Good Mail Day!

On Monday morning I found one of the few  things that EVER excite me in our mailbox.......the slip of paper telling me there's a parcel to collect from our tiny Post Office..... which, as some of you already know, only opens for one hour every weekday! 


I knew I hadn't ordered anything online...well, nothing that would be here so quickly ....I HAD just put in a little(ish) order to  SARAH'S CARDS...and though they are fairly quick, they're not THAT quick... and it didn't say that it was from 'Traffico', which would have meant DH had a speeding ticket from the previous weekend's trip to Barcelona (we had a spate of these last year!)....no, I really had no idea of what I was going to pick up.


At the allotted time, off I went ...and was delighted to discover some 'Happy Mail' !

Not only was there  the fab MAIL ART envelope itself to enjoy, and a very pretty card and word plaque from Ruth AKA ,FURRYPIG...but also 

this book, which is part of SIAN'S 'Pass the Book' series.  Thank you Ruth!

I have to say that this may be one of the books I look at the pretty, awe-inspiring pictures in and will not actually produce anything...though oddly enough an idea has just flashed through my mind- watch this space!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

P.S. I managed a whole dance last night at Line Dancing, without bumping into anyone!! YAY!

Mail Art Exchange

As I mentioned yesterday, I picked up a package from our local  Post Office (in the allotted hour for doing so!) and was delighted to see it was this fabby piece of Happy Mail - organised by the lovely GINGER as part of her MAIL ART EXCHANGE.

Wasn't it VERY clever of WENDY to have two 'googlemaps' on the envelope...on the front is the area where I  lived in the UK, before moving to Spain, and on the back is the area where I live now!........How could I NOT be desperate to get home to open it?

When I DID  get it opened...with great care.....I was delighted to find this little not so little assortment of goodies inside!

I felt as though it was my Birthday!...thank you again Wendy...I just keep looking through it and stroking it!...I promise I shall actually USE it very soon!

I managed another LO too......

...using Shimelle's 'Starting Point'.....I don't know if I've said, but I'm really enjoying these!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

LSNED DAY 26 & 27

DAY 26


Shimelle's prompt today (yes, I do try to read them, though haven't really followed them), was about the environment. I realised  that I didn't have to look too closely to find that Autumn is on it's way. Even though it's still warm and sunny, there is a definate change in the length of the days. When I took Boo out tonight at about 7.30pm, I learned that by the time I was returning half an hour later, the light was already dimming.....lesson learned: remember to start taking her out a bit earlier!


DAY 27


Still with the change of seasons: I took Boo out earlier tonight, walking for the first time in a goodly number of weeks (we haven't walked far over the summer due to the heat!) through the almond and olive groves. I learned that the almond trees are just about 'over', with most of the almonds already picked...and that the olives are just about ripe. I also learned that I should ALWAYS take my camera with me!...the light was perfect for taking pics , and of course said camera was at home!!


I also had some lovely 'HAPPY MAIL' today, but didn't get around to photographing it...I will do so tomorrow and let you all see what came to  me as part of  GINGER'S  'Mail Art Exchange'.


Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

Storytelling Sundays - The 'Girls' (or 'A Story of Friendship')

Wednesday this week sees the arrival of the 'girls' ......five days of fun, laughter and ridiculous conversations.


The 'girls' are my oldest friends. I have known Morag almost all of my life...our mums  met in a park  when we were in our prams...and they remained lifelong friends, till Morag's mum died of cancer just over twenty years ago. We really became friends though, when both families moved to the same town just before our ninth (or was it tenth?) birthdays. and ended up at the same school and in the same class. 


When we went to High School, we  met up with Anne and Lyn, who walked the same route as us to school ( imagine, we actually walked to school !) every day. We soon became friends, and 'hung out' after school and at weekends. We all  had Part-time jobs in Safeway , so saw each other at weekends, even after we left school...those were good times!! 


When we got into 'serious' relationships we saw less of each other, but still tried to meet up at least once a week.  


I got married first, and shortly after that met Anna, through work. By this time we were meeting up fairly regularly, and Anna started coming out with us. After the children started arriving, it was easier to meet up in one of our homes....it became the norm for Thursday nights to be the girls' night....and during the 'baby and toddler' years, it was our lifeline- we always knew we had Thursday night to look forward too. 


Thursday nights brought the promise of 'nibbles', wine, food and (apart from whoever's 'turn' it was) a child-free, adults only night! We could be honest with each other...the way you can only be with those with whom you have shared the joys and sorrows of your youth- by that time you know all the important stuff anyway, you've lived through it with them.We complained about our OHs , the sleepless nights and generally set the world to rights in these few hours , and went away feeling like ourselves again....'girls'- not mums, wives and all the other things that are associated with early marriage and raising children!


And 40+ years later we are still the 'girls' .....our families talk about 'the girls' and we never have to think about who they are talking about! Even though I've been away for many years now, when I go back to  East Kilbride we try to arrange a meal out, but I love it when it works out that I'm there for a 'Thursday night'! It has become a monthly occasion, but the others still get together ,and always on a Thursday night.


And for the first time in a couple of years, all four of them are managing to get over for a five day break...the last couple of times one-or-other  of them haven't been able to make it. We will just pick up conversations, as if we had seen each other last Thursday...and laugh, gossip,eat, drink and generally have a good time in each other's company! Can you tell I'm looking forward to it?!

If you go over to Sian's blog you will find lots of stories to enjoy today.

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

P.S....remember you have till midnight tonight(GMT) to leave a comment at the end of  this post to be entered into the draw for 'Good Mail Day'! 

LSNED Day 2

Today I learned that the blogland 'sisterhood' are the best! I had more advice and ideas sent to me about cooking with my new crockpot/slowcooker, than I could have found by searching the internet for hours!!

just a few of the replies I received!

Thanks everyone...I cooked chili in it...didn't brown the beef, and it was just as tasty as ever! I just need to remember  to put less liquid in - thanks for that advice Amy (unfortunately it came after I had 'chucked it all in' as per your instructions, but I shall remember next time).

Remember there's still time to be put into the draw to be next to receive 'Good Mail Day'...details on THIS POST and that tomorrow is STORYTELLING SUNDAY over at Sian's Blog..hope to see you there!


Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

Passing the Book.....

Early last week, I  received some 'Happy Mail' from the lovely Melissa

I wasn't at all sure about even putting my name in the draw for this book...'art' isn't my thing at all....but after reading Melissa's review before she passed it on, and because I wanted to take part in  Ginger's Mail Art Exchange #2, I thought I'd try my luck. And I was lucky...I was the 'chosen one'!

The book is a feast for the eyes, but I was glad to discover that Mail Art can be as simple - or as intricate- as you want it to be! I was probably more worried about the strange looks I might get on trying to post an item, but, on actually creating a piece (and forgetting to photograph it before it went!) and taking it to be posted, not an eye was batted!

If you would like a chance to be the next recipient (the only 'rule' is that it must be passed on via your Blog to another interested party), please leave a comment at the bottom of this post. I will draw a winner on Monday morning from all the names I have by midnight(GMT) on Sunday...and I'm happy to post to whichever part of the blogosphere you live in. For more info on 'Pass The Book' , please see Sian's Blog.

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx