Another birthday, another wedding anniversary

Another birthday and so, another wedding anniversary, 20 years, in fact.  I wanted something to commemorate our 20 years of marriage which has often felt like travelling in a dinghy - sometimes cruising when the solwata is proper muthuru (doldrums) and sometimes like trying to cross the Prince of Wales channel during boxing tide and a forty knot wind with a stalling engine and a dodgy bilge pump. I have been thinking about a special present, to myself, something to celebrate our two decades and also represent the six children.  I had the day to think of something.

     By a stroke of good fortune, my birthday fell on my day off.  And what better way to start the day than with a leisurely session of dog yoga.  Pippa, a playful and naively disobedient beast, has never grasped my rule that the black mat is sacred to me, something Saidor respected as does Gina Rose.  Also, I'd received two cheesecakes in the two days prior to my birthday and had only consumed one. So I was trying to work up an appetite for the remaining cheesecake I planned to eat (or as much of it as possible) for lunch.

Pippa helps to gently pull my arm into the correct position.

Pippa tests my focus.  I am required to hold this pose for five minutes and ignore any distractions such as having my face licked and nose nibbled on.

Pippa sits on my back to enable me to work deeply in the pose.

     After a forty minute session of dog yoga, I went to the backyard and found a freshly-laid egg from Billie, still warm.  I got out the good crockery for my meal!

      Fortunately, I was so busy working on the computer I forgot about lunch.  Then my father arrived with a cheesecake (that's number three) and his brother, Jim and wife, Sue who I hadn't seen for 33 years.  They gave me a gorgeous ceramic pendant, blue.  Perfect. I remembered my manners enough to offer them a cup of tea, but no food.  Jim and Sue were teachers.  Sue has retired and Jim studied law and is now working as a solicitor.  They were off to Cairns but there was furious conversation about teaching and law for an hour or so.

Afternoon tea with Dad's cheesecake.  

     With full bellies, the kids and I walked into town to buy part of the birthday/anniversary gift I had dreamed up.  At the Crystal Caves, I bought some gems, six in fact.  
     I arrived home to find Lyndel, the wonderful woman I work with, had dropped off a chocolate cheesecake (that's number four) and a very apt gift, fluffy slippers for I am always complaining at work about how cold I am and asking students to shut the doors (even thought they complain about how warm it is - "can we put the air conditioning on?).
     Tony cooked my favourite meal - sausages (Dad's cow), mashed potato and steamed vegetables.  For dessert we had ... cheesecakes.
     And the next day, another present from the wonderful Anita who I also work with.  A snuggly warm pale, blue jumper for the cold.  Lyndel and Anita had made food (and these women can cook!) so Lyndel, Anita and Lisa, our wonderful line manager, had a delicious meal at little lunch.  We missed Glenn, the fifth member of our team who doesn't work on Wednesdays.  
     Then later in the week, I met with Kai, a local jeweller and discussed with him my desire for a ring with six stones, three rubies and three sapphires to represent the three Tony Titasey girls and the three Tony Titasey boys in order of the kids' ages - Ciehan, Ashlea, TK, Sutchy, Seffie (she has changed the spelling of her name) and Kibbim.
     This is the design he envisaged which I think is perfect.  

The green stone is actually a sapphire with a faint green tinge to it. It is Sutchy, the hunter and fisherman, one with nature.

     I just haven't mentioned to Kai my other desire which I will discuss when we meet next.  I would like the inside of the gold band inscribed to record the fact of our 20 years together.  This is what I have visualised.

21.7.95-21.7.2015 ... Surprisingly sane after 20 years of marriage.