Friday Smiles 2022; Week 43

I am a bit late writing this week. It  has been a bit busier than usual and time has flown by. I was in full crafting mode yesterday and completely forgot that I usually spend Thursday afternoon preparing this post for publishing!

Anyway, here is how my week went. At the bottom of our road, with only a slight 'zig-zag', we can drive all the way down to the coast in about 15 minutes. We arrive at the point where Mojacar's long coastline ends and Garrucha begins. Garrucha is a fishing port town and its speciality is Garrucha red prawns. They are sold in most 'top standard' restaurants but they are an expensive treat. Last weekend they had a Red prawn Fair down at the harbour and we decided to pop in for a look. It was easy to spot the huge marquee with it large signage.

Inside it was crowded and very, very noisy. We had a good look round but it was hot in there and soon we had to 'come up for air'.

All round the marque there were stalls selling various tapas, and plates of food plus some other local produce, and the centre was filled with small tables where you could stand and eat your 'tasters'.

We are not actually lovers of sea food though I will eat a few prawns as part of a meal, and I have once had some G.red prawns. But neither of us like them enough to pay the high price, though at the fiesta they were cheaper than they usually are, so we came away with a plate of assorted cold meats, and a bottle of virgin olive oil, from the press at Lubrin, one of the white village on the hills at the back of our village.

I just love this old, much pollarded fig tree I spotted by the path along the harbour. It looks as though it is thinking "Oh no; do I have to do it all again this year!"

And here is Chris posing under it with our spoils.

On Monday we were up with the larks to head for Almeria city for Chris' cataract operation. I had my phone with me as we drove along thinking I might get a nice sunrise photo, but as soon we were on the main road I realised we were driving away from the sunrise so all I got was this reflection of it in the clouds over the mountains....

...and this one through a very dirty-rain stained window, looking across Chris as we rounded a bend!

Happily the operation went smoothly and was successful.

The clinc we went to was in the heart of the city very close to the railway station, and across the road from where we were, was this lovely bridge. It was vast, and built to carry the trains high above the city traffic. 

The above photo is the part where we were, and behind me it curved round and disappeared into the distance.

At the entrance to the underground parking that we used, was the Almeria big wheel. It was put up a few years ago for a fiesta and was a popular feature for the summer tourists so it has become a permanent fixture. There was some fuss because directly behind me is a high rise block of flats and the people on the top floors complained that each time the wheel stopped, the people in the 'car' opposite them could look straight into their rooms. I think the solution was to fit their windows with 'one-way' glass but I am not sure.

The rest of the week has rushed by. On Tuesday we had to go to a clinic in Vera to see the doctor who had operated on Chris, for a quick check-up. He was happy with the result.

On Wednesday I spent several hours chatting to my sister and to two of my sons, (not all together!).

Yesterday was crafting day. With the UK postal system in disarray, I think I need to post my Christmas things extra early this year, so I am trying to get everything ready.

So I just have one more photo that I took yesterday evening. I would caption it 'Tranquility'. It was just - lovely.

And with that I will link up with Annie's Friday Smiles and get this published.

Friday Smiles 2022: Week 42

Well here we go again. This week has been quite a busy week starting last Friday when we went to a clinic in Mojacar to get Chris' blood test booked. Unfortunately we had to go back on Monday as that is when they do them. 

Saturday was his birthday, and as the place we had intended going to for a meal was closed for a big wedding reception, we decided to have lunch at a place on the way to Turre. Pre-pandemic we went there quite regularly as they will serve a simple one course meal which is what we usually want. However Monday was also my birthday so this was a joint celebration treat, so I went for the 'menu del día', which is a three course meal served at many places originally for the workers who start early, and return again to work in the evening, so they need a good meal before their siesta. It is usally good basic food, and I went for it because one of the starter options was my favourite jalopenas stuffed with cheese, and very nice they were too. My main course was chicken in peppercorn sauce and it was possible the best cook chicken I have had out here. It was melt in the mouth delicious. I really didn't need a dessert as well but I couldn't resist the profiteroles.The restaurant is set up on a slope with a long wide patio with tables where you can sit to eat, or have a drink with friends, and enjoy the lovely view of palm trees and misty mountains in the background. I took a birthday photo of Chris to put on facebook. (Sorry if you have seen some of today's photos already).

On Sunday I cooked a special roast beef dinner for us at home - another treat as we don't often have a proper joint of meat just for the two of us, though I do still do a traditional Sunday roast of sorts every week.

On Monday we were back at Mojacar for Chris' blood test and he took this birthday photo of me - looking a bit wind blown and dishevelled but still smiling! 

On the drive down I took these photos of a beautiful dawn, sunrise, through the car windows. It was a lovely start to my day.

Tuesday there was a coffee morning to raise much needed church funds. Jasmine, one of our congregation, holds a couple of these each year. Her house is a good forty minute drive from us, but I like to show some support when I can, so I asked Chris to drive me over. It was such a lovely day so she was able to have all the stalls outside. There was plenty of hand knitted items, books and DVDs, and a range of bric-a-brac to browse through. Tea and coffee were served inside the fly screen porch and there were tables around her pool so you could sit and chat in the sunshine. Just before we left the raffle was drawn, and the morning raised 408€, so well done Jasmine.

As soon as I settle down in the evening, whether I am inside or out on the porch, Tango has started coming to sit on my lap again. Yesterday he made me too hot and I had to force him onto the arm of my chair. He doesn't look too impressed.

Tolly has other ideas. I think I move around too much for him so he never sits on me for long. He decided that Chris' shoe was a better place to lie!

As we pulled in after one of our drive outs, I noticed how the pink vine next door had suddenly come into full bloom again. It has a few flowers all year, but Autumn sees it at its best. It goes by the botanical name of Podranea Ricasoliana, but has many simpler names, the most commonly used one being Pink Trumpet vine. It grows fairly robustly so we do have to cut it back when it hangs over our fence and tries to bury our plants, but I love it all the same.

We have a few other plants in the garden. This little pink carnation which I grew from a cutting from a bunch I was given years ago, just keeps on giving.

And I really thought this crown of thorns had given up and died, but it is producing a few new flowers again now.

But the real prize goes to the roses. They are still blooming. The flowers are a bit smaller than the first blooms, but there are loads of them. Here  are some I took a picture of yesterday.

And finally I have this lovely photo of my three great-grandsons. Today's babies just don't want to stay babies for long do they, and little Reuben has plenty to smile at as he watches his adoring brothers playing.

We had lovely long video chats with each of our sons on our birthdays. And despite all the postal disruption in UK, we did get cards from my three sisters. One of them is 92 in a couple of weeks, but she still made a lovely card for us, and we had other lovely handmade ones too. We know there are still a couple of cards floating around somewhere, that will probably reach us eventually. My son says they will probably arrive in time for Christmas! Family are so special all year, but even more so when we celebrate things together.

So now it is time to link up with Annie's Friday Smiles and get this published.

Friday Smiles 2022; Week 41

Wow. Week 41 already. That's only ten more weeks to Christmas! It doesn't feel like that here yet, though the colder evenings are drawing in. Having said that, I sat on the porch until midnight on Tuesday, wearing just a summer dress, and I didn't feel cold. But we have brought out my thinnest blanket to go on the bed this week, and it does get dark much earlier too.

But for now, we are still enjoying mostly sunshine, with a few light showers and thunder rolling round but not bringing us any rain. This morning we needed to do a few admin jobs so we drove down to Mojacar. The sea was quite calm with the waves just breaking in a white froth around the rocks. There were a few people around, but not many.

The sun was full out and its reflection off the sea was beautiful.

We have had a fairly quiet week but we did drive into Vera on Tuesday to see an eye specialist who is going to do Chris' cataract operation privately, as the health service waiting list for 'minor' operations is too long. It is all arranged for Monday 24th providing his blood test and ECG are fine which I am sure they will be.

I had a problem with my big printer last week which was a bit worrying as I do not want to replace it any time soon. One colour was refusing to print despite me putting a new cartridge in, and doing  a print head clean cycle several times. But when I googled it, it was suggested that the one print head was blocked and needed to be cleaned more thoroughly. So after a very helpful youtube video, I bought this kit from Amazon, followed the instructions, and happily my printer is now functioning properly again. Phew!

Sunday was, as I mentioned last week, our Harvest Thanksgiving service at church. These good folk went in on Saturday to decorate the front with canned produce, flowers and fresh fruit and vegetables. 

I especially liked this little corner, so bright and colourful.

My friend made the harvest loaf from salt dough many years ago. She moved back to UK several years ago, and has now just moved to France, but every year her loaf comes back out at the centre of our display. It was very relevant this year, as one member of our congregation gave a lovely rendition of John Betjeman's poem, Diary of a Church Mouse. It is funny with a subtle moral twist at the end. You can find it HERE if you would like to read it.

Today I had a lovely surprise when a white van pulled up and the man brought me a parcel that I had not expected until next week.  Inside was this red box.

The company name "Las Tijeras Magicas" means "The majic scissors", and it is a wool shop in Elche, near Murcia, from where I now nearly always buy my special yarn, on line. Inside I found this.

Aren't those colours glorious. It is the new yarn for my next Winter project - yes it is another blanket which I don't need, but I do need something to keep my hands and mind busy on those long winter evenings, and I saw this pattern and knew it was to be my next project. My lovely hubby Chris ordered the wool and pattern book for me for my birthday next week, so aren't I the lucky one. (There is one more colour to come which is out of stock until next week).

Also in the parcel were some of the cutest buttons that I want for a little project I have in mind.

I ordered a couple of these sets and one each of the shepherds and wise men. Now I must make sure I use them because they are much too sweet to put in a box and forget about them.

And to close,here are some of my sky photos. They are not 'spectacular' ones, but after rather grey skies, the sun tried to break through at the end of the day, and I sat outside watching it fade, and trying to decided whether what was flying around over the green zone was birds going home, or bats coming out to hunt. The one in the photo is definitely a bird!

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

Friday Smiles 2022; Week 40

My week started with a rather unusual church service. Sunday was the Saint's day for St Francis of Assisi. He is the patron saint of Italy but is probably better known as the patron saint of animals, and the natural environment. Apparently is is quite customary for churches to offer a service of blessing for pets, but it is not something we have done before. However we had six lovely dogs at our service, and pictures of cats and other beloved pets on all the walls. This little girl was with the people sitting next to me and she was so good, not making a sound for the whole hour. 

The lessons, semon and prayers were all related to God's creation, and our responsibitiy to care for the animals etc, and at a relevant point in the service, Father Alan put his hand on each dog and gave it a blessing. As we sat quietly at one point, I felt something wet and cold on the back of my arm, and this lovely old fellow had come to say hello. I gave him a little fuss and he just laid down quietly again.

Needless to say I left my furry friends at home. Kim would never have sat through the service. He just loves people and would have wanted to say hello to everyone, and confining any of the cats to a cat carrier for that long would have resulted in some very vocal protests! But it was a lovely service all the same.

I am happy to say that Kim's foot seems to have responded well to the antibiotics and he is almost walking normally again now. As you can see he is back to his usual self. In this photo you can see how he lays in a very lop-sided position because his left hip is arthritic and just collapses. He also cannot sit any more, but just lies down if you tell him to 'sit'. But he is happy enough and spends most of his time on the patio, just wandering in every now and then to make sure we are still around.

This made me smile. It is the top right hand corner of the above photo, and it looks as though my plant pot is smiling!

I have made a good start on my new crochet project. I bought a ball of this yarn because I wanted to try it out. As you can see from its name band, it is made entirely from recycled plastic bottles. I have seen many ways that people are trying to reuse some of the mountans of used plastic we see everywhere, and I thought this sounded like one of the better ideas. It is surprisingly soft and very strong. It is DK weight and is called Scrumptious! They also make Truly Scrumptious which is Aran weight. It also comes in a huge range of colours. I wanted something light and fairly neutral so I chose this one which has just a hint of green in it. It is called Honeydew melon sorbet. Sounds as though I am going to eat it, not crochet with it.

I needed a neutral colour because I am teaming it up with this very colourful, variegated yarn called Wanderlust - colour Hawii. As you can see, both yarns are worked together, and I love seeing the colour changes appear in the contrast yarn.

The motifs are hexagons and these five completed ones show the range of colours so far. I think the next one which is starting pink, will soon be blue towards the outside. The top two hexagons have been lightly blocked and now lay quite flat. As you can see, when first made, they are a bit scrunched up like the lower three. The next two are on my blocks now. Next week I may be able to show you what I am doing with them.

Next Sunday  will be one of my favourite church services - Thanksgiving for the Harvest. We are invited to bring any dry goods which will be distributed by Zurgena Town Hall as part of our regular 'food bank' help; our way of thanking Zurgena council for allowing us to use one of their buiildings free of charge for our meetings. But Harvest Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without some fresh produce as well, so we also take offerings of fruit which is distributed to the children in Zurgena school.

So I thought it was time I had my own little harvest display at home again. I came home from the market on Tuesday with these. Don't they look lovely? And I am truly thankful that I have access to these fresh vegetables and fruit every week, and living in Andalucia, the 'market province', by buying locally grown produce we are helping a lot of families that rely on agricultural work for their living.

After some sunny and comfortably warm days we now have a few days of possible rain. Today that turned out to be a short, but heavy shower just as we were getting up. The sky is  almost clear now, but up until lunch time it was grey with wet-looking clouds gathering. I was sitting in my recliner chair enjoying my first cup of tea of the day, and immediately Tango jumped on my lap and settled down there, and Kim came in out of the rain. Note he is not using his nice bed, but prefers the stone floor still, but he does lay in it sometimes.

I really like this time of year when I can sit out on the porch most days in a sleeveless dress and not needing a cardigan, and still feel comfortable, but we really need some rain, so if a few wet days lower the temperature a few degrees, so be it.

Now I shall get back to some cards I started to make yesterday, but ended up chatting to my sister for an hour or so instead. Family always comes first!

I will link up with Annie's Friday Smiles in the morning.