December 31st 2022

Walking into town this morning.. 6° and still dark.. I was freezing walking..

This morning's view from Bar Cruz.. the temperature didn't change in the hour I was there, which lead to my morning coffee being stronger than normal and accompanied by Pacheran.. for purely warming properties..
 

It did the trick! Warming from the inside out!

This afternoon I had a walk around the block... Well, several blocks.. and as I came past this telegraph pole I thought I'd take a photograph again... 

Hilarious.. it's not even on the ground.. just tied to a low level piece of concrete! With two metal ties of course! 

And this little chap came home with me from town earlier.. Because? Just because.. 

My last Blog of 2022.. always moving forward.. even if I take one or two, or several steps back.. forward is the only direction it's guaranteed we are going.

There is no pause, or reruns, or back to the beginnings.. we have one direction and this we must go, whether we like it or not.. 

We can choose only so much in the directions we take.. 

And we don't have any idea if the direction is right or wrong.. 

Bit like a conveyor belt.. we get dropped on it at birth.. there are on and offs, lefts and rights, (wrongs and rights), but it keeps going, none of us knowing the drop off zone which is ours.. just keeps rolling and roll with it we must.

I strangely feel quite positive as this year ends.. 

I haven't visited urgencia for four weeks! That's a bonus, having done so at least 12 times this year, plus other doctors/hospitals.. 

So maybe the kidney stones or Bosniak cysts have calmed down? Or the permanent infection I have, is just settled in now and this body is used to it... 

I am ending only with, other stuff I found out about and tennis elbow! I laugh loudly to myself! Really! Tennis elbow? Me?? 

Happy New Year my friends who travel this road with me...  Feliz año nuevo... Good health, prosperity and happiness for us all... Onwards always.

M.

Was an excellent date... being a numerophile! on Wednesday, 21.12.2022 = 3.. my birth number!! 

And on that day went to a shopping centre with friends, they've been calling in Nostram and I'd never heard of it.. thought it was somewhere new.. but it's one of the oldest and we used to go all the time, to the Bauhous there or the El Corte discont store.. 

Was good to be back!

This morning I just wrote to a friend who said let's go dancing when you arrive tonight.. as it's 11pm.. in the UK.. 

I said "I wish...maybe not after ten hours in work.. Used to go to Dunstable's Cinderellas or Watford's Paradise Lost, dance till 3 then drive home sleep and be in work for 8am!! Three hours sleep was enough then.. paying for it now.. 

Didn't know I was using time I would need now, then."

And now, thinking about that, am I doing the same now.. not in dancing but definitely wearing myself out.

It's not just me, so many friends of mine all saying the same thing, just tired now, or feeling done in.. and they're younger than me..

I guess there was a cut-off point we didn't know about.. until it cuts off!

M.

Good ten kilómetros walk yesterday afternoon... Under three hours... Sounds like a long time, but obviously I stopped way too many times..

I stopped for goats.. I stopped for dozens of motorbikes.. and a few cyclists...

I stopped to take photographs also, of course 

Trying not to repeat the many I have taken up there before.. 

Very difficult.. 

These hollyoak acorns were burnt in the fire from the summer... 

There was a lot of charred material on the road and undergrowth... 

Lots of sands from the sandstorms also

Coming down the sun was setting behind the mountain.. beautiful..

The sea seen around the Malaga port area

And a beautiful olive fallen from the tree..

Today, this morning I went to the market, was a lovely sunny day and good to be out.. after helping out a neighbor I have had to catch up with the two Christmas movies I always watch.. Love Actually and It's a Wonderful Life.. habits are strange aren't they? Meant to be broken too maybe.

Both movies are heart warming, but my mood now gone from okay to way down low... 

But it is what it is, isn't it.. 

I have to watch DVDs downstairs.. bit uncomfortable now I've moved the sofabed and dining table around.. 

Must have done it this year, because last year I had the sofa here when it was New Years.. 

I haven't been totally focused on either movies.. and have grazed my way through some snacks and an early dinner.. my last cannaloni, need to make some more soon.

Yesterday I planted some seeds and babies from a plant I have that keeps on having them!

Seeds were just thrown and probably will never come to anything, but this damp weather will feed their needs hopefully.

And I think lighting the fire might be a good idea right now... 

M.

 

 

Starting today with a song The Waterboys Lonesome Old Wind

I have an in-house (car) DJ and he, my colleague, picks at random a new CD most weeks..

The other day one just fell out, again, randomly and I'd never heard it before, or if I had it had been a long time..

I checked a track yesterday and found it was The Waterboys.. So Franco's CD.

'How Long Will I Love You' was one of Franco's favourite songs, and one I chose for his funeral..

I hope you listen to the link above, I never know if you listen to my random pieces.. 

I love this song now, and I think should definately be added to my playlist!

The drive down as far as I am now, on my way to work and picking up colleague.. was raining in Alhaurín but not once around the mountain, but all in black and white... No color yet.. Just music.

Yesterday at work was the busiest! Quiet until my break, then just as I started a zoom call for a dear lost friend of mine... After his funeral, it was beautiful, people talking about him.. 

But I was unable to attend the whole the service.. sadly..

Then it was full on until 5!!! Incredible, I got home, did what I had to then hit my bed by half nine... Knocked out!

M.

12.12.2022

Have to write a quick note today.. being a numbers freak and today's date equalling 3! My birth number so should have been an outstanding day for me! 

I did get my chimney swept, I did get four bags of wood and two butano gas bottles.. 

I did walk a long walk and have coffee in town.. 

That was my day... after a bad night's sleep and awake far too early.. 

I'm tired now, and just feeling like I'm missing.. not that I'm missing.. but I am just missing, missing something I'll never have? Or think I'm missing something.. 

Tomorrow's another day eh.

M.

No recent photograph, an old one from the terrace a while ago now; it's been raining here, the rain in Spain mainly falling... Everywhere!

Tough journey to work Friday morning especially, double speed wipers no help at all, and idiots behind still driving their usual speed!

Today a bit of hydroplaning surprised me! But was just a nano second, thankfully!!

You know sometimes my head is so full of words, to say, to write, then now.. I know I want to write but words fail me.. 

If I wrote truly what is in my mind not sure people could handle it, I know I can't, and I know, those of you who have travelled down my path with me have taken some blows along the way.. 

Things should be better but I seem to take more steps back than I do going forward.

I wonder if I should just turn around and go back! 

Pick up my pieces again and try a different road, another road less traveled, another path, maybe one free of stones and briar, an easier road.

Always be a little kinder than is necessary.. this quote is one I think I am using daily, especially at work, especially these days... 

M.

There are many quotes sayings poems stories written on Facebook, day and night, and probably, annoyingly I share way too many..

But this one above.. really holds in my head.

This has to be one of the best, short simple.. (like me! Ha!!).

No seriously, how often we don't say what we should and say way too much that we shouldn't..

I think if I were to have a headstone at all anywhere, this is what I want on mine.

Really not in the mind to write more, but if I don't post this now I might forget.

Above views of Sierra Gorda from both sides.. above from my terrace looking towards Zalea and the lakes behind.. and the lower image Sierra Gorda in the foreground with Sierra de Mijas behind.. and in amongst those white buildings, mí casa.

M.