So another week has passed, and although I am so very sad about the events of last week, there has been plenty to make me smile as well, so that is what I am focusing on today.
We had a really lovely week with our grand-daughter Emma, her husband and two gorgeous little boys. They chose to pose for a family group by our pretty pink bougainvillea. They were with us until Wednesday, but last Sunday we were also joined by her brother Mikey.
I used to mind these two from when they were babies until I took my last job as a nursery manager. It was a full-time post, and although they were both in school by then, I wasn't free to collect them, and their mum had to make other arrangements. But it is lovely to see them grown up, and Emma with a family of her own now.
Mikey has spent the last four or five Christmasses with us, and he is coming again this year, but he wanted some Spanish sunshine as well. This time he brought his girlfriend Lily with him, and they are here until Sunday.
The young folk spent some lovely times on the beach and up at the big village pool, and also spent hours on end in our pool. But we did have some nice excursions out together as well. One day we went up to Mojacar Pueblo. They didn't see it at its best as they were busy preparing for a fiesta that started that night, but we still had a good wander around before going down to the beach. There is a big 'fortress' church up at the top with a lovely pastel painted fresco, and we went in there to light a candle for Dave, which pleased Ben.
Another evening we all went down to Garrucha for our favourite walk along the promenade and around the harbour and marina. All summer there is a small street market every night, and Emma stopped to have a braid put into her hair. It was still there when she went home.
The little ones kept us on tenterhooks as they ran from side to side of the boardwalks out between the boats in the marina. The sea is full of little fish and they wanted to watch them. When we got to the end we managed to sit them still for long enough to get a lovely photo with Great-grandad and then one with Great-grandma.
As we walked the sun was going down and the sky turned a lovely misty pink and grey.
We watched it as it turned to a deep gold with a lovely silhouette of the domed rooftops, and the masts of the yachts. I was pleased with this picture.
Once again Kim was so patient with his house being invaded, and was especially good with the children. Isaac is not a 'dog person', and we thought he would just avoid Kim, but instead Kim became really attached to him, and went straight to him every time he came home. He kept a proprietorial paw on his leg, and didn't let anyone else sit by him. Isaac loved the attention and they became firm friends.
Little Alfie was not quite so sure of him, though he wasn't bothered by him either, but he preferred the cats and was so pleased when Tango sat beside him for a bit of fuss. Tango doesn't look impressed but we know he is never as grumpy as he looks, and was purring contentedly at the time.
Both boys remembered that when they visited last year we all went to an ice-cream parlour in Mojacar, and wanted to go again. So one day we had an earlier dinner and then went down for our dessert.
There is a wide menu and we all chose something different. There was even a cute little bird for Alfie with feathers in its head.
This one was my choice. Very, very naughty, but also very, very nice!
The day Emma and family went home was Isaac's 8th birthday. As they had to leave for the airport at 7.30 in the morning we decided to make the night before a bit special for him. We all went out to dinner at a bar-restaurant in the village. We weren't sure what it would be like as it is under new management and we have not eaten there since the change. But we need not have worried. We all had a lovely meal and the young girl now running it, couldn't have been nicer to us. I had made a simple birthday cake that morning and taken it round to the bar before everyone arrived. It is too hot for that sort of cooking really, but I took it on freeze blocks in a cool bag, and it survived.
After our meal, the waitress brought it out and lit the candles and we all sang Happy Birthday to him. The restaurant was full and everyone joined in, lots of them singing in Spanish. (They use the same tune as us, but I don't know the words of the last line). The only picture I have of him blowing his candles out is this screen shot from a video in WhatsApp, so it has the play button in the middle and is not very good. But sufficient to say he enjoyed his special tea. When we got home he was allowed to open a present (another Arsenal kit of course!), and some cards before falling into bed ready for an early start the next day.
There is no further news from UK. Ben is still waiting for the outcome of an inquest before he can make any further plans, so I will probably be back next week as usual.
I really appreciated all your kind comments last week. Thank you all. x
Time now to link up to Annie's Friday Smiles and Virginia's blog, Rocking Your World. Have a good week everyone.
