Today some photos of Pippa and her pals on the move from Spain to Wales back in February!

She is such a diva, ears up and on the alert for anything that might be important to her!

Snow!  She seems to have her attention on something above!!!

Not entirely sure what she up to above, probably not the perfect moment to be caught on camera!!!

Look at my little darling girl here! Up she goes, how far can she see now, that golden lab is thinking, "What the...." is that a dog or what?

And to now, today, I had a coffee with a new friend today!  Two weeks ago I went into a local shop to buy sugar, I think it was and came out with a new friend!  She called today and I visited her in her shop and sat behind the counter with a cup of coffee, we chatted lots and in between customers came and went, I haven't said 'hello' to so many people in one go since a busy day back in Alhaurín el Grande! Seeing the cigarettes for sale we chatted about my old job back in Torrmolinos as promoter for the tobacco company, in Nottingham, and she said about one of their brands having a built in breath freshener??? You press a bit on the filter and it blasts mint breath fresh in your mouth!!! Just google'd it, its called Fresh Burst!  Well well, whatever next eh!  I remember the Marlboro ciggies 'Cool' I think they were called, and you could actually feel the cold coolness in your lungs!!!!

I came home to dinner cooked and ready to eat!

I was sore this morning from the gardening I did yesterday afternoon, not just my muscles but the many scratches and thorns!  Funny how you don't notice at the time, and how red and infected they are the following day!  I haven't had a tetanus shot since 1983, I know that's when it was as I was ill from it!

Not that you really want to know, but I have a very strange toe nail! Perfectly formed of course! but its slowly over about 2 years turned totally white!!!  The doctor has done tests, and although odd looking is not at all infectious or a nail disease, which is good in one way, but could just be something to do with my kidneys or liver!  Hey ho!  Anyway, he says I can paint it, and I will do!

And on this delightful note I will bid thee adieu....

TTFN
Marian

out of sinc post, due to out of sinc writer!

Still amazed by our garden here!  Look at it! Beautiful!

Been very windy here today, been out and about, no real rain, yesterday we had a massive downpour!  Some trees were down apparently someone said, who knows where!!!

Went down to Neath Abbey one evening this week to watch some filming of a TV series about Da Vinci, couldn't really see a whole lot, the amount of equipment, cranes, trucks, vans, cars and people!  It was early evening and they were gong to be there until 3am, supposedly!  Then be back again in the morning, the series in based in Venice!!  I think Franco and I were probably the nearest thing to Italy they had!

They had needed extras, but we were a month late in applying, we read this in a local paper after we got back!

I am still to-ing and fro-ing with an organisation here, about something, its been worrying and scaring me, and after nearly three months is still not worked out, feel like I am being alienated!  I understand certain things are put in place for reasons, but being asked questions that make so sense to someone who has lived in the UK since I was 18 months old just takes the biscuit!


This has been on my mind for the past few months, every day awaiting the post man, getting like I said on Twitter earlier, a real love hate relationship with the post-man, unbeknown's to him, will he bring good news, good mail, good things, or more bad news in the form of more form filling in!  The other day Franco rushed me out of the house so fast to sort something out I was still in my slippers!  and in tears! Great eh!

I've been told by my doctor to avoid stress, and this is certainly making it worse! Blood pressure up, heart rate up, more heart medication!

Anyway!!!

Went to the local market this morning and stocked up on meat for the freezer, should hold us for a while, huge amount of food for not alot of money, minted lamb, peppered steaks, lamb shanks!  Red meat?  Was there a warning about that earlier in the week!  Oh well what the hell!

Resolven was quite busy, lots of people, its all undercover, so kept most of the wind out!  Had mug of hot chocolate as per the norm!

Went into town first, I had all my meds to collect, its so nice just handing in my card and picking it up!  The other day in Boots [the chemist] I was lost, a member of staff asked me if I needed any help and I told her what I was looking for, she took me to it, then afterwards saw me looking lost again and asked if I needed the pay desk now?  Yup! She walked me there and took my things, we had a great chat, its so nice to have the shop staff talk to you so pleasantly, they are so helpful here, always cheery, well 99.9% of the time, its great!

The car has a new MOT now, new certificate, its just a piece of printed out paper, the old one had a sticker incorporated to take out and stick on the windscreen as a date reminder!

Just thinking that I'm still waiting to hear back from the car insurance agent in town, she has been corresponding with my insurance company in Spain to get my no claims bonus sent over, four months of emails, four months of me writing to my old broker, her writing to my old broker, my old broker phoning, emailing the insurance company, its just an email, just a fax even? Just one simple piece of information she requires!  In Spain they do not give the person who has the no claims discount the information, they will only forward it on to the new insurance agent/broker, although saying that, even this seems an impossibility to achieve!

Franco has had numerous interviews, a three day system with one company! Lots of promised calls back, all, so far, leading nowhere!  At least I had an interview, and a call back, I am sure my health issues didn't help in that job, I needed to be able to lift heavy'ish stuff, and already being signed off sick, I suppose I didn't have to apply or even go in the first place, but I would like to work, even a few days a week, if I can find something that won't make me suffer!

TTFN Amigos!
Marian

                               



Two random photos of a drive out the other day, we went past Richard Burtons house, well, where he was born that is, but too quick to take a photo, was hard to spot the plaque as they have built a small lobby on the front of the property with the plaque inside!  But eagled eyed Bonelli super sleuth saw it!!!


Where the church is and the house below?   Not too far from Port Talbot, about 5 or 6 miles from Maesteg... too many places with far too many letters for me to remember them!

Today we took Pippa out for a walk, after her regular morning walk we went off about 1pm, planned on just going to an old railway track we have walked to before, but I wanted to walk in the other direction, so we did, the old line had been carved through the mountain and so many years ago that lichen and mosses hung down and out of the cracks, trickles of water coming out of the walls like stars being lit from the sunshine, absolutely beautiful.  And of course it turned into a very long walk, luckily I could sit down here and there, and we had water, for Pippa, but me too!  After leaving the old track, no line anymore, just the straight walk, we asked for directions from two men who just happened to be stood talking out in the middle of nowhere!

We came back straight down to our road, a small miracle in itself!  Our journey had covered, fields, fences, metal gates, narrow passing places, a field that had been a pond!  A river, we wouldn't have had to cross it, but for a herd of cows!  So we had to cross it, without my boots on, treading on stepping stones, ie random placed rocks, under or just above water level, then through a field with some more cows in, and back over the river again... once again boots and socks off, almost to civilisation and we had to navigate our way down a what should have been dry river bed, so the man had said earlier, but this was on the wet side of dry!  And just rocks of various and slippery sizes... until at last we ended up in a park!  Beautiful water falls, carved trees, an old water mill!  Then continued down the narrow lane and out onto our road!  Uphill journey till the brow of the hill two minutes from our house then downhill at last!

Pippa had to have a shower first, she will sleep well tonight!

Washing had dried on the line by the time I had finished with Pip, all brought in and put away, next lot out now!

Tired now!

TTFN
Marian

For absolutely no reason, the castle on the hill in the village my grandparents left, Quaglietta, in the hills outside of Naples, Italy...

Monday again today, funny how it comes around like that!

What's been happening, proof reading, editing, publishing, another book ready for the off soon, a compilation of four children's books by Peter Maddocks...

Weather has been good and bad, alternate days, doesn't stop Pip and I heading out in the mornings, bit of drizzle never did anyone any harm!  Only trouble is wearing a coat, its not cold, and still seems odd wearing a coat in June!

I have missed another cousins' wedding in the states, the photos are beautiful, the bride gorgeous, the groom handsome...

I spend so much time Twittering, advertising books and reposting and retweeting, thank goodness for the site I use, I can have my Tweets twittering while I sleep!!!

I have found a few more places to work on for advertising, its just not easy, when you want it for free!  Luckily Peter Maddocks is a well known, already published Author and his books leave the eBook shelves on a daily basis, and with high quantities, but me being me, would like more to sell, I realise I can't get them to reach the sales of the past.... but I am trying!  Very trying!

I have friends I should be phoning, family I should speak to, things I have to write, but seem to still be in limbo, and its a limbo without free drinks or an inclusive all you can eat menu!

TTFN
Marian

Mmmmm, an 'old' photo of my Mom and I on my first birthday, posted it before, I know... but there you are!  Us on Alexandra Avenue, off Wiltshire Boulevard LA where we lived, check out the old car on the right there... heck it really was while ago wasn't it!  And you won't be surprised to hear I still have that blue top of my Mom's!!!  Quality in those days, its still as good as new!

In the last couple of days I have got another book published for Peter Maddocks, and also made a few book trailers; a friend suggested them to Peter, and I got right on it!  They have come out okay, check out on my PublishedByMe.blogspot.com web site>>>> over there!

The weather has been good alternate days!  The 'other' day hasn't been bad, just not as good!

Feel like I am clutching at words here, unusual for me... so many words but they're stuck in my head somewhere, so rather than rambling indecisively I will love you and leave you amigos....

TTFN
Marian

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

What a glorious day today too!  The sky is blue, the sun is shining.... Wish I was up in London today, Mom and I would have been there I know!

All the best everyone, here's to the Emerald Jubilee next!
TTFN
Marian

"If you take any activity, any art, any discipline, any sill - take it and push it as far as it will go, push it beyond where it has ever been before, push it to the wildest edges of edges, then you force it into the realm of magic."

Tom Robbins [b. 1936] Writer

Popped into town this morning, cannot believe was a lively buzzing town this is, there was me, trying to rush along purposely to a shop near the end of the high street, and I couldn't walk a straight line!! I was having to dodge left and right and all over the place!  People sat outside cafés people stood talking, just so many people, bunting up all over the place!

Realised today, the food tasting we went to the other week, bus be for the supermarket with the advert... "chosen by you"!!!  So, when a new product comes out, that'll be our fault!  Ooops!

Our neighbours had a BBQ again this evening, can't believe how many they have!  Just about every day, would be okay but its usually after we've eaten dinner and makes us hungry all over again!

We were in the cloud yesterday, but today wasn't so bad, warm enough, humid even, and at last after two days no headache!  No more whisking for me, wish I had brought my electric whisk then realised it had broken and I had thrown it away, that would be why I didn't!

Another book to start tomorrow and finish by Sunday maybe!  Edit and publish by Monday?  Why the heck not!  Book number 30!!!

TTFN
Marian