I'm a Winter bebe ...

... but it seems my wishes are Spring-based. 'Tis my birthday today. So, a couple of months ago I gave Mr Brown my birthday wish list:
a native bee hive (with bees);
a pomegranate tree (with nice eatable fruit); and
dinner at The Ottoman (a favourite from our Canberra days, recently opened here in Sydney).
Well, 1 out of 3 ain't bad. We dine at the Ottoman tonight.
He did try for the full list (that's why he's my favourite) and the tree and the bees are on order. Problem is, neither can be delivered until the Spring. He did give me this though, the dafty. And, so I'd have something all wrapped up to open on the day, he gave me this too - one of my favourite smells ever (I guess that makes me an old-fashioned girl).
The whole birthday thing started yesterday with lunch at the Bambini Trust Cafe (where I had the most amazing duck liver and black truffle pate and a beautiful baked pork cutlet with pomegranate molasses and other yummy things) with some special girl friends - and they shouted me - bless their little cotton socks.
And Fiddles gave me the loveliest colour-coordinated gifty (book mark all the way from Vietnam), this is my favourite use. Then cake for afternoon tea (shared with another birthday girl and a pregnant one, as it was her last day). Then drinkies at the pub after work. I was only going to stay for 1 but have no self control and so I was easily talked into several fizzy wines and chatted and laughed and got home quite late and was in no fit state to cook Mr Brown any dinner.
Oh, and there were parcels when I got home. My new T-shirt from Remo, and one for Mr Brown (2 for 1 special - mine on the left, his on the right, apparently funny if you are a computer dweeb), and my two new Mary Russell books from Amazon (because there was no way I was waiting until they were finally published here) - it's very wild, wet and windy outside, perfect for me to curl up with good books and, perhaps, a fire.
Oh, oh, and I finally got a hair cut, 2 years and 1 month since the last one. The haircutty chappie was most surprised that someone would leave it so long, but did say nice things about how healthy it was (all that not dyeing or frying with hot irons or curling wands I guess).
Then I went and renewed my drivers license for another 5 years and can you believe it? I managed to pass the eye test - that really made my day!
On Saturday my mum will be cooking one of my all-time favourites (lemony veal and lots and lots of green beans) and the following Saturday we meet up with some old friends to eat at Chinta Ria, a Brown Mouse tradition. I am SO going to have Sassy's Duck.