Searching for a new house

Hiya

A few days of silence as we had an internet blackout for a few days but actually we are really busy searching for a new house.

A lot of you know that Eladio and I shall be selling our current house because my Father is coming to live with us and we need more space - actually a bedroom on the ground floor.

We have probably looked at about 70 houses in the same area where we live now and finally have come across the dream house, but actually 2 dream houses. We are having trouble choosing.

Our first choice is a British looking pink house with ivy and the second is a more modern (yellow house) built by an Argentinian football player who has just left Spain.

I wonder what your choice would be .......

Let me know.

Photos are of the pink house with ivy, our current (white) house where we have lived for the last 18 years!!! and the yellow Argentinian house.

My husband, Eladio's surprise early retirement party - Madrid 25th June 2005

In July I organised a surprise retirement party for my darling husband Eladio. It took me 3 weeks and with a little help from my friends and daughters we created a great do. We held the party at home in the garden and more than 40 people came, including some old colleagues he hadn't seen for 20 years or so. We also created a little album with the graphic history of his life - cool! The girls sang (beautifully - Oli cried when she sang Edelweiss for him) and his brother Alejandro had us in stitches with a comic act at the end of the night.

It was difficult for me to keep the secret for so long and I was having kittens on the last day. The hardest thing was getting him out of the house for the party to be created - the chairs and table, food, banners, balloons, people to arrive and park in another street. My friend Fátima texted me to say everything was ready. When we got out of the car Eladio saw the balloons and thought the girls were having a party and so suggested we went out for dinner so I had to drag him in.
The pictures are of his surprised face, the people waiting for him and lovely one of his mother hugging him - his Mother now in her 80's and not very mobile had made a huge effort to be there.

My blog became public - Tuesday 14th September 2005

Hi

Today my blog became public, I sent the link to my English speaking girlfriends and they were suitably impressed, mostly because I am not supposed to be very computer literate, I suppose - a friend once told me I should use a Fisher Price PC!! A good friend from Helsinki answered "old ladies are kicking IT's asses" . Another good friend based in Mexico City actually left me a comment. So did some people I don't even know!!!

So they have all motivated me to continue and continue I will.

Thanks girls for your enthusiastic comments.

All my love/Masha

Mummy and the girls

This is a photo of the girls and me. Susi on the left of me and Oli (next to the window) on the right of me.
Oli hates this picture but I love it cos I look so young. It was actually taken when we went to Pernille and Thomas' wedding in Copenhagen some 5 years ago.
Published on my blog 13.9.05

My family

I am Mother to Susana (aged 21) and Olivia (aged 20). They are stunning looking girls. Susi is studying Food science (the idea that as she loves food so much she might as well study it) and Oli is doing Media studies - well actually it's a triple degree in media studies, advertising and audiovisual communication.

I have been married to Eladio for over 22 years now. It's quite normal for me but often some of my English girlfriends ask me if we are still together. Well we are and that proves that some marriages can be successful. Eladio has just retired (early retirement) after being a teacher of philosophy and before that a Catholic Priest.


My Father, Charles Courtenay Lloyd, now 86 is going strong. He is shortly coming to live with us - he will be moving out of his house in Bradford (UK) after 40 years. But he's looking forward to being with us all here in Madrid.

Pictures are of Eladio (relaxing in the garden at home), Olivia in the middle (at Amanda's wedding do) and Susi (close up) on the right.

Published 14th September 2005

Andy and Amanda's wedding party do - 11th September 2005

This weekend I went to a wedding party do in the UK. It was to celebrate Andy and Amanda's wedding. Amanda and I are best friends from wayback (Bradford, UK in the 60's).

Helsinki July 2005

This is me, photo taken in Helsinki in July 2005

Hello everyone

Hello everyone.

Well, as a communications professional it was about time I created my own blog. So, with a lot of help from Google, here I am.

When I've posted some more content, I'll let you all know my blog address.

Cheers/Masha
12th September, 2005