General Chat

Morning all,
Very quiet weather today, cloudy but warm and a tiny, whispery breeze, lovely in fact. Catching up with various little jobs today, nothing too strenuous, well it is Sunday!
Enjoy
Frances

Good Morning All
Cloudy, dull but warm here today - hope it stays like that as we are having a bbq with next door neighbour tonight - hubby doing salmon steaks. I love bbq's as I do not have to cook - lol - well I do the bits and pieces - then have to carry it all up two flights of stairs to the roof terrace and bbq. There is a project somewhere on the list for a hoist of some sorts with a large basket attached so I can just load the food etc. and it can then be pulled up - that will be so much easier. Mind you there is always something that is left in the kitchen and yes, I have to go down and bring it up - I should be so much thinner than what I am - should admit to being very large !!!
At moment hubby is painting outside but I hope he will give up soon so we can go down to the harbour, watch the boats and have a glass of red wine.
Enjoy your Sunday whatever you are doing
Love Mary xx

Well I am really and truly late today can only blame over indulgence yesterday and then cominhg home putting some music on , dancing with OH and beening in memory lane!

Much younger visitors also like dthe miusic so weall went tobed very late or very early depends how one interprest it!

Today we are all slightly hung over, and rather quiet, saving our energy for the last celebration in town. We have to be at the restaurant around 10.30 hrs to guarentee our sets and the parade will start arond 19.00hrs. Should be great fun.

My quite moments will now be when I have finished this post, my day is vert topsy turvey.

Catchthe cat you are so right nothing strenuous it is Sunday the day of rest!
Mary in Spain , think of the calories you must use going up and down those stairs....have a wonderful BBQ

To everyone else, relax and enjoy today, I will be back tomorrow

Take care



bridget

Hello everyone,

Here I am at last!
It's a beautiful calm day to-day, so I sat outside next to the water feature
to do the Sunday crosswords, it was really lovely. No sign of my frog
though.

Frances, we had the pea puree to-day and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will
be making it again.

Enjoy the last of your festival celebrations Bridget, have fun.

I have been coughing myself silly to-day, am full of aches and pains, think I'm getting the flu. Could be worse, so must look on the bright side and
not complain.

Bye for now.


Val in SA.

Good morning everyone

Thank you all for your messages.

Val in SA

Hope your cold isn't turning into something worse, I hat having a cold and believe that I started one yesterday. ALl the usual signs and a sore throat.
I wonder where froggie has gone, i find them great fun although we only have a sast iron one in our garden. Talking of which our garden looks a mess today from the high wind overnight. Dust and leaves and pods etc everywhere and the wind is still around although not as fierce as last nigh around 02.00hrs.

Isn't it pleasing when one has a quiet relaxing day.
I am going to try that pea puree, everyone says haow nice it is.

Mary how was the BBQ and did the weather stay fine? I ahve this wonderful mental picture of you with all the food climbing all those stairs.!!

Frances
the sun is shining this morning and we are forecast some good weather with light wind so let us hope it stays that way. It is actually very pleasant and our visiting are enjoying sunbathing so can't be to bad!!!

I hope you enjoyed your relaxing day.

The final parade was wonderful and we had curb side seats at the restaurant so a good view....the Spanish certailnly know how to use their elbows!!!

The parade lasted just under 2 hours and the festivities went on until around 01.00hrs and then there was peace.
Now shops will close until Easter next year, we will still have all the basic shops, dozens of cafes and restaurants will close and we have a small community back.

Our UK friends thoroughly enjoyed it and could not stop gasping at all the wonderful costumes, the bands and most of all the magnificent horses and their vey proud riders.


If anyone is imnterested I believ that in a day or so it can be fopund on the Peniscola Spain site. I will try to get onto it and then forward details.

Today will be fairly relaxed and we have about 10 for a very late lunch or early dinner whichever you wish to call it.

All veg and meat will be cooked in the oven as it saves on the washingup and I still have to decide what to make for quick and easy deserts unless I cheat and buy some.

I expect that the pool will be well used, Jet and Joe will be spoilt although there is a strict rull that they must NOT be given food from the table, They will have a little doggie treatt though.


I am going now to have my morning coffee and just to sit quietly and think about you all, and to have a special moment for Keith, i am sad he decided to leave the threads, especially after his good news re his health...So if anyone out there needs som support or thoughts or positive think etc or simply wants to share good news, eevryfday life etc please join us we have gogod fun but absolutely NO BICKERING or inuendo


Has anyone started to think about Christmas yet.

I am thinking of OH and I going to Ireland for Christmas..

Bye for now, back later


Bridget

Good morning All
Well blue sky and sun this morning temp will be around mid 70's - very pleasant and will also dry the washing !!!
Well bbq went great apart from a heavy shower but our guests were adament they were staying put so we put the large parasol up which completely covers the table and the chairs so we did not get wet - well hubby did a little as he was chef. He cooked the salmon a treat - although I do not eat it . I have chicken kebabs instead. Stir fry and jacket potatoes were also good - can't really go wrong with those. As it was Chris's birthday I bought a couple of small chocolate thingies and bought some candles and arrived on the roof terrace singing Happy Birthday - he was quite shocked. We followed with cheese and biscuits and a few grapes, coffee and brandy. It was rather late when they went home so I came downstairs this morning to all the washing up - still it did not take me long to clear that this morning.
Well cleaning duties are calling so I will wish you all a happy Monday and enjoy whatever you are doing.
Love Mary xx

Morning all
am back just took a break
things are going well
now it back to the family tree and to helpping others find stuff for there trees

Hello Everyone,

This morning when I went outside at 6a.m. it was so quiet, the sky was pink as the sun started peeping out. Now, though it is very windy, but on the up side the washing dried quickly.

Nice to see you back Keith.

Bridget, I would love to see the pictures of the festival so will check the Peniscola site in a day or so. I am also economising on the washing up to-day, also cooking eerything in the oven!!

Haven't thought about Christmas yet, but I guess we will be having visitors as we usually do. I expect the shops here will all be putting up decorations next month and playing carols, they always start early.
We get hotcross buns in January!!.

Hope you all enjoy your day.



Val in SA.

Morning all,
Welcome back Keith.
Lovely day to-day, perfect for drying the washing as you say Mary. Have to say the bbq sounded delish, made me feel quite hungry!
Val, glad the pea puree was good, makes a nice change from 'ordinary' peas. Do hope your cold isn't, if you know what I mean.
NO Bridget haven't started thinking about christmas, came to Spain to get away from all that. We are a couple of 'bah humbugs'...we usually have a day walking on christmas day having had a nice meal the evening before.

Nothing exciting planned for this week, nothing new there then!!
Take care and enjoy the day
Frances.

Keith, great to see you back and I may send a message to see if you can help find someone for me. I have posted something already and it is for a very close friend. Will send a PM to you re names etc, it is on Ancestry are you on theres?

Anyone enjoy being back.

Val in SA, Oh and I have the cough and the snivels, can't say it is a bad cold but is irritating, hope you feel better soon. Did you finish the crossword?

Mary in Spain, your BBQ day sounds great fun and I am pleased it went so well....

To anyone who goes on the Peniscola site I hope you like what you see, you never know you might see me without knowing who you are watching!


Sat in the garden about an hour ago, simply pondering and thinking how fortunate I am, I am healthy, apart from the little cold, have a loving family, excellent friends, including all of you, people enjoy visiting us so we cannot be to boring, financially OK definetly not rich...I wish... but manage a fairly good life style and although we have our share of family concerns and worries we jog along nicely....

Yes we have our downs but who doesn,t....so I said a thank you to whoever is out there, asked for those in need of solace to receive it, for aou folk serving overseaes to be kept safe and for us all to do one special thing today...so hopefully I will be able to look back in the morning and say" I am pleased I did that for....."

Hope this makes sense everyone...


So now it is time to finish the house work, put some more washing on and have another shower before visitors arrive for lunch and a dip in the pool


Enjoy you day


bridget

Good morning everyone and a special good morning to Keith...good to see you back. Hope all is well and that your research etc is fruitful. I have been tracing a Ryan family originally from Limerick...thought it would take ages but 1 week on and I have about 100peple...it isn,t for me it is for a friend so I am delighted. Have done it all on Ancestry.

Had a good day yesterday and had a deliecious toast lamb dinner even if I say so my self.. Had a fun quiz in the garden in the evening nothing really competitive just a bit of fun, plenty of wine flowing llotas of nibbles etc.. and we all had a rwasonable bed time around midnight.

Toady is a typical early autumn day, there is a light wind so washing drying very quickly, the sun is shining, temp expected to get to 25 with a feel factor of 27, so should be pleasant.

Sometimes I think our home is a hotel!!! another former colleague of OH phomned yestrerday to say he is about 25 mins drive away on holiday and the next thing is OH has invited them for lunch and to spend the afternoon with us....I am beginning to think that this is taking Bon Homie a little to far!! Ah well better than being forgotten I guess!!!!

I am feeling really happy today although not sure what has changed if anaything....maybe my quiet moments are working for me...

Hi Bridget and everyone,
The day started out ok but now guess what...it is raining AGAIN.
Went to see some friends this morning who have just taken on a dog, she is the sweetest thing about three years old. She had been found either abandoned or lost in a very poor state, full of ticks and fleas, but they have really cleaned her up and she has had her injections and her operation. She had obviously had at least one litter of pups. She didn't have a microchip, but that isn't unusual for a Spanish dog, it costs money to have them chipped and at first she would only eat human food ie scraps, that also is usual for Spanish dogs, why spend money on buying dog food!!! One thing about her which is unusual out here she doesn't bark, what a blessing as every dog in Spain, particularly those owned by the Brits bark their heads off.
Thank you for listening to my moans. I am quite a cheerful soul really.
Enjoy the day
Frances.

Hello Everyone,

I seem to be going in reverse to-day!!

It's cloudy and cool here, we had a few drops of rain last night but not enough to do any real good, although it looks as though it could rain any minute. The dam supplying us and surrounding areas is 58% full so we really doneed the rain.

I am much better thanks, not coughing nearly so much thank goodness. Hope you too, are soon over your cold Bridget. I know what you mean about lots of visitors, we laughingly refer to our place as a B&B and always tell our friends to make their bookings timeously!!! Strange how everyone always wants to visit at the same time. Yes, I managed to finish the puzzles on Sunday.

Have just had a lovely telephone chat with my friend who will be arriving to-morrow to spend a few days with us. We will be able to play some Scrabble which we both enjoy.

I will be having a look at Peniscola later this afternoon .

I want to visit the nursery this afternoon to get some flowers for the garden, haven't made up my mind yet what I will get. It's best not to go with a pre-conceived idea of what I want as they will be sure not to have it.

Bye for now



Val in SA.

Buenos Dias mi amigos,


It is raining so hard here that the water drainage system is barely coping so please keep your fingers crossed that the rain does not get any heavier, I really do not want the lower floor to be flooded. It has never happened yet to any great extent but......
Yesterday was a beautiful day, the sun shone brightly and it was very warm even touching 30cc in the middle of the day. The sky was a wonderful blue with small whispy clouds and no greyness anywhere.
Our young visitors took themselves into town, climbed up to the castle and had a look around then went on to the top of the Ramparts for the wonderful panaramic views. They had a lunch at one of the dozens of small friendly bar/restaurants and then joined as near to the beach. A former colleague of my OH had contacted us to say he and his wife were staying about 30mins away and could they come to see us, so we agreed to meet in town. We sat opposite the beach and had a light lunch, talked over past times and what retirement had done for us etc....We then all came back to our house and had more chat and soft drinks because we were going out in the evening and they had to drive back to Alcossebre the palce where they are staying, all in all a pleasant day.

In the evening we went to the Engish Bar and had our fortnightly treat which is an excellent Indian Meal, I have talked about the good food before so will not bore you all, came home around 13.00hrs and sat around for a while. The wind was begining to stir by then although the sky was clear. As I sat there I used the time to do my "quiet thooughts, and just hope that everyone is having support where needed and coping with whatever is concerning or worrying them. I also wondered if anyone else on this thread has these special 10 plus minutes during their day. I recalled some people who had told me that either their concerns were resolved or they had learnt to deal with them but still wished to be remembered. I even think of my own concerns, worries and thoughts and then try to remember that unless we are tested we really do not know how strong we can all be. so today I am sending not only positive thoughts but also a big HUG to everyone.


OH and guests still sound asleep, the rain is slowing down and they sky looks less threatening so maybe......

Mary in Spain has OH finished that painting yet?

Val in SA how are you today is your cough improving, and how is OH?


were you serious when you said that Christmas decorations go up early in SA? One of the things that pleases me in Spain is that there isn't any real sign of Christams until December and they certainly do not go to the extreme of present giving that seems to have overtaken England. I should think that when I visit UK I will soon see Christmas adds on TV, shops laden with Xmas goodies, etc children demanding and getting vast amounts of Christmas gifts and I am sure that most people have no idea of the real meaning of Christmas....I feel sorry for them and not at all envious.

yes of course I love Christams and all the traditions around it, but even when we were faily affluent my children were not overpowered by the number of presents etc, and they tell me they had a great time. The house was always packed with people, yes we went to Mass and celebrated the birth of Christ, we laughed and giggled at the silly jokes in the crackers, we enjoyed our food, at least I think they did, and we had open house for whoever wanted to visit.
We played silly games, and fell asleep after lunch, etc


Any views anyone...I heard on a TV programme that a family spend around 700 to 800 hundred UK pounds on each child and the had FIVE CHILDREN where does the money come from...well they said that the mother couldn,t work because of her "nerves" and the husband had a a bad back so was off sick so they were borrowing the money from a loan shark!!!

I am stopping now otherwise you may all see the other side of me!!!!

The sky has turned dark grey and I have had to switch the lights on in the house.


I look forward to hearing from you all and if you think I am being Grumpy it wasn't and isn't intended to be that why rather I suffer from amazememnt or perhaps I am simply MEAN....Answers on this Postcard please.


Bye for now

going to make a coffee


Bridget

Good Morning All
Well I was rudely awaken at 3am this morning - thunder and heavy rain. This morning is a little brighter but have had a couple of heavy showers so far and by the look of the sky loads more to come. I always say when it rains in Spain it does so on and off for a week. But I will not complain washing is all done and ironed and I have my knitting and card making to keep me occupied. Although today I have promised myself to clean the 'hobby room' - you cannot see the desk for all the card making stuff and I am so UNTIDY !!!

Bridget - yes hubby finished painting the downstairs small patio area - when he starts something he goes on and pushes himself until it is finished - I keep telling him to take a break but will he listen. I feel so guilty sometimes as he also works 5 days a week and sometimes at the weekends too.

My mom. who is 86, comes out on 7th October for a week so we will be moving back to villa sit that week - everything is on one level so much more 'mom' friendly than our house - although she will have to come and see the new kitchen. Should have all the cabinet doors on by then - as we heard yesterday they are on a lorry driving down to Spain from France - well I have my fingers and everything crossed !!!

Well I can still see that cluttered desk - so think I will go downstairs and make myself a cup of coffee first THEN attack it.

Have a good day all

Love Mary xx

Afternoon everybody,
Well at least the rain is spreading itself about. We are still being rained on, though it is not quite as continuous as yesterday. Just hope that the grape harvest is in or else there will be less of the red stuff next year!!!
Have been re-arranging furniture this morning, not easy in a house as small as ours, but by getting rid of the hi-fi cabinet, brought with us from UK 11 years ago, we have created more space for the new tv when we decide to buy it. It isn't only the cost of the set, we will need a new digi-box and a bigger dish...and so it goes on and on.
I do believe the sun is trying to shine, that's perked me up no-end.
Enjoy
Frances.

Goodmorning everyone,

Yesterday was rather hectic, we had to go to Port Elizabeth for Jimmy to see the Orthopaedic Surgeon for a check. What a long wait we had, our appointment was for ll a.m. and he only got to see the doctor at 12.30 p./m.
Anyway everything is fine and the doctor was pleased with the knee.

A friend came back with us, she will be spendiung a few days here and we alwlays enjoy her visits and she enjoys a rest. Am loking forward to some Scrabble.

I planted some seedlings,Mimulus, I have not heard of them so am waiting to see just what sort of flowers they are and then a few Salvia.
My lettuce seeds have all germinated but it will be ages before I can transplant them.

The Shell Festival starts to-day, there are all sorts of activies, bands, and various stalls. The town centre is where it all takes place and as we are quite a distance from there we don't hear all the noise. There will be many visitors to town especially at the weekend. The festival runs u ntil Sunday. My friend and I will be going along to-morrow, Jimmy won't go as he doesn't like the crowds.

Enjoy the day and take care.


Val in SA.

Morning all
just a little update on things
i have been having problems Like forgetting things but thats part of things they said would happen
Anyway other than that things are not bad
just looking in to the side of the family tree in the West Indies and Holland which should be fun
Lots of info from there to add t my tree
So theat wil keep me busy

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

Frances,

Thankfull no rain today, I know we need it but it is the last day of our visitors stay as they leave early tomorrow morning. They are somewhat younger than us with Amy being 31 and Mark being 40, but we get along so well. Strangley I know that my daughter is very close to Amys' mother and sometimes I have found that difficult but now it seems that Amy and I are alos becoming very close. I will have to be careful as I would not want to hurt her mother, even though I have been so sorely hurt over the years. I have never commented very much and have concentrated on simply being there as and when needed and I do have a good relationship with my grandchildren

Your description of moving furniture around made me smile as a memory flooded back from childhood. On one occassion my mother moved her bed around and when my dad arrived home from the hospital where he had been on a night shift, he did not want to disturb her or me. We only had one bedroom. Ho did not turn on the light and he went to sit on the bed and as it had been moved it wasn't where he thought it was.....OH dear, he must have hurt himself but it seemed funny at the time!
Good luck with finding the right TV etc and the cost does creep along does,nt it?

Val, ggod news about your husband, Now did you know that in England you could have waithed twice the time or you would have been in and out before you had time to breath. Anyway the outcome was good.

Oh you are lucky to have a friend visiting who likes scrabble, I really enjoy playing it, so if anyone com,es to the house and they mention they play scrabble down comes the board etc... Enjoy your games.

The Shell festival sound good fun and I remember you describing it in general terms on an earlier message, do keep us updated.


Keith

Thanks for your message. I understand the memory loss dilema has anyone such as the GP of specialist nurse given you any help with this...it is available and you should ask for the info if you do not have it. If not I could point you in the right direction. Yesterday I forgot my OHs previous occupation, I mean I knwe what he did and just for a few seconds couldn,t recall it was Immigration Officer!!!

How do you manage to find Ancestors in place such as Holland and the West Indies...I cannot manage to find info for Denamrk and Germany...let alone further afield. Even Australia is a challenge for me.


Well the sun is shining and has come out to play as the old song said. So it looks as if it is going to be a glorious day. I must enjoy every moment of the sunshine as I will be back in the UK soon and it will most likely be damp and cold, so I must buy some new winter clothes when I get there. OK< any excuse to go shopping. I wonder what the shopping facilities are like there?

Today I addedd some extra time to my quiet time which has now grown to 30 mins. When our visitors got back yesterday they mentioned the number of disabled people they have seen from children to the elderly and asked me why that was. I explained that
1. Abortion is still considereed to be wrong and frowned upon even though it is legal and does occur...so that lead to a thought provokibg discussion.
2. People are provided with one free holdiay a year if they are caring for a disabled person...nothing fancy but wa week at the coast or another area to where they live.
3. People are cared for at home by their relatives, friends and volunteers, nursing homes are extremley rare here and are not the same as those in the UK
4. People are not ashamed of having a severely disbled member of there family, there is respect for the person what ever is different about them, and the family share the responsibility.

Any views or comments anyone?


Well this is a relatively short message from me and whilst I will have a peek now and again today I may not be able to add more comment until tomorrow, Enjoy your day everyone and if it isn't as good as uou expected just share with us, if you are down even if you can't identify why, just let us know and we will thank of you, if you are feeling good and something or someone has touched you today by something said or done let us know and if you are new to our thread, welcome to you


A special extra today, A hug to everyone, now I do not hug people other than family, very often so take it whilst it is on offer



Bye for now


Bridget

Haven't checked grammar spelling etc so please forgive any. I ahve to look at the key board and then the thread and so on... wish I could touch type

Good Morning Bridget
At last I have time to post
what a year we have had what with illness and deaths in the family
3 up to now ..hope that Tuesdays funeral is the last one for a while
On to happier thoughts ....
Well the 370 paving slabs have been laid ...looks lovey too
garden shed sorted and a new one being installed next week
garden looking good .....think I will move the furniture out side it's nicer than inside now lol
Taking 6 year old G/Daughter to see the ballet Cinderella on Saturday
wonder what she will come out with this year , took her to see Sleeping Beauty last year ...you do not want to know what she said about the male dancers lol...(use your imagination )
Weather has been on the whole lovely this last couple of weeks hope it stay that way for a few weeks more it will shorten the winter
have a good day everyone
much love Jenxx