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Published: December 20th 2015
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This is my final blog of 2015 and I thought I would do a bit of an update and then thoughts about 2016.
2015 has been a cracking year and thanks to everyone who helped make my Jubilee year very special. I am blessed with two gorgeous daughters, Amy and Imogen and we have had an extended time together this year. Imogen was 30 this year and Chris and I had a lovely weekend with Amy, Idg and her boyfriend Keith. Both girls have had major job changes this year and I am very proud of them both. I will always be indebted to Vicki who lets me stay at her house when I am in the north east and she puts up with my OCD tendencies. My gypsy lifestyle continues and this year I emptied my lockup and now have very few possessions. If I do buy a house anywhere I will have to start again, how exciting!!
Last time we were enjoying the vagaries of Spanish life and to some extent it will always be the same here. You can’t have beauty, peace, tranquillity and sun without some downsides. We have had another trip to Isla Plana
over the Spanish holiday weekend; the weather was good and the walking excellent. It’s a nice little break for us and is only about 90 minutes drive from the house.
The computer is back and repaired but they were unable to source a new cable, so Chris managed to drill out the piece of connector inside and it is working fine again.
The electricity got sorted and Chris was delighted because when Juan came to connect all of the wiring it worked and we now have a secure system through the garage, with an earth and everything else seems fine. This is just as well as we now have a new modern washing machine, it spins faster than 600rpm!!
All of that work wasn’t quite finishes before Imogen visited us for a weekend. She arrived at 7.15pm Friday and left at 11 am Monday but it was a nice break. She is tall by Spanish standards and always attracts curious people but wearing shorts in November added to the curiosity. We did a little bit of walking, sat in the sun with a Rosado and feasted on goat at our little salon Los Colombinos. It was good
to see her and a bit of sun and some lovely views is good for the soul!!
I am now sorted with school and spend about 90 minutes each Wednesday with the class. There are ten children aged eight to eleven, grades 3-6 so quite a spread of ability. I spend about five minutes each helping with pronunciation. I did a whole class session helping them focus on words beginning with s and sh and they struggle with both of these. This week I did a 90 minutes session about Christmas, never again, !! I prepared loads of stuff, made biscuits for them, did a chocolate advent calendar but it is a long time for them to concentrate. I was so touched, the children made me Christmas cards and the parents bought me wine and Spanish Christmas biscuits. I neither deserved nor expected anything, I am happy to do this it as it helps my Spanish, stimulates the grey matter and over the years I have done work with children. When I was a dietitian I did summer and weekend camps with kids with diabetes, I trained as a youth club leader and did that for a while, then
I did Sunday school and Friday Kings club at church. In Ecuador I did four weeks in a nursery and then went to the nursery while I was in Mexico.
For me as well, it does help us feel part of the community here and on Thursday Chris and I were invited to go in the bus with the children and parents to a “concert” in Mula where our children were performing. There were 7 or 8 schools in total, one or two were enthusiastic but not musically very good. About 50 year 5 children from a big school in Mula did a very polished job but our children were the stars of the show. There are 17 children in total, the youngest are 3 years old and they did a nativity with carols. The mums all sang in the chorus at the back of the nativity tableau. Maria narrated beautifully and every last one of them knew their words by heart. Our neighbour Francisco was a shepherd and looked so cute. My favourite were the three boys who played stars, what cuties!!
Our other great triumph is to do with Henry, our motor home. In October Chris
went to the local metalworker, Juan, to ask about them designing something to replace the Hymer system to transport the scooter. We had tried using it but it was pretty ineffective. The van was measured up, designs were created and Juan would get a price. Mid November we got a price and the work was “commissioned”. After many visits, we pass it when we do our evening walk, it transpired that the piece of aluminium needed was being fabricated elsewhere, Alcantarilla. Eventually it arrived on Tuesday and Chris spent several hours with them till on Wednesday it was finished. It is a really good job and after three separate attempts we have a way of getting the scooter on and secure and, more importantly the bikes on the rack above. They say that all things come to him who waits!!
Yesterday we loaded up the scooter and took it on a test drive and it was very secure. We popped into the local market to get some things for our family meal on Boxing Day. We are certainly not bi-lingual but we manage very well to source what we need locally. We spend less and less in the supermarket
and we have access to so many lovely fresh foods. Although I do find it fascinating that in the UK there will be Spanish strawberries on the shelves but we can’t buy them here as they are not “in season”
Today we are having lunch in the restaurant in the village and then tomorrow flying home to the UK for Christmas and then back here for New Year. We will spend New Year in the village at a dinner with all of the locals.
So to looking forward to 2016, I will continue to go to school and might ask if the little ones want a short session each week too! Joaquina will be ready for a weekly chat as she prepares for her final teaching exams. We are thinking about the possibility of making changes at the house and going up a floor!! We will leave Spain mid-March to head home. Currently looking at the options for driving through France or ferry from Santander.
Our next big trip was going to be Southern Africa but Sri Lanka has taken its place, that will be April/May. We have a house sit booked for near Wrexham in May,
just for a week, but we will use Henry to explore North Wales.
June, July and August are pretty fluid but we will head south late August, early September either to see Galicia, Cantabria and the Picos or ferry to Amsterdam from Newcastle and then make our way south to Spain through Belgium, Germany and Northern Italy.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful 2016.
Till next time
Norma xx
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