Sunday, May 6

 

 

I sprung out of bed this morning, having gone to bed early after having almost nothing to drink at the party. I found myself looking at my birthday gifts. I had two small perfumes, suitable for inclusion in my travel kit; three pairs of Happy Socks; a bottle of sparkling wine with its own limited edition number; and a very nice card.

Yesterday the alleged heatwave began, so the party stayed outside until we left. This morning the weather has warmed up even more. I leave for a lengthy walk, listening to Michael Nesmith’s album Rays again. As I walk along, as quickly as I can to make it count as exercise, I find myself walking directly under the electricity pylon for some distance. I stop and photograph the wires passing over my head.

We will have a long, relaxed brunch before unpacking all the garden furniture from its winter storage on the terrace at the side of the house. We will set everything up, and then put the winter things away.

After this we will begin a lengthy adventure with mattresses. Minna and Tommi have two new beds they no longer want, because Tommi finds them too hard. We have discussed getting harder beds, because I find ours too soft. We go and collect the beds from Minna and carry them home. We then move every bed in our house, ending up with a spare one on the terrace.

At 15:00 Mummi and Naa will arrive to celebrate my birthday and we will sit and eat cakes and drink tea for a couple of hours. Irma’s mother has brought me an old copy of The Return of the Native, which I had thought about re-reading last summer. I shall definitely re-read it this summer.

Naa will give me a handmade gift card offering me a free cinema visit, and another handmade ticket offering me a game of ten-pin bowling and a meal afterwards

After Mummi has left in her taxi, Irma, Naa and I will sit down to a dinner, and then Naa will cycle home. Irma and I will read for a while and retire to test our new beds.