A Creative Spirit
No, I mean it. I really must. I rarely throw anything away, and Mr. Piglet is even worse. The last time we cleared out the garage several years ago, I discovered five broken kettles that he'd been keeping 'just in case'. Just in case of what? I muttered. Got the look, especially as I rescue... Continue Reading →
Determined not to miss out on this week's 'In a Vase on Monday', a meme hosted by Rambling in the Garden, I gathered plants in torrential rain. If you guys are not impressed by the arrangement (I'm not), I hope you are impressed by my tenacity, and I am awarded at least an E for... Continue Reading →
It's been a strange week. Monday saw another trip to Faro, this time to see a dermatologist who was amazed I'd travelled so far for an appointment. I am not keen on Faro, or at least the part we needed. It is dirty, busy, noisy, and parking is hell. But if we lived there, I'm... Continue Reading →
For this week's Six on Saturday, I focused on my orchids and palms. Weather: We've not had any rain again this week, but the humidity is high, and areas of the back terrace that do not enjoy the sun remain wet all day. The nighttime temperatures have dipped to around 3C, and even in the... Continue Reading →
If we were having coffee I'd confess I had never really considered how our diet could impact health until I was diagnosed with gut issues and needed to drastically review my diet and lifestyle--I made some changes, but apparently not enough. By chance, I listened to an interview with Tim Spector, the co-founder of Zoe.... Continue Reading →
Every Monday, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden invites us to share an arrangement of flowers or 'whatever' in a vase. I grow very few flowers I can cut in my garden as I mainly grow shrubs, succulents and vegetables, so please forgive my creative spirit. I was looking for inspiration when I went to... Continue Reading →
What a week! I am happy because I did manage to tick off a few major tasks from my To-Do List: Book an MRI Scan, restart Portuguese Lessons, take my new car for a drive and buy another mouse to use with my laptop. Appointment Challenge My main goal for this week was to book... Continue Reading →
Olá, fellow gardeners, let's raise a glass to a productive 2025. I'm ashamed to say Ineglected my vegetable area and garden during November and December, and now I am paying the price with an abundance of weeds. I also discovered a few surprises, such as a yellow pepper that we used in the Christmas Day... Continue Reading →
As part of my drive to step outside my foodie comfort zone, I searched Pinterest for some Christmassy 'aperitivo' ideas and found this Christmas Tree cheese and spinach breadsticks. Great. I had fresh spinach in the garden, begging to be eaten before the slugs and snails ate it all. I adapted the original recipe to... Continue Reading →
This year, I decided to join Cathy's meme 'In a Vase on Monday'. Since I don't grow many flowers in my garden, I will probably need to look beyond its boundaries for inspiration. This week, I offer a simple arrangement of the majestic Bird of Paradise, aka Strelitzia Reginae. I tried to make the shadow... Continue Reading →
Stop the World, I Want to Get Off! If we were having coffee in RL, I'd tell you I took a break from blogging during December—not just from blogging but also from watching/reading the news and using social media platforms. I was/am fed up with fake and manufactured news, misinformation, disinformation, wars, lying politicians, sporting... Continue Reading →
We took these photographs of the wild crocus while walking in the Costa Vincintina in November. I struggled to identify this crocus, so I sent Mr. P back to take close-ups of the leaves. I then shared to the Wildflowers, Plants, and Trees in Portugal FB group where I was advised it was the Crocus... Continue Reading →
At times, I want to throw up my hands in despair. Gardening is a constant challenge. If it's not munchers eating my succulents, Kale or cannas, it's sickly plants demanding my attention, roots breaking through a wall to access the raised vegetable area, and then there's lichen. Poorly Orchid - I ignored this outdoor orchid... Continue Reading →
It's been a while since we had coffee, so we should probably also make it lunch. Today, I arranged to meet up with fellow blogger 'Anna I', who lives in Alentejo, but sadly, her hubby was ill, and our meeting was postponed. New Restaurants Over the last few weeks, we set a challenge to step... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about food! This morning, I was waiting to be served at the butcher's counter when I spotted half a pig's head awaiting a new home. I admit I am squeamish, and the thought of putting it in the oven to roast or in a large pot to boil, let alone eat it, turned... Continue Reading →
For my Six on Saturday this week, I share my newly acquired passion for air plants and bromeliads. I've wanted to expand our collection of bromeliads and air plants (tillandsias) for some time so last Sunday, we went to the Autumn Mediterranean Garden Fair in Lagoa. I love these plants, and so does Mr P.... Continue Reading →
Yes, you read the title correctly! The cake sounds weird, but I was assured it tastes delicious—a shame I'm on a diet and it's loaded with sugar. I am no stranger to carrot or apple cake, so I wonder if I could jazz up the beetroot cake by using oats instead of flour, finding a... Continue Reading →
Hands up. Who knew the tiny Chia seed packed such a nutritious punch? I didn't. When someone suggested I try them to help with weight loss, I bought a packet, thinking it was a type of tea. I probably made that assumption because chia and chá are similar, and chá is the Portuguese word for... Continue Reading →
This is an overview of our vegetable garden as October moved into November. The local markets are selling plenty of winter vegetable plugs, so now is the time to get planting! The daytime temperature hovers just above 20C and at night (except for a cold snap) between 14C and 18C. It feels like summer—probably an... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about food or not. If we were having coffee, I'd tell you my weight loss has stagnated over the last few weeks, and I feel rather ticked off! My goal on the 10th of July was to lose 15kg by my landmark birthday (30th December). No problem, I thought. Wrong! I've only lost... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 