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!!!

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!

The invitations to attend the special services were sent to the families of all members of two parishes who had lost a friend or relative in the past year. I lost my Mum (my best friend)

I did attend and it was a lovely memorial service where the names of the departed were read out and a candle lit for them all. Beautiful hymns, nice readings and no money changed hands at all. Three vicars held the ceremony and were there at the end to give comfort to anyone that needed it.

There was even tea and coffee being served at the back of the church.

It was a thoroughly nice service and I am glad I went!

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.

photo credit: g-hat

Here is a message for the people who think its great fun to go knocking on my door on October 31st begging for sweets or threatening retribution.

I am going out! My daughter is working until after 10p.m. There is nobody here…. and neither are our cars - so put the eggs away and leave my windows and doors alone.

There was a box by the door when I left - it contained out of date biscuits and chocolates that we don’t like - if there are any left - help yourself (if you like that sort of thing) If its empty or gone, then you are too late.

Go home and watch a horror film - scare yourselves and not sane people who just want a bit of peace….

Got the message, good!

Happy B******* Hallowe’en

I brought some of Maxies cat biscuits and regularly left some out for the cubs - they never became tame but I really wouldn’t want them to. We left food out every day and they thrived.

We are now years on and those first cubs have grown and all moved on except one and she has now disappeared - probably died as their life expectancy is quite short - but has left a legacy of wild life for us to watch. We now have her grandchildren visiting us every night and every night we foxwatch - its much better than the television.

Last night we had some ham for them - donated by my boss and I make no apologies for the photos - they were taken through a window with my mobile phone. I just hope you can see and experience some of the pleasures of these beautiful animals with me…

They have given us so much pleasure over the years - long may it continue!!!!

Ade had said that when he was a school boy he used to visit a friend’s house and the friend’s Mum taught them both to make a cake where the fruit had been soaked in tea for a couple of hours. He thought it was lovely at the time and earlier this week he had bought a Yorkshire tea cake for £2 which he thoroughly enjoyed too.

I had never cooked a cake with the fruit soaked in tea - brandy or rum yes - but never tea! But I said I would try to find the recipe for him.

This morning my friend Google found the very recipe and so I thought I would try it out just to make sure it worked.

I soaked 500 grams of dried fruit in 400 mls of freshly brewed tea (2 tea bags).

Then I stirred in 200grams muscovado sugar, 1 egg whisked with a little vanilla essence and 250 grams of self raising flour.

Turned it into a loaf tin - be warned this makes a 2lb loaf, my tin is only half the size so i made two! Also the tin should be greased and lined but I like to use non stick foil for these things.

Bake at 175C Gas mark 4 for 1.5 hours or if cooked in two smaller tin 45 minutes each.

What a result!

They look and smell gorgeous….

Are perfectly cooked…..

and taste amazing - all that plump fruit - beautiful eaten warm with butter on…

Gotta go now and put the kettle on - I know what will go down well with this - a nice cup of tea!!!

photo credit: ? ? u m i è r e ?

I received a letter from the church this morning. It was quite a nice letter inviting me to attend a special service next weekend.

Nothing strange about that you may think and neither did I really until my son’s dreadful sense of humour (don’t know where he got that from) came to the fore.

‘Was it addressed to you personally’ he said, when he rang and I told him about it - ‘Yes’ I replied not really thinking much of it.

‘Where did they get your details from? Do they know something that we don’t?’

Well, it left me a little perplexed to ay the least!

Is there a ‘Heavenly Directory’ containing the names and addresses of mere mortals? Am I seen by the divine council as someone in need of help? Or as someone who they need to help them?

This, after all has not come from the church in the village where I live - it has come from a village some five miles away.

And though I have not been a regular church goer for over 30 years I am going to attend the service just to find out what they want me for - I’ll keep you posted……

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!!

It was a rare opportunity to be alone - my daughter went to Alton Towers early this morning with her boyfriend and won’t be back until around 10.30 tonight. Don’t get me wrong I love the company of my family - my son and his wife were here last weekend and my daughter is usually round on her weekend off from her caring job but this was a special event. And sometimes its nice to be alone, I like my own company - we don’t argue…. ever!

To some it would be boring but for me today has been one of self indulgence - nice!! The sixties and seventies music went on and I sang along.

I got the jobs all done early half sorted the dinner, cleaned the bungalow, did the ironing etc. ready for work in the morning.

Then I spent a happy hour in the hot tub….. mindless hot bubbles…. it was amazing….. although, as usual I had to shift Maxie off the top.

After a shower I decided to go through some of the cupboards in my bedroom, I have promised a friend that I will find some photos my Dad took years ago and I just need to remember where I put them when I moved out of the big house to here!

I went through three of the built in cupboards in what we affectionately call ‘the tart’s boudoir’ - cos it looks like one…. and for no other reason!

found lots of interesting things I had forgotten I had, but not the photos. So I gave up for today - but at least I know where they are not lurking!!

Then I answered a few emails and chose my new wordpress theme - nice isn’t it?

Fed the animals and they are very happy and chilled out..

Ahh look at his little pink nose….

And bless her its hard to see the little greyhound by candle and fairylight but, she too, is very chilled out.

And me well currently I am here typing but you can’t see me ‘cos I had to take the picture - no starring roles here..

But now its time to wind this up - I have a lovely chicken dinner to eat (and one to plate up for the day tripper!!) and a film to watch.

Its the little things that count - I have done nothing special but I have had the nicest of days - welcome to my world!!