Friday, 25 May 2007

11) 85 years old today! WELL DONE MUM





Mya, Noor, Loretta, Nick, Jessica, Jen, Costa and mum having a delicious dinner for mum's 85th Birthday.



Well, Mum made it to her 85th birthday!!! This is despite the cancer, and pnuemonia which seems to have completely cleared. She looks well again.
We had a delicious dinner. Costa cooked Greek Chicken on the spit - (Evan style). There were salads and the usual yummy fare prepared by Loretta and Noor. I brought the champagne and the Pavlova birthday cake which her grand-daughter Mya and great-grand-daughter Jessica decorated with the numerous candles. It was a very special, happy and delectable birthday celebration.

Mum's house is full of bouquets and floral arrangements. The doorbell didn't stop with delivery men and women bringing flowers, visitors calling in, the phone didn't stop with friends ringing to give their best wishes. The table was full of birthday cards.

Mum was ecstatic having her family with her on this special celebration day. In a few days time the rest of the family will gather again . Chris will be here from Queensland and George will be arriving from Singapore.

Happy Birthday Mum, from all of us.
(to read the lovely birthday wishes Mum received, click on the word "comments" in the next line)

24 comments:

A friend of ours said...

Dear Yaya Melpo

Happy Birthday from distant Canada.

I know it is a day late but we are a day later than you, so please accept our very good belated wishes.

With our love, Nihal and Subadra (two of Mya's many adoptive grandparents)

A friend of ours said...

Melpo, you continue to amaze us all.
What lovely photos of you and your family for your special birthday.
Glad I was able to see you for a while on your special day.

All my love
Sue XX :)

A friend of ours said...

Happy Birthday,
Funny it's my birthday too.
Love to you both
Jennifer

A friend of ours said...

Ian and I would like to congratulate you on reaching 85 years. It is certainly a great milestone.
And looking at your blog site it has been made even more special by having those most dearest to you celebrating with you.
You should be very proud of your achievements as I know your family are.
Anyway I am sure you are making the most of this special time with all your family around you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
Ian & Lyn McClellan

A friend of ours said...

Dear MELPO,

Mya, Miranda & George,

We are happy to read your email and see all of you on the photos of the birthday celebration today.
We wish your Mum all the best and God bless her.
For us it had also been difficult to add our greetings to the page so we are happy to hear that you can manage this for us.

We are fine and our thoughts are with you in Melbourne.
Best regards also to Loretta & Costa
and of course all your families

Rita & Bernd
(Mya's adoptive grandparent's in Germany)

A friend of ours said...

My dear aunt Melpo!

Happy Birthday!
I really loved the photos and the cake and all the family around. You must have had a great time! And you looked so happy and content and full, it was really touching!...
My sweet thia Melpo, keep on smiling and teaching us lessons of what living one's life to the full actually means...
Take care.

Lots of love and a huge hug
Laurent
Greece

A friend of ours said...

Dearest Miranda,
HI!! Please help me wish your Mom Melpo happy 85th birthday! She is looking really well, and is truly blessed to have all of you celebrate this special day with her.
Take care. With love and warmest regards
Andrea xxx
Singapore

A friend of ours said...

Happy 85th Birthday YaYa, Miranda's mother

Though I have not met you at all in person, through your lovely daughter, Miranda, I feel your presence that you have passed on through her.
I am sending you a photo of a quilt I made my daughter Alex (hiding behind
it) out of kimono/yakata material I purchased in Tokyo at the Quilt Show I had such a wonderful time there and Miranda made it all happen for us. Lovely to think that bunch of women can get excited over fabric and designs.
The second photo is one taken with my son and daughter at our place in Sydney in April, where they both live Alex is at the National Art School studying Fine Arts- painting and Rob teaches music at Stella Maris HS in Manly


CONGRATULATIONS ON THE 85yrs young..........

Love
Sandra
Singapore

A friend of ours said...

Dear Miranda and all at home

Very heart-warming to know that everything is well with Mum after the ops and pneumonia. I am confident that you all are able to keep her spirit high under all trying circumstances.
Do send my very sincere wishes to her.
Keep well and my regards to Mya.'
Cecilia
Singapore

A friend of ours said...

WOW! 85 today! Fantastic!

Congratulations to you, Melpo on reaching a fabulous age and a lovely family to celebrate with. We loved the birthday photos - you looked so gorgeous!

Best wishes for a great year ahead!


Laurie, Danny & Lawrence
Australia

A friend of ours said...

Hello Miranda, Mya, Melpo and Loretta,
It was lovely to speak to you Loretta and Melpo during the week. Sorry I missed you Miranda and Mya, but my timing was not good when you have a little girl to get off to school.
What a milestone, Melpo! No doubt you have had a very special day today celebrating your 85th birthday with your family. We're sending loving Birthday Wishes to you and we hope you've had a very Happy Birthday!
Miranda I will try to catch up with you again in the near future. I trust that you, Mya and George are well and no doubt busy.
Must away and get tea going,
Lots of Love to you all
Merna & Geoff
Australia

A friend of ours said...

Happy birthday Melpo,

I’m very pleased you had another beautiful celebration of your birthday.

Your birthday was a very important event in history because if you weren’t delivered to the world on that day and with all the beautiful attributes you have then the world wouldn’t have attended the magnificent group (family) that we see around you.

It is nice to know that you, directly and indirectly have bought so much pleasure to so many.


Keep smiling, because while you smile others smile with happiness.


Lots of love and best wishes Keith.


P.S. Thanks Miranda.

A friend of ours said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
A friend of ours said...

Dear Melpo, Miranda, George and Mya,
Thank you for your updates regarding Melpo and the family. We are sorry to hear of Melpo's illness and send our love and good wishes.
Eighty-five is quite an achievement! Happy Birthday Melpo!

I am pleased that you have your family with you and that you had a wonderful birthday.

It is great that the family is with you and that you have a bossy doctor who keeps the visitors at bay.


With our thoughts and love,


Rachel & Martin

A friend of ours said...

Please pass along birthday wishes to your mother whom we very much enjoyed meeting in Jakarta and admire her energy and zest for life ( making a trip to Jakarta was not easy task at her age ) , it sounds like you are creating many more special times that you will always have. Our prayers are with you for continued strength during what is no doubt a difficult period which you are truly making the best of

Cathy, Pat, Sam ,Zach, and Sarah

A friend of ours said...

Hi, am so glad mum is well, she's a sweet and strong lady. Send her my regards and hugs. We will continue praying for her..../Janet

A friend of ours said...

Hi Miranda, George, Mya and Mama Melpo

HAPPY BELATED 85TH BIRTHDAY MAMA MELPO!

It is really great to hear that your mum is recovering fast and I send my best wishes to her.

The pictures are lovely, especially to see your mum in such a happy mood.
Always remember - staying happy is the best medicine for any illness and with your energetic and cute Mya to keep your mum company, I can foresee a speedy recovery.

Please send all my love and regards to your mum.

Keep in touch
Karen

A friend of ours said...

Miranda

Just to congratulate your mother on reaching 85 – what a remarkable lady she must be I am sorry I have not met her. Wish her all the best and say that I send my warmest good wishes.
You take care and hope things go along as smoothly as possible.

Hope to meet up with you again sometime.
Best wishes and we are thinking of you.
Paula & Danny
xxxxxxxxxxx

A friend of ours said...

I'm not far away, if you need me just call.
Thinking of you all very much

Love Sue

Thankyou for sharing your beautiful Mum with me XXXXX

A friend of ours said...

To Yaya

I know that i haven't spent much time with you and I wish that I had had the chance to, in the little time that i have had you have always made me feel like part of your family and for that I am very grateful. When I think about you and the family that you have created and the ones that you have helped grow I can only liken you to an unconditional gardener. when the frost has come I see you tend your plants with care, when they sprout and grow you stake them and guide them upwards, and when they blossom you cherish them. I can only say that I'm so proud and thankful to have landed in the garden that you have helped grow. Miranda has always made me feel welcome and at home in her home whenever I have visited. She has helped me understand things in my family that I didn't before, and also to move on. When I was in London it was Miranda that helped me to remember home, from the very first time I met Miranda she put me straight to work in the kitchen and thus made me part of the family not just a guest. And Lolly well you can't beat her charisma she just makes things seem okay. I saw lolly at Wilma's funeral last year and it was Lolly who sat and talked to me. I'm truly thankful for the warmth and love that I have felt and continue to feel from your family.

I know that you have the love and respect of all those around you. You see Yaya you're just that type of person. You make dignity and grace look like they are easy feats.

I hope that you have inspired me on many levels and i will hold on to my memories of you. I hope that one day my children will be as proud of me as yours are of you. I hope that my Greek cooking will get better, and that when I'm in my 80's in jet setting around the world.

Yaya thank you for all the little, but significant ways that you have touched my life.

Love Angie
South Africa

A friend of ours said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
A friend of ours said...

Happy Birthday Miranda's Mum!
Henry and I remember you coming here to our house by the sea for tea when you were staying with Miranda. We send our love and many congratulations on your eighty fifth birthday. My own Mum's birthday when she was the same age as you was memorable, as so many candles set
light to the cake!! Please give our love to Miranda, George, Mya and
Loretta.
Lin from Climping.
United Kingdom

A friend of ours said...

Dear Melpo, Miranda, George and Mya,
Thank you for your updates regarding Melpo and the family. We are sorry to hear of Melpo's illness and send our love and good wishes.
Eighty-five is quite an achievement! Happy Birthday Melpo! Am pleased that you have your family with you and that you had a wonderful birthday. It is great that the family is with you and that you have a bossy doctor who keeps the visitors at bay.
With our thoughts and love,
Rachel & Martin
Dubai

A friend of ours said...

Miranda,

Happy 85th Birthday for your mom.

It was so nice to get your e-mail, the pictures and all your news.
Considering your mom's illness, she looks great!

Give her my wishes and my love. I don't know, if she still remembers me from Jakarta.

Much love,


Rouli

South Africa