Bit sad

Went to a funeral today for our friend and neighbour John.  He has been ill off and on for about two years.  John and his partner Michael have been our friends and neighbours here in Spain for getting on for 24 years.  We weren't close friends but always knew they would help if we had a problem and think they felt the same.  I was a bit surprised when they took the lid off the coffin in the crematorium before the service.  John was Irish and some of his family were there.  I think maybe it is an Irish thing to have an open coffin but it is not here and they closed it before the service began.  I really feel for Michael as they had been together for over 50 years.  It could not have been easy for either of them in the early days but they stuck together, had a successful business which they sold and came to Spain where they were more readily accepted.  Can you believe that, a catholic country gave them more protection, more tolerance than we did in England.  I worry about the UK, it seems to me that too many do gooders are worried about anyone other than their own.

So comfortable

Shula and Sky relaxing, I don't think they realise tomorrow they will be on their way back to Spain.  I have deliberately not started packing as this seems to alert them.  They cope very well with the traveling but I like to make it as stress free as possible.

In lots of ways I will be glad to get back to Spain, we have had so much work on the house it has not been a restful time.  For this year, everything I wanted done has been done.  One of the things I was stressed about was deciding to change our service from BT to Talk Talk.  I really left it a bit late and was worried the roughter would not arrive before we left, it came today.  We really have had a bad service from BT and being ex employees were reluctant to leave but having to ring them about our broadband day after day, queue for ages, get cut off while they were so called testing the line then queue again got beyond a joke.  I was most annoyed that each time we rang there did not seem to be any record of the complaint we made the previous day, this is not the company I used to work for. 

Sunday we will be back in Spain waiting for the dogs to arrive, hopefully the weather will be good.

Good friends

Miss you lots, will be back in Spain next week.  So glad you are all enjoying yourselves.

Me

My cousin Alvina sent this photo of me.  It was always on display in their house when she was growing up, her cousin Georgina.  My uncle was a really lovely bloke, trying to keep a family thing going in a family who had fallen apart.  There are not too many of us left from that generation.  I talk regularly with two of my cousins and hear about the rest.  Oh for families, we were so close when I was young.  I think life and distance separated us, sad.  I have my two cousins which I am thankful for, hopefully we will keep our family alive.

Lazy Shula

Problem

Found a problem with one of the TV cabinets we ordered from Oak Furnitureland.  Because we had so much stuff delivered we missed the damage on this cabinet.  Even though it is more than a week since it was delivered I rang them and they were very helpful.  I sent photos and was offered either a discount or a replacement.  I chose a replacement which will arrive next Wednesday.  Both people I spoke to were very nice and polite and very efficient, I can't complain about the service.  The rest of the furnished is fine and I am very happy with it.

Dogs relaxing

Shula and Sky are a bit fed up with all the work in the house.  Dave the guy from the flooring company is here laying the new tiles on the kitchen floor.  Big problem with the kicking boards which cracked when they were removed.  We have decided on new boards covered with the floor tiles.  The job will look good when finished.

Slowly getting there

The house is slowly coming together.  The bedroom and ensuite are finished apart from the blinds.

The lounge and dining room are almost there, just need a new rug, blinds and some soft furnishing.  Once all the pictures are hung and ornaments in place it will look like home.

New Bed

The bedroom decoration is fine.  The new furniture all in place, the dogs love the bed.

Hugh's birthday party

I can not believe the time has gone so fast.  Our friend Hugh's 60 birthday party.  We have been friends now for 42 years.  Not constant, losing touch over the years but coming together like we never lost touch.  Really lovely party meeting up with people from the past.

Dads cherry tree

Back in th UK eating cherries off the tree my dad bought me 40 years ago.  The tree is way past its best but as dad died in 2000 I can't bring myself to cut it down.  Usually the birds have eaten all the fruit by this time so I will monitor the garden birds to see if we still have the numbers.

The dogs were collected Thursday evening and were due to arrive this evening.  Due to bad weather in France they are delayed so will have to wait up until they are delivered.  I hate having to put them through this but hopefully we will have a lovely summer and they will forget the journey.

Sky

A bit damp after her bath.  What a smelly little dog she is, a bit easier to bath than Shula. Fortunately Shula does not need to be bathed so often as Sky.  Maybe it is because Sky is nearer to the ground.  Anyway it is a lot easier to bath Sky as Shula has put on a bit of weight as she has got older.  I always wondered why people employed dog groomers to just bath short haired dogs but as I have got older realise what hard work it is.  Sky finds it such an ordeal, she Is never going to get over some of her fears but soon comes round because she is fussed and reassured all the way.  One reason why I would never just let someone she didn't know put her through it.  Whoever did whatever they did to this little dogs who has lived in a loving safe home for for more than four years but still has fears, I really wish they get their cunupance.

Finished, almost!

Well the house next door is just about finished.  For the last day or so they have been chopping out a beam on the terrace which they had held up with props.  I think they just reinforced it because now it is  all cemented in, just needs a bit of painting.  All the new trees for the hedge are planted, I think it will take more than a year for them to knit together but at least they are quite tall.  I think the best thing about this is the little boy Max.  I think he is about 8 but he appeared on the balcony, as soon as he saw me he waived, I waved back and asked him how he was.  This child is from Belgium but he answered in perfect English,'he was fine and he thought everything was looking good'. Such a lovely kid and fluent in at least four languages.  I truly hope he is going to be happy in his new home.  I hope we can get over all the upset the building work has caused us.  Maybe having the summer in the UK will help.  When we get back we will have to think seriously about shielding our pool and doing something about our privacy as I think it will be quite a while before the hedge does its job.  Oh well it will give me something to think about.

We went to the airport to pick up some friends that have a townhouse here.  Took awhile for them to get through, the airport was really busy.  We stopped off on the way back at a restaurant where they are well known.  We had a superb lunch and reminded us of times past.  Spain has moved on but we really would have liked it to stay the same forever.  How sad is that, a sure sign we are getting older when we want the same old, same old all the time.  I am not sure when that happened but not a good thing life moves on.  Anyway I have decided going back and enjoying times past is nice once in awhile but mostly enjoy all the things life has to offer now.

Trees

Well at last they have planted the trees.  I think it will be two years before they are knitted together but they are there and they will grow.

Yesterday they got cement and plaster all over our car.  I called the owner and now I have to go through my car insurance company to sue the builders insurance for damages and now I intend to claim for both cars.  So much for our neighbours concern, am I the only person in the world who worries about inconveniencing other people?  Ken is really upset, it is affecting his health which at the moment is not good.  

On a good note, I have reconnected with a cousin I lost touch with years ago.  We seem to have picked up where we left off.  I think both of us are looking forward to filling the gaps. The one thing I know is, I have a nice family, we have all been separated by life but I think we never stopped loving each other.

Lunch at La Luna Beach

Wednesday Elaine joined the lunch circle at La Luna beach.  

No Telephone

Got back from the UK 16th March to this mess next door plus the builders had dug up my phone line yet again.  I had to go round to a friend to borrow their phone so I could ring Pat about collecting the dogs.  The builders told me they had reconnected the line but it was still not working.  I spoke to the owner of the property who said she would speak to the workmen.  I had to buy a new sim card as my smartphone was not working.  Monday I rang the owner of the property next door again to tell her my line was still not working, she said she would contact the telephone line provider.  Eventually the line was restored noon yesterday.  Hopefully the building work will be completed in the next couple of weeks.  I will be glad when they plant the new hedge as it will hide the building a bit.  The house is not at all attractive and is not in keeping with other property in Calahonda

Mollie's funeral

Mollie's funeral is today and I am in Jersey staying at the Ommeroo where her wake is to be held, it is where we came after my dads funeral.

Rendering

Yesterday the builders started the finishing coat of render on the wall nearest my house. I am hoping that once the rendering is finished it will make the house look less imposing. For the moment it looks totally out of character.

I also took the dogs to Pat as I am flying to the UK today for two weeks. I will be in Jersey for three days as stepmothers funeral is on Wednesday.

Rola Ball

Shula still loves this ball. These days we have to make sure we cut her dinner down so she can still play with this treat. She has put on a bit of weight as she has got older. She is not interested these days in running around with other dogs like she did when she was younger. I think I am going to have to go on longer walks but the weather hasn't been too good lately and being out in the rain is not a lot of fun.

My sweet Chia

This photo popped up on memories on Facebook this morning. One of my friends remarked sometime ago that she wasn't keen on Facebook memories as it kept popping up photos of dead pets and your ex who you want to forget. Having been married for nearly fifty years there are no photos of any ex on Facebook and although it is quite a few years since Chia died I never want to forget her.

Lunch with my friends the week before Christmas

I meant to post this photo before Christmas but better late than never. Front row right Lynn Robinson, next to her Jean Birnie, then me. Front row left Linda Frost, next to her Linda Saffell and next to her Joan Waklin the only one of the lunch circle missing is Joan Davis who was back in the UK.

Cold, grey and three degrees

It has gone from 24 degrees to rain all day yesterday and snow in Mijas. Today it is cold, grey and 3 degrees.What a difference a day makes.