Closing cycles...

Today, and before this year ends and the next begins... the end of a year I shall remember for all my life...

I am linking to Paulo Coelho's blog he has just published...

Closing cycles...

Thank you my friends, as I have said before, for travelling the road with me... My road has been bumpy and hard underfoot this year, with many a twist and turn... thank for all the kind words and prayers for Mom and I...

I wish you all a Happy New Year... Rich in health, family, love and life....

until next year 2011...
TTFN
Marian

And now, this morning Franco and I went to friends for a late lunch, we went to Miramar first down at Las Lagunas, how busy? very busy! Everyone was shopping like it was Christmas Eve!!! Oh yes it is isn't it! And yesterday down at La Canada it was the same, difficult to walk a straight line, due to many people going in all directions! And we only went in to get some curtain pole supports... you know, the thing you want most just at Christmas time!!! We also bought a curtain pole of course, which was great fun to carry out of there, the Christmas decs are only about six foot high in some places and our 3metre pole was way higher than them!!! I could see Franco pulling them all down! We managed to negotiate the mall ok though, and fitted the pole in the car, and today, well tonight now I think Franco may put the pole up and we can hang the curtains!!! Well maybe....

Its just a short Blog today, Christmas Eve, below is something that came by way of fb, and I want to share with you all....

God saw you getting tired and a cure was not to be. So he put his arms around you and whispered come with me. With tearful eyes we watched and we saw you pass away. Although we love you dearly, we could not make you stay. A golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands at rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us, he, only takes the BEST. Put this on your status if there is someone in heaven you will miss this xmas...

Merry Christmas everyone... thank you for hanging in there with me this year, its not been easy, but knowing I have friends *out there* who listen, without judgement, [well I can't hear you can I!!!], has been a great help.... I hope all your Christmas wishes and dreams come true... Make them happen.... take care....

TTFN
Marian

Say (OST - Bucket List) - John Mayer

Going to put a rush on this Blog today, see who can win, the electric company or me! We have rain, again, been some everyday for last few days... Cant even remember when it started... That's a sign of the mood I am in!

But before I forget, you must zoom into above photo and check out the *cheeky* chap who is lingering near the castle, and to the right! Actually, know I have told you exactly where is he you won't be able to miss him!

This is the Alhaurín el Grande Nativity, of course, a wonderful piece of workmanship, a bit different this years from the past years.... Which is good, when I took a friend who had never seen it[gasp!] [shock!] [horror!] So was good for me to see something different myself, but just as excellent!

I think maybe a shot video would have been good, maybe tomorrow, if we can get the kayak out and paddle up stream to get to it!

This morning our electric did go out with one heluva bang, but couldn't find anything that had set it off, or rather taken it over its limit, so just put it back on, and it stayed on, gave Franco a shock, not literally, but it happened when he was up stairs and it was the up stairs network that went bang before throwing the whole lot off!

When did I last Blog? Heck a whole week ago! I'm sorry, I am not doing good, all I can think about is my Mom and how she was this time last year, and her Christmas card in absence is.... is... well just tearing at me...

And all the moves I seem to find on TV are sad, its just the simple part of a movie that did it for me yesterday, the movie itself, Noel, was fine, although the bit where Robin Williams said "tell you Mom its ok to let go now" got me going, but right at the end the daughters sat on her Mom's bed in hospital, the Mom took hold of her daughters hand and just held on.... And maybe I should be letting the movie go too because remembering it now, isn't doing me any good either.



This morning Pippa and I got out of the house, turned right, turned right again, then the heavens opened and we turned back around and got back home pronto! We were both soaked through in just a matter of minutes!

We went to Ikea the other day, got some nice smelly Christmassy candles, we haven't replaced the tree lights, so that look cheery, not!

What have we been doing all this week then? Yesterday, work, was very very quiet, but started well... The poor lady opening the rejas first thing, couldn't raise it up and a guy from Mercadona helped, only he didn't really, she hadn't taken out the keys! So up it went with the keys in situ and no way to open the store or reach the keys, this is when us other two arrived and we used a ladder from over the road, I volunteered to go up the ladder, on a slope, in the wet!!!??? And once up there realised the only way to release the keys was to pull the rejas back down, so I suggested we used the top of the ladder to pull it down, this was hilarious in itself! But we got the keys out and opened up the store!

Then a customer came and and told us a store down the road was chucking some things out! And she had told them about us, so I went down to let them know we would be collecting it tomorrow when there were more staff and to thank them.... Only they gave me a bag and said there was one more to come, I carried that back up, went back down and found the last bag was a huge black bin bag full of their unwanted stock! I couldn't carry it and got one of the guys there to carry it for me... Which caused a bit of an argument, they, being Chinese and not speaking a lot of Spanish, and me not speaking much Chinese! It did cause a few problems!!! And once over the Mercadona roundabout I told him thank you, and I'll take it from here, and he just gave me the huge heavy bag to carry... So that was fun!

One of girl got soaked through running an errand for the shop also, so we sent her back out for coffee's... well once your wet, how much more wet can you get??

We had coffee and mince pies and gently steamed....

Monday Franco and I went down to Fuengirola, popped in to see some friends, oh and went to La Trocho, twice, on Sunday we went to the market there and up stairs, as it was open, I saw a lovely coat which Franco said he would get me for Christmas, they didn't have my size and the man said he would bring in a couple of different sizes on the following morning, so we went there, at 10am... his stall wasn't open, nor did it the hour or so we waited about.... and on our return he was open, but didn't have the coats, said they didn't have any other sizes, but took my number in case... oh well C'est la vie...

And as mentioned we went to Ikea on Saturday, busy busy busy there... and later to Miramar in Las Lagunas, also very busy.... I think we went to El Corté Ingles on Monday? or Saturday, oh also we went into Coín on Monday... had some bills to pay for friends, five in all, couldn't pay them in Alhaurín, only town in the whole of Andalucia that you cannot pays the bills from Coín in!!!! When it list the banks, the BBVA which has the bar code reader payment machine in its doorways... even that wouldn't except it!!!

So off we went, four of the bills were just over 20€, but you couldn't put any more than 35€ in notes into the machine... the other bill had a limit of 50€, so we went to the cash desk first, thinking 50's would be ok, but then found otherwise, luckily a bank guy was doing something there already and took the money and changed it into notes we could use!!! We were causing a line up behind us, tough! One woman said, how long are you going to be? Franco turned round and said not long and she said, "I am double parked out there!" Franco said, well there's a car park just under here which is cheap and less chance of getting a ticket!!! Who double parks there car in Spain to go into a bank? Well ok, maybe lots do, but she was English, and we all know it can take half hour just to do one little thing in a bank, you can never expect to walk in go to the desk, and go out again!

The desk in this bank by the way, didn't have any customers at the desk, but there are many many signs saying bill payment at machine only, and it means it, even though we had all the money to pay the bills when we got change the woman wouldn't have offered to take them and the payment there!

Was good to have a coffee afterwards... and a pastry, [for me], and so much change, five bills and tonnes of change from the machine!!!!

Oh yes, also Monday, I had an 8:30 appointment at the doctors, almost forgot, although I still have the bruise to show for it! I have never had a bruise like this from a blood test, and so painful, she tied a piece of rubber round my arm so tight it was agony it was a wonder she got any blood out at all!

Then I had an EKG[ECG] That won't show up anything at all, I was laid out there in the freezing cold with what looked like a set of jump leads on my ankles, wrists and chest, for one minute, and not an irregular heart beat or palpitation moment, in that minute!

Well its still raining... outside and in my heart...

I feel for all my friends who have lost their Mom's this year... five, five other girls all without their Mom's this Christmas, just in my little circle, and thousands of others I know...

So before I bring you all down with me I think a mug of lovely hot chocolate will give me some good happy chemicals, for ten minutes!

TTFN
Marian

What a wonderful song, Coldplays, Christmas Lights, just as it came on the radio our Christmas tree lights went off! Bizarre... They don't look like they're coming back on, and can't see any bulbs that are blackened, so must just be broken, only a year old! I had lights last year from ten years ago.... Just don't make them like they used to eh!!

A Chocolate cake is in the oven, well sort of, its my normal crumb cake but with some cocoa powder in, and a couple of bananas which were on their way out, or off! so I chucked them in for good measure...

This morning down town, was cold, until the sun came over the Sierra de Mijas and warmed my back up! Down at Bar Cruz, started off with a té, but followed up with hot chocolate, much bigger glass than the té too! Good old cola cao chocolate powder...

I took some trousers back to the shop today, they were smaller than I thought, or am I bigger than I thought!!! Nah, the first thing I think!

Yesterday in the shop a couple of women were walking around for ages, and one of them bought a belt, and stole a top! We didn't realise until she had left the shop and another customer commented on the top, as she had liked it too, but it had left the building.... how sad is it to have to steel from a charity shop!

It was also like summer yesterday, well maybe not the extreme heat of summer we have here, but it was a wonderful warm day, only its today I have put washing on the line and am waiting for the sun to make it over the town hall and onto our terrace to reach the clothes! I came home and went up there to have a read with a coffee, but after half hour came back down, too cold in the shade, and with wet hair!!

Today, I am going to write out our Christmas cards, infact as soon as I leave you, I am going to do it! I am going to put on a CD, that old classic "Its a Wonderful Life" by Frank Capra...

and I shall do it now!

TTFN
Marian

ps, enjoy the song...

Coldplay - Christmas Lights

Some random photos today, I am in a random mood!

Above and below out side the Globe Inn on the bank of the Grand Union Canal, on the outskirts of Linslade/Lieghton Buzzard, Bedfordshire...

Its a great pub, I was going to say little, but its quite big, there was a log fire burning and that smell was glorious. The food is pretty good too!

This is where I went with friends while I staying over.

Above is next doors[Tony and Kates] cat, the poor thing was seemingly out day and night! In the snow and ice! Patting at the door to come in, but we had to be strong, once in, it would have been cruel to turn it away next time....


This was the terrific view Tony had out of the windscreen on the morning we went up to see Barry in Nottingham.... Fog and snow, snow and fog!

I have just been reading back, and added a bit to a past post, a bit I remember now, but may not one day... I am having real trouble moving forward this week, I know this time last year, I knew it would be a miracle if Mom was still here this year and had thought ahead to now, but this isn't the now I thought I would feel.

I am always a bit of a procrastinator, but, I think I am almost moving backwards now! If I don't get a move on with our Christmas cards they will be arriving in time for Easter! Or not sent at all!

I want to just hole up and get in a little cocoon with warm milky drinks and soft sweet foods, I also want to slap myself out this feeling!

I enjoyed work this morning more than I thought I would, we had a laugh and although it wasn't very busy, we kept busy, and Thursday is the Christmas Bazaar which I am going in for, for just an hour or so...

We have some lovely Christmas lights up in the town so I will take some photos and post them soon. That's as soon as I have taken them!

I also want to take a friend to see the Alhaurín Nativity before she flys off to England for Christmas as I know she hasn't ever seen it!

We have bought the little lad next door his Christmas present, which I am in the mood for playing with! Its a small football table, his Dad will be pleased, he has to put it together first! And it doesn't look like a quick job either!

Talking of putting things off, I planned on writing the Christmas cards yesterday afternoon, put in a CD, The Golden Compass, as it happens, watched it to nearly the end, then fell asleep, woke up and had to find the bit in the CD to watch the last bit! Then came across a game on the PS3 which I couldn't leave alone!

... The Christmas cards? Nope never got round to doing them!

TTFN
Marian

Today is a page taken by a fellow blogger Positive Thoughts...

12/11/2010

May you. . .

May you find serenity and tranquillity in a world
You may not always understand.

May the pain you have known and conflict you have experienced
Give you the strength to walk through life
Facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those whose love and understanding
Will always be there, even when you feel most alone.

May you discover enough goodness in others
To believe in a world of peace.

May a kind word, a reassuring touch, a warm smile be yours
Every day of your life,
And may you give these gifts as well as receive them.

Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.

Teach love to those who know hate,
And let that love embrace you as you go into the world.

May the teaching of those you admire become part of you,
So that you may call upon them.
Remember, those whose lives you have touched
And who have touched yours are always a part of you,
Even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.
It is the content of the encounter that is more important than it's
form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters,
But instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.

Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world around
you.

Realize that each person has limitless abilities,
But each of us is different in our own way.
What you may feel you lack in one regard
May be more than compensated for in another.
What you feel you lack in the present
May become one of your strengths in the future.

May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by
yourself,
And not be dependent on another's judgement of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

I didn't dare look back to see when I last blogged amigos... Over two weeks ago, *red faced* and sorry, apologies mi amigos.... I don't know where I have been, physically yes, emotionally no...

So....... lets pull up a comfy wing backed chair, each [big room!], in front of the huge log fire, with a mug of creamy hot chocolate, and don't forget the marsh mallows on that for me! And I will begin...

... begin with the fact that I have had to make random notes in no particular order, just when I remembered things I have to tell you....

So, are we comfy? Then I will begin! See how I hesitate, what's the matter with me, I am amongst friends, ok, notes, and the photo above to get me going... Our little Nativity, that I have had since the mid nineties... I got it out of its boxes and put it in place Wednesday, my first real day home, as on my return I had a migraine [what's new], I took out all the people from their cosy homes in amongst the paper trimmings, and one was missing, and another chipped?

I really had to struggle to remember what could have happened, and after a couple of hours, I think when I put them away, in one heck of a hurry before going over to see Mom, and before the 12th night, I must have dropped one of the Kings surfs, and one of the other surfs base chipped... I am not really sure that's what happened, I can imagine I was in a hurry, but I truly have no recognition of putting them away.... You'll notice to the right of the stable, a little white speck of something, with a red top? That's a small snowman candle that has hung out there over the last few years.... He isn't a 'normal' Nativity symbol?

I noticed last evening when the candled flickered, that Mary, Jesus and the Angel's shadows moved on the back wall of the stable, it was a surreal moment until the candle calmed....

As I say Tuesday, lost to me altogether... It had been a nightmare trip home, friend dropped me off at Luton airport on Monday, about 11:30, maybe a bit early, thinking my flight was 2pm, not actually 2:40! So already an hour ahead of myself! Checked in quickly, only .02 over the 20kilo, and straight through the control check upstairs, being allowed into the express check in line! Muy bien!

Then it all went pear shaped[!], apparently our plane, coming in from Gibraltar couldn't land due to fog, so was sent to Birmingham, and another plane had to be found which could land and take off in fog, so it wasn't until 8pm we eventually took off for Spain.

There were many flights cancelled, or delayed, and I couldn't risk leaving my seat in search of food or drink, due to the many people sitting on the floors or just standing waiting for a chance of a seat, luckily I did have water and sweets! So I just sat, relaxed[sort of], and waited!

I cant remember having taken off in such dense fog, once on the run way approach, you could barely see the light from the terminal buildings any more, and when we had arrived, in day light, the top of the control tower was not even to be seen, only the leg!

The seating was changed to 'any seat' so bad luck for anyone who had paid extra for their extra leg room seat etc! But turned out I had a whole row to myself! As did all of us who just went up to the back!

The flight had been ok until the last half hour when we hit cloud over Spain, and the turbulence was awful! Not just up and down, but side to side! A bit of a white knuckle ride thrown in for good measure!

Franco was there to meet me and my rather foamy case, the foam turned out to be my mousse! The whole can had emptied out on route, leaving a few things moussed up and a bit damp! Apologies to other peoples cases ;-)

Once out into the night, now about midnight! The humidity was high, and home, the house felt humid too! It was about half past by then, and about 1am when we turned in...

I woke up with the migraine, and tried getting up about 5pm to get up, having breakfast, but it made me bad again, and didn't try again until Wednesday morning.... spent the day, emptying moussy case and housey stuff....

She looked ok... from a distance, and with the sun in your eyes.... Not me! Well maybe me, but I mean our car! Although up close, the peeling bumper, the poor paint condition, the scrapes and bumps and black ties!... apart from the lean to the left, she seemed to shassay up the road! Or it could have been a swagger! She didn't know she was on the way to be scrapped! Our poor baby car! She did us good for five years though for sure.. yesterday, Franco and I had been to the coast, got some bits and pieces, and home about 3pm! We were planning on staying in but had to go back down to the coast again, with our car, we got a call from a mate who could do the deed... So I drove the rental and Franco drove old Betsy[!] and down we went again!

The suspension finally gave up the ghost a week ago, and Franco had had to rent a car, we couldn't leave our car in the car park much longer, we had found a number in a paper of someone who would give us €100 and take the car, deal with the paper work and sell it on!!!! I one couldn't imagine anyone wanting to buy it, poor thing isn't road worthy any more and I would want some else risking life and limb driving it now! The last few days Franco had had some near misses with it! And also I couldn't have rested, I'm not sure if we would have received yearly tax bills, parking fines or speeding tickets, if not worse!

So hopefully this has been the right route and its bye bye baby, baby bye bye.... to our little Opal Corsa!

I got to walk Pippa yesterday morning, "at last" says Pip! And there was still a noisy cricket chirping away to remind me of summer, but not this morning, this morning there was a wayward wind, it didn't know which way to blow! Rain was for cast, and it has rained, not much, just a light sprinkling, I hadn't even noticed it rain, but just went up onto the terrace and its a bit damp!

This morning in town it was ok, little bit of sun even, but then as I was coming I could tell the rain was on its way... It was just cloud from over the Sierra de Mijas... but it felt heavy....!

We have one of those salt things, orangey and you put a tea light inside, do you know what I mean? Well when I moved the Nativity into place I found it was wet, not inside, but its outside and underneath, like it was melting... Very strange, but its made of salty stuff, I wondered if it was the humidity? I have been keeping a candle burning inside and it seems to be doing the trick!

I have had a couple of funny experiences to over the last couple of days... The first on Wednesday, I was using the little kitchen foldaway foot stall thingy, to give me a little more height to put the suitcase[minus mousse], back up on top of the wardrobe, when it slipped and hit the base of the wardrobe, and broke! Sending me flying! But I caught the case! With my face! And I was left having to just 'oike it up there! Pippa moved... she moved into the other bedroom when it broke!

Then today, I was changing the light bulb on the ceiling light on the landing... Franco had put the only spare bulb we had in there last week, a 25 watt! It was like poor candle light! So I am standing on the chair, and the the light fitting starts to move about a bit... horrible, its like at the market when the clothes are just floating on their rails... Same effect on me, vertigo, or something like! It makes my head swimmy! Anyway, no falling, and all done, we have light, bright light!


I have put up our tree, Franco says it looks a bit sparse... I'll have to get out the rest of the baubles! Not really in the Christmas spirit... And I must do our Christmas cards, cannot find the labels I had written out before I left for England, to take with me... Will probably find them, one day!

I brought a few things from an extra case that we couldn't bring back with us in March, an odd selection of things, wish they were things to do with the family now, the books with family names in etc, and any memorabilia, but I couldn't get to them in Tonys house...

I did bring back a camera of Mom's, I thought there were only 3 or 4 photos left to take and then I would get it processed, but as I turned the next picture, its a 'throw away' type, I have found, Mom had only taken 3 or 4 photos! I wonder what of though? so I will get the film used up as quickly as I can, to see....

In Nottingham, with Barry, they had the giant walk-in snow globe! Not sure if it was the one Mom and I went in at Milton Keynes, but there it was...

While I was in England and visiting family next door to Mom's it was a sad sad visit, I couldn't look at Mom's place, not the front room window, or the back door, it just tore my heart out all over again... When I left and walked away I felt like I had visited my Aunt and not Mom! And in the shops and on the streets where we would go, at every turn I thought I saw her... in one of her hats... just out of the corner of my eye... I have now been to lots of places we would go on my visits over, did it help? No not one iota, and I really thought it would, I was wrong. And just feel bereft all over again.

ok amigos, my notes are used up, and so am I, lots more to tell about my visit, happy things, but for now.... everybody out!

TTFN
Marian