Old Fool

Hello Flo and Denis,

By now you should have moved, and I hope settling in well with your new Irish friends. I hope you are back on the internet and I feel I should look into getting ourselves a dongle, too. Do you recommend them?

Both Lala, the Yorkshire terrier, and Joe have recovered from the Log Man’s visit. Yes, I did get Joe a nice glass of something refreshing and that bucked him up no end. As for Lala, she still makes faces at Joe every time he passes. I know she’s just waiting for that golden opportunity when she can sink her teeth into his ankle again.

I tried hard not to laugh at your little patio door incident. Unsuccessfully. 

Poor Joe always seems to be the one that suffers. Last weekend I was using our new hair clippers on him. He doesn’t have a great deal of hair so it’s usually an easy job to keep it clipped.Unfortunately it’s Fiesta time here and you know how the Spanish love their loud fireworks. At midday exactly they fired a load off, making me jump. The clippers slipped and Joe ended up with an interesting Brazilian, I think they call it. I tried to even it all out, but he just looks moth-eaten. He’s taken to wearing a baseball cap to hide it. 

Of course Lala, Joe’s arch enemy, hated him before, but she now hates him even more with the hat on.

Otherwise, it’s been fairly stress-free here, except the chickens are still not laying. I thought the fireworks might get them started. 

Keep telling us your news. I understand that wars have been raging on other threads, so it’s very enjoyable to have a banter on this one.

Best regards,

Victoria and Joe

Hi Victoria and Joe,

Well, we actually arrived in Spain and made it to the Jalon Valley, lovely area but a touch colder than we are used too!! Not really but so different from Thailand and North Cyprus. Cold, for us, in the mornings and evenings but lovely sunshine during the day..........except today that is.........rain all day and cold as well. Hopefully it will all be clear by tomorrow and we can get the shorts back on!

Flo and I will hopefully move in to the villa in Moraira on the 1st Nov. We have met one of the chaps and the other arrives tomorrow 16th on a short visit from Ireland so we will get our first sight of the villa on Saturday 17th. From the photo's it is a dream and I am sure it will be everything we think. So here we go on another adventure only Spain this time.

We had a good tour round the Maraira area last weekend and isn't it such a beautiful place with lots of shopping to keep the ladies happy, but not many husband creches, so you can see the chaps getting dragged round the stores..........some things never change :-))

I may have a cure for the little ankle biter that is bothering Joe, as it is a Yorkshire Terrier, and as everybody knows they don't speak English in Yorkshire, just Google the translation to English for "go away you little pest" problem solved!! Either that or throw it a big bone and it can get its teeth round that instead of Joes ankle. Let us know if it works.

We are without internet connection at our sons place and have to walk to the internet cafe about 1.5Km from where we are living and still no car but boy are we getting fit again and about time.

3G Dongle is the way to go providing you get the one with the best coverage exactly the same as a mobile phone. If the best mobile phone coverage is XYZ company then that company will give best internet coverage as well. That is unless anybody knows different?? Just a pity my dongle don't work here but may try to get it unlocked in Benidorm somewhere.

We have not mentioned the book on purpose :-))))) but we are aware that the release has transpired, thanks for the good news, and now you must start on the next, or have you started already??

Ok folks you take care as we are signing off now and walking back to our little abode in LLiber.

Best regards and take care.

Flo and Denis

Hello Denis and Flo,

Well, it’s the 5th Nov today, so you must be in your new villa, probably living out of boxes unless you and Flo are more organised than Joe and I. We still have boxes that we haven’t opened, and we’ve been in Spain for five and a half years now. (Well, what’s the point of unpacking thermal underwear and stuff?)

Yes, the book is out now, very exciting. The Gin Twins came to stay and I saw my first copy of it as they brought it over for me to sign. Fabulous presents they brought for us, including some very useful reindeer antlers. 

You may also notice naan breads, extra hot curry powder and other Indian bits and pieces. We love Spanish food but sometimes have a real hankering for a curry with a real kick to it.

Thanks for the splendid advice on Yorkshire terrier control, we'll be sure to try that.

Victoria and Joe

Hi Joe, Hi Victoria

First the bad news. This Thai laptop of ours does not like being in Spain as it is forever "throwing a track" and just refuses to play at times. It is going into the Spanish laptop shop for a Spanish makeover and then perhaps it will behave.Apart from that everything else is great and we are really enjoying Spain and the Moraira area.

You must be very busy now that "chickens" is out and the help from one of the Gin Twins must have been appreciated. The other may just have had too much of the Mothers Ruin the evening before perhaps. The reindeer antlers they gave you are very useful, ground up of course, as an aphrodisiac so get the pestle and mortar out and start grinding. I mean for the chickens of course as I take it they haven't started laying again.........or have they? And then the mules lady friend might need some??

Good news on the NIE/Residencia. We went to Altea on Wednesday with all the forms (EX14) filled out with copies of everything and also passport size photographs.. Spoke to the first chap who did not speak English, Spoke to the security guard who also did not speak English....you can tell where this is going can't you :-))....... Spoke to a young lady who told us in broken English the forms we had were no good and that no we did not want just an NIE number we wanted Residencia which also gave us our NIE number immediately............we thought?? So we then had to go and sit at a table with two new forms in Spanish and the security guard helping us then back to the first chap, remember him?, and then back to a different lady who still didn't speak English given some more forms to go to the bank and pay, cannot pay in the office, and then we went back to Altea on Friday at 12  and collected our Recidencia and NIE. We still do not have a clue what happened and Eamonn who was with us has never seen it all happen that quick. The staff at Altea are all very helpful and friendly and instead of having to queue to make an appointment to get another appointment it was in and out fairly quickly and definitely painless. The good thing is we can now buy a car to get about, although we did have a look at Jeeps yesterday but they were a bit expensive as they were fairly new ones and/or the V8 which just swallows fuel.

We will get this sent now as I have started this twice as the laptop shut itself down about half way through and had to start all over again but these things are sent to try us.

We shall speak soon and don't work too hard.

Flo and Denis

 Hello Denis and Flo,

There is nothing worse than computer problems, except perhaps a nasty case of gout or falling down a man-hole. I’ve not tried the last two, but I did have Trojans a couple of years ago which killed my poor computer. I am now the proud owner of an Apple Mac which is supposed to be safer. I like it very much, and it hasn’t been invaded yet. (I’ve just touched some wooden handled nutcrackers - mustn’t tempt fate.) I hope the laptop hospital fixes your ailing computer.

Yes, I’m very busy now that ‘Chickens’ is out, and am very grateful to Justin for spot-lighting it in the EOS newsletter. I’ve been practising my signature like mad and keep looking out of the window in case the house is being mobbed by paparazzi. (As if!) No paparazzi on the horizon, but still exciting times for me.

I know you’ll be devastated to hear that the chickens laid only 3 eggs last week, so Joe and I have made the decision to get some new young ones. Sounds easy, but it isn’t. Older, established hens don’t tolerate young ones and give them a really hard time. Attila the Hen, B*****, F*** (this forum is far too genteel for me to disclose their real names) and the others are going to be outraged by the arrival of new chicks on the block. 

Chickens are completely blind in the dark, so the advice we’ve been given is to introduce the chickens at night. Sneak the little ones onto the perch while the older ones are snoring. That way, when the old girls wake up, they may accept their new sisters more readily if they’ve been roosting together all night. Hmmm… We’ll see.

Hope you’ve got yourselves a new car now, and I’m pleased that your Spanish paperwork is all sorted. 

Victoria  (Joe’s watching the rugby)

Hi Victoria, Hi Joe,

First the most important news......we are the proud grandparents, for the second time, of a very beautiful granddaughter and sister for Leah. She was born at 3.10pm, UK time, on 26 Nov weighing in at 8lb 2oz with ten little toes and ten little fingers and all the other bits in the right place. Flo has been in England for a few days and said she is just perfect. Our Daughter, Denise, and Son in Law Tony are just glad it is all over and that their family is complete. Having three girls in the house is more than enough for any man :-)) Leah is chuffed to little bits that she has a baby sister and can't wait until she comes home. 

We are both still enjoying sunny Spain, apart from not having a car yet, and everybody keeps telling us we must have brought this good weather all the way from Thailand. Even saw people swimming in the sea at Moraira yesterday. Made me cold just looking at them!!

Have you managed to introduce the new chickens yet and how did the advice you were given work......or did it not? But if you are only getting three eggs a week something drastic will need to be done! Heavens! You might even have to resort to buying them from the local laying hens and then what would the neighbours think??

We must buy a new laptop very soon as this one now will not work without the mains power supply being plugged in. The battery is not holding any charge at all and I think one day soon it will just give up the ghost completely. I have had to resort to almost saving as I am typing on to Microsoft Word and then save that as the laptop is likely to shut itself down at any moment and does do quite frequently so it is going to be of to the computer shop and give them more money than I want to. What did we ever do BC (Before Computers)??

We are going to the local garden centre in a minute as it is gardening time this afternoon so don't forget to keep us posted on how the chickens are doing and how the rugby is going and how is the weather up in them thar hills. Lovely and warm near the coast.

Denis (Flo's in UK)

Hello Denis and Flo,

Congratulations on your brand new granddaughter. You must post a picture up for all of us to see. 8lb 2oz is a very good size, and I'm pleased you didn't write that in kilos. Centimetres are fine, but I still have to convert kilos to old money. Is Flo back yet or is she still in the UK playing with the grandchildren?

I don't know if you saw my last newsletter, but the Egg Saga continues. Joe and I had just about made our minds up to get some young chickens as our old ones refused to lay. Well, they must have overheard us plotting because they suddenly started laying again. And not just normal sized eggs. No, massive eggs. Eggs the size of rugby balls. HUGE eggs that make you wince and cross your legs to look at them.

So we won't upset the coop dynamics just yet. We won't bring in any new chickens all the time the old girls are still laying. We've warned them, so let's hope they listen and continue producing eggs, whatever the size. 

Hope your car and lap top problems are sorted,

Victoria (Joe's chasing the sparrows out of the chicken coop)

Congratulations on becoming Grandparents for the second time Dennis and Flo!

Hi Sunrise,

We thank you for the congrats and we are now very proud Grandparents of two beautiful Granddaughters.

Flo and Denis

Hi Joe and Victoria,

I have been trying to post a photograph of Leah and Georgia but no luck so I am probably doing something wrong. If anybody has any hints and tips I would be grateful.

To the proud families she is now Georgia Elizabeth Hammersley, very contented and she is putting on weight!

Flo arrived back on the 8th with all our warm clothing which had been at our Daughter and Son in Laws house in Minety so we are a little bit warmer now. We are slowly getting used to the lower temperatures here but after Thailand and North Cyprus it really does feel a bit cooler here! And would you believe it we are in the middle of a gale and driving rain here in Moraira at the minute but in every cloud there is a silver lining as we don't have to top up the swimming pool or water the garden and I might get a siesta this afternoon! Not a chance says Flo.......furniture needs moving.

Glad to hear that the chickens are on the lay again, not before time, but why are they laying such big eggs? Is it just making up for lost time or has Joe been putting something special in their feed..........whisky maybe? 

We haven't found a car yet but soon we hope and the laptop has perked up a touch as I have taken all references to the Spanish web on Google and it has improved things. It's taken me all this time to realise exactly when the problems started and the changes I had made to the laptop after leaving Cyprus. Better late than never :-)) but sometimes we do have senior moments that last a few weeks!!!

How are the book sales going? Have you started the next exciting installment of chickens or will the next book be on a different theme? A sequel to chickens would be a great read and take your reader to the next chapter of Two Old Fools.

How is Joe getting on with the little ankle biter. Who's winning the battle? And how are the mule and his girlfriend getting on?

Not too long until Christmas is here and once again we will probably eat and drink too much! We are spending Christmas with our Son for the first time for a number of years and my Mother is flying over this Friday to spend Christmas here as well. So it is all shopping, shopping, shopping for the next few days which Flo might enjoy but I am afraid I detest with a vengeance but it must be done. Are there any chaps out there who enjoy shopping and what about Joe?

We are going to change the layout of the living room as Flo has decided it needs a Feng Shui makeover so enjoy the time between now and christmas and we wish all our readers a Happy Christmas and may you get all that you wish for from Santa.

Christmas Wishes

Denis and Flo

Congratulations Victoria, I am only half way throu this book which only arrived this morning and I can't put it down, dreading coming to the end of it, when do you think your next one is coming out.

I can just picture you up in that village.

Take care and thank you so much for such a good read and a good laugh.

 "Congratulations Victoria, I am only half way throu this book which only arrived this morning and I can't put it down, dreading coming to the end of it, when do you think your next one is coming out.

I can just picture you up in that village.

Take care and thank you so much for such a good read and a good laugh."

Thank you, Leema. Now my head has grown to enormous proportions.

Hello Denis and Flo,

If you email me a photo of Leah and Georgia (same email address as the 'Chickens' newsletter) I can put it up for you, if you like. I'd love to see the new addition to your family and I'm sure everybody else would, too.

The village is very empty at the moment which means we haven't seen Lala, the Yorkshire terrier, and Joe's ankles are safe. However, we are not safe from Geronimo who keeps inviting us to his cottage for a little festive drink. Experience tells us to write off the rest of the day, and have plenty of paracetemol handy for later. 

How is Flo getting on with her Feng Shui rearranging of furniture? Today we've been forced to move our furniture around as well. Nothing to do with Feng Shui, just because it's been raining for 24 hours and water is running down the wall. I've lost count of how many times we've searched for the cause, but we cannot work out how it is getting through. If you don't hear from me for a while, Joe's probably nailed an ark together and we are sailing away over the Alpujarra mountains. With chickens, of course. Unless they completely stop laying, in which case we'll leave them on the Naughty Step to think about what they haven't done.

Sorry this is such a short note, but I need to get more towels to soak up the growing lake on the floor.

Have a wonderful Christmas, and send my regards to your mother,

Victoria

PS Book sales are going very well, thank you for asking. I am always making notes for the 'Chickens' sequel and I expect today's flood will feature somewhere in it...

Hi Victoria and Joe,

Ta muchly for the offer to put the Photograph of our two beautiful Granddaughters on the site and will pm you with one or two soonest.

How is the weather up your way been this week apart from the rain that is? Flo and I have not experienced temperatures like this for many years and we are feeling just a bit on the freezing side. Our friends in Thailand just refuse to believe that there is snow in Spain!! Perhaps one of these days there will be snow in Thailand.........not a cat in ????? chance. The snow on the mountains round this area looked lovely, and cold, and where Mark lives in the Jalon Valley they had frost and a bit of ice where the water had sat on the roads. Have you had snow, which may shock the chickens into laying or not, or are you and Joe still mopping up and then having a whisky warmer? No chance says you to much rain!

Well we had half the furniture rearranged for a couple of days and then, yes you've guessed, put back again and, bet you've guessed again, the other half was rearranged. Sorry, no it wasn't put back, but has stayed and really makes the place look bigger and nicer. In the meantime eamonns two dogs, Sally and Kerry, who visit us all the time, have christened the new settees and covers, one weeing with excitement and the other being sick after being given a worming tablet. but hay ho they are both so much good fun normally that you can't get angry with them and with the application of disinfectant etc not a problem.

Are you staying here for Christmas and New Year or taking off for sunnier climes or will geronimo persuade you to accept his hospitality? A few good stiff drinks after the floods will do you the world of good. We are all here, Mother/Eamonns Mother/His Brother/Partner/Flo and I and of course Mark will be here Christmas Day but he has to work that night in the best night club in Moraira DJ ing as they say. Much too loud for Flo and I but we will go to see him one day??

You and Joe have the best of Christmas wishes from both of us and we hope the weather improves before Friday. Hope it's not chicken for Christmas Lunch?

Have a lovely Christmas

Flo, Denis and Mother 

Hello Denis and Flo,

It's Christmas Day and it's actually stopped raining! No snow, rain, hail, storms or anything, hooray! The village has a new river flowing through which has only ever been a dry gully before. Looks very pretty fed by new waterfalls coming down the mountain.

I won't bore you with the tales of How We Mopped up the Constant Water Leaks in the house these past few days, now that the sun's out, it's already forgotten.

Thank you for sending the photo of your grandchildren, they are beautiful! Georgia looks like a little doll.

Eye on Spain members, meet Denis and Flo's new grandaughter - little Georgia Elizabeth and her big sister Leah Alice. (Fanfare)

Anyway, hope you and all Eye on Spain members have a brilliant Christmas, wherever they are,

Victoria

Hi Joe, Hi Victoria,

Many thanks for putting the photograph of our two beautiful Grandchildren on EOS and yes, just like all other Grandparents in the world, we think ours are most beautiful. And are also the best behaved and never ever throw a tantrum!!! We hope to have the family over for a holiday soon and then we are getting the family from Thailand, Waan and Norman, here for a holiday in April.

We have got Christmas behind us and really enjoyed the day, isn't it so much nicer here in Spain, without all the commercialisation that seems to go on in good old UK. Glad it has stopped raining for you and you were able to enjoy the day without the water flowing down the walls and elsewhere. Did you go to see Geronimo or did you manage to stay sober??

Here we are at the end of another decade and where has it gone?? If Joe or anyone knows the answer to that question please do share as we are dumbfounded about the speed of time. Doesn't it get faster as the years roll on or is that my imagination?? Wherever it goes we are enjoying the time here in Spain and at the moment would not change it for the world.

Mother went back to here house in Netheravon yesterday to look after the dogs for people jetting off to a skiing holiday. She really enjoyed her time here as she said she could get used to being spoilt on a regular basis. Her 83rd birthday is today the 31st Dec and would you believe Flo is 60 tommorrow the 1st Jan and her 1st pension payment is on the 4th and she is looking forward to getting money out off the UK Government instead of paying them all the time. I keep reminding Flo that she gets her Old Age pension before I do and then run like the devil with her chasing me.

Are you partying tonight or having a quiet one indoors? Whatever you decide we wish you a very good evening and may 2010 bring you Health, Wealth and Happiness and everything you wish for yourself and others.

May we also wish Justin and his Team the very best for the New Year and may Eye On Spain go from strength to strength.

Happy New Year to One and All

Flo and Denis

 Hello Denis and Flo,

It was a pleasure to put the photo up of your beautiful granddaughters for all to see. My daughter is planning to get married in 2011 and is already talking about babies, so I hope we will get presented with grandchildren in the not too distant future.

El Hoyo has suffered from the terrible torrential rain. Apart from the waterfalls and streams that have suddenly appeared, the mud slides and rockfalls have really surprised us. The road into the village was not good to start with, but now some of it has collapsed and there are piles of rocks nearly blocking some parts. Joe is considering abandoning the jeep and borrowing Geronimo's mule for shopping trips.

The rock avalanche covers the road, and on the left is a sheer drop without barriers. Scary!

Is it really 2010? I can remember thinking, gosh, in 2000 my eldest will be 20 years old. Now another decade has passed and my son is nearly 30! How can that be when I'm only 35 (in my head)? Anyway, we celebrated New Year's Eve in our usual way... The villagers all congregate outside the church, grapes at the ready. Then Geronimo climbed the church tower and hit the bell with a hammer 12 times, (approximately) on the stroke of midnight. I choked on grape Number 6, but Joe managed 10 grapes out the 12. Of course he blamed Geronimo for ringing the chimes too fast. 

What are your plans for 2010? I'm delighted with the reception 'Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools' has had and am beginning to plan the sequel. Joe is intending to finish War and Peace, and maybe start writing. The chickens haven't told us their New Year's Resolutions but we hope more eggs are on the agenda.

We do hope your mother had a fabulous 83rd birthday and partied excessively.

Victoria and Joe

Hi Victoria and Joe

I want to say how much I enjoyed reading your book, I had put it on my Christmas present wish list. The book marks were an extra suprise present that Peter had arranged for me from you.

I would recommend the book to any one, it was fun and easy to read, very amusing, had me laughing out loud many times. We envy you living your life in Spain, and how you have integrated with the Spanish very well, and they have obviously taken to you too, because you make an effort to talk to the people of the village and join in with their activities.

I am glad to hear there is a sequel, can't wait for that to come out.  Do keep us informed when we can buy it.

We had our children in the same year my daughter is 30 this year - tomorrow in fact, - it really does make me feel old and like you I am only 35 in my head!!

Hi Victoria, Hi Joe,

Thanks for putting the photograph on for us. We did try ourselves a few times but the laptop was having a silver hair moment. Or was it me?

The rain and wind you had must have been horrendous up in the mountains. even down here on the coast, in the Moraira area, the wind and rain has caused a lot of damage to properties. Lots of trees blown over and causing more damage to walls, patios, ans electric supplies etc. We are very lucky as no trees on the property and all the electric/telephone cables are underground.

Flo and I are now babysitting two dogs, both small, female, and demanding (whats different!). The older one, and the boss, is a Bichon Frise (Sally) and the other is a tan and white Jack Russell who loves to sunbathe. It's marvellous having dogs again even though they will only be with us for a few months, about 3 we think, until the 6 months after the rabies injection is up. Then they will be going to Ireland......not a lot of sunbathing there for Kerry. Mind you Kerry will be going home as she originally hails from County Kerry hence her name. A good Irish girl just like Flo!!

Victoria, you and Joe are just spring chickens [pun not intended :-))], Flo and I celebrate our 40th this year and our two are 38 and 35, if I remember rightly. There seem to be a lot of people reading this post who think they are old and 35 as well. goodness gracious peoples! I am now 22 going on 63 and don't ever wish to be 35 again, terrible age, neither one thing nor the other and all you can see is a long slippery slope, but what you don't see is the upward turn at the bottom just like a ski ramp and your second childhood. As you get older you can be silly sometimes and as my Grand Daughter told her mother "Grampi is silly sometimes but then so am I and we are silly together"........bless!

Anyway enough of the psychology bit and onwards and upwards to the good news...........we have finally managed to buy ourselves a car........the first one since leaving Thailand. The one problem has been finding something after having the truck in Thailand and getting into a normal sized car was a bit restricting. As all our friends in Thailand said "you will never go back to a car after the big pickup" and they were right! Anyway we have bought a Chrysler Grand Voyager 3.3LX Auto and it is ideal for the family coming over for their holiday in June. We now have to purchase a booster seat for Leah and a baby seat for Georgia as she will be 6 months old by that time and we will have lots of space for them all. We know it's a bit big for just Flo and I but we need the space for the family and it's ideal for taking the rubbish to the tip. Flo says we could even sleep in it.........the words dead and body spring to mind!!!

We are still enjoying Spain and moreso now that we are mobile and will be here until, at least, September. It all depends on Flo. I would like to think we would be here for a year or two and then perhaps go to Turkey. I can't see us going back to Thailand to live, a long holiday yes but we have done our time there and we did enjoy Northern Cyprus very much. The people are so friendly,honest, and helpful and we would like to think the same is true of the people in Turkey.

Give our regards to all in El Hoyo and lets hope the road gets repaired soon and remember....don't be 35 be 21 and silly!!

Flo and Denis

 Hello Peteranne,

Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback! I really appreciate it when people take the trouble to tell me what they thought. Would you mind if I put it on my website, the Readers' Comments page? 

Victoria

Hello Denis and Flo,

Great to hear what you two are up to. Will reply when I've calmed down a bit. Just heard BookWorldEspana are going to stock 'Chickens' from February. Yay! So excited! Am jigging round the kitchen in a most undignified manner at the moment...

Victoria 

Hi Victoria - I would just like to add to the growing list of positive comments about your book.  You have done what I originally intended, however, I have ended up in a big urbanisation on the coast - for the moment!  I'll be looking for my little place in the campo some time in the future so your book has been a wonderful guide to what I can expect. 

The book was such a good read, I have passed it over to my neighbour who keeps laughing out loud as she reads it on her terrace!  I also told the bookshop at Dos Mares that they need to stock it, so hopefully you should see sales climbing and climbing.

Can't wait for the sequel!