brilliant bookshop at the start of Albert Road, which has been there for thirty-one and a half years.  (I know as I asked. It is a shop where you talk to both the owner and other customers about good books)
 Anyway, I bought what turned out to be a brilliant book.  It was in the window calling to me,

Which those of you who know me well will not be surprised at.
Here is my painting 'Housewife 2' which I painted to encapsulate the essence of a good housewife from the 50s and 60s.  I was born towards the end of an era where girls were very much trained as they grew up to gain good foundation skills in being a housewife. 

I think that is why I am so fond of aprons now, because then at least you can put on the costume and act the part, then very much take the apron off  and return to normality.
Here I am in one of my favourite 'apron acting' roles, Christmas Dinner Housewife!

After a successful two and a half hours in Garbos, Tara had indeed succeeded in making me look very presentable.  So much so that when I caught up with Mr Cooper on the following day, he said that my trimmed, coloured and curled locks made me look 20 years younger.  No wonder I had felt tired and cross earlier when washing the floors and stairs....I had been 76, after all!

Then, onto Janeese's for a night in with the girls.  And that is who we are to each other, although we are all in our fifties or sixties.  'Even you?' I hear you cry.  Yes, even me.
Us girls have successfully managed to slow time, well, to our eyes at least.  In fact that night we actually turned back the clock as here is a pre-birthday cake that Janeese produced for me ( Thank you Jan, I can't remember the last time I had a birthday cake for me) a delicious chocolate caterpillar.  Well, if it had had the correct number of candles, it would have reached from the front to the back of the house!

What better way to start my celebrations than a night which included much laughter, bubbles and cake.  Thank you also very much for my presents, I saved them till Sunday of course.  Not only did Trina give me a wonder Frida Khalo card, but nestling inside the envelope were earrings to match.  Thank you very much, each and everyone of you.

After that, I continued to make progress on the 'catching up with friends' stakes, and after spending the night at Diane and Keith's, assisted by Rio, I went westwards to have lunch with Rose and Paul, accompanied by Moss and Mabel, of course.
As I had not seen Rose for a couple of weeks, we had an awful lot of catching-up to do.  Perhaps it was better that Mr Cooper was not with me for this part, as he sometimes gets a bit tetchy when I do a lot of 'catching up'.  If I was a much better wife, I would not do all this talking when he was around, but rather, would give him my undivided attention, plus a lot of freshly-made food.  I sometimes succeed in the 'freshly-made food' side of things!

After lunch, Rose and I attempted to make lots of Rowan Protection Charms for a coming event for Rose.  After an hour and several repeated mistakes, we thought that our finished products needed to be priced between £30-£40 for a reasonable return!  Then the profit margin took a downward turn as Rose gave me one to take home with me.  Here it is working hard to protect our house from unquiet spirits, lightening and Black Witchcraft.

It was lovely to have time away with my mates, but also lovely to return to my very own mate.  When I got back, we set off for a little walk to see the sea, and walked down a road that has not only spectacular views of the sea, but of the lifeboat too!  Selsey is a town like no other, and I love it!

Friday saw the successful completion of the stove installation.  The spare room is fully functioning yet again, and our new double-sided wood burner is functioning for the first time.  It is brilliant.
I almost didn't take this picture as I was worn out with opening cards and presents, but I wanted to share how lovely it is, with you all.  I was also worn out with stuffing down chocolate and pink gin fudge, I wish you had been there to help stuff it down, me and sweets have a 'feast or famine' relationship!

Thank you for all your birthday messages, and cards and presents.  I had a really enjoyable extended birthday, and now feel in the need of an extended rest.
It is lovely to receive messages and cards, but also lovely to be the giver of them too.  So this week, choose a card, choose a friend and brighten their day with your message, and perhaps a small bar of chocolate.  Little and often is probably a better way forward!
Looking forward to seeing you all again soon, don't forget to eat responsibly as well as having fun.