iRamble.co.uk

posted by Kate on Nov 19

Ever since I have been going to Gran Canaria I have enjoyed a drink of Arehucas and coke - it’s their local rum, distilled on the island and when I first drank it I renamed it Christmas in a glass!!!

I don’t like rum normally - not the smell nor the taste but this tastes nothing like like ‘normal’ rum to me and it doesn’t give me a headache -which on this holiday was perhaps as well!

My friends came away with us and spent a lot of time touring the island but the trip to the distillery was the one I wanted to attend.

Gran Canaria is such a small island and you would not believe it could manufacture thousands of litres of rum but it can and does.

The distillery is hidden away in the small town of Arucas in the north of the island. There are no sign posts to direct the thirsty traveller - you have to be very determined, and we were….

We were guided by the sight of a tall chimney with the letters AREHUCAS painted in white down the brickwork.

The factory was first opened in 1884 and the first part of the tour takes you to the cellars, full of oak casks, each one is signed by important people who come to the distillery. We were then shown a small part of the process involved in the production of the spirits made there, and then we were taken to a large room with a bar where bottles of spirits had been placed along with little ’shot’ glasses.

The ‘barman’ explained that some of the rums were quite old but the one normally used was only three years old. However, rum is not the only spirit distilled there - there was gin, vodka, curacao, and lots of flavoured rums including honey, coffee and almond. Then he told us to help ourselves!

It was fantastic, trying them all and by the time I’d finished, having gone without breakfast, I was decidedly squiffy. The shop was the next stage of the tour and it was great - 3 euros for the small bottles and 8 for the large! We made our purchases and left.

It was only when we got outside that the giggles started - I’m glad I was with friends - here’s one of them…

clutching his purchases and then there was me but i took mine out of the bag to pose….

and i didn’t drop it!!!

I even managed to bring them home without drinking them - mind you we bought some for drinking too!!!

All in all - a fun visit and no hangover - roll on next time!!!

posted by Kate on Nov 7

photo credit: Tom T

Hola mis amigos!!!

Just a quick note to say that I won’t be around for a week because……. I am going on a well deserved holiday!!!!!

I have just checked the temperature and it is currently 27 degrees. That will do for me………

Keiron - see you at the bar birthday boy! Una cerveza para mi por favor!

posted by Kate on Nov 3

I have been tagged by Jay over at the Deppeffect to write about seven weird facts about me - only seven - well, here goes:

1) I can’t plan for anything - I wasn’t always like it - years ago I’d got Christmas in the bag by October - but when my husband left I think I lost it, touble is it never came back. Oh I have tried but every time something stops it and it reverts back to only doing one day at a time - my son’s cancer, my partner’s stroke - even a planned walk on holiday once - I woke up on the morning and I could not put my foot to the floor - ended up at the hospital and on crutches. It lasted for two years. So no I’ll stick to one day - it irritates the hell out of people but its better than letting them down.

2) I am an original Hippy - my house is lit with pretty lights and candles, peace and love signs hang from the walls and even my car has flowers on it. It was the time of my life that I loved and I am happy that those feelings have not gone away. It also makes me a nice person, I look for the good in everybody - trouble is sometimes I’m easily let down.

3) I am learning to speak Spanish - not so weird you might think. But it probably is, because I can speak holiday Spanish with no problem, present tense conversations, food orders etc. ……. I am actually studying the language all tenses, past, preterit, future, et al. It is fascinating and I have worked so hard at it over the past four years that I don’t want to stop. I doubt I’ll ever use it all but hey it keeps my brain active!

4) I have a greyhound living in my home, my daughters so I guess that makes me a Grand-mama! And weirder than that she has her own website at www.mygreyhound .me.uk

5) I love to dance on an empty dance floor - can’t help it I like to have the space - and it irritates when it all fills up and gets cramped.

6) I dye my hair deep red at the back and strawberry blonde at the front - weird? probably but its better than gray.

7) My idea of a chilled out day is spent in my kitchen converting piles of ingredients into tasty dishes for friends, freezer or just to eat!

The seven people I would like to share this with are:Keiron I probably know most of them but you’ve been living away from home for years now. Grandad, because I would like to know some more weird things about him. K8, just to see if any of them wore off on her. Moon - how weird are you? And Coastal Aussie- go on confess… Next English Mum another greyhound friend, and last but by no means least Jefferson Davis over there in America.

Apologies to everyone I tried linking but it just didn’t work!!!!!

Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

posted by Kate on Oct 21

photo credit: kimberlyfaye 

Look here and wonder what your plants are saying about you?

I shudder to think what my neglected bay tree has been saying to my last rose of summer - but it does make you realise - that people who talk to their plants have obviously got good hearing - they knew this was happening!!

posted by Kate on Oct 17

photo credit: Jacob Bøtter

Okay so I changed the words but it does make me think of the chirpy cheep cheep song.

I now have ‘Twitter’ on my system - another learning curve for my addled brain to deal with.

So far its all going well although it reminds me of some of the chat rooms watching people chat - sorry ‘Tweet’ to each other - some of the conversations look very disjointed like you are only seeing half of it (which you probably are) but when my name is at the beginning I know its for me and try to jump in quick so that my answer is not too far from the question - so to speak…

Confused yet? You will be -  I was challenged by my lovely son to find some people to follow - fortunately I saw some names I recognised and I’m happy to report that there are nice people twittering - including Grannymar - good to see that at least.

But I have already been the victim of a twitter maniac - wherever I go they find me - he must have been lurking around looking for newbie tweeters as victims - politely asking them to follow him then bombarding them with strange tweets. I HAVE BLOCKED HIM!!! He will not tweet at me again!

So in the last week I have found people, tweeted at them and had conversations with them on Twitter, blocked one and perused the bio’s of many.

I’m not sure where this is going but I will keep you posted!!

Tweet for now!!!

posted by Kate on Sep 18

Hello, Good evening and welcome to the best and most musical dinner party ever!

The house is clean and fairylit (as usual), candles flicker making the atmosphere relaxed and perfumed.

The menu is simple but good:

We will be starting with a fruit sorbet to clear the palate, followed by chicken with lemon, lime and ginger, baby herby roast potatoes, mixed salad and freshly cooked bread with butter.

The sweet is home made apple pie with cream, followed by a cheese board and coffee.

And all washed down with a few gallons of Nuit St George.

The guests are starting to arrive - come and meet them with me….

Firstly its my lovely son, Keiron who got me into all this in the first place. Computers, email, blogging and of course this meme.

“Grab a glass of vino KP and enjoy!”

Next, oh look its John Lennon:

photo credit: joesolo

“Hi John, thanks for attending - no don’t thank me, all I’ll take in payment is you singing ‘Woman” for me and my guests.”

“Hi Denis - your little task will be to sing ‘Hearts like yours and mine’ for me and ‘Shine Son’ for Keiron”

Note to self - take valium quickly - you know what Denis Locorriere’s voice does to you.

Here we are - Mark Bolan and Justin Hayward have just turned up together - “Welcome boys - my requests are ‘Get it on’ and ‘Forever Autumn’ - grab a glass of wine and tune up your tonsils!”

“Barry McGuire - good to see you - it will be ‘Eve of Destruction’ from you babe - that song says it all.”

“Leo Sayer fantastic we’ll be ‘Dancing the night away later!’

“And last but by no means least - the first guest singer of the evening - it’s Jon Bon Jovi!!! - Take it away Jon - ‘It’s my life’ - it certainly is - and what an evening. ”

photo credit: audrey_sel

Must go and enjoy……

Oh but before I go

The Rules:

1. Pick 8 people you’d like to invite to dinner, dead or alive or re-animated / resurrected.
2. Say why?
3. Link your answers back to Lottie
4. Give credit to the people who tagged you - that would be EM and  Keiron and Tag three others - no I can’t they have already been tagged. Sorry…

Oh! who is that at the window peering through the glass wanting to come in? It’s Grandad Just back from France bless him! Sorry Grandad there’s no room - maybe next time

posted by Kate on Aug 2

Whilst spending time with family this weekend we were discussing who people look like, and Malcolm in the Middle. I first watched Malcolm in the Middle after watching Linward Boomer’s Biography on TV.

Malcolm in the Middle is based on Linward Boomer’s childhood, and all the characters he selected for the parts were specifically chosen to be like the people in his life.

Here’s my question to you, if you had to select celebrities/actors to play the parts in the story of your life today (including yourself!), who would it be and why - this can be based on looks or personality!

Me: Anne Robinson
Everyone said a poster of her reminded them of me! Not because of her temperament!!!

My Partner: Dennis Locorriere
He looks like him! Could have picked George Best, but he’s dead!

My Son: Donny Osmond
He looks like him, and hates it! The trouble is he can’t sing, otherwise he’d have a whole new career!

My Daughter: A Katie Holmes lookalike, with the temperament of the Incredible Hulk
She looks like her, but when pushed she could quite easily get nasty!

The Rules!

1. List the people who would play you, and the key people in your life.
2. Give credit to the person who tagged you.
3. Link your answers to the original blog, that’s here (http://www.iRamble.co.uk)!
4. Tag four new people to participate.

So, who is wise enough to play your life, or who is so downright annoying you want to stitch up publicly?

I’m tagging:

Grandad, English Mum, Kerryview, Keiron

photo credit: eerkmans