Back - but not for long!

So, we are back from Spain. On the day we left we got to the airport in good time and were checked in within 20 minutes. Flight was delayed 2 hours! We telephoned our friend meeting us to break the news and then wandered off to get a drink and kill the time! It went quickly really and finally we were on our way. A good flight over, I sat by the window and was very impressed by the cloud formations I saw. Some of them looked like huge meringues - beautiful! Guess who didn't have her camera with her! We arrived at around 10 pm - very warm! Our friend met us and we drove directly to the local village for something to eat.

We had a lovely relaxing holiday. The weather was hot, very hot, relentlessly hot, day and night! So we sat in the shade and dozed or read or chatted. We cooled off by having a swim. Our friendly duck is still in situ - it is actually a thermometer and the water temperature was around 30 degrees most of the time we were there.

We ate out most days, catching up with acquaintances made last time we were there and making new ones. One evening we (about 16 of us) went to a local cafe for supper where there was a live band playing for a couple of hours - mostly tributes to The Beatles, Van Morrison and a Country & Western singer I can't remember! Later there was dancing. It was a great night and we walked back home at around 1 am.

That was pretty much all we did. I only took about 3 photographs. It was wonderful to just - well I can't say "chill out" - but to RELAX! I read "The Good Earth" by Pearl S Buck which I thoroughly enjoyed, a wonderful book. It was first published in 1931 and in 1937 it was made into a film. In 1935 Pearl S Buck was awarded the Nobel prize for literature. You can read more about her here.

I also read "The Conjuror's Bird" by Martin Davies. I thought it was a good, pacy read. I am a little confused about the reference to "the conjuror" but think I know what was meant. If any of you have read it I would be interested to know your thoughts. I also got well into "The Return" by Victoria Hislop. Having read her previous book "The Island", I guessed I would enjoy this story.

Our flight back was uneventful and on time. When we left Spain it was 39 degrees. We landed at 10.10 pm and were back indoors by 11 pm. Temperature here was 16 degrees!

I have been trying to catch up with fellow bloggers this week because on Tuesday I'm off again. This time to Stratford on Avon to look after our 5 year old grand-daughter for a few days, to help out for the first week of the school holidays. I won't have my camera with me this time though, as OH wants to borrow it whilst I am away.

Looking into Blogworld I found I had an award from Hadriana. She has designed this award herself and awarded it to fellow bloggers who have kept visiting and supporting her in spite of her being a little out of touch lately due to family commitments/work pressures. Thank you Hadriana - I do appreciate it.

I also found that I have been tagged by Karen at The Rubbish Diet. I will be doing this once I am back from my grandparenting duties in Stratford on Avon. Hope you don't mind Karen.

One task I must tackle before I go off on my travels is to make a birthday cake for my lovely daughter, who will be 40 at the end of August. It will give the cake time to settle and mature and I will be back in good time to ice and decorate it.

Happy Birthday

It is my daughter's 39th birthday today. As soon as I got up my thoughts went back, as they always do on this day, to when she was born. I had not had a good night, simply because my 17 month old son was very poorly, finally settling in the early hours. I slept myself only to wake at around 5 am with the first niggle of pain. She was born at lunchtime - around 1.30 pm. I tease her that she must have heard the nurse ask me if I would like some pudding! - (I ask you!!) and decided then was the time to make her entrance.

She and I are very close but I will not be able to see her today. We spoke on the telephone last night and she was pleased to tell me that she has had quite a few parcels in the post already. She and her little 4 year old will be going to see friends and she is looking forward to her day. I will ring her this morning to greet her and again this evening when 4 year old is in bed and we will chat and she can tell me about her day.

Happy birthday my love.

Getting Organised

Have just realised that we are now in the second week of August and I am going to have to make 'to do' lists to keep myself organised. We have a few events between now and the end of the month and once into September I shan't have a lot of spare time before I start jet-setting (so to speak).

We are at a party tonight and it is 2nd son's 40th birthday celebrations next week. The following weekend we have a civic event to attend on Bob's behalf, more of which nearer the time. In between there are the usual routines (including blogging!) plus I have to see to my eldery mum's needs several times a week.

In the second week in September I have promised to be in Stratford upon Avon to help 2nd daughter with taking and meeting her little girl to and from school and will be returning home on 13th September. And on 17th September mum and I fly to Australia to visit 1st son and his family. As well as this I have to pack my case (twice), help mum to pack her case and leave the freezer packed (for Bob).

I have undertaken to make and ice a 70th birthday cake for a friend's mum and that will have to be ready to deliver a couple of days before I fly off. The cake is already made and is lying in a darkened room until it is time to get ready for the party. I will be making sugar flowers for it, probably roses and lilies but haven't begun them yet. That is a job to start this afternoon.

So to keep my mind clear, it is time for lists.

Has anyone seen my pad and pen ............ ?