Less than twelve hours after a desultory conversation about surprise birthday parties and who, if we were to have one, would we hope might be invited - and me mentioning a cousin I'm particularly fond of - this cousin's son emailed me, for the first time ever!! - to tell me he was arranging, guess what?, a surprise birthday party.
Needless to say I shall do my very best to get there even though it is at the other end of the country.
