I toasted to birthdays, as I always liked parties and what better reason to celebrate than the very fact that you’re alive. My gran did a big party like this when she turned 70 and that kind of inspired me. I just thought doing it at 30 would be appropriate; carpe diem and all that. Furthermore I toasted to all of the lovely people around me. It’s a good opportunity to tell them all that I love them and that I’m happy they were there to share the evening with me.
Both my parents were there with their wives. My uncle Cor, aunt Joke, her twin sister and my friend Anja, and my little cousin Valesca. And some of my mum’s friends, who became my friends as well; Erik and Johanna. When I was inviting them all, I smiled when I realised that a good friend ‘stuck’ from every stage in my life. There was Angie, with whom I became instant Best Friends Forever when we met in primary school. Ange made me a cute drawing of us as princesses, like we used to (!)
Angie’s family was there as well. They always made me feel like an extra daughter, for which I’m very grateful. Ange and I both went to the same secondary school (the one I’m a teacher for now), where I also met Rianne. I told everyone how Rianne always hated being TWO WHOLE MONTHS younger than I was, but now she gets to be 29 that little longer… I then went on to mention Richard (at the end of this speech, everyone would be introduced).
Richard (who’s like my twin brother) and I met in college and we agree to go and live in the same retirement home one day (and drive each other nuts). His lovely girlfriend Yara came along too. I then went to yet another school, the university at which I became a teacher, and here I met Marcel. He is still in this uni, as he’s the best music teacher one can wish for. I’m still not there yet, as I’m currently at another uni, but my biology buddies couldn’t make the party unfortunately.
They thought of me though and called, which made me smile. Anyway, this brought me to the last (but of course not least) great group of people, who I met about five years ago – after Brian mentioned Chris’ Galaxy Zoo project and I ended up discovering this thing in space, etc. It always felt as if we’ve known each other for way longer than that though and as I was thanking them for coming over all the way from the UK, my family applauded them.
Graham had brought me a carrot cake, complete with candles, although I didn’t have all that many wishes left. We saved the cake for dessert, when my dad concluded you don’t really taste the carrots (you should look at his face in one of the pictures on my flickr page)! It was a lovely evening and everyone seemed to have fun. I think all my guests have commented on how amazing the venue was and the friendly people there really did arrange everything very well.
They usually do kid’s parties. Complete with real ponies visiting the attic! My cousin Valesca had looked forward to this and Rianne’s son Mika seemed to enjoy himself as a cowboy protecting the princesses. Angie’s cute daughter Zoë asked in amazement if I lived here now. I think she would’ve wanted to move in with me if Ange had said yes. Desiree, the actual owner, had asked my cousin if she wanted to wear a princess-dress.
She said yes, obviously, but also mentioned I am really a princess, as I (still) have Rapunzel hair. Before I could explain to Valesca that the dress wasn’t my size, Desiree came out with two dresses which were! Angie and I didn’t think long, we needed to take this opportunity and finally be real princesses, or Dancing Queens. I thought I had planned it all, but this was a nice surprise. We did the balcony scene and everything. Growing up is optional, right.
To Be Continued
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