Lascours Lockdown, Day 10

Birthday day!! Girls made us breakfast with minimal supervision on my part. Maëva made she and I French toast with my seed bread. Healthiest French toast ever! Laureva fried bacon for the three meat-eating family members and two eggs for Sylvain. Then we all sat down to a family birthday breakfast and present-opening session. The girls gave us homemade cards, pictures and paintings. You've already seen their paintings for Sylvain. Maëva painted me three kangaroos hopping across a sunset background. Laureve painted me a hippo. We also opened up the presents and cards from Mom. Thanks, Mom! I'm looking forward to putting on my comfy hippo pajama bottoms tonight.
After breakfast and  Just Add Magic while I did the exercise bike, the girls finished getting their cakes/cupcakes ready. Maëva put candles on her lemon cake. Laureva frosted and decorated her chocolate cupcakes.

My friend, Jenny, and I have started watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel together. She made me this special photo for my birthday:

11:30am Virtual Yoga Birthday Party. Dad led a Zoom yoga session for me and some friends in France (I didn't invite anyone overseas as it was so early.). Following the yoga, we connected to another Zoom meeting for chitchat and Cheers! Most unusual birthday party I've had so far, but kind of fun and definitely better than nothing.

Marie-Elisabeth made us a delicious birthday lunch of sautéed jumbo shrimp and rice which was followed by singing, and cake and cupcakes with lots of candles (24 on one cake: half Sylvain's age and my age backwards as Jenny pointed out!).

We're running out of eggs, but luckily one of the girls at my Zoom party lives in Lascours and has lots of hens. She said I could come pick up some eggs this afternoon. But first, had to write out and sign an official declaration of intent. You have to have them whenever you leave the house now (an aquaintance got a 135 euro ticket yesterday because he didn't have the correct version!). We now have to remain within a one-kilometer radius of our domicile when we go out for exercise and must limit the excursion to one-hour maximum. Virginia gave me eleven eggs (great birthday present!). Enough for us and Marie-Elisabeth. Turns out Virginia's family is out of bread and flour. Next week, I promised sourdough bread in exchange for eggs.

Lots of birthday calls, texts, emails and other messages throughout the day. Fred stopped by about 4 with a little cactus with colorful fuschia and yellow flowers. Very joyful! Not a bad birthday at all.

Birthday dinner: spaghetti with roquefort cream sauce and sautéed onion and chard (from neighbor Gilles' garden). Birthday movie night: Parasite. Not bad at all.