Friday Smiles 2022; Week 9

Well despite the bad weather forecast, this week started quite pleasantly, and Monday which was 28th February, and is celebrated here as Día de Andalucía, dawned 'bright and breezy'. So they decided to hold the starting ceremony outside on the plaza at the front of our theatre, or Esapcio Cultural as it is known, and we walked over to watch. It started with the band of Los Gallardos playing some rousing tunes. As you can see there are member of all ages in the band, and they often swap instruments between songs to give others a chance to play the drums, clash the cymbals etc. When the music stopped a line of people filed out and stood alongside a flag pole, erected for the occasion. The fourth man from the left is Fran, our popular town mayor, and his team are standing to his right. I don't know the man to his left, but after him there are representatives of all the public services such as fire, police, sanitation etc, and then some of the civil protection team. There were there to be thanked publically for their hard work to keep our village safe throughout the pandemic.

The crowd went quiet and the band played the anthem of Andalucía. Then the mayor and his second in command, attatched the Andalucian flag to the rope and hauled it up, and soon the green and white flag was fluttering in the breeze. Those in uniform saluted the flag. It obviously means so much to these people, and it was quite a touching moment.

They then moved inside the theatre for the usual displays of singing by the village choir, and dancing by the children and teens who attend the two dance schools locally. We decided not to go inside with them, as it would be quite crowded and it is very much their celebration, though they have always made us feel very welcome when we have gone to watch them.

I did a quick shop in Lidls on Tuesday and I saw these rather interesting tomatoes, so I bought two just to try them. They were called Mar azul which means blue sea, and one was quite blue, the other a shade of purple. When I cut across one, it had a network of cells inside it and no central core, but it tasted much like any other tomato. We thought so anyway.

I also bought three pots of tiny viola plants. There were several plants in each pot, and I can never resisit their sweet little faces. At the minute they are resting on an empty pot out in the front so they benefit from the rain that eventually did come, but I must try to plant them out this week. I also treated myself to a pot with four Tete-a-tete baby daffodil bulbs. I have not been successful with daffodils here, and they are just not seen down near us at all. But I was pleased to see three of the bulbs have produced buds, so I have put them out in a sheltered spot, and hopefully I will have some flowers soon.

I am plodding on with my two crochet projects which to be honest, I am getting a bit tired of. But the shawl is almost finished and I am over half way through the celtic tiles  squares having finished eleven of the twenty needed. But when I wanted a change of eyesight, I had a go at one of my pansies. They were quite addictive and soon I had made all six of them. I worked round each one to make a triangle, blocked them for a day and then joined them together and did the first round of the edge.  There are still several rows to add, but here it is so far.

I have been trying to make an appointment for Kim at the vet. Fortunately it is nothing that can't wait because I have had to cancel twice, and now I need to change next Tuesday's appointment too.

About eight months ago I had a CAT scan for a lump in my neck, and reading the report of it on our health site I knew it was a small cyst and no cause for concern, but they had promised to call me back to talk about it. I did get an appointment in January but then it was cancelled, so when I finially got one for today, I knew I needed to go to it, so Kim's appointment had to be changed. The hospital visit was fine. My interpretor who comes with me for medical issues, said it was the busiest she had seen the waiting room since before the first lockdown.  They actually moved fairly quickly and when we finally got in she told me what I already knew really, but said that as the cyst was on the thyroid rather than the wind pipe she needed to refer me on to the thyroid clinic. So we went down to the admin desk to make an apoointment for that and we were offered one for tomorrow. I have already arranged to meet with someone who is helping me sort out another small admin. hiccup tomorrow so I said that was no good, and they then gave me an appointment for next Tuesday. So now I have to cancel another of Kim's apointments. But I am sure we will get there in the end!

So this week has been busier than some. We are on red alert for gales, flooding and exceptional waves this weekend so we have a few days indoors now. Hopefully the sun will be back soon.

I have one exciting piece of news to end my week. I have booked flights to UK for the end of this month, and I am going over for five weeks. That time will include my grand-daughter's first birthday, and a show which my youngest son Ben is singing and dancing in, plus visits to all my sons and their families, plus my two sisters down on the South coast. Our son in Denmark is even going to try to get across while I am there too. So I am really looking forward to that.

And I will finish with a little picture that caught my eye this week. it made me think of Tolly and I had to smile. We all need things to smile at in these dark days, don't we.

So I will link up with Annie's Friday Smiles.