T is for Trying to keep cool

 Another week of really hot weather, we actually woke up on Friday with thick mist, we knew then it would end up hot and humid, fair wore us out even doing nothing, just when we were saying that the weather had cooled a little

We were just going into town, you can see it’s quite thick, on the way back the mist was coming from the sea and covering one area of the beach all up into the hills.

I noticed my succulent is flowering, quite pretty little pink ones right on the tips of the plant

This is the other end of the garden, the Arbor, we've had this for about twelve years but this year I drew the short straw and had to climb on the top to reseal it, we had some leaks so armed with a roller I went up, I was too scared to stand so I knelt using a roller on a long pole! The worst part was climbing down as the step ladder wasn’t high enough so my husband had to guide my feet down while I shuffled backwards on my stomach, not a pretty sight,  my sons told me off doing that at my age, ha,ha.

More plants in pots on the wall and the BBQ is down there for the moment.

The Eagle eyed among you may notice I haven't taken the plastic wraps off the seat cushions yet, I wanted them to keep clean until our family arrive, I know a bit crazy but we don't sit down there in the summer as it gets too hot.

The patio door is our bedroom, we had the window taken out years ago but what a struggle getting the Spanish builder to understand that I wanted semi circular steps but the doors had to be in the middle, I ended up drawing the outline as he kept putting them off to one side, I tiled them and put slate on the tops, I also put all the slate on the back wall in the seating area too.

The pool is my husbands pride and joy, he sweeps the sides and bottom every day, he never swims just cleans while I swim around him, ha, ha,

I think you’ve all seen my mosaic on the wall on the right, it runs the length of the pool and took me ten months to finish.

Exciting day tomorrow, we are finally going to Murcia to collect our new Residencia cards, an early start as our appointments are at 9.05 and 9.10 and it’s an hours drive, at least there’s a  cafe next door where we can have breakfast, in the evening we are being taken out for an Indian meal by our neighbours, he’s been given some vouchers so he asked if we’d like to join them, how could we refuse!

My drink related photo this week, plastic glasses, we’ve been all over trying to find some, these are the best we could find, still need to wash them and take the labels off them.

I will be missing for the next two weeks, our eldest son, DIL and youngest GS arrive next Tuesday for a week, it’s been two years since they’ve been able to come to Spain and a year since we’ve seen them all, luckily we have facetime but it’s not the same,  I have warned our GS that Nan is expecting lots of hugs and kisses, ha,ha. Until next time

Happy T Day

Jan x

Keep it Simple

 I'm joining  Neet at Hickydorums for the first time, I'm new to art journals although I've had my journal for a few years but sometimes I like to play when I'm in the mood.

I made this piece a few months ago but I thought it would hopefully fit for this challenge.

I started out with a sheet from a Marianne paper pad called La Musique, it has instruments and different objects including this transistor radio, took me back to my teenage years when I lay in bed with my tiny radio with a tiny ear plug listening to the charts on the pirate radio stations, Radio Luxembourg and Radio Caroline, I loved Tony Blackburn!! I would listen to the countdown hoping my favourite song would be number one!!

I used texture paste with my music stencil and generally went over the top playing with different textures I typed the sentiments before cutting them up.

Jan 

T is for Trying a new place

 Another hot week but at least after the storm the humidity has dropped. Now it’s just baking hot.

Wednesday we decided to drive to Cartagena, my husband wanted to buy a new drill but wanted a black and decker to match the tools he already has, he can use the same battery for any of them, now he has four matching batteries! Then I went to get a new swimming cozi for when we go to the beach, couldn’t find one without massive foam pads in the bra top so gave up on that, had a coffee and decided to head back for lunch.  We were shocked to see how quiet the shopping centre was, well apart from the cafe and supermarket.

Views coming over the mountain, unfortunately my husband took us the not so scenic mountain route so not so picturesque.

It's hairpin bends all the way and narrow, when we first moved here we used to come this way all the time to check on the villa, before the motorway was built.

We decided to try Leonardos del Mar restaurant on the small marina, as you can see beautiful views out to sea, two jet skis going by.

One side of the Terrace overlooking the small Marina.

Mixed salad, we had already started before I remembered to take the photograph, disappointing as it had three olives and a couple of capers,  Mostly lettuce and tomatoes with a few slices of onion. It was so windy  some of my lettuce leaves blew onto the floor!! My husband said it looked as if id missed my mouth.

Our drinks this week, I did like the fancy glass they gave my husband for his beer.

We waited for at least twenty minutes from them taking away our starter plates to getting the main course, even though there was just one other couple who arrived after we did and were already eating their main meal.

I had chicken in breadcrumbs with salad and fries, the chicken was lovely but as you can see not many fries and of the matchstick variety, the salad was lettuce and tomatoes and I lost some of that too.

My husband had pasta Mama Mia, very strange as it had a  fried cheese kind of bowl with the pasta in it, he enjoyed it but he wasn’t too keen on so much cheese, especially fried!

unfortunately he had already broken the bowl before I took the photo.

  

We sat waiting for the waiter after we’d finished our meal to take an order for coffee , after about fifteen minutes the waiter appeared, didn’t even ask if we’d enjoyed our meal so my husband asked for the bill instead, we decided we couldn’t be bothered for another long wait for coffee, needless to say we won’t go back, we didn’t give them a tip either after such dreadful service.

There's no way we could take out five year old GS there as he would get bored waiting to eat. I dread to think how long it takes when they are busy. The funny thing is that the couple who recommended the restaurant told us the next day that they had the same experience too, begs the question as to why they actually recommended it in the first place!!!

When we got back to the car it was boiling inside and the thermometer said 40c although it soon cooled to 37c when we were driving home.

So the saga of my fly screen, my husband measured the window and decided HE would cut it to size,  So we took it outside and he had measured it wrong, too short, he was very annoyed with himself as you can imagine, I didn’t laugh, honestly, I did want to after he blamed me the last time, luckily the mesh only cost us €2 so we bought some more! We are now on plan 5, it’s too difficult to fit the mesh into the rods we bought so my husband bought some plastic rods and made a frame outside the window, we can’t seal the bottom as the rain needs to be able to drain away off the windowsill

I had some exciting news on Sunday, Nancy Our lovely T Party friend chose me to be this weeks featured stamper on Splitcoaststampers, I’m so honoured, thank you once again Nancy and for all the kind comments you’ve left on my gallery, the ladies have been busy visiting my Gallery and choosing a card to make, they've made so many beautiful cards already, I don't feel worthy as the ladies are very talented.

 Until next week, keep safe Ladies.

Jan x