Rocking your World; Week 22, and a Saturday Smile

Well here I am, a day late this week, but I made it!

I am starting with a little Saturday Smile – some pretty pansies that I bought a while back and almost lost because I didn’t get around to planting them up, or watering them. But they made a good recovery and now sit on my front step. Yesterday they were all holding up their faces to the sun, and smiling at me, so I just had to smile back. I hope you do too.

Which leads me into a fairly garden orientated post today. This time of year prompts us, and many others I am sure, to think about tidying up the yard, so we decided to tackle a tatty bit of fencing at the back of us. 

It used to be covered with a roll of bamboo but this has a limited life, and when the dogs were pups, they enjoyed chewing all the broken poles, and then putting their heads through the railings to look down into the green zone below. They are mostly too big to do this now anyway. 

The fence has an elderly stephanotis plant climbing up it, so between us we cut out a panel of the old fence and gently moved it to prop against the house while we were working. While Chris put up the new fencing, I trimmed the plant to within an inch of its life, and it is now back in place. It looks a bit sparse but I expect it will grow again. It smells heavenly when it is in full bloom.

I am really happy to see this rather strange flower blooming again this year. It is a strelizia nicolai, and I have to admit, it is not one of my favourites. I much prefer its cousin, the purple and orange 'bird of paradise' plant. But it is quite exotic. It has multiple flowers on each stem, and as the buds open they drip sticky goo. But then the big white flower appears with a pale blue tongue. 

Last year, when Kim was a pup, he stirpped it to the ground (or pot, as we have very little plantable land, so most of our plants are in large pots). It has big leaves with string fibres in, and he just couldn't resist pulling these and shredding them. So I repotted it, and tucked it behind another plant for the winter, and this year it is back, looking stronger than ever.

While out there with my camera, I spotted this beautiful carpenter bee, dipping deep within the flowers for his breakfast. I have shown these bees on here before, but I rarely manage to capture their beautiful blue sheen like I have this time. They are non agressive, and I like to see them enjoying my flowers as much as I do.

Yesterday I went to the garden centre and bought some lovely geraniums and kalanchoes, and replaced our red hibiscus which is straggly and has few flowers on it. I was surprised at the price of some of the cacti they had there. Makes me think I had better tidy mine up a bit. I need a strong pair of leather gloves for that job!

Little Tango is settling in well. The other cats are not keen to have him in the house, and are tending to stay out in the garden for most of the day, but I call them all in at night, as they do not have a lot sense on the road. At first I shut Tango in a separate room but now I leave all the doors open. When I got up one morning, I found Paco, Luna and Tango all in one room. They were each on their own chair, and were keeping a wary eye on each other, but they did all go to kitchen and eat breakfast together before Paco and Luna shot out through the back door. But that's progress. I think they are getting used to the idea of having a 'new brother'.

The reason I couldn't write this post last night as I usually do, was that it was our first Cantante choir concert. It was on 'home ground' the room where we practice, so it was a good one to start with. It went really well and the audience were very appreciative. We have another one next Thursday and then four more before the end of June!

When we lived in England we always had a lot of mail, most of it 'junk-mail' or bills, but there always seemed to be something coming though the door each day. Out here we hardly get any. Most of the bills are dealt with on-line anyway, and advertising leaflets are more likely to be left under the car window washers than put though the door. So 'real mail' is always a treat. So I was doubly blessed yesterday when I got back from my monthly food-shop, to find not one, but two envelopes waiting for me. They were both cards and gifts from friends I have made though my craft blog. People are so kind, and I am really touched they they took the time to send to me. Thank you both so much.

An anticipated blessing is that this week we have accepted an estimate to replace the netting on our 'fly-free room' that covers the back porch and part of the patio. We are having a slightly stronger net on the top half and a, hopefully animal proof one on the lower sections. We are also having a dog-flap put in on the panel beside the door, so the dogs can get onto the porch when we are out, without tearing their way though. (The man doing the work called it a 'horse-flap' because it has to be big enough for Miki and Kim to get though easily!). So in a week or two's time, we will be able to eat out there without the flies and wasps for company, and I will be able to resume my afternoons sewing there, when the house makes it a welcome area of shade.

I will leave you with a sky photo as we haven't had one of those for a while. I have been hoping for a nice sunset so I could try out the settings on my new camera, but the season for those has passed. But one evening this week, there was just enough cloud to make a lovely golden glow and this is how I recorded it.

Isn't that grand?!

Have a Blessed week everyone. I will just link this up to Celtic House and Annie's Friday Smiles, and then I must get up the road to meet my Spanish friend Isa for our hour of conversation.

Rocking Your World 2014; Week 21

Hello again. It is Friday so today we are celebrating all the good things in our lives. Why not join in. Visit Virginia at her blog Celtic House, and find out more.

This will be a shorter post than usual (I can hear you all sighing with relief!), as it has been a week of unwinding after our hectic time in UK. we are regaining our equilibrium and settling into our usual routines.

But first, here is my Friday smile, which shows the highlight of my week, when little Tango came to join the family. He doesn't look very pleased about it does he?

When I took this I had just collected him from the vet. He was found abandoned in a drainage pipe, on some waste land, and he was dirty and smelly, with matted hair. So he was sedated, bathed, and most of his body was shaved, and in this photo he is still a bit groggy from the sedation.

He makes me very happy, because, although I have had many, many cats, I have never had a long haired ginger, and it was right at the top of my 'I want one' list! So when the vet phoned to tell me about him, I knew I would be giving him a home.

Amazingly he has not fought with any of our other animals. The two cats, Paco and Luna just give him a wide berth, and only come in the room with him when they want their food, but they haven't growled at him, or been aggressive in any way. And even Arwen, who isn't friendly with anyone, has allowed him in 'her room' without any fuss. She drew herself up and glared when he dared to eat her food, but made no move to stop him. He doesn't like the dogs, but they live outside, so he doesn't need to go anywhere near them.

He looks like a little lion with his shaved body and furry face and legs. He is already much more settled and looks quite content lying on a chair in the kitchen.

He will always look a bit grumpy because he has a Persian cats' flattish face, and dark lines in the markings of his face fur. I am sure he is a Persian cross, as he has the same soft, silky fur  that my other Persians had. I am hoping he will let me brush it as it grows, so he doesn't have to be shaved annually like Arwen does. No doubt he will be featuring on here again from time to time!.

Last Saturday was a fiesta in our village. This time it was San Isidro Day. But for the first time since we came out here, the weather let us down for a fiesta. After some lovely hot days, Saturday dawned grey, chilly, and very windy. Of course this did not stop the fiesta going ahead, so we joined in as usual.

San Isidro is the second saint for our village,  and  he

is the patron saint of the agricultural workers. So he has a more modest statue which is carried on a cart decorated with dried grasses, and platters of local produce. He used to be pulled by a lovely old donkey, but for the last couple of years a tractor has been used instead.

The day starts with a mass at the village church and then everyone follows the cart along the street, accompanied by loud music of course, on a Romeria, or country walk, that takes us out of the village to the main road, and up the hill to the sports centre. Here it is parked and the people either watch the local lads playing football, or find a pitch on the pic-nic area and set up tables in family groups. We had a pic-nic, and sat for a while with our friends, but although we found a sheltered spot, it was too cold to sit for long. At least we had taken our jumpers with us, so we weren't too cold.

As with all our fiestas, there was a free meal provided by the town hall, for anyone who wanted to have a share, and this fiesta is the best one, because they make a grand paella. When we arrived the cooking had begun. I guess they knew there would be plenty of takers, despite the weather.

There are companies who specialise in this cooking on a grand scale, and they make it a real work of art. It starts off as a huge vat of boiling water, and sacks of rice are stirred in with huge paddles like rakes and shovels! They are free with the saffron and turmeric so it is a rich, bright yellow. Then the red peppers and garlic are added, and this year it was lots of big pink prawns and dark mussels. Just before it is served, a design is made with halved lemons cut to look like flowers, and smaller flowers made from red peppers. Sometimes it has a small flower arrangement in the centre, but this year it was a basket cut from a hollowed out melon, and filled with lemon wedges to serve with the paella. Doesn't it look good?

There is a stage built across the top of our road, and at night there is music and dancing. Sadly it started to rain this year, and we opted to stay at home, but the music was still playing at 7.00 the next morning, so some more hardy folk must have stayed out.

I guess the positive from that is, that when local traditions are the nearest you get to a holiday, then you go out and enjoy them, and folk around here really do know how to get the best out of life, and it is privilege to be able to share these times with them.

A big positive was when I went to my Wednesday sewing group and was greeted like a long-lost friend. They clustered around to admire the wedding photos, and then they gave me another huge pile of knitting for my Africa Project. There were about ten blankets, as well as gorgeous little baby jackets, hats and booties.

The bluey-green jacket was knitted by a Spanish lady who never uses a pattern, and she makes some lovely things. But I think my favourite this time was the beige and red jacket with matching red 'tamo'shanta'. Isn't it great?! As you can see, there was also a big pile of squares from several knitters, so I have more blankets to get sewing up and edging.

People are so kind and generous, and always willing to help.

Other positives: I found time to write a blog post about the wedding card I made for last week. You can see it by clicking here.

I have finally finished unpacking our suitcases, and found all the 'treasures' that I brought back from my shopping spree.

I had a long chat with my sister on Skype and we exchanged wedding news, and shared some craft ideas.

A friend of mine went back to UK to live about a year ago, and she has been back over for a short holiday. She came to church on Sunday and then I brought her back here to have dinner with us. We sat out in the sun and reminisced together, and passed a very pleasant afternoon.

We had an all day choir practice on Tuesday, so I was able to catch up after missing rather a lot of rehearsals. I feel more confident about the concerts now. The first one is next Friday!

I had a lovely afternoon with my friend Julie (the leader of our choir). She came over for lunch on Monday, and we chatted all afternoon. Then we went to the town hall and listened to a small group of children from the village who will be singing a few songs at the start of our choir concert here in June.

Now I will just link this up with Celtic House, and Annie's Friday Smiles and see what has cheered everyone else up this week.