Navigating choppy waters!
June 4, 2010 by sweffling
In amongst everything else, for some days I’ve been working hard on helping out daughter-in-law organise a celebration for son’s 40th birthday. I must hastily add that this is entirely voluntary on my part!
Since he sometimes reads this blog I cannot let you into all the ramifications and logistics this has involved! Suffice it to say that I have spent hours on the internet and have looked at hundreds of venues around the UK whilst trying to involve a cast of about 25 people.
His birthday is not until November but given his wish list we decided that we needed to get the preliminary bookings done now and indeed we have found that places are already booked up.
Wish list:
To be a surprise
Location – somewhere new, not Sheffield; somewhere interesting or beautiful or dramatic
Invitee group – family, close friends
Event type – evening meal & drinks, we stay over the night, time alone (just us 2) the next day (obviously longer would be nice but harder to arrange).
So, I’ve been trying to find somewhere that 25 very different people agree will be good to travel to: at a cost that people can afford: at a time that fits in with everyone’s schedule: and this is not to mention that since divorce happened many years ago there are tensions between some groups of
people!!
Nightmare. Oh yes, and trying to get replies from people. And in this day of electronic communication when it should not take a minute to bob me a one line e-mail!!!
Then I am trying hard to keep my own preferences out of the picture and concentrate on son’s likes and dislikes while also helping daughter in law keep focussed since she has strong views of her own likes and dislikes!! The reason I am helping at this point is that she is trying to set up a new business and is frantically involved in the ‘getting off the ground’ stage.
I’m not sure that it is going to be possible to tick all these boxes but hopefully I’ll know more this weekend at a different family gathering. I’ll pin people in corners and demand to know what their intentions are. Husband reckons I am putting myself in a no-win situation but hey, you have to put yourself out there to achieve anything worthwhile,
and a landmark birthday is such a wonderful opportunity for everyone to have a good time.
So, pray for a good wind and calm weather to get this party safely into port.
Wow, I wish someone had one to that sort of trouble for my 40th! Bet you all will have a great time.
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Same here! But I have yet to manage it – we’re not there yet. Are you going to try something special for your 50th or 60th?
As a child we always used to hire a boat for my birthday, or a couple of boats and spend the afternoon on the river. Then we would go and play in a haystack for an hour or two, jumping up and down in the hay, (very bad for it as I now know) and we always had an ice-cream cake for tea. I am thinking of having a family party for my next birthday in the local ice cream parlour I mention in my next blog. Ice cream sandwiches are on the menu!
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