Sunday 16th December 2018
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| The two sisters reunited. |
Last Sunday was quiet. There was no sign of my guests from Florida, Evelyn and her brother Mauricio. Miguel from Medellín was up at about 11.30 and being the "mother hen" I am, I drove him to the nearest bus stop. He was one of those lovely overnight guests we often get.
There was not much news from the girls that day. Oli was in Switzerland and I was hoping for news and photos but got none. Suzy was much on our minds, as she always is, as just two days later she would be with us. It's been 6 months since we last saw her and that's an awful lot.
Our lives continued with our quiet Sunday routines. In contrast, the city of Madrid was inundated with Argentinian football fans coming to see the Copa de Libertadores final at the Real Madrid stadium between the two Buenos Aires clubs, River Plate and Boca Juniors. I was happy to see that our ex carer and home help, Olga, was able to go to the match. Madrid is home to the biggest population of Argentinians outside the country, some 350.000 and she is one of them. We couldn't watch the match, as, as usual, it was on pay per view TV. River Plate won in the end which made me happy for Olga. Happily there was no violence or important disturbances, thanks to a security detail of 4000 police officers, never before deployed for a football match in Spain and that's saying a lot. I wonder on which side the Pope was on.
While all the fans, some 70 to 80.000 were on their way to the stadium, Eladio and I took the dogs for our proverbial early evening "constitutional". We had the path more or less to ourselves and it was a beautiful autumn evening with the sun on the horizon just before it set.
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| On our walk on Sunday in the late afternoon with the dogs |
We came back to a peaceful and quiet house and I had an hour and a half to myself. I chose to watch my series, The Family, instead of reading and did so until it was time to go down and prepare our dinner. Andrew was back from his climb up a mountain and in good form. I do enjoy our banter with him in English in the kitchen.
As usual it was early to bed that night and being Sunday we watched "Salvados", this time about the new right wing party in Spain, Vox, which had gained 12 seats in the Andalusian elections. Feeling less stressed on Sunday with work out of the way, I slept quite well for me and was awake at 6.20 on Monday morning.
On Monday, true to a new tradition, off we went to the fruit and veg market in Villaviciosa. We got there at 10 am, half an hour later than last week and there was already a queue.
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| The stall where we buy our fruit and veg |
These are the crates full of the fruit and veg we bought that morning, enough I hoped, to last us the week. Suzy, my daughter who is a semi vegan, flexitarian, or sometimes vegetarian would certainly have approved and a lot of what I bought was with her in mind.
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| The 2 big boxes of fruit and veg to last us a week |
Once home and after putting everything away, it was time to start on all the peeling and cutting needed for our lunch. I had to make our proverbial pumpkin soup and then lots of veg to have with a meat loaf I also had to make. So I was a busy bee in the kitchen that morning but happy to be so as I find cooking, when there is time on my hands, quite relaxing.
Meanwhile in the UK, Teresa May was having a hard time. Knowing the Brexit deal with the EU would not muster enough votes in Parliament, she announced a delay on the vote to take place on 11th December. She would then rush off to Brussels to try and get some more concessions made to the plan which the EU has said it won't make as the deal can not be renegotiated. That's one big mess in UK politics. It got worse during the week.
France has its problems too, as you all know and it was on Monday that its haughty young president, Emanuel Macron finally addressed the nation after the weeks of violent riots from the "gilets jaunes". He announced an increase of 100 euros to the minimum salary, tax free overtime pay and a tax free end of year bonus from employers who could pay it. He also announced that pensions under 2000 euros/month would not suffer more taxes. He also admitted his "mea culpa". I think his address to the nation and announcement of measures to appease the gilets jaunes have come a bit late and have a feeling it won't be enough for them. After all, what sort of increase is 100 euros/month or getting employers to fork out a year end bonus, "if they can"? It doesn't sound much but if you compare the minimum monthly salary in France, at nearly 1.500 euros to that in Spain, just over 800, then I am wondering why we don't have more protests in Spain. The Spanish minimum wage is due to increase by 100 euros which is a bit of a laugh but I was appalled to hear Brussels thought it was not a good idea for the Spanish economy. At the end of the week Macron would be facing a vote of no confidence in the French Parliament. He wasn't the only European leader under stress.
In Spain we have our own gilets jaunes, in the form of the radical Catalan "CDRs" (Commission for the defence of the republic). Also dressed in yellow traffic jackets, they have been closing motorways and generally causing chaos all over the region. They are spurred on by the President of the Catalan "Generalitat", Quim Torra, who has proposed the Slovenian way to achieve independence. The Slovenian way resulted in the death of 70 people and was fraught with violence. Violence is never the way in my opinion.
We watched all this on the news after lunch and it's all a bit depressing. I ask myself, why, on the news don't we get to see more positive stories. I suppose the answer can be summed up in that familiar British phrase: "no news is good news" but I don't agree. In this day and age we are inundated with negative news and the world isn't all negative. Good things happen too.
We can count our blessings as generally we have a lot of good things in our lives. What would we do without our lovely daily walks I ask? On Monday, true to tradition again, we got the dogs ready and were about to leave when we couldn't find Pippa. I whistled and walked all around the garden until I found the poor little thing stuck in the bushes. She had her harness and lead on and the latter had got stuck in a bush. She was trembling when I found and rescued her. Isn't she sweet?
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| Pippa stuck in the bushes on Monday just before our walk |
We came back in the dark. Soon it will be the Winter Solstice after which the days will slowly get longer.
Our guests from Florida were out. It's funny but I hadn't seen them since I arrived and was a bit worried. It turned out they were on "American time", getting up at 11 in the morning, busing it into Madrid and returning at 11 pm. No wonder I didn't see them.
We had dinner on our own - delicious "ibérico ham" and salad, saw the news again and then I fell asleep watching I don't know what. I was awake at 5 the next morning but forced myself to stay in bed.
Tuesday came, the day Suzy was leaving Bali on her long return journey home. She left at about 11.30 am our time but wouldn't get here until Wednesday morning at about 7 am. She flew via Doha on Qatar airways - 10 hours from Bali to Doha and 7.5 h from Doha to Madrid. We wished her a safe journey and she was in my mind all day.
Our guests from Florida would be on their way too, next stop Barcelona before travelling to Fez in Morocco. I had only seen the sister, Evelyn, after they arrived and only saw her brother when they left that morning. They were great guests and later left me a glowing review. There would be no more guests until Thursday.
Meanwhile, Oli was in Zurich, Switzerland where it was -2ºc - pretty cold. To think it was 30ºc in Bali, what a difference. And here is my younger daughter well wrapped up for the weather that day.
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| Oli well wrapped up in sub zero temperatures in Zurich this week |
Later that day she sent us a photo of her watching a choir in the shape of a human Christmas tree. She said it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. I would have loved to be there.
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| Oli in a crowd watching and listening to choir in the shape of a human Christmas tree in Zurich on Tuesday |
I had work to do but also set aside some time to prepare and freeze a big batch of "perushki" (Russian meat pies) for Christmas which I know will make Oli happy.
Teresa May, the British Premiere, was also travelling that day. Ironically still able to enjoy "freedom of movement" in Europe - something she wants to do away with, Tuesday saw her travelling to The Hague, Berlin and Brussels, all in one day. She was on a mission to get more concessions for the Brexit deal. Ironically too, just as she arrived to meet Angela Merkel, she got stuck in her car. The door wouldn't open a bit like a sort of sign of the blockade the whole matter of Brexit is undergoing.
Pippa got stuck again too that afternoon with her lead entangled in a a bush. It happens or happened because we put the harnesses and leads on all three dogs, then put our walking shoes on and meanwhile they wander around the garden. It wouldn't happen again though as from then on we would tie them to a bench before setting off on our walks.
The news that night was not good. It came from Strasbourg, the seat of the European Parliament. A lone wolf terrorist, 29 year old Cherif Chekatt, shouted "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is great) as he opened fire on people visiting a famous Christmas market in that French town near the border of Germany. He killed 3 people and injured many while the whole town went into lock down, including the Parliament. The bad news was that he got away and became the most searched for man in France and probably Europe. The next evening, the police found him in Strasbourg and cornered him after which he opened fire on them. They then "neutralised" him, a euphemism for shooting him dead. The nightmare in Strasbourg was over but had hit the town hard.
That night we watched Oli's programme on Graz in Austria. It didn't start until 10.30 - prime time in Spain - far too late for us but being loyal parents we watched it. I still get a thrill watching my younger daughter on TV. You can see the full programme here.
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| Oli presenting her programme on Graz in Austria |
I didn't get a good night's sleep on Tuesday as my cold was keeping me awake. I was also excited about Suzy's arrival. In the end I got up at the unearthly hour of 5.30 in the morning.
And finally "D" day came, Wednesday 12th December, the day of Suzy's arrival. She would be landing in Barajas at 7.10 am and I would be there to pick her up. I left the house at 6.45 in thick fog which made the drive very difficult. There were times when I could hardly see. There was deep traffic too and I hated every minute of the journey. But it was worth the effort because just as I arrived at the pick up point of Terminal 4, there was my beautiful, gorgeous, daughter Suzy. We melted into a hug, despite the cars waiting for me to move on. What a moment. I can't describe what it felt like to be reunited with my first born. If you are a mother or a father, you will understand. She had come dressed in summer clothing and it was only 0.5º c outside which must have been a shock for her. Suzy took the wheel and we drove carefully home. Eladio was waiting for us as were the dogs and it was a mayhem of a welcome but oh so emotional. Here are the two of them hugging as soon as we got home.
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| Suzy and her Father reunited this week. |
Shortly after she had settled in, it was time to put up the Christmas decorations. Eladio brought up the old tree and the huge box of Christmas things and between the 3 of us we had the job done in about 1.5h. As tradition dictates in this house, we played carols while putting everything up.
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| The old tree with some of the presents under it |
Later I took a photo with all the lights on and it looked truly magical. Christmas had finally come to our house and brought its magic with it. How happy I felt, looking forward to another family Christmas together.
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| Christmas came with all its magic on Tuesday, the day Suzy was home. |
We had a wonderful lunch together where Suzy was reunited with her Grandfather. Lucy had made lentils so we all ended up having a vegan meal hahaha. Later we all had a siesta and then Suzy joined us for our walk. I clad her in some of my warm walking gear as she only had summer clothes. Once home, we had some quality mother and daughter time together which we spent searching for an outfit in black for the Friday Christmas concert. The former choir members who would be singing in the concert organised by their old school, St. Michael's, had been instructed to wear black. I was quite chuffed that I could offer her such a selection of outfits in black. I mean I am 61 and she is 34, yet she can wear my clothes. I take that as a compliment.
While we were having a great time together, back in the UK, Teresa May was facing the vote of no confidence from her own party the Tories. In the end she maintained her leadership, although wounded and will now battle on to get the Brexit deal through Parliament which I reckon won't be so easy.
It was great to have Suzy join us for our quiet dinner together. Later we both spoke to Oli on the phone from Switzerland. I didn't get a great night's sleep again either, owing mostly to the horrible cold I have.
I was awake at 5.50 on Thursday morning. I had lots to do that morning, mostly work related. Suzy had to work too, giving her online classes to Chinese pupils. Thus I helped her set up a work zone in the dining room and connected a cable to the router for an optimum connection. For the lessons she gives for the Chinese company "Dada", she has to dress up as a teacher, wearing false glasses and even the company colours, blue. For added attraction, she puts a flower in her hair. Here she is all ready to go.
I have to admit, I listened to her from behind closed doors and thought she was very good. Some of her pupils know no English at all and one of them is a 4 year old girl who, thanks to Suzy, can now sing "twinkle twinkle little star"off by heart . Thank you my friend Jacky for helping Suzy to get this job which she enjoys and is able to do from any corner of the world.
When Suzy finished her lesson, her classroom was once again transformed back into our dining room and we had lunch together. Suzy approved of all the vegetables that were served.
There was to be no walk in the afternoon. It was freezing and windy outside and I didn't want to risk my cold getting worse and I wasn't really feeling very well. It was much colder, however, in Zurich and Oli posted a photo there where it was snowing. I do so love snow.
Suzy worked too in the afternoon, doing assessments of her pupils while I finished watching Season 1 of The Family. It ended on a cliff hanger so now I will have to wait until Season 2 is released to know what happens next.
Soon after, a new guest arrived. Iker, a young man from Vitoria in the north of Spain but who lives and works in Berlin, was coming to stay here for 3 nights. He is doing a degree in nutrition online at the local UEM University and had come to sit some exams. I soon settled him in Suzy's room which I know he loved. Later our other guest, Javi, from Valencia arrived after we had gone to bed. It's his third or fourth time here and he too would be staying for 3 nights. Once again it's full house this weekend but I have no new reservations until the beginning of January, unless one pops up this week coming. It will be nice to have the house to ourselves, especially for Christmas.
Suzy went out to dinner with her bosom friends Elena and Chati who are sisters. She stayed the night there but would be back to do the food shopping with me on Friday morning. Eladio and I had a frugal but healthy dinner before retiring to our quarters really early at about 8.30 pm. We are watching a series called Dogs of Berlin but it's not really our thing.
Friday came and I would be busy again too. Fridays are my weighing day since I started my diet about a month ago. I was very happy to see the figure on the scale go down once again - that's 2.5kg less so far, thus I shall be fine for Christmas and promise to be good. I had more work to do for my new customer, the food shopping and also had to start preparations for the meal I would serve on Saturday night when we had guests for dinner, yes the guests that ended up cancelling at the last minute.
Suzy came with me to do the food shopping at Mercadona but first we went on a few errands and while out enjoyed a cup of coffee together. It was lovely being together and having quality mother ad daughter time again. I can't get enough of it. We were home on time for her to do some work and for me to unload everything and finish making lunch.
After a very short siesta, Suzy and I got ready to go to Madrid. Friday was the day of the 25th anniversary of the girls' school choir, St. Michael's. It's also the 50th anniversary of the school and there will be many celebrations, Friday's concert being one of them. The girls were members of the choir when it was first started by Javier Blanco, a young and dedicated conductor and musician who built a school choir which is probably the best one in Madrid and has won many prizes. My girls were part of the founding group and I think sung at the very first Christmas concert 25 years ago. Every Christmas they would sing at the school concert held at the magnificent "Real Basílica San Francisco el Grane". This year, as I mentioned earlier, some of the past pupils would sing in the concert too as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of their old school. It was so unfair that Oli couldn't make it. The evening was not the same without her.But work prevailed and she had to continue shooting for her programme that very day. She was very upset about not being able to be there too. Here she is in the Swiss Alps. No doubt, she loved being there but would have preferred by far to be in Madrid to sing that night for her old school and together with her sister.
Suzy and I left the car at a metro station and took the tube from there to the centre of the city and then walked in the crowded streets of Madrid to get to the church or rather "Basílica". In the old days we parents had to queue outside in the freezing cold while the girls rehearsed but on Friday I was able to get in, with a little persuasion, and go inside before the concert started. Thus, for once, I got a front pew seat. There are 137 members of the choir and of course the past pupils. It was great to see them again, specially Miriam and Tamara. Miriam was a little girl from Oli's class and they were very good friends. She was often at our house as we lived near the school. Her Father, Don Manuel, was the religion teacher. I hadn't seen her since the girls left school and I was amazed to see this beautiful and poised young woman who is now a teacher of English and mother of 3.
Later I met her children and her smallest, a little girl, who looked just like she did when she was at St. Michael's, tiny and very sweet. While the rehearsal was going on, I had the chance to talk to some of the girls' former teachers whom I hadn't seen for about 17 years ago. Wow, this was a real trip down memory lane and I was experiencing it without Eladio. He had decided not to come although he surprised me later by turning up, although a little late. He did, however, get to see Suzy sing thank goodness. It was lovely to talk to Miss Dorothea, to Don Carlos and even the headmaster, Don Gerardo, as well as Delia, Merche and others. It was funny too to see all the present pupils in the school uniform, so familiar to me. It was such a happy night.
The past pupils had to wear black as I mentioned earlier and here they are rehearsing as they would sing 3 songs on their own and of course join the general choir in singing most of the rest of the repertoire.
The church was packed with parents but also friends and even a group of senior citizens from a nearby retirement home. Suzy's friends, Chati, Elena, Monica and Rocío came to listen to the concert. Rocío was at the school although not in the choir and I know it was an emotional evening for her too.
The concert began with All Come All Ye Faithful and ended with Silent Night but in between there were many other songs and carols, most of them familiar to me from the girls' years with the choirs.
I think my favourite song was "Freedom" where I could distinctly hear my daughter's amazing soprano voice come through as she sung with love and emotion, happy to be be back and singing with her old choir.
What a night it was. When the concert finished to loud clapping from a very full Basílica there was lots of time to talk to past teachers and pupils. I didn't want the night to end but it did. Suzy went off with her friends to have dinner and party the night through, while Eladio and I walked the packed streets of the centre of Madrid to the metro station, Tirso de Molina, and back to where we had parked our cars. We were late home but what a happy night it had been. It was pretty cold outside and that was not good for my throat and cough which seemed to be getting worse since my cold came on about a week ago. I do hope it goes by Christmas.
We were home at about 10.30 and starving. Andy was in the kitchen having his dinner and we joined him. Pippa was missing and Eladio brought her up in his arms from the sofa in our study and we saw that there was something wrong with her front right paw and that she couldn't walk. When we touched it, she winced so I think there might have been a strain as it didn't look broken. I wanted to take her to the vet there and then but my husband said to wait until the next morning.
Thankfully when I got up at 6 am on Saturday morning, she was hobbling around but at least could move. I wanted to take her to the vet but Eladio said it was only a sprain and to wait till Sunday morning. Well, it's Sunday now as I write and she is still lame, so come what may, she will be going to the vet today.
Saturday did not turn out as planned. Suzy had been out on the tiles and was sleeping at a friend's house far from here in an area called Getafe. She actually went to bed at 9 am on Saturday morning! Oli was on on her way home from Zurich and would land at 1.45 and the plan was to have a family lunch together. That day I had planned to go to the English Christmas Market organised by the English church in Madrid but skipped it in the end as there was simply no time. I had to make lunch but also we had friends coming for dinner that night and I had to prepare the meal. The idea was to serve a cold buffet. Just as I had cooked 30 giant prawns and nearly finished making a gigantic potato salad and a a tuna fish spread, I got a message to say our friends couldn't make it for dinner that night, Oh dear I thought, what would I do with all the food and what a pity I hadn't been been able to go to the Christmas market. There was not much I could do. We would just have to have some of the food for dinner and offer the rest of it to Zena and Andy.
We did manage to have a family lunch together, although the girls didn't arrive until nearly 3 pm. Oh but what a joy to see them reunited. There they were hugging each other and I got up to capture the moment on my camera but as I did, Elsa, our clumsy Labrador, brushed past me and I fell over on the floor landing on my knees. It was a hilarious moment. I did, however, get to take another photo and that's the one I have chosen to illustrate this blog; the 2 girls, the 2 sisters, our 2 daughters, Suzy and Oli reunited. It's not often the 4 of us are together and I wanted to make the most of it.
We were all a little shattered - Suzy I suppose most hahaha - but me too as my cold was particularly getting me down yesterday, but were able to spend some quality time together in Oli's room which Suzy is sharing as we have guests in the other rooms. I think they will be the last guests, apart from Andy, this year. I blocked the Airbnb Calendar for Christmas you see. Later we slept a siesta and amazingly I woke up 2 hours later at 7 pm. I didn't know whether it was night or day and I don't how it happened. Maybe my body just said "you've got to get some sleep" as it's always short of sleep. A bit drowsy I went downstairs with Pips in my arms to make a cup of tea in the kitchen. I then switched on all the Christmas lights in the lounges and put some Christmas carols on. That drew everyone downstairs and we sat in the magic until someone said they were hungry. I said, "no problem", there is loads of food, as there was.
Between the 4 of us we made a most delicious dinner with all the food I had prepared for our friends who never came. It felt naughty but nice to be eating "carbs" again but for some reason I wasn't very hungry, probably due to my cold. Eladio, Suzy and Oli said it felt like our traditional Christmas Eve dinner and it did, so in a way, we shall have 2 this year.
There was no routine on Saturday, no walk, due to my cold and I didn't even watch the news. I just wanted to spend time with my girls. In any case I was a bit fed up with Brexit, the Catalan issue and all the negative news we generally live with. So, yes, Saturday did not turn out as planned but was the day the 4 of us were finally reunited after 6 months. What a joy.
And today is Sunday and I am the only one awake as I write, except for the dogs. Our guests from Berlin and Valencia will be leaving this morning, but so shall we. I will be going for a jolly to Valencia with the girls for a day and a night but we will be back to resume our Christmas celebrations tomorrow night.
Now I shall love you but leave you, as it is time to sign off and get on with my day which I am really looking forward to. No doubt, you will hear all about it next Sunday.
Meanwhile, I wish you all a great Sunday and week ahead. Cheers till next time,
Masha
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| Suzy after her classes on Thursday |
When Suzy finished her lesson, her classroom was once again transformed back into our dining room and we had lunch together. Suzy approved of all the vegetables that were served.
There was to be no walk in the afternoon. It was freezing and windy outside and I didn't want to risk my cold getting worse and I wasn't really feeling very well. It was much colder, however, in Zurich and Oli posted a photo there where it was snowing. I do so love snow.
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| Oli in Zurich where it was snowing on Thursday |
Soon after, a new guest arrived. Iker, a young man from Vitoria in the north of Spain but who lives and works in Berlin, was coming to stay here for 3 nights. He is doing a degree in nutrition online at the local UEM University and had come to sit some exams. I soon settled him in Suzy's room which I know he loved. Later our other guest, Javi, from Valencia arrived after we had gone to bed. It's his third or fourth time here and he too would be staying for 3 nights. Once again it's full house this weekend but I have no new reservations until the beginning of January, unless one pops up this week coming. It will be nice to have the house to ourselves, especially for Christmas.
Suzy went out to dinner with her bosom friends Elena and Chati who are sisters. She stayed the night there but would be back to do the food shopping with me on Friday morning. Eladio and I had a frugal but healthy dinner before retiring to our quarters really early at about 8.30 pm. We are watching a series called Dogs of Berlin but it's not really our thing.
Friday came and I would be busy again too. Fridays are my weighing day since I started my diet about a month ago. I was very happy to see the figure on the scale go down once again - that's 2.5kg less so far, thus I shall be fine for Christmas and promise to be good. I had more work to do for my new customer, the food shopping and also had to start preparations for the meal I would serve on Saturday night when we had guests for dinner, yes the guests that ended up cancelling at the last minute.
Suzy came with me to do the food shopping at Mercadona but first we went on a few errands and while out enjoyed a cup of coffee together. It was lovely being together and having quality mother ad daughter time again. I can't get enough of it. We were home on time for her to do some work and for me to unload everything and finish making lunch.
After a very short siesta, Suzy and I got ready to go to Madrid. Friday was the day of the 25th anniversary of the girls' school choir, St. Michael's. It's also the 50th anniversary of the school and there will be many celebrations, Friday's concert being one of them. The girls were members of the choir when it was first started by Javier Blanco, a young and dedicated conductor and musician who built a school choir which is probably the best one in Madrid and has won many prizes. My girls were part of the founding group and I think sung at the very first Christmas concert 25 years ago. Every Christmas they would sing at the school concert held at the magnificent "Real Basílica San Francisco el Grane". This year, as I mentioned earlier, some of the past pupils would sing in the concert too as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of their old school. It was so unfair that Oli couldn't make it. The evening was not the same without her.But work prevailed and she had to continue shooting for her programme that very day. She was very upset about not being able to be there too. Here she is in the Swiss Alps. No doubt, she loved being there but would have preferred by far to be in Madrid to sing that night for her old school and together with her sister.
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| Oli in the Swiss Alps on Friday |
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| Suzy with Miriam and her father, the girls' ex teacher, Don Manuel |
The past pupils had to wear black as I mentioned earlier and here they are rehearsing as they would sing 3 songs on their own and of course join the general choir in singing most of the rest of the repertoire.
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| The past pupils rehearsing before the concert began |
The concert began with All Come All Ye Faithful and ended with Silent Night but in between there were many other songs and carols, most of them familiar to me from the girls' years with the choirs.
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| The choir on Friday or part of it. |
What a night it was. When the concert finished to loud clapping from a very full Basílica there was lots of time to talk to past teachers and pupils. I didn't want the night to end but it did. Suzy went off with her friends to have dinner and party the night through, while Eladio and I walked the packed streets of the centre of Madrid to the metro station, Tirso de Molina, and back to where we had parked our cars. We were late home but what a happy night it had been. It was pretty cold outside and that was not good for my throat and cough which seemed to be getting worse since my cold came on about a week ago. I do hope it goes by Christmas.
We were home at about 10.30 and starving. Andy was in the kitchen having his dinner and we joined him. Pippa was missing and Eladio brought her up in his arms from the sofa in our study and we saw that there was something wrong with her front right paw and that she couldn't walk. When we touched it, she winced so I think there might have been a strain as it didn't look broken. I wanted to take her to the vet there and then but my husband said to wait until the next morning.
Thankfully when I got up at 6 am on Saturday morning, she was hobbling around but at least could move. I wanted to take her to the vet but Eladio said it was only a sprain and to wait till Sunday morning. Well, it's Sunday now as I write and she is still lame, so come what may, she will be going to the vet today.
Saturday did not turn out as planned. Suzy had been out on the tiles and was sleeping at a friend's house far from here in an area called Getafe. She actually went to bed at 9 am on Saturday morning! Oli was on on her way home from Zurich and would land at 1.45 and the plan was to have a family lunch together. That day I had planned to go to the English Christmas Market organised by the English church in Madrid but skipped it in the end as there was simply no time. I had to make lunch but also we had friends coming for dinner that night and I had to prepare the meal. The idea was to serve a cold buffet. Just as I had cooked 30 giant prawns and nearly finished making a gigantic potato salad and a a tuna fish spread, I got a message to say our friends couldn't make it for dinner that night, Oh dear I thought, what would I do with all the food and what a pity I hadn't been been able to go to the Christmas market. There was not much I could do. We would just have to have some of the food for dinner and offer the rest of it to Zena and Andy.
We did manage to have a family lunch together, although the girls didn't arrive until nearly 3 pm. Oh but what a joy to see them reunited. There they were hugging each other and I got up to capture the moment on my camera but as I did, Elsa, our clumsy Labrador, brushed past me and I fell over on the floor landing on my knees. It was a hilarious moment. I did, however, get to take another photo and that's the one I have chosen to illustrate this blog; the 2 girls, the 2 sisters, our 2 daughters, Suzy and Oli reunited. It's not often the 4 of us are together and I wanted to make the most of it.
We were all a little shattered - Suzy I suppose most hahaha - but me too as my cold was particularly getting me down yesterday, but were able to spend some quality time together in Oli's room which Suzy is sharing as we have guests in the other rooms. I think they will be the last guests, apart from Andy, this year. I blocked the Airbnb Calendar for Christmas you see. Later we slept a siesta and amazingly I woke up 2 hours later at 7 pm. I didn't know whether it was night or day and I don't how it happened. Maybe my body just said "you've got to get some sleep" as it's always short of sleep. A bit drowsy I went downstairs with Pips in my arms to make a cup of tea in the kitchen. I then switched on all the Christmas lights in the lounges and put some Christmas carols on. That drew everyone downstairs and we sat in the magic until someone said they were hungry. I said, "no problem", there is loads of food, as there was.
Between the 4 of us we made a most delicious dinner with all the food I had prepared for our friends who never came. It felt naughty but nice to be eating "carbs" again but for some reason I wasn't very hungry, probably due to my cold. Eladio, Suzy and Oli said it felt like our traditional Christmas Eve dinner and it did, so in a way, we shall have 2 this year.
There was no routine on Saturday, no walk, due to my cold and I didn't even watch the news. I just wanted to spend time with my girls. In any case I was a bit fed up with Brexit, the Catalan issue and all the negative news we generally live with. So, yes, Saturday did not turn out as planned but was the day the 4 of us were finally reunited after 6 months. What a joy.
And today is Sunday and I am the only one awake as I write, except for the dogs. Our guests from Berlin and Valencia will be leaving this morning, but so shall we. I will be going for a jolly to Valencia with the girls for a day and a night but we will be back to resume our Christmas celebrations tomorrow night.
Now I shall love you but leave you, as it is time to sign off and get on with my day which I am really looking forward to. No doubt, you will hear all about it next Sunday.
Meanwhile, I wish you all a great Sunday and week ahead. Cheers till next time,
Masha
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