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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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

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

   

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

SIMPLY A MOMENT?!

9pm- Friday August 16

I have just come in from watering the garden, and my IPad and glass of Vino Tinto de Verano are calling me:I casually come inside and nonchalantly pick up the IPad, as if I am NOT some kind of an addict in need of a 'fix'...... before I know it my fingers are flying over the multi-coloured candies on the screen.....I become aware of my heart beating faster and a grim determination takes over me....Boo tries to climb up beside me, and looks at me pityingly as I tell her to wait a minute....as my fingers continue to fly, I tell her that it is her mummy's (i.e. Kirsty's) fault that we are in this situation....she insisted on loading the APP when we were at mum and dad's a couple of weeks ago, and WHAM!.......I have become a self-confessed CANDY CRUSH SAGA addict!!

This 'moment' (alas, as always it turned into twenty moments before I lost this current batch of 'lives'!!) was brought to you as part of ALEXA'S monthly meme, where she invites us to record a moment in our lives....if you pop over to her blog, TRIMMING THE SAILS you are sure to find  an interesting variety of moments from many parts of the globe..in fact, why not add your own- you'll be made very welcome.

I would love to know if it's only me who has this sad addiction...PLEASE tell me it's not!!

Must go now...my new set of lives will just be about ready ;0

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

A SIMPLE MOMENT ...LOOKING UP AND DOWN

A 'double-duty' post today...in conjunction with HELENA'S weekly photographic meme 'LOOKING UP AND DOWN' and ALEXA'S monthly meme 'SIMPLY A MOMENT'


WEDNESDAY JULY 17......9.30PM

I have just finished power-washing the patio and come to sit down with a glass of  chilled wine. I suddenly become aware of the smell of Jasmine...at this time if night in the heat of the evenings, the scent is all pervading; it draws me outdoors and I end up sitting with my feet in the pool- which is at a perfect temperature to cool me down. There are a few birds twittering in the trees and the little bat which lives in the tree at the bottom of our garden is flitting back and forth.

Boo comes and joins me and starts to drink from the pool...I can hear hear her little pink tongue lapping the water greedily (and yes, I DO make sure she has plenty of fresh water- she just prefers pool water!)...she comes and lies down next to me and settles herself.

I have my IPad in my lap...I have just been looking on Facebook at my youngest brother's recent messages.....there are problems and he is so hurt and angry...we are all trying to support him, but yet again I realise how far away I am.....at the same time I am grateful for social networking used properly!

As I look upwards, I am aware of the darkening night sky and the half-moon becoming more prominent in it...it's a perfect sky tonight.

 As I watch, Boo makes gentle snoring noises beside me..... suddenly a dog barks in the distance....Boo leaps up and dashes down the garden, joining in as she goes...time to take her inside for a little while  before she drives the neighbourhood mad! 

LOOKING UP

LOOKING DOWN

I hope all those in the UK are beginning to acclimitise to your unexpected burst of hot weather..and that life is being kind to you and yours. wherever you are in Blogland.

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT- JUNE

SUNDAY 16 JUNE

Having just spent the last twenty minutes arguing with my laptop, trying to delete an unwanted programme, I decide I've had enough and that I need to cool off...both metaphorically and literally!

It's 5.25pm(ish)...the perfect time for me to get into the pool. The water is sitting at 26 degrees (C) at the moment, but even so, there's a bit off an 'OOH!' moment as I lower myself into the sparkling, turquoise water! JUST GET UNDER GIRL... it will be fine!...and it's better than fine, after that initial dunk!

As I grab my new pink 'noodle' (my left shoulder hurts too much to use for swimming)and start moving up and down the pool, I feel the heat of the sun on my back and hear the sound of birdsong from somewhere fairly close by. I can hear the little splashes my arms are making and also the tap-tap of the pool thermometer(a little blue whale this year) against the side of the pool......and there, in the background, is the sound of some kind of electrical tool being used somewhere up on the mountain behind me.

As I swim up and down, looking around at the views from each direction I am thankful, yet again, for whatever quirk of fate allowed me to end up here. I am reminded to give thanks for all the blessings in my life, and as I start to go through them in my head I hear the village clock chime the half hour...... and I wonder if that programme has deleted yet......just another few lengths and I might go and find out!

Linking up to SIMPLY A MOMENT, hosted by the lovely ALEXA......and confessing to it being another half hour before getting out of the pool!!


Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

FRIDAY APRIL 19

It's 12.11 and we are sitting at the table in the dining room (Elizabeth's dining room, as that is where I'm staying while I'm in Scotland) The sun is streaming in the window, and I am happy just sitting here, basking in it!

Elizabeth is sitting to the left of me, whispering to Mylo - her blue roan cocker spaniel- as she works. She is making a pair of earrings for me, to match the top I am wearing to the wedding tomorrow. The table is strewn with wire, beads, fabric (she is very crafty, my friend Elizabeth and she not only makes jewellery, but also quilts and knits!) and patterns.




Mylo moves to try and find a spot in the sun. After he throws himself on the wooden floor, all I hear is his contented breathing and the snip snip of the wirecutters......."Are these OK for you?"- I am jolted out of my reverie by Elizabeth's question and after her assuring her that they are perfect, look at my watch. I realise that time has flown as usual, and that I have to get moving...I am supposed to be picking my MIL up in fifteen minutes, and taking her for lunch!

This post is in conjunction with ALEXA'S lovely meme 'SIMPLY A MOMENT'


Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

4PM SATURDAY MARCH 16

I have spent the last forty five minutes or so moving furniture, sweeping and mopping. As I sit down with a cup of coffee in my rearranged NAYA (a bit like a sunroom or conservatory, attached to the front of the house) I take a good look around. The view is slightly different from my spot on the sofa..and impeded by a pillar.....but I do like the big dining/craft table at the far end of the Naya. My mess creative space is not now the first thing you see when coming into the house..it has always bugged me, but it has taken till today for it to occur to me to change it!

I notice the broom and the mop are still lying by the door....  Boo is totally bemused...she ran into the garden as soon as I started moving the furniture and has now wandered back in.Yes, I think I like it, but it needs a little 'tweaking'....I take my last sip of now-cold coffee.....and get up to go tweak.  

I'm linking up with ALEXA, whose brilliant idea it was to make us stop, and actually be aware of what's going on around us for a moment or two each month...and then document it.

I do hope you have had a few moments to sit and reflect this weekend

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

FEBRUARY 22, 9.10AM

As the 'Don't leave your bags unattended...' announcement is repeated, in both Spanish and English I move forward a couple of inches, trying not to bump mum's heels with the luggage trolley while Barbara pushes the wheelchair dad's sitting in forward too. There are moans and groans about the queue size and lack of check-in counters, from both in front and behind me, and I can feel the tension emanating from mum as she checks she has the passports and Boarding Passes for the umpteenth time, and her frustration as her carry-on case keeps falling over. Dad is trying to hold the tears back...he hates farewells and he hates going back to the cold weather...I'm glad I'm standing behind them. Now I start to feel guilty for wishing them away...but at the same time I feel relief that dad will be near to his own Doctor, and I know that mum is rejoicing inside- just desperate to get the travelling over and be in the safety of her own environment! 

One of the airport staff suddenly appears and tells us that we can go to the front of the queue, so that the wheelchair can be checked through in plenty of time...time for me to start concentrating again and get the travellers checked in.

I am linking up with Alexa's  SIMPLY A MOMENT (rather belatedly admittedly) ...if you head over there you will find some more 'moments' to read about.

Hope your weekend is going well!

Thanks for dropping by!

take care of you

Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

JANUARY 17 8.05AM

My consciousness begins to stir and I half open one eye to check how light it is outside...as I do so, I am thinking 'What day are we at?'! It takes a couple of seconds for my still-sleepy brain to get the message to me that it is Thursday..... great!I don't have to be out particularly early, so I lean over and switch the electric blanket on and decide to have a sneaky extra ten minutes cosied under the covers. I also switch on the little blower I keep at the side of the bed to take the chill off the room, and as it starts to whirr gently I open my eyes properly to have a look out of the patio doors to check out how the day is looking.

I see the sun beginning to rise to the left of the house, and even through the voile curtains, it looks as there aren't TOO many clouds in the sky. It is very windy again, though...... the trees  are waving madly at me! I am suddenly aware of a gentle snoring on my left hand side, and turn to see Boo curled up in a ball beside me...she obviously has NO notion of rushing up either. 

My mind starts to go through the list of 'to do's' for today....Slimming Club this morning, Committee meeting this afternoon, baking a banana loaf for said meeting, sorting out bags of wool from the Charity shop for a new knitting class about to start at the DROP IN CENTRE in the village, and as the alarm on my mobile phone plays its merry (too merry actually!) tune, I know that it's time to get out of my cosy nest and start my day.

Thanks to ALEXA for the inspiration to 'Share a Moment' every month!

NB.....for anyone interested I lost all of a pound (0.4kg) this week- not a lot, but a start!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

DECEMBER 19

As I sit nursing a cup of almost-cold tea, looking at the lights and years worth of decorations on our Christmas tree all I can hear is Boo's heavy breathing as she dozes next to me on the sofa.

The TV has now been turned off and Kirsty has headed to bed, and I'm thinking of what a lovely evening we've had watching the two Home Alone DVDs, during which I have laughed AND cried! They remind me so much of Stuart you see...he was at just the right age to enjoy the slapstick humour, and I can still hear him laughing uproariously then asking if one day we could go and have Room Service at the Plaza Hotel in New York!

Thinking of Stuart in turn leads me to thinking about the families affected by the events in Connecticut last week, and to how they must be trying to cope with their losses. Christmas- and indeed their lives-will never be the same again. I send up a silent prayer that they will find the strength to get through the upcoming holiday season and beyond.

I have a last look at the tree before I switch off the lights and go to bed....eighteen years ago I didn't think I would get through (or want to get through) Christmas ever again, but there are so many memories on our trees and and in our decor, that I always feel Stuart with me more than ever at this time of year.

Thanks must go to ALEXA for starting this meme which has given me the encouragement to take the time to write down these important, but random thoughts!

Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

It's 10.50a.m. on Saturday 17 November and I have just sat down with a cup of coffee, after having my 'in-laws' here. My FIL and his wife (who is NOT my MIL) rang to ask if they could come and shower here- they live fairly close by and had been without water for 24 hours.

As I sit listening to Josh Groban singing Christmas songs and looking at the ironing board....which has been in the same position since yesterday in the hope that I may actually DO something with it!...

.....I am pondering upon the fact that they didn't just use boiled, bottled water to wash, like everyone else does when they have water problems, when I am distracted by Kirsty and her friend Imane (who we picked up last night) looking through my 'baking cupboard'- they are checking for ingredients for some cupcakes they plan on making later today. There is much hilarity as they discuss what toppings they want to make for said cakes.....it makes me smile to hear their banter, and I am grateful that Kirsty has always had good friends around her, both in Spain and in the UK. As they go to get their shoes, Boo works out that they are about to go out and I can hear the little bell on her collar jingling as she follows them down the hall.

 I go back to pondering the water situation.......most people here keep spare bottled water in case the water DOES go off ; it is not a totally unknown phenomenon here! All it takes is some roadworks to be taking place and for some odd, inexplicable reason we lose water for half a day or whatever! 

The girls leave, and poor Boo has been left indoors with me...she jumps up to her spot at the window (on top of the sofa-back, which is wrecked by said activity!) and cries as she watches the car reversing out of the driveway. When she jumps down, I know they have gone so I let her out...she will now sit like this at the gate till they come home.

Ah well...my coffee is finished and that ironing calls....

Hope you've had a good weekend!

Thanks to ALEXA for the inspiration to 'Share a Moment' every month

Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

Inspired by ALEXA'S  new meme SIMPLY A MOMENT......

It's 9.30am on Thursday 18 October....I'm sitting in our glass-fronted Naya (sun room) looking at, and being thankful for, the view I look at every day...even with grey skies and low cloud over the mountains as it is this morning

Boo has just come and 'plonked' herself down at my feet...she doesn't realise she's off to see Julie- the dog groomer- in half an hour or so!

I wonder if we will get the predicted weekend storms early...we are hopeful it's not going to be a GOTA FRIA, when we get so much rain at the one time that the valley in which we live floods badly....a dog barks somewhere nearby and Boo leaps to her feet and charges down to the gate to see what's going on, and I wonder why some barks seem to alert her to something but others don't get any response at all.

I'm trying to ignore my rumbling tummy....this is weigh-in morning, so no eating till after that...I laugh at myself for that absurdity! According to my scales I have lost a little, but the class ones rarely agree with mine...we shall see!

I can hear some sort of sawing noise coming from behind our house, where new houses are being built....no-one is is buying houses and there are already so many lying empty..I can't work out why more are being built. When the machinery stops I can hear the workmen shouting to each other in Spanish, and the whirr of the washing machine from indoors: I think this may be one of the rare days when I don't get the washing out to dry.

On the coffee table lies an assortment of crafty books, plus a nail file and nail scissors which I think have been there since I left for Scotland last week. When I look at the tiled floor I see a collection of dead flies from yesterday which I forgot to sweep up...this makes me think of my dad, who calls it a 'dead fly cemetery'...and in turn I wonder how he is this morning. The news has been positive all week..I hope it continues to be so after this course of antibiotics is finished.

As Boo returns to her spot at my feet I hear the call of the sweeping brush...time to get rid of those flies!!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

SIMPLY A MOMENT

9.28am on Saturday 15 October,,I have just read ALEXA'S PROMPT and I know if I don't take a minute now I will totally forget about it! I am joining in with SIMPLY A MOMENT- you can read about it HERE - suggested by Alexa herself.

Craig and I are sitting in our usual seats in the living room..him on one sofa and me on the other. We both have our laptops on.. me checking blogs, him checking emails. I have just finished drinking a cup of tea from the white mug with the coloured circles.....

...and I can feel the heat from Boo's little body curled against my legs. I'm amazed she's still lying here, as the dogs from the house in front of us are barking madly, and she usually can't resist going for a nosy! Pepe next door has just added the sound of his badly-needing-oiled garage door to the melee.

I'm wearing my pink and white sarong, and am just thinking that my toe is starting to ache when Craig starts telling me that I need to drink more milk to encourage the bone to heal. While he waxes lyrical, I am thinking that I need to get moving and clean the floors and put yesterday's ironing away...and scowling at his black socks (from last night!), which he always takes off when he sits down, but leaves lying on the end of 'his' sofa instead of putting them in the laundry basket! I realise the washing machine has just finished spinning, so it's time to make a move and go and hang it out to dry.

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx