A Creative Spirit
Apart from a few hours of rain last Sunday, the sun continues to shine, albeit with a cold bite to the breeze and a fall in nighttime temperatures. The humidity is palpable, and some flowers, such as the Oleander, have suffered from black mould on leaves and rotting flowers. Meanwhile, others such as the Plumbago,... Continue Reading →
Do you prefer to use recipes you've sourced online, cookery books or both? Last week, during my shift at the charity shop, I spotted a vegetarian cookery book for sale. 'The Complete Encyclopedia of Vegetables and Vegetarian Cooking with Roz Denny and Christine Ingram'. I do love books where each recipe is supported by a... Continue Reading →
They say a way to a man's good books is through his stomach. This is what I was banking on when I offered to make Mr. Piglet some Cornish pasties in return for his driving me down to Lagos once again on Saturday night to enjoy music at the Marina. I mean, how hard could... Continue Reading →
At last—it’s September and sanity slowly returns. When we first came here, the Western Algarve was still undiscovered and far removed from the well-worn tourist hotspots further east. Now, summers are chaos. The great migration is ending at last: kids back to school, and the zillions of sunburned, flip-flop–wearing visitors have packed up their inflatable... Continue Reading →
No, not ours, at least. It is a creative space and an extension of our hobbies. Even our swimming pool is not the conventional, tiled, oblong or kidney-shaped pool plopped in the garden, surrounded by tiles and a manicured lawn. We tried to create a sunken oasis with a waterfall. Waterfall and Rockery * I... Continue Reading →
Do you ever put things away in a safe place and then can't remember where you've put them? A few weeks ago, our family came to stay. The grandkids use my studio/office as a bedroom, so I cleared my desk and put everything away, neat and tidy, including all my Portuguese notes and homework. Two... Continue Reading →
For this week's gardening post and coffee share, I decided to focus on how I use containers to create an inviting illusion, particularly when approaching our entrance door. I have been told that it feels like you're walking into a secret garden. I will add that, unlike the UK, we do not have a traditional... Continue Reading →
I am fooded out. My head is spinning like a whirling diva and my Facebook feed is jammed with this or that expert telling me NOT to eat certain food combinations or it will cause x, y or Z. These so-called experts are all pulling silly faces to attract your attention. Claims such as if... Continue Reading →
I swear, flipping APPs will soon rule our lives, and we won't even be able to do our daily ablutions without consulting and plugging our butt into an APP. Are we sleepwalking into a new era where if you don't have a smartphone, you are screwed? Yes, screwed. Consider the elderly or the technically challenged... Continue Reading →
The temperatures this week have still been so intense that I've struggled with the fierce heat, and so have some of the plants. With temperatures regularly reaching the high thirties at times and indoor temperatures in the high twenties and no air conditioning, I've sadly not had the energy. I have given up on some... Continue Reading →
If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that when the day for my scan appointment at Luisades Private Hospital in Albuferia finally arrived, I swear this was the hottest day ever. Our car, at one point, registered an outside temperature of a mere 47 °C. (116.60°F) ... Of course, I was far too early... Continue Reading →
If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that we've had a fantastic couple of weeks! The vacation I'd planned over the last year to bring the whole family together to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary and joint 70th birthday year at the Alfagar Resort in Portugal proved to be a great success. Phew!! The... Continue Reading →
If we were having coffee or sharing a bottle of wine, I'd tell you it's been one of THOSE weeks. CHARITY SHOP: This week, I once again worked in the animal charity shop. The heat in the shop was unbearable, so between unpacking and sorting clothes donations, tidying shelves, sorting hanging rails and serving customers,... Continue Reading →
Another week and still no rain. I have moved as many of my plants growing in pots as possible from full sun to partial shade to reduce the need for water, and I'm so glad we made the decision when planning the garden not to have a lawn. Instead, we laid down a permeable membrane... Continue Reading →
Do you accept the meds doctors hand out at face value, or do you conduct further research? On Monday, I finally returned to the doctor, after undergoing numerous blood tests and scans, to discuss my results. He doesn't speak English, and unfortunately, my Portuguese is limited, despite having studied it for numerous years. I prepared... Continue Reading →
Another week has passed, and still no rain. Every day, I have been hoovering and cleaning the patio areas and trying to reduce the number of pots that demand my attention. Less is more. While I'm a sucker for plants and know I need to be ruthless, a friend said to me when discussing her... Continue Reading →
I've probably been in denial for some time, but after eating pizza last night, my stomach bloated to the size of a barrage balloon within hours. This is not an isolated incident. Perhaps it's time to reassess my diet and try a gluten-free approach. My body's reaction might not be to gluten. It could be... Continue Reading →
If we were having coffee or a glass or two of wine, I would tell you about my feel-good moments. There were a few moments of frustration, but overall it was a positive week. FEEL GOOD FILM of the WEEK: NONNAS Based on a true story, I thoroughly recommend this feel-good film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDJxJd3FzDY IT proves... Continue Reading →
The temperatures over the last week have soared above 30 °C. We don't have air conditioning, so not only were some of our plants suffering, but we were as well. I barely had enough energy to refill the bird baths I had scattered around the garden yet alone hump extra water for the plants. The... Continue Reading →
If we were having a coffee, I would tell you this week temperatures ramped up from the low twenties with a cool ocean breeze to the mid-thirties to still and stifling with no air. Everyone was and still is moaning that it is too hot. Far too hot. In fact, it is too hot for... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 