San Sebastián
On the shores of the Cantabrian Sea, this city in the Basque Country is one of the most beautiful in northern Spain. You will see for yourself strolling through the Old Town, with its traditional taverns packed with delicious pinchos (miniature culinary creations) to try; or relaxing on majestic beaches such as La Concha Bay; or enjoying the local festivals; or exploring the surrounding area, with beautiful fishing villages and stunning natural landscapes. A perfect holiday plan, for sure.


This city, also known as Donostia, lies along a white sandy bay between the Urgull and Igeldo hills. Fishermen's houses, a smart suburb and modern districts make it one of the most attractive cities on the Cantabrian coast. The Museum of San Telmo, the Peine de los Vientos (Comb of the Winds) and the Kursaal are examples of how the city brings together modern and traditional features. Meanwhile, the province of Guipuzcoa, of which San Sebastián is the capital, blends sea and mountains, offering the traveller landscape, sports and cuisine, as well as interesting monuments. Basque cuisine has a recognised international prestige.

HERE'S A GREAT SITE:
http://www.spain.info/

THE SUN IS SHINING AND THE TEMPS ARE BETWEEN 85 & 96. GUESS IT'S WARM ENOUGH FOR OUR MISS HAPPY TO TAKE A DIP! THINK I'LL JOIN HER AND WE CAN ALL SIT AND BAKE AWAY OUR ACHES AND WOES IN THE SUN OH WAITER!! WAITER!!!
WHERE IS IGOR WHEN YOU NEED HIM

Good morning chicks,

The new place looks stunning - thanks for setting it up Mel.

I hate to start the new thread out on a sad note but my aunt passed away last night. She went downhill fast. I can only say that I am soooo glad that I got to talk to her last week - it was just like old times. So give a hug to those you love - don't put off to tomorrow what you can do today lest today be too late. I will be going up for the funeral. Not sure if I'm flying myself or if DH and I are making the long drive home. There's lots to do in a short amount of time so I will probably be gone most of the week.

Love to the chicks - enjoy the long holiday for those of us in the states and I will talk to you later...

OH HAPPY WE ARE SITTING HERE SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR AUNT. SENDING MANY HUGS AND CARING THOUGHTS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FROM ALL 3 OF US. SAFE TRAVELING MY FRIEND.


KIDS GOT THE DVDS. ROMANCE AND ACTION. THEY EVEN GOT SOME HEALTHY FOOD. I MADE TURKEY MEATLOAF, STEAMED RICE AND VEGGIES. LET THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND BEGIN! OLE!!

Happy-- My sympathies and condolences to you. I completely agree that staying "current" and loving to important is a worthy goal. Since we can't predict the future, we can at least live in a way that we don't rue the past! Hugs to you.

Mel-- hope you are having a sultry tango party in your head... and sweet dreams.

Shad: hope the external drive has the sense to mend its evil ways... or that you have a satisfying rant at your IT person!!

DH is putting a new battery in his truck. When he finishes, i think we're going gallery browsing... or I might FINALLY act on my threat to buy oil paint supplies! (At least I don't plan to EAT them.)

Best to all.

((((Happy))))- glad you had a chance to connect last week.

Lovely New thread Mel!!

Been listening to Kalan all day- so I have been singing in Ontario with Kalan.

How Many Roads? Kalan Porter with Randy Bachman

All my chips are on the table
This time around
No turning back
Win or lose
No regrets
No promises
Just a passionate heart
To pull me through

How many roads
'till I find my way
How many roads
If I leave today
How many roads
From the one that I've always known
How many roads
Until I find a way home

Long days
Try to make a change
Made a lot of choices in my life
Some right
Some wrong
But the best is yet to come

How many roads
'till I find my way
How many roads
If I leave today
How many roads
From the one that I've always known
How many roads
Until I find a way home

I've come so far
Life is one big road
Which way to turn
And still I find my way home
I'm on my way
No matter what it takes
I know I'll find my way....home
'till i find my way

How many roads
How many roads
How many roads
How many roads
How many roads
Until I find my way home

Morning all,
Quick check in before I go and wake up the neighbours by mowing the lawn and chopping the edges and hedges.

Happy, so sorry to hear about the Aunt but it did sound like a quick and merciful release. My best wishes and special hugs to your Mum because she will feel it most.

Been putting up some more photos on the website of our tour of USA and Canada. The external disc drive was doing it's thing and not my thing so I was getting very grumpy with it by the end of the day. I'll try to get some more up there today, but won't make any promises since the external drive and I are not having a good relationship. Time was when people made things that worked!!!!!! But anyway, enjoy Lake Louise, Banff, riding a helicopter and Tennessee.

Nice place Mel. Now that you have the hang of it, there is no stopping you is there?

Gotta buzz. Coffee is finito. Go do something

Good morning!

MEL is our new Lady of Spain and now I've got that as an ear-worm! Some things are best left in the back closets of the mind!

Happy, so sorry to hear about your dear Aunt. You are right to be glad you visited with her - I will try to get to see my dear Aunt Rose (96) this week.

Hollyhock, I don't share your "passion" "obsession" for Kutie Kaylan but do like those lyrics. What do you think of the current Idol crop? The smiling blond guy drives me nuts!

Painterwoman, my fall painting class starts in a week. I'd better check my paints (acrylic) and join you in a trip to the shops. Saw the Renoir exhibit at our National Gallery this summer and have my groove back.

Shad, sorry I missed you. Lucy and I were cuddling in the back room with the TV. (I must get a phone out there.) By the way, BIL Peter's sale and show went very well. He raised over $7 K for the Stephen Lewis foundation. I did buy two paintings.

My sweet Lucy is home, still wheezing, but back to being her usual perky puppy self. She's living for the moment as usual and I intend to help her as long as she is comfortable and happy. Today we are going back to the Hyper Pyper Farm again and they will be able to run free and get into doggie mischief in the pond and woods. We'll be back tomorrow afternoon and settle down to Real Life.

My clean eating challenge is still floundering but, effective Monday, there will be no more Scotch during the news, a single glass of wine will suffice for dinner, and the chip wagon at the corner has lost one of their best customers. (Actually it's only been six times since June - I guilt-track!) I said I was going to lose 20 pounds by January and still have not started! Five pounds a month is reasonable, right? This will be Veggie Focus Month.

Time for coffee and a healthy breakfast which will include Fiber One and peaches. Then I'm off to Church before we leave for our wild mini-weekend! Dogs really do know how to enjoy life. When Lucy meets her littermate, Bailey, they go completely bonkers and Mother Hershey joins in.

Enjoy the rest of the Labourless Weekend - Laborless in the USA!

PW~OIL PAINTS! YOU JUST REMINDED ME THE WATERCOLORS ARE STILL SITTING IN MY CLOSET! HAPPY PAINTING!!

HOLLY~ SITTING THERE SINGING AND TYPING!! ENJOY THE WEEKEND!

SHAD~ DID THE NEIGHBORS TOSS OUT OLD SHOES AT YOU?? THE LADIES HERE GET PISSED OFF IF SOMEONE TURNS ON A HAND HELD VAC!!!

RUTH~ GIVE LUCY A CUDDLE FROM US TOO! GLAD THE SHOW WENT WELL FOR THE BIL!!
AND I LOVE EDDIE FISHER!! EVEN IF HE DID LEAVE DEBBIE REYNOLDS FOR LIZ!!!

LET'S SEE...WE WATCHED MUSIC& LYRICS WITH HUGH GRANT AND DREW BARRYMORE. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE CONNECTION THAT HE HAD WITH SANDRA BULLOCK OR JULIA ROBERTS. BUT A CUTESY ROMANCE NONETHELESS. THEN WE HAD THE OLD FLASH GORDON SERIES. FUNNY TO SEE THE OLD SPECIAL EFECTS BUT SO LESS TRAUMATIZING TO MY FRAGILE NERVES. I LOVED THEM.
THE TURKEY MEATLOAF CAME OUT GOOD..THIS TIME I ADDED SOME WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE. TASTED MORE LIKE BEEF. THEY ALSO MAKE A SAUCE FOR CHICKEN THAT I MARINATE THE CUTLETS IN AND THEN BROIL(GRILL). YUM!! GUESS I AM HUNGRY AND BETTER GET THE OATMEAL OUT! HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE KIDS HAVE PLANNED FOR TODAY.
HAPPY SUNDAY

: THE SCALE CANNOT MAKE UP IT'S MIND WHETHER I WEIGH 182.5 OR 181.5. I TRIED IT 4 TIMES ALREADY AND IT SAID BOTH #'S TWICE. I'LL HAVE TO WAIT TILL TOMORROW AND TRY AGAIN. I CAN'T TO THAT TRICK ANYMORE TODAY of standing bent in 1/2! SO I EITHER LOST ANOTHER 1.5 OR 2.5 LBS. I'LL TAKE EITHER ONE!!!

Morning!!

French toast consumed. Time to get dressed and get cleaning. Starting in the office and dining room. No excuses. I will NOT get sidetracked.

I am feeling very ready for the clean eating challenge. My goal is no salty snacks or sweets and cheese once a week and walk 30 min 5 times a week.I want to lose 10 lbs before I come to see Ruth!!!! That puts me below my lowest weight since having kids.

LOL Ruth- more like obsession. I picked Brian Melo as my fav in the top 22 and still like him best. There hasn't been a "Kalan" well, since Kalan, no big "star" IMO.
Melly- congrats!!!!

Last night I got the kitchen quite clean and mopped the floor and then we went across the road for a campfire with the neighbour, his kids and his parents. We have lived here 8 summers and have never just gone over to the neighbours. I love it!!

We are having a summers end campfire tonight. It is always an open invite. Looks like LOTS of people are coming. "The guys" are coming out from the city. A bunch of families from here. YIPPEE!! Having a weenie roast.

HUGS!!!

HOLLY~ I CAN THINK OF A FEW WEENIES I'D LIKE TO ROAST

Ya me too MEl!!!

Upstairs is done.That makes the whole house as clean as it ever gets!! Can I lock the doors and keep hubby and the kids out?? Even for just an hour???? I could at least enjoy it in here.

Kitchen needs to be cleaned up but first I will mess it up some more. Need to cut up veggies and sandwich stuff.Make dill dip. I have wieners and marshmallows to roast and Jiffy Pop to cook on the fire.I have a Mac and Cheese in the freezer for supper at 5pm.

Beer, wine, pop and juice are on ice already

A lot of the old gang is coming out from the city. I am very excited. It has been a long while.Lots of the new gang from around here are coming too.

Hubby is cutting the grass.

Okey dokey I have veggies to cut up.

Morning all,
Here we are again back in fine but definitely cool weather in Perth. Uneventful flight back - nothing like going over to Brisbane. I had a deaf old man next to me. He couldn't hear me but was pleasant enough and we communicated for a bit in a sort of sign language. Got in around midnight and read for a bit and was totally annoyed when the alarm clock went off this morning. However I did force myself out of bed and out into the cold for a run. Didn't go as far as normal and the weight is up again this morning, but I think it is called aeroplane bloat. In a couple of days it will disappear I hope.

Ruth - so pleased to hear that the BIL's painting show went off well. Are they still coming over to Aus in November? Amazing thing about dogs. They have no conception of being down and out! They just go on and on and on until the time comes when they can go no more. Gotta love them for their loyalty, power, grace and sense of humour. I just figured that you had already gone to the Hyper Pypers and I had left it too late and I seem to have difficulty talking on voice mail, I never expect that someone won't answer the phone!!! Silly me, I can't think of what to say at that point. Get those paints out and start using your talents.

Mel - Our lady of Spain, oi now I have re-reminded Ruth of THAT song when she really wanted to stay in the closets of her mind. You get those paints out as well. Get on with it. Wasn't that last years winter activity?? Congrats on the weight loss whatever it was. You are off to a flying start.

Holly - you and Ruth need to challenge each other for those 10lbs. Me, I know my limitations, I'll stick to my 2kg. Get on with the housework will you and then you can come over and get stuck into mine. I have a rent inspection this week. I can think of a few weinies I wouldn't mind toasted either.

Painter - get out those paints. Paint yourself in a garden full of flowers. Oils!! you must be good. Ruth and Mel can do the same. I look forward to the results.

Time to get on with the day. See how they got on with out me on Friday. Wonder if they actually did anything.

Back from the week end in Paragould. It was busy. I cleaned the carpet in the family room for my aunt and uncle. Went shopping and then for a walk in the woods. I'm jealous theygot a good 2 inch rain last week.

It rained on me coming home today but soon ran out from under the cloud.

Ruth--Enjoy the time with the piped pipers.

Happy ((hugs)) Condolances to you and your family concerning your aunt.

Mel--Thanks for setting up the new thread. Spain is going to be exciting. Congratulations on those pounds lost. See what clean eating will do.

Holly--Enjoy the time with friends and neghbours.

Shad-when you get through mowing, weed eating and trimming the bushes come to my house.

PainterWoman--I also look forward to the results of your oil painting.

Everyone enjoy the day off tomorrow. Think of me, I'll be working.