Rocking your world 2015: Week 12

Hello again folks. I don´t have so very much to write about this week, but first I have a real gem to share with you. I was at a friends house one afternoon this week, with a group of others, and we got to chatting about recipes (as you do!). My friend offered to lend me a little recipe book that she had bought at a second-hand stall. It was very old, and had been compiled by a group of ladies to raise funds for their cause. I copied a few nice sounding recipes from it to try sometime, but at the back there were a few "Hints and Tips", and in among them I found this.

How times have changed!!

Last week I told you about a rather strange fiesta in our village which took place this year on a truly scorching day. We were so lucky as it was a day for picnics and sitting outside with friends. Well, the next day the weather turned and it has been getting progressively colder and wetter ever since! I can´t remember when we last had a full week of rain, and it isn´t due to stop until the middle of next week! My son is coming out on holiday with his partner on Monday, so I am really hoping it picks up soon so they get to see some sunshine while they are here.

One good thing about the cold weather is that my daffodils are still blooming. In fact there are several more flowers now, and a second type with smaller flowers and more yellow trumpets, are now appearing among the others.

We thought we had finished with the fire now, and I had moved on from my winter clothes to my "between seasons" wardrobe, but I am back in trousers and long sleeves this week. I went into the sitting room just now where Chris was watching rugby on the television, and there were three dogs laid down in front of the fire,...

...Paco and Luna on one chair...

...and Tango over on the other one!

They all looked very comfortable, and not inclined to move for a while. They are probably in the best place too, because I can here thunder rolling around the hills. We have had to throw covers everywhere so they don´t make the furniture dirty. Last night we had what the locals refer to as "the red rain", which is when it bring with it the red sand from the dessert, so today everywhere has a thick layer of wet red mud on it, and the animals tread it all over the room.

Arwen doesn´t come down to that room. She doesn´t like company and still stays in my craft room most of the time. But just occasionally she adopts a different place. This week she was cross with me because I kept moving her to use my silhouette machine, so she decided to take root on the mat in our bathroom. She still has her full winter coat and she looks like a big furry caterpillar when she lays like this. Her hair is matting underneath now and she needs her twice-yearly shave, but I am waiting for it to get a little bit warmer for her. She gets uncomfortable and will be a much happier girly when it has all been shaved off.

Yesterday I went down to Mojacar Playa for a specialist shop down there, and I stopped to walk along the edge of the beach for a while. It was damp and grey but I find it quite exciting, and I like walking into the wind. I only had my phone with me but I stopped to take a picture of the sea.

It all looked a bit bleak, but I love it when the sea is lively, and I could stand and watch the waves breaking for ages.

Looking behind me the view was not so good. The low cloud hid all the lovely mountains which have houses dotted all the way up. I bet there wasn´t much of a view from them that morning.

Although I enjoyed my little walk, knowing I could soon be home when I had had enough, I felt very sorry for the holiday-makers, trying to pull light-weight jackets around them as they marched along the sea front, probably looking for a warm bar where they could sit for yet another cup of coffee. I am sure they hadn´t bargained on a whole week of rain when they saved up for their week away in sunny Spain!

Today was not much better. We certainly didn´t get even a tiny glimpse of the eclipse this morning. But it was the day of my coffee morning at my friends house, so I was up early. That was lucky as I had to hose all the sand off the car before I could drive away, or I wouldn´t have been able to see where I was going. Despite the weather we had a really good turn out. I was too busy to take photos, but I did get one of a few folk who sat down just long enough to enjoy their coffee before they went around the stalls again. It is not a very good photo but I like it because they all look happy.

I did well on my stall taking 65€ which was excellent for a function like that. Most of it was from selling marmalade, jam and pickles, but I did sell some craft items too. Most of my little ducks and chickens sold. They are all cosies holding a cream egg. I shall make a few more of those for my Gallarte sale over the Easter weekend.

I also sold this owl basket that I made this week. It was a pattern from the internet that I really wanted to try. It was crocheted with three strands of chunky wool which made it a very sturdy basket, but it was tough to hold and work, especially as the damp weather has made all my knuckles swell up and ache. But I think he is lovely, and I shall try to make another one in a different colour this week.

My word, the rain is really coming down now! We don´t have gutters on our houses, so when it rains hard it just falls off the roof and spouts at all the corners and it sounds like a waterfall. Normally we would just be grateful to see some rain filling all the reservoirs, and watering the gardens, before the long hot summer that we should be getting quite soon. We are lucky enough to have a warm(ish), dry house where we can all get cosy, and the rain is important in an agricultural community. I just want our son to see the sun next week.

But there is still plenty to be grateful for. 

Today I was very grateful to our friend Tony who came out with his jump leads and got my car going when the battery died! He even followed me home to make sure I didn´t stall on the way.

I was also grateful to our mechanic friend Andy who came out this afternoon and brought a new battery for us. In a village with no public transport at all, we really miss the car when it is off the road for any reason. But now I can drive into Turre tomorrow and buy some wool to tackle another owl basket over the weekend.

The storm is getting closer and I need to shut down the computer so I will quickly link up with Annie´s Friday Smiles, and Virginia at Celtic House, and hopefully I will be able to get to visit you all tomorrow.