Brindleboy123's Blog

Sunday, just love them! Lovely quiet day today just our usual trip to the cafe on the beach for coffee with the wee wee kid running all the way (she knows she gets cake there!). Came home and made some tarts but forgot to put the jam under the sponge mix so they have turned out pretty dry…yucky to be honest so yet another batch to have with custard! 

Spoke with Samantha about a holiday again tonight, without any pressure and we have decided that perhaps this year would not be the best time for them to come along as she explained they have so much going on, trying for a baby, moving etc.  Its a shame but I can understand that she would have reservations about flying if she became pregnant later in the year.  I´m just glad the air has been cleared now and that she is not saying no because she is afraid of hurting her dad´s feelings.  Hopefully, one day we will have that holiday together, in the meantime perhaps we can organise a trip for them to come over to see us for a long weekend or something.  I so miss not being able to enjoy the simple things like having a coffee with Samantha each week or her being able to just “pop in”.  At the same time, I know that it would never have been possible for me to stay in the same town as my ex.  I think life could have become very difficult.  What a pity life has to be like this. 

I was reading some of the posts today on the Carers forum.  My heart goes out to all of you that are still struggling to cope.  People just don´t realise what “caring” really means until they are actually placed into that situation.  Seems to me that the emphasis is often solely directed towards the person who needs the “care” where in fact it is all part of a circle that can´t be complete until everything else is taken into consideration.  Does that make sense?  Sometimes we find ourselves caring and often wondering how that role even came to be!  I know I did with Mum and although I will never regret a moment of the time I spent with her, Miss Daisey too. ( “N” – you are so VERY normal! This one is for you.      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc1R1JMTMKQ ).

Back to Physio tomorrow….can´t wait, NOT! There´s only so many electrodes a girl can handle you know!  When I was a little girl, I used to imagine that of course I would never die or grow old because someone would invent a pill that would keep me young and I certainly was never going to have the change! Mum had finished hers by the time she was 39 so as my 40´s came and went I thought zippy, missed that one!  How wrong could I be, I have gone from someone who can walk around the house with a hot water bottle to having the windows open and walking around in my bra (not a pretty picture so I wouldn´t dwell on that thought for too long!).  Well, the downside of the physio (knew I mentioned it for a reason) is that when they put that infa red thing on my back its hot and on Friday I had one of my “tropical moments” at the same time….thought I was going to melt and the physio would pull back the curtain and found a mound of lard where my body had once been! God I hate getting old….when are they going to invent that pill????

I saw the little stray dog that has been walking around here for weeks today.  The poor little soul has so much matted hair on his back that he looks like he has a huge hump, I just can´t get him to come over to me as I would take him to the shelter.  It breaks my heart, its like the greyhound that is constantly walking up and down the main road here, I´m sure looking for its owner.  How can people be so god damn cruel?

Going to browse ITunes now – found an album of , wait for it, Doris Day last night of 105 songs for 2.49! Mind you, not heard of many of them but it was a bargain so hey ho! 

Night all, back to the coal face tomorrow and Helga the Horrible physio for me!  Take good care…oh and before I forget, Rosemary…..will you please put him down now please!!!!!! x

Love Bell x

Hello all.  Snuggled up now with a nice cosy blanket after what has been a busy couple of days.  After all the heartache the other day I am pleased to say that my daughter had a word with her friend who is an extremely sensible young woman. We also talked things through and basically, Samantha has said that she fully understands my feelings and accepts that she handled the whole situation inappropriately – for my part, I was probably far too pushy but was actually just so excited at the possibility of spending 2 weeks with them both and seeing their faces as they enjoyed themselves too.  Anyway, it has been left that there is a holiday available for October if they want to come along.  Certainly no pressure.  What will be will be.   Samantha´s friend made her realise that her dad is never going to be ok and give his approval for her to spend time with Tony and I.  I´m glad that Samantha is considering the offer and hopefully they will be able to come along, but at the end of the day if that is not possible, nothing is lost.  I will still have two wonderful daughters and a great son in law too.  I think it is terribly sad that her father reacts in the way he does but he is never going to change.  Hopefully, Samantha realises that now and will understand that when I was saying to her that at some point she is going to need to stand up to her father, I didn´t necessarily mean in a confrontational way, just that she needs to stand up for what she believes is right for her and her husband, whatever her father or anyone else for that matter thinks.  Mind you, took me 25 years to have the strength to do it!

Weather has been a bit all over the place here, one minute it is brilliant sunshine and the next we are brushing all the water off the balcony.  The whole in the ground that they have been digging for the new pipe now resembles a rather large reservoir!

A triumph last night – wee wee kid slept through until 8.30 am! Not strictly true, she did wake up and gave Tony a kiss apparently around 2.30 am but he told her to go back to sleep and joy of joys she did!  Might try that again, hope we are just as lucky a second time.

Went to Ikea today – have to travel for around 50 minutes to get there but its good to be in a descent shopping area.  Very little in the way of shops around here – I have to accept apparently that I am no longer 21 and can´t wear skirts that resemble scarves and tops that are fine if you don´t have boobs, so need to travel further afield.  God only knows where Spanish women over 40 shop, perhaps its just the markets.  In the summer when you look out of the window here 9 out of 10 women have the same dresses on, perhaps in different colours, as they all buy them off of the looky looky men on the beach! Anyway, back to Ikea. Bought a few more plates to replace the ones that I lent to a neighbour when I ´made a cake and never saw again (don´t you just hate it when that happens?). Had breakfast there too – roll, oil, tomato and parma ham with a cup of coffee all for 1€, bargain!  I love the tomato on toast that is served in so many of the cafes here and its the only thing I ever put salt on too. Excellent.  Best part though was near the exit where they have samples of their food, love that area as there is always plenty of chocolate, biscuits etc.  Tony and I had a feast and didn´t need lunch!  We did buy some though too (ate most of them tonight though!).

Yesterday was Veterans Day here and there were lots of parades etc in the own plus war ships were coming into the harbour and even giving rides.  One was docked just across from our flat and we could here the revaly call early this morning!

Thought of your Mum today Nila (if you are reading!). We followed a car with an elderly man driving with his wife – he looked British rather than Spanish.  Anyway, his boot was open as he sped, literally sped, along the road.  He was totally oblivious to the fact that the boot was open and all the plants that he had in his boot were going all over the place!  We managed to overtake him on the motorway and I called out to him, but don´t think he took any notice….amazing – how can you not know your boot is open on a hatchback car?!!!

Its mosie weather now and the little blighters are out to get you!  I´ve been lucky so far and only had one small bite on my neck. As we have the piece of wasteland in front of our block it is really bad at times although not so bad as those people who live near the salt lakes – they really suffer.  Normally, the council spray the lakes once a year (funds willing) to keep them down but I remember last year there was a right uproar about it al.  A paste of bicarbonate of soda made with a touch of water does the trick to stop the itching….you look a bit odd but what the heck.  I have been known in the past to get up in the night and scratch my foot on the doormat just to get some relief! Today, we managed to buy one of those plug in pest repellents.  Its supposed to keep a way mosies, cockroaches, mice, rats, flies the lot.  Its apparently ok for pets, thought I would  need to check, didn´t like the thought of the 3 of them sat down with their paws over their ears!

Right, quick browse around the net and then its time for bed…..dogs snoring already and peace in our time as Wee Wee kid is asleep too….joy!

Take care everyone….catch you all again soon. Bell x

Evening…. to be honest I´m glad that the day is nearly over! Had physio this morning and had the helper from hell, who managed to burn my back came out of there covered in cream to calm the skin down.  I thought at that point that the only way was up…how wrong can someone be!

Tony and I had been thinking about my daughter and her husband and how hard they had been working etc. etc and thought it would be nice to take them away for two weeks to Florida.  It was really to be a sort of gift from Miss Daisey too.  Anyway, spent much of the day looking around for prices etc and managed to get something which was very reasonably priced but good quality too.  Many months ago I had mentioned the possibility to her but we hadn´t set any dates or anything.  ´ rang her at work to let her know what we were looking at, to be honest because we were both so excited at the idea too.  This evening when I spoke with her to check whether it was ok before I booked anything with regard to dates etc, all hell let loose.  She was in tears because she had spoken to her Dad who had made it perfectly clear to her that he was not happy about her going on holiday with Tony and myself!  She is 30 years old this year, married with her own home and trying for a child.  To cut a long and extremely sad story short, the holiday is off and I tried to explain to her that there will come a time in life when she will need to stand up for herself and do what she wants and not try to please other people.  I can never ask her again, the same thing would happen and I wouldn´t put her through that.  I´m broken hearted.  Its not the holiday, its also that in reality there will come a time, god willing, that she will have a child – how will we ever be able to have a relationship with any future children, it is always going to be on my ex´s terms unless she stands up to her father.  She says I was making her choose.  I´m not. I don´t care now about the holiday, I just want her to stand up for what she wants in life and not be downtrodden by other people.  I spent many years on reflection where I allowed myself to be controlled, either my ex husband or my mother and I know it isn´t easy to get out of that cycle but you have to or you just lose yourself along the way. I pray to god that I am here to see the day when she is able to hold her head up and do what she wants in life (even if that is telling me whats for), I need her to be strong. If perhaps one day you  read my blog Samantha, I love you with all my heart and would never do anything to hurt you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EOTzqZS524

Along the way today in looking for the holiday I also inadvertantly probably upset friends who were coming over when we were looking at going away!  It completely slipped my mind – at least they will be ok now and we will get to spend time together. 

There´s nothing left for it but to turn to chocolate….only got cooking chocolate left so I suppose that is going to have to do, its a little hard as its been in the fridge for ages but I´ll give it a go….you wait and see, I will be typing between gappy teeth tomorrow!

Night folks, keep smiling.  Bell x

Evening all from a sunny Spain, which is getting a wee bit crowded!  Seems to be that when in doubt – head to Madrid! What I couldn´t get my head around was the fact that all those people got themselves to Madrid for these 100 coaches that were going to get them home, but the coaches hadn´t got there yet from Dover! Now call me daft, but not only do we have running water and electricity but we also have coaches in Spain too! Why on earth could they simply not commission Spanish coaches in the first instance anyway!! Move over Gordon….it takes a woman´s brain!

Torrevieja is having a desalination plant built which will be one of the if not the, largest in Europe.  Great you may think but at the moment they are having to dig up the road outside my little flat to lay pipes so large that you could walk through them and still have room above you.  They are huge.  The noise and the vibration is horrendous, nothing we can do about it I guess other than pick up the things that fall off the walls and fill in the cracks! There is a link below which talks a little about it and where the red line is on  the picture, our little flat is about an inch or so away upwards, one of the last blocks by the sea!  http://www.torrevieja.com/eng/torrevieja/833233-torrevieja-desalination-plant.html  We have high wire fences outside the windows now too! All being well this road should be finished by the 19th June – they have to stop then as the holiday season will be in full swing and this is the main parking area for the beach as it is only across the road.  Nightmare!

Still having physio – went to hospital yesterday to see the doctor who has now decided that I need to continue (not too much of a surprise there) but she has changed what I have.  Think I am doing longer shifts there than the physios!  It was really nice today, an english man came in who has obviously been going for some time and he had a large box on his lap in the wheelchair.  He gave the box to one of the physios who went off and the next thing all the physios, receptionists and helpers had all gathered around him and sang Happy Birthday to him in English! We all applauded and everyone was then offereda Ferraro Roche from a gift they had received earlier! Brought a lump to my throat – not the Ferraro Roche, just the fact that everyone was so kind to him and he looked like he had a tear in his eye too.  Ahh.

Every day when I walk the dogs I always  call out to an elderly man in my very best Spanish, just the usual hello, how are you sort of thing.  Tonight when we were walking by he came out and turns out he is American from San Francisco. He said when he was a lad he came to Torrevieja and vowed that one day he would live there. That was apparently many years ago and he has owned a house here for 30 years and is married to a Spanish lady although I think he does return to America for part of the year.  I love the fact the diversity of living here, you never know where someone is from.  As I´ve often said before, probably not everyone´s cup of tea, dead in the area that I live in during the winter and manic in the summer but it is certainly “home” for me now.

Did a bit more baking today (its a great hobby but I really should take up something that is less fattening). Anyway, made a lovely Victoria Sandwhich but instead of buttercream I used mascapone and then a layer of rasberry jam.  Delicious – perhaps I should sell it from my balcony to the workers….now there´s a thought!

Well, that´s all the news from the coalface (!) tonight folks.  Oh, just remembered…did anyone else see the advert this morning, it came on during Sky News and it was for holidays in Iceland!  I think that is really pushing it a bit don´t you!

Catch you all again soon. 

Love, Bell x

PS Just been given the link to these photos of the Volcano, posted on to the CUK forum, but just in case you have come here direct, have a look at them, puts so much into perspective.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html

I think today Tony would have taken up the offer of the 3 camels from Jose! It would seem that yesterday when opening my larder door, I tried to multi-task (obviously not a good idea for me nowadays) and opened the freezer door at the same time.  All seemed fine until in the light of day I could see the mark on the side of the door the freezer where the two met!  I am now desperately trying to find out what I can put on a LG freezer door (the matt grey sort) that will cover the scratches!  All suggestions gratefully received – Susie, the milking cow is sounding a bit too good to Tony for my liking.

Had a very quiet day today and both of us fell asleep after breakfast on the sofa and didn´t wake up again until almost 1 o´clock!  I was bent in two halves and spent most of the day trying to hold my back up!  On top of that I think “it” has happened…..you know, the “tropical moments”! The last couple of weeks I have been waking in the night (not surprising really as the wee wee kid is usually on my head) feeling really hot.  Bearing in mind that I´m the one that keeps a 15.5 tog duvet on in the middle of August in Spain you will understand why it is quite unusual for me to be hot! So I think I have finally reached the age when it all now goes to pot, life just gets better! If this is it, then to be honest its not so bad and will probably save us a fortune anyway on electricity but I am just keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn´t get much worse.  We´ll watch this space and I´ll keep you informed without any doubt! There´s something about getting older that I really don´t like.  My heart tells me that I´m still in my 30´s but most days my body reminds me that my 30´s are way back in history now…more´s the pity.

Had a phone call from my friend in the UK this evening which was a lovely surprise.  I think you know when you have a good friend when, even if you don´t speak to each other because you get caught up in your own little world for ages, you can just pick up where you left off and there are no bad feelings or thoughts of whose turn it was to call and all that silliness.  If you read this Carol….”don´t  jump off the roof, Austrailia is not too far nowadays” !!! There´s always Skype or MSN!!!

Anyone watch A Passionate Woman? I thought it was great acting by both Billie Piper and Sue Johnston.  Shame we don´t see Sue Johnston more on the tv, I really think she is such a versatile actress. Can you remember her in the Royal Family? I loved Nanna…nothing like the Nan I had though.  Mine was hooked on cider and forever picking her head as I remember – but very good at making pasties! God, how did I eat them!! Strange how history repeats itself as my Nan didn´t speak to her Mum, then didn´t speak to my Mum and my Mum spent the last 9 months not speaking with my sister……sad. I would be devestated if Samantha and I didn´t have regular contact.  My youngest doesn´t speak to me very much and one of my dreams recently was Samantha asking if I could be ” Colette´s Mum again”….in my dream I told her that I had never stopped being her Mum which is so very true.  I hope that perhaps one day in the future Colette will want to have a relationship with me, in the meantime I am very proud of her, love her deeply and will always be here whenever she wants or needs me.

Went into Miss Daisey´s flat today as Jose has gone home now.  Well, most of the lovely things that Miss Daisey had bought and that we left there have been taken away!  I guess they have taken them back to their home in Leon. I thought it was a little sad as I suppose I had left them there so that in my own little way it was like leaving a little bit of Miss Daisey around….but I guess they were just pocessions.  Even the lovely lights that we had bought and put up were replaced with an old fan light!  It has been so difficult to discard so many things and our garage here is still full of things that I probably will never look at again.  When I left home at 18, I married and lived in the same house for 25 years and took with me things from my childhood. When I was divorced I put my bits and pieces into Mum´s loft. These were then moved down to Miss Daisey´s house for a short time then when she decided to sell the house I had to bring what I could over here but that was ok as they then went into Miss Daisey´s flat! I guess it is now time to “let go” of the past….but some things such as Pom Pom the poodle that I had when I was 5 just have to stay! He´s still in the box but has lost his red bow somewhere along the line.  He speaks when you pull the chord though I have to say he does sound a bit drunk nowadays!  I wonder how many of us still have things from when we were children? I´m trying to be better at getting rid of my “one day” clothes….you know, “one day I will be thinner”, “one day it will be fashionable” and some things have gone now…..saw the lady who is squatting in the little house across the road wearing my coat today…..didn´t look too bad actually, perhaps I should have kept it????

Well, time to say goodnight. Wonder what tonight will bring …..dreamwise I mean!  Never know where I´m going to end up when I put my head on the pillow!  Night, night everyone, sweet dreams and I´ll catch up with you again real soon.

Much love, Bell x

No post yesterday as I´ve been fighting off a migraine and the migraine won for a short while! It wasn´t bad enough to take to my bed but just made me feel completely zonked out.  Gave me a bit of time to do some thinking though and I saw the light – for the first time in ages it wasn´t the inside of the fridge either! I decided that I have been eating far too much chocolate and that this could possibly be the reason my migraines have returned more often lately so chocolate is out….do I look any thinner? Its been 2 days now so hopefully it shows!  Someone once told me that if you can hold a pencil under your boobs or buttocks then things have started to go south.  At the moment I think I could quite easily carry the pencil case without anyone noticing so certainly time to take action!

The flight situation doesn´t seem to be improving does it….our friends are now booked to fly out on the 27th April. I really feel for all those who have saved hard for holidays and have been unable to fly off, it must be devestating. (Rosemary, I remember when I took the children to Florida for the first time and how excited we all were so I really feel for your daughter and hope that they are able to have their holiday soon).  We have a family here who were due to go home Thursday, fortunately the apartment they are in is available still because the next family are unable to fly over. Horrendous for everyone.  Note to Iceland….we said give us our Cash not your Ash! (sorry, know that one has been doing the rounds).

Jose and his wife left today (the owners of the apartment that Miss Daisey rented).  Lovely couple, his English is very good having worked all over the world. He started with nothing and is now a very wealthy man, anyway, coming off the point as usual.  Today as he was leaving he told Tony that if he should ever lose me (!) that Tony was to let him know where I was and he would have me!!! I ask you….I´m not a goat you know! Fortunately Jose´s wife can´t speak English.  Tony said he wouldn´t ever “lose” me but would consider an exchange of 3 camels!!  Jose lives in the very north of Spain in a town called Leon.  He was telling us that in his village it has not been unknown for girls of as young as 14 to marry so that the land can be passed on to the family…………weird!

Well, short and sweet tonight as Britain´s Got Talent is about to start….sad aren´t I?!! 

Take good care one and all and speak to you all again real soon.  Love Bell x

Not sure how many days in we are in with the election but all I do know is that I missed the final of American Idol so we could see the first debate in however many years…. its still on now and the fact that I am typing rather than watching must say it all! Tony and I would never agree on our choice of leader but at the moment he is sat on the sofa and all I can hear is a continual grunt of disbelief whenever any of them speak! I think he would prefer Franco!

As you may have realised our friends didn´t get to come over today due to the Icelandic Volcano…..I´ve spoken to them and they have been fortunate enough to get a seat on a flight for Saturday, let´s hope the wind is in the right direction (whichever direction that is) and they are able to come over.  We had some holidaymakers here who were due to fly home today and they were obviously turned away at Alicante airport, fortunately the apartment they are renting is still available so I guess they have managed to get a few extra days in.  It is horrible for all those who have planned trips for a long time and I do feel for them all but I must admit that I was thinking how difficult it could have been had I still been in a situation where I was so dependent upon getting on a flight within a few hours notice as I was last year.

The wee wee kid may soon have a name change to Carrot Kid. Every time she goes for a walk now we give her a carrot as its the only way we can stop her from pulling on poor old Bobby´s tail! The Spanish think I´ve lost the plot walking along with a dog carrying carrots but such is life….

Has anyone been watching that programme where the family go back in time…not sure what it is called – perhaps Family Go Back in Time!? Anyway, tonight they were in the 1980´s. It was so strange to think that I was married (first time) then so I was the woman with the twin tub washing machine and the Betamax video recorder! Can you remember the Atari tennis game on the television? 30 years on and life is so very different it really makes you wonder how women that would be perhaps in their 70´s now managed. I remember when I was a little girl growing up in the very early 1960´s (I was born in 1958 although I will deny that unless asked a direct question!), no indoor toilet, no central heating, telephone and usually no money! Everything was always “on the book” at the local shop until Dad was paid on a Friday. Dad worked nights and when I needed to use the toilet, Mum used to take me to the back door and watch me when I went outside to the toilet. One night I was on the toilet, absolutely freezing as usual as the door never fit properly and there was a gap at the top and the bottom of the door. (The toilet paper was always rough too and always had British Rail written on it….guess where dad worked!). Anyway, there was an almighty scream from Mum and when I shouted out to ask what had happened she said there was a rat outside and ran in and shut the door!  Thanks for that Mum! Eventually, when I had cried sufficiently enough to wake the whole street she came back to let me in…..turned out it was actually our neighbours guinea pig!

Mum and I never really coped very well with Dad doing nights even though he had done them for years.  One night we were in bed (both scared so always slept together) and we could hear someone (we thought) downstairs….could hear the footsteps in the front room.  We both yelled out the bedroom window for poor old Uncle Bill (Miss Daisey´s husband).  Uncle Bill heard us and let himself in to find that Dad´s attempt at DIY hadn´t been too successful and the ceiling tiles had fallen to the floor, the noise we heard that sounded like someone walking around was the tiles falling in different parts of the front room!  Oh for the good old days! NOT!

Enough of my reminiscing for tonight….off now to listen to some good old music on You Tube….Tony has quietened down so I guess dear old Gordon and David have said their goodnights too!

Take care everyone…keep smiling.

Love, Bell x

Just got off the phone from my eldest Samantha.  She had been visiting a friend this evening who has two children, one boy who is around 3 and a young baby.  The Mum asked Samantha if she would mind looking after the little ones for 5 minutes when she popped to the shop.  No problem.  Sarah hadn´t been gone for long when the little boy said he needed a “poo”.  Samantha said ok, are you alright going on your own? To which the little one said yes and off he went singing one potato, two potato as he went.  Five minutes later he announced that he had finished and Samantha said, do you have to wipe your bottom and the young chap just bent over and touched his toes!!! Poor old Samantha who has never had to do this before,, took the hint and did the necessary. When Sarah came home Samantha was telling her what she had done when Sarah laughed and said “he´s been having you on Sam, he´s been wiping his bottom for months”!!!

Boys will be boys!

Happy Birthday Dad….you would have been a grand old 75 today. 

Yesterday the plane I was on was hijacked, I managed to escape and hide under the wing whilst at the same time was able to wrap Bobby in a box ready to be sent over to Spain.  Someone I went to school with when I was 11 and haven´t seen since was at the post office and gave me ths  string for the parcel……….What on earth was all that about??? That was just a small part of my ever eventful dreams that I seem to have.  You know, some nights I lay there and just wish I didn´t have to sleep because I am frightened of where I am going to end up!  I´ve read all the books but still can´t get my head around how my going to the toilet in public is anything to do with insecurities!!!  It must be lovely to be one of those people who can just close their eyes and wake up feeling rested after 8 hours sleep……I feel some nights like I have been to battle! 

Sleep has always been a bit of a problem in our family. Both my daughters have similar sleep patterns. I remember my youngest when she was staying with Mum at the caravan once just getting up, walking into the other room and then going back to bed completely oblivious to the fact that Mum had been talking to her.  As for me I think my best bit was when I was about 5 or 6. I´m told (I truely can´t remember anything about it) that Mum heard some movement downstairs and told (note she never ever “asked” for anything!) Dad to go and see what was happening.  Unfortunately by the time Dad had felt Mum´s foot on his backside it was too late….I had managed to get a chair from the kitchen,unlocked the front door and (fortunately) turned left whilst outside and knocked on Miss Daisey´s door just down the road.  When Miss Daisey answered the door I apparently said I wanted to go to the toilet at which point I was apparently taken home by my Dad!  Its no wonder I´m a mixed up adult!

Well, the sun has still refused to return to the Costa Blanca today and it has been a case of sitting inside wth the heating on! Tony decided many months ago that he was going to make a Tirimisu and went out for all the ingredients today – would be so much easier to shop in the UK, we had to go to 4 different shops to buy what we needed! Anyway, after a bit of huffing and puffing as he tried to find the tins etc he managed to turn out a splendid Tirimisu.  Thats another couple of inches onto the hips!

Did you know it was “ex-spouse” day today! Heard it on Loosewomen this afternoon.  Not sure if you are supposed to send them a card or anything…perhaps with a “Remember me”? on it, or just to spend a minute or two thinking of them……..what on earth will they think of next?  I find it hard to imagine that Tony was ever married before and he says he never ever gives it a thought…umm, perhaps unless I cook something disasterous as she was a chef!!

The Ugly One was not happy today…had to give him a scrub. Chunks really hates all things wet and would jump over anything rather than stand in a puddle but today, although I did tell him it was lucky, a bird did its business all over the poor dog´s back!  I resisted the temptation to get the hosepipe out and settled for wet wipes….he sulked for a while but hey ho!

Our Chunky...The Ugly One

Tomorrow we are picking up friends that are over for a e week or so.  They are in their late 70´s and I haven´t seen them for almost a year so am really looking forward to it.  Brenda phones me often and they seem to think we are their children bless them! Anyway, hoping the sun will shine for them for the next week or so.

Take care everyone….thank you for your comments on the posts I have written so far. I have added the link by the way to CUK, but not sure where to find it!  Where is Rosemary when you need her?

Bye for now….big hug from Bell x

Evening all! Another day in paradise here although the sun has decided that it will bow down to the clouds for the time being.  We have a neighbour here at the moment from the UK and as sure as eggs are eggs, every time they come over the clouds come with them! Thankfully only here for a week………

More physio this morning but apparently I have an appointment with the doctor next Monday evening so it could well finish next week.  It has certainly helped having a massage every day (who could possibly complain about that) but I will be glad not to have to go there all the time too.

It was a holiday here again yesterday although it was not a “red day” so many of the shops were open.Red days are those days when it is forbidden to work, ie no building work etc. If the police pay you a visit because you are working you can be faced with a hefty fine.  There seems to be no end of police in Spain.  When I lived in sleepy old Weston super Mare I could probably count on one hand the number of times I saw a policeman around our steets.  Here it is a different story (although I admit that many of them are usually in the bars/cafe´s having their coffee break)! We drove to the market yesterday and there was another police block.  This time it was the Guardia Civil, complete with guns and they sure do look very threatening.  Is it just me, or do other people feel guilty even when I know haven´t  done anything wrong? I look at them and pray that they will let me by….  Saying that though, the Guardia Civil are not to be messed with here.  They are basically military.  We have the local police who deal mostly with traffic (they still do the school crossing patrols and can be seen outside many of the local schools with their whistles directing traffic to allow  the children to crossers the roads). The Guardia Civil are called in for more serious matters. They don´t take any messing (which is not a bad thing). Apologies if I have told the story before, but there was an incident close to here a couple of years ago when a group of men (old enough to know better) had far too much to drink and one of them caused some problems. The police came and they were fine but they handed the man over to the Guardia!  When the chap was collected the next day from the station, lets just say he was a little worse for wear and he was missing his gold ring and now had broken glasses!  Still, I doubt if he will be causing any trouble in Spain again for a while (they also banned him from returning for 6 months). 

Today is the birthday of my niece Bronte (my sisters eldest).  I was very close to Bronte when she was little but sadly my sister would not allow her to speak to me when we had our problems.  Such a shame but who knows perhaps one day she may get in touch with me again when she is a little older.

Tomorrow would have been my Dad´s 75th Birthday.  I can´t believe he has been gone now for 3 years.  My dad was a funny old stick really.  I would love to say that we were very close but if i´m honest, Dad didn´t really say very much at all! When I was growing up he would argue plenty with Mum and then as the years went by (and the milkman left the scene….) Mum and Dad´s relationship changed and Mum became more and more dependent upon him. Dad was never one to share his feelings at all. I remember when I got married (the first time!) I was coming down the stairs in my wedding dress and waiting for the “you look beautiful darling” but nothing! So I asked if I looked pretty and he said smiling, “You look very nice from the back”!! I wasn´t offended as my dress did have a very pretty back to it but just for once it would have been lovely to have those words that we all long for from our parents.  Still, I´m sure underneath he loved me.  It wasn´t until I had to care for Mum myself that I realised how difficult it must´ve been for him.  He looked after her for many years and loved her dearly.

Dad passed away 4 days after we were told that he had inoperable cancer.  It was an awful shock and I don´t know until this day whether he knew before this time.  I do know that he had refused chemo previously and part of me believes it was because he was not only scared of all things medical, but more likely because he knew he may not be fit enough if he had the treatment to care for Mum.  God bless you Dad.  Both my sister and I grew up with the sound of Bing Crosby being played whenever possible….he was Dad´s hero.   I will never be able to listen to White Christmas without thinking of my Dad….I know the saying “songs out of season, bring tears for no reason”, but this one is for you Dad..Love you always.  xxxx

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Right, off now to watch a bit of TV and I think chocolate perhaps? !!!

Sweet dreams all. Bell x