mylifeinspain

july 4th macaroni salad

Hey, happy 4th of July to all out there celebrating! Our family, both in the US and at the satellite residence here in Spain, always includes this macaroni salad as part of its holiday menu. I think the recipe probably came from one of those great old Dutchie church cookbooks (I am sure my mother can confirm this) because it doesn't include any, should we say "exotic" ingredients. And I suppose on some level that is why I like it so much. Sure there are times when I crave artichoke hearts and arugula with my pasta; but for the good old-fashioned picnic, this simple, easy receta is our favorite.
All you need is cooked macaroni (I used about half a pound), grated onion (I grate until I start tearing up, usually about a tablespoon or two, i.e., half a decent-sized onion), a couple grated carrots, three chopped celery stalks, two diced hard-boiled eggs, enough mayo to make you happy (my mother only ever uses Hellmann's, but shhh, I think some of the Spanish mayonesas are better), a little freshly ground pepper, and a couple shakes of celery salt.
I always make the salad in the morning, allowing the flavors to meld. However, the danger here is that Big Jim and I have been sneaking spoonfuls ever since---it really is that more-ish. Fingers crossed there is still enough left for our little family cookout tonight! :-)

Yum..........

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

4 years ago: Happy 4th/almejas al ajillo
3 years ago: No entry.
2 years ago: Another happy 4th/kitty problems
1 year ago: No entry.

home #5

For the past almost seven years, here has been my home. It has been a fascinating experience, and after all this time I can still be bowled over by the region's natural beauty. But indeed Big Jim and I are ready to move on and are in search of home #6. And if we needed yet another sign that it's time to leave, the town sewage pipes are apparently backed up and a huge pile of smelly goo has been sitting beneath our house since early this morning (Oh, did I mention that the temperature has been well over 90 for the past 10 days?). Buster Bubba keeps checking around to make sure he hasn't had an accident anywhere. LOVELY, I tell you.

::Sigh:: But at least there is mañana and a new topic from NaBloPoMo that appeals to my sensibilities---food! :-)

hasta luego,
mylifeinspain

4 years ago: My "glamorous" life (HA!)
3 years ago: No entry.
2 years ago: Foto Friday
1 year ago: No entry.

big jim's monday "to do" list (and more)

1. Go to insurance company and find out what is going on with our car. Also discuss with insurer the fact that the dude at fault has noted on the claim that his father was driving, even though he was alone in the car. Hmmm....

2. Take my Macbook to the Mac dealer in Malaga for repairs. Don't ask.

3. Return the coffee grinder that we bought yesterday because this morning when Big Jim plugged it in, no funcionó.

But despite the fact that we are clearly stalled under a very slowly moving technological black cloud, none of that matters at the moment because of this:

And thus the party has just started in the village and all over Spain. What an awesome and exciting finale to this year's Euro Cup!

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

next, germany!

In case you haven't heard, Spain ha ganado, 3-0, in an awesome match. :-D We old folks are back home, but the party in the square has just started....

And now the final is set for Sunday night, versus Germany. Needless to say, we've already booked our table. :-)

hasta manana,
mylifeinspain

blogiversary

Four years! And wow how much has happened to me, Big Jim, and the assorted menagerie of critters that share our home in the four years since that first tentative post!

While Big Jim and I anxiously prepare for this evening's big match (I am even wearing my official Spain Campers today :-), why not kill an hour browsing the archives and sign the guest book.

And be sure to check out the soccer/football action later today. We may not have a pretty team (see here and here) and one seriously wonders who does their hair (here and here), but they sure are some scrappy dudes with big hearts. Besides, they broke the June 22 curse, which says something about their fortitude.

Off now to dope up the dogs because if Spain does pull off a win tonight, this village is going to go CRAZY!

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

4 years ago: Hola
3 years ago: Blogiversary quiz
2 years ago: Second blogiversary
1 year ago: No entry.

homegrown

hasta manana,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: No entry.
2 years ago: Foto Friday.
1 year ago: No entry.

weekend in fotos

It's a nail-biter here in Euro Cupland; score is currently 0-0 (Spain v. Italy) and we're in extra time......

hasta manana,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Mission accomplished
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

home team

Seeing as Big Jim and I don't have tv (ie, we have a television but only for watching DVDs), we are heading out to the plaza to watch tonight's match on the large screens. Big Jim is being nice actually; I'm not sure if he knows what the Euro Cup is. I just said to him "Wow, France didn't even advance out of their group", and he replied, "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about." Perhaps I should clue him in to the fact our team wears red and gold before the match starts in 15 minutes. :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

vacation day at home

Seeing as both the garage and the insurance company were closed yesterday, we have to wait until tomorrow to see about the old Peugeot and picking up a courtesy rental car. Which left us without a set of wheels on the first weekend of serious summer weather (90+F!). And seeing as the village still hasn't managed to get its act together and open the public swimming pool (rumor is it will open the end of the month), we were left with one option: the hotel swimming pool, which is just a 5-minute walk from home.

But shhhh because it is a really big secret. I have no idea why, but NOBODY from the village uses this swimming pool. At lunchtime today, there were still piles of empty sunbeds and just a handful of hotel guests lounging about the pool. Big Jim and I found a quiet corner at the back of the lawn where we were serenaded most of the afternoon by a little mob of sparrows. We read, we swam, we napped, repeat. Pretty perfect way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon.

And perhaps the best part was at 6:30 we packed up the beach bags and in five minutes we were home. :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

el abrazo

Big Jim says I am at risk of becoming one of those crazy cat lady bloggers, but I don't care. :-)

Almost packed, off to Paris tomorrow morning. Should have WiFi at the hotel and thus should be able to keep my post-a-day June streak intact.

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

troubles at home

The main reasons Big Jim and I chose this region of Spain as a place to lay down roots was its gorgeous unspoiled countryside and simpler pace of life. And over the past seven years, we have seen both erode at alarming paces, so much so that we feel strongly that the time has come to pack up and re-pot ourselves elsewhere. This is not news to long-time readers, of course, but I have not wanted this blog to become standard bitter expat fare, so I tend not to mention our multitude of displeasures and disappointments very often.

However, my friend M. forwarded this article from the New York Times about a consequence of too much construction combined with the ill effects of global warming. Desertification of Spain is coming a serious issue; last year reports were that 13% of our direct region had become desert. And yet the building continues....

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: No entry.
2 years ago: Hump day
1 year ago: Quick survey

at home

Bode kitty, who has made his home here with us now for just over six months, has decided his favorite summer-time spot for hanging out and generally being a kitten is on the office windowsill. That way he can keep tabs both on us and the dogs, as well as his ever-growing feline posse outside. He and the little black cat with the white-tipped tail, a long-time resident of Calle Salares, gossip all evening long, until I call a "lights out" at bedtime and close up for the night.

At 3.6 kg, he is now more cat than kitten, as is his affection for late-afternoon siestas with Big Jim. His eye continues to ever-so-slowly improve; occasionally it is a tad weepy, but he otherwise has no vision loss to speak of. As a matter of fact, he is quite deft at swatting down flies in midair. Mainly, though, he likes to nap.

From time to time, we see his papa. Blue cats are quite rare in the village, so it wasn't too difficult to figure out Bode's lineage. The dad is a bit of a "playa", though, and I suspect has spread his genes around the village. I also see his mama and the remaining three kittens from the litter. She keeps to a small alleyway not far from here, where a couple Spanish widows make sure they have food and water. They are all sweet and tiny compared with Bode but at least they all look relatively healthy.

Every Spring, all over the village, gangly, awkward feral kitties take their first steps out into the streets, learn to beg for fish heads, and seek out flower pots to use as litter trays. A catch-and-release spaying/neutering project has been successful in the neighboring village; the same cannot be said for here.

Tomorrow the local animal society is having its annual fundraiser. Perhaps consider making a donation to your own local shelter, or if your living situation permits, giving an animal a loving home. Bode'll tell you, begging for fish heads sucks!

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Gecko, gecko on the wall....
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: June terrace

home

The folks over at NaBloPoMo have another monthly blogging challenge for June, and the theme is HOME. What is "home" is perhaps more commonly debated by we expat and nomadic types, although with so many people moving where the jobs are and global commuters becoming more commonplace, I suspect the "where and what is home" discussion happens in more houses than just ours.
For Big Jim, the answer is easy: home is wherever his slippers are. And they always stay here at Calle Salares, underneath his bedside table, even when he is off working elsewhere, waiting for his return. For me, I have more trouble with a simple answer, but perhaps by July 1 I will find one. :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

where shall i begin

I know I have been away from you all too long (as my parents' phone call on Monday to "make sure I was ok" can attest to), and I KNOW that I always claim we live in a time warp of a god-forsaken village, BUT IT'S TRUE! Days, months, YEARS fly by if one is not careful to notice. So without prattling on, much, here's what we've been up the past few weeks.

First, though, a footnote to our Venice trip last month: ever wonder what the French/Italian Alps look like from an airplane?

Or how about the Pyrenees?

Now you know. :-)

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Our pets continue to live charmed lives. But unfortunately for Big Jim, this is what he faces every night at bedtime:

(I'm the sort of lumpy bit on the right.) Careful readers may be wondering what the Bode kitty is doing in the bed in the first place, seeing as he was banned. But after about three days of being awoken at 4 am by our species-confused kitty, who thinks he is a dog and thus must be with the pack at all times, Big Jim conceded that if Bode was a very good cat and refrained from attacking our feet in the middle of the night, he would possibly consider thinking about allowing the little guy have a trial run at joining the rest of us for sleep time. As you can see, Bode passed with flying colors. Not that he doesn't occasionally get in trouble when his kittenish urges to nibble our toes overwhelm him. :-)

(And no, this is not a duplicate of the first picture. It's just the precious Boo is able to maintain an almost trance-like state for a looooooong time, unless you offer her some food.)

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I continue to keep Big Jim busy with projects around the house (and no, this is not some underhanded way to drive him crazy and thus back out into Workland, as some around the Village of the Damned have suggested!); as a matter of fact, he quite enjoys most of them. Although, rather than actually sorting out his clothes and perhaps donating some of the excess to the charity shop (as I had hoped he would), Big Jim's solution was to buy himself a new wardrobe. And because the deal was such a good one, he bought a second one for me. Now it we can ever figure out where to put them.....
The cupboard in the office and the bedroom have also been painted, white of course, and to be fair Big Jim has made several trips to the basura dropoff as he heeds my call to simplify, simplify, simplify. He even sorted out the boxes (and boxes) of computer cables and schooled me on how to clean out the inside of a computer, very important in these parts where dust and pet fur run havoc.
Perhaps the most exciting thing to happen to BJ in the past couple weeks, however, was his Almost Famous moment when he, as well as the pups, was spotted walking down calle San Antonio by a mylifeinspain reader! (Hi David from Scotland; hope you enjoyed the rest of your stay here. :-)

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We have also survived three technological breakdowns in a 1-week period:

1. My iPod Clementine packed up and went to the great big tech wasteland in the sky. My new iPod, Clementine II, arrived a week later. :-)
2. One of the fans in the Big Jim's old laptop gave out (and hence spurred the aforementioned spring cleaning of the guts of our other computer machines), rendering said laptop useless for the moment (although the hard drive was easily recovered)
3. Our beloved Jura put her foot down and said "Enough is enough! I have provided you people with more than 10,000 delicious cups of coffee and it is time to have me serviced again, dammit!" It has been been four years; you can hardly blame her. At least it looks like there is now a Jura dealer in Spain who can handle this, rather than sending her back to Germany for the tuneup. In the meantime, we've gone old school and broke out the French presses....

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The garden continues to grow, and I am happy to report that I have many pepper plants sprouted from the seeds I planted. :-) Not so lucky with the tomatoes, however, so I am going to try again (and they are San Marzano, not Roma as I previously stated). The weather here has been on the chilly side, although Big Jim would argue. However, he is still acclimatized to the North, as Almendena backed me up yesterday, saying it was "Hace frio, hace frio!" and that she was going downstairs to light her estufa. By now I should have been able to pack away the nordic duvet and my flannel pjs, but no such luck. At least the garden is happy.

Hope life is treating you all as well, too. I promise to not be such a stranger. :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: No entry.
2 years ago: The wedding: part 2
1 year ago: No entry.

spring days

After a week or so of cloudy and rainy weather, some semblance of spring has returned to the village. That said, the temperatures were warmer here in March, and any time Toronto is registering a higher temperature on the thermometer than the Costa del Sol seems just WRONG to me, but nevertheless we persevere. :-)
The days seem incredibly long, with the sun setting just a hair past 9:15 these days. Of course, this means that after our work is done, Big Jim and I still have plenty of time to putter in the garden, which is getting top priority this year. To our usual mix of various flowers, herbs, and chili plants, we are growing a few vegetables of our own. The reason for this is twofold: first, the fabulous organic farmer is no longer making deliveries to the village (despite our many attempts to convince people here that pretty shiny identical-looking pesticide-ridden tomatoes may NOT be the best to eat, we were unable to drum up a sufficient group of regular customers to make his hour-long journey to the village worthwhile), and second, the prices being charged for certain vegetables in the markets are bordering on extortion. "5,75 euros/kg of red peppers, you must be joking!" I shrieked a couple weeks ago to the horror of Big Jim and the greengrocer. And the peppers were rather sad looking to make matters more insulting. Seriously, five years ago for less than 10 euros Big Jim and I could buy more than enough at the Saturday market to keep us both veggified for the coming week (and Jose Luis, the bio farmer, charged only 2,20/kg, btw, for his bio red peppers). In the end, we bought a couple peppers for eating but more importantly for their seeds, which I have since planted. I am way too cheap to continue to pay these insane prices. And so I also planted Italian green peppers and Roma tomatoes, and fingers crossed the Asian eggplants are successful this year. If we had more space on the terrace, I would grow even more of our own food, but alas we are quite limited in square meters these days. (And already have 120+ pots on the roof alone!)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Frankfurt recap: part I
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

i'm back....

Actually, I haven't been anywhere, but I figured I better post an update soon before my mother started to worry. :-) And now it has been so long that I have to really think what I have been doing the past week and a bit that kept me from blogging....
*When I last sat before the TypePad template, it was Semana Santa. I have to admit, I wasn't really into checking out the processions this year. I did post a few fotos from Palm Sunday, but I was a bit creeped out by the village's recently assembled drum and bugle corps and their paratrooper getups. Sometimes I feel that the longer I am living in Spain, the less I understand certain things. For one, I thought military uniforms juxtaposed with the pageantry of Holy Week was an image not reflective of modern Spain thinking. But what do I know because when I brought the subject up with a couple people, they saw it as just "tradition" and very "Onward Christian Soldiers". Then again, we do not live in exactly the most progressive of villages....
*I also skipped the crucifixion on Good Friday because 1) I have seen the priest-mayor as Jesus be whipped three times already and frankly that's enough; and 2) the weather was overcast and quite chilly and I was much too happy snuggled up at home to think about venturing outdoors.
*Last week brought another round of antibiotics, although nothing as serious as the kidney infection of last month. However, I was taking Cipro and thus ready for an anthrax attack at any moment, but alas none was forthcoming. Ho hum.
*Bode kitty had his little huevos removed on Easter Monday and so far he doesn't seem to miss them much. For some reason I thought this would instill him with some sense of calm, but not the case. He is still a completely mad kookamunga whose favorite things involve either biting some part of my flesh or looking incredibly cute and peaceful first before pulling out the fangs. But he is beautiful, and at least now the marauding gang of feral cousins is no longer gathering outside our front door and leaving their "calling cards". Which of course Almendena would mop down with some rose-smelling detergent before I even got back from the dogs' morning walk, adding to my "I'm a shitty Spanish housewife" guilt.
*By far, however, the biggest time zap of the past 12 days has been my irrational need to find out who Heidi and Spencer are. I know, I know I am years late on the American pop culture scene, no matter how many OK! magazines Big Jim brings me from Holland. But fortunately for me, mtv has graciously made all episodes of The Hills available online. And this is how I was sucked into the vapid world that is Heidi, Spencer, Brody, and Audrina. :Sigh:: It is seriously hard work catching up on three series of shows I tell you! Although when I watched the last episode, I could not help but wonder what I could achieve if I ever applied myself to anything worthwhile....hmmm.

Life should be a tad more placid in the coming days. One reason is that Big Jim finished up his contract in the Hague yesterday and is flying back to the village tomorrow, thus assuming fifty percent of housewifery duties, at least until the next job comes along. :-) Also, later next week we are jetting off to somewhere fun (hint: Marco Polo airport) to celebrate mylifeinspain's 40th b-day. :-D

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Friday fotos from Pakistan
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

my week in fotos....

When Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow a few weeks ago, signaling another six weeks of winter, I shrugged my shoulders, as one does around here, and asked "What winter? If this is winter, I will take another six weeks of sunshine and mid-60 (F) afternoon temps." But I knew it was silly to be cocky because the rain and the miserable cold dampness always come eventually. And so just as my hyacinths are poking through the warm soil, winter finally arrived this past week:

Yes, it can be pretty damn dreary in the south of Spain at times, although really you didn't hear that from me. But when the clouds were finally done emptying their much-needed goodness, after eight straight days of persisting rain, I finally ventured onto the terrace and found signs that old Phil may not ALWAYS be right....

Good job, too, because the laundry basket is close to overflowing, and we don't have a secadora! :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Lots of fotos!
2 years ago: Foto Friday
1 year ago: No entry.

carnaval!

For reasons unknown to me, or any of the Spanish neighbors I asked, today the village children celebrated Carnaval, 10 days after Fat Tuesday. This technicality did not dampen most of their spirits, and frankly even the brattiest of kids looked pretty adorable. See for yourself. First, the guarderia:

And one of the mothers gets in on the fun (seriously, what are the chances a mother in the US could get away with wearing this getup to an elementary school function...)

And then the kindergarten:

The unhappy girl in the next foto is Almendena's great-niece; she was most displeased with her clown shoes. And who wouldn't be?!

The first graders:

Two little chatterboxes in the making:

And the "big kids" (looks like number 5 would much rather be a pirate, and who could blame him really :-)

As an aside, when did all schoolteachers become like 25-years-old!?!

The girl on the left below is Almendena's oldest granddaughter, and every time I see her she has grown up even more. I can't BELIEVE she is off to middle school next year. She is supernice and the only person in their entire family not afraid of dogs. Her aunts, grandmothers, great-aunts all cover their eyes and look away when she courageously pets the precious Boo, which is silly because the pB wouldn't hurt a fly.

And bringing up the rear, one cranky youngster and an overbearing abuela:

Have a great weekend!

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Books on tape
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

my week in fotos....

First, a few more pictures from our trip to the States last month (I figure I will be finished sorting through all the fotos by summer if I'm lucky :-):

Some of my favorite people in the whole wide world. :-)

My parents' dog, the distinguished Chance.

My niece and her Oma.

My last piece of meat on December 31, 2007, and yes it really was a huge steak, 22 oz! No, I did not finish it, but almost.

Supercutie Josephine. :-)

Me and my baby bro.

And from the past week...

I love Big Jim at Ikea in his reading glasses. Seriously, I think they add to his cuteness. :-) I also love my new desk chair. :-)

Beach in Caleta, where we had lunch Saturday afternoon.

The kitty

And his best friend, the precious Boo.

Damn I hate living so close to the beach! :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

another anniversary

Six years ago, my father drove me, my brother, the precious Boo, and Chloe kitty (RIP) to the Philadelphia airport, from where we were to depart on a great adventure. Well, my brother not so much as he was mainly just along for the ride, the airline requiring one human per each traveling pet, although that said some may say that spending a week with Big Jim and me is sort of an adventure as well. ;-)

Sitting here reflecting on the time that has passed, I cannot help but think how many changes have taken place in such a relatively short period. I often feel as though this seemingly sleepy town (change #1, we when moved here it was decidedly a village, but with the expat population explosion this is no longer the case) is on sociocultural overdrive.

When Big Jim and I first laid eyes together on this town, we saw the great potential to live a simple, quiet life away from the hectic bustle of city life, among people who lived a quiet way we envied, a life free from the trappings of a consumer society obsessed with buying and spending and buying and spending some more. The surrounding countryside was stunningly beautiful, a majestic 6000-foot peak and national park bordering the northern edge of the village, and if that wasn't sufficiently gorgeous, the Mediterranean glistened just 10 miles away. It was not difficult to say, "Yes, I suppose this will do." And when faced with a doubting stranger I first met at a mutual friend's birthday dinner, who upon hearing our plans, said, "You mean to tell me that you are moving almost 4000 miles to live with some guy you have never lived with before in a country where you don't even speak the language? Are you CRAZY?!" I poo-pooed the man, who I just thought was being an ass, but I suppose in hindsight, his response wasn't so very much out of line. Although technically I did speak Spanish fairly well, but he didn't know that.

To say that the past six years have been a roller-coaster of a ride would be a serious understatement, but that is not to say that life would not have been just as bumpy elsewhere. And if not for the Dark Years, I don't know that mylifeinspain would have been birthed. As the recession and Big Jim's unemployment stretched to almost three years, I turned to my writing as a safe place to work out frustrations and contemplate our life here and from that mylifeinspain the blog evolved. This was just one of the many good things that came out of a very difficult spot for both of us.

But to answer Naranja's question from a couple entries ago, yes, it is almost certain that Big Jim and I will be moving from the village some time later this year. Multiple factors have led to this decision, many of which I am sure faithful readers could probably name: the irresponsible and often-illegal construction that I fear will eventually destroy much of the town's original character, the inundation of expats in the past few years (and the fondness of many to do little but sit around and booze all day), the fact that there hardly any people in my age group living here and thus I often feel as though I live in a version of Boca Raton full of Hyacinth Buckets (pronounced Bouquet!) and find it difficult to relate and find friends with whom I have much in common. I once described this last feeling to a friend back in the US as though I live at about 70% here because many of my interests and aspects of my personality have been put into storage along with most of my possessions until Big Jim and I find a place to settle that is better-suited to us and our needs.

Ultimately, though, what Big Jim and I are looking for has not changed much since we first set out in search of a place to plant some roots. This little corner of Spain, however, has. Where once the only cause for traffic delay was the goat man and his herd or perhaps a very nervous tourist, the roads are now full of SUVs and cement mixers. There are far fewer olive and almond trees in the valleys and many, many more hideously ostentatious McVillas. And as far as I can see, most of our Spanish neighbors have embraced American consumerism like nobody's business. No, when Big Jim and I and the fur bundles pack up for good it most certainly will be without regret.

Which is not to say that we won't be frequent travelers back to Spain for we have fallen for the nearby coast, one large town in particular that miraculously has remained Spanish despite the invasion of northern Europeans (and thus I would never breathe its name here!), and so we are saving for a little vacation apartment there. Plus, there are miles of this wonderful country to explore, and it will be easier now that I can speak the language so much better than I did when I arrived six years ago.

Last week when I came back to the house from Spanish class, Almendena was at her door, gabbing with her cousin. She of course knew I was coming from class as there is little about our routine that she doesn't know (and honestly vice versa), and she said, "R., by the time you leave Spain, you will speak better Spanish than I!" Which was a serious exaggeration, but I had to laugh. And no matter where Big Jim and I land, it will be nice to know that as long as Almendena can fill her buckets and gossip and go to church all will be well on our little street.

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Big chill
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

by request, more on "Santas-on-a-rope"

Holidailies readers please sign the guest book! :-)

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Holiday travel countdown: 4 days!!!!! (yikes!)

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I confess when I mentioned "Santas-on-a-rope" a few days ago, I did not realize that readers might conjure up images of nooses and "hangman Santas". So by special request (hola Maria!), here are a few examples of the various hanging Santas on display in our barrio.

Ok, perhaps the Santa below indeed looks as though he has made a trip to the gallows, but really it is just shoddy decorating skills by the owners of this house.

Come to think of it, perhaps a better name than "Santa-on-a-rope" would be "Breaking-and-entering Santas". Which makes one wonder what Jesus would have to say about THIS variation:

The Breaking-and-entering Reyes Magos!!!

(Seriously, what the Chinese manufacturers of this stuff must think of such crazy Westerners...)

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: 4 days and counting...
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

the "fat" lottery

Holidailies readers please sign the guest book! :-)

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Holiday travel countdown: 5 days!!!!!

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Foto from Wikipedia.

Perhaps more celebrated every December in this "Roman Catholic" country (quotes used because one third of those self-identifying as Catholic in Spain don't believe in a god) than even the birth of Christ is El Gordo, "the fatty" Christmas lottery. Dating back to either 1763 or 1812, depending on the source, is the world's largest bote, this year reportedly exceeding $3 billion, drawn on December 22 (this year while Big Jim and I will be mid-flight). As one would come to expect in a presently socialist-run country, there is not one giant pot of winnings but rather many drawings so that the chance of winning at least a bit of dinero is quite good. That said, Big Jim and I have never won even a centimo in five years of playing; however, my uncle did pull down a cool 100€ in his first year, so we have just been v. unlucky. Thus far. :-)

Tickets do not come cheap, 20€ for a décimo, or a one-tenth share in a 5-digit number, but this does not stop anyone in the village, or anywhere in Spain, from buying at least one décimo; last year it was reported that 98% of Spaniards held some share in a Christmas lottery ticket. Which I think is truly amazing, to get 98% of any country to participate in anything!

This year, in addition to our usual 20-euro share, we also have joined up with a special peña, which means that for 39.95€ we have bought into 102 different 5-digit numbers, at varying levels of number "ownership". I hasten to add, I am not a lottery-type fanatic-type person, but there is something about the "Big Fatty" every December that to me is now an albeit odd part of our holiday tradition.

What to do with the winnings? Perhaps not surprisingly, Spain's second-largest drawing is just a few weeks later, on the Feast of the Epiphany, so many people lucky in the Christmas lottery buy up even more tickets for El Niño. But those unlucky like Big Jim and me just remind everyone, "it's health that really matters." :-)

BREAKING NEWS: Big Jim and I won a whopping 6 euros in the 2007 drawing, woohoo!!!!

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Coming up for air.
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry

market day

Holidailies readers please sign the guest book! :-)

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Holiday travel countdown: 7 days!!!

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Saturday morning the village has its weekly market down in the central carpark. Which means that if you're not in the know and mistakenly leave your car parked on the southern half of the lot Friday night, when you come looking for it Saturday, the car won't be there. And the local police, who have had the coche towed, won't tell you where it is. So you get to spend Saturday traipsing up and down the village looking for it. Just a sample of the local humor. :-)

I did not buy much because we are traveling in a week and I want to use up as much of the produce that I already have. But I did stop at the flower stall so that I could pick up a few poinsettias to put in the windows. Thus far, I have done minimal holiday decorating, but after I saw Iluminada and Antonio had flashing lights around the balcony, a Santa-on-a-rope (these are v. popular here because nobody has a front yard but almost everyone has a terrace or balcony, perfect for hanging a "Santa-on-a-rope"; besides, the chimneys are v. narrow and no child would ever believe anyone could fit down such a tight space, making an entrance via the balcony much more convincing), and some tinsel above their front door, I figured I better do my part to "keep up with the Lopezes".

When I arrived back home, there was quite a crowd in the street, all the neighbor ladies, a bunch of grandchildren, and Linda (pronounced Leeeeen-da), I&A's latest puppy. Leeeeenda is a cute little thing, and she always gets so excited when she sees me, which amazes the neighbors so. This is only because I actually pay attention to her and make a little happy fuss and let her kiss my face---people in the village still don't really get the concept of pets. They get them as puppies when they are supercute, and by the time they get to the awkward-looking 4- to 5-month-old stage the locals become bored with them, and then god forbid when they go into heat, the dogs are thrown into the streets and called putas when they get gang-banged, most of the resulting puppies drowned, etc., etc. It is one of those cultural difference things I have not come to terms with, nor do I think I ever will.

After I handed Leeeeenda back to Iluminada, I was cornered by Almendena and the Herb Thief, who wanted to admire the poinsettias. Mena wanted to know where I was going to put them, "not up there, are you?" she asked pointing to the windows a floor up. I said no, probably on the two windows on the ground level and perhaps one by the doorstep. She and Herb Thief agreed that would be much better. They then told me, both speaking simultaneously over one another, that when Big Jim and I leave on the 22nd (how they knew the exact date I have no idea), they will make certain that they are watered while we are away.

I enthusiastically thanked them both as this was a very big deal; neither has ever offered to look after the place when Big Jim and I have traveled. We admired the flowers some more, and I told them it wouldn't be the holidays for me without poinsettias and a Christmas tree. Almendena jumped, "Espera, espera," and ran into her house. This was peculiar; people in the village don't generally move very fast. From inside the front room, she then called out, "Ven, ven," so I put down my bags in front of our house and went across to see what she had to show me.

Being invited into a neighbor's house here is also a very big deal, and in five years I have only been in Almendena's house once a year, on her birthday when I drop off a little gift and she insists on giving me a drink and some bonbons. As I peaked into the sitting room, I saw the little Christmas tree with its colored twinkly lights, and in the corner table was the Nacimiento, also surrounded with the same colored twinkly lights. Mena explained that she had bought the figures and painted them herself. She handed me the shepherd to admire, and I was impressed by her handiwork and the careful attention to detail, as well as by the fact that I actually could pull pastor from my slightly scattered brain---these women talk FAST when they are excited.

But then Herb Thief, who had followed me into the lounge, wiped her hands on her apron and announced she had to get back to preparing almuerzo, and Almendena jumped again when she saw the time, "¡Ay dios mio!" I don't think her family has ever had an afternoon meal not served exactly at 2:05. So I said my good-byes, let myself out, and walked the six feet to our front door.

As Herb Thief walked past, she told me that Almendena had also painted the figuras of her Nacimiento as well. And to think for all this time I thought the only painting Mena liked to do was the annual white-washing touch-ups she and the other women do the week before Semana Santa. Which makes me wonder what other talents the village women have hidden behind their buckets and mops....

One of my favorite fotos of the pups ever. From near Tavertet, in the north of Spain, where we spent the holidays last year.

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

leather

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Holiday travel countdown: 12 days!

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Today Big Jim and I celebrated our third (leather) wedding anniversary. I happened to mention this to Almendena on Friday (when I delivered her her birthday gift, a pot of our violets, which she had long admired), so of course by today the entire neighborhood knew, which was quite sweet. All the ladies were out when Big Jim left for the airport late this afternoon to wish him a buen viaje.

Last night we went to the restaurant where we celebrated our wedding dinner. Although we love the food there, we have not been there in a long time out of principle: the owners of the restaurant are also the owners of the evil dog that continues to be a menace to dogs and people alike (long diatribe re: at the end of this linked post). And I suppose what bugs me the most is the cavalier attitude that they have when the little demon attacks another dog; usually they do nothing or will eventually order one of the children to collect the little diablo, all the while repeating "no pasa nada, no pasa nada, no pasa nada." No pasa nada bull I say.

But Paco does serve some of the best food in the village, and by far the best desserts, so we put principle aside for one night. And it was a wonderful meal so I have no guilty conscience. Plus, Big Jim growled at the dog when we left and scared him away. :-) But more importantly the meal---Big Jim had habas con jamon, and then a beautiful steak, with tiramisu for postre, and I had carpaccio (the final tour of all my favorite meat dishes continues), a goat cheese salad with walnuts and caramelized red onions, and chocolate mousse. And everything was superfine and amazingly tasty and washed down well with a good bottle of valdepeñas. :-)

As far as the gifts, we steered away from the naughtier possibilities. Big Jim found some wonderfully skilled leather workers in Holland who completely refurbished a large vintage Gucci bag I had picked up on eBay for little $$ ages ago. They did such an incredible job that it looks absolutely brand new. In return, one of BJ's gifts included another of my vintage eBay finds (yes, I am an eBay-aholic and proud of it): a small leather suitcase designed for carrying liquor bottles and a cocktail set/glasses. Next year: linen. (Oh, a note to the anniversary card designers: there actually are married men who do NOT play golf and think golf is a bit wanky, so perhaps you could reevaluate whether so many with golf clubs, golf bags, golf balls, golf sweaters, golf tees, and golfing-related messages are truly necessary. Thanks!)

Bode remains unable to resist the precious Boo's passing tail:

:-)

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

immaculate conception

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Holiday travel countdown: 14 days!

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Sometimes I worry that Spain is becoming too Americanized, with the surging obesity rates and Citibank credit card pushers at the shopping malls and Oscar Mayer hot dogs in every supermarket. And then there are days like today, the day of the Immaculate Conception, when I am reminded that the country has not quite embraced consumerism and commercialism like my fellow citizens of the USA. Can you ever imagine every shopping emporium, pequeño and grande alike, not opening on a Saturday two weeks before Christmas?! But here, every attempt that Big Jim and I made at departing of our hard-earned cash with thwarted, and we eventually settled for a relaxing lunch at our favorite place along the coast (BJ had the brocheta de pescado and I had my usual summer fare of ensalada de gambas y aguacates---because it was that sunny and warm today). But never fear, the lost earnings of today will be made up tomorrow because for the rest of the month the usual "Sundays closed" policy has been thrown out the window so that Spanish and expats can shop, shop, shop together.

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: The missing consulate
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

foto wednesday and more

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Holiday travel countdown: 17 days!

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Yesterday the Ayuntamiento workers spent the morning hanging the village Christmas lights. Although they do indeed add a festive air to the streets, I personally duck and hurry past them at night because they are illuminated using Spanish light bulbs. Which are notorious for exploding when they burn out. I think the crew somehow mixed up the Navidad lights with the feria lights because along with the usual bells and Christmas trees, there are also decorative horse heads and horse shoes, which make perfect sense in July but certainly not in December.  Fotos to come when the village actually gets around to lighting them....

My sister's pretty tree, 2004.

And the obligatory kitten foto:

Or two: :-)

Is it my imagination or is Bode already looking less a kitten and more a cat?

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Saturday shopping
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

progress?

Holiday travel countdown: 19 days!

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Warning: I am on a bit of a high horse. And this is one reason why:

It is becoming more and more difficult to appreciate the lovely vistas in the village. And now, some brilliant developers and our equally brilliant council have approved for more building in the center of the village, and so what if the ancient old village wall has to come down in the process.

And these two shops and the restaurant below are also slated for demolition so that another block of flats can be built like the one in the background.

Perhaps if there was some pressing need for housing in the village I could be slightly more understanding. But with the 50% occupancy on most village streets, this is insane. And the same is going on all over Spain, simply to keep people working because so much of the economy depends on construction. These are just a couple of the tens of similar developments happening in one little town. And I can't help but wonder how much history is similarly being torn down in the name of "progress". I have nothing against "progress", but I don't believe this is it.

The fact that our post office has finally extended its hours from 8:30-2:30 (previously was 8:30-11:00 am), now that is progress.

The town hall has invested in a Karcher pressure washer to clean the streets. Unfortunately, the one they bought is a small model better suited for home use, and thus it takes the poor guy an entire week to do the main plaza or one street. He has to go over every little centimeter, bit by bit, dried up wad of gum by dried up wad of gum, and it is just ridiculous to watch. And after spending all of last week hosing down Calle San Antonio, the cowboys---and their horses---came through yesterday morning. This is not progress either.
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However, the Bode kitty is progressing very well. Last Monday he weighed 1 little kilo. Today he and his fat little belly are up to 1.4 kilos. :-)

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Pakistan!
2 years ago: Where in the world is Big Jim?
1 year ago: No entry.

belated thanksgivings

For the past few years, the handful of Americans who live in the village celebrate Thanksgiving together, with Big Jim acting as our honorary Pilgrim. Long-time readers may remember these events have usually been beset with problems. Those new to the blog or who would just like a refresher can read about 2004 here and here, 2005 here and here (a particularly bad year when Big Jim and I were assigned to emergency host but nobody remembered to tell us), and 2006 here. This year, of course, would not be without complications, which is why we celebrated the holiday a week late: the couple hosting were on vacation last week in Botswana.

And this morning our neighbor R. put the turkey in quite late, but we've come to expect that. Which is why M.A. didn't bother to show up until 4:15 (when we were set to eat for 3:00), and I made sure I had a snack before I left our house---we know the score. Miraculously, we finally made it to the table at 5:30 (and therefore I believe Big Jim owes me 50 cents as it was before his 6:30 projection), and I must say it was well worth the wait. We had the turkey and stuffing obviously, Waldorf salad, my PA Dutch potato filling and the cranberry sauce I made (used this recipe, although I replaced some of the sugar with this amazing orange blossom honey I get from the organic farmer; it got the two thumbs up from the guest from Massachusetts, who used to live next to a bog), baked sweet potatoes complete with the marshmallows (which I gotta say is sooooo good), broccoli casserole, and pumpkin pie for dessert.

Way too much food for seven people, which I why I am going to go rest while my body tries to process the carb overload. And while I do that I will watch the crazy Bode kitty. What, you really didn't think there wouldn't be more kitty talk today? :-) (And don't believe for two seconds the dogs are being neglected because if anything they are getting more attention, just so that they don't feel left out :-)

He wisely figured out the Moroccan tables make excellent garrisons, from which he can make strategic attacks on the pups while protecting his vital bits:

(And yes I know the table is dusty.)

He is also practicing his ambushing and general offensive techniques:

:-)

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

foto friday

Where all these olives I keep craving come from.....

Have a great weekend, everyone!

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: No entry.
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: Life is good, v. good

new words and other good things

Several weeks ago, the Oxford or Merriam-Webster's equivalent of Spain, the María Moliner dictionary (named after the late famous lexicographer who compiled its first edition) published a list of new additions to its third edition. Many foreign words were added, including blog, buffer, chat, freeware, chill out, jam (I hope not pronounced ham?) session, carbonara, carpaccio, homeless, mob, burka, fatwa, feng sui, pilates, and stock option, as well as many others that reflect sociocultural changes of the past decade, such as chatear (to chat), explorador (Explorer), hipervínculo (hyperlink), descargar (to download), lactovegetariano, cayuco (type of refugee boat), islamista, and agujero de ozono (hole in the ozone).

But perhaps more significantly was a change to an already established word, matrimonio. No longer will the official definition of marriage read "A union between a man and a woman...", but rather the updated "A union between two people, legalized with either a formal civil or established religious ceremony in order to constitute a family." The week that the revision was publicized, I was invited to and attended the first marriage of two men in the village's town hall. The salon de actos was packed, the juez de paz beamed, employees from the supermarket next door provided rice, and the grooms were handsome and suitably nervous. In five minutes the ceremony was over, and couple, together for a gazillion years, were at last declared husband and husband.

I know I occasionally complain about all the negative desarollo here, but this is change as it should be. :-)

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: TGIF....
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

*Today's fotos are by M.A.Z. and G.M.vdB.

brrrrr

I thought I might be making a mistake this morning when I reached for one of my beloved black turtlenecks, a winter staple. I have changed my clothes three times a day on average this week because that is just how the weather rolls here in the non-summer. Chilly mornings are followed by three hours of hot as soon as the sun drags its lazy bones over the mountain, so off goes the sweater and the winter hat that I wear in the office while tapping away at the computer keys. Until late afternoon, when I start to feel the draft again on my shoulders and reach for one of wool blankets I keep piled nearby. This Saturday, however, there was no need for the mid-day strip down because just before noon the mistral-like winds kicked in and gave everyone the shivers. So much so, I dug out the little Man's ratty beige sweater (so ratty that I have selected a new doggy sweater pattern and am just waiting for the yarn to be delivered), and he expressed his gratitude by giving me extra kisses. :-)

Rarely do I post on Saturdays because it is my housecleaning day, and I must be off now to bring in the laundry, which should have dried in no time today.

hasta mañana,

mylifeinspain

P.S. New NaBloPoMo readers please sign my guest book in the left column. Thanx! :-)

3 years ago: Election day aftermath
2 years ago: No entry
1 year ago: Foto Friday

i do NOT have fleas!/nablopomo

**Disclaimer: If my tone is a bit cranky today, it is because I have contracted a mysterious case of hives and for the past two days have felt as though my entire body was on the verge of bursting into one massive erupción. Fortunately (?), the only two areas of actual welts are localized on my chest (although one is annoyingly at the spot just where the bra strap joins up with the triangle-shaped bit) and today at least I no longer feel as though I want to snatch out my eyeballs and rip them apart to scratch their insides.

And before you ask, no, I haven't eaten anything strange or changed to another skin product or detergent or started taking a new medication. According to Miguel, my Spanish teacher, apparently lots of people in the village have experienced odd allergic reactions this week, and according to the old farmers it is because of something the lemon trees throw off at this time of year. It is possible, I suppose. The winds have been blowing fierce for the past two days, and I was outside for a few hours Tuesday afternoon, having lunch with our friend M.A.....

We had a record number of trick-or-treaters last night on Calle Salares. There were none the first couple years we lived here, but thanks to globalization and guaranteed free candy, the village children have embraced Halloween and made it their own. Even though I bought twice as much candy as last year, I was cleaned out in an hour flat. Part of this was because rather than taking one candy from each bowl as they were instructed, a few of the greedy thugs (all of age 6 or so) came out with fistfuls, and I even had to scold one for ripping a candy bar out of a smaller boy's hand. At least the three who managed to score the last of the chocolate had the manners to say gracias, which washed most of the disheartened taste from my mouth. And not surprisingly, when I took the dogs out for their walk this morning, I found at least three or four discarded candy wrappers down the steps. I planned to pick them up when we returned, but by then Herb Thief had already cleaned the street. I don't know, I never dug into my loot until I was back home, where I would dump the goods from my plastic jack o' lantern and examine the night's booty before digging into my favorites and trying to trade away anything with peanut butter. But then again, the schools are closed today, so the children can recover from their chocolate hangovers at home.