Here I am back to share some of my adventures and misadventures with you. I know I've been away from this blog for quite a while. First, some of the misadventures.
I'm one of those people who doesn't travel well. I don't like airports or travel in general, and I'm paranoid about missing the flight or nowadays being on a plane with crazy people. So one of my fears came to pass in Madrid airport.
I know I'm lucky to live so near the airport. It takes about 10 minutes to get there from my house unless there is a traffic jam. So I get to the airport, get checked in etc. and go to the WRONG gate where I'm waiting until I hear my name called. I was only off by a couple of gates, and I know I was the last person on the plane before the door of the plane was closed. Then when I got to Atlanta, I forgot my ipad in security and had to go back for it. Although the battery was dead and it wouldn't come on, they believed it was mine. End of misadventures and now some photos.
This first one was taken from the Incline in Cincinnati. It was really hazy and humid that day.
No matter the views from here are spectacular.
The haze disappeared on the Kentucky side. I was originally going to crop this photo. When I saw the puppy in the cloud (top left corner), I decided to leave it as is. Can you see the puppy with its ears, eyes, nose, mouth and paws?
For a long time, I'd been wanting to see the Serpent Mound in Peebles. It was a bit cloudy the day we were there, but with pleasant temperatures. There is a lookout tower from which you can see the Mound perfectly. My nephew took the photos of the actual mound for me as I have vertigo. Some of my friends live in a building with open-slatted stairs, plus the building is glassed-in for more natural light on the stairs side. I hate going up these stairs!
I took several photos of the different important points where people will gather at these times of the year. I suppose Serpent Mound is Ohio's Stonehenge. One sad note although I didn't photograph it: a 19-year old drunk man drove his 4X4 over part of the mound that's closest to the museum and other buildings, and the tire tracks can still be seen. I think his punishment was to write an essay or some silliness.
I have more photos to share, but will leave that for next week. Hope everyone's week is a good one.
I can't believe we're in the middle of August, and neither can you! August is typical for festivals and people escaping from the cities in droves and planting themselves on the beaches - sometimes getting up at first light to get a good spot on one of the most popular beaches. Those who don't leave the cities always have a festival they can attend.
Here you have a couple of delicious treats that I've consumed this week.
Lime sherbet and delicious even if I didn't make it myself. The box comes with 3 limes and this is the last one.
Recently my friend Kathy from Missouri has been talking about her mango margaritas. I've had sweet ones, like strawberry, but much rather have the sour ones. This is the margarita I made with lemons instead of limes, which I discovered had gone hard and bad. I would have probably had to add some lemon juice anyway, because I didn't have enough limes. I call the lime sherbet and the margarita my lemon-lime detox.
Weatherwise, we've had a great week of cooler temperatures. As a matter of fact, I woke up in the middle of the night cold, so for the first time this summer have had to use a quilt. It will no doubt be too hot again in a couple of nights, but I'm enjoying the weather we're having at the moment.
One thing I didn't mention last week in my post was that the people in a block of flats in Madrid had to escape with just their lives as part of the building was coming down. This happened at about 4 a.m. when most people are sleeping. Fortunately everyone was able to get out in time, and the entire building had to be pulled down.
Because of the age of the building (more or less the same age as mine), I'm guessing the supporting pillars were wooden like they were in my building until we replaced them with steel ones. Buildings here, especially the older ones, have to pass inspection every 10 years and apparently that building had passed inspection in 2012. Another factor that may have caused the poor condition of the pillars to go unnoticed is there was a banquet hall where the pillars were located that had been closed for years. But as this is still part of the building, they should have had access to this space when the building was inspected, although perhaps the rotten pillars wouldn't have been detectable. I'm not an architect, but feel sorry for those poor people who have lost their homes.
I'm going to take some time off from doing a weekly post on Blogger but will return in October. I'll still visit you and your posts, and, of course, you'll see me on FB. Have a good week everyone.
August is cat-sitting month for me. Sami is the little sweetie that I help look after in summer along with another of her human friends who co-sits. Two things have surprised me this time. The first thing is a couple of bees come in for a visit every day. The other day Sami had left the tiniest bit of Gourmet Gold on her plate, and the bees were swarming round. Suddenly I looked and the plate was clean. I'm almost positive Sami didn't sneak and eat the last morsel, so it must have been the bees, right?
I don't know if you remember me saying that Sami was extremely ill in the spring. Thankfully she's recovered now but is still thin. She's always been a small thin cat. I gave my friend a packet of Sun Chlorella tablets for Sami. I know the Gentle Barn that I follow on FB always gives Sun Chlorella to their sick animals. Those of you who have pets know how difficult it is to get them to take medicine. They'll eat all the cheese or whatever you hid the pills in and spit out the pills. This is my second surprise. I'd place two tablets (they're really small) on the table with the idea of mixing them into Sami's food. Before I'd opened the tin of cat food, she'd gobbled them up! I'm going to have to ask Chris if that's how she gave them to her. I'm almost certain Chris said she puts them in the food.
The only animal that I've had that never gave any problems with taking medicine was my dog Honey. She would take pills from my hand. There was a period in which I had to take her temperature every day and make a chart for the vet. She let me do that even though it must have been unpleasant for the poor darling. The vet was impressed with my temperature chart. I miss all my pets that have crossed the bridge, but Honey especially. Even though you love all of them, there is always one who is an angel in every way, and for me that angel was Honey. I named her well, because she was so sweet. I never saw her get angry.
I suppose I could say I've received 3 surprises so far. After July being called the hottest month in history, last night was so cool and perfect sleeping weather with only the windows open. When I got up this morning, it was 16º C (about 60º F). Compared to a low between 20-24º, last night was heaven. I'm not too sure of the temperature at the moment except that open windows are sufficient.
I'm posting this a little later than usual, but the day has been worth the tardiness. I hope everyone who reads this has had a pleasant weekend and hope your next week is equally good.
This was our sky about 8 p.m. on Friday when I was going to throw away some more paper and then on to sit outside and have a last drink with Cathy and Chris. I can't believe what an incredibly nice day it was - not hot at all! Despite all dark skies and clouds and sun, we only got a few sprinkles of rain. Yesterday it was hotter, though not unbearably so, and today hotter than yesterday. We'll be up to 100º F + in a few days, which is why I'm enjoying these days.
Here's another view of the bullring that I took years ago either in the autumn or winter. It's from a different angle, of course, than the photo from the other day. It's a photo that I sometimes use as a cover on FB. Notice in this photo that there aren't any flags flying (those of Spain and the Community of Madrid). Until recent years, the flags were up only when there was a bullfight, concert or other event in the bullring. I'm sometimes caught unaware that there is something going on there. I think the Red Bull Street Fighters was the last show that took place in the ring, with other lesser motorbikes making noise until 1 or 2 in the morning. Noise from outside is a big problem in the summer.
Chris has left for the beach and then her home in Wales. Cathy isn't going away, so I just might meet up with her, especially if I go out to eat with a friend and her family from Texas who are in Spain this month. Last summer we went to one of my favourite Mexicans and since they're having a 30% discount on meals through August... I know Sue from work as she worked in the language academy and lived with my friend June for a year. Actually her son goes to one of the universities in Madrid.
Because it's been so intensely hot for such a long time, I and lots of people I know haven't felt like eating a lot. The past couple of days, however, I've felt like eating a bit more, so think I'm going to make quesadillas to go with my salad. No other plans for today except more decluttering.
Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend. Were you able to see the blue moon on Friday night? We had some cloud cover, but the moon could be seen. In my photos it did appear blue too. Have a good first week of August all.
Who doesn't remember as a child thinking Christmas was never coming, or who didn't enjoy those long long summer holidays? Well, the other day I posted on a friend's page on facebook that there were only 50 Saturdays until Christmas. Now it's either 49 or 48.
Also some schools in Kentucky are starting the first week of August. That is so early! One of my sisters and one of my cousins posted about Ohio's no sales tax offers for school supplies and clothes starting the 7th (I believe) and lasting a few days. What a good idea! Most of my cousins on the Smith side live in Kentucky across the Ohio River, so hope their families can take advantage.
Because July has been so hot (and June before that), I can't say I've got a lot accomplished this past week. Here's my bottled lavender oil (that I've also shared on facebook). I mentioned earlier in the week that I was waiting for the alcohol in it to evaporate. One of my cousins suggested heating it. The recipe said to let it sit for about a week. I don't know about you, but I like to do what the recipe says - at least the first time I make something. Besides, heating it might ruin it somehow.
I managed to do more de-cluttering, and that's my plan for when I finish here. I will have to agree with my friend Loretta who says there will always be some clutter in her house. There will be in mine too. I found a bottle of Martini that I know came from my other house at the very back of a cupboard. I'll bet it's over 20 years old, but has never been opened. I'll be giving that to my friend Chris.
Chris, Jenny and I went to the Chinese for our last meal with Jenny of the summer. She's off to England until the 5th, and then she and her husband are finally going to the States in September. I say finally, because they always go on these adventure holidays. Well, they are going to visit Yogi, so that will be an adventure I hope.
Chris was talking about the telling off she got at the doctor's. She said she'd gained half a kilo since the last visit and hadn't been eating a lot because when it's hot most people don't eat as much as they normally would in the winter. Jenny and I both agreed we hadn't lost weight either. Jenny says she's big-boned, which for me isn't the same as overweight and Chris is. I really think Jenny is at most a size 8 (British size 10), because she gave me a lovely jacket a few years ago and I had to give it to one of my younger sisters.
I didn't intend to ramble on so much. Hope everyone is enjoying a restful Sunday and the coming week is good.
Last week I promised to let you know if scrunching up newspaper and placing it in a smelly plastic container would get rid of those horrible smells. Well... it did somewhat, but not completely. At least the newspaper smelled like the plastic after a couple of days. I added vinegar and let the container sit for a while before washing it again. In the end, I put some food scraps in it and threw it away. So that's my white lie! I didn't try anything else and just threw it away.
You never know if something is going to work until you try it. Here's one that I know works. It's one I forgot to mention last week since I was obsessed with the plastic container. To view your photos on Google +, it's not necessary to go to your Google page. Type in https://photos.google.com and it takes you directly to your photos. My friend Terri shared some hacks on facebook the other day, and one of them was storing a tub of cottage cheese upside down in the fridge to keep it longer. I said that wouldn't be useful for me, because I could eat the whole tub in one sitting. I love cottage cheese that much. It's something that I've loved since I was little, and it's something whose taste or size hasn't changed.
Yesterday was one of the best days we've had this summer. I went out at a time that I don't usually if I can help it. You know what they say about mad dogs and Englishmen. I had looked up the times and places that the Town Council comes around to collect items like used or old oil, used printer cartridges, mobile phones, etc. I saw that they would be at the bullring on Tuesday between 1.30 and 3 pm and a few more places within walking distance. One of the places was on the corner of a park near my house - the one that Zara and I used to go to. Okay I was looking at a PDF file, but it said the van would be there between 12.00 and 1.30, so I went out at about 12.30. I saw nothing that looked like a van where I could leave what I'd chosen to get rid of. According to the file, they didn't operate in August, but it's still July, isn't it? This is the photo I took last night at about 9.30 pm when I went out to throw away some more paper. It was the first time we'd seen clouds for quite a while. You could tell the weather was nice because all the benches were occupied, and the outdoor cafés were full.
Speaking of outdoor cafés, I suppose I'll meet up with friends Chris and Cathy tomorrow at the one round the corner since they've installed a cooling system. I don't know if you have this system in your outdoor cafés. A lot of the bars and restaurants here have installed them where a mist of cool water shoots out and brings down the temperature. Then in the winter the bars have heaters for those who want to sit out, especially smokers.
Enough for this week. Hope everyone has had a good weekend and a good new week ahead.
If only I'd known this before! I don't know if this works, but it's worth a try. It's too late for my laptop as it's on its second battery which doesn't hold a charge for very long now, so the computer is always connected. I do this sometimes with my ipad, but don't know if it works. I do know that if you charge Apple products in airplane mode, they charge quicker.
I forgot the 'before' photo on this plastic container (called 'tupper' here in Spain). Okay, I don't need more plastic containers, but I don't like throwing them out if they can be used again. The 'before' photo would have shown a big sticky label. You know one of those that could be soaked and scraped for a week, and you'd still have globs of glue on it. I removed as much of the paper as possible and then covered the label with my homemade Goo Gone (an oil and baking soda paste), leaving it on overnight. The next morning I wiped off the paste and washed the container. Now there's another problem. The container still smells like what was in it before. Here's the solution:
Place wadded up newspaper inside and leave overnight. Although it did smell better this morning, I think I'll leave it another night. If that fails to get the smell out, I'll try something different. After all this effort, I'm not throwing it away!
What takes zero effort on my part is reading. I've spent a good deal of my life doing that ever since I learned how to. These are two of the books that I've reviewed on goodreads and given 5 stars to.
Margeret's Ark by Daniel G. Keohane is about a woman named Margaret and many others like her who have dreams in which they are instructed by angels to build arks; each ark is to hold 30 people and no animals, and the instructions as to where and how the arks are to be constructed are very precise as is the date the arks are to be finished. Yes, Margaret is a religious person, but don't be fooled in thinking it's only about religion or you have to be a believer. Even an atheist has a heart I hope.
All the Dancing Birds by Auburn McCanta is about a woman who finds herself the victim of alzheimer's in her late 50's. Whether it's a sad movie or story, I tend to cry and I did in this book. Alzheimer's is an evil sad disease that always causes pain for both the sufferers and their families Even though you don't know these people personally, you feel for them.
What impressed me about the writings of these two authors is that this is the first novel for both, and, in my humble opinion, the two are well written. The main characters in both novels are widows too. I'll be looking forward to reading more from these two writers.
Speaking of arks, I've seen a funny caption with two cats that says something like: Noah called and he's picking us up. Another one with a skeleton looking out the window that says: Waiting for the rain to stop. We have the same old story here with extremely high temperatures, only I keep my shades pulled down. The other night, a friend who is going through menopause said she could no longer go to places without air conditioning. I must remember to tell her to keep a light jacket with her at all times when they go to the US this September. I freeze in places there, especially restaurants and supermarkets.
Hope everyone has had a good week despite the weather and the coming week is just as good. Until next time.
