Not only is this coming Sunday Father’s Day, it would also have been my dad’s 101st birthday tomorrow if he was still with us, so he will be in my thoughts more than usual although, as the title says, he is always in my heart. In some ways it doesn’t feel like almost fourteen years since we lost him, and yet in others it seems so much longer.
I love this photo of the two of us together, taken in the early 1980s when he would have been just a little younger than I am now, meaning I would have been in my late twenties.
That’s about the age he was in this photo. It was his publicity headshot when he used to do ‘gigs’ as a singer. He was what used to be called ‘semi-pro’ as he had a ‘day’ job too. It’s a shame he didn’t have more confidence in his ability to make it as a singer because he certainly had the looks to go with his lovely singing voice. That smile was in evidence for the whole of his life, and he had a big heart to go with it.
Not only was he a great dad, he was also a brilliant grandfather. In this photo he was in his 70s but still happy to give my daughter, Sophie a ride around the garden on my mum’s bike. One of my only regrets in having my children in my thirties is that Dad didn’t get to see them grow into the kind and caring adults they have become… I know he would have been so proud of them.
Around the age Sophie was in the above photo, Chris and I would often take our children for days out to the coast in Brighton or Littlehampton and it was so hot and humid on Monday that we decided to take ourselves. We had ‘stuff’ to do on Monday morning, but after lunch we got in my soft top car and drove to Littlehampton. Although we didn’t get there until almost 4pm it was still wonderfully warm but a bit fresher than it was at home. We were only there for a couple of hours, but it was just nice to hear the sound of the waves on the beach and feel the sand between our toes.
One of the things we’d been doing in the morning was setting up a couple of book giveaways on my social media as I was still feeling in generous birthday mode! The Twitter one was only for forty-eight hours so has finished now, but the one on my Instagram @juliagroberts runs until midday tomorrow, so if you do Insta there is still time to enter. Look for the photo of the three DCI Rachel Hart books on my grid and follow the instructions to enter and be in with a chance of winning signed paperbacks of each of the pictured books.
And while on the subject of winning, CONGRATULATIONS go to Dorothy Mills who was the randomly selected winner of the Yankee Candle competition on last week’s blog. Thanks to everyone who entered, all but one correctly saying that Gemini is the star sign for people born on June 10th, like me. Lots of you who entered are Gemini too, so Happy Birthday either in advance or belatedly.
On last week’s blog, I mentioned that I hadn’t had a birthday cake. Well, that was put right when we went round to my daughter’s house on Saturday for a barbecue and a game of boules. Can I just say I was rubbish at boules, but I blame my current ‘dodgy’ left eye! Anyway, the cake was delicious. It was a Victoria sandwich, but instead of a buttercream and jam filling, it was buttercream and fresh strawberries – yummy and a complete surprise.
Also yummy, and a lot healthier was the al fresco Sunday lunch Chris and I had before the England game kicked off. It was ‘tricolore’ (avocado, mozzarella and tomato), potato salad and I also did a chopped salad of cucumber, tomato, olives and capers in vinaigrette. It was a winner of a lunch and England did the business too! Their next game is tonight against Scotland. My sister and I will be on opposing sides, so I’ll just say, ‘May the better team on the night win!’
Just before I finish, I thought I’d share a couple of the birthday cards from friends that made me smile. I’m more of a Pilates fan than yoga, but I always finish my session with a downward dog stretch, something that Tricia, my friend of over forty years couldn’t possibly know and yet this was her card. I love the cat doing an arabesque too. Funnily enough, my latest book, The Woman on the Beach features a Pilates teacher who also finishes her classes with a yoga stretch… I wonder where I got that idea from?
This card is from my friend Nat who I worked with at QVC for over twenty years… I’ll say no more, I’m too busy adjusting my crown!
That’s all for now, but do keep your eyes open for future competitions on here and if you’re not already signed up to receive my newsletter, I’d recommend it as I send them out when there is something special book-wise or competition-wise to highlight. Have a great week,
Much love
Julia xx
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