teetering on the brink ...

... nearly there ... nearly 40!

It's not such a big deal right? I mean, meh, what's another year, another decade??

I had a giggle with my parents last week - the idea of turning 40 myself is far less mind-blowing than the thought of my offspring turning 40! I imagine it's quite a big deal for them, but then they have had a number of years to get ready for it.
As have I.

A quiet day planned tomorrow.

I've got some work to do in the morning.
A cheesecake to bake.
I've got some expensive shoes to purchase - two pairs in fact. Two pairs of expensive shoes both of which have 'metatarsal arch supports in the mid-foot region' because I'm old now and I need that.
Luckily they're also cute.

Then I'll fetch the girls from school, and I guess we'll go to swimming classes because there's not much reason not to besides that I hate the loud, muggy swim school and it's really not something I'd chose to do on my birthday but you know ... being a grown up and all that.

I think a coffee/milkshake/ice cream will be in order after.

Then home to prepare for a big family pizza evening at ours. Unless of course we get our scheduled load-shedding, in which case we'll relocate entire event to my brother's house a couple of suburbs over.

My Mum won't be joining us - she's been so ill the poor thing. A nasty ear infection, a violent reaction to her antibiotics and her departure to the UK later this week postponed indefinitely. In her current state not even her desire to celebrate her first born's birthday could persuade her to be anywhere near pizza. 
We get that but we'll miss her.

And while I'm being a Debbie Downer, a friend of my younger brother and his new wife has gone missing.
His car was found at the foot of Table Mountain, he's an avid hiker so the assumption was he'd headed off by himself. Then we thought he'd had an accident and was stuck up there. Rescue teams, helicopters, dogs, friends and police - they've all been out there looking for him. It's been a week.
Not looking good.
Not feeling good.

And so tomorrow will be about life really - the ups and the downs - about being a grown up and trucking on and finding the joy in between it all. Luckily we're really good at that.

I've made a killer dessert for our pizza evening too. It's a firm family favourite but wildly indulgent so celebratory fare only.
I managed to sear the top off my left index finger with molten sugar while making it.

Good to know I'm just getting older, not wiser <smiley face>.