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.

Friday Smiles 2023# Week 40

The year is hurrying by and here at week 40 I have very little to write about!

Thank you for all the thoughtful messages last week after my fall in the garden. I am almost recovered now. My knee bends again, most of the way anyway, and although my fingers are still sore, the bruise is fading and it doesn't hinder me from doing what I want to very much.

We have had a lovely week of sunshine each day and I have spent time most afternoons, sitting outside to do some craft, or reading. I needed new books on my Kindle so I downloaded the one Lisca said she was enjoying last week, and also the first one in the series. (Lisca's was the second). I sat out on the porch until 2.00 in the morning to finish the first one! It was a bit blood-thirsty but a good read. There are several more stories in the series so I may try some more. We will see how the second one goes.

With not a lot of news to tell, I thought I would show you my current "Work in progress". This was my holiday project. I was away for a month so I knew I would need something to do and I wanted a project that only required one colour of wool, and was not a  too complicated pattern so I could crochet and chat to family at the same time. I am also trying to use up some of my yarn stash and I had enough of this one to make a garment, so it was an easy decision. I have finished the main body, so now I have to pick up stitches around those rather large armholes and work down for short sleeves gathered into tightish cuffs. Then there is a border to work all around the neck, bottom edge and fronts. It will all look a lot better when it has been blocked.

We had an exciting shopping expedition early in the week when we went looking at new furniture for the living room. We sat on a lot of sofas! We finally settled on a wide two-seater settee with both sides electrically reclining, and also a small recliner chair in matching fabric, all in a light-teal tweed fabric. It won't be ready until mid to late November so no doubt there will be photos eventually.

This morning I went to a little local market at the camp site, because a friend was holding her 'end of season' sale. She used to run a fashion shop, but now buys garments from outlets all around southern Spain, and sells them from her home and website. But at the end of each season she holds a sale to clear her stock and there are always some good bargains. Today I chose a bright orange jumper, (I do like colourful clothing!), a short bat-wing top in lime green, and some beautifully soft black tousers. The trousers need shortening, but that is not too difficult, and the fabric is fantastic. I forgot to take any photos while I was there.

I did some paper crafting this week and made a set of eleven Christmas cards. (It's not like me to do an odd number of anything but it worked out that way this time). I can't show them yet as they will be my craft blog entry at the end of the month.

Look who has just come out from behind my big cork pin-board. I wonder how long he has been hiding in there. I love those little suction pads on his toes that enable him to run up and down walls at great speed. He is a welcome visitor as he eats all the pesky bugs, but he really needs to find his way out the window before one of my cats come down here and spots him.

And today I am closing with a photo of my mum in my garden back in UK. I took it when she came outside to say goodbye to a friend who came to see her. I think she was around 85 at the time. She is always in my thoughts, but today especially as it would have been her 119th birthday today! She sadly died in the June just before her 90th birthday, having lived with us for almost ten years. So we all have lots of happy memories of her.

Now I am off to the hospital at Huercal-Overa for an appointment with the dermatologist. The ulcer on my hand is reluctant to heal completely and is still often infected around the edge, so my doctor has referred me to the hospital. My first appointment came through for the last day I was in UK, so unfortunately I had to cancel it, but I didn't have to wait too long for a new one, so it will be interesting to hear what they have to say about it.

Friday-a brief update: The hospital visit was positive. A nice young doctor took a swab for testing and has ordered a biopsy. My translator helped me do the paper work so I am 'on the list'. I have no idea how long I will have to wait but at least they are doing something.

And with that I will link up with Annie's Friday Smiles.