Wednesday 15 June 2011

Birthday Presents



Birthday week chez Friko and Beloved's,
and this is the card Beloved gave me.  Inside he wrote "we get more alike as the years go on, or is that just cataracts?"  What do I do with a man like that?

Presents are usually not of great concern in our house. We give each other - and other people - books, CDs, food and drink, small items of dress like scarves etc. (never socks or other sensible clothing); I've had jewellery for special occasions, expensive meals, the odd weekend away perhaps. Nothing terribly extravagant but always given with thought.

One long ago birthday present Beloved gave me still ranks amongst my favourites: a swing, an ordinary swing made from a piece of oak with two holes in it and suspended from a beech tree by stout rope.



When I was a little girl I always wanted a swing in a cherry tree; a friend had one and I loved to eat cherries. I told Beloved and for my next birthday he took me into the garden and showed me what he had done. He said : " I can't grow you a cherry tree fast enough but will a swing in a beech tree do?"

I still have the swing, the seat is now covered in lichen and mosses, but it still works.

We had an equally wonderful present between the two of us this week. Gardener has been dragging his feet over stripping and repainting an old Singer sowing machine with a sheet of marble on the top, which we use as a table on the terrace by the kitchen, and a municipal park bench we brought back from France many years ago. Both were seriously rusty and in need of attention for some time.

I mentioned this to our good friend Jay, who paints pet portraits; "I'll do it", she said instantly, "it can be your birthday present. I love doing intricate, complicated work". The intricacy of the job was exactly the reason why gardener didn't want to do it.


during 


and after



This bench has never looked as good as this even in its glory days in a
Municipal Park in France.

Tomorrow it will go back in its place against a very old wall where the evening sun
warms the ancient stonework; our favourite place for indulging in pre-dinner drinks.


50 comments:

  1. That lichen-covered seat is really pretty that way, Friko. Happy Birthday to the two of you, and yes, that intricate beautiful ironwork is stunning!

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  2. Your rejuvenated bench and table look marvellous and that has to rank as one of the kindest presents ever .
    And your swing .... such a romantic thing to do !

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  3. A swing for a birthday present! How perfect that is. What a thoughtful gift, as it says he sees the carefree young girl inside you, too.

    Nice table and bench. "..where the evening sun warms the ancient stonework." What a dreamy phrase.

    I love the card! I hope you and Beloved had a grand birthday.

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  4. Hello Both:
    Many Happy Returns!!

    We rather think in the same way about presents to each other. Nothing is really necessary as we feel very fortunate to have so much all of the time. But, just occasionally a brilliant idea will come to mind and, most certainly, your swing we should regard in just that way. And, how wonderful it looks as the forces of Nature gradually claim it for their own.

    The bench and impromtu table have been given a new lease of life with their paint makeovers. How kind of Jay to give her time as a present, the most precious gift of all.

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  5. Painted perfection. and a swing to gladden the heart! Lovely post, m'dear...many happies...

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  6. Happy Birthday, and many happy returns!

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  7. wow. it looks brand new...very nice...happy belated birthday as well!!! so cool on the swing he gave you too

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  8. Happy birthday. Love the words on your card!

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  9. Happy Birthday, Friko. I hope you and your Beloved are as self-assured at those two characters in the photo. The sewing table and bench look great!

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  10. What a lovely gift from your friend, Friko, but that card from Beloved is just too cute for words!
    — K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  11. Happy birthday dear friend and hubby. What a wonderful card and the bench and table are simply beautiful. Makes me want to get my lazy --- out and get some outside things done.
    QMM

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  12. The thoughtful, quirky presents are often the best, aren't they? Happy birthday to both of you. It's my husband's birthday this week too. I'm giving him an antique saucer.

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  13. Gifts of time and skill are the truly precious and you are one lucky lady.

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  14. Happiest of birthdays my dear blog friend!

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  15. Happy Birthday to you, Friko and to your Beloved. I love the card, and the sentiment is so true.

    What a beautiful place you'll have for your pre-dinner drinks.

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  16. What a lovely post, Friko. Your husband is a gem and your friend did a great job. How nice! :)

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  17. friko happy birthday to everybody - the world got a present the day you were born! steven

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  18. Oh Friko, many Happy Birthday wishes to you and to your beloved. It seems as if you two know well how to please each other, and not just on one birth anniversary either!

    I love the look of that swing, and truly admire the work done to restore the intricate metal lace of the bench and sewing machine table.

    xo

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  19. Happy Happy Birthday!!

    ( and I've just been given an exquisite gift in reading all of the posts I've missed )

    You are a wonder, Friko. You are. I feel honoured to "know" you. To be swept into the poetry you make about life and death and gratitude and glory. Thank you .

    And I will go out and snip a peony to sit near my kitchen window and say "cheers" to joy.

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  20. Friko -- Such lovely gifts -- from the heart, I call them. Your husband sounds like such a dear. Enjoy every day which I am sure you do. -- barbara

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  21. Oh, man, what an awesome gift! Happy birthday to you both.

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  22. A belated Happy Birthday, Friko!
    Your story of the swing is lovely - now that is a gift from the heart!

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  23. Belated Happy Birthday wishes to you both! The restorations look fabulous, but I vote for the swing as still reigning as the best of all.

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  24. "I can't grow you a cherry tree fast enough but will a swing in a beech tree do?"

    That was a joy to read. I love the photograph of the lichen-covered swing.

    I wish the two of you all the best that life and love have to offer. And lots and lots of cherries.

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  25. schön, die Stimmung in Deinem Post und wie immer ein ganz besonderer Tag, ich meine, ein Tag mit einem ganz besonderen Gedanken... Ich wünsche Dir alles Wundervolle zum Geburtstag, obschon er sicher längst vorbei ist...!
    Die Bank ist wunderschön!
    Ich wünsche Dir auch einen sehr schönen Tag heute!
    Renée

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  26. Happy Birthday Friko

    It is always extra special to receive a gift with a real personal touch and you certainly seem blessed with your family and friends.

    Anna

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  27. They both look fabulous!!! So fresh and clean
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  28. absolutely beautiful. Happy birthday!

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  29. Isn't that lovely! Happy Birthday, dear! A very handsome gift from your friend and a sweet, funny card from hubby.

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  30. Happy Birthday and what a wonderful poetic swing and the view from there is just stunning. Your garden furniture looks as new. Beautiful.

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  31. Belated happy birthday Friko. I seem to remember we had a Singer treadle table down at the bottom of our garden when I was little - I wonder where it is now - must remember to ask Annie if she has hidden it away somewhere!

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  32. Happy Birthday Friko! Say hello to Beloved for me.

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  33. Alles erdenklich Gute zum Geburtstag euch.

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  34. Your refurbished pieces are so lovely. But that little wooden swing and the story behind it is special beyond words. I would never want to refurbish it...

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  35. Happiest of co-birthdays, Sis!

    We are lucky in our lives...the best gift.


    Aloha from Waikiki :)

    Comfort Spiral

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  36. Happy Birthday! Your Beloved sounds like my kind of fellow.

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  37. I can see, from my front door, way up in the house-field's hedgerow, a huge old oak with a big branch just made for a swing like that. I have wanted one there since before we built the house. I see we have that in common.
    The sewing machine and bench look beautiful, and now they are protected for a while longer from corruption by rust.

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  38. Lovely lovely whites on show.
    Happy birthday!
    XO
    WWW

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  39. Wishing you both a belated Happy Birthday and many, many years to enjoy the newly refurbished garden furniture. I agree with the others who have said that the Swing was a lovely present - it shows that your Beloved listens to you and knows what will please you.

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  40. The sewing machine table and bench are gleaming white! I like a gift of time and craftsmanship and am interested in people's mind-set toward furniture not decorating style. Thank you for sharing this nice story. Happy birthday, Furiko-san.

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  41. Birthday greetings and many happy returns,
    dear one. I knew there was something kindred
    going on when I stumbled onto your site, years ago,
    and hey, my birthday is this week too.
    So do you and your beloved both have
    birthdays this week? That is awesome.
    The Singer table is gorgeous now. How in the
    world did you transport the metal bench from
    France? And your swing story brings out the
    child in all of us.

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  42. Mit etwas Verspätung aber nicht weniger herzlich, wünsche ich euch alles gute zum Geburtstag. Ich hoffe, dass ihr mit einem schönen Kuchen und einem guten Glass Wein feiern konntet.
    Cheers und weiterhin viele, gesunde und glückliche Lebensjahre.

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  43. "What do I do with a man like that?" Easy... hide his spectacles!

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  44. Happy Birthday to the happy duo. Your birthdays are inspiring. The picture of the swing looks like a corner of the "Secret Garden." That old singer machine..... I love it. I had one years ago and I don't know what happened to it. So clever.
    Manzanita@Wannabuyaduck

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  45. Happy belated birthday to you and Beloved. I love the card he sent you - I far prefer humor to gooey sentiment.

    Enjoy your evening libation on that pretty bench and treasure your time together.

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  46. What a lovely gift of love. And that swing.. that's just so sweet. It looks wonderful just as it is at the moment. Frank and I share birthdays in the same week, also.. just two days apart. That birthday card made me laugh out loud. It sounds like you had a lovely day. Belated Happy Birthday to you both.

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  47. Since your birthdate has passed ,I will send best wihes for a lovely year and thanks for another serving of beauty created through words, photos and deeds well-chronicled.

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  48. Belated happy birthday wishes to you and yours. The Singer treadle and garden bench look wonderful. What a lovely friend.

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