A VERY 'CRISP' & SUNNY MANILVA ON SATURDAY.

SATURDAY 23^rd/ DECEMBER 2017.

I was up early this morning and shot out on my travels down to Sabinillas for the weekly shopping, I had a quick toast & tea in ‘ Itzabar’ and then was the first customer at the main door of ‘ Mercadona’ – I did our main shop and then shot back up the hill through the vine fields to a very ‘ crisp’ & sunny Manilva.

Meanwhile Brenda had taken both the dogs out for their first walk of the day, ‘Chico’ had slept in his bed all night and ‘ Charlie’ was by the side of our bed on the rug, ‘Chico’ is being collected later today and Charlie’ is with us until next Wednesday lunchtime, ‘Reina’ is coming for a sleep over tomorrow night, ‘Xmas Eve’ – ‘ Chispa’ as usual is in & out all the time!

We have another very cold & ‘crisp’ day down here on the ‘ Costa Del Sol’ – the sun is out and the sky is bright blue, there is no breeze so it’s a beautiful day here in sunny Manilva, 16/17 degs by lunchtime, 8/9 degs during the night, the weekend is looking the same and the wet stuff forecast for ‘ Christmas Day’ has moved away, next week is now looking dry & settled, with just the threat of some of the wet stuff in the air, getting a little warmer, 19/20 degs, as the week goes on, watch this space.

After a quick cup of tea we made contact with Jack & Lyn over in a very hot Melbourne ( 35 degs+) – we first called them on the ‘ Skype’ landline and then talked to them on the ‘ Facebook Messanger Video’ via Lyn’s tablet/phone, Lyn’s son, Jeff and his wife Annette, were visiting them from Brisbane, so he went to their ‘IT’ System and sent a request to our new ‘ Skype’ address, I opened our second screen and we made contact, they had been trying on the old one, it worked and so now we are back in contact with them via the ‘ Skype’ video, we are calling them over the Xmas period, Lyn is also going to call Norah and arrange to speak to her & Jenny via ‘Facebook Messanger Video’ - while Jenny is with her for her 70^th birthday!



Sadly the folks over in Australia have not yet received our Xmas cards that we posted at the ‘English Bookshop’ on the 1^st December, we also posted Lyn’s birthday card at the end of November and it has still not arrived! Over in Canada, when we spoke to Sandra yesterday, she had still not received her Xmas cards also posted at the same time!! It’s very upsetting, Norah & Jenny have also only just received theirs in the past few days, as we still keep up the tradition of cards to all our family & dear friends, as they do to us!

This evening for our supper we are having ‘ Grilled Fillet Steaks ‘ cooked on a very hot griddle plate ‘ Med-Rare’ and then left to rest, garnished with seared Asparagus Spears & Button Mushrooms, with a sauceboat of creamy ‘Green Peppercorn’ Salsa on the side, with whole Baby Green Beans and our favourite ‘ Pont-Neuf’ chips ( Doorsteps!)

During Sunday I’m going to roast the ‘Turkey’ and make my famous finger-licking Pan Gravy, we will then on ‘ Christmas Day’ prepare the vegetables, potatoes, stuffing, pigs in blanket etc!

Later in the evening, Xmas Eve, we are having for a change, ‘ Braised Lamb Shanks’ in a Mint Gravy ‘ with assorted vegetables and Brenda’s famous ‘ Mashed’ Potato and my special ‘ Rissole ‘ Potatoes!

Just a quick football update; last night Arsenal drew with Liverpool 3-3, the early kick-off today is Everton v Chelsea, come on the ‘ Blues’ ( Everton!) and later Manchester City welcome Bournemouth, over here in ‘ La Liga’ it’s ‘ El Clasico’ as Real Madrid welcome Barcelona to the ‘Santiago Bernabeu’ at lunchtime!

PS; BARCELONA WON 0-3 !!!

This evening after supper we will channel hop and find something to watch.

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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