Friday Smiles 2024 # Week 14

We have had another windy week. I was nearly knocked off my feet when I went outside on Saturday, but the sun is shining so life is pretty good. 

The weather was at its worst over the Easter weekend which is a shame as there are amazing processions planned for every town in Spain from Thurday through to Sunday. Fortunately the clouds held on to their rain for Sunday morning when the main processions take place. But it wasn't a day for standing around to watch so I went to our own more modest service. We have enjoyed the ministry of a lovely locum priest for nearly three months, and Monday was his last day so on Easter Sunday he wanted all three of the little churches in the chaplaincy to meet together in one place, and the place he found for us was the Tanatorio in Mojacar. A Tanatorio is a funeral chapel so at first it seemed an odd choice, but it was a nice little chapel and it comfortably held the 50 folk who were there. And as Father Denis pointed out, it is the place where hope of the ressurection is most felt.

He was asissted by all three of our lay-readers, and at the end of the service he brought out a bowl of Easter eggs. Stating that they were not a part of the true Easter story, but none the less they are a symbol of 'New Life', and he hoped we would move forward with new life in our churches. He blessed the eggs and then they were distributed among the congregation. Afterwards we had a time of social chat with hot-cross buns and glasses of cava, (sparkling wine). My friends husband walked around taking photos of the people there, including one of me with some friends. I am wearing one of my favourite dresses that I bought when I was in UK last year.

I have spent a lot of time making cards this week, but because I make most of my cards with a specific person in mind, I cannot show them on here.

Today we decided to spend the morning working in the garden. There is a small garden centre attatched to the camp site where we go for fish and chips most Fridays, and last week I bought two red geraniums. They are not ususally in flower yet but these are a glorious bright red, and really make a splash of colour.

This little area is full of colour too, with a deep pink kalenchoe that I thought was dead last year!, and my cute little pansies.

And summer is certainly on the way as the first roses are in bloom and very beautiful they are too. (We saw our first swallow this week as well. Another sign of summer).

I did a lot of weeding and cutting back of dead stems, and Chris cut the tougher branches and swept up all the debris that the wind and weather had built into piles in every corner. It all looks a lot better now. 

We finally had one day of rain, and although it is no where near enough, the plants responded. These two were as good as dead, and as we are very limited in how much watering we can do, we had decided to write them off and replace them next autumn. But after that bit of rain, we noticed small green leaves appearing among the dead brown ones. So I have cut out most of the brown bits and watered them a little more and maybe they will survive after all.

This is my tall cactus. When we moved in fifteen years ago, it was about the size of the small ones around its base, and it used to annoy me when it caught on my skirt as I walked by. But it has grown and grown. I always hoped it would produce a lovely flower at the top, but that seems unlikely now. Look at how narrow it is at the base, and it waves around if you touch it, but as you can see in the photo, it is a fair bit taller than me now.

We had a worry this week when Tolly refused to eat on Monday night, and then he went outside and didn't come back. There was no sign of him all day Tuesday, and we walked all around the area calling him but with no success. Then on Wednesday morning he came back limping badly on his front foot. I have felt it all over and cannot find any thorns or grit between his toes, so I think he must have sprained it. I gave him a dose of painkillers for cats, and some more today, and he has started to eat a little food again. He is spending a lot of time curled up on the settee and was quite happy to share it with Chris today. He was able to jump up there unaided and is walking around when he needs to, so I think a couple of days of rest and he will be right as rain again.

Monday was our grand-daughter's third birthday, so I had a video call with her and her parents yesterday. She had a trampoline for her birthday which she loves as she is a bundle of energy and needs to be on the move all the time. This is a not very good photo taken as a screenshot from a little video they sent me. 

Then I rang our son out in Denmark and had a catch-up with him, and Jim, our eldest son,  being a vicar, was too busy over Easter to call, but he rang us last night for a long chat. Ben and I had had our usual weekly call of two hours or so the night before, so I have had a good family chat time which always makes me happy.

So now I will link up with Annie's Smiles and see what has kept you smiling this week.