A CRISP & DRY SUNNY MANILVA ON WEDNESDAY.

WEDNESDAY 30^th/ NOVEMBER 2016.

I was up first to welcome little princess ‘ Reina’ back with us for the day here in ‘ Doggy World Heaven’ Brenda had a little lie in as her feet are still giving her ‘ Jip’ – I’m taking her at lunchtime to see our Doctor, she can hardly walk on them and is in some pain, her feet ankles and legs are swollen, again, watch this space.

Our Doctor, Natalia, gave Brenda a very good check over, she checked all her reports, blood tests & yesterdays ' ECG' - her breathlessness is due to her ' Arrhythmia' heart beat picking up a bit due to some of the other medications she is on, she's adjusted them and added another, she has to go back on Monday lunchtime for a check up to make sure that all is OK! 

I also confirmed that we have three methods of responding to any problems, our local ambulance service via our 'Green Card' ( the new village Ambulance has just been delivered!) - our private medical assistance with ' Helicopteros Sanitarios' and also our online ' Live' emergency ' Red Button' to the 'Junta De Andalucia' heart response team! This was arranged by our old friend, Antonia, the ex Mayor!!  

She then checked Brenda's feet, ankles & legs, she has confirmed that it's ' Gout ' - a little Arthritis - again due to the various medications/prescription tablets that she is on, once again she has prescribed some changes as well two new tablets to help with her pain etc, watch this space.

For breakfast we had ‘ Smoked Bacon Butties’ with mugs of steaming tea, yesterday afternoon I put out some more washing to dry up on the roof ‘patio in the sky’ – later I will bring it all in, we have no plans for the rest of the week so Brenda is going to take things very easy after she come back from the surgery, on Friday I will be out on my travels down in Sabinillas for the weekly shopping.

It’s started grey & overcast this morning but the sun is just now breaking through, by lunchtime it’s due to pick up, there is no wind and its will reach nearly 20 degs by this afternoon, normal for this time of the year, tomorrow we are due for some of the wet stuff but then on Friday and over the weekend it’s looking dry & settled into next week.

See the picture below, taken this morning, of the view across the vine fields towards the mountains behind Marbella.

For our supper this evening we are having ‘ Grilled Gammon Steaks’ garnished with Button Mushrooms and topped with a Fried Egg ( still not Campo!)  with Garden Peas & twice-cooked ‘ Frits’ Tomorrow I’m going to make a pan of ‘ Lob Scouse’

Late last night our online banking system was finally updated and now shows all the accounts, it only took five weeks! This evening we are looking forward to watching the final episode of ‘ The Missing’  - it will be very gripping as all the secrets, plots, clues etc come together, as promised by the writers, watch this space!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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A VERY CRISP & SUNNY MANILVA ON THURSDAY;

THURSDAY 10^th/ NOVEMBER 2016.

I was up first this morning to see little Princess ‘ Reina’ back with us for the day, she’s here tomorrow and next week on Monday, Wednesday & Friday as we are out at the Hospital on Tuesday & Thursday, ‘ Scruffy’ is with us on Wednesday night for a sleep over until lunchtime the following day! It’s all happening in ‘ Doggy World Heaven’!

For our breakfast this morning we had ‘ Smoked Bacon Butties’ with tea, we then got the shopping list ready for tomorrow morning, Brenda is joining me, for the first time in a long time, I have to call into our Bank first to finish the arrangements to our new Savings Account, then while I go to ‘ Mercadona’ for our main shop I’m dropping Brenda off at the ‘ English Bookshop’ so as she can select/buy all the Christmas Cards, in her own time! We will then shoot along the promenade to the local market for some fresh flowers and wall plants, as they took a bashing the other day in the rain storm!

At lunchtime tomorrow, in the Council Chambers, the new Mayor, Mario, our neighbour, is due to be installed, I will go down and take some pictures, watch this space. I've just spoken to his wife 'Anna' and she confirmed that its all happening tomorrow!

This morning I’ve just come off the phone to the family solicitor for the house, she’s in fact the daughter in law, they have not done any of the repairs etc to the house that we have be chasing for many months now, all the four main shutters on the front of the houses need repair/re-placing and the damp in the main bedroom, bathroom and the office/studio is getting even worse, I’ve given them a time-line to respond or I’m going to take matters into our own hands and get the work done and send them the bills!! Watch this space.

I also rang ‘Inma’ to thank her for getting us the replacement filter for the Extraction Hood, I’ve ordered two more, to put away for the future! Later this morning our Swedish friend ' Llimore' called in to say good by, she goes back to Gothenburg on Sunday. 

At lunchtime we are going down to the surgery for our ' Gripe - Anti Flu Jabs' On the way back we stopped at ' Bar Castillo ' for a nice drink and a 'Tapas' sat in the fresh air under a bright blue sky in the warm sunshine, Brenda had the Deep-Fried ' Salmonette' & I had the ' Albondigas'

We had an ‘E-Mail’ from our dear friend Gillian, who used to live here, she moved back to England a couple of years ago after selling her house on the Isle of White and buying another one down in Torquay, she’s coming over at the end of the month, for a week, and we are going to put her up for a day or two before she stays with friends over In Estepona.

Today after a very cold night, it’s still not time for the heavy duvets , just yet, it’s clear, crisp & dry, there is a little breeze making it rather fresh, the weekend is looking settled and getting a little warmer, watch this space.

This evening we are going to have the ‘Beef Curry’ with Basmati Rice, tomorrow will be a ‘ Fish’ night and then on Saturday it’s, you’ve guessed, ‘ Steak’ night – then on Sunday it’s still TBC – is it time for a ‘Roast’ – ‘Leg of Lamb’?! Now confirmed and cooked on a bed of my famous ' Boulangere Potatoes'!!

Last night after supper and watching the next round of ‘ Master Chef – The Professionals’ we then settled down to watch the next exciting episode of ‘ The Missing’ – it get more hard to follow, the flash backs are very quick, babies were born, more questions re the’ Army’ cover up happened, then right at the end there was very gruesome murder of a Detective, by a surprising character, after he discovered that a child that appeared was connected to the missing girls, he was killed by an electric drill being forced into his head!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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A WARM & SUNNY MANILVA ON WEDNESDAY;

WEDNESDAY 2^nd/ MARCH 2016.

We all had a little lie in this morning as ‘Reina’ is not here today, I took ‘ Charlie’ for his first walk of the day, I was out a little while as I was stopped by our neighbours, locals and friends to be asked about Brenda, I spoke to Barbara & Mary and gave them the full update, when I came back to the house we had our breakfast, 

I then went up stairs to the roof patio and brought in the duvet and then put out yesterdays ‘black’ wash to dry

The sun was out early and the sky is a brilliant blue, there is just a little breeze, good for drying! – the forecast up to Friday is staying the same with more sunshine to come, its going to reach 22 degs today and its not as cold at night 11/12 degs – so we are back to normal.

We then got ourselves freshened up, I shot up stairs and had a quick shave and shower and then it was Brenda turn in the downstairs small bathroom  ( toilet & sink!) – she’s managed a small wash and brush up, gave her foot a bath in a bowl and then got dressed in her clean tracksuit as the trouser leg was cut to get over her plaster cast! After lunch the ambulance is due to take us across to the hospital past Marbella ( and bring us back!!) with Brenda in her wheel chair. Watch this space.

I’ve asked Mano to call in, after we have gone, to take ‘ Charlie’ out for a walk and see to him as we won’t be back until after 9-00 pm – hopefully! This evenings supper is going to be ‘ Campo’ Poached Eggs on Toast with some ‘ Heinz’ Baked Beans! Tomorrow evening we are having ‘ Minute Entrecote Steak’ finished in the oven in a Red Wine Onion Gravy with Cabbage & Carrots.

Last night after supper we watched the next exciting episode of the BBC 1 drama “ Happy Valley “ – the acting is superb and the cast of Sarah Lancashire, another award winning performance, Siobhan Finneran, a great support actress, George Costigan,  James Norton, going more mad & weird in each episode, Julie Hesmondhaigh, and the ‘Petrifying’ Francis Drummond! All memorable, the next three episodes are building up to a terrific climax.

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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A VERY WET DAY IN SUNNY MANILA ON TUESDAY;

TUESDAY 11^th/ NOVEMBER 2014.  “ ARMISTICE DAY ”

This morning ‘Reina’ arrived a little later than normal as we were in the middle of a heavy rain storm, so after drying her off we put her in her duvet on the foot of the bed and we all went back to sleep for a good long lie in! Overnight we have had severe rain storms, as I’ve said before ‘When it rains in Spain – it rains!’ We can’t complain as it’s the first proper rain we have had in nearly nine months!!

After breakfast there was a break in the wet weather so I shot around to the butchers for some diced Beef as tomorrow night for a change I’m making a ‘Beef Curry’ after I come back from my appointment with the ‘Eye Consultant’ first thing in the morning at the hospital past Marbella. This evening for supper we are having flattened ‘Chicken Breast’ cooked on the griddle with some dry-sautéed thick-cut Baked potato and Garden Peas – all with no butter!

This afternoon I’m going across to Estepona to take the car into the ‘ITV – MOT’station,so fingers crossed for the right result! - RESULT! - Passed for another year !!

Andy has just called on the Skype video from over in Derby to confirm that he is arriving tomorrow night at 10-45pm at Malaga Airport, we are going across in his car to pick him up so this means that he will call and pick ‘Charlie’ up on Thursday morning, we will miss having him around as he is a real character if not a bit noisy at times!

So this evening after supper we will watch the news, sport and weather details before finding something to watch as today is when a few of the channels are changing, I will call our local TV engineer to sort it all out!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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SUNNY MANILVA ON TUESDAY;

TUESDAY 1st/ APRIL 2014.

We had a nice lie in this morning and then after breakfast we showered and got ourselves ready to go and pick Gillian up from the bus station over in Marbella; first we went for a short walk with dog and called into the butchers, I picked up some Calves Liver for another day, a boned Chicken Leg & Thigh to go with the Breast’s that I already have for tomorrows curry which Gillian is joining us for and finally for tonight’s supper our butcher sliced a large Breast of Chicken into ‘Escallops’ – which I’ am going to breadcrumb for our favoutite ‘Schnitzels’ with ‘Spaghetti Milanese’- served with finely sliced Green Beans. Lots of Lemon Wedges on the side!

The weather forecast for the next two days is not good as there is a weather front coming in from the Atlantic with high winds and rain! The good news is that on Friday and over the weekend into next week we have the sun back, clear Blue skies, no wind and the temperatures are going up to 25degs! I noticed on the English weather news that the ‘Sahara Sand’ had reached over 2,000 miles and hit London! The Prime Minister’s car was covered in it – so now he knows how I feel all the time! The only difference is that he’s got someone to clean it!!

We were due to pick Gillian up at 3-00pm but she missed the bus at the airport so did not arrive until 5-00pm - they only run every two hours at this time of the year. She is here just for week and we are dropping her off at the border in 'La Linea' to go to Gibraltar airport next Wednesday morning.

So tomorrow morning we are up early to go across to the hospital past Marbella to see my Prostrate consultant for the results of my Biopsy six weeks ago, the last time after the first Biopsy as we went in he gave me the ‘Thumbs Up!’ – so we will be watching out again! Fingers crossed!! We received two E-Mails this afternoon; Thanks to our old customer’s and friend’s over in France Terry & Alma for their good wishes and also Kelvin and Gaye in Ruthin North Wales!!

At the moment we are watching the Barcelona v Atletico Madrid game on TVE1 and at the same time I’ am upstairs in the office typing the Blog and watching on the small PC the BBC Sport teletext reports on the Manchester Utd v Bayern Munich game – both 1-1 at the moment. Also the final scores in both games.

Thought for the Day; See above.

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