Something to look forward to

Travelling around London today under relentlessly grey skies and increasingly cold winds was a clear sign that the Indian Summer weather that we sometimes get in September was not going to happen. We are close to October now and I decided I needed to brighten my day, so I've started searching the low cost airlines for flight deals for our Christmas/New Year escape to our place in Spain. Once I have that booked I know I have some sunshine and blue skies to look forward to. We regularly head away from London over this period as the UK comes to a work standstill for around two weeks. We love the fact that our local town of Ibi has a festive lights display that puts the West End of London to shame. Christmas Day in our area of Spain is very much a religious and family day and presents are not exchanged until the night of the Three Kings when there is a huge procession through the town. Ibi has the only monument to the Three Kings anywhere in the World and the procession winds down from the Town Hall at the top of the town to the Plaza where the statue stands. Marching Bands, escort the floats of the Three Kings - it is quite a sight. Any children who live in the town have a large box with their name on left at the Town Hall and friends and family leave presents for them there. At the end of the Three Kings procession a large lorry brings all the present boxes and messengers in festive costume jump out and deliver each child's box to their home. It is such fun to see the excitement in their faces as they rush their parents home as soon as they see the final lorry approach.



We usually have friends arriving on 26th December who help with harvesting our olive crop - with sixty trees we need help. Our olives go to be pressed and we keep some of the oil for ourselves and sell the rest. Frankly we don't make much money from the olives, it just goes towards paying Juan who looks after the crops for us and plants the kitchen garden which supplies our vegetables in the spring and summer. Still if anyone fancies harvesting olives let me know.

Better Times

I thought I would share this beautiful photograph that one of this Summer's house guests took of our new path from the main house to the swimming pool and summer house at our property in Spain. Just looking at it makes me long to go back especially as I am sitting in my office looking out at the drizzling rain and grey sky.

Today I again suffered tube troubles. The Piccadilly Line had signal failures, we were shuttled between stations and a twenty minute journey took over an hour. The joys of a working woman!

Since returning from Spain I have only had three working days as last Thursday and Friday was the Jewish New Year - a time for synagogue and family get-togethers and naturally food! We missed the wonderful Honey Cake which my late Mother-in-law used to bake for us every New Year. She died just under a year ago and is very much missed. I think my sister-in-law was given the recipe and I am under orders from my grandchildren to acquire the details so we can make it ourselves next year.

At the end of this week is the Day of Atonement, a time to reflect on the past year and pray for forgiveness for actions that I regret and commit to being a better human being in the year to come.

Whether you are Jewish or not may I wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year.

RELUCTANT RETURN

Sorry for being so lazy.... I haven't written a word in weeks. The glorious hot summer in Spain was too enticing. We returned last night and it was grey and raining at Luton Airport, almost bad enough to turn around and take the first flight back. Hopefully getting soaked returning from my first client appointment this morning isn't a sign of things to come. I beat the Tube Strike to get there on time and felt a certain satisfaction that Bob Crow [the Union Leader we all love to hate] hadn't ruined my first day back at work. I promised when I started this blog that I would explain how we came to create our little bit of heaven in Spain and later today or perhaps tomorrow I will post the story with pictures and I would welcome any comments.

Mid Holiday Update

Another week has rushed by, friends have come and gone. We have regulars who visit us almost every Summer in Spain and love our home here as much as we do. This property is made for large gatherings and everyone mucks in and helps so having visitors is not a chore. Our South London friends had a ghastly journey home which stressed them out - such a shame as they had such a relaxing time here. A very long all day delay at Alicante Airport was the pits, especially as they were given the grand total of 6 euros each for food! On the day they left my pal Mrs B. flew in and we have had great fun for the last week, as is the case with very old friends we don't need to entertain, she is family. Before we owned this property and when our kids were all young we regularly went on holiday together - ten in all, so we know we can share a kitchen [always a plus on a self-catering trip]. Numbers increased by another two today when the Daughter's Parents in Law joined us and when Son-in-law arrives tomorrow we will have a full house.
It promises to be a hot and sunny weekend so probably no-one will want to venture far from the pool.

Birthday Treats

Been rather remiss in keeping up with the blog - sorry. The holiday has rather taken over. The weather has been glorious and with friends arriving on the 6th I have been pretty busy. The Daughter and grandchildren are having a great time, daily swimming sessions are a highlight as are the trips to one of the many local ice cream parlours [Ibi is famous for Ice-Cream]. Saturday 7th was my birthday and I was woken with the grandchildren singing Happy Birthday which can't be a bad way to start one's 62nd year. Out into town for morning coffee and cake, afternoon by the pool and a Chocolate Birthday Cake for tea. Yes it was one naughty treat after another but we believe in celebrating birthdays in our family. In the evening we went out for dinner with our friends to a local hotel who have recently brought in a rather good chef - a lovely meal ended a perfect day.

Summer Holidays have arrived

I have been rather rushed for the last few days trying to get work projects finished prior to flying off to our place in Spain on Tuesday.

Had No.1 Grandson and No.1 Grandaughter with us on Thursday and Friday. We won't be seeing them for several weeks so put work to one side on Thursday to take them out for the day. Met up with our other two grandchildren at the British Museum and they all had great fun in the Egyptian Section with a special backpack full of questions to which they had to find the answers. No. 1 Grandaughter took charge [she is another in a long line of organising women in our family] and No.2 Grandson impressed everyone with his excellent reading of the questions [he is only 5]. No.1 Grandson from his superior 11 years had done it all before and just kept an eye on his cousins. Our biggest laugh came when No.2 Grandaughter [two and a half yrs] declared that the Mummy lying down in the glass case was Sleeping Beauty! She is currently rather keen on all things Disney.

Worked most of Thursday evening in the office to catch up.

Only managed to snatch a couple of hours during Friday to go and play a miniature golf course in the park with the two eldest grandchildren, much to my astonishment and their disbelief I got a hole in one! What a fluke.

Picked up by their Dad after dinner on Friday,said goodbye for the Summer Hols. with, of course, lots of kisses and cuddles.

This Weekend has been filled with getting ready for Spain as No. 2 Grandson says "Only 2 sleeps to go".

To nosh or not to nosh?

One of the blogs I follow had a post about afternoon tea with a very tempting photograph and I felt compelled to comment. Sharing this seemed a good idea as it is probably better to talk about teatime treats rather than eat them at the moment as I have been trying to cut back on noshing prior to holidays.

Way back when I got married we had an afternoon tea dance as our reception bucking the trend for a grand evening "do". It combined my two favourites - afternoon tea and dancing.

My lovely Mother taught me all I know about serving the perfect afternoon tea. Proper china crockery, pastry forks and napkins. Sandwiches made from thin sliced bread with, of course, the crusts cut off. Two [at least] favourite cakes, scones with clotted cream and jam, possible also some baby danish pastries. The tea must be made in a tea pot, milk must be poured into the cups first - it is a real ritual.

I have added my own touches to the sandwiches [fillings of cucumber, egg and smoked salmon] by cutting them into different shapes for each filling - circles, squares, rectangles.

I have initiated my children and grandchildren into the delights of Afternoon Tea. Number 1 Grandson always requests his favourite chocolate cake, Number 2 Grandson consumes an amazing amount of scones, Number 1 Grandaughter is campaigning for ice cream to be added and Number 2 Grandaughter thinks the addition of chocolate Mini Rolls [her very very fav. treat] would make it perfect.

I have to stop now as I am feeling rather hungry.