MEMORANDUM MONDAY

Hello my friends!......the calendar tells me it's the first Monday in May but my brain finds it difficult to believe!

Being Monday, it's time to consider what 'firsts' might have occurred in the last few days and to try to remember if I learned anything new...all at the behest of the lovely SIAN.

No first time doing anything for me this weekend......BUT the first cherries are beginning to ripen on my net-covered tree 

I also said farewell to my first houseguest of the season....I've had a lovely week with my friend Lyn; it does however mean that I MAY have over-indulged on the eating and drinking front:

just ONE of our outings!

I suppose I could say that I've learned (though actually it's  RE-LEARNED) that after a week over overindulging, the body most definitely needs a bit of a detox!....so it's been lots of fresh fruit and water today Lyn...my sensible head is most definitely attached!

Wishing you all a good week....

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

MONDAY MEMORANDUM

It's time to check in with SIAN and her merry band of 'Monday-ers' before yet another Monday has passed me by.

No 'firsts' this weekend.....all 'repeats': a hospital visit to check on some friends,another trip to a Garden Centre to buy this little lot:

.....then of course I spent some time planting them! 

Sunday saw me a Street Market in a neighbouring village, helping run a Book Stall for JVH (the Charity with which I'm involved):

....followed by a rather nice dinner with friends!

What did I learn?......that sometimes it's worth paying someone with the right tools to do a job!...I have been snipping away at a Honeysuckle which was well past it's 'sell by' date with my secateurs for about a month, and was getting nowhere...one of the local lads got rid of the thing in less than an hour with some sort of electrical implement!!

Enjoy your week my friends!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

.....

MEMORANDUM MONDAY

Can you believe it's the first Monday in April? I remember my gran saying (often) that time flies the older you get; in my youth I naively thought she was 'haverin' ( a good Scottish word meaning 'talking nonsense')....now I know differently!

Being Monday, it's time to check in with SIAN and the 'usual suspects' to share something new we might have learned or something we might have done for the first time during the course of the weekend.

The weekend itself saw me getting the house back to 'normal' after having my Craig and Kirsty and HER Craig here for a week....I also got to spend time doing some planting in my garden and for the FIRST time we now have some garden furniture under our pergola:

I also decided that this year, for the FIRST time, I am getting serious with the birds eating the cherries off our tree....no, I haven't gone out and bought an airgun or anything drastic.....I have draped a net over said tree:

.....and am hoping it does the trick.

I have resorted to looking up a website of trivia to be able to report something new I have learned....and I actually DID learn something that pertains to ME....did YOU  know that the word 'LETHOLOGICA' describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want? You wouldn't believe how many times that happens to me...please tell me I'm not alone!!

Have a good week my friends...hope it's not too LETHOLOGICAL for you (or me for that matter!)

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

EASTER MONDAY MEMORANDUM

Happy Easter my friends.....hope you've had a relaxing and fairly peaceful weekend.

Here?...there have been a few 'firsts'- not first time EVERS but certainly first time this year!

Take Friday for instance....it was warm enough at 9 o'clock in the morning to sit outside (in short sleeves) and enjoy my coffee!

Later that day another first......the sound of laughter and of a recorder being played from one of the houses behind me!  The people who own it live in Valencia and use it as a holiday/weekend home and don't start using it until Easter weekend....I am glad to say that say that the recorder player has improved over the years!

My first houseguests have also arrived....Kirsty and her Craig arrived last night: I haven't seen her since the beginning of February so it's lovey to have her here for a few days. 

...and finally, the parasol on the terrace had it's first opening today:

Waving at SIAN and the Monday Memorandumers...and anyone else who has popped by!


Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

MONDAY MEMORANDUM

Can I just say that I actually wrote this last night and was sure I had pressed the 'PUBLISH' button!!

Good Monday Evening my friends!....and so beginneth another week....can you believe how quickly this year is passing? 

It was a busy but productive and fun weekend here....not really any 'firsts' that I am aware of though.

Friday saw our Charity's annual auction, which made it a busy week with moving items to the Auction venue but it was worth it, given that we raised almost 3500 euros. 

Saturday morning was spent doing the dreaded housework, then there was a bit of hospital visiting before a quick dash round the supermarket...have I ever mentioned that I hate shopping- ESPECIALLY food shopping!....which left me some time for a little bit of scrapbooking:

On Sunday morning a couple of us attended a special Mass to bless the opening of the local Catholic Church charity's Food Bank....I suppose THAT was a first...I've never been to an outdoor Mass before!

In the evening a group of us headed down to one of the 'big' towns (Denia) at the coast, to watch a Children's Dance Group performing...they were raising money for our Charity and there lots of 'ooh'ing and 'ahh'ing at the little ones and lots of awe and respect for the older girls. 

The weekend was finished off with a rather nice plate of pasta before heading for home .

I am struggling to think of anything new I learned...it's very possible that I DID learn something new but that I have totally forgotten it!

Waving to SIAN and the 'Mondayers' and wishing you all a good week

Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

MONDAY MEMORANDUM (or TUESDAY TARDINESS!)

A day late, but here I am waving to SIAN and her regular group Monday wavers for Memorandum Monday: a chance to share something new you did or learned over the weekend.

My lesson learned was on Friday night, when I turned up at a Charity function ( which promised to be a night of 60's, 70's and 80's music)....

....dancing shoes on and raring to go. When the group started of by playing 'Let your Love Flow' by The Bellamy Brothers ...before the meal I hasten to add so no-one was dancing....I thought 'this could be a good night'. Unfortunately, that was the 70's finished and the rest of the night was dedicated to the 60's apart from  a VERY bad attempt at Springsteen's 'Born to Run'! 

Two lessons were learned : you should never believe everything you read on a ticket and that 60's music (at least to someone whose teenage years were in the 70's and dancing to 'disco music') is hard to dance to- of course maybe that was just the music they chose to play on the night.

The rest of the weekend? ....Saturday was a day of shopping, gardening and

 scrapbooking (!) and Sunday saw me at a Birthday Lunch for a very dear friend who was 87 years young that day

I sincerely hope that I look as good as that when I'm 87!

I do hope you all have a good week and that signs of Spring are arriving in your corner of Blogland!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

MEMORANDUM MONDAY

It's Monday, which means it's time to join SIAN and her band of 'MONDAY WAVERS' for a recap of the weekend and to share something learned.

The weekend? There was an Artisan Fayre on in the village on Saturday

 and I had arranged to meet a friend for coffee and a walk round the stalls. The afternoon saw me printing off photographs for a new set of frames I bought before Christmas, before going out for a Birthday dinner with friends. This morning it was our Charity's annual Almond Blossom Walk .....during which I got spectacularly lost!...I had waited behind for a late arrival who didn't turn up, thinking I would catch up with the group.....of COURSE I took a wrong turning and after forty minutes or so I decided I had better turn back.....I DID manage to rack up 7000 plus steps on my Fitbit though! I waited in a local bar (drinking coffee!) till everyone returned, then it was off to eat again! Due to having one a few glasses of wine with lunch, it was a lazy evening in front of the TV.

Lesson learned?......that just because we mere mortals set a date for an Almond Blossom Walk, Mother Nature has the final say- not to mention the last laugh- in there BEING any blossom left:

the blossom was all but gone and the new leaves are in abundance.

Hoping you all had a weekend with some enjoyable and interesting moments!

Have a good week my friends

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx 

MEMORANDUM MONDAY

Joining in with SIAN a little bit later in the day that I had planned...but for a change it IS actually on the right day!

Unfortunately I am car-less at the moment......there is a problem with the electronic dashboard and it is currently in the local garage for (hopefully) repair. One of my friends graciously loaned me her car on Saturday morning and I was able to go for some food shopping. After returning the car to her-and fitting in a bit of luch- I had the urge to be creative for the first time in months...and here's the results of the rest of Saturday: 

These pictures have been lying on my craft table since well before Christmas, and are the final two for my FIVE FAVOURITES for last May!!

Sunday saw me working in the garden ...taking stock of what has been growing while I've been gone...then having lunch with friends (all of us being without Valentine partners for various reasons).

Dessert...Lemon Chiffon and Strawberry Meringue......YUM!

Did I learn anything? ...I learned that 12 metres is equal to 39 feet 4.441 inches...that's the distance I cover in twenty steps (I found this out whilst trying to set up my new FITBIT) 

I'm off to find out what else was discovered by blogfriends this weekend....have a good week everyone.

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

MEMORANDUM MONDAY

Another week gone....how does that happen?!...it means time for a quick roundup of my weekend and to share either something I did for the first time or something new I learned.

First, the weekend roundup: it started with a visit to a Spanish Charity we support (AMADEM), which runs courses for  adults with learning disablities- we had a cheque to present to them and it was there that I learned my something new (which I will share in just a mo)

There was the discovery that a warning light is on in my car and that the speedometer isn't registering anything, followed by some weird and wonderful messages on the electronic dash (in German!), there was some garden-tidying and there was a roast beef lunch with friends. 

Now, what did I learn? ....that these- a special type of spring onions....

are called 'calcots' (pronounced calsots) and that they are grown specially for a Fiesta called  Calcotada...when they are chargrilled en masse and eaten as a starter at a typical Spanish feast.

 The Calcotada Fiesta is held any time from late January into February, and is an early herald to Spring , most particularly in the North of Spain and in many rural areas in our locality.

How have I found out about this?....while at Amadem we were given invitations to THEIR Calcotada on February 28...guess what will be my 'something new' that weekend?

Waving to SIAN and the 'Mondayers'...and of course anyone else who has just dropped by!

MEMORANDUM MONDAY

Happy New Week blogfriends!

 It's Monday, so it's time to share my weekend: there was a 'Downton' marathon (it's one of the TV programmes I never watch till it comes out on DVD as I hate waiting for the next episode!). Series 6 and the Finale arrived on Friday ...by Saturday night I had bade farewell to all at Downton, feeling that the makers had ended it well- but also left plenty of stories which could  be developed if the need/inclination arises (PLEASE let it arise!!) There was time for coffee with friends and some laundry between episodes but not much else!

Sunday saw me doing something I haven't done before..attending the 'Blessing of the Animals' in the village....if you didn't know, St Anthony is the patron Saint of animals and here in Spain ' El Dia de Sant Antoni ' is celebrated by animals being blessed by the local Priest. In our village that means our Priest stands outside the Church, in front of the statue of San Antoni and blesses each animal with Holy Water as it is brought past by its owner(s):

There were horses:

There were  hamsters and dogs:

There was even an enormous tortoise( resplendent in a red bow and arriving in a shopping cart!).....

and of course there were more dogs...

I didn't take Boo with me, as I knew she would get over-excited at being among so many other animals, not to mention the crowds but I will seriously think about taking her next year.

Waving to SIAN and the usual 'Mondayers'...and wishing you all a good week

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

 

MEMORANDUM MONDAY.....

.....is the new brainchild of  'She- of- the- great- Blogging- Ideas' AKA SIAN :the idea being that not only do we wave on Monday, but also share something we did for the first time over the weekend and/or something we learned and hadn't known before.

Given that I spent most of last week-and most of the weekend- in bed or lying on the sofa (having been laid low by a nasty bug) and with a head full of sawdust, I can honestly say I didn't do anything  at ALL, never mind new at the weekend.

By yesterday though, my head was my own again and I am most definitely on the mend...to the extent that I got out my little pedalling machine with the intention of using it at least for twenty minutes or so, just to get me back in the swing of it. Unfortunately, after ten minutes the blessed left pedal fell off (!); on examining said pedal I discovered that there was no way it was going to re-thread back into the machine so, being determined that my new fitness and healthy eating regime (more about that another day) wasn't going to be scuppered on day 1, I went off in search of my trusty Superglue to see if THAT would work. I did the necessary and left it to set and by today :

.....I learned that Superglue DOES stick tight- even on metal against metal! I have used my machine and the pedal stayed put...YAY!

Waving at the Monday Wavers and wishing everyone a week with lots to be grateful for!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison