On my birthday the Bear got up first and brought me a cup of tea in bed! He presented me with cards from himself and the cats and a present which one of his daughters had sent - a pretty blue brooch. Then he said, apologetically, that he hadn't bought  anything, but  he gave me a box of chocolates 'from the cats'.

Jay presented me with a birthday kiss, some flowers,  a warm fleece - for when I help on the market - a book and a DVD (Pirates of the Caribbean) as joint presents from him, CC and the Whale.

It was a bit of a rush to get all the 'morning chores' done before my 'English student' arrived. She is a fourteen year old who has been taken out of school by her parents and is having to follow the home teaching programme. When I opened the door she was standing there with a beautifully wrapped present of a selection of tea and coffee, together with chocolate covered coffee beans and other chocolates all elegantly arranged on a wooden tray.

She stayed until after eleven and then the Bear took me into town for lunch. We collected the cake and took it into La Fontaine, where everyone came up and kissed me on both cheeks and wished me Joyeuse Anniversaire. There was a giftwrapped cyclamen on the table and after we had sampled the plat du jour - choucroute - they brought us enormous slices of cake. Mine was decorated with the large 'sheet' of marzipan on which the greeting had been written in chocolate, and the Bear had been given the rather strange decoration - a pineapple stalk! (It looked rather like a leek).

We finished the meal with a leisurely coffee and then returned, just in time to receive Marcelle, a friend from the next village who turned up unannounced with a beautiful bouquet.

The only slight sign of a bad mood from the Bear was when I said I was going shopping with Jay for the evening meal. Bear had tried several ploys to avoid eating in. He had offered to take 'me' out to dinner. Then he stretched his invitation to include Elisabeth and her sons - but NOT Jay and the Whale. Enough said. I was determined to stick to my plan.

Jay and I went to the supermarket and chose  sea trout for the main course, a selection of cheeses - brie de Meaux, soft goat's cheese and Bleu d'Auvergne - and the ingredients for a Greek salad as starter. Elisabeth had offered to bring the dessert. Jay chose the wine, Macon Villages and a rosé (we already had champagne in the fridge and a nice Medoc sitting on the worktop) and then we had a well deserved coffee before loading the car and heading for home.

It was after five, our guests were due at seven but we both felt quite laid back and unhurried as we prepared the vegetables and laid the table. Then our neighbout popped in with another plant. She stayed for a drink and a chat and then we found ourselves hoping that our guests would be a bit late - and they were!

It was nearly seven thirty when they arrived with yet another plant and a gorgeous raspberry gateau. The Bear had gone to bed during the afternoon and when I went to tell him that Elisabeth was here I was greeted with snores. However, during the aperitif he put in an appearance but refused to try the greek salad or trout and just nibbled bread while the rest of us thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

He made up for it when the cake was brought out, and managed a large helping, but went back to bed before we had finished coffee. It has to be said that his arthritis can be painful.

All in all, it was a super day and I really enjoyed it. Even the sun came out and the temperature reached 14 degrees - not bad for the Ardennes at the end of November!