ME ON MONDAY

A great sense of achievement is being felt here today...I have actually managed to sit myself down and get the last square for the FRIENDSHIP QUILT sewn up AND put in an envelope ready to be posted tomorrow.....hold tight DENISE, but don't get too excited..the post from here isn't exactly what you  would call reliable!

The weekend?......a bit of gardening, a bit of shopping, an 86th Birthday dinner and Afternoon Tea...and, of course, a bit of sewing!

The sun is shining and it's HOT- not WARM here today.....on returning from a walk, Boo ran ahead of me up the garden, and this is where I found her:

....she had obviously had very hot little paws!

Hope you are seeing some sunshine where you are today!......waving at SIAN and all the other 'Monday Wavers'

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

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THE WEEK THAT WAS

This last week has seen a little more 'me' time.

MONDAY saw the repair of my car tyre, which in turn allowed me to go out and buy these lovelies:

 .....I must confess it wasTUESDAY before I got them planted!....and that was later in the evening..our temperatures have been really high this week.....

.....and by WEDNESDAY Boo took the plunge

 ... by THURSDAY I was right in there too!

 On Friday, I did a bit of Hospital visiting which meant me driving through this beautiful countryside:

A few years months ago I would never have dreamt of driving so high up in the mountains...now it's no problem (I'm still not a good passenger on these journeys though)

In the evening I went down to the village to have a meal with a friend...of course the football was on and we were witness to Spain's defeat in their first match......I'm sure you can imagine the atmosphere by the end of the match!

I was determined to have SATURDAY and SUNDAY at home, to do some work on PROJECT LIFE and some housework!!

...success on both counts!!

This week sees Kirsty coming home for the summer ( her contract is finished and she is going to Glasgow University in September to do a Masters Degree)....I am hoping that too much 'stuff' won't be accompanying her!

Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

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SIMPLY A MOMENT

SUNDAY MAY 25- 9.30am

Having been wakened by a low but insistent growling, I realise I have slept longer than usual by the brightness of the light streaming through the bedroom window. As Boo jumps up onto the bed I see that the sun is fully up and that the sky is a perfect blue..it's going to be another hot day I think. That will please Kirsty, who arrived unexpectedly for Bank Holiday weekend and is enjoying getting some sun on her unbelievably pale skin!

My mind then turns to Jean (MY LITTLE OLD LADY) who, by all accounts should just be leaving on the final leg of her journey to Hong Kong. I smile to myself as I remember how excited she was when we took her to the airport yesterday.

 We had no problem with the Emergency Passport with anything else!......She was a vision in pink ....

.....and, although she had a 'nervous tummy' which, I told her, was perfectly understandable when she was undertaking this huge trip, she (after a few tears) happily went off in a wheelchair with Hugo, her Special Assistance chap!

Obviously I have stopped stroking Boo as I think all this, and I am aware that I am being 'batted' on the arm to get me started again...I comply and then decide it really IS time to get up and see what plans Kirsty has conjured up for our day!


Sadly, this is the last SIMPLY A MOMENT being hosted by my friend ALEXA......so thank you Alexa, for encouraging us to take at least ONE moment each month from our busy lives and recording it!

Hope the sun is shining for Bank Holiday Weekend (UK) and Memorial Day Weekend (USA)....and that life is good with you and yours wherever in blogland you are!

Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

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SIMPLY A MOMENT

JULY 24- 09.17

Having managed to (surruptiously) pack my little carry-on suitcase, I am now sitting in the naya with a cup of coffee mentally rechecking said suitcase. Boo is hovering close by...she senses something is afoot and is already upset at Kirsty's departure yesterday. Apart from the twittering of a few birds and the intermittent braying of a donkey somewhere in the distance, all is tranquility itself!

I am about to head for the airport, to fly to Scotland to meet up with Craig and to join the rest of my family to celebrate dad's 80th birthday.

I am hoping that the excitement of the next few days isn't too much for him......my sister and her family arrived from New Zealand yesterday, which he and mum were so looking forward to, so it is a real family occasion.
Craig is already there, and has reported that dad is better than he expected to find him, so that has put my mind at rest somewhat....our problem will be keeping him from trying to do too much!

I hear the not so gentle sound of snoring from my feet, and realise Boo has settled down and dozed off...time to gather the last few bits and pieces for my journey while she's not looking!

NB......as soon as moved, Boo was up like a shot...there's no fooling that dog!!

To read more 'moments' pop over HERE where Alexa hosts this monthly meme.

Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

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ZOOM IN, ZOOM OUT

It's that time of year when I spend a lot of time in the garden...dead-heading, tying plants to posts , moving plants etc..

As I was  out there, I suddenly noticed that the little green bullets which were the start of the cherries only a week or ten days ago, had suddenly begun to ripen...I had to act fast!...last year the birds beat me to it and all I ended up with was a tree full of cherry stones, even though I had tied long strips of plastic to the branches.

This year's solution is tin foil!

ZOOMING OUT

The foils me of when I am having my hair coloured!

ZOOMING IN

What I'm trying to protect!

To see more ZIZOs, pop over HERE, where HELENA will be more than happy to have you visit!

I am off to celebrate dad's eightieth birthday this weekend, so Boo is being left with one of my friends who is coming to dog-sit...I am trying to keep my case hidden until the last minute, as she's already upset that Kirsty and Imane left yesterday!

I do hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx 

THE WEEK THAT WAS

This week has seen me:

RECEIVE......

......another quilt square (and assorted chocolate and scrapping goodies!)...this time from the talented JO over at SUGAR AND SCRAP....thank you Jo!

COMPLETE......

....... this quilt square(though it is not yet posted!)

AND

Week 7 of Project Life

ATTEND......

a Charity Ball/ Awards ceremony ...it went on forever!

TEND.....

.......to Boo's sore eye- she escaped out of the gate and came back with a cut under her eye, which has also meant a couple of visits to the Vet

DECORATE

...the twig tree for Easter

and of course PLAY.....

...Candy Crush Saga-  Level 248 now!

I hope you've all had a good weekend...and I wonder what the coming week will bring for us all!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 17.....07.30

The cacophony that is the crowing of my neighbour's two roosters has rudely awakened me.....I can tell by the lack of daylight it's earlier than I really wanted to be awake! 

I am aware of the sound of snoring from the bottom of the bed...the noise obviously hasn't disturbed Boo and she is twitching happily in her sleep.

I close my eyes and think back over my weekend  visit  to Scotland; I drove through rain,sleet, snow and sunshine...it's a long time since I've driven in snow, but I managed to avoid panicking and doing any damage to  the hire car- or to anything else!!         

We were able to get dad out for a while on Saturday ; only  for a couple of hours, but that was long enough for him.... thank goodness for Garden Centres with nice Coffee shops!

my brother came in very handy for pushing the wheelchair!

I feel myself being 'patted' through the bedcovers and open my eyes to find that Boo has wakened and is telling me she needs to be let outside...heyho!, so starts my day.

Linking up with ALEXA for her monthly meme....click on the link to find more moments!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

HELLO WEEK!

This week I'm saying:

HELLO to the last few days of 2013...how did that happen?!

HELLO to the first few days of 2014...how did THAT happen?!

HELLO to just Boo and I being here, after having Craig and Kirsty with us for a few days

HELLO to working out the time difference between here and China...that's where Craig flew to yesterday!

HELLO to going out with friends for dinner on New Year's Eve

HELLO to arguing with myself  (again) about whether I should actually be in Scotland ...dad is back in hospital, but once he is stabilised they will let him home again...mum is insisting that she and my brothers can cope   (which I know they actually CAN)

HELLO to enjoying the last few days of looking at my Christmas decorations.before they come down at the weekend

HELLO to planning a trip mid-January...and NOT to the UK!

HELLO to wishing you and yours  a peaceful, healthy and happy 2014!

SOURCE

Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

THURSDAY DECEMBER 26- 3.30pm

The dogs in the house in front of us have started to bark loudly...I think it is probably the wind that's upsetting them. It has been an incredibly windy 24 hours...but at least we've not had the flooding that the south of England has experienced. Boo, surprisingly, doesn't seem at all fazed by it and is lying on the tiles at my feet, snoring gently.

I have just finished a cup of coffee (from the cup given to me as part of my Christmas from Kirsty- it may be my favourite present this year!)

Craig and I have just not long come back from the airport, where we saw Kirsty off on her return to Newcastle.....she doesn't seem to have been here for long enough, but she is due at work tomorrow. To be honest though, she would have been quite happy if the weather had caused her to be delayed for a day or two...but no such luck...I have just checked online and the fight is en route!

I reflect on the last couple of days and how much pleasure I have had in us being together, but yet have had so many of our UK family and friends on my mind....did we do the right thing by staying here, or should we have gone back for Christmas?...have I been selfish in just wanting the three of us together this year?.....I could go on questioning myself and my motives,but the reality is that there is only so much one can do in any given situation and I felt it important that we have this time together.

I am aware of an insistent BEEP! BEEP! In the background, and realise the washing machine has finished it's cycle...onward and upward!

With thanks once again to ALEXA for encouraging us to stop, take a moment and think!

Hoping you and yours are having a wonderful Christmas!

Thanks for dropping by!
take care of you
Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

NOVEMBER 16....... 04.28AM

I am sitting on the sofa in the Living room.....wearing warm pyjamas and wrapped in my favourite cosy, cream wrap - a gift from Kirsty two Christmases ago. Lying beside is Boo....shaking like a leaf and heart beating nineteen to the dozen (as my Gran used to say!)...the rain is is  bouncing off the roof and every few minutes there is a bright flash of lightning followed by a mighty clatter of thunder. These latter two  are the reason I am sitting here with a cup of tea in one hand and the other hand alternating between  typing and stroking  the quivering wreck at my side.

I resisted getting out of bed for an hour or so, but the sound of this crying, inconsolable dog finally got the better of me...she went from padding around the room crying to lying on the bed crying..eventually I accepted that getting up was the only solution.

Boo senses storms coming a good fifteen or twenty minutes before they actually manifest themselves over us...and of course, the fact that we live in a valley means that the thunder bounces off the mountains and sounds SO loud!

The rain has abated somewhat and there is only the very distant rumble of thunder now...but it's enough for this little bundle of fluff to  jump up with a start and need a cuddle every few minutes...time to  put the TV on  and try to drown it out..perhaps if I watch QVC I'll get some inspiration for Christmas pressies if nothing else!

My thanks to ALEXA for giving me something to think about during my three hour sojourn...yes, that's how long I sat up before heading back to bed...and even then I had to keep the light on before Boo settled again!

If you pop over to ALEXA'S BLOG, you'll find some other 'moments' to read and, I'm quite certain, enjoy!

Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

   

HELLO WEEK

This week I'm saying :

HELLO to a dog with a dodgy tummy.....to the extent we have been to see the vet over the weekend...she is having an oral pro-biotic and is on a diet of chicken, rice and carrots: a tablespoon three times a day...when she gets her 'allowance' she practically licks the pattern off the bowl she's so hungry!!

she doesn't know it yet, but I'm allowed to introduce some of her normal food tomorrow!

HELLO to having taken on some extra responsibilities with my voluntary work

HELLO to realising that our Christmas Bazaar is actually a week on Saturday and NOT two weeks on Saturday, as was in my head!

HELLO to a new line dancing class on Thursday night! 

The usual mixed bag for me...what about you -how's your week looking?

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

Once a month, my friend ALEXA invites us to stop, take stock, notice and record...just a moment (or maybe two!) in our busy lives.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 19...9.58AM

I'm sitting on the sofa in the Naya while it's cool enough to do so...it's been too hot to do so all week...and once the sun creeps round to this side of the house it will be too hot again! 

There's the sound of a tractor engine in the distance, accompanied by male (Spanish) voices trying to be heard above it...also of gunshots- it's Fiesta (again!!) in one of the neighbouring villages, and on Fiesta days the men gather together to go hunting in the surrounding countryside.There is also the gentle rumble of Boo's snores from the side of the sofa!

I've just prepared a healthy bowl of fruit ( plums, a nectarine and the beautiful little jewel-like seeds of pomegranate) and yoghurt for my breakfast.

There are birds twittering in the trees now and I've just noticed that one of the 'noodles' has blown into the pool..it must have been windy overnight.

Once I have eaten my breakfast I am going to make a Banana Loaf to take to a friend who is just out of hospital...and then I'm hoping to get some scrapping time..it's been too  long since I've done any!

The 10 o'clock bells have just started to chime and my Spanish neighbour's chickens have started to squawk...the second lot of bells have started...in our village they are rung twice- once for God and once for The Devil!

Thanks for reminding me just to sit and 'be', ALEXA!

Tanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

I'm hoping still ALEXA has still got the 'Linky' up for this, as I am late to the party (which is definately becoming the 'norm' for me these days!).


SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER....08.43

Through the bedroom curtains I can see a cloudless blue sky ...which means I've slept longer this morning than usual...at this time of year the sky looks grey until the sun gets over the trees at about 8am!

I can hear Boo snoring gently on the end of the bed...another sign that summer is coming to an end and that the nights are getting cooler...... she is spending more time ON the bed than UNDER it, as she does when it's so hot.

Apart from the snoring and the ticking of the JETHRO TULL clock on the wall, all is silent which means the girls are still asleep too...no rush to get up.

I must remember to ring my MIL....it's her Birthday today... I'm so glad that the Respiratory Consultant has (at last) recommended that dad has a nebuliser at home...I can't believe that it's almost been a year since he was admitted to hospital with pneumonia, and how much his health has gone downhill since then.....we are really hoping the nebuliser will help to ease things a bit.

I am exhaustedly tired even though I'm just wakened....self-inflicted I must admit...too many late nights- not to mention excesses of food and drink...my body feels so sluggish...it's probably just as well we only do this once a year! What a great  time we've had though.....good for the soul, if not quite so good for the liver and kidneys!

I hear the funny sound the pipes in Kirsty's room make when someone turns a tap off..a plumbing fault....someone's up and it's time to move!

To read more 'moments' pop over  HERE...thanks again to ALEXA for hosting this monthly meme.

Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

MADE IT...JUST!

Who can believe that tomorrow is September the 21st?!......officially the end of Summer, my MIL's Birthday, the day 'the girls' go home ( good news for my kidneys but not for Boo, who has been walked beyond her wildest imagination!)....AND the end of RINDA'S SUMMERTIME SCAVENGER HUNT for this year!!

The final seven items have been photographed, and here they are:


#1-An Open Air Market

Actually one of the easiest ones to get around here...each town and village has it's own Market Day every week...this one is in a neighbouring (larger!) village

#3- A Civic Building

Our local Town Hall (Ajuntament)....now in a modern building

#16- A Windmill

An ornamental windmill sitting on someone's wall.....I was sure I might be arrested for 'casing the joint' whilst taking this one!

#17- Candles

a vast selection in one of the shops at our nearest Mall

#18- Your local bar/coffee house

'The Torre Bar' acts as both, plus a Restaurant...and that space upstairs is where we do our Keep Fit!

#19-A Fisherman

Having spent the summer looking for a fisherman....not something you often ever see in the mountains!!...I realised I walked past this one every day in life!

#21- A picture of you with an artistic tool or Craft Supply

me and my trusty 'Silhouette' Cutting Machine!

By my calculations all 21 items have been ticked off the list

1. Open air market

2. Theater for performing arts (not a movie theater)
3. City Hall, Capitol or other similar civic building
4. Airplane
5. A sunset
6. Someone or something taking a nap
7. A sign that is intentionally or unintentionally funny
8. A tower
9. A photo with someone or something that is clearly out of place or doesn't belong
10. A bench that is outside
11. An animal in a zoo, aquarium, nature preserve, etc.
12. A cloud in the shape of something (please specify what you see)
13. A fence
14. A stained glass object or a mosaic
15. A fire truck or police car
16. A windmill 
17. Candle(s)
18. Your local pub/bar, coffee house or tea shop
19. A fisherman
20. A dinosaur
21. A photograph of you with an artistic tool or craft supply (you cannot substitute for this item)

So once again it's time to thank RINDA for organising us all ...it's definately becoming  become a tradition in our little corner of the Blogosphere...I wonder what you'll come up with next year, Rinda ;)

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

HELLO PRECIOUS!

As I was driving home from the airport last night, I remembered that I had forgotten (if you get my drift!) about STORYTELLING SUNDAY over at SIAN'S PLACE. For the uninitiated, SIAN hosts a forum, once a month, for a group of Bloggers(and YOU, if you feel so inclined) to share a story...long, short, happy or sad: we love them all!

This year she has suggested the theme to be 'PICK YOUR PRECIOUS'.....initially the idea was to write  about those little things that mean a lot to us....but  many of us have veered off course a little fair bit to write about somewhat larger things- and even people who are precious to us....and has Sian been at all upset with us?...not a bit!...Sian welcomes all  stories with open arms!

As I mentioned earlier, I arrived home last night after having spent a couple of days with mum and dad (dad has managed to stay out of hospital for about two months) and then heading to the NE of England to help Kirsty move to a new apartment.

It occurred to me as I drove through the gate, that THIS is my precious for this month:

.....HOME! ...and I don't JUST mean the bricks and mortar that is our house...at this time in my life, this just happens to BE home. I mean the having somewhere you look forward to returning to, where you can relax and be comfortable...where everything around you is YOURS,  and when you walk in the door you sigh with relief and think 'I'M HOME'! Even though I arrived back to just being me here again (well me and Boo)...there is still a sense of family in our home and I will never tire of the 'COMING HOME' feeling!

I'm hoping to catch up with a few SS stories during the course of the week....why not pop  over to SIAN'S and check some out yourself?

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx