Friday Smiles 2023 # Week 41

Well, we have just waved 'Good-bye' to our son Tom as he drives off to Alicante airport for his flight to France. He is meeting two friends there, and they have tickets for two of the rugby quarter finals matches this weekend, before they all fly on to home in Denmark. He is very independent and makes an easy house-guest, and we always enjoy  having him here to stay, even when, like this time, it was not an official holiday and he had to 'work from home' most days. He did work hard too, and seemed to spend most days in zoom calls to various people, but he finished around 4.00 when the Danish workers go home, and usually drove down to his favourite strips of coast to sit on the beach for a few hours before coming back to us for his tea. Then he set up his 'office space' out in the porch, with a cup of tea, or a glass of beer or wine, and his lap-top, and worked again to do all the things he hadn't managed all day because he was in meetings!. But he always stopped in time to sit and relax with us for an hour or two, before we all went to bed.

Of course, he didn't need to work at the weekend so we had two lazy days in the sunshine, sitting outside chatting and listening to music. He is used to the cold water in Denmark and found our pool very comfortable, but although I stood on the first step with my feet in the water, it felt decidely chilly for me! On Sunday we had a typical Sunday roast dinner, eating out on the porch under a warm Spanish sun. Lovely!

He had booked today off for packing and travelling, so before he left we walked up to a little kiosk that opened up on the top plaza a few months ago, selling only churros and drinks. The churros was delicious, made freshly for each customer as they ordered, and it was a nice way to end his time with us. (For anyone who isn't familiar with it, churros is a simple batter, piped into very hot oil and served well sprinkled with sugar). It is an option to buy some very thick chocolate milk to dip it in but we didn't bother with that today.

I have been busy while Tom was working, and I almost finished the first sleeve on my green cardigan, but when I tried it on I knew it wasn't right. The raglan shapings are much too long, making the whole garment too long, and the sleeves feel uncomfortable. So I made the huge decision to undo all the sleeve and body, and now I will decide where to stop the raglan and set the armholes at the right level, and then I will work it up again. I am not going to waste the wool, nor all the work I did to make the yoke section, but I would rather get it right so I end up with something I will be happy to wear. I am in no rush for it so I am going to work on finishing another project I started before my holiday, and keep the green piece to work on at my sewing group session. I am sure it will be worth the extra effort in the end.

I have also been working on my second owl and this one is done in Macrame. (Knotted string). Here he is finished. He is my first proper macrame project and although he is not perfect, I am pleased with him. He will be hanging on my wall alongside the paper-crafted one I showed last week.

Leo is continuing to improve, becoming more lively and eating everything I give him. He is only gaining weight very slowly, but at least he is gaining. He has discovered his talent as a hunter and this week has brought in a little bird, and cicada and countless large grass-hoppers.

Tango on the other hand has been declining. We have noticed this for some time, especially since he bacame stone deaf, and we now think partially sighted. He doesn't move around much and is eating very little. But he is thirteen years old, going by the three years the vet estimated was his age when we rescued him, and he had a very rough start to life. He also has had a special diet for most of his life because of a urinary tract condition, and I think his kidneys are not working too well now. But he is not unhappy and doesn't seem to be in any pain, so we are letting him slip away at his own pace, unless he starts to show signs of distress. In fact today he seems a little brighter, so maybe he will  be with us for a while yet. I hope so anyway.

He tends to chose a spot to sleep in for a couple of weeks and then moves on to somewhere different. Last week he spent most of his time in the bottom shelf of the TV stand. Leo took it upon himself to keep watch over him.

I was woken up on Tuesday by a very orange sky lighting up our bedroom so I got up to try and get a photo of the sunrise. I missed the brightest bit but it was lovely, and eventually the sun broke through the clouds.

Later that day it set in a blaze of glory, and then a few minutes later it faded away.

And on that note it is time for me to save this to publish in the morning, and link it up with Annie's Friday Smiles.