Week 45 of our new life

Monday, everybody is up and about early. Katie and the girls are going to get their hairs trimmed.  Another disappointment, the girls hairs were fine, Katie's was cut a bit shorter than what she wanted, which led to a slight trauma, what is it about the FURY LUCK we just don't have any!!!  Back to the house, Danny and Lesa and Miss Madison are ready, we have to leave at 12.00 to get to Portimao Aerodrome where Danny is going to do his jump.  It is a really hot day so a good day for Jumping??  We had to detour onto the A22 which is a toll road due to time being against us, but we got there on time, the heat was intense but plenty of water for the Children and Adults, Danny got his Briefing on what he was and wasn't to do, it was going to be a tandem jump, so at least somebody else was on his back LOL but terrifying for us but he was cool as a cucumber.  He was going up 16000 feet and then was jumping.  We managed to watch the whole thing with the children cheering him on every bit of the way, and he landed and strolled out of the zone just like Top Gun LOL.  Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and has the DVD and Certificate to prove it.  Now that has been done guess what the girls want to get back for the pool, so heading home, it is near 6 o clock when we get in but yes they went in the pool, it is their last night so will make the most of it even though they have to get up at 5.00 in the morning for their 7 o clock flight.  Finally bed.

Birds Nesting

Under the Eaves

Trying the suit for size

I am not nervous!!

Danny in the sky

Briefing

Kitted up

Waiting for Uncle Danny

I will relax

Instructor talk

Where is my Brother!

About ready to go

Tuesday, up at 4.30am to make sure last minute packing is done and the girls are all ready for their flight home.  They have enjoyed  themselves and at least had a good couple of days of hot sunshine and have gone back with a tan.  On to Danny and Lesa and Miss Madison for their week now.  I went to my Zumba this morning and worked out really hard, thought it would keep me awake for the rest  of the day.  Danny and Lesa and Miss Madison decided to go to Albufeira Old Town, they have the car so can just go out and about at their leisure, don't need us to ferry them around which makes life a bit easier.  They arrived back at about 8, so just done a BBQ with my homemade Burgers and Sausages which seemed to go down really well. Another late night sitting on the terrace with a few drinks, but it was so warm.
Wednesday, Douglas is playing golf today, and we have the pool cover being fitted today, so Danny and Lesa and Miss Madison are going to Caldos de Monchique to view it as a possible wedding venue.  Bacelhau Com Natas for Tea, wonder what they will make of a local dish.  Cloudier weather today but still warm although there is slight breeze.
Thursday, Another lovely day has dawned, early start today as a shopping trip had been booked with my Zumba class so Lesa and Linda were joining me.  This left Danny and Grandad in charge of Miss Madison.  We picked up the bus at 7.45am in Sao Bras and headed off to Freeport for a days shopping and Lunch, Bucks Fizz on the bus, well this was a good start.  Quite a long journey as Freeport is up near Lisbon but the thought of 140 shops dissipated the thought of the journey.  We finally arrived at 11.20 lunch was booked for 1.30pm so two hours for the shops, lunch then another 2 hours in the shops before return.  Lesa found the shops to her liking and bought a couple of tops and a necklace, Linda managed a cardigan and a couple of Polo Shirts for Tom, I struggled which is very unlike me and could not believe that I could not find anything, until the last shop before lunch where I found a couple of dresses I liked.  Lunch was in a superb restaurant where we had suckling pig, plenty of salad and of course plenty of wine.  Then it was back to the shops, well Linda Lesa and myself decided to quaff another bottle of wine before hitting the shops again, so we relaxed in the sunshine drinking wine.  Finally decided we should hit the shops again but none of us bought anything else.  The the journey home, plenty of wine on the bus, but not for me, not being a wine drinker I had had my share of wine so snoozed instead.  The journey home took 3 hours 20 minutes, at which stage it felt like a lifetime that we had been on the bus, finally getting home about 8.30pm.  Lesa had not seen Miss Madison all day and of course by the time we got home she was in bed. Tom picked us up from the Bus and we went back to ours for a couple of drinks and some Sticky Ribs which I had prepared the night before. Some laughs and alcohol and then time for bed.  This was a really good day, but do not think I will do it again as such a long time sitting on a bus, plus although the shops were good, I find it very difficult to shop for clothes here so not really worth the long journey.

Lunch with the girls

Miss Madison Posing

Friday, Today we are going to The Old Town Vilamoura with Tom and Linda, Danny, Lesa and Miss Madison to have a look at a prospective wedding venue.  Tom and Linda were at a wedding here last year and we thought it might be ideal for what Danny and Lesa are looking for, we have tried to find it a couple of times but for some reason have not been able to.  So Tom and Linda offered to take us all.  A nice excuse for a friendly lunch also. We were all a bit tired after last night but the weather was good, so why not.  It takes about half an hour from where we live, so not too far a journey and it is a really lovely place. Danny and Lesa were lucky to meet Heather the Owner who deals with the weddings so they were taken away for a long chat and shown some videos etc and photographs of how things look for weddings, it seems to be the perfect place.  Emails etc will be exchanged between the couple and Heather and it will be up to them if that is what they are looking for. We had a lovely lunch with a couple of drinks, then we set off for home and Danny and Lesa and Miss Madison carried on to do some more exploring of their own.  I am hoping to be able to do some Granny duties and get Miss Madison to myself so Danny and Lesa can go out on their own, what an offer, not happened yet.

Old Town Vilamoura

Saturday, Another lovely day, although the mornings tend to be a bit cloudy it soon turns into a wonderful day.  Danny and Lesa and Miss Madison are going into Faro to the Forum Algarve shopping, Douglas and I are going to go and get some shopping and then get some sun.  I am excited today as We can babysit tonight and Danny and Lesa can go out for a meal.  I will get to cuddle and bath and feed and put her to bed, cannot wait.  An afternoon in the sun was great, but Danny and Lesa never seemed to arrive home.  By the time they came in it was 8.45pm so I never got my chance to do my granny duties.  Oh well one spare granny going, LOL.

Daddy & Miss Madison

We are Family

Sunday, Danny and Lesa and Miss Madison go home today, Estoi Market was on so we had a run down to that, it started off cloudy but gradually got very hot and Miss Madison wasn't for settling today.  Back home, thought I would do Mince and Tatties for them so they had a decent meal before their flight, it was a 7.00pm flight so would be late for them arriving back home.  Grandad and I took turns for cuddles and I done feeding time so that Danny and Lesa could get packed up and get their showers etc. Far too quickly it was time to leave for the airport.  Got them all checked in and time to say goodbye, until the next time, hopefully. On the way out of the airport Found Carly and Danielle's flip flops from last week, so retrieved them and will take them home to clean them LOL.

The abandoned Flip Flops

It has been a wonderful couple of weeks seeing some of the family and hopefully they will all come back. Miss Madison is wonderful and was such a good girl all week, she left her mark by being sick on cushion covers etc and her parting gift to me was to be sick all over my shoulder LOL but I wouldn't change any of it.  Danny takes his daddy duties very seriously and is amazing, I just wish that I could have done my granny duties so that they could have had a bit of time to themselves, but maybe next time when Miss Madison is a bit bigger I will get to do some more and the offers were there to be taken advantage of LOL.  Advert going in to the Portuguese News Granny for Hire!!!!

The swimming Bear

Just Juicing

My turn to Juice

Look at me

Hey how chilled am I

Miss Madison & Grandad

Miss Madison & Granny

Just leave me alone

I need the Sun

Lunch in Old Town Vilamoura

Grandads nice and cosy

Bouncing on Dads knee

Daddy's girl

Carly's hiding from me

Week 44 of our New Life

Monday, this has been the worst day for weather, really heavy rain and thunder and lightning, such a shame for Lynne and Zoe´s last day. But we hoped to make the most of it.  Thought we would go to The Church of Bones, this is in Faro and is actually a chapel decorated inside with the bones of Carmelite Monks dating back to 1615, evidently there are skulls and arms and legs adorning the whole of the inside of the chapel.  So we went for lunch first and then went to the church only to find it was closed, typical again to our luck this week so will have to update you on that another time. What to do in the wind and rain? Lynne and Zoe answered that one as they wanted to go around the shopping centre again, so off we went, we left them to go around the shops while we dawdled around the supermarket to meet up in an hour.  They were happy and Zoe ended up with more Lego and Lynne treated herself to a couple of things.  Back home to a cosy house as I had lit the log fire again before going out.  The man finally came up about the pool cover and we discussed heating for the pool with various options, so we just need to wait for the quote coming in wonder if that will be as long as we waited for him to come and visit, we shall see. Douglas went off to 5 o clock club, Zoe built up her Lego and Lynne and I had a wee drink.  Their last night here, it has been a good few days just a shame the weather has not been too good.  Hopefully they have enjoyed themselves and will want to come back. I think Zoe will be glad to get home as she is missing all of her usual foods, and has really only eaten Minnie Mouse portions, apart from sweets and puddings which seem to keep her going LOL.  Granny and Grandad nag too much about eating properly.  A very early start for us all in the morning, will miss them but will look forward to them coming back.

Zoe's recent Lego

Tuesday, up at 04.00am to make sure we were organised for getting Lynne and Zoe to the airport, dropped them off at 06.00am, they had enjoyed themselves.  Back home Douglas went back to his bed, I got the housework done, so beds stripped, bathrooms cleaned, floors mopped ready for our next lot of visitors tomorrow.  Then it was off to Zumba, felt very tired after that but we went for Lunch and then to get a bit more shopping, was hoping I would get a couple of hours sleep when I got back as we have quiz night tonight.  We got home about 5.00pm so no chance of a sleep, got the fire going as today has been torrential rain again all day and it has never stopped.  Off to quiz night, a few drinks, and we paired up with Linda and Tom and Tony and Mick, didn't stand a chance of winning the quiz but did win a bottle of wine on the raffle. Went back to Linda and Toms for a night cap, wrong thing to do didn't leave them until 1.30am so a very long day for me, but a good night and I discovered another new drink which I quite like is a Spritzer, think Linda is becoming a bad influence on me introducing me to all these new drinks LOL.  Must admit I did sleep like a log finally.
Wednesday, think I could have slept a lot longer but up and about doing last minute things yet again and then time to meet Katie and the Kids at the airport.  Still raining, have had so much rain this past week, our chimney is really starting to look bad, will have to get our fingers out and get it sorted, hopefully it wont be too big a job.  Katie's plane was ten minutes late arriving but it was so good to see them all, back to ours to get them settled in, and what do Danielle and Carly want to do they want to swim in the pool.  OH NO it is freezing cold and I haven't even been in it yet this year, but guess what in they went, grandad had to blow up all the floats and they swam and splashed about for a good while.  It was freezing and they were freezing when they finally came out, but enjoyed it.  I will have to keep my fingers crossed that they don't get pneumonia LOL.  The sun did come out in the afternoon but no chance of making the pool any warmer yet.
I was surprised that the kids had the energy to do anything as they had had a really early start this morning, but we went out for dinner, I think at this stage tiredness was starting to kick in for them all, so by 9.00pm it was back home and off to bed.  A good start to their wee break.

And into the pool

they went....

Thursday, well I did say everybody was tired it was 1.30pm before the kids got up today, I had been to my Portuguese lesson and done all the tidying up before they emerged!! Douglas has decided not to go back to the lessons but I will be continuing, today was all about shopping, my favourite subject only it was all prices which means numbers, not my favourite subject, but I actually done quite well so it is starting to sink in slowly but surely.  The weather is still not very good so we just took a drive into Santa Barbara, Katie and the kids are going to get their hairs cut on Monday, so we shall see how that turns out.  Back to the house and again the Danielle and Carly were in the pool, god only knows how they can stand the cold water but they do.  Homemade Macaroni Cheese for Tea and Douglas went off to the 5 o clock club, Carly had difficulty getting to sleep as she had such a long sleep but did manage to finally fall asleep.
Friday, they were all up at a reasonable time today so breakfast was not lunch today.  Drove up to Guia shopping but all Carly wanted to do was to get back for the pool, it is still cloudy and not so warm but at least it is not raining.  Managed to get the washing hung out thank goodness and it did get dry.  Went to Venepau for lunch and then finally got back so the girls could go back in the pool.  Chicken Luis for dinner tonight and met up with Tom and Linda, Alf and Lou and Ann and David, so then it was back to Felipos Bar.  Douglas, Katie and the girls spent two hours playing pool, it was a good night yet again but did not get home until 12.30am, guessing the girls will not get up in the morning.

At Chicken Luis

Good Dinner!!

In the crowd

Will I have a drink!

Felipos Bar

Playing Pool

Take Aim

The Pool Table is not up there!!

Saturday, not as late a morning as I thought, slightly cloudy day but off to Albufeira so Katie and the Girls could browse around, the afternoon turned out to be very warm but Albufeira was packed with Hen and Stag parties, Yuk!!! By late afternoon the kids wanted to get back to the pool, they seem to be very happy  just jumping in and out of the pool and Katie is enjoying her chill out time so no need to worry, a chilled out evening ahead.
Sunday, not doing too much today as Danny and Lesa and Miss Madison arrive, so need to turn around the Double Bedroom, Decant Katie into the Twin Room with Danielle and Put the Air bed in our room for Carly, everyone is happy with the arrangements so no problems, manage to get the washing out and dried, prepared a nice meal for this evening for the new arrivals along with a Birthday celebration, Danielle and Carly well excited.  Off to the airport to pick Danny and Lesa and Miss Madison up, that is when the Fury luck ran out.  The plane was 10 minutes late, no problem, it then took 2 hours for them to pick up their hire car!!! meanwhile we was waiting in our car and then the battery decided to go flat!!! It was 10 o clock at night.  Douglas had to phone Tom to see if he could bring jump leads to the airport so that we could get the car started, Danny had a to do about the hire car due to added costs not explained on booking, age old trick. Danielle and Carly played in the sand away from the road, they stood in Rock Sand which made their flip flops like platform shoes, needless to sat they left them at the side of the road. I then had to travel with Danny and Lesa and the girls so that we could at least get home and get the children fed.  We finally ended up eating at 10.30 and it was another really late night by the time we finished.  As it was Danny's 30th Birthday the celebrations ended up being cut short due to tiredness etc so a slight disappointment, Danny's present from the family was a Sky Dive taking place Monday at 1.30pm, everybody went to bed tired but excited for tomorrow.
A really good week although a  very busy one gave me a glimpse of what running a B&B could possible be like, not that I am thinking of doing that!!!  Never say Never to anything.

Week 43 of our new life

Monday, another lovely sunny day, this weather must last for our visitors.  Nail day for me this morning, just in time as my nails are looking a bit worse for wear.  Then it was off to Carvoeiro to change the bedspread, managed to get the King Size, and then into Albufeira to get some pool towels, got 5 really large ones and got the ones with Map of Portugal and various other Portuguese colours on them, should keep the guests happy. Got home and managed to make one dark and white chocolate cheesecake for the freezer. Time then to get ready to go out, we were going out to eat at Ze Dias with Keith and Pauline, Linda and Tom, Alf and Lou, David and Ann, David and Pat, Gerald and Tony.  Keith and Pauline are headed back to the UK tomorrow so this was their last night.  Had a lovely meal, again with plenty of drinks and laughs.  Headed back to Linda and Toms for a last drink, we finally rolled home at 3.30am.  I discovered Baileys on this venture and must admit to quite enjoying it LOL.

Some of the gang

and again.....

Eyesight has gone!!

Tuesday, must admit to both of us feeling very tired and fuzzy headed this morning.  I was a good girl and did make it to the Zumba.  We should have been going out to Old Town Vilamoura at Lunchtime with Linda and Tom, but somehow Tom didn't manage to get out of bed, I wonder why that was!!!  We will hold that one now until our visitors have gone home. We decided to do some more tidying of the garden, we have a large section of garden running the length of the house outside the gates, when the road was being dug up a lot of branches, tarmac etc was abandoned there, today we decided we would tidy it all up, one of those jobs you know you need to get done but wish you hadn't started.  We got all the old branches/trees pulled out and piled up outside our bottom gate, think we can use some of them for kindling in the winter, and hopefuly Joao will take them away at the weekend, we also got the tarmac slabs picked up and we took them down the road to where the road workers have piled up a load of rubble and tarmac and dumped them there. Looking a lot tidier now and hopefully I will be able to plant some stuff in the gaps to make it look prettier.  Had a chat with our neighbours opposite Birgit and Klauss, lovely German couple who have had their villa for sixteen years but only live here in the winter, they go back to Germany in April, they have a lovely garden and all plants that don't need water, so I will need to do some research.  Finally made another dark and White Chocolate Cheesecake and 8 Fondant Sponges for the freezer, plenty of desserts for the family as well.  Feeling quite jaded now so think it will be an early night tonight.

A lot to clear

Nearly cleared

Still clearing

Man at Work

Just adding to the pile

Wednesday, Douglas golfing today, so a very busy day for me, washing and cleaning, ironing and then made Rabbit Stew for the freezer also Lamb Shanks and Meringues, everything clean and ready now for visitors, even the cot is ready in the Double Room and Twin Room organised also. A very productive day for me, and Douglas won on the golf as well. The window people came today with our fly screen for the terrace door and they also resealed the kitchen window, so another job done.  Now I can sit back and relax and enjoy time with everybody.  Only thing I haven't got done is cleaning the windows, sure I can do that perhaps when Lynne and Zoe are chilling or I can just leave them until everyone has gone home, will anyone notice??
Douglas found a video from Monday night of Tom singing along to Sugar Baby Love, The Rubettes, so funny, there will be a few laughs at the next 5 o clock club this time at Toms expense, Douglas gets so much stick due to Independant Scotland etc etc, at the club he is Scotty Dog 3, but it is all good fun.

Twin Room Ready

Teddies are waiting

Will somebody play with me

Big wardrobe for little clothes

Little Peoples .......

Bathroom

Double Room ready

Waiting for a small person

Thursday, Portuguese lesson today, phrases and conversation, quite good once we grasped it, lessons are also changing with 2 weeks being hour and a half lessons and one week an hour and one week no lesson, not too worried as it is still the same time spent.  Then it was off to the shops to get a couple of last minute bits and bobs and then to the airport to pick up Lynne and Zoe, great to see them looking so well, but a bit disappointing as the weather has dropped a few degrees and it is quite chilly, also on the way home the rain started. Lynne and Zoe got settled in, Douglas went off to his 5 o clock club and then the heavens really did open and it poured for the rest of the night.  Zoe helped me juice the oranges for breakfast and I made Macaroni Cheese for Tea and Lynne and Zoe were in bed for 10, the weather forecast for the whole of their stay is not looking too good, I am praying it changes.

Zoe on the Juice

Friday, everyone got a good comfy nights sleep, its a bit cloudy but fingers crossed it stays dry, bit of a chilly wind.  Lynne and Zoe investigated the garden, I had a chat with Joao about a few other bits that I want done to the garden which is all very positive.  We waited for a company to come and see us about our pool cover, finally Douglas phoned them, they were due at ours at 10.30, by this time it was nearly 12, they were not going to get to us until late afternoon, we were waiting to go out so Douglas told them to forget it, they are now going to come on Monday, they don't think to ring and tell you that they changed their time!!!  It is Portugal after all!!! Because of the weather we took Lynne and Zoe for lunch at Venepau in Almancil and then to the Forum, Algarve shopping centre, Zoe spent some of her money on Lego etc so they was quite happy, not Douglas favourite pastime wandering around the shops.  Back home and a couple of drinks on the terrace, then we went out to Chicken Luis for Chicken and Chips, some of our friends were there having a meal and they were going back to Felipos bar afterwards, so we decided to join them, got home about 11.30, Lynne had a couple of Dissaronos before going out and then in the bar she had Almondeira, so a late night for all of us.

Cheese & Ham Toastie

I have eaten mine

is that a Meringue in my mouth

I quite like this shopping centre

Zoe and Lynne

Which is my favourite

Built my lego already

Saturday, I thought I was the only one in the house, nobody got up until 10.00am, by the time we had breakfast, we decided to go to Loule Market, so Zoe could see all the fish for sale, we had a wander round the market and I bought Chicken, Oranges and Strawberries and then we had a wander through Loule, it had started to rain when we left the house but by the time we got to Loule it had dried up.  Lynne and Zoe bought another couple of bits and bobs, by this time the sun had come out again and was quite warm.  We took a chance and went to Faro Beach, it was lovely and Zoe had a great time collecting shells and playing in the sand, we all walked up the beach.  Again the clouds came over and became quite black so we headed back and went for a snack at the beach side, Lynne had a Vodka cocktail and a cheeseburger, Zoe had a cheese and ham sandwich, Douglas had a Gallou and I had Tea, we weren't hungry LOL.  Headed home at which stage we could see it was raining quite heavily where we live, but by the time we got home again the sun was out, so on to the terrace as the bar was open LOL.  For tea tonight it was home-made chicken nuggets and chips, with home-made meringues and strawberries with ice cream for dessert.  Went down a treat.  Zoe helped me juice the oranges for breakfast, this has become her job while she is here, both of them in bed before 10 tonight, must be the air or something, as they are both tired.

What is this on the beach

Come on Mum bury me

Walking in Grandads footsteps

I can bury myself

Thats what I call a Vodka cocktail

Sunday, well after one hour less sleep woke up to find it was fairly warm and dry, so that is a bonus, decided to go to Olhao Market, never having been there before we thought it would be like the usual markets that we sometimes go to.  This one was a gypsy market, which seemed to sell some very strange things, from nuts and bolts to brassware, clothing and even broken taps!!! I suppose somebody will always need a spare part or two and you would be guaranteed to get it here I think!! Not to worry we spent a couple of hours walking around, Douglas got me a Soup Tureen and two trolls!!! Zoe bought Lynne a lovely silver and amethyst ring for her mothers day pressie.  I got lovely cards from Richard and April and Lynne and Zoe and a keyring with a picture of all the grandchildren on it from Lynne, so was fair chuffed, as Katie and Danny are visiting over the next week I will get more pressies then LOL.  Nice messages on Facebook and WhatsApp so I know they all think about me. Back home and on the way the heavens opened and it rained, only in for half an hour as we had booked to go for Sunday Lunch at The Boliqueime Inn as it was Mothers day for 3.00pm.  We had tried to find the inn before to go for a meal but never found it, this time it was quite easy and we arrived on time.  This is a lovely place very quaint and run by an Irish family who are lovely people, but it was very strange being surrounded by Brits as we tend to go more for Portuguese Restaurants.  The food was excellent although very large portions and once we had finished a starter and main course there was definitely no room for pudding, Douglas and I felt full to the gunnels, but it was a lovely lunch and well worth it. Headed back home and had to put the log fire on and the heating.  Such a shame the weather has been wet and cold this week, but we have managed to get out and about with Lynne and Zoe so not too bad, it is not forecast much better for next week either and thats when Katie and the Kids will be here, oh dear I fear they will not be able to use the swimming pool just yet either. This has been a good week and we have made the most of the weather, plus update on Miss Madison.

Waffles at the market yum yum

Is this for Armani !!

I am very cosy thank you