Happy Birthday!

In Pune last week, we celebrated my mother's 70th birthday. My sister, the oldest of us three siblings, had mooted the idea of making this occasion one to celebrate big time. It went off with such a swing, everything just came together so well. An event to remember and cherish. But we missed her and her twin daughters..they live in London, and the girls had an entrance examination the next day :(.
With Jai, my brother (sandwiched between two sisters), SIL, 2 year old niece, as well as my mom's old friends and her brother & family, all converging from various parts of the country, it was a house-full show. My cousin had lent his car, which was invaluable in all the running around.
About 120 guests turned up! Most were Mum's friends from the senior citizens' club of which she is the very active president.
We had a music program by a professional singer, followed by short speeches by all of us family; then an 84 year old friend of Mum's made a nice speech, concluding with " I wish Leelatai has such a great function for her 100th birthday - and that I'll make a similar speech then!" which got him laughter and applause.:)
Two large cakes were cut, with little granddaughter lending a hand, and then the dinner! We had small gifts for the kids and coconuts in cloth bags (made by a rural womens' self-help group) for the adults.
We had the whole event professionally video recorded, and the CD is total fun to watch.
For us as a family, with our difficult past, it's a matter of pride and achievement to have had such a warm coming together of friends and family on such a scale.
Yahoo.
BUT on returning, I promptly fell ill - and the Point Calimere trip ( a BNHS camp for bird censusing and banding) had to be cancelled. So :(.