My Birthday Cake

 

I made 50 years last week. As I had to buy my own cake, I got to choose what to put on it. I'll leave you to work out the literary reference.

A Frog in my Bathroom

Day by Day Life Goes On

Or Life Goes On Day by Day

We have two Nigerian clients - one by the name of Day by Day and the other Life Goes On.

Are they twins? I really don't know.

Nando's Last Dictator Standing

Typewriters

From Futility Closet

"Complaint received by a French typewriter shop, reprinted in a local newspaper on the Île de Ré:

    Monsixur,

    Il y a quxlquxs sxmainxs jx mx suis offxrt unx dx vos machinxs à écrirx. Au début j’xn fus assxz contxnt. Mais pas pour longtxmps. Xn xffxt, vous voyxz vous-mêmx lx défaut. Chaqux fois qux jx vxux tapxr un x, c’xst un x qux j’obtixns. Cxla mx rxnd xnragé. Car quand jx vxux un x, c’xst un x qu’il mx faut xt non un x. Cxla rxndrait n’importx qui furixux. Commxnt fairx pour obtxnir un x chaqux fois qux jx desirx un x? Un x xst un x, xt non un x. Saisissxz-vous cx qux jx vxux dirx?

    Jx voudrais savoir si vous êtxs xn mxsurx dx mx livrxr unx machinx à écrirx donnant un x chaqux fois qux j’ai bxsoin d’un x. Parcx qux si vous mx donnxz unx machinx donnant un x lorsqu’on tapx un x, vous pourrxz ravoir cx damné instrumxnt. Un x xst très bixn tant qux x, mais, oh xnfxr!

    Sinceèrxmxnt à vous, un dx vos clixnts rxndu xnragé.

    Xugènx X—-

From John Julius Norwich, Christmas Crackers, 1981."

Kezia

Kezia's Garden

My great friend, Martim Melo, the expert on São Tomé e Príncipe ornithology, is here and gave me a present ... a new digital camera!

So I spent this weekend happily snapping away including these shots of Kezia which I am showing you to show she is doing really well, in good health, growing fast and in the opinion of her father extremely beautiful!

Dear Mr Cameron ... Need I say more