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
 

Castle on the hill, mountain, overlooking The Gower peninsular...

Made a load of notes this morning, keep forgetting what I want to say!  Too tired, too many headaches, again, too many pain killers and just too much in my head to remember stuff!!
 
Now, when I was in the back of the garden the other weekend now already, as I peered through, trying to see Pippa on the upper, well lower from up the there[!!!] I felt like Lucy in Narnia, looking back for the lamp post so she could find her way home!  Did I tell you that at the time??

Today, or yesterday on TV a guy was talking about bad substances in some alcohol found in stores, ripping people off, money wise, but also health wise, and one of the vodkas had chloroform in its contents!!  Which can effect kidneys liver etc, I remembered the month and year I bought some strong cough medicine which contained chloroform, it worked!

This week got book number 29 out for Peter Maddocks... 29! Can't believe it, another one on its way now!  All on the PublishedByMe site over there  -> -> ->


Apparently those brambles in our garden are actually blackberries!  Wonderful, one of my favourite fruits!  I'll always remember the pallet of them I bought on the day my Mom passed away, yes, blackberries in March!!!  They were imported from 'somewhere', and tasted absolutely revolting!
Yesterday we went to the big car boot sale market, to see a guy with a stall there, who wasn't there last Sunday, and again not there!  Couldn't believe the amount of people there, on a week day!  Been getting a bit empty on a Sunday but only one stall covered over, yes, the one I wanted!  Anyway, there were even stalls outside, massive!  After we left the market we popped into the auction rooms next door, they hold an auction every other week, lots of art there, I am sorry, they called it the art section, I thought it was absolute rubbish!!  And it seriously was!!  Its not that I'm just picky, but really, if those paintings and print they had there sold I would be shocked!  They had tonnes of furniture, I, of course, would fall in love with one particular piece, it was an Art Deco dressing table, oh it really was beautiful, stylised mirror, the curve of the table, the shape of the sides, it curved round gently, I pulled on the handle at the top of the side part and the whole side came out magically, revealing four or five shelves as deep as the table, so once pulled out, you see everything there, perfect for us ladies!  And this was the same of course for the other side of the dressing table, then there were 3 regular drawers at the front, and a small narrow curved drawer for jewellery beneath the mirror...  So I guess you can tell I loved this!

Goodness knows what price it went for, Franco thought about 50quid probably, you might be thinking the same, but I google'd similar items once back to the house, and some sell for hundreds of pounds! 

The rest of the goods at the auction were whatever, but something really awful hit me walking around there, on the tables, were boxes of bits, each with its own Lot number, per box, and I suddenly saw each box for what it really was, people had died and they're loved and now forgotten collections were in boxes and being roughly handled, turned through, picked and scoffed at, by total strangers, and in these boxes were peoples lives... and let me tell you, broken down like this in Lots, they looked so sad, men, mostly were picking up, looking in, rifling through, looking for that one thing, maybe, that would make it worth their while bidding on it, because whatever else might be in the box was nothing to anyone but their previous owner...

Then I imagines my Mom's things we had taken to an auction, and I could see them, like this, strangers with their hands in my Mom's things... it made me very sad.  If my sons are reading this, if you end up with boxes of my things, sometime, please don't take them to an auction... Don't care what you do with it, but not there, to be handled by uncaring strangers...

I've had a headache for the past two days, I think now, its either because we need a thunder storm to break the humidity or the Italian nougat cake I made the other day, had to whip up the egg whites, and realised I don't have an electric whipper thing any more so had to try to do it by hand, bad idea, think I did my neck in!

Fingers crossed I won't wake up with it still in the morning!

TTFN
Marian

Yesterday here in Briton Ferry, the Olympic flame came to town! Lucky for us, not every town will have this opportunity to see it!  Talking the other week I commented on the fact that I hadn't seen the Olympic flame yet... Then was told that the last time it was here, I wasn't!  And not just not in England, not anywhere yet!!

We waited a while, they were 'running' late, excuse the pun!  Lots of trucks and buses, and police all came past first, whooping the crowd into a frenzy!

We were sat on a wall of a house near the main junction in town, so wasn't too bad... Anyway, seen it now!  Probably never will again!

Bit like a strange excitement I have about the Queens Diamond Jubilee... We will never see this again, a Diamond Jubilee!  Whoever is alive now, will never witness a King or Queens 60th anniversary on the throne!  Charles won't make 60 years.... and nor will Wills, he is 30 already, and if he comes to the throne in, what 20 or 30 years? So this is a big deal...  Yes yes, I know being strange...

There was a car parked up a private driveway yesterday, I was a litter wary of it, incase someone jumped out!  Didn't even get too close, but this morning it was till there... so I got braver, going by the contents its a builders car, ladder bucket etc etc, but very strange it's still there, thinking it may have been abandoned...

Still the most wonderful weather, washed all the covers on the sofa today, all eleven of them, two separate washes and back on the sofa a couple of hours ago already!  We went down to the beach about 6pm I think took Pip for a walk among the dunes, still people in the sea...

I have prepared a tonne of boxes to take to the dump tomorrow, fed up with them, could build a house with them... Ummmm there's an idea!

I sat out in the sun earlier while my hair dried, starting reading The Magic by Rhonda Byrne...

Looks like its going to be an amazing book, I have already read and appreciated the Secret and the Power...

TTFN
Marian

My cousing Chrissie and her husband David, part of my new Long Lost Family!

We're down at Bournemouth for the day here... wonderful weather, couldn't have been better!

There in the distance... Zoom in folks some of those quirky beach huts that cost a fortune these days!

The pier!

And check out this massive walking man!  Don't ask me where we were, we were on our way home, it was about 9pm and this huge chap was... just there!  Will try and find out for you!  He was made of metal and we went flying past him!

The bridge back to Welsh Wales!  The sun was setting, a beautiful end, to a great day...

TTFN
Marian

This a Blog of trees!  Full of trees, at last today, after 3 months, I have finally made it to the end of the garden here!  I was waiting for the blue bells to go, well die back a little, I didn't want to squish them!  Got back from town this morning, and I donned my wellington boots, one gardening glove, [don't ask!] made my way to the furthest point I had gone before, quite a few times to take photos of the blue bells!  Then it was onwards and upwards!

Top photo of course is the wall! I at last reached it, but it was too tall for me, must have been well over six foot as I reached my camera up to take a photo over the top of it, but couldn't quite make it! Just great photo of the top of the wall!  And very nice it was too!

Next photo is the other side of the big tree with the blue bells now fading fast around its lower bows... the ground was a bit dodgy here, the dying blue bells all laid flat and like a skid pan to walk on, then it was uphill all the way...

Above is looking down again from near the top, looks like nothing is below doesn't it?  Bit strange that, but by here it really is well above town, the house just on the other side of the wall is called Seaview...

Still trying to make my way upwards, I had to keep changing direction, I had a really long stick, that I was using as a walking stick, or balance stick, and then I had a short stubby stick, that really looked pointless but now and again when I needed it it was quite handy being so low to the ground!

It was all ivy above, with loads of interlocking threads and strands, broken stuff, metal, glass, all sorts!  Bits of wood, not trees!  All sorts, and a pathway, that didn't seem to have been made by humans, it was very narrow and now boot prints, badger maybe? of foxes?

And the smell, beautiful wonderful smell of mulch!  the plants and undergrowth, just smell lovely to me!

I must admit I was getting worried as I climbed further up, going up is usually easier than going down for me at least!!!  And these tendrils of roots and brambles were going to trip me up!  But, as it happened, I got to the top, took a few pics and wandered up and down the length of the wall a bit, then started down, and found I went down faster than up!  I got my feel trapped several times and only kept my balance with the two sticks I had with me!

The photo above has Pippa in it!  Zoooooooom in!  Its a bit like one of those 'Where's Wally' questions about it!  She is almost centre, she has her back to the camera but her heard turned round to me!  Franco had left her up at the top patio bit, and she didn't know where to look, for him in the house, or me lost in the jungle!  arh, my baby!

And this last photo has a piece of word there that I didn't expect to see!  Do you?  Answers on a post card please....

TTFN
Marian

Photo of Pippa, little angel asleep in the cushions!

This morning, another trip to the doctors, the only people I know are people from the job centre and the doctors, that sounds bad doesn't it!  In town later I recognised someone, another bloke from the JC, now that's two people I have seen in town I know, both from there!

Any I digress, the doctors, I have to have another blood test in three months time, and if the result comes back the same I will be officially marked as having CKD, Chronic Kidney Disease! And I will continue to be monitored, he said I could stay at stage 3 for the next 20 years, or get worse.  Anyway, there we have it!  I have a check list, take regular exercise, check!  Keep my weight down, check!  Don't smoke, check! Avoid excess salt, check! and al final, avoid excess alcohol, check!  So nothing more I can actually do...

And so moving swiftly on...  We got the train to Abertawe, [Swansea], about a ten minute journey, you know it was cheaper for a return ticket there than a single bus ticket back to Briton Ferry from Neath which takes about 3 minutes!!!

Anyway, we went to visit a friend of Franco's in the market there, Franco managed to get me to pass my favourite coffee shop brand, which meant I had a tall café latté with bread pudding in the market, and very nice too, not as nice as a friend of mine I must add, and must text him to let him know I still think his is the best!

Lots of empty shops, La Senza gone now, couldn't believe it! We were there a couple of hours I think, then back on the train to Neath, we had a stroll around the town and were on our way for a hot chocolate in a local supermarket when we were pulled off the street and into the old town hall!  A lady [promoter] asked us if we wanted to take part in a food tasting!!  So in we went and we were each seated at different tables with different ladies, who took details, went for a tray of food, brought them back then us tasters had to give our opinion on the taste!  Which we liked best, how the flavours were etc, about 6 or 7 dishes, and a drink!  It didn't take long, about 10 or 15 minutes maximum I think, they said they would be having another taste day on Monday, it would be patés, so we might be back on Monday!!!

We carried on and had chocolaté, and that was us done, and me done in!

Beautiful day today, the house was warm when we came in, wish Pip had opened the windows for us!

TTFN
Marian

Don't ask about the photo above, it is what it is, a bumble bee dog photo I could not resist purloin from deep within the www!

Todays weather was so wonderful this morning, walking Pippa around 8am, the breeze was warm, the trees now almost fully green, the deep smell of the May flowers wafting around, I stood in the wood just breathing in the smell of undergrowth and life... I always missed the smell of forests living in Spain, that mulchy plant smell, now instead I do miss the early morning smells of walking into town of cigar smoke, brandy and disinfectant!  Wouldn't want to wear it, as I know I have said before, bottle it maybe? the smell is just so Spanish!

We had a little rain about an hour or so, but its moved on now and back to blue sky and powderpuff clouds, picked some bay from Franco's Mom's garden will pot that out later, from little cuttings a mighty tree might grow!  We had lunch at her home today, also with her grandson and great grand daughter, she is a little angel... so cute!

Yesterday going into town a man was running to the curb, and it looked like he was being chased by a crisp packet!  It caught up with him as he reached the road side, he turned and looked down.... expecting a dog maybe, the movement having caught his eye... he looked so startled!  Then! Just a crisp packet, which beat him across the road no doubt!

I also have a new Blog, yes another one!  There on the right is the link, its all about ART, and I won't be talking much there, just a whisper now and again, as you would in a gallery, if you don't want to be asked to leave!  I will be 'borrowing' pieces of art to hang in my own personal gallery, its things I like, they will be varied, and sometimes a strange eclectic mix, but that's me isn't it!!

Holiday here tomorrow, seems strange now having a holiday not on the actual day of the real holiday!!!  Was on Tuesday last week, May Day, there is a fair down in the town so we will walk to that, camera in hand, so bare with.....

TTFN
Marian

How easily I am distracted... I uploaded these photos about an hour ago, and obviously left the page and just remembered they were here... Only my post was gone and so was the tab!  Found again okay though, its been far too long since I have posted, I have been busy with editing and publishing, and promoting... that's my only excuse really!

A few visits to the doctors, nearly on first name turns already,  and I am now getting letters reminding me I haven't had this or that done in years, ladies you'll know what I mean, so one of those I must get done!!  A test saved my life back in 1989 and I wouldn't be here without having had it done...  Living in Spain the last few years I was a bit lax in keeping up to date!

Yesterday I had another EKG done at the local hospital, and a very nice hospital it is too, Neath Port Talbot, it looks quite new still and the interior looks like a ship or ferry, everyone is really friendly, asking we were lost or needed help, that was my lost face I had on it seems!

A huge restaurant and a separate coffee bar, three shops run by the WRVS, is that right way round?  And even a bric a brac stall was open by the time we left!

The EKG went as per the norm, the machine was an older version than Malaga, but the test was more thorough and she checked out my heart in different places than before.

I had been feeling very strange, lonely, walking around Neath, a stranger in a strange place if you know what I mean, but the other day I bumped into someone I knew!  We said hello in passing!  Wha hey, the first person that I know, that I have seen in town.... Who was it??? Oh a man who works in the job centre!! Ha!

The three photos here are the garden, the blue bells still hanging on in up there, smelling sweet, and the huge tree, is it maple?  I have zoomed in above, but I am sure it is English, or should that be Welsh maple!

The weather this week has been strange, today is okay,  neither here nor there really, bit of rain yesterday and clothes dried on the line on Wednesday in just a couple of hours!

Long Lost Family on ITV these past few weeks has been good, self abuse though I think its called, I cry nearly all the way through, tears of happiness, tears of wishing...

I can't wait to meet the family who found me, hopefully this month, I will get to meet a cousin while they are on their holidays on the south coast!!!

I am trying at this moment to up load a book onto kindle, and its doing my head in, been trying on and off all day.. so back to it now!

TTFN amigos
Marian

Three Cliffs Beach, Gower

Caswell Beach, Mumbles

Worms Head, Rhossili, Gower

Rhossili Beach, Gower

 

Aberavon, Port Talbot

Apart from Aberavon yesterday we did a tour of the beaches today!  I don't know how I made it, I am shattered!  Wrong shoes, wrong coat, wrong hand bag!  It reminded me of a trip the boys and I made to Lake District in winter with heavy snow, all three of us wore the wrong clothing, school coats and shoes, I had on a swede tassel jacket! and fashion boots!!!

We were walking along a sandy ridge after going 'off plan' and off track through a field, not quite where anyone else passed, no path, we just knew the direction we had to go in!!  So feet were wet, shoes sandy, we passed a couple coming from another direction, she had flip-flops on!  So I was glad to see someone else inappropriately dressed in the shoe department!  We came up out of three cliffs a long way from the car, so Franco got me to wait as a bus stop so he could get the car and come pick me up!

I was okay on the downhill and flat areas, but the ups were almost impossible, not sure how I made it, but as I do tend to keep on until I stop, I did, carry on, until I stopped!

We stopped at another beach where we had some lunch, there were was a huge group of your girls, early teens I think, with what appeared to be a baby each, at first we thought it was a young  mother and baby group, but I noticed these babies were not real!  Mostly by the way they were being held, I think they were those babies girls are given to give them an idea of what its really like to have a baby, there is a monitor in them that takes a record of how the baby was looked after in the 24hr period, a few of todays will come back with some neck problems, and one had been left altogether somewhere, a woman came along as we were leaving and said to one girl, 'this is your baby isn't it!'  So who knows where she left it!!

Another couple of beaches we also didn't get to stop at, most car parks were £1.30, but most of them were £3.00!  Alright if your staying the day, or at least a few hours, but passing by for a quick look, photo opportunity and a coffee, no way jose!  At the Worm, we parked in a church car park where they asked for donations, we which we gave, rather than the 3 quid!!

We also ended up walking around a caravan park! Don't ask!

Now I am shattered, wished we taken Pippa, and posting this!

TTFN

Marian

I'm getting worse with my Blogging,. apologies mis amigos!  I have been busy, another two books are now live on Kindle for Fleet Street Cartoonist Peter Maddocks, see other Blog for details.

And these last few days I have typed over 3000 words each evening of another book!  There is no stopping me now!  My fingers glide from key to key, almost like I am on a piano, but without the music!

The photos here on the left were all taken the other weekend at Neath Abbey, there's lots of it, the living accomodation and the Abbey itself.

Its a beautiful place and very tranquil.

As to the rest of my absence?  I have been in the jungle again, that is the garden, feeling a bit like being in the reclaim business, I have been sorting through the debris, to see if anything is redeemable!

And pulling off any more deadwood, of which there is loads, the ivy is starting to grow again now, strangling the trees and small plants.

The bluebell wood is coming on, see last photo, I think another couple of days or a week and they will be in full bloom, it looks lovely already, and when they are at their peek I will lay down and sleep amongst them!

Sunday morning walking Pippa a man passed by on his bicycle, he said 'good morning', I said 'hola'!!! Doh! 

Sunday we took Franco's Mom to the car boot sale in Clydach, I think it was windier in side than out!  And the people were missing this week, very strange, normally so busy.

I had another blood test done yesterday, have another in two weeks so they can check one against the other.  Hospital appointment first week of May to see cardiologist, so that's good, haven't had to wait too long at all.

Pippas has been a bit off color today, seems to be about once every ten days or so, not sure why, she must be eating something somewhere that disagrees with her!

I am slowly getting used to what to put out on which day for refuse, thank goodness we are dealing with all the paper and garden waste ourselves, less to worry about with that lot, and most of our food waste goes in our compost bin!

I had a call from some people I had emailed about my house for sale somewhere I wasn't expecting to see it, I had a bit of crazy moment and got the wrong end of the stick, seeing euros instead of pounds, so, after a few apologies on my part... I forgot all about it, until this week when a woman phoned me up and asked me if I was interested in the house I had checked out on line, I said yes, interested to sell it!  It was my  house already!!!

The weather has been April, so not too bad, sun and showers, but more sun than wet, only been one morning it was raining so Pippa didn't want to go out!

I'm still all over the place, still haven't really driven here yet, only the one time and that was with Franco in the car!  I must break out, and go for a drive!!!

TTFN
Marian

 

Phew busy day... not even sure why, and why the pre-Raphaelite art work today? Because, just because! Because I miss going to the Picasso museum in Malaga!

 

I will have to watch the desperate romantics again... to give me a boost!

Long lost family is just starting on TV, it was such a wonderful moment when I was found, amazing!  Now I am crying... I still have to find a brother or two and I am done!  Well maybe not!

And talking of family, Tony and Kate came to visit last Saturday, it was fantastic seeing them, long way to come for the day, and then Tony drove to take us to lunch, we went to Mumbles and the Gower, Tony also got me training Pippa, again, too late to teach an old dog new tricks?  Nope, she is under orders to 'get into your bed' whenever she barks or someone is visiting, and its working!

Sunday morning we went to a boot sale at Clydach then a quick trip around Neath Castle, photos tomorrow!  Then we were off to Franco's Moms' Maria was down from London for the long weekend, and there were 11 of us for dinner!  Maria did us proud, poor girl, long weekend and lots of cooking and driving, thank you Maria! We love you!

Got to go, lots of tears to shed on this program..

TTFN amigos

Marian