60 years old (young)??

Balloons on our bed ready to brighten up the party room

They say I will turn 60 on Monday?! I suppose I will but I don't feel like 60. When I was younger like in my 20-s I thought people at the age of 60 were so old. I don't think that today and I don't know if it's because we look younger, we stay younger or if it only was because I was younger.

I think I'm singing :-)

Yesterday was my birthday party although it's not really until Monday but hard to have parties on Mondays :-) so Friday was a better option. What a night I had!!!

Telling something to someone maybe ;-)

Everything I wished for came true :-) I had my near and dear there, both family, friends and co-workers. Some were missed, of course, like my sisters. Neither of them could come. One because she lives very far away in LA. The other is with her work in Mallorca but I know both of them were there in thoughts.

Me and Erik Grönwall singing together (!)

And what a night it was! We started out with champagne and "snittar"while everyone mingled, looking for the place they should sit and little about the people there. I had written explanations on everyone so they all know how we are connected. They also had to do a quiz with questions about - ME :-) Hasse and Emil had put that one together. Good questions I think :-) First price - a bottle of champagne, second price to everyone else who got to choose a gift from a lot of different things we had put together.

Then it was time for food and as a starter we had Toast Skagen and to that beer (Erik Gronwall's own Hadiraja) or white wine or non-alcoholic drinks to those who wanted for instance Jonas who ran a half-marathon the day after (Saturday).
But before we started to eat I wanted to sing so we sang a song called "Go party in" to the music of "when that saints.." Since the lyrics were funny everyone laughed and it started in a good mood and just got better....
 

The main course

After eaten that it was time for more songs with other lyrics than normal which was a success. I also went around the tables talking to everyone and having a good time (yes I did drink which I'm very restricted with normally but you only turn 60 once)
 

Hadiraja - the beer that Erik Grönwall has created

Then the main course which was the most tender, perfectly done tournedous with roasted root vegetables, garlic sauce and a potatoe gratin which was so creamy and garlicy. To that red wine, white wine, beer or whatever you wanted to drink. 

Erik got feeling and sings on the table

After that Gunilla (my bonus daughter) held a speech which was so sweet and nice, especially since she doesn't like to speak in front of many. But she spoke so wonderful and heartfelt and since I have been around for 32 years we have done so much and have so many fun and wonderful memories together. I love her so much.

H.E.A.T joined by Pär and Stellan

Then we sang again and after that our good friend Pär held a speech which was very funny because it was in form of a competition. He started out by telling we have been friends for quite some time and then continued on with the questions which was in a comparison form. He asked for instance Led Zeppelin or H.E.A.T and the crowd shouted what they thought I would answer and then I said the right answer which of course in this case was H.E.A.T :-) Very funny.

One table or rather the people sitting by that table ;-) formed a choir and sang the Swedish version of Happy birthday which is Ja må hon leva, but this time with all verses. 

"The table 4 choir" singing

Throughout the evening they sang Ja må hon leva, several times and also cheered several times :-)

After that another song, then I went around the tables. First I hugged and thanked Gunilla and then Pär. Then talked to everyone and everyone praised the food. Then dessert and more drinks and coffee and avec for those who wanted that.

Father and son duett

Then music played and people started moving around and suddenly everyone, including me with broken toes, was dancing to good old rockn' roll. So funny!!

Singing with Johnny and H.E.A.T

Then what happened? H.E.A.T performed!! They sang several songs and as some of you may know I love H.E.A.T and their songs. So I stood up dancing and then I was invited up to sing (!) with Erik and H.E.A.T. It was so so funny and I just loved it!! 
We also have very gifted fathers to the guys. So Stellan who is Erik G's father (former danceband singer) came up and sang with his son. Then Pär came up and sang (he's the father of Eric R the guitarist) and they all sang. Oh my God how I enjoyed it.
Then Stina (Eric R's girlfriend) joined them on stage and she's such a gifted singer too.

ME SINGING WITH H.E.A.T 

Then once again H.E.A.T entered the stage and I perfomed Sweet Home Alabama with Erik G :-)

STELLAN PERFORMS "STAND BY ME" 

We also had a twist-competition and H.E.A.T together with Pär, Stellan, and in the refrain Johnny, played and sang "Johnny Be good" and other songs. So funny and exhausting. The winner was Karin (girlfriend of Jimmy the baseplayer) but in 2nd place my bonus son Staffan :-)

 MORE SINGING

After that more dancing, drinking and so on.......

Time for opening presents after that, and what presents! They seem to know me very well :-) Lots of giftcards to events of my choice, a cruise in the Stockholm archipelago for 12 hours including everything from champagne, lunch to dinner and guide. Flowers of course, wine bottles (very nice ones), champagne, luxury bath products, lotions and much more.

Some of the flowers and gifts

More

Then once again H.E.A.T entered the stage for more songs and after that Anna or Birgit Bidder (which is her artist name) took the keyboard and sang Jealous Guy by John Lennon but the way Donny Hathaway does it. Fantastic performance by Anna. I was so glad she did it despite she had a cold. I am so impressed by her and her range which all the others were too. She and Jonas went to Rytmus (music school) together and she was like a second daughter to me, often here with us and at Gotland.

The painting in the background is from my co-workers

After that still some dancing but those who didn't stay overnight began to go home. We other sat and talked for a while before going to bed at around 1AM.

A big THANK YOU to my wonderful husband and my gorgeous sons for making my dream come true! Love you all!


In the morning breakfast with everyone before heading home, trying to relax before next event.

Me and Inger at Cirkus last night to see the musical

Yes, cause at the party one of the gifts were a riddle and I had to solve it. It was my BFF Inger and her family (with our adopted grandchildren) who said I would be fetched by a "limo" on Saturday (that was yesterday) and taken to the theater to watch "Livet är en schlager" (Life is a schlager) a new musical that premiered on Thursday. Before that we had a wonderful dinner and then the musical which was great!! Home again at midnight so now I have celebrated two nights already and my birthday isn't until tomorrow :-)

And it's election day today and of course we have been there alreday and voted.

All in all a great weekend but I'm quite tired now so an early night for me.
As always take care!