Lego is the bizz ! ! !

I just fell over a Youtube video called ''8-bit trip''.
It's a feast of multi-coloured builds some Scandinavian sounding guys took an awful long time over.

There's also a funny ''Lego man prank call''.

I go for colour first, amass everything I can find in one or two colours and then build from there.

I'm a good ''finder'' for the boys.

How do you play with your lego?!

Happy Sunday folks! xxx x xxx x

A little eye candy! Take two.

I had two hours worth of fruitless labours this afternoon trying to do this and all I achieved was one photo with the wrong caption! Grrrrrrr ! ! ! !
Stephen is now home and at my elbow. Let's see how we go.



Down at Lucy's old flat - bunking in together.



Ooh! The look ! !



Here's Harry Potter and his half bud !



Captain Inside Out Pants !



Nathan under a tea cosy. Lucy knitted this little number for me at about the same time that Polly knitted me one. My girls know how important a pot of tea is to me! So this is Mon thru Wed tea cosy and Pol's is Thur thru Sat with alternate Sundays!



This was our visit at Easter this year. We were surprised with the whole family meeting us at Lester Pearson airport. The last time we saw Thomas was last summer and I was worried how he'd react to us. He was in Stephen's arms as we walked to the car park! Here he is chillin' with my MP3 player. Little love!



Aidan just loves dressing up. That is a bit of an under-statement really. He's a magpie whose eyes light up when we've been shopping or someone comes to stay. Aunty Polly made them their very own dressing up bag one Christmas filled with masks, hats, cloaks. I'll miss Sir Prance-a-lot when he grows out of this.






Now what does a Knight snack on, a pretty tired looking Knight?

Answers on a postcard please.



Three of my bestest friends - Aidan, Ben and Lucy's evil looking dolly from play-school, Hamble.
Poor old Hamble was an old doll when she was passed on to Lucy, I can't remember where from. The poor thing had been allowed to get rusty eyes ! When Lucy took her to play-school, the old dear taking the money on the door turned her to face the wall while she minded her for Lucy ! !
This picture of Aidan holding Hamble so carefully is very precious.



Aunty Rose chillin!
We haven't done this in a while, sitting around a dining table, catching up. Stephen and I are due to catch up on this as soon as we can and we can't wait!

Geet kettle on Mother !



Hey I made it ! This is just a taster for now, many more to follow.




Our House

WE play at our house and have all sorts of fun,
An' there's always a game when supper is done;
An' at our house there's marks on the walls an' the stairs,
An' some terrible scratches on some of the chairs;
An' ma says that our house is surely a fright,
But pa and I say that our house is all right.


At our house we laugh an' we sing an' we shout,
An' whirl all the chairs and the tables about,
An' I rassle my pa an' I get him down too,
An' he's all out of breath when the fightin' is through;
An' ma says our house is surely a sight,
But pa an' I say that our house is all right.


I've been to houses with pa where I had
To sit in a chair like a good little lad,
An' there wasn't a mark on the walls an' the chairs,
An' the stuff that we have couldn't come up to theirs;
An' pa said to ma that for all of their joy
He wouldn't change places and give up his boy.


They never have races nor rassles nor fights,
Coz they have no children to play with at nights;
An' their walls are all clean and their curtains hang straight,
An' everything's shiny an' right up to date;
But pa says with all of its racket an' fuss,
He'd rather by far live at our house with us.


Edgar Guest

A little eye candy!

Having all the time in the world this weekend, Stephen managed to download all the photos off my phone I've ever taken since I got it. What a lovely meander down memory lane!


Down at Lucy's old flat - bunkering in together.

slow news day.

Today I thought I'd ask for a bit of reader participation.

As you know, I'm the only female in a town of eight males. Six are Scandavian, two from other parts of the world and the husband. There you have it, you see. The brain has furred up and I can't even count up to nine now!

I'm spending each day knitting up a storm. The afghan.   &nvsp;   I have been saving up the Archer's each day to enjoy a whole hour's worth of the omnibus (move along inside, please!)on Mondays.

A great discovery was a knitting podcast called Cast-on.com. Again it's an hour's worth of, well, sitting and knitting with a sympatico friend, I guess. I love it and am enjoying delving back into previous podcasts as Brenda, the podcastor from Wales has gone home to America for the summer. I am now a devoted podcastee with a yen to try it for myself!

Besides this Stephen has kindly uploaded Bill Bryson's Notes from a small country onto my Ipode. There's also a lot of brass band, I do like a bit of triple tonguing, and some classical but not much, if any come to think of it, modern or pop music.

Then there's the sound of silence which I'm growing to appreciate more and more. Maybe it's the constant drone from the air conditioners (a toss up at night; cool din or peaceful sweating?) or maybe it's just the first real opportunity to experience it.   7nbsp;   Silence is definately golden !

So here's the thing.       which programmes or music do you enjoy listening to and why?

Listen out for the silence peeps!
xxxxxxxx

A spot of housekeeping.

Time now, to catch up on all our quizzes and queries.

We start this week with our reader's letters to 'Dear Tabitha'. Matthew in Guand Uaapids writes, Dear Tabitha, my little family and I left a week ago for our annual vaccation to the family cottage. Upon returning last night, we discovered our kitchen had gone! Then we remembered we were having it renevated. My question is this: how do we get through this testing time, especially with a youngster in the house?
Well, Matthew, I suggest you and the missus take September, October, November and Christmas's beer allowance first thing each morning, preferably on an empty stomach. Oh, and give little Tommy that trumpet to play with , his Aunt Lucy thoughtfully got him last birthday. That should keep the guys on their toes!

Thanks to Stephen in White Rock City,''where the girls are so pretty', for the tip on what not to do with a broken bottle. Unfortunately, we're unable to print his full email as this blog goes out before the watershed.

The correct answer was Tony Blurr, in our 'Odd one out' competition. All the rest were great leaders. Too many listeners wrote in with the correction answer there, so that two pound bottle of champagne Stephen bought in 1994 at the 'Everything MUST go' sale at the Saints grounds will be put back in the cupboard till next week.

This week's fashion dilemma comes from Polly from Pimlico. She would like to know what to wear for that all important job interview, when first impressions mean so much. Well Polly, I always say it's best to be honest, so go with the bucket over the head and let them know up front what a fruitcake they're taking on.

Now here's Lucy Lupino with the gardening corner. "This week m'little grasshoppers, I'd like to warn you about getting your hollyhocks mixed up with your dandelions. You could end up with a bunch of dandelocks and a wet bed! Lucy finishes with a heads up for getting the sprouts on in time for Christmas!

I'd like to introduce a new segment called 'Find me a pen-pal.' Rose from Rouen wants someone to write to with similar interests to her own. They're listed as being extreme ironing, in fact the more inacessible the better and she writes,'you should see my party trick with a suppository!' Good luck Rose!

Finally, I'd like to thank all our viewers who took the time to vote in the 'Where shall we send Nan to next?' competition. Caroline in tent 3 wants it to be know that she had her last time!

I'd like to sign off with this bon motte: If you win the rat race, you're still a rat! GET OUT BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE ! ! !

TTFN !
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Invasion of the dates !

We will be bringing dates back with us! That is a promise, people ! ! Yes, yes, kids, I know we still have boxes that your Father has been bringing home over the years. As I strafed the newspaper for interesting snippets about Ramadan I came across an article which made me think twice about those gorgeous sticky brown things.

The Prophet Muhammad recommended breaking the fast at iftar with dates. I guess he knew a thing or two. During the summer season dates abound in fruit markets. Date shops display them arranged in pyramids inside glass boxes like gems and sell them at considerably high prices.

For Westerners, dates and the palm tree symbolize Arabia. Ancient Arabs thrived and survived on the palm tree, which surprisingly prospers in arid land and yields the nutritious date.

Arabians found use for every section of the palm tree. They employ the fronds to weave baskets and ropes and to thatch roofs. Palm trunks are used as pillars to support houses and tents. The liquid of boiled luqqaah (the sheath of flower clusters) is given to quell upset stomachs. Date pits yield cooking oil. The center of the palm trunk, jummar or heart of palm, makes a delicious salad ingredient.

Let's look at the fruit again, the date only ripens at the peak of desert heat (August) which yields a superior quality fruit. Dates are eaten at different stages. The first stage is the deep red and bright yellow crunchy balah. The best in the red balah is the long zahou Al-Madinah and the shorter barhi in the yellow ones. As they mellow, one half becomes soft and brown. They are called munassaf, meaning half and half. When they turn completely soft and brown, they become rutthab. Freezing can maintain the latter stage for months, making it available all year long. Some types are better than others for freezing. To last a whole year to the next season, they need to be dried to become tamr. Different types of dates are dried to different levels. Date syrup is sometimes added to keep them soft and to preserve them.

Now, are you still with me?! Lets take a look at just how good they are for you.
Dates have very little fat and no cholesterol. Yes, no fat ! ! !

Magnesium in the fruit lowers blood pressure; relaxes the muscles, nerves and arteries; helps make bone mass; protects against cancer (lung); and controls hypertension and heartbeat along with its copper content.

Calcium in dates is another muscle, artery, and nerve relaxant; builds bones; prevents osteoporosis; and helps regulate blood pressure.

Potassium from the fruit strengthens the heart muscles; enhances appetite; prevents muscle spasms; lowers blood pressure; improves bone structure; and reduces cancer risk.

Boron in dates builds bone; relieves arthritis; enhances sexual desire; and treats brain cancer.

Phosphorus in them protects teeth and bones and stimulates the reproductive and sexual organs in both males and females.

Selenium in the fruit prevents infections; prevents antibiotic resistance; works against cancer; strengthens immunity; reduces joint inflammation; improves mood disorders; normalizes thyroid activity and enhances fertility.

Sodium, chloride, and potassium contents in the fruit help balance stomach acid.

Iron along with vitamin B2 and copper in dates builds red blood cells; transports oxygen in the blood and muscles; improves vision; provides energy; is important for child bearing years and pregnancies and eases delivery.

Fluorine in the fruit protects against tooth decay, making dates a good substitute for sweets for children.

Vitamin C in dates is high enough to protect against scurvy; strengthen blood vessel walls; help gum disease and bleeding and bolster and aid in liver detoxification.

Vitamin A's availability in the date improves eye and skin dryness, night vision and sexual drive.

Vitamins B1 and B2 respectively treat nervous system disorders and anemia.

Pectin in dates, like apples and pears, lowers cholesterol to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Fiber is high in dates. It improves digestion and bowel movement and decreases colon cancer risk.

Can you beat all of that?!

Traditional medicine in Arabia prescribes dates for many conditions ranging from digestive and respiratory disorders and bone building to pregnancy, childbirth, flagging sexual drive, low-sperm count, fertility, and insect bites.

During pregnancy, they bolster energy; supplement mother with important nutrients; prepare for delivery and lactation; regulate contractions and prevent haemorrhage.

Different regions of the Arabian Peninsula have different recipes to ease childbirth. Some suggest eating several dates with cinnamon tea; others use clove, cumin, or anise tea with dates. After delivery, dates are given to prevent postpartum bleeding and void the placenta. To invigorate the new mother, they give her dates, black seeds, Nigella sativa, and fenugreek, or they prepare for her wheat gruel with dates, butter, pepper, and aromatic seeds, plus an egg in the morning.

Date cures may have been influenced by the Holy Quran when God addresses Mary, or Mariam, Mother of Jesus during her labour pains: "And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee: It will drop fresh dates upon thee".

Until the invasion of modern diets, the date was the main nutrition in the Arabian Peninsula. Most desserts such as henaini, saeedha and maamoul, are made from dates, even rice and vegetable recipes include dates. They can be added to pastries, cakes, pies, and chocolate bonbons. Date syrup is used in desserts. Dates with nuts make a nice snack. Plain or nut-stuffed dates are savoured with the cardamom flavoured Arabic coffee.

Dates are particularly popular during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Breaking the fast with one, three or up to seven dates is highly recommended by Prophet Muhammad to energize after a long day of abstinence from food. Nutrients replenish and antioxidants detoxify. He suggested: "Whoever takes every morning seven dates of ajwa, he will neither be harmed by poison nor sorcery on that day". Ajwa, the Prophet's favourite date, is the short black highly-prized date, grown in Al-Madinah.

The average date contains 20 calories. Eating too many can be detrimental to health and counteracts weight control.

I can see a new super-hero ! Datedude ! ! !

So, now you know what y"all getting for Christmas !

Ramadan Mubarak !

Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, will start the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on Saturday.

Muslims scan the sky at night in search of the new moon to determine the start of Ramadan, the holiest month for the world's more than one billion Muslims, during which observant believers fast from dawn to dusk.

Businesses and offices reduce opening hours during the day and often re-open in the evenings.

During Ramadan, Muslims are required to abstain from food, drink and sex from dawn until dusk as life slips into a lower gear during the day. Activity peaks between "iftar", the breaking of the fast at sunset, and "suhur", the last meal of the day before sunrise.

However, rising swine flu numbers and warnings from governments and the World Health Organisation have heightened fears of being in crowded places.

The impact of the pandemic on Ramadan iftar dinners when people sometimes invite hundreds to break the fast together in homes, tents, and hotel ballrooms just after sunset has yet to be seen.

Normally several hundred thousand people travel to Mecca during Ramadan to perform the umrah, a shortened version of the hajj major pilgrimage that takes place in late November this year.

The umrah is popular because people can come at any time and do not need the permits that are assigned to countries by quota for the hajj, which is required of Muslims once in their lifetime if they have the means.

Business in the holy city of Mecca could be down by 40 per cent in the coming month because of flu fears.

However, . . . . . .

A record Ramadan shopping spree has boosted sales in the West End of London this summer.

Sales of perfume - a traditional gift at the end of the Muslim festival - over the past four weeks are up 60 per cent at Selfridges, compared with last year thanks to a surge in the number of wealthy Middle Eastern visitors.

Nearly 150,000 are thought to have visited London in the past month to escape the scorching heat of home. The weak pound has made it better value to buy goods in Britain than in Paris or Milan.

Several shops have introduced later closing in the run-up to Ramadan to suit Middle Eastern customers who are used to shopping in the evening at home when it is cooler.

Selfridges saw sales double of perfumes by Trish McEvoy, Tom Ford and Chanel whose powerful, heady scents are popular with Middle Eastern women.

The store has more than 50 Arabic - speaking staff and it's Clarins counter has introduced a secluded area for sampling beauty products which has proved popular with Muslim women who do not want to remove their hijab in public.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year, was the month in which the Prophet Muhammad, received his first divine revelation from the Angel Gabriel.
For this reason, it was chosen by the Prophet as a month of fasting, a time in which every Muslim could "cultivate piety".

During Ramadan, Muslims are exhorted to read the whole of the Holy Qu"ran.
The "Night of Determination", the night during which Muhammad received his first revelation, falls towards the end of Ramadan. On this night, the Holy Qu"ran tells Muslims that Allah sets the course of the world and all human affairs for the coming year.

You give but little when you give of your possessions

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give

For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow.

And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the overprudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city?

Tisbahi ala Kheer! Good night ladies!

Hummus bi tahina.

Today Stephen and I schlepped to the local supermarket and I had a craving for some hummus. I love one from Tesco or Morrison's that is made with red pepper. I could eat it till the cows come home!


I couldn't find any ready made stuff nor cans of chickpeas so came away with a packet of chickpea seeds, a couple of lemons, a bulb of garlic and some tahini, in liquid form! We shopped early, nine-ish. The majority of Arabs at this time of the year shop later in the day, to avoid the heat.


I began the hummus as soon as we got home; soaking, simmering, a little more simmering and yet more simmering. The darn things just wouldn't soften up! About six hours later . . . . . after a wrastle with the Moulinex food processor, (why can't they leave the information booklets with the machines?!) I eventually produced a bowl of hummus. Not my lovely red pepper version but hummus all the same.




Well, I wasn't feeling very well today and the rather bland bowl of paste was the straw that broke the poor old camel's back!


Then as I was about to go to bed I noticed Stephen, (poor lad said it was lovely), had looked hummus up on the internet. Beside all the history to it, I spotted a variation that I think I might try adding tomorrow.


Just in case you're interested:


Hummus Kasa, from a 13th century Arab cookbook called, 'Kitab Wasf al-Atima al-Mutada', substitutes vinegar for lemon juice, throws in extra herbs, not specified, and adds walnuts, almond and pistachios.

The famous Roman orator, Cicero, was named after an ancestor who had a wart on his nose, resembling a chickpea!

Hummus is high in iron and vitamin C and when eaten with bread it serves as a complete protein.

Syrians in Canada's Arab diaspora prepare and consume hummus along with other dishes like falafel, kibbe and tabouleh, even among third and fourth-generation offspring of the original immigrants.

Palestines garnish with olive oil and 'nana'mint leaves, (must trace those!), paprika, parsley or cumin.'

A related popular dish in Jordan is laban ma"hummus (yogurt and chickpeas) which uses yogurt in the place of tahini and butter in the place of olive oil.

There are hummus-only shops in Israel called humusiot.

During the intifada, the Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule in the late 1980's, Jews would sneak in to risk their lives, sneak into the Muslim quarter just to have a vital, really genuine good humous.

That must say something about the appeal of this gorgeous dish.

Which one am I going to try? Firstly, the walnuts one, simply because we bought some today and then the laban one as Stephen loves this milky yogurt.

Anyone else dig this dish?!

Peace out peeps. xxx

Tesekkür ederim Gül'gün !

Selam !



I'm just showing off now the bits of Turkish Gülgün taught me.



This is the delightful little coffee set that Gülgün actually gave me after our coffee time! It is from Istanbul and is absolutely gorgeous!



























With the coffee we had fresh dates and chocolate. Gülgün dries her own dates and then freezes them. She was taking a bag back home with her as they are an absolute delicacey! We exchanged email addresses so now I have a friend in Istanbul!

My other photo is of a little cracker I'm calling Gheckl the gecko. Not to be confused with Gordon (Matthew's Echo car!)



As I water one of the tall bushes in the front garden in the evenings this little fellow scuttles out and up the front wall. He hangs around a little bit longer each evening, I think deciding that maybe I'm not so much of a danger after all.

Apparently these beautiful little creatures have the amazing ability to hold to any surface you can think of, except . . . . .

Should he try to hang on to a Teflon coated fry pan (!) then he'll slide right off! Gecko's are unique among lizards in their vocalizations, making chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos. So should you want to hear one, then just try enticing one into your fry pan!

Van der Waals interactions are the attractive forces that hold geckos to surfaces. Teflon has very low van der Waals forces so the gecko cannot stick to it.

Some species are parthenogenic, meaning the female can reproduce without copulating with a male . However, where a single female gecko populates an entire island, said island will suffer from a lack of genetic variation within the geckos that inhabit it. In other words, the toilet seat will remain down !



Geckos climb

Pasted on the walls

Silent witness to the day's progress

Weed Wackers and Cloud/ cat and sun/ aquarium waterfall and creeks edge

Silent fisherman/ wooden catch/

A day passes in silence

The days are slower as a child

And quiet as the world labors

The sun is gentler and the birds are friendlier

And the old come out to play



Guillermo Veloso







Sa`g olun !
Be healthy be strong !

Yeh for friends ! !

I've just hosted my first visitor. Gülgün, who hails from Turkey, dropped by for a coffee. Unfortunately she and her husband Selim leave here for home in Istanbul, next Thursday.

We had a good old natter about family, friends, values and generally putting the world to rights. As you do. I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can about Turkey before Gülgün leaves. She is Muslim but that is a very different matter from being a Muslim woman here.

Now that I think about this I wonder that I am meeting people from different religions at the moment. I joined a Gospel choir, really just to sing but have found people from other religions there. I am a Catholic and my faith is very important to me. Meeting people who have strong beliefs in other faiths seems to be happening to me just now. I may not have noticed it before but I don't think I have met many people believing in something before. Is it just me, now, or is the world turning to having faith in something, anything?
Anyhoos or bees, as Pol says, tomorrow I have a date for Turkish coffee after gym! I can't wait!

You never know what's around the corner.

What I'm at.

So here's some photos of the afghan I'm busy with.
It's from Debbie Abrahams' Blankets and throws to knit'.
The blocks are a melange of cables, bobbles and other textured stitches like moss stitch.
I began this throw back in February 2006, just in time for Lucy's birthday! Well, a few birthdays later, hopefully it'll be going home from here in one piece. Lucy has recently moved into her own flat. I just hope she likes the colour! I have a thing for green.

We buried the chap who wrote the Hokey Kokey, the other day. We got the left leg in . . . then it all started to go wrong.

Peace out people!

Hilary is a little busy today working on Lucy's knitted quilt which has become her cause celeb. So I, number one husband, am writing today's eulogy. It is my day off from the grind of churning out my three months notice. It is 9:30 and the temperature is already in the mid 30's. Things are very quite here in The Garden Of Eden, Site 3, Buraidah, there are only eight westerners left so the residence camp seems even more deserted than ever.

A sub contractor from Ireland is visiting the site for a week, his name is Eoin, he's been here several times before so I know him quite well. Last night three of us, Eoin, Hilary and myself played pool in the makeshift clubhouse that has been unoccupied since Jimmy Smalley left, and of course there was some ambre nectar to be consumed.

As you can see from the pictures Hilary has taken on the task of watering the garden, just a little water and everything seems to grow like buggery.

Happy birthday Aidan !

Today is a red letter day !



Today our grandson Aidan will be six years old !



Because he is camping in Plymouth with his Mum, Caroline and brother Nathan and we are here, we've made a special surprise for him to enjoy ! He's just the right age.



lots of love little man, from Nan and Big Granddad



X X X X X X

The road trip.

The lonely driver chases the ribbon of tarmac - never ending - like a treadmill in a barren desert,
The air conditioned hamster wheel treadmill,
for what?
Where's the family?
the son you are so proud of graduating in Manilla?
"Good morning, sir"
"No problem, sir"
Your view is grey and brown, the road in and out of Riyadh
but when do you go home?
You wait patiently in the heat of the mall car park,
papers ready for the checkpoint; eyes front!

You left the beautiful Philipinnes for the far side of the moon,

Qassim 300m.
The red sand dunes, the tyres discarded; the fallout from the train of wagons,
no living soul,
the relentless pursuit of the end of the road;



the detritus of a moments lack of concentration,
your passengers snoring gently or tapping to the beat in their ears.

Twenty years you proudly say you've been driving in Saudi!
You've seen new builds come and go,
the flat desert, like a huge landing strip for some Mothership from another place.
"We called, but they weren't home!"

And yet who would come if you failed?!
They would surely come out of rocks and the gulleys; ready to give you aid.



I search for the silence in the sands.

Miss Construe

Re-reading my blog last night I had a jolly good laugh! I think I've managed to make this sound like Brideshead By Camel Train. 'One hump or two vicar?

White Rock City, the name of this camp, (more on this later) is within a wire fenced perimeter. The dusty dirt road in here is about ten minutes drive from the main tarmaced road. That main road is about a thirty minute drive to the nearest supermarket, in a one camel town called Oyoon Al Jawa; an hour's drive from here is the city of Buraidah, where I could have the choice of two supermarkets; three and half hours driving at one hundred miles an hour is the capital city of Riyadh and it's even larger selection of supermarkets, malls and sprawling markets.

There are no buses connecting us with anywhere, nor any taxis to be rung for at a moment's notice. The company therefore have drivers to service the works and the accomodation camps. In Saudi Arabia it is illegal for a woman to drive. So we have the choice of either being driven by our husbands to collect the groceries or arrange for a driver to take us.

Jun is a part of the maintenance team here on the camp. They maintain the villas, school, pools, gym, sports courts and clubhouse. All the gardens, hedges and trees are looked after by them also.
Stephen, living as a bachelor here is given the option of having someone come clean his house once a week. He can have his garden watered daily and send his clothes to be cleaned and pressed. As this is an extra income for the maintenance men we are continuing with it until we leave.

The camp restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch and evening meal. This is a valuable service here for the men as it not only provides them with three square meals a day but gives them the chance to socialise over a meal. A nod at normality. The meals are of a high quality and inexpensive so we visit the restaurant daily, usually at lunch-time and catch a moment or two away from work.
As the job is winding down, the numbers here at the camp are dwindling and the properties are being renovated. The restaurant has been moved to a villa two doors down from us in English Gardens. There are just the four tables set out in what was the through lounge/dining room. The staff numbers four or five and provide delicious meals and impeccable table service. It is an absolute treat I look forward to!
The bedrooms have become a comfortable tv lounge and a dvd/book library with a computer. So, on Tuesdays I will enjoy a coffee with the restaurant staff and let Jun get on with his job here.

Home again, home again, jiggety jiggety jig!

Yer man and I returned home this morning, the driver having made haste for the lunch time repast.
Polarca, or as Stephen called him, Polluka, was a fantastic driver and guide, making our weekend flow smoothlessly. He looks maybe in his fifties and is from the Phillipines. He's been a driver here since the éighties. He probably has seen the buildings in Riadyh come and go.
So, hugs and kisses to one and all, missing you lots. XXx X Xxx X

Dilemma !

I have a problem. Well, really the cats have the problem. At the last count there are four cats prowling around here.
They are scrawny, as in a skeletal frame with a fur covering. Smallish, so not sure if they are kittens or cats. They are quite perky playing boxing each other and stalking the pigeons. Just very thin.
I haven't fed them or anything apart from making puddles for them as I water the garden. I know they would have another problem if I started feeding them or petting them and then left them. It's just seeing them so thin makes me want to fatten them up and isn't the whole purpose of a cat to play with ? !
I told myself I didn't need to own animals right now. That's what we do the minute we give them names, isn't it. We begin to make decisions for them. I was doing so good.
Then the fourth one hung around as I watered, as I took his picture, as I checked every ten minutes out the window to see if he was still there, as I heard myself saying, ''Ay, Bee, Cee, Dee.''
Drat ! ! !

Her conscious tail her joy declared:
The fair round face, the snowy beard,
The velvet of her paws,
Her coat that with the tortoise vies,
Her ears of jet, and emerald eyes,
She saw; and pur"d applause.

Baby steps!

Today I made contact with four new people. I was joined in the gym this morning by a wife from Pakistan and another wife from Turkey. Things are looking up!
I'm going to need to see their names written down before I commit them to the blog. I'm hoping to get to know them by using small bios about ourselves. I can't wait to find out more about them!
After lunch I sat and knitted (listening to the Blackdyke Mills) while Jun, pronounced the same way as the month, cleaned the villa. I keep telling myself, I'm keeping him in work. Carlos was passing the time on the computer before he had to set to in the kitchen on tonights meal. He was kind enough to offer me a coffee.
Jun, I think is from the Phillipines while Carlos is maybe from India. Carlos and his co-workers certainly know how to knock out some good grub! Considering we're in the middle of nowhere in extreme heat, I've been amazed and delightedly looking forward to each lunch!
Now do you see why I'm using the gym daily?!
Tomorrow, Stephen and I are driving to Riyadh for the weekend. I need some essential supplies I daft well left behind for my projects and I think Dixon's magnet might be drawing Stephen in.
I shall return to carry on here and to explore the fledgling friendships.

"You are old, Father William", the young man said.
"And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head;
Do you think, at your age, it is right?"

About time . . .

Better late than never, hey?!
I've been here almost a week now and the idea I had of keeping in touch with friends and family as if I were still at home, smoothly, effortlessly, in the moment, is not to be.
The internet service here has been sporadic. When it is running, I use that word loosely, it is more of a lope than anything.
Hence, finally, the blog. Somewhere for me to calmly gather together my daily thoughts and experiences (she should be so lucky!) and then cast them upon the waters, in the internets own good time.
Peace, people.