Naked Bather Statue at Passeio de Riberinho, Portimaõ Wordless Wednesday. Wordless, the statue left me speechless!
The Weekly Smile: Food, Friends and Fun
This week we took the opportunity to take an unplanned relaxing lunch along the waterfront at Alvor, enjoy the view and people-watch (great fodder for my next novel). The lunch and idyllic location a welcome bonus sandwiched between a hospital appointment and our stressful weekly shopping foray. In these times of the soaring cost of... Continue Reading →
It’s Hot Hot HOT in Portugal
Trying to motivate myself to garden today in nearly 38C when there is also a strong Southerly desert wind is like ... is like trying to climb Mount Everest in Flip-flops. Not that I'm ever likely to attempt to climb Everest or indeed anywhere else for that matter, but there you go. The air quality... Continue Reading →
Baby Piglet and Language Problems
How time flies! My baby granddaughter has just celebrated her tenth birthday which is a landmark birthday in France. Fortunately, her English is VERY good which means we can talk on the phone. Not so her younger brother. He is now seven and speaks very little English. My ongoing health issues over the last three years and then COVID has meant we have not been able to travel as we once did so we’ve not had the same social and language interaction …
The last two weeks in France have literally ‘flown’ by! Looking back it seems like only yesterday we were eagerly driving to Lisbon Airport to catch a plane to Lyon. Our daughter, husband and Baby Piglet had just moved to their new home in the French countryside and we’d volunteered our services to help them settle in.
Mr. Piglet’s DIY (Do-It-Yourself) skills were well utilized and a long list of jobs had already been drafted on our arrival. I was head cook and bottle washer plus baby entertainer and nappy changer.
Their new home is approximately 250 years old – a rustic farm-house with a wealth of character features which gives the place a real ‘homely’ feel. The garden, approximately 1.4 hectares, is great but will be a full-time job in itself to maintain! There are several nut and apple trees along with vines and fruit bushes which already offered…
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The Importance of Staying Positive and Upbeat
This week I decided to participate in Natalie's Weekend Coffee share. A first. So What’s been going on in my life? It's been a strange week. A couple of weeks ago I injured my right hand. Namely my mouse finger, or as it was once referred to, the index finger. After several days the pain... Continue Reading →
Weekly Smile: Sunblock and Socializing
I have two smiles to share this week We all have embarrassing moments, but this one was a cracker and made the sales assistant and I laugh. And we ALL need a reason to laugh right now. Uriage sunblock stick A couple of weeks ago I went to the pharmacy to buy a sunblock stick... Continue Reading →
What is the NEW ‘Normal’?
When the media refer to the term 'NEW' normal what does it actually mean? I assume they are referring to the impact COVID has had on the world as a whole and how we must learn to adapt physically and mentally to our new lifestyle restrictions as individuals. It is probably the general term adopted... Continue Reading →
A NOT so Welcome Easter Bunny
Deep in thought with my latest gardening challenges, thrips and leaf miners, I walked towards the garage to check the various potions I had in stock. As I passed the cars I sensed movement in the front garden bed. I froze; we suspect a rat has recently taken up residence in our garden as a... Continue Reading →
Sunday: Hedge Cutters, Blowers and Suckers
All through Saturday the constant revving and whir of hedge cutters from gardeners working at a nearby property drove us mad. However, I am not unreasonable and accept hedges need to be cut and clippings need to be blown into submission and/or sucked. We have a monster Malaleuca hedge which we/aka Gnome manages himself, so... Continue Reading →
Six on Saturday: Seeds, Salads, Plot and Plans
This week's flown by. The seed order I placed two weeks ago finally arrived on Thursday. All 45 packets of them! The packing list just a glorified till roll receipt presented a challenge in patience as I tried to translate Portuguese to English and then cross-check against my friends' orders, calculate who ordered what and... Continue Reading →