Happy Birthday

Today I am with my granddaughter Chelsee who enjoys her 16th birthday. I have seen over the year my granddaughter grow up into a beautiful you woman. Chelsee has dreams and ambitions and I hope to watch as she full fills all she want to do with her adult life.

A long time ago I offered Chelsee that I would pay for her and three friends to have a night out. We came to a compromise as Chelsee has to many friends who comes and who gets left out and we settled on a Bouncy castle. Not like a Bouncy castle you jump about looking like some kind of idiot. It turned out to be like a Night club where Chelsee and her friends could dance the night away.

Chelsee surrounded by some of the 18 friends who turned up for her birthday party.

Happy Birthday Chelsee

Spices

My stocks are running low after a successful market on the first Sunday of May. But before I left I was contacted my a restaurant I supply for a large amount of Spices because with me being away so much the needed lots of Spices.

If one supplier stocked all I need life would be easy but sadly I have to use 3 Spice supplies and today I got to go and collect 27 kilo of badly need Spices. I can now get these boxed up and shipped in plenty of time for my return to my home in Portugal. Again I will be using UPS who over the last 4 years have not let me down.

Over the next few days I should get all Spices I am short of. I have ordered a large amount of Saffron, something I normally order 10 X 1g pack due to cost but now due to a good discount I can order plenty so at the markets I will have plenty of Saffron at a really great price.

Sunday a day of rest?

Not this Sunday, this Sunday I was at 9am taking 8 sheets of mirrored glass panels to convert a great Kitchen into a stunning kitchen. I must say I was only helping this was not my job I was just helping.The mirrors where in a smoked grey colour against a background of high gloss black units. I should add I was helping one of my sons who's job it was to convert the look of the kitchen.

What was special was the kitchen was for a Premier league football player and his wife. I would like to name the player or his team but that would not be right. What I can say in one of the units we had to move where a number of bottles of Champagne with " Player of the match and also Player of the month "





When I had my business in Liverpool amongst my customers where an Everton FC player Stuart Barlow. Ex Everton manager Joe Royal who I went to school with. But I was proud to have the great Colin Harvey as a customer. Now a current premier team player not bad for name dropping but don’t forget my friend and Sugarbabe Heidi Range. Now who’s a boring name dropper.

Empty Metro station

My flight back to the UK was at 9.30am on a Monday morning. To get to the airport would be difficult with the train times so it was better to stay in a hotel and get the Metro to the airport in the morning. To make sure I would get my flight I checked the Metro times and the first Metro was at 6am.

I was up in plenty of time to get to the airport but what I didn't expect was that I would be the first in the Metro. The station was not just quiet but empty and it reminded me of a trip to Universal Studios Florida when the underground had an earthquake.

Notice how clean the train lines are. Next time you use a train have a look down between the lines and see the rubbish.

A bumper crop this year

i have just had 4 days at home but sadly I have to go back to the UK this time for my Granddaughter's birthday and she is now 16 years of age. But that's not what this is about, as I walked down the lane I noticed an Olive tree on the little bit of land I have given away at the bottom of the lane by my house.

It is easy to see from the picture that the weight on one of these branches is so much it's bending. I am sure that this year will be a good year but not for me this year as the tree is on land I gave away.

This year by looking at the trees and branches is going to be a good year. The trees are full of tiny Olives starting to grow ready to be made into Olive oil.

Plane times are not good.

It's ok traveling in the evening for many but this trip the time is no good for me. I land at a time when by the time I get the Metro from the airport to Campanha I will have missed the last train. The answer is to move into a hotel for the night and get the Train the next morning. After getting the train on Tuesday morning I get picked up at Coimbra B at 10am for my trip
 home.

How lucky am I when I get of the train and stay 99m away from the station in my hotel for the night. Next morning 99m to the Metro and then off at Porto airport.












On the Friday I get my flight at 9.30am in the morning even the earliest train wouldn't get me to the Metro to get my flight back to Liverpool. So the night before I am going into a hotel again to make sure I don't miss the flight. I can't afford to miss this trip back as its my granddaughters 16th birthday. I have missed the last Severn or Eight birthdays but this one is special so I will be there.

I am back five days and four nights but only two nights in my own bed. Wait till the 17th of June when I go home to my home and not someone else's daughter or son's. To sleep in my own bed can't come quick enough but this time my spare bedroom will be in use. This trip my granddaughter is coming to stay for the summer until she gets fed up with my company.

It has been difficult

The title says it all the last nearly three months away from my home in Portugal has been very difficult because my heart is not here in Liverpool. The Liverpool I knew and grew up in is no more this once great city is no longer home but a place I come to visit.

Monday the 20th I make another trip back to my beautiful little house but what do I expect to see. I gave away a piece of land to two friends of mine who are more into gardening that me. I know Dee has worked hard changing what was a scrap bit of worthless land into a beautiful garden.

This trip is for more than a visit, first I need to go to the Financas as for two years my house has been exempt from house tax because my house is below the value that the house tax starts at. Also my friends Michelle and Geoff have a house across the lane from me can't be here so there tax will be sorted by me. Also Chris in Celavisa will miss the deadline for his tax to be paid so guess who will pay the tax for Chris.

I have to renew my driving licence due to my age but that's no problem it's easy to do. Lastly I have to renew my Residency this is the big one but I am told by others it's an easy task to do so I have been told but I will soon find out next week.

Shelves up

I had the chance while I was at home to finish a job I started before I went to Liverpool months ago. I had made three shelves of different lengths.  Let's go straight to the picture below.

I dislike to look of pre made stuff you get in the shops mass produced I a factory somewhere. Thankfully I have an imagination and I can make what I couldn't get in the shops. The rounded parts are two pieces of wood glued together to show the beauty of the grain and the colour of this Che stunt I used really does show it of well. These shelves just about finish the work I have done to this bedroom. 

Before my last trip back to Liverpool

My flight was booked to get back to Liverpool, something I used to enjoy at times but not now after I spent time paying attention to my fruit trees. Some little nasty little creature who I hopes has a very painful death and all his offspring are infertile. One little creature decided to bite my leg OK I know you can all have a good laugh but it was me in extreme pain. 

I went to the doctors surgery that had been our doctors I think from about the time I was born or not much later. The doctor was very sympathetic and pointed out how swollen my leg was and joked about have my leg of at the knee. Thankfully the doctor was only joking and was able to give me a cream and antibiotic but did mention no alcohol till the course of antibiotics was complete.

Last night being a Thursday my son likes to go to a restaurant that has a good offer on. To start with we ordered drinks he had Lime and soda me I had a pink of Strongbow. The first mouthful tasted so good until my son said Dad I don't think you should drink and take antibiotics. Thankfully I had only had a mouthful and I gave the waitress the glass to take away and I explained why. When the waitress came back with a glass of water she said the the strong bow would not be charged for.

A quick trip home

I was booked back home on the 3rd of May and I was returning on the 6th of May. I was lucky to find a flight on the 29th May for only £17.99 to give me an extra 4 days. How lucky was I home for 4 more days and change from a £20 now that's a result I would like more often.

I have flights from the 20th May to the 24th May and then a final return and to stay home on the 17th June. I have tried and tried to find a flight before the 20th or after the 24th to get a quick cheap flight back but I think my luck has run out no more cheap flights.

Never mind I have had a good run of very cheap flights but I know that from the 17th of June I will get to enjoy my home in the sun and it will feel oh so good.

Crazy weather

As I prepare to go home for a few days I have looked at the weather. It's crazy the results I got from the App I use. The distance from the two places is less than 10 miles so home come the forecast is so wrong.

About 5/ 6 miles away from me is a small town called Arganil and the weather is today sunny and warm  and I know it's correct because I have been speaking to a friend as I started to write this.










The next picture is of the weather forecast for Gois. Gois is the nearest town to where I live and it's where I spend lots of my time shopping going to local bars ect.

My best yet

I sent the picture below to my son and said " who's a clever boy " my son replied and i thought i would share the picture on my Blog.

This started of as a little bowl and it is the best thing i have made using a Lathe. The difference being i have been shown what tools to use and how to use them. When i go home i will be taking the knowledge i have learnt from my time at the Lathe club.
Today i went to the club again and did a bit more as you can see but it is not what you think.



On my window sills in my lounge i have ornaments like lots of people have but not me. I have made quite a few things that sit nicely on my window sills and that's all this is.

I'm coming home

Well as the England football goes "I'm coming home". I have been here to long far to long but now i can say i have a date to come home and see my house. I have been in Liverpool from the 1st of March and it's already the 18th April. I have a few filghts back again in May but this one is the best one for two reasons.

I leave late afternoon on the 17th of June. But that's not all of my news my granddaughter who will be 16 at the end of May is coming over for the summer.

So all is well and i am looking forward to a great summer.

Someone i don't see often

As the title says the person in the picture i don't see often but that's because of his type of work he does. This picture shows him dressed for one of the martial arts that my three children took part in.
For Judo they where all trained by Dave Rodgers from the England team in Wallasey and Merseyside.
For Karate they all trained with Andy Sherry and Frank Brennan. Andy Sherry was or still is the highest Dan grade in the UK and he now holds a 9th Dan. Also Andy is  Chairman & Chief Instructor of the KUGB.

For Jujitsu they all trained with Soke Robert Clark (1946-2012) Bob Clark was also the highest Dan grade in the UK. He was the only person allowed in the UK to wear what looked like a skirt. This was to note his ranking  as the very top in his art in the UK.
All these arts my children did was not one after the other. They would do two arts in a week but this is not the end. I forgot when they did Kick boxing being taught by Gary Grogan and Kevin Poole.
My son in the picture seemed to really excel at Kick Boxing but ultimately he wanted to concentrate at Karate.





So you can see that i took my role as a parent very seriously and i was lucky that on Merseyside we had the best trainers. I am so very proud of my three children and of what they have became.

I have been away to long

A very dear friend who was a customer in my previous business in Liverpool had seen a picture of my new house on the computer i had on when she came into my shop.
I was asked to put a picture of my house onto a disk for her. I didn't expect what i received carefully packed for me some weeks later.

The green tree in the front of the house is now an Acer tree.








I am in Liverpool till who knows when and i miss my house and finding this picture really helps at the moment.

From start to finish

For a long time i was pleased with myself by how i had learnt how to use a Lathe. But it was all a load of crap. It turns out that going to a club run by people who have been wood turners for 20, 20 and some 40 years made me see i needed help.
First i went for help in sharpening my tools i was finding i couldn't get my tools sharp properly. I have been to the club now for only a few weeks and i have learnt more that i had found on Youtube.

First i started with a piece of wood that i made into the basic shape of a bowl.

Next i started by marking what was to be the inside to make the cuts to get the shape of the bowl i wanted.

Next using a special jig to hold the bowl so i could work on finishing the bottom.

Now here is the finished bowl waxed and ready for use.

A gift from my friend Paul

A couple of years ago my friend Paul had planted some Black Cardamom seeds. From those that grew Paul gave me a pot with two seeds in. After i read that Black Cardamom needs even better conditions than we enjoy in Portugal.

Before i left for my trip to Liverpool the top light green leaves had only just started to grow but not open. Now as you can see they have opened and are looking great.
On the left there is one lone leaf that is growing on a side shoot. I have two side shoot on the plant on the left.
However i do think that i need to move the plants to a bigger pot but not till much later in the year.

Today was a great day at the Lathe club

Another surprise today when i went to the Lathe club was another lady wood worker, the lady's name was Helen. I did ask for permission to take the picture and post on my Blog. Helen is making a chair and what you see is Helen making a spindle and this is the second of three Helen made today.

Today there where two Lathes for sale and a Spindle cutter. Helen got herself her first Lathe and good luck Helen.











Today i was able to buy a Lathe and the one i got was so much better than the one i have at home in Portugal.

Only if you have a lathe would you perhaps understand the picture. I will be able yo make bowls 30cm or 12 inches in diameter. Or work to be turned up to over a metre.

Here is the scroll cutter o got, i don't have a use for it but at the price i paid it was a bargain i couldn't let someone else have.  It's like a big fret saw that can be used on work up to 16 inches or 40 cm. To be honest i have looked on Youtube and i know just what i can do with this new addition in my workshop.

Don't get to close

Sunday was  mothers day and a visitor to see Mum was one of the younger Great Grandchildren. We where entertained my this little boy playing with my Mum's budgie. I don't know who had the most fun the bird or the Little boy but we got to see something that you could not setup.

The site of a court

A thousand years ago in the park i walked through to get to the boathouse i came across this Oak tree. The tree has a fence round it to protect it but sadly i couldn't take a picture and get the text on the sign to be readable. The sign is also very sun damaged and the text was not really very clear.

A thousand years ago under the tree locals held criminal courts below it's branches . You can't see but the branches have the start of a new years leaves starting to grow. I do hope that Liverpool City council take good care of the heritage of the city.