Rocking my World Friday.

With the awful news we have been watching all week it is perhaps difficult to stay positive, but it should at least make us all very thankful that we have sufficient food and  drink, clothes to keep us warm and a roof over our heads. We are blessed!

I was also very pleased to read blog posts from two ladies (sisters) who live in the north Philippines, and to hear that both are safe and well, though, of course, traumatised by what has happened to their fellow countrymen. Our love and prayers go out to them all.

While I know many are struggling with the results of flooding, I was actually quite happy that this week we had some significant rain. We really needed it. You could almost hear the ground greedily drinking it. It rained steadily all yesterday evening and into the night. I had done washing in the morning and got it all dry by lunch time, so that was another blessing.

I did some late afternoon food-shopping yesterday, which is unusual for me. I like to get those sort of jobs done in the morning. Friday is my normal shopping day but I knew I was going to be busy this week. As I loaded up the car I looked down the road from the supermarket, towards the beach and there was a pretty, pearly, lilac haze across the sea. I tried to catch it on my phone camera, but it didn't take very well. But by now you know I can't resist taking photos of the sky, so here it is. (It was probably the clouds roling in ready for the rain that came later!).

Each Sunday morning I go to my church in Huercal-Overa which is about a half hour drive from home. It is almost all on the motorway so it is fairly straightforward, but just look at the traffic I have to contend with!

And it was much the same behind me as well. I think everyone else stayed in bed! It is a little busier mid-week and picks up as you approach main towns and cities. But on my Sunday morning run, there is never much at all.

I have had a fun crafting week this week, making Christmas decorations. I was making two different sorts of decorated glass baubles. Here they are, but if you want to know how they are done, you can read all about it on my other blog by clicking here.

I had lots of fun making these, even if I did make rather a mess with all the glitter. It made a change from making cards anyway.

I finished my week on a high note as I spent this morning among friends at a coffee morning to raise funds for our church. One of our group holds these two or three times a year at her house, and they are always good social occasions. Indoors there were tables of home made jam, cards, knitted items and this time - cakes! There is a fly free area attached to the house and there we could browse through lots of books, bric-a-brac, plants etc. There was some beautiful hand-made jewelry on sale outside.

As you can see, it was a sunny morning, so I took my cup of tea outside and sat at a table out there to drink it, but there was a chilly wind. Jasmine's house is a lot higher than our village and there was a noticeable drop in temperature as I drove up to it, but as yet, there is no visible snow on the distant mountain tops.

I did buy a very pretty necklace but look what else I came home with!

Two Cornish pasties, two Eccles cakes and some chocolate chip shortbreads, and two yummy raspberry pavlovas. These suffered a bit on the journey home but they still tasted great. So that was today's lunch sorted and I won't need to bake for a few days.

I also came home with these. 

Another friend arrived with a big box of limes and pomegranets. I don't eat a lot of these but I do like to have one or two each season. They have such a lovely rosy colour, inside and out.

But I wonder if you know what the other fruit in my photo are. A few years ago I wouldn't have done, as they are not seen very often in England. Well they are quince. Jasmine took me into her garden to pick them from this tree.

It is only a small tree but see how many fruit it has on it. And they are very solid and heavy too. They are difficult to peel and cut, but once stewed they taste very like apples. They are very rich in pectin, and I use them mainly to make a traditional jelly called membrillo. It is a very stiff, fruity jelly that you can slice, and it is usually served with cheese, though it it also goes well with cold pork etc.

So that just about sums up my week. I will will link this up to Virginia's blog at Celtic House now, and I'll see you all next week. Have a good one!