Yesss! Graham has taken up my invitation to write a blog – here it is!

If this doesn’t stop soon we’ll be bankrupt; when I get tied down in one location all I want to do is look on the internet and spend money. Being under lockdown here in our Spanish casa is no different…. everywhere I look I see buying opportunities to make our life more comfortable, or is that my life, as Jill always tells me she has everything she needs.

enough of that ….

I had always said that my father watched too much daytime television, and that is all that my mother has to keep herself occupied other than the numerous number of friends she has on Facebook, but i now understand a little why that was and is so. With this enforced isolation it would be an ideal opportunity to do all the DIY that is always needed when moving into a new abode but……no tools, no spares and no opportunity to go and buy any had I the inclination to do so (I have all mine back on Francoise!). This leaves huge voids in the day that need to be filled. Jill has her new hobby/quiet room where she disappears to learn Spanish and write and possibly catch up on sleep (said tongue in cheek): its not my bag so, hey ho, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are getting huge hits…thank the lord for the unlimited internet here. It also means (with Jill out of the way) I can watch what I want…no not what you think!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HvIWpNjNSM enough to send anyone to sleep, I decided that when we bought this place that I didn’t want to pay the huge monitoring fees that security companies charge for what, in effect, is sitting on their backsides waiting for an event to happen. I decided that, for that money, I could put in a system that I could self monitor. I then began to think that I could possibly re-use the system that’s already in situ…..firstly, unlike the video, all the instructions on the panel are in Spanish, ah! I hear you say, why not use Jill’s new learnt skills; her Spanish is coming along brilliantly but her patience is exhausted within minutes when it comes to playing with “IT”, so back to watching Netflix……

I have just spent an unhappy 30 mins talking to my Mum, she has had a carer/cleaner/shopper for the last 10 years who has at times been her lifeline and I have had to talk Mum into letting her go for the foreseeable future, Josie (not her real name) has another job working at Aldi Supermarket where she is in contact with the general public all the time. After work, she goes and ‘does’ for Mum (87) and another lady who has MS. Mum is absolutely distraught but we (the Family) have taken this decision to protect her.

Now what’s on Amazon Video? or YouTube or….

Today is Jill’s birthday and I managed to get Alexa to sing Happy Birthday to her with me as she walked down the stairs, it brought a beaming smile to her face. Lubbly Jubblies and even the sun has made a brief appearance too, what more does a girl need? I couldn’t get her favourite Ferrero Roches so a bottle of Remy Martin will have to do.

Yesterday I needed to buy a new gas bottle for a heater which is being delivered today, everywhere I went in Oliva I was told, ‘sorry, only exchange’. So then I went onto Facebook and the local Oliva group and put out a, ‘wanted’ message. Within 40 mins, I had a bottle offered for 10 euros instead of all the rigmarole of signing a contract and paying an extortionate amount for the privilege…result. I also got a free workout having to climb to a 4th floor apartment and carry it down again!

Lockdown; it’s a necessary evil which we all have to endure if we want to survive, so stay safe and love what you do, it’ll help you keep sane. I’m loving my new 43” smart TV!

Just a little something I put together………….(note from the editor – can you see his nose growing?).