Mutton dressed as Lamb

Looks like July has gotten off to an even worse start then the rest of the year in terms of my posting record, yet I will excuse myself as it's been a hectic one so far:

We had a great turn out for our Canada Day Party, despite the weather being tempermental;  Andy as usual pulled out all the stops and decked our yard our brilliantly with Canadian gear.  Almost everyone pitched in and brought some amazing food, the games were a lot of fun, especially the skipping (where more than one person almost lost their pants) and loads of alcohol was consumed.  Aside from someone knocking my shelf down in the bathroom, the iffy weather keeping most of us inside after 10 pm and Andy getting hit with a rough case of hayfever, it was another great party. The next morning found us discussing the possibility of downsizing it next year which is very reminiscent of a conversation we had last year... I had asked a lot less people but we still had quite a crowd.  Sometimes I shake my head at the amount of people we have made friends with over the last few years. To any of you who may struggle with not being one of the 'popular kids' at school yet wish to be, I can only say this: hang on a few years - life brings you so many surprises and you wake up one day in the not too distant future to realise you have become one of the popular crowd, just a much nicer one of your own choosing and it feels good :) 

Especially when they take the time and effort to surprise you with these:

(she's not even Canadian - I adore how much my British mates enjoy helping me celebrate Canada's b-day)

We had a fly-by visit from Roisin, Gavin and Hannah. It was short-lived but fun and so great to see my god-son and step-son hanging out and laughing.  I never would have thought Ra and I would end up with kids the same age that actually like each other. We couldn't have planned for that if we'd tried. The fact that my friend flew past her original destination (Ireland) with the kids, to come and hang out with me and my family at home has more meaning than I could convey properly.  I didn't even get tearful when we said our goodbye's at the airport because we will being seeing them in Nova Scotia very soon.  

Andy and I spent a day shopping at the Trafford Centre, Manchester.  I of course bough my third pair of shoes this spring and Andy didn't even blink an eye.  He actually made a point of walking half-way back down the huge mall to make sure I bought these beauties: 

I also bought myself a very sexy, flowing dress for our holiday in the Maldives in January.  It can't really be worn with a bra, so I will have to use some kind of tape to 'assist' my babies in staying up.  Yes, I have an impressive pair of knockers even at the age 39.5.  However they don't sit quite as high as they used to and even if they did, the only other dress that I have ever been able to wear braless was my wedding dress. So don't worry, I won't be tucking them into my waistband just yet; give me another five years or so and we might have to re-assess.  

Another worry with the dress is that it is rather low cut and shows a lot of leg (my boobs might be good, but my legs are still great... I know, I know, put your plugs in if my trumpet is hurting your ears) and I've always had a rule that only allows for the display of one or the other. The only women that can pull this off without looking like a tramp Jessica Rabbit are women with smaller breasts.  But then I thought to hell with it... I'm going to be in paradise, a couple of thousand miles away from anyone we know - if I want to dress like I'm on the red carpet this one time, then I will.  So long as my tummy is out of view, I'm good to go.  I often try to tell myself that us 'common' people are much too hard on ourselves and often think that a certain outfit, hairstyle, or even car might not be age-appropriate, yet then I look at most celebrities and see that they haven't pulled out the housecoat and grey rinse just because they are hitting middle-age, so why should we?  Middle age isn't what is used to be and I'm so relieved about that.  So long as I dress appropriate to my size and build, with a close eye on certain things that are too young for me, no matter what, I will be satisfied. And then there are even some celebrities that get it wrong and don't know when to quit dressing like a teenager:  

Or am I the only one who thinks this looks slightly sad (and no, haters, I'm not jealous because she is thin and successful and I'm not).