28 March 2008
Weekend plans
Oeps ... I forgot it was my turn today. I still have 10 minutes left before I go home. If everything is in order I will take the children to play bowling tonight. Normally if I make plans something comes between it... Tomorrow noon I will have to go to La Garita, to my friends house. It is just before Las Palmas, next to the hypermarket Al Campo and DIY-shop Leroy Merlin a 30 minutes drive away. My friends father will celebrate his birthday, and will prepare Sancocho and goat meat (cabra). My friend called me this morning and I have to go (you see they never let me make plans). I did not make plans for Sunday, but I am sure that my friends will organize my day.....
Have a nice weekend.
Anja
Have a nice weekend.
Anja
25 March 2008
My mini holidays and Sancocho
Hello, I am back. It is me Anja. I was off during 4 days for the Easter Holidays. This time I was lucky, Ruth came on Saturday to work, so I could really relax. THANK YOU RUTH !!! I rented a bungalow in Playa del Ingles, and was there with my family. Watching my youngest son (Iker)running in the garden, and splashing in the swimming pool, made me happy. I not even took a dip in the pool because the water was cold, bbbrrr, not the same as the pool here at Vista Serena, which is heated. The twins (Emi & Thomas) who are 14 years now, were watching television, playing on the Nintendo and play station. They are in this age .... I had to oblige them to go to the swimming pool. On Thursday evening I had visit of my friends, and we had a bottle of wine on the terrace. Next day we went to eat the typically meal for Easter Friday at my freinds house. It is called Sancocho. To be honest my friend is a very good coocker and I had never eaten such a good Sancocho in my life. Now you will ask me: "What is Sancocho Canario?" This is salted fish with potatoes and sweet potatoes, to which you add mojo (green or red). The taste of the sweet and salted together is very special. We also eat with it "pella de gofio", thick paste made from corn flour mixed with water, sugar rum and bananas.
For people who like to try new tastes, here are the recipes:
SANCOCHO
Ingredients: 1 Kg. of salted fishes (preferably brown meagre or cherne), 1 Kg. of big potatoes, 1 Kg. of yam, olive oil, parsley and salt to taste.
Method:
1. Desalt the fish, leaving it to soak for 24 hours. It is convenient to change the water several times.
2. Introduce in a big pot the yams and potatoes without having peeled them but chopped in big dices, cover them with water and put the pot on to heat.
3. When the potatoes and yams are almost ready, introduce the fish already desalted, cut into big pieces and cook it for ten minutes maximum so it does not break up into pieces.
4. Once the ingredients are cooked, strain it all and serve it.
This dish is accompanied with red mojo and with pella de gofio.
Method:
1. Desalt the fish, leaving it to soak for 24 hours. It is convenient to change the water several times.
2. Introduce in a big pot the yams and potatoes without having peeled them but chopped in big dices, cover them with water and put the pot on to heat.
3. When the potatoes and yams are almost ready, introduce the fish already desalted, cut into big pieces and cook it for ten minutes maximum so it does not break up into pieces.
4. Once the ingredients are cooked, strain it all and serve it.
This dish is accompanied with red mojo and with pella de gofio.
PELLA DE GOFIO
Ingredients: 1/2 Kg. of gofio , 1/2 glass of water, 1/2 glass of oil, sugar and salt.
Method:
1. Knead the gofio with water, table salt, a little bit of sugar and oil until you get a thick paste. You can also add banana and rum to it (NOT TO MUCH RUM....).
2. Form a cylinder with it and cut into slices.
Method:
1. Knead the gofio with water, table salt, a little bit of sugar and oil until you get a thick paste. You can also add banana and rum to it (NOT TO MUCH RUM....).
2. Form a cylinder with it and cut into slices.
Friday evening I was at the bungalow, and I enjoyed watching a movie of Jackie Chan on television together with my children. Saturday morning I died my hair. Yes I am blond again. My friends came to enjoy the swimming pool and we had dinner on the terrace. I took a large siesta whilst my friend took the children to a birthday party at Holiday World. Sunday it was cloudy and rather cold, no day at all to enjoy the swimming pool. My little son was really upset he had to go home and he only stayed so little time in the bungalow... and he really did not want to go to school on Monday. We passed the afternoon in San Fernando with friends, at evening we went to get some stuff already from the bungalow at drove home to sleep. Yesterday morning I left my husband in the bungalow before I came to work. On my way back, at only 50 meters from where I left my husband was a terrible car accident. It just had happened. A car was upside down and a young man was trapped in it, and the fuel was running on the street. I was really shocked. Lucky all cars stopped and phoned the 112 and helped the man to get out of the car, except of one stupid man who was driving behind me, and insulted me because I had stopped, and he just passed the accidented car, although other people were telling him to stop to help. Well, I can tell you that I came at work really upset, but any way, I did have a nice mini holiday. After work I went back to Playa del Ingles to clean the bungalow, afterwards pick up the twins from sports, making dinner at home....I already need some new holidays!!!!!!!!!!
24 March 2008
Easter is over
Buenos días,
Well, Easter is gone, can you believe it? I do not know how you celebarte it in England or other countries. Let me tell you a bit what we do here.
Holy Thursday and Friday are bank holiday here, so, normally people have 4 days off(I had to work on Saturday)
Spain is a vey religious Catholic country, well, it used to be more, nowadays young people care less about church, so most of them take these four days to relax and maybe to travel. Most of the people go to the south of the island, that is, where Vista Serena is located. The people of Las Palmas city come to stay in an apartment and enjoy the pool and the good weather. Also a lot of people of different islands come to stay here. So, it is a very busy period.
However, there is still a lot of people interested in the religious part of the festivity. In Vegueta, the old part of Las Palmas city, there are a lot of streets closed to traffic and the churches take their saints out( the figures) and go through all the treets in a throne carried by different"costaleros" which are people dressed up who devote themselves to the saints. These statues are very heavy so the are a lot of men carrying it underneath.
The saints are venerated by the people in the streets, some of them even end up crying.
But, the really devoted people in Spain, who rteally take it seriously and have a lot of tradition are in the south of the mainlad; in cities like Sevilla, Granada, Málaga, Cádiz, etc.
These people who dressed up in purple are called "Hermandades" and prepare themselves the whole year around to these "Procesiones". Even if you are not religious, these parades are very impresive with the drums and the people and the devotion in Andalucía.
Hope you had your own nice , resting "Semana Santa" (Holy Week) and that next time we can meet here in Vista Serena :-)¡Hasta la vista!
Ruth
19 March 2008
I'm going on holiday!!!
Yes! You've heard correctly...I'm going on holiday! Today is my last day at work, and I'll be back in the office on Tuesday 8th April! I'm leaving for the airport tonight at 12.30, and at 3am, I'll be on the plane on my way to Ecuador! It's going to be a long journey because we have to go via Madrid and we've got about 4 hours to hang around in Madrid airport waiting for the next plane, but I can't wait!
I'll be leaving you in the very capable hands of Anja and Ruth, and before I leave, I'm going to leave you a few jokes that got sent to me by email. They made me chuckle, so I hope you enjoy them too. See you in April!!!!
If Tommy Cooper Were Alive Today
I met this bloke with a didgeridoo and he was playing Dancing Queen on it. I thought, "That's Aboriginal."
This lorry full of tortoises collided with a van full of terrapins. It was a turtle disaster.
I told my girlfriend I had a job in a bowling alley. She said "Tenpin?" I said, "No, permanent."
I went in to a pet shop. I said, "Can I buy a goldfish?" The guy said,"Do you want an aquarium?" I said, "I don't care what star sign it is."
I went to the local video shop and I said "Can I borrow Batman Forever?" He said, "No, you'll have to bring it back tomorrow"
Batman came up to me and he hit me over the head with a vase and he went T'PAU! I said "Don't you mean KAPOW?? He said "No, I've got china in my hand."
I bought some Armageddon cheese today, and it said on the packet. 'Best Before End'
I went into a shop and I said, "Can someone sell me a kettle." The bloke said "Kenwood" I said, "Where is he then?"
I met the bloke who invented crosswords today. I can't remember his name, it's P something T something R.
I was reading this book today, The History Of Glue. I couldn't put it down.
I phoned the local ramblers club today, but the bloke who answered just went on and on.
I was in the jungle and there was this monkey with a tin opener. I said,"You don't need a tin opener to peel a banana." He said, "No, this is for the custard."
I fancied a game of darts with my mate. He said, "Nearest the bull goes first" He went "Baah" and I went "Moo" He said "You're closest"
I bought a train ticket to France and the ticket seller said "Eurostar"I said "Well I've been on telly but I'm no Robbie Williams.
I phoned the local gym and I asked if they could teach me how to do the splits. He said, "How flexible are you?" I said, "I can't make Tuesdaysor Thursdays."
Keep on laughin! Rachelxxx
I'll be leaving you in the very capable hands of Anja and Ruth, and before I leave, I'm going to leave you a few jokes that got sent to me by email. They made me chuckle, so I hope you enjoy them too. See you in April!!!!
If Tommy Cooper Were Alive Today
I met this bloke with a didgeridoo and he was playing Dancing Queen on it. I thought, "That's Aboriginal."
This lorry full of tortoises collided with a van full of terrapins. It was a turtle disaster.
I told my girlfriend I had a job in a bowling alley. She said "Tenpin?" I said, "No, permanent."
I went in to a pet shop. I said, "Can I buy a goldfish?" The guy said,"Do you want an aquarium?" I said, "I don't care what star sign it is."
I went to the local video shop and I said "Can I borrow Batman Forever?" He said, "No, you'll have to bring it back tomorrow"
Batman came up to me and he hit me over the head with a vase and he went T'PAU! I said "Don't you mean KAPOW?? He said "No, I've got china in my hand."
I bought some Armageddon cheese today, and it said on the packet. 'Best Before End'
I went into a shop and I said, "Can someone sell me a kettle." The bloke said "Kenwood" I said, "Where is he then?"
I met the bloke who invented crosswords today. I can't remember his name, it's P something T something R.
I was reading this book today, The History Of Glue. I couldn't put it down.
I phoned the local ramblers club today, but the bloke who answered just went on and on.
I was in the jungle and there was this monkey with a tin opener. I said,"You don't need a tin opener to peel a banana." He said, "No, this is for the custard."
I fancied a game of darts with my mate. He said, "Nearest the bull goes first" He went "Baah" and I went "Moo" He said "You're closest"
I bought a train ticket to France and the ticket seller said "Eurostar"I said "Well I've been on telly but I'm no Robbie Williams.
I phoned the local gym and I asked if they could teach me how to do the splits. He said, "How flexible are you?" I said, "I can't make Tuesdaysor Thursdays."
Keep on laughin! Rachelxxx
14 March 2008
Foggy Friday
Buenos días,
Every morning I wake up at 6:30 take my baby to daycare and come to work. I live in Vecindario, thought I'm originally from Las Palmas, which is about 20 mints from Maspalomas by the motorway.Everyday the same routine, everyday the same traffic in the motorway. However today was something different. Near San Agustín, suddenly I saw from far away a lot of smoke, everybody was closing their car windows, everybody was driving really slow and consequently originating a traffic jam. We all were thinking that something was burning, I do not know if you know that we had a very bad fire last year. Anyway, after a while, I realised it was FOG, can you believe it? fog in Gran Canaria. For those of you who live in cold countries, this means nothing, but for us, I'm 35 and had never seen fog here. Maybe in the mountains sometime, but in the south near the coast.NEVER. You could not even see the beach or the hotels, I thought it was very weird.
Right now it is already 9 o'clock and the sun is shinning. It looks that it is going to be a beautiful day... again :-)
Wel, today I have a very busy day we have some meetings,good thing that it is Friday, so I will leave you for today, but for those of you who are waiting for some new Spanish phrases, here are some related with the weather...
¿Qué tiempo hace? = What's the weather like?
Hace(mucho) frio = it's (very) cold
Hace (mucho) calor = it's (very) hot
See you on Monday,
Every morning I wake up at 6:30 take my baby to daycare and come to work. I live in Vecindario, thought I'm originally from Las Palmas, which is about 20 mints from Maspalomas by the motorway.Everyday the same routine, everyday the same traffic in the motorway. However today was something different. Near San Agustín, suddenly I saw from far away a lot of smoke, everybody was closing their car windows, everybody was driving really slow and consequently originating a traffic jam. We all were thinking that something was burning, I do not know if you know that we had a very bad fire last year. Anyway, after a while, I realised it was FOG, can you believe it? fog in Gran Canaria. For those of you who live in cold countries, this means nothing, but for us, I'm 35 and had never seen fog here. Maybe in the mountains sometime, but in the south near the coast.NEVER. You could not even see the beach or the hotels, I thought it was very weird.
Right now it is already 9 o'clock and the sun is shinning. It looks that it is going to be a beautiful day... again :-)
Wel, today I have a very busy day we have some meetings,good thing that it is Friday, so I will leave you for today, but for those of you who are waiting for some new Spanish phrases, here are some related with the weather...
¿Qué tiempo hace? = What's the weather like?
Hace(mucho) frio = it's (very) cold
Hace (mucho) calor = it's (very) hot
See you on Monday,
Ruth
13 March 2008
Four lessons about the way we treat people
Somebody sent me this by email today....thought I'd share it with you...
1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: 'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?' Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. 'Absolutely,' said the professor. 'In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello.' I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
2 - Second Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. 'How much is an ice cream sundae?' he asked. 'Fifty pence,' replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. 'Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?' he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. 'Thirty-five pence,' she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. 'I'll have the plain ice cream,' he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were a ten pence coin and a five pence coin. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
3 - Third Important Lesson.
The obstacle in Our Path. In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the King's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
4 - Fourth Important Lesson . Giving When it Counts.
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, 'Yes I'll do it if it will save her.' As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, 'Will I start to die right away'. Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
10 March 2008
El Cortijo
Buenos días,
Today I thought I would write about a very nice restaurant for those of you who like to try new things for a chance.
It is located in the golf court of "El Cortijo". If you stay in Club Vista Serena you will need to hire a car for this excursion.
Get the motorway direction to Las Palmas, and drive about 25mints until you see the exit sign to El Cortijo. If you like golf you should play there. If not, just go to its restaurant and have a nice plate of Spanish cured ham as a starter. I think it is the best ham I have ever tried.
Then you should try its meat. They prepare a nice sirloin with red wine which is incredible. The terrace of this restaurant overlooks the golf court and its service is absolutetly fabulous!
When you are there try your Spanish asking for the bill saying:
"La cuenta, por favor" :-)
Hasta la vista,
Today I thought I would write about a very nice restaurant for those of you who like to try new things for a chance.
It is located in the golf court of "El Cortijo". If you stay in Club Vista Serena you will need to hire a car for this excursion.
Get the motorway direction to Las Palmas, and drive about 25mints until you see the exit sign to El Cortijo. If you like golf you should play there. If not, just go to its restaurant and have a nice plate of Spanish cured ham as a starter. I think it is the best ham I have ever tried.
Then you should try its meat. They prepare a nice sirloin with red wine which is incredible. The terrace of this restaurant overlooks the golf court and its service is absolutetly fabulous!
When you are there try your Spanish asking for the bill saying:
"La cuenta, por favor" :-)
Hasta la vista,
Ruth
07 March 2008
These crazy languages ;-)
Hola,
¿Qué tal?
Hi, What's up? Would you have liked to undrestand this phrase without my translation? Yes? ok, here it goes your today's lesson.
Lesson three: Greetings
Buenos días -> Good morning
Buenas tardes-> Good afternoon
Buenas noches-> Good evening/good night
As you probably have deducted, "bueno/a" is good.
A new tip here for you: all words in Spanish have gendre, that is, masculine or femenine words, there are no rules for that, but most of the words that end in "o" are masc. and in "a" femenine. Adjectives need to go in concordance with the words in gendre and number. So we have bueno/ buena, buenos/buenas.
Hola-> Hello
Adiós -> Good bye
Hasta luego-> See you later
Hasta la vista-> See you later or "see you when I see you"
Hasta pronto-> See you soon
Chao-> bye
Yes I know, all this seems a bit crazy, but, which language isn't?
Here it goes something I came through for you to giggle a bit.
Let's face it - English is a crazy language too;
There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick" ? :-)
Chao,
¿Qué tal?
Hi, What's up? Would you have liked to undrestand this phrase without my translation? Yes? ok, here it goes your today's lesson.
Lesson three: Greetings
Buenos días -> Good morning
Buenas tardes-> Good afternoon
Buenas noches-> Good evening/good night
As you probably have deducted, "bueno/a" is good.
A new tip here for you: all words in Spanish have gendre, that is, masculine or femenine words, there are no rules for that, but most of the words that end in "o" are masc. and in "a" femenine. Adjectives need to go in concordance with the words in gendre and number. So we have bueno/ buena, buenos/buenas.
Hola-> Hello
Adiós -> Good bye
Hasta luego-> See you later
Hasta la vista-> See you later or "see you when I see you"
Hasta pronto-> See you soon
Chao-> bye
Yes I know, all this seems a bit crazy, but, which language isn't?
Here it goes something I came through for you to giggle a bit.
Let's face it - English is a crazy language too;
There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick" ? :-)
Chao,
Ruth
06 March 2008
Kalima
Have you seen it? It is 22 degrees outside. From today you can check the temperature online!
I have the impression it is warmer than 22 degrees, today we have Kalima, also called Sirocco. This is hot wind coming from the sahara. Last night it was very windy and also this morning, but by noon the wind was not so strong anymore. This wind brings a lot of dust and sand with is, which is not very good for peoples health. We aren´t inhaling pure air today. I just washed my car this weekend, and will have to do it again when this kalima is gone, my car has blue color, but was brown last week of the sand that fell on it. Normally this kind of weather last for 2 or 3 days, and usually it rains (which cleans the air) after it. Now it is not so bad, but in Summer time temperature can go up till 48 degrees. You can imagine that you cannot do anything when it is so hot. Everybody will keep the windows shut, turn on the air conditioner (if they have) and drink a lot of water. I remember years ago when I was pregnant, we had such terrible sirocco and we didn ´t have air conditioner, I was sitting on the floor, crying, and putting wet towels on my body, I did not know what to do against this terrible heat. Luckely we do have air conditioner now. You see, against the cold and rain you can protect you, but against the heat there is not many you can do. During the last year we have had a lot of kalimas, the normal time for it is August and September, but now we have almost one every month.
See you all next week again,
Anja
I have the impression it is warmer than 22 degrees, today we have Kalima, also called Sirocco. This is hot wind coming from the sahara. Last night it was very windy and also this morning, but by noon the wind was not so strong anymore. This wind brings a lot of dust and sand with is, which is not very good for peoples health. We aren´t inhaling pure air today. I just washed my car this weekend, and will have to do it again when this kalima is gone, my car has blue color, but was brown last week of the sand that fell on it. Normally this kind of weather last for 2 or 3 days, and usually it rains (which cleans the air) after it. Now it is not so bad, but in Summer time temperature can go up till 48 degrees. You can imagine that you cannot do anything when it is so hot. Everybody will keep the windows shut, turn on the air conditioner (if they have) and drink a lot of water. I remember years ago when I was pregnant, we had such terrible sirocco and we didn ´t have air conditioner, I was sitting on the floor, crying, and putting wet towels on my body, I did not know what to do against this terrible heat. Luckely we do have air conditioner now. You see, against the cold and rain you can protect you, but against the heat there is not many you can do. During the last year we have had a lot of kalimas, the normal time for it is August and September, but now we have almost one every month.
See you all next week again,
Anja
05 March 2008
Symtoms of being over 25....
This year I'll be 30, and I'm already stressing about it! I think I'll either lock myself in a room and wait until the day is over, or I'll have a huuuge party and celebrate it as much as I can. I'm still not sure which one I'll be doing (the first one is sounding the most appealing at the moment), but for those of you out there who are worried about getting older too, here's something to have a giggle at, it might make the road a little easier....or not....hehehehe! Rachelxxx
SYMPTOMS OF BEING OVER 25
1. You leave clubs before the end to "beat the rush". (worst still you don't go to the clubs)
2. You get more excited about having a roast on a Sunday than going clubbing the night before.
3. You stop dreaming of becoming a professional footballer / basketballplayer and start dreaming of having a son who might instead.
4. Before throwing the local paper away, you look through the propertysection.
5. All of a sudden, middle aged people are not 46, they are only 46.
6. Before going out anywhere, you ask whether there is anywhere to park.
7. Rather than throw a knackered pair of trainers out, you keep them because they'll be alright for the DIY or in the garden.
8. You buy T-shirts without anything written on them.
9. Instead of laughing at the innovations catalogue that falls out of the newspaper, you suddenly see both the benefit and money saving properties of most of the things that are in it.
10. You start to worry about your parents' health.
11. You have more disposable income, but everything you want or need to buy costs between 200 and 500 quid.
12. You don't get funny looks when you buy a Disney video or a Wallace And Gromit bubble bath, as the sales assistant assumes they are for your children.
13. Pop music all starts to sound the same.
14. You opt for Pizza Express over Pizza Hut because they do a really nice half-bottle of house red.
15. You always have enough milk in.
16. To compensate for the fact that you have little desire to go clubbing, you instead frequent trendy bars and restaurants in the mistaken belief that you have not turned into your parents.
17. While flicking through the TV channels, you happen upon C4's TimeTeam with Tony Robinson. You get drawn in. Grand Designs also appeals.
18. The benefits of a pension scheme become clear.
19. You go out of your way to pick up a colour chart from B&Q.
20. You wish you had a shed.
21. You have a shed.
22. You actually find yourself saying "They don't make 'em like that anymore" and "I remember when there were only 4 TV channels" and "Not in my day...."
23. Radio 2 play more songs you know than Radio 1 - and Jeremy Vine has some really interesting guests on.
24. Instead of tutting at old people who take ages to get off the bus, you tut at rowdy school children.
25. When sitting outside a pub you admire their hanging baskets.
26. You find yourself saying "is it cold in here or is it just me
SYMPTOMS OF BEING OVER 25
1. You leave clubs before the end to "beat the rush". (worst still you don't go to the clubs)
2. You get more excited about having a roast on a Sunday than going clubbing the night before.
3. You stop dreaming of becoming a professional footballer / basketballplayer and start dreaming of having a son who might instead.
4. Before throwing the local paper away, you look through the propertysection.
5. All of a sudden, middle aged people are not 46, they are only 46.
6. Before going out anywhere, you ask whether there is anywhere to park.
7. Rather than throw a knackered pair of trainers out, you keep them because they'll be alright for the DIY or in the garden.
8. You buy T-shirts without anything written on them.
9. Instead of laughing at the innovations catalogue that falls out of the newspaper, you suddenly see both the benefit and money saving properties of most of the things that are in it.
10. You start to worry about your parents' health.
11. You have more disposable income, but everything you want or need to buy costs between 200 and 500 quid.
12. You don't get funny looks when you buy a Disney video or a Wallace And Gromit bubble bath, as the sales assistant assumes they are for your children.
13. Pop music all starts to sound the same.
14. You opt for Pizza Express over Pizza Hut because they do a really nice half-bottle of house red.
15. You always have enough milk in.
16. To compensate for the fact that you have little desire to go clubbing, you instead frequent trendy bars and restaurants in the mistaken belief that you have not turned into your parents.
17. While flicking through the TV channels, you happen upon C4's TimeTeam with Tony Robinson. You get drawn in. Grand Designs also appeals.
18. The benefits of a pension scheme become clear.
19. You go out of your way to pick up a colour chart from B&Q.
20. You wish you had a shed.
21. You have a shed.
22. You actually find yourself saying "They don't make 'em like that anymore" and "I remember when there were only 4 TV channels" and "Not in my day...."
23. Radio 2 play more songs you know than Radio 1 - and Jeremy Vine has some really interesting guests on.
24. Instead of tutting at old people who take ages to get off the bus, you tut at rowdy school children.
25. When sitting outside a pub you admire their hanging baskets.
26. You find yourself saying "is it cold in here or is it just me
04 March 2008
The Purple Hat
Hola,
We are already in March, can you believe it? Time flies! I like this month, the weather seems nicer, (I know what you are thinking: What do you mean if you live in Gran Canaria?, Yes,it's tru, it's not as cold as England,but still, for us who live here the whole year, winter is winter and summer is summer :-) and even in the mountains, there are years when we can get some snow) As I said, I like this month, Spring begins, people seem in a better humour, it's Easter and it is my birthday!hahaha. The sea is not as cold as in winter time, you can already swim without freezing, but still days are not as hot as in the summer.
Today I thought I would leave you with some nice thoughts I came through, maybe it will help you to think about life and appreciate more what we have. It seems that we always worry for so many things which after a while seem not important at all, and we do not pay attention to those little things which make the difference, like a nice walk through the beach, an Italian ice-cream in a sunny aftertoon, or watching a red sunset when you come back from a boat excursion in the south of the island. You should try this one ;-)
IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER -
by Erma Bombeck (written after she found out she was dying from cancer)
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.'
There would have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.'
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it . Live it and never give it back.
STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!
Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us. Let's think about what God has blessed us with and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally.
Maybe we should all grab that purple hat earlier.... Don´t you think?
¡Adiós!
Hola,
We are already in March, can you believe it? Time flies! I like this month, the weather seems nicer, (I know what you are thinking: What do you mean if you live in Gran Canaria?, Yes,it's tru, it's not as cold as England,but still, for us who live here the whole year, winter is winter and summer is summer :-) and even in the mountains, there are years when we can get some snow) As I said, I like this month, Spring begins, people seem in a better humour, it's Easter and it is my birthday!hahaha. The sea is not as cold as in winter time, you can already swim without freezing, but still days are not as hot as in the summer.
Today I thought I would leave you with some nice thoughts I came through, maybe it will help you to think about life and appreciate more what we have. It seems that we always worry for so many things which after a while seem not important at all, and we do not pay attention to those little things which make the difference, like a nice walk through the beach, an Italian ice-cream in a sunny aftertoon, or watching a red sunset when you come back from a boat excursion in the south of the island. You should try this one ;-)
IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER -
by Erma Bombeck (written after she found out she was dying from cancer)
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.'
There would have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.'
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it . Live it and never give it back.
STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!
Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us. Let's think about what God has blessed us with and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally.
Maybe we should all grab that purple hat earlier.... Don´t you think?
¡Adiós!
Ruth
Labels: The purple hat
01 March 2008
For all those Mothers out there....
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!
Tomorrow, the 2nd March it's Mother's Day in the UK.
Over here in Spain, it's not until May, but since I'm British I think my Mum would get quite upset if I didn't celebrate it with her :-)
I'm lucky, I've got 2 Mums. My Mum, Beverley, is the best Mum in the whole wide world, and I've also got another Mum - Barbara. My Dad remarried last year, and she is a beautiful person too.
Over here in Spain, it's not until May, but since I'm British I think my Mum would get quite upset if I didn't celebrate it with her :-)
I'm lucky, I've got 2 Mums. My Mum, Beverley, is the best Mum in the whole wide world, and I've also got another Mum - Barbara. My Dad remarried last year, and she is a beautiful person too.
So this is for my 2 Mum's....I love you both....Happy Mother's Day!
A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary. Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. Unknown
The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. Honore de Balzac, author
A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. Tenneva Jordan
A mother understands what a child does not say. Jewish Proverb
Your arms were always open when I needed a hug. Your heart understood when I needed a friend. Your gentle eyes were stern when I needed a lesson. Your strength and love has guided me and gave me wings to fly. Sarah Malin
The best advice my mother ever gave to me was: 'Strivers achieve what dreamers believe. If you put your mind to it, you can do it. Be careful what you wish for because you might get it. And, listen to me, I've been through it already.'Usher, singer. Mother: Jonnetta Patton
You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back. William D. Tammeus
Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. Charles R. Swindoll, The Strong Family
Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over. George Cooper
Mother's Love
Her love is like
an island in life's ocean,
vast and wide
A peaceful, quiet shelter
From the wind, the rain, the tide.
'Tis bound on the north by Hope,
By Patience on the West,
By tender Counsel on the South
And on the East by Rest.
Above it like a beacon light
Shine Faith, and Truth, and Prayer;
And thro' the changing scenes of life
I find a haven there.
Author Unknown
Mother... You filled my days with rainbow lights,
Fairytales and sweet dream nights,
A kiss to wipe away my tears,
Gingerbread to ease my fears.
You gave the gift of life to me
And then in love, you set me free.
I thank you for your tender care,
For deep warm hugs and being there.
I hope that when you think of me
A part of you
You'll always see.
Author Unknown
MUMISMS
Every mum has a favourite quote and a special tone to scold or teach a lesson to their kids. We might hate this mumism as a child but we all so much miss them when we grow up. This harsh sounding and yet so sweet advice from mothers is what makes our childhood so special. These motherly sayings go a long way in building us strong and making us a better person. Though we hate our mums for being so harsh in their statements, ironically we all use the same mumism that we received from our mothers on our kids.
Here is list of most common and popular mumisms.
- Money does not grow on trees.
- Don't make that face or it'll freeze in that position.
- If I talked to my mother like you talk to me....
- Always change your underwear; you never know when you'll have an accident.
- Be careful or you'll put your eye out.
- What if everyone jumped off a cliff? Would you do it, too?
- You have enough dirt behind those ears to grow potatoes!
- Close that door! Were you born in a barn?
- If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
- Don't put that in your mouth; you don't know where it's been!
- Be careful what you wish for, it might come true.
- Because I'm your mother that's why.
- If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times.
- If you fall out of that tree and break you leg , don't come running to me.
- Someday your face is going to stick like that.
- Because I said so.
- I've got eyes in the back of my head, that's how
- Honestly... You'd lose your head if it wasn't screwed on!
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]