After "babysitting" for almost 2 weeks, we are back home and the hard work for the exhibition is starting again. The evening before my daughter's birthday, my son-in-law arranged a surprise-party for her, inviting the whole family (he has 4 sisters and 2 brothers, all with their partners), parents, her sister, her best friends from university, her boss and colleague's, some neighbours. He looked for a hall with a large garden outside the city-centre. He asked his sisters to prepare some desserts, fruit-salads and bought a lot of tarts himself, so it was a large dessert-buffet. Everybody was helping to decorate the room and the garden with lamps, balloons, flags and candles. He told our daughter that he booked a table in a restaurant for the both of them with their children. When they arrived, we were about 35 adults and children to welcome her!!! Everyone knew about it for weeks, the children too (they were so good at it, even the little boy, 9 years old), but they all had difficulties to keep it a secret for her. Especially her sister this summer, when she wondered why I was so nerveous about the preparations for my exhibition because it was still 2 months to go! And I couldn't tell her that her husband had booked a 10 day's trip to Italy and that we had to go over there to look after the children! Her colleagues at work had to keep it a secret that she was not going to work for those days!! It was very emotional to see her surprise when she arrived and later when she opened the birthday-card from her children, telling her that she was going on a trip to Rome and Naples! After a few tears, she needed a stiff drink!!! And we all did!!! It was a beautiful party and my son-in-law probably has a special guardian-angel: at 11pm it was still 20°C, so we all were sitting outside with the lamps and the candles! The babysitting was very pleasant, no problems with the children. They were very helpful and we had a lot of fun. The last morning, after they left for school, we found a "Thank-you"-drawing on our luggage, with all their names on it. The trip to Italy was a success, they had lovely weather and visited a lot of beautiful places. Now I am taking the weekend off, because a household of 6 is not what I am used too. Luckely I am married to a "Handy Harry" who was a great help!!! Next week I start again: the last framings to do, making a C.V. and price-list. I saw on the POL gallery that I missed at least 60 pages of postings, so sorry if I do not post a comment on all the lovely works. Thanks to you all for your best wishes about the exhibition and I keep you informed. Take care, :) Mia