Everything and Nothing

Antequera with the I.W.A.

2011-10-25T16:24:00.000+02:00

This is our Autumn trip - a 3 and a half bus trip to Antequera, north of Malaga. Lunch was at 3 p.m. so we had only 3 hours to have a guided tour. A beautiful city which needs longer time spent there. Enjoy the small slide show.

Antequera with the IWA - create a slideshow

Credit Ratings Agencies, Part 2.

2011-10-09T17:47:00.003+02:00

I discovered that John Moody & Company was founded in 1900 but did not survive the stock market crash of 1907. In 1909, Moody's was started and they initially published Analyses of Railroad Investments and then went on to extend coverage to US municipal bonds. In the 70s, Moody's expanded into commercial debt and began charging bond issuers for ratings, as well as charging investors. From 3 countries in 1975, its analyses covered over 100 countries in 2000. Announcements by Moody's of possible or actual downgrades of a country's bond rating can have a major political and economic impact, as we have seen. The irony is that until they went bankrupt in 2008, companies such as Lehman Brothers and AIG had AAA and AA rating.

In the publication “Business Insider”, a former senior analyst William J. Harrington, says that the ratings agency is rotten to the core with conflicts. See here for a full report http://www.businessinsider.com/moodys-analyst-conflicts-corruption-and-greed-2011-8 He describes a culture of conflict that is so pervasive that if often renders Moody's' ratings useless at best and harmful at worst as the management and “compliance” officers do everything possible to make issuer clients happy. Of course they do......they are paying the agency

Here is a telling story about the German insurer Hannover R, who were offered a free rating by Moody's. The insurer refused. Moody's continued with the free ratings but over time lowered its rating of the company. Still refusing Moody's services, Moody's lowered Hannover's debts to junk and the company in a few hours lost $175 million in market value.

Furthermore, as the housing market collapsed in late 2007, Moody's Investors Services, whose investment ratings were widely trusted, responded by purging analysts and executives who warned of trouble and promoting those who helped Wall Street plunge the USA into its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. A McClatchy investigation has found that Moody's punished executives who questioned why the company was risking its reputation by putting its profits ahead of proving trustworthy ratings for investment offerings.

I see there is a warning on the source of the previous and the following paragraph to the effect that the neutrality of these sections is disputed.

Portugal's foreign debt downgrade to the category Ba2 (junk) has infuriated the European Union and Portugal alike. Moody's has been accused of fuelling speculation and bias towards European assets.

Standard & Poor do not come out any better on closer examination. Credit ratings of AAA were given to large portions of even the riskiest pools of loans. Investors who trusted the low risk profile , purchased large amounts of collateralised debt obligations that later became unsaleable. Those that could be sold often took staggering losses. Companies pay S & P to rate their debt issues and some critics have contended that S & P are beholden to these issuers and its ratings are not as objective as they ought to be. A “paying to play” model makes their ratings meaningless.

“Time” magazine wrote “when both S & P and Moody's granted AAA ratings to collateralised debt obligations that were chock-full- of- crap mortgages, thereby helping to precipitate the 2008 financial collapse. The Washington Post said that Standard & Poor didn't just miss the bubble, they helped cause it”.

When the US was downgraded, some have accused S & P of causing further damage for its own agenda. S&P acknowledged making a USD$2 trillion error in its justification for downgrading the US credit rating but stated that it “had no impact on the rating decision”. “A judgement flawed by a $2 trillion error speaks for itself” said a spokesman for the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury.

Finally, this is the bit that leaves me feeling as if I'm living in a global cesspit: an S&P rating, e.g. of the US government or any other national government can have – and has had – a distinct effect on a truly global scale. But the decisions on these ratings are made by the company's employees who are not elected by the public , and are not accountable for their decision-making process. There is no appeals process against a credit-rating decision.

William Harrington's story here bears further reading to discover what goes on behind the scenes.

Credit Ratings Agencies - Moody's, Standard & Poor.

2011-10-09T16:31:00.000+02:00

I was startled to read in the Guardian and Daily Mail recently, just after the Governor of the Bank of England said that the world was facing its worst ever financial crisis, that 12 UK banks and building societies had their credit ratings downgraded. The downgrade had seen the share prices of these institutions tumble.

Oh, Lordie, my bank, the Co-op – renowned for its unwavering ethical stance – was included. Those with large amounts of savings were urged to move their money to safe havens amid fears that some banks would go under. Well I don't have large amounts of savings but it would upset me no end if the Co-op went under. I have regarded them as an oasis of rectitude in this snakepit of greed.

So I read on...the Guardian reported that “Moody's said that the downgrade of UK's banks was necessary because the government was stepping back from bailing out bank's when they ran into difficulty. The downgrades do not reflect a deterioration in the financial strength of the banking system or that of the government”.

So I'm asking myself, why downgrade the banks if there is no deterioration in their financial strength. And who are these people who seem to have the power to manipulate and destabililse whole countries' economies, sending share prices up and down with some people undoubtedly cleaning up as a result.

I've been on the hunt for more information about the credit ratings agencies and, if what I read is to be believed, I feel as if I'm living in a global cesspit.

In my next post you will see what I found in my search.

Spanish bureaucracy

2011-04-02T22:49:00.000+02:00

Want a glimpse into the hoops you have to jump through here when dealing with Spanish bureaucracy (although I hear it's very similar in S. France, Italy and Greece), then take a look at this YouTube offering

Low tide, La Barrosa

2011-03-21T10:20:00.000+01:00

This was the early morning scene at La Barrosa, near Novo Sancti Petri, last Saturday morning. The moon's proximity to the Earth was hailed as the opportunity to see the lowest tide for ages and, round Cadiz at least, to see the remains of the old Cadiz.

It was a perfect morning, the first after several days of dark skies, rain and storms, so the fact that the tide didn't look any different to me was of no consequence......it was a joy to be out when so few others were.

Cortes de la Frontera lunch

2011-01-18T09:07:00.001+01:00

At last we made it up the mountain on the little train from San Roque.   The first time we tried, last year, the company had closed the line for upgrading.   The next time, we arrived way too early and we hadn't made arrangements beforehand to get Yin and Yang fed their supper so we went to Gibraltar instead.   The next two times there were such wild storms there was no point.   So we were delighted when, last Sunday, it was glorious weather and the little train took us up for Sunday lunch with our friends from nearby Sotogrande.

This is the train much loved by walkers in the Alcornacales National Park - it will go all the way to Ronda but an early morning fast train can take you to Granada.....a trip we will make one day.   Today the train was full of 3-generation Spanish families enjoying a trip together.

We had lunch in the wonderful setting of the El Gecko hotel and restaurant, whose sun terrace at the back overlooks the river. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding is something neither of us has had for many, many years: fresh veg were beautifully cooked and to top off the meal we had crepe Suzette....all delicious.   Here's a link to their website www.elgeckohotel.com ,   A British couple, Maxine and Bill, will give you a warm welcome.

And now for the slide show .....I hope

Spanish Christmas

2010-12-24T15:36:00.001+01:00

This is what greeted us at the entrance to the supermarket this morning. Their finest local Gloria Moscatel......lovely. There was also an impromptu Spanish flamenco troupe singing, guitars and a drum making a lively foot-stomping sound.

This is to wish everyone a Feliz Navidad and Año Nuevo, especially to two magnificent women bloggers, both of whom have battled cancer this year and each - in their own inimitable way - have blogged about it with great humour. You are in for a treat if you visit http://twocrumbliesandacat.blogsplot.com and http://60goingon16.typepad.com

Wild and windy Costa de la Luz.

2010-11-20T13:58:00.000+01:00

It's a busy life at the moment with Readers' Group, International Women's Group, local Women's Breakfast Group, Spanish lessons, more visits to the hospital for skin cancers, dentist and, of course, always something to do in the garden.

We don't have post delivered to our house as we are out "in the campo" but have to go down to the local beach La Barrosa, to Mail Boxes Etc., a totally secure office with dozens of post boxes, stationery suppliers and internet cafe. We drove back via beachside and spotted these kite surfers in the rollers. My, the air was bracing! What an exhilerating sport it looks.

Aracena, in Huelva Province

2010-10-10T12:40:00.001+02:00

Our women's breakfast group had a day trip to Aracena last week - a beautiful town north of Seville. For health reasons, I didn't go to some of the attractions so let me tell you what Rough guide to Spain says: " Set in the Sierra Morena (the largest of Spain's mountain ranges) the town's southern flank is topped by the Iglesia del Castillo, a 13th century church built by the Knights Templar around the remains of a Moorish castle. Its principal attraction is the Gruta de las Maravillas, the largest cave in Spain, discovered by a local boy when searching for a lost pig".

For me, the outdoor museum of contemporary sculpture was the most appealing. This small town has dozens of fine works donated by Eduardo Chillida and Carmen Perujo.

I had a long, leisurely yummy lunch of stuffed sirloin of pork (prunes and ham) for which the area is famous. This is, after all, the jamon-producing area. Also famous for wild asparagus and mushrooms. I don't normally drink so two glasses of excellent Rioja later found me buying an art-deco type tea service that I didn't need but loved....and it was very cheap at 46€.

Now I'll try to do my slide show

Soh Pek's Asian cooking lessons

2010-05-12T21:06:00.000+02:00

Yesterday was the last of Soh Pek's cooking lessons: we have toured Thailand, Malaysian, Singapore and China through their cuisines. Every month, we paid 15€, Soh Pek bought the ingredients and we helped prepare the dishes. Our last meal included Garlic Prawns, family recipe Chilli Chicken, Spicy Beef with Brandy, Steamed Salmon and Chinese Fried Rice. It's been a wonderful way of learning new things and then sharing food at the end of it. Best of all, having to track down ingredients from Seville or Gibraltar has been fun and then trying dishes at home. My first effort was a disaster and had to go in the bin. I hadn't written down the quantity of Green Thai paste and instead of 3 teasps. I added 3 tablesp........completely inedible - it not only blew our socks off, but everything else as well! I eat salmon steaks regularly, cooked in the microwave.

What a difference when I used my Chinese bamboo steamer instead - sublime. The steamer had been sitting in the cupboard for the last 15 years as I wasn't sure what to do with it; then it got forgotten. Now it will be a regular feature.

The prawns, chicken, beef and salmon were all marinaded overnight. I learned that the light soy sauce is saltier than the dark, but the latter used more for colour. But most important of all, heat up the wok/frying pan/pot thoroughly before adding oil - oh, and it must be vegetable oil so as not to alter the "Asian" flavours: a disappointment to us in southern Spain where olive oil is first choice, but it really makes a difference.

Contact me is anyone wants the recipes.

What happened!

2010-04-17T15:09:00.003+02:00

Can I really not have posted anything here since last year. I find that extraordinary. I've been racking my brains to try and remember what I might have written and it's got lost, but nothing comes to mind.

This lovely kaftan was recently made for me from material that has moved with me from place to place over the last 30 years. It was given to me by a Palestinian friend who bought it at a centre for people with disabilities in Jerusalem: it's all handwoven and is so comfy to wear (plus it disguises all the bulges).

In the Garlic

2009-12-15T17:47:00.002+01:00

Last Christmas I wrote about Spanish customs, based on the book In the Garlic. I've now discovered Theresa has her own website HERE with a bit more information about the Spanish Christmas and more on the caganer. I see I spelt it wrong on my two blogs below.....so slap my wrists.

Enjoy Theresa's site.

More Spanish Christmas

2009-12-09T17:11:00.004+01:00

I met a friend at El Farito restaurante today down at La Barrosa. The young proprietor was busy gathering greenery from the hedgerow and when I went inside, he was using it to trim the bottom of his artificial Christmas tree. (So sorry, Picasa is playing up and will not post my right-way-up picture, drat it. Just tilt your head to the left).

Now, this is a new phenomenon: northern Europeans Christmas-y stuff would not have been seen in this s.w. corner of Spain before a year or so ago. It crept in last year with lights in the town. Now you cannot move in the supermarkets and bazaars for sparkly balls, trimmings, Santas that can climb up walls, jingle bells, etc.....the whole nine yards.

So I was delighted when I went inside to see they also had the traditional Nativity. A lovely desert scene built inside a model boat.

No sign of a cagenar, the curious Catalan custom - see the post below. This Nativity is perfectly in keeping with the restaurant El Farito (little lighthouse) as it's all decked out with a nautical theme. The Christmas tree, to me, is a bit of an intrusion. It was a treat, however, to see the young man bringing all his creativity to the decorating of it.

Spanish Christmas

2009-12-09T16:55:00.006+01:00

These are representative of Spanish humour - cageners (defecators). It's a custom from the 17th century in Catalonia, where - as a symbol of fertility for the earth - a little statue is tucked away somewhere in the Nativity model. The one with the red cap is said to be the traditional, original one but now you can find them of famous figures: sports stars (hundreds of footballers), political figures, celebs. Last year they introduced one of Barack Obama. Go take a look at this site if you're further interested HERE

I hope the link works. If not, Google cagener. I have included Queen Elizabeth II and Gordon Brown.

I did take a good look at the beautiful Nativity in a restaurant I went to today (see following post) but no sign of a cagener......what a pity - que pena.

Forgetting

2009-11-20T15:49:00.001+01:00

Yeah......forgot I had blogs. This will explain it all:

with thanks to YouTube and all.

Tetuan trip

2009-10-19T21:02:00.002+02:00

Recently, with 30-odd women from an international women's group, I set sail on the ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar for Ceuta and from there by coach across the Moroccan border. We weren't allowed in the country until a man in a white coat had pointed a gun-like instrument at our foreheads to determine whether we had a temperature, a symptom of swine flu. I don't know what would have happened if one of us had had a fever. I fantasised that the instrument was a memory-eraser and would get a fresh implant of memories on the way back!

We fetched up in Tetuan where, sadly, we saw little of the town as we were sped to the Casbah, to trawl up and down the rabbit-warren alleys selling fresh fish, vegetables and live chickens, killed to order. The most interesting part of the trip was at the Berber herbalist. We were given a half hour talk on the merits of different herbs, salves and creams with the offer of a 3 for 2 bargain at the end of a talk. I spent the most money in this shop as I wasn't interested in carpets, ceramics or kaftans. It would have been a different story if there'd been any beautiful Bedouin jewellery.

Moroccan women seem to be on a very short leash.....and so were we - no wandering off, all herded together. Most of us had set off at 6.30 that morning so by 1 p..m. our time (but only 11 a.m. Moroccan time) we were ready for our feast. We had to wait another 2 hours and were heartily fed with soup, couscous, shish kebabs, apples and date pastries, rounded off with Moroccan mint tea. No alcohol available.

Below is a little slide show to give you a flavour of what we saw.

Tetuan, Morocco

2009-10-19T21:00:00.000+02:00

Tetuan, Morocco

2009-10-19T16:19:00.000+02:00

Memory

2009-09-26T08:14:00.002+02:00

I used to have a terrific memory. My brain stored dozens of telephone numbers. Now I'm lucky if I can remember my own, so without the address book and stored numbers on the phone, I'd be lost. I like to think that my brain has accumulated so much knowledge over the years that it goes on overload. It's all there somewhere but scrambled up.

In my field of psychology, I used to be able to rattle off writers and concepts without thinking. Now that I've retired from work, that information is right at the back of my memory bank. I still have the books, notes of workshops, research etc. so can retrieve stuff when I want to, but I don't need to.

Learning Spanish has been a big hurdle and I fall regularly. The best times are when I can devote time and energy to nothing else, but how practical is that. Acquiring new knowledge keeps us on our toes, but I guess the old stuff has to move over to accommodate it.

I love my PC, learning what makes it tick, surfing the net, keeping my photo albums. Now I have a special notebook nearby called "Daily Doings and Reminders". I note if I've ordered something on the net, Bookmarks that require a lot of time to read, blogs to revisit. I tried the blogroll thingy and it clogged up by home page so much, it took for ever to load.

Yet, here's the curious thing: information gained in my childhood without my knowing it has stuck with me. If I watch old b/w American or British movies, I can name all the actors and useless stuff about their lives then. My Christmas pillow-case always contained a glossy Annual about the movies, along with books like The Secret Garden, Children of the New Forest, 1001 Things for Girls To Do. (I still have the latter so need never be stuck on how to crochet, knit, sew on a button!)

Thanks to Ronni at Time Goes By
who, timely as ever, reminds me of the idiosyncracies of my aging person.

Aging

2009-09-14T12:50:00.002+02:00

I've been following Ronni's posts at Time Goes By HERE about attitudes towards older people and all the euphemisms used by the Press and public to stereotype them. Expressions like elders, senior citizens, pensioners, "you don't look your age", "act your age" - all designed to put people in little boxes.

People are living longer and those who want to look and behave as young as possible have greater expectations of what they are capable of. It's an attitude that drives the cosmetic surgery, beauty, fashion and keep-fit industries, all designed to hold back time......as if.

I left a comment on one of Ronni's posts about not caring about aging, yet owning up to my difficulty in relinquishing mascara. What is that vanity all about? In the nearly 7 years I've lived in Spain, I've pared down my use of make-up. I do use plenty of moisturisers and go days without my darkened lashes, but when a social get-together is on the cards, the full slap goes on. Why I feel better with it, I do not know but come the day I can give it all up, maybe I will truly have accepted my 68, looking at 69 or 70 years.

Let me end with a lovely phrase of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) "As we grow old, the beauty steals inwards".

Transformation in 6 years

2009-09-09T21:35:00.003+02:00

I was standing halfway down our garden this week marvelling at all the greenery that now obscures the house: it provides little walkways within a walled section with shrubs, pots and flowers. The fountain tinkles and sometimes the smell is heavenly.

Above is what it looked like after the undergrowth had been cut down. Later a brick workshop was added, then a woooden shed with a pergola to connect the two. Standing half way down as I did, it was a great boost to my current lethargy to see all the things we'd built and created - pepper trees, cypresses, pampas grass, ngao trees: and the climbers - campsus radicans, bignonia, morning glory, honeysuckle.
Not a great picture, but it gives the idea. You can just see the chimney in the distance. Aint nature wonderful.

Oh dear, this should be on my gardening blog http://salamanderverde.blogspot.com and I forgot.

A Reading Meme

2009-09-07T23:14:00.002+02:00

I was checking out Darlene's blog HERE and her interesting replies to the Kreativ Blogger award and came across a meme that Rain had sent her. Darlene urges us to participate if we're inclined, whether we've been specifically invited or not, so I am.

The meme is to turn to page 161, sentence 5 and blog it. I'm reading David Lodge's "Deaf Sentence" about a retired professor who has lost his hearing. It's both comic and sad when he writes about this and it's given me an insight into what my other half suffers with his poor hearing (and not a few guilty pangs about my insensitivity at times.) The professor's elderly father is struggling to maintain his independence and failing and the 5th sentence has relevance to anyone thinking of residential care homes for the elderly, where the cost is finely calibrated to the degree of comfort offered. (He is talking about the UK here):-

"At the lowest end of the scale you get a stale smell of cooking in the dining room, and of pungent air-freshener in the lounge, fumed oak furniture and faded floral wallpaper in the bedrooms: at the top end air conditioning and sleek modular furniture and tasteful decor."

I must go beyond this 5th sentence as it is so poignant and depressingly true of many of the places I visited in the course of my work aeons ago....

"But there is the same rather melancholy atmosphere in all of them, of lonely old people waiting stoically for death, deepened rather than relieved by the tinselly Christmas decorations in the common room".

At one time residential care homes were for people who were still ambulant and had all their faculties. Nursing homes were for people who were physically disabled and intermittently confused. As both of these could be paid for out of the public purse, there was always an argument about who should pay - Social Services or the Health Service. I don't know if it's changed. But whenever I came across homes as described by Lodge, the lowest end of the scale was always those financed by the State.

I saw a t.v. programme recently which was the exception to this run by the Mary Feilding Guild, a non-profit making Charity. They only take active older people, many of whom were in their 80s and 90s. They go out to concerts, galleries, do t'ai chi, play Scrabble and income is no bar to living there as they have financial help for those of lesser means. For those interested, look HERE .

In this part of Spain, there are very few homes for older people as the family take their responsibilities to their grandparents very seriously and are very involved. It's not uncommon to see grandchildren out with a grandparent, helping with shopping, doctors and dentists. At the traditional weekend lunch, there could be 4 generations sitting down together.

There are very active clubs for "jubilados" (pensioners) who have reduced-cost holidays, excursions, educational talks - including talks on sexuality for older people. Speaking of which taboo subject, I came across this wonderful website that's all about sex for older people. Now there's something that's rare to hear or read about, fitting into the myth that it's a non-existent activity in the over 60s. HERE it is, run by a very open woman called Joan Price (only in America!)

I've strayed far away from the meme theme, haven't I, and somehow got on to sex. Well, go take a look at Joan's site for more information.

An award, part 2.

2009-09-01T08:27:00.006+02:00

You know, it's quite stressful, this passing on the award lark: who to include, how much to say and the to-ing and fro-ing to obtain URLs and post the news to folk. Or is it me! Cannot multi-task so easily. I know some people hate these memes, so apologies in advance if you're one of them.

Darlene in Tucson, Arizona, is an inspiration and if I can be as feisty and politically committed when I reach her age, I shall be very content. Sprinkled through her blog are some great jokes and stories.
Di lives in Mallorca though she's over in UK at the moment for the Notting Hill Carnival banging the drums and having a ball. She writes about her life in Spain.

Karin is halfway up a mountain in Utah and has recently started blogging to lessen her isolation. She took a risk and reached out for company and was not disappointed when

Celeste popped up. An accomplished artist and bon-viveur, Celeste has escaped the heat of Madrid to Portugal but will soon be returning to her busy life.

Chaise-longue in France decamped from Wales. She blogs in French and English, grows her own veg and fruit and provides delicious Mediterranean recipes - as does

Juma in Portugal who combines her career in music with wonderful cooking. Juma has just battled with a serious illness and is on the mend. She can blog in Portuguese, Spanish and English.

Margaretha in Sweden is a dedicated reader and provides wonderful pictures to amplify her interests. Suffering from a rare debilitating illness, she makes the most of her time getting satisfaction on the internet.

So, gals, go get your award if you'd like it, choose 7 others to pass it on to, with links and write 7 facts about yourself on your blog. Here are my "interesting" facts....

To show me what a drudge working life would be if I didn't study, my father got me to work in the school summer holidays in a laundry shaking out hotel bedding, tablecloths and napkins and folding them, ready for the ironers. I was 16. It was gruelling, paid peanuts and being in factory conditions with a bunch of women was an eye-opener.

I also had a Saturday job in British Home Stores on the snack bar. I could eat and drink as much as I liked (and I did, discovering thick, cold Horlicks). The record counter was nearby and I bopped up and down the counter to Tommy Steel's "Singin' the Blues".

In Singapore, in the 1960s, I was an extra in Hayley Mills' film "Pretty Polly", strolling up and down a make-believe Bugis Street all night. Boring but lucrative.

On the Yemeni border in the 1980s, I stopped for mint tea at a roadside "cafe". The carpet was rushed out to sit on, tea tray and hubble-bubble pipe. Sat watching the eagles soaring in the valley - spectacular. To this day, I don't know what was in the pipe but I sure did feel strange afterwards.

I once had a traditional Arabic feast - lamb and rice, half a chicken, sitting on the floor, no cutlery - with eight men and was regarded as an honorary man, while the women slaved away in the kitchen: they had to wait for the men to finish eating before they got a chance at the leavings.
How could I have done it.

My real growing up started in my 50s, when my father, mother, grandmother all died within 6 months of one another. It was a strange time and even stranger feeling to be the grown up in the family.

And lastly, I met my 3rd husband on a American site for older people which had a poetry section. He lived in Portugal with a daughter who lived in Cornwall, where I lived, so we met up, sparks flew and the rest is history.

An award.

2009-08-31T14:50:00.002+02:00

D of 60 going on 16 gave me this. Visit her wonderful site for the background. I once got an "Excellent Blogger" one and thought that was stretching credulity a bit far. I only had one blog - my Costa de la Luz Gardening - at that time and it hardly had mass appeal.

Now I need to come up with 7 interesting facts about myself and pass the prize on to others. So watch this space until I marshal all the stuff for the next phase.

La Tomatina festival, Valencia

2009-08-26T17:04:00.002+02:00

Ooo, this looks like fun - I'm just in the mood for this. Every last Wednesday in August this festival takes place in Buñol, Valencia. Special, largely inedible, tomatoes are grown in Extramadura province and shipped over to Valencia province when they're over-ripe. A canon sounds to signal the start of the fight, special goggles are worn, the minimum of clothing, and the tomatoes must be squished before throwing to minimise harm. After an hour a canon sounds again, it all stops and the streets are hosed down.

All the pictures show hundreds of young men involved. Do you think they'd let "the oldies" participate. Oh yes, I'd have some of that.....maybe next year.

Libyan Oil

2009-08-23T08:23:00.002+02:00

There's been a great backlash about the decision to release the Lockerbie Bomber to go home to Libya to die. Here is an interesting article in The Times today dealing with the political and financial background to this decision. Whoever doubted that there was a hidden agenda behind all this will be sickened by the hypocrasy, lies and obfuscation if this article is to be believed.

It seems that while all the protest statements from the U.S. were being made, Senator John McCain " reported on Tuesday via Twitter, the instant internet messaging site, that he had met Gadaffi, whom he described as “an interesting man”. McCain was reported by the Libyan news agency to have praised Gadaffi’s peace-making efforts in Africa and to have called for expanded US ties with Libya. Exxon and Chevron, the American oil giants, are among companies vying for lucrative new exploration contracts".

The greed for oil, bloody oil, is responsible for so much death and suffering. Today, I've had it with the news. I'll go and tend to garden.

Health Care Reform, again

2009-08-19T21:23:00.002+02:00

By tomorrow on Time goes By, HERE, older bloggers who have written about the Health Care Reform will have sent Ronni their links. Earlier in the week, I read Saul's and Darlene's contributions: both are clear sighted and have a lot of life experience and I can't do half as well in writing about the topic. I'm not a US citizen and my limited experience of private medicine was in 1947 before the inception of the NHS in U.K. when I was a child and my grandmother had to find a couple of shillings to pay for the doctor's consultation when I had a sore throat.

Here in Spain, shortly after I arrived and before organising myself in the Spanish free health service for pensioners, I paid monthly at a private health clinic , which offered free g.p. consultations and half price specialist treatment. Prescriptions, however, had to be paid for. I remember having to fork out 180 euros for 5 tablets for shingles and was horrified. Now I'm slotted into the Spanish system. Because I'm eligible for free care and prescriptions in the UK, my Government has transferred that eligibility to Spain and I'm now enjoying a free service again.

I wish it could be so for the thousands of US citizens who have no health care and I back Obama all the way in trying to introduce a system that will be of benefit to all. People with money will always have greater choice.

Here is an article from the Financial Times about the reality of all health care systems in the face of spiralling costs.

Home truths about rationing healthcare

By Philip Stephens

Published: August 17 2009 19:53 | Last updated: August 17 2009 19:53

The brouhaha in the US about healthcare has generated in Britain bemusement and irritation. The British are not shy of complaining about the National Health Service. But to swap free-at-the-point-of-delivery healthcare for the US private insurance system would beggar belief. As David Cameron’s Conservatives know to their cost, to hint at privatisation is to invite political immolation.

Beneath the transatlantic waves lies an awkward truth; one that politicians of all shapes and sizes – conservative and progressive, European and American – would prefer not to discuss. Healthcare is rationed everywhere.

Second opinions

Join an FT debate on health care in US and UK as some Obama oppponents use the NHS as an example of how not to go with reform

Some countries, of course, choose to spend more on health than others, just as they set different priorities for education or defence. Some prefer direct state provision, others more plural arrangements – compare France’s devolved not-for-profit insurance with Britain’s monolithic NHS. But all the models, the American included, share one characteristic. They ration access, while pretending otherwise. In Britain, the state imposes the limits; in the US the market does much the same job. What separates them are questions of efficiency and equity.

The NHS stands condemned by US President Barack Obama’s opponents as an instrument of state-sponsored euthanasia. Its socialised medicine, Americans are asked to believe, would have deprived, on grounds of age, Senator Edward Kennedy of treatment for a brain tumour.

Such charges are palpable nonsense, serving only to unite British politicians in defence of the distinctly imperfect NHS. The Tories have been put on the defensive. Mr Cameron has spent years insisting his party cherishes the NHS. Now one or two discordant Tory voices are heard cheering on Republican attacks on Mr Obama’s proposals.

Mr Cameron’s discomfort will not deter Republicans. As my colleague Edward Luce has written in these pages, US conservatives sense a chance to re-ignite America’s culture wars. Defeating health reform might derail the Obama presidency. Facts cannot be allowed to get in the way of such political calculation.

European criticism of the US model tends to focus on its inequities – the 40m-plus uninsured Americans denied access to anything but emergency care. The more startling fact is the truly enormous cost.

I say “US model”; in reality, there are two. How many of Mr Obama’s critics, I wonder, realise that the 8 per cent of national income US taxpayers stump up for Medicare and Medicaid is only a fraction less than the proportion of its income that Britain spends on the entire NHS? By this measure, US healthcare is as “socialised” as any in Europe.

Overall, the 16 per cent of national income the US pours into health is nearly twice the 8.9 per cent average of members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In per capita terms, as the OECD’s excellent Health Data 2009 shows, the gulf is wider. US spending was nearly $7,300 per head in 2007, against the OECD’s rich country average of just under $3,000.

What those Americans lucky enough to have top-flight private insurance get for this is care unmatched in terms of technological capabilities and expertise. The US leads the way in medical and pharmaceutical research. Facilities are modern, treatment is prompt.

The rationing is applied by the exclusions imposed by employers and insurance companies on all but the most expensive policies and, most obviously, by the fact that many working Americans simply cannot afford any insurance. To say everyone can get emergency care is little comfort to the diabetic or cancer sufferers denied ongoing care.

Yet all this money has failed to improve overall health outcomes. Life expectancy for Americans is a year below the rich country average of 79, while infant mortality is well above the average. Britain just beats the average on both scores.

True, there are other social and cultural factors to be taken into account. But that the world’s richest country can spend so much and still lag so far behind the best is an extraordinary indictment. On present trends, this hopelessly inefficient system will soon consume 20 per cent of national income, making it as unaffordable as it is inequitable. The challenge for all US politicians is surely to devise a system that spends less more efficiently and fairly.

Britain has a different problem. It needs to spend more. A sharp increase in NHS resources in recent years has eased the queues. But care is still restricted by waiting times or limited availability of some treatments. Given its demographics, Britain will need to devote a rising share of its income to health – at a time when a burgeoning government deficit requires public spending restraint. One way or another, patients are going to be asked to contribute directly to their care.

At least, though, the NHS is relatively efficient. Britain gets a lot more bang for its buck than the US. Rationing will always be unavoidable – on both sides of the Atlantic. And it is foolish to argue that state-run systems are always the most effective. But Mr Obama’s critics are throwing stones from a glass house in which the panes are already broken.

philip.stephens@ft.com

Health Care.

2009-08-14T14:34:00.004+02:00

I've just watched the BBC news with pictures of the hysteria surrounding the reforms to U.S. health care: faces, body language, slogans - all filled with such hate. I just do not understand that people can turn their backs and ignore the fact that 46 million of the population have no health care coverage, and more have less coverage than is adequate.

It's true that those European countries with a universal health service are struggling with problems of how to fund the system. More and more people are living longer: there are such advances in medical technology, the high cost of pharmaceuticals, not to mention a mind-set of some who believe that whatever they want they should have for free, be it cosmetic surgery, IVF, gastric bands to reduce weight etc. It's difficult for any Government to keep up with demand but at least people do get treatment and care without the worry of being turned away because of an inability to pay.

I was reminded this morning of how fortunate I was to have grown up in a national health system in UK. My country has transferred my right to have free treatment and prescriptions to my adopted country, Spain so I have my medication, routine blood tests and ECG for my 2 year old condition, all without it costing a centimo. OK, I worked for 40-odd years and paid into the system (National Insurance) which guaranteed me a retirement pension at aged 60 and free health care and, boy, am I glad of it now at an age where I no longer work for my living.

HEALTH CARE REFORM, U.S.A.

2009-08-13T16:12:00.003+02:00

I've got my dander up again about American Politics: the rabid Right through lies, misinformation and praying on ignorance, have been trying to scupper any reform. They are also trying to discredit the UK's National Health Service to try and add weight to their argument against "socialised health care" . Here is an article from BBC news:

BBC article on US attack on NHS

Bloggers debate British healthcare

As the US healthcare debate hots up during Congress's summer recess, anti-reform campaigners have been directing criticisms across the Atlantic at the UK healthcare system.

The most recent row erupted after an editorial at the Investors Business Daily (IBD) launched an attack on the British National Health Service (NHS), as a warning against what could happen if the US adopted such a model.

"The controlling of medical costs in countries such as Britain through rationing, and the health consequences thereof are legendary," the article said. "The stories of people dying on a waiting list or being denied altogether read like a horror movie script."

The article's author went on to assert that "people such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the UK, where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless."

As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Jay Bookman quickly pointed out, Prof Hawking was born in the UK, and has lived and worked there for his entire life.

And UK newspapers the Guardian and Daily Telegraph reported Prof Hawking as saying that he "wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS".

Basic stupidity

Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein said the IBD article was an example of conservatives "lying" about healthcare.

"It's not just that they didn't know that Stephen Hawking was born in England. It's that the underlying point was wrong, as you'll note from the continued existence of Stephen Hawking. They didn't choose an unfortunate example for an accurate point. They simply lied."

The New Republic's Jason Zengerle - while endorsing Mr Klein's objections to the IBD's article - was not convinced that the article's author should be given the credit for a conscious lie.

"The point the IBD writer was trying to make would have at least been theoretically plausible if, as the writer believed, Hawking was not British," Mr Zengerle wrote.

It's worth emphasizing, for those who remain confused and misled, that Democratic reform proposals would not create a British system

Steve Benen
Washington Monthly

"I'm just reluctant to credit the IBD writer with the sufficient smarts to concoct such a lie. Seems like basic stupidity is the easier explanation here."

The IBD's fundamental charge was that President Obama's healthcare plans would lead to the rationing of healthcare, and that rationing is a feature of the British system.

This point was echoed by conservative blogger Michelle Malkin , who warned that "the effects of socialised medicine in Britain - engineered by government-run cost-cutting panels on which Obamacare would be modelled - continue to wreak havoc on the elderly and infirm."

In making this point, Ms Malkin was explicitly re-affirming the assertion made by former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, that Mr Obama wanted to create a "death panel" to decide whether the elderly or disabled are "worthy of health care".

Top topic

Liberal bloggers in the US have rejected the accusations made by these prominent conservatives.

Washington Monthly's Steve Benen argued that the healthcare plans put forward by Mr Obama and his fellow Democrats bore no resemblance to the UK system.

"It's worth emphasizing, for those who remain confused and misled, that Democratic reform proposals would not create a British system. The comparison doesn't even make sense in any substantive way, and the very premise of the IBD attack, which has been widely parroted by the far-right, reflects a fundamental lack of intellectual honesty and seriousness."

Matthew Yglesias, blogger for the liberal Centre for American Progress, lamented the fact that Mr Obama was not planning to follow the British example.

"The NHS is a pretty great model and the British are on to something... if you were actually able to get British levels of care for British price levels [in the US] you could redirect [the savings] to trying to improve the social circumstances of the poor, trying to reduce exposure to health hazards, and building infrastructure (trains, sidewalks, bike paths, even the dread parks) suited to less sedentary lifestyles. We'd be much better off that way."

The American conservatives' criticisms of the NHS, and an appearance by British Conservative MEP Dan Hannan on Fox News, in which he bemoaned the state of healthcare in the UK, has prompted thousands of British Twitter users to rush to its defence.

By early Wednesday evening UK time, the #WeLoveTheNHS hashtag had become one of the top trending topics on the global site.

Some Twitter users, like Luke Richards, offered general words of support.

"I'm proud of our health service. It's one of this country's best achievements of the past century," he wrote.

Others, like Claire Thompson of Reading, highlighted the life-saving treatment that they or their friends and relatives have received.

"My father had heart surgery last year, and my husband's life was saved after a fall - not perfect, but great when it matters," she tweeted.

Most seemed to reflect the feeling that despite its shortcomings, the British remain defiantly proud of the health service in the face of transatlantic criticism.

Matthew Yglesias, above, makes a very good point if you were actually able to get British levels of care for British price levels [in the US] you could redirect [the savings] to trying to improve the social circumstances of the poor.

Maybe even something would be done about the US appalling infant mortality rate.

Ronni Bennett on Time Goes By, HERE is calling all elder bloggers to post something on 20th August to dispel the lies and misinformation circulating. Do read her article and add you weight if you agree.

3 Siamese

2009-07-07T15:06:00.003+02:00

I'm amazed at our two, Yin and Yang, who seem quite comfortable allowing our visitor (Shanti) to share the cool of the patio. He does have a family about 10 minutes walk away, but prefers to spend time in our garden. I tried not feeding him but he won't go home and doesn't stop shouting until I give him something.

I've harvested the first of the bell peppers and aubergines today and spent the morning chopping them up, with our own onions, tomatoes and garlic to make something with pasta. In previous years I've done a cheese lasagne with the veg. mix above.

Meanwhile, one of the freezers is bulging with apricots and plums and there are jars of plums in syrup for later in the year. Next big crop will be the black figs. I read that they're good with goats cheese and rocket. If anyone has favourite fig dessert recipes, I'd appreciate hearing about them.

Gonzalo and Mathilde next door have been supplying us with huge bags of French beans....simply delicious. And as a special treat, turkeys' eggs. I've had duck's and geese eggs but never turkey. They're slightly richer and larger than a hen's egg.

Bramley Apple Pie

2009-05-20T16:39:00.003+02:00

I'd better move over in the kitchen and give D some space to experiment. Most of you know I'm not into making cakes, pastries, biscuits and the like, although I enjoy eating them when offered. D. offen feels deprived of such naughties and recently had a yen for an apple pie. A friend brought the Bramleys from Gibraltar (apparently, these are the only ones that will do) and away he went.....the kitchen was chaos - even with frozen pastry - but here is the result:

This is the man who said food was fuel when we met 7 years ago. Happily, he's learned that eating can be an enjoyable experience and now relishes a variety of dishes from around the world. Maybe with his baking success, I can persuade him to experiment in cooking other things.

super de-luxe Mercado in Chiclana.

2009-05-08T15:07:00.010+02:00

When we arrived in the area 6 years ago , the central market for fruit, veg, meat and fish was a place where you'd need to gird you loins to get through it. The aisles were very narrow and queues 3 or 4 deep; often a group would just be standing, talking, with push chairs and gridlock was not uncommon. Above is the snail man, who has had a stall outside the old market for years; wild asparagus is sold there too when in season and strange looking herbs. Behind him there's a big gap where the market used to be and here is the brand-new one.....spacious, air-conditioned, set in a plaza with fountains, benches, lottery vendors and activist stalls.

Here's one of the butchers and cold meats
And here you can see the wider aisles, with one of the fish and seafood stalls in the far distance.
Fabulous-looking fruit and veg, all said to be locally grown. It continues to baffle me that you can't move at some stalls for the customers queuing, while others are empty. Yet the prices and produce look the same.
In the centre of the market is a brand-new mall, two floors, marble floors, all expensively kitted out, several bars, cafes and even the churros and chocolat place - sheer indulgence. One cafe offers menu del dia of 3 courses for 5€ - what a bargain.

And, finally, I couldn't resist this pic of two delightful puppies in a push chair out with their owner, whose friend had the grandchild in another pushchair. No-one was taking any notice of the grandchild.

Visiting Siamese, part 2.

2009-04-24T19:35:00.006+02:00

Lourdes, who lives about 10 minutes' walk away, and her son, Ezekiel, came today to let us know that Shanti (my secret name for our visitor) is their cat. They call him Gato (cat) and took him home in their car. He hadn't been home for 3 days and I guess he'd found a nice little billet around our house so's he could wake me up by yowling at 7 a.m. for some breakfast. We've said that it's better if we don't give him any food, so that he'll return home, but he's most welcome to visit any time.

So, all's well that ends well, eh.

A couple of very good articles this week on older people and how they are perceived by younger
people. Take a look at Ronnie at Time goes by (click on title) and D at 60 going on 16. This is what it's really like getting older - or so some would hope. Give me the garden and the slow life any time.

Grandma's Medicines.

2009-04-22T16:03:00.004+02:00

And I thought it was the Guiness and a little bedtime tot of whisky that made Grandma Nellie so happy.

And to think she could have taken this instead. Sadly, at 90 she did need morphine just before she died. A few days before it happened, she sat up in bed suddenly, waved at my aunt and me, said "thank you very much for looking after me", laid down and there she remained until she died - in her own home, which was very important to her.

And as you can see, the children were not forgotten either.

I didn't see any ads for Laudanum, which delicate Victorian ladies needed frequently with a nice lie-down.

Spare ribs recipe

2009-04-21T17:13:00.003+02:00

I got this recipe for spare ribs from Video Jug HERE. A great site for getting ideas (there's a search button) and then seeing it cooked step-by-step.

I'm cooking the spare ribs for the second time and here's how it's done. I guarantee you won't be able to get enough of them.......simply scrumptilicious (is that a new word):

Take one and a half kilos (3 lbs) of spare ribs, put in saucepan with sliced up 5 cm ginger, cover with water, bring to the boil, and then simmer for 10 mins. Skim frequently.

Mix up

2 tbsp. each of BBQ sauce, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, crushed garlic, runny honey and brown sugar, plus 2 teasp. chopped ginger. Add 100 ml. dark sherry.

Drain the spare ribs and pat dry and into a pan with a little olive oil, brown the ribs on both sides.

Into a clean pan, put the spicy saucy mixture and simmer and stir for a minute or so. Transfer the ribs to this mixture and cook for 5 minutes....longer if you want, turning frequently. Personally, I didn't find that even cooking them for 15 minutes was long enough to make them succulent, so kept prodding them until I was satisfied. I guess it would depend on the quality of the ribs.

I'm serving them with noodles so that all those lovely juices can be soaked up. I'm not putting a picture up as they won't be on the plate long enough!

Siamese visitor

2009-04-17T11:24:00.004+02:00

Those of you who read the gardening blog know that we have two brother and sister Siamese cats, Yin and Yang, who are 6 years old now. They are real characters and give us endless pleasure.

Well, here we have a visiting Siamese. He showed up about a fortnight ago, announcing his presence with the classic loud Siamese yowl. He came twice a day at mealtimes and for a while I wouldn't feed him, as he disappeared at night and I thought he must have an owner. He didn't look uncared for and was friendly enough, albeit a bit strange with half a tail and cross eyes!

You won't be surprised to learn that things escalated once I gave him breakfast. He's now taken up position on D's favourite chair on the patio and yowls in the evening for dinner when ours get fed. No, I'm not going to give him any until/unless I find out if he has an owner; so I'm ready to put a notice up locally on a telegraph pole.

Our two are tolerant of him, but get spooked when he tries to get in the house. Last night after creating a racket outside he got on his hind legs outside the sitting room window (which looks onto the patio) and banged with both front paws on the window. I think he's very determined to adopt us. Watch this space.......

The smell of Cornwall

2009-03-28T08:00:00.002+01:00

It doesn't look anything sitting there on the plate, does it? But if you could smell it as I do, you wouldn't be able to wait to get your teeth into it. Wendy from Redruth in West Cornwall has moved to our town and has started her Cornish Kitchen, selling these wonderful pasties, baked to order. I ordered a dozen and salivated all the way home as the car was suffused with the smell of pastry, potato, swede, onion and meat. If you've ever walked down the main street of any town in Cornwall at lunch time, you'll know what I mean.

They've been a vital part of the Cornish people's diet for over 200 years. There are hundreds of stories about the evolution of the pasty's shape, with the most popular being that the D-shape enabled tin miners to re-heat them underground as well as eat them safely. The crust (crimped edge) was used as a handle which was then discarded due to the high levels of arsenic in many of the tin mines. No chance of my discarding my crust....Wendy's pastry is divine.

The size of mine here is relatively modest, by Cornish standards. I've been in pubs where they fill the whole plate....too much for one person. Favourite way to eat them is straight from the bag, sauntering along the Prom - fighting off the seagulls.

A Marriage of Cultures

2009-03-25T08:53:00.003+01:00

I've strained my brain for hours to figure out how to post videos. Here's a beauty of Irish and Spanish dance from River Dance, posted in error originally on my Gardening blog. (I've left it there for them to enjoy too). This is the full 8 min. video and there's a treat also for devotees of Jean Butler.

From my early days at school on the Country Dancing team in the 1940s, I've loved dance. Flamenco grabbed me in the 1950s when I saw Antonio at the Coliseum in London and hung around for hours, without success, at the stage door for an autograph. I drooled at the Albert Hall in the 90s when Joaquin Cortés appeared, more over his uncle's dancing to be honest. Now, I live right in the thick of it in Andalucia. How good is that.

Silence broken

2009-03-24T17:20:00.002+01:00

My, oh my, nearly the first quarter of the year over and nothing written. Now why is that, I wonder. I've done a lot of reading, been out and about, worked endlessly in the garden and, yet, have felt nothing of value or interest to say on here.

I know many bloggers do the odd paragraph almost daily. Others I visit regularly write so superbly and about such interesting things that I feel that sense of unworthiness of my efforts creeping in, so do nothing. I know it is ridiculous to have this self-judgement sitting on my shoulder, but I can't seem to shake it off. I have put my toe in the water on my gardening blog because I got all fired up about chillies but that was that.

I'm hoping that having given voice to these daft feelings, I can launch myself off again......we shall see.

Season's Greetings

2008-12-23T18:31:00.003+01:00

to everyone passing by. Thanks to everyone who visited and may 2009 be one of peace, joy and happy blogging.

2008-12-19T15:28:00.003+01:00

A-Z guide to a Spanish Christmas

Ollas, Lotería, Uvas? What do these have in common with Christmas? Theresa O'Shea explains.

Theresa and Valerie produced the very amusing book "Estar en el ajo" referred to in a previous post, with the link to their website. For those of you who tried to access it before , it now works.

Árbol What’s a fir tree got to do with a traditional Spanish Christmas? Like reindeer and sleigh bells and Papa Noel himself, not a lot. But as Spain spends its way into the Global Department Store Christmas, the árbol de navidad is growing in popularity - although it looks unlikely to usurp the belén (see B) as Christmas decoration número uno.

Belén Christmas crib, or Nativity Scene. Belén actually means Bethlehem, and while some show just the manger scene, others form elaborate tableaux of the town and its environs. Many families have a “belén box” that goes back decades, full of lovingly-collected half-broken figurines, lumps of papier-mâché, bits of twig and silver paper, mirrors, corks, seeds and dried grasses; all ingeniously employed to recreate streams and bridges, paths and hills, carpenters’ workshops, fields of wheat and so on. Ironically, this most traditional of Spanish Christmas customs only goes back to the 18th century and was imported from Naples by the first wife of Carlos III.

Cava Catalunya's greatest gift to the world: affordable, drinkable champers. While bottles of the stuff are frequently uncorked at Christmas parties and gatherings throughout Spain, in Catalunya festive cava consumption reaches unthinkable oh-no-please-not-another-glass / bottle / case proportions.

Dulces Sweet things. OK, so the Spanish do savoury brilliantly: hams, cheeses, olives and all the other salt of the earth stuff. But it's hard to get excited about mantecados and polverones: lardy cakey, biscuity things that glue your mouth together and come in terrifyingly large boxes.

Esteban Steven, as in Saint Steven's Day. 26 December is a bit of a damp squid in most of Spain; there are newspapers, the banks are open, and some unfortunate souls even return to work. In Catalunya and Baleares though, it is a public holiday and as important as England’s Boxing Day.

Figurines for the Nativity Scene. These were originally made of porcelain, and later baked clay and plaster. It took the wonders of the hundred-peseta shop to turn an artisan art form into mass-produced tack. Apart from the main players, you can buy a whole range of village extras, including the kids’ favourite, el cagón or, in Catalan and Valenciano, el caganer (the, er, crapper). What a country lad with his trousers round his ankles has to do with the holy scene is anybody's guess.

(and for the latest addition of Barak Obama to the el cagón family, click HERE

Gambas Prawns. Ever since his first Christmas dinner in the UK (miniscule prawn-cocktail starter on a bed of limp lettuce), my Spanish husband insists on smuggling boxes of frozen shellfish in with the thermal underwear. Gambas at Christmas means dinner plates piled high with the giantest of prawns, langoustines, scampi, crayfish and other well-endowed relations. And that's just the pre-starter!

Higos Figs. After the shellfish comes a soup of some kind; for the main course there's turkey, fish, goat or lamb; then perhaps a light dessert; and finally – to aid digestion? - out comes the Muscatel and the frutos secos: almonds, hazelnuts, dates, apricots, and figs. If you're a fig fan, don't miss pan de higos – a thick nutty “cake” packed solid with the contents of several fig trees.

Inocentes, el día de los Santos Holy Innocents' Day. 28 December. Slight warped sense of humour in evidence here, as Spaniards celebrate King Herod's slaughter of male babies by playing April Fool-type practical jokes.

Jamón Christmas is a grim a time for pigs, especially the patiently-fattened acorn-eating variety. One false turn in Carrefour and you'll find yourself suddenly hemmed in by ceilings of swinging forelegs and hind legs, interspersed with extra-large, extra-phallic chorizos (sausages). Of all the festive foodstuffs it is the jamón, lovingly mounted on its cutting stand and covered with a damp cloth, without which the Spanish Christmas hamper would never be complete.

Lotería A staggering 90 percent of the population take part in the world's most famous and "fattest" lottery, El Gordo. Hardly surprising with prize money totalling EUR 1.8 billion. On the morning of the draw (22 December), any local bar is the place to be, where everyone will be glued to the TV screen, clutching their décimas and participaciones (more affordable fractions of full numbers) as the children of the San Ildefonso orphanage pull out and sing-song the winning numbers.

Misa de Gallo Rooster mass, as the Spanish call our equivalent of midnight mass.

Noche Buena Christmas Eve. Most Spaniards rate this as the most important of all the Christmas feast days. It's the only time, other than summer siesta hours, when streets are deserted and bars and restaurants close. But don't be fooled, the action simply moves indoors. On this "good night” the latest-suppering country in the world goes for gold, with most Christmas dinners starting around eleven or midnight.

Ollas Saucepans. Preferably large enough to bath a small child, considering that it's quite normal for 20 or 30 family members to eat together over the Christmas period.

Pascua, Flor de Poinsettia. A recent addition to the Christmas decor. Striking though they are, with their deep-red star flowers and velvety green leaves, I've yet to buy one that lasted beyond Reyes. (see R)

Quo Vadis You can guarantee this epic will be on television, along with Qué bello es la Vida (It's a Wonderful Life) and El Mago de Oz.

Reyes Kings' Day. In Spain it is still the Three Kings - not Father Christmas - who bring the presents. On the eve of 6 January, every city, town and two-bit pueblo holds its cabalgata (cavalcade). Melchor, Balthasar, Gaspar dressed in all their exotic finery parade down the main drag on tractors, horses or camels, thrones in tow, throwing sweets and toys to the crowds of excited children. Later, they flit from balcony to balcony, dropping off presents and partaking of milk and biscuits (water for the camels).

Santa, or Papa Noel The purists don't like it, but Spain has little hope against the red and white tide. Only the department stores and the kids are happy as parents end up buying two lots of presents now.

Tió, as in cagar el tió. Put as delicately as I can manage, "making the log drop its load". A charming Christmas Eve custom in Catalunya that involves singing special songs and beating on a blanket-covered log (the family tió) until the presents pop out.

Uvas Grapes. We sing Auld Lang Syne and hold hands while the Spanish eat a dozen grapes. The tradition was started by the wine merchants of yesteryear, giving the locals plenty of time to develop a 12-lucky-grapes gene. Year after year as I choke on green pulp and pips, my Spanish friends down theirs effortlessly. In 1996, however, even the most adept swallowers came unstuck when the clock of the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, instead of striking at digestible three-second intervals, speeded up to one and half seconds, leaving half of Spain with its mouth full.

Villancicos Carols. Forget solemn. Think hand-clapping, foot-stomping, pub-type sing-a-longs and you've captured the essence of Spanish carol-singing. Traditionally takes place around the belén, with everyone banging on a medley of home-made instruments - anís bottle and spoon, mortar and pestle, paper comb, jars of lentils and a zambomba (see Z). Probably the catchiest of all villancicos is the ubiquitous “Mira cómo beben los peces en el río” (Look how the fishes are drinking in the river).

White Christmas Blanca Navidad, covered by old crooner Rafael, is as much a part of the season here as in the UK - despite the fact that most Spaniards (in the South and on the islands, at any rate) have as much chance of seeing a white Christmas as Brits have a sunny one.

Xixona Cheating a bit here, the Castilian spelling is Jijona and it's the name of a town near Alicante where most of the season's turrón is made. Said to have been invented by the Ancient Greeks, authentic turrón is a kind of nougat made with almonds, sugar, honey and egg white. It is sold in gold bullion-type slabs and comes in hundreds of different flavours these days. Along with the hams, occupies more square metres of supermarket in December than any other product.

Yemas Egg yolks. We have Spain's Moorish past to thank for the fact that many Christmas sweets are made principally from pure cholesterol. Well, something has to be done with all those leftover yolks from the turrón production.

Zambomba Key instrument for villancico (see V) sessions. Basically an upturned bottomless flower-pot with a drum-skin stretched across one end and a hole in the middle through which a pole fits. To produce the instrument's low zam-bom, zam-bom sound the player spits on his or her hand and moves it up and down the pole. That's the theory, at any rate. My efforts suggest there might be a zambomba gene out there somewhere.

Thanks to Theresa for her permission to reproduce this here.

If you enjoy their style, visit their website as there are more stories there.

Simple Truths

2008-12-07T18:52:00.003+01:00

Back in the 70s when I was studying sociology, among other things, I learned the name for that senseless activity we all deploy to escape doing something we don't want to do - Displacement Activity. You know the thing: you have an assignment to do, an appointment to make, etc. and, suddenly, there's that burning need to clean the oven, re-order the cupboards.....jobs you've procrastinated over for weeks. I chuckled with recognition then and I still do when I find myself indulging in it.

I've developed a passion for lists over the years. Unlike now where lists are essential, I didn't need them, but I always had a list of "to-do" things which always ended with "do nothing". This was good advice from a friend to help me overcome a time of extended sick leave when I felt bereft of the structure of my job.

This week I've received from SimpleTruths.com another piece of good advice which brings together list making and displacement activity..... "eat that frog". Go take a look http://www.eatthatfrogmovie.com/

Don't forget to turn up the volume.

Another time-consuming passion

2008-12-04T17:00:00.003+01:00

For the last two years, el jefe has been busying himself preparing a website about steam locomotives - that is when he's not been occupied by building stuff for the garden, digging, planting etc. or doing mosaics.

He is a night-bird so every evening when I hit the sack around 11, he stays up till 1 or 2 a.m. wrestling with sophisticated art software programs to produce locomotives and tenders from times gone by. It's complicated, time-consuming work and the air has been blue at times as he frequently "forgets" to read the manual (you know the phrase - RTFM!) and spends hours figuring out how to do something only to find the easy answer when he consults the tutorials.

Anyway, the current results are HERE

There are some sections still being built but there are enough illustrations and explanations to interest that strange breed of people, affectionately known as "anoraks" who love the age of steam. Enjoy.

November Sundown

2008-12-02T18:09:00.000+01:00

People who visit our garden take one look at the bottles that hang in the pear tree and say "why are those there?".
We explain about the sun shining through them when its low in the sky. Here it is.......worth it, eh?

Musings

2008-11-29T16:40:00.004+01:00

In brilliant sunshine this morning I hung out some washing and within 10 minutes, hailstones appeared. Oh, good, I can ignore the garden and can sit in front of my PC with impunity...which I did, and read some great familiar blogs. This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson seems apt for many warm, generous people out in blogland..."The best effect of fine persons is felt when we have left their presence". How true.

I came across a Black Box widget - see on the right. Have a go. It will take you to blogs of people who made similar black box choices. My first "hit" was this delightful blog HERE
Another great blog about Spain, in English, to add to my collection. Go have a look. There's a wonderful exhibition in Granada (where the blogger is based) of a Peruvian photographer and if you visit her shop, you'll find some chic home-made cards and other goodies.

Churros, more information

2008-11-18T17:19:00.004+01:00

I can see that my post on these delicious naughties brought back happy memories for some of you, so here's more information, with thanks to a wonderful book "In the Garlic" (estar en el ajo, which means to be clued up, to know the score) by Valerie Collins & Theresa O'Shea. Val and Theresa have a website click HERE
You can read more, buy the book and visit other articles by these two women, who live in Barcelona.

For those not in the garlic, churros are fritters made from dough and extruded from a large piping bag into hot oil. When fried to a crispy texture, they're dusted with sugar and (optional) cinnamon.
What I didn't know was that the smaller, crinkly ones I prefer are called madrileños. The thicker tubular variety that I had recently are porros (truncheons) or tejeringos (meaning I-inject-you's, from the verb jeringar to inject). And just to muddle me up even further, on our next trip to Seville we must ask for calentitos (little hotties - I love it).

Indulgence, Spanish style.

2008-11-10T21:08:00.003+01:00

The No. 1 elevenses in Spain. Hot chocolate, which is like liquid chocolate and a cup of this leaves you wired for hours, and churros - thin (usually) hot doughnut sticks with sugar shaken over them.

We allow ourselves these about twice a year but I didn't bargain for these very wide sticks today in our local supermarket cafe. Here's my plate of naughtiness. The waiter did a double take when I ordered a plate each.

These scrumptious naughties can be found in most areas of Spain, often in special churros cabins. They're about half a metre long when fished out of the fryer, snipped into smaller bits into a paper cone and shaken over with sugar.....heaven.

Spanish scenes

2008-11-08T15:33:00.002+01:00

Storks getting ready to leave for Africa - very late this year I think. They suddenly appeared and I didn't have time to refresh my memory on how to zoom. Click on pictures to enlarge.

I rounded a corner at Novo Sancti Petri after meeting a friend for a tapas lunch, and here was this wonderfully restored rickshaw. What it's doing here, outside an overstuffed furniture and nick-nacks shop, is anyone's guess.

And here's my favourite round another corner....a cafe devoted solely to Haagen Dazs ice cream.

President elect, Barack Obama

2008-11-05T10:33:00.002+01:00

What a night.... and what a wonderful result. And what a mammoth task ahead of him. The victory speech was so inspiring in its inclusivity, yet realistic . I don't want to lose this so will print it out and pin in on my study wall.

For those of you who missed it, here it is:

"

Obama acceptance speech in full

A speech by the new president-elect of the United States of America, Barack Obama

Comments ()

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."

What exciting and scary times we are living in.

U.S. Presidential Elections.

2008-11-04T17:43:00.002+01:00

Well, it's been a long haul and tonight will be the decider. El jefe and I will be snuggled down all night in front of the fire rooting for the candidate who will do most to lighten the load of ordinary people and restore respect for the U.S.A. worldwide. And we all know who that is.

Not since the JFK election have I found the American politics so absorbing and interesting, to the point that little else got done.

Am thinking of all my American blogging buddies over the water.

Further U.S. Politics - Senator McCain/The Keating 5.

2008-10-24T23:57:00.003+02:00

I came across THIS

an article from the Phoenix New Times written 20 years ago about the conflict of financial interest and poor judgement of John McCain in the Keating 5 affair.

It's a long article and well worth the read to illustrate - to me at least - how little has changed in the way John McCain conducts himself in public life.

More on the U.S Election.

2008-10-19T10:43:00.003+02:00

Here's a selection of comments to today's Times article HERE
about some of the choices Obama could make for his cabinet.

"There may be no wealth left to spread if Obama gets elected
We may wish for the 1930s again.
Galt, Philadelphia, USA

Think about this, many financiers such as George Soros have been funding Obama. If Obama becomes president, these funders are going to call in their markiers and Obama will have to start passing out favors. This could get sorta nasty.
gordon, garrison, texas, USA

Why shouldn't the Celebrity Candidate lineup a Celebrity Cabinet? McCain is probably going to pick his cabinet the old-fashioned way based on credebility, commitment and credentials, not celebrity.
Maripo, New York , USA

God save you? Words fail? After 8 years of a President who has brought death & destruction wherever he has turned his fundamentalist eyes? Look up Socialism - this isn't it. You should be grateful Obama can be bothered to be President of a country left in such a shocking state, at home & abroad
Elizabeth, London,

Count down, those the uneducated. Your time is up. 8 years of the incomprehensible reign of terror from those republican nut jobs is over.

The rest of the world can now focus on picking up the pieces from one of the most disgraceful administrations in history.

Shame on anyone voting republican.
Duncan, Melbourne, Australia

This election ISN'T OVER YET!!!
There is no guarantee the Marxist Obama is going to be elected.
I will be voting for McCAIN on Monday (early voting). I encourage everyone on the fence to do the same!
This arrogant Marxist and his Media Cabal must be defeated!
Toby, Dallas, TX

The real scandal is that we're still having an election in the United States. The French fashion designers have spoken, the New York Times has given its full commitment, and Hamas is simply delighted. Why are all those bitter, God-fearing, gun-waving Americans still entitled to have a say? Change...
Richard Blauhaus, Meriden, USA

Susan Rice and John Kerry leading the charge on foriegn policy - say it isn't so. Lord help us.
Greg, Los Angeles, CA, USA

The fact that you might somehow consider this "socialism" explains what's wrong with the USA. This kind of ignorance and simple mindedness is what brought people like Bush to the White House. If you guys make the same mistake again, you deserve what you get. Get your great country back on the map!!
John Harding, Montreal, Canada"

Let's hope most Americans don't see things the way most of these US commentators do.

Jerez outing

2008-10-17T16:38:00.005+02:00

I've been so obsessed lately with reading and watching so much about the American presidential race, then clearing up after the worst storm here for 40 years when one of our ngaio trees came down that I jumped at the chance to go to the International Women's Association meeting in Jerez.

It was being held in a renovated Moroccan market in the old quarter of the city. It houses about 25 artists and artisans, mostly women, who sell their handmade wares - jewellery, leatherwork, ceramics, textiles and paintings.

The Association meets every month and starts with a communal breakfast, then a talk (last month it was on spiritual healing) or a tour. It's a good way to meet other women of all nationalities and to get to know more about this part of Spain and its culture.

Below is a little slide show to give you an idea of the architecture, both renovated and crumbling, of the Cathedral, the City wall and the Zoco (market) where we had breakfast followed by a little retail therapy.

Jerez is truly a beautiful city. Surrounded by vines, it's the home of sherry and thousands take the trips round the bodegas to learn about the process, sample their wares and have a little tapas. It's good to go in a party by coach so that a little siesta after too much sampling doesn't go amiss on the way home.

Where the bail-out money goes

2008-10-09T08:04:00.004+02:00

Here's an article from a British newspaper which highlights just what taxpayers in USA and UK are concerned about: executives of failing companies rewarding themselves with the bail-out money.

"Bosses of an insurance giant bailed out with £48 billion of U.S. taxpayers' money went on a £250,000 retreat to a posh resort less than a week after the rescue, it has been revealed.

American International Group executives racked up a huge tab during the week-long getaway.

The bill included £13,000 worth of spa treatments for AIG employees at the Tuscan-themed St. Regis resort south of Los Angeles.

But U.S. lawmakers investigating the firm's meltdown were still enraged over cash spent on banquets, golf outings and visits to the resort's spa and salon.

'Average Americans are suffering economically. They're losing their jobs, their homes and their health insurance,' Democratic House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman said.

'Yet less than one week after the taxpayers rescued AIG, company executives could be found wining and dining at one of the most exclusive resorts in the nation.'

Maryland Democrat Elijah Cummings on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said: 'They were getting facials, manicures, and massages, while the American people were footing the bill".

OK, a quarter of a million pounds is paltry when billions are bandied about but where was the oversight and control promised when agreeing these bail-out sums?

Sorted books

2008-10-03T17:35:00.004+02:00

These wonderful blogs - 60going on16 here,
Random Distractions here
and Musings from a Muddy Island here
have acquainted me with the Sorted Books Project, and it's just up my street....

This is what it's all about

The Sorted Books project began in 1993 years ago and is ongoing. The project has taken place in many different places over the years, ranging form private homes to specialized public book collections. The process is the same in every case: culling through a collection of books, pulling particular titles, and eventually grouping the books into clusters so that the titles can be read in sequence, from top to bottom. The final results are shown either as photographs of the book clusters or as the actual stacks themselves, shown on the shelves of the library they were drawn from. Taken as a whole, the clusters from each sorting aim to examine that particular library's focus, idiosyncrasies, and inconsistencies — a cross-section of that library's holdings. At present, the Sorted Books project comprises more than 130 book clusters.'

Apart from fiction going back to the 1950s, my library overflows with stuff on mental health, therapy and alcohol/drug dependency. This, my first offering, is a typical scenario.

As D says on 60goingon16, a very good exercise for aging brains - and what a marvellous way to mooch around my books on a rainy afternoon.

Wise Words

2008-09-28T09:57:00.002+02:00

After a week of getting bogged down with a huge variety of reports on US and UK remedies for the catastrophic global financial situation - and feeling no nearer to understanding it - I turned to my journal where over many years I've recorded scraps of wisdom from different writers.

Jenni Diski hit me first. Her description of certain tabloid newspapers reflected my feelings on the topic as well as when watching the news...."a kind of despair that grows like creeping paralysis over the will".

And then, on the same page, some uplifting words on a common theme:

Albert Camus "The evil that is in the world almost always comes from ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding"

Marie Curie Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.

Anton Checkhov Man will become better when you show him what he is like.

So, it's back to the drawing board if I'm to get out of this "creeping paralysis"....read, discuss and debate and try and reach a better understanding.

I wonder if other people have "wise words" to comfort themselves when their energy is low.

Here is a lovely Sanskrit poem I've visited frequently over the last 15 years.....

Look to this day, for it is life;
The very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the truths and realities of existence -
The joy of growth;
The splendour of action;
The glory of power.

For yesterday is but a memory
And tomorrow is only a vision.
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday a memory of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day.

U.S. Expenditure

2008-09-21T10:15:00.009+02:00

My head is stuffed with facts and figures about the collapse of some of the biggest financial institutions and the bail-out figures to be paid out - $85 billion to AIG. Yes, 85 million million.

Compare this with the cost to the U.S. of fighting the Iraq war, as the widget counter on the bottom right of this blog will show. I got into all of this because of an article by Noam Chomsky in July this year. To do it justice, I am copying and pasting the whole thing.

So sorry. Cannot seem to paste this so it remains intact - right hand margin cut off. To read the whole article click on the link, chomsky.com at the bottom of the page.

Well, their voices should matter.....think of the billions of taxpayers' money going on this war. And think of the good that money could do for health care, affordable housing, education, pensions and care for elderly and disabled people.

Check out the dollar counter widget......the mind boggles. To put it in £ sterling

U.S. expenditure £2,000 per second
U.K. expenditure £31 per second

The Spanish Language

2008-09-20T10:19:00.000+02:00

What a beautiful language and, as with any other, it’s the putting together of the verbs, adjectives and nouns in the right order and not constructing sentences literally that is the key to fluency. After 5 years here I still have difficulty and I was urged to spare a thought recently in an article about Spanish emigrants who went to Switzerland in the 1950s to 1970s who still have problems with the German language.

More than two million Spaniards emigrated during that time; many went to Basel, Switzerland, fleeing from a backward, impoverished country. Of those who decided to stay, their average age is now 69 and have formed the Arco Iris Association and conducted a survey among themselves. 336 Spanish residents participated and about half the men and three-quarters of the women say they have never managed to learn the German language well.

I find this an odd statistic because in my experience here, it is the women who work the hardest at learning the language. Couples start classes together, then the majority of the men give up and leave the talking to the women. Was it ever different? Women seem to work harder at keeping up contact with family and friends; they send the birthday and seasonal cards and, generally, keep the whole social scene humming along.

Am I right or am I being sexist.

U.S. Politics

2008-09-18T14:18:00.004+02:00

I haven't got around to including my links on this new blog but one of my favourites which addresses issues of aging is Time Goes By.

There's always lively discussion , contributions from a geriatrician and great stories on a sister site. Ronnie, the webmistress, tirelessly provides information on the upcoming American elections and invites contributions from readers, which are published on a Sunday. It's all made fascinating reading, albeit a little scary and, to be honest , fills me with despair and frustration.

I've noticed from following the reports in the Guardian, that many of the commentators on articles are from the USA. Some are full of righteous indignation that anyone outside of the USA has the temerity to criticise or comment on how the elections are being handled. But here's one that caught my eye apropos a recent speech by Sarah Palin.

Interesting post from Craigslist in Sacramento.

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're 'exotic', 'different', even 'elitist'

* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your middle name means "handsome" or "good looking" in Arabic you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.

* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with more than 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real experience.

* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with fewer than 9,000 people where you raised sales taxes and which you left with a newly created debt, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency behind a 72 year-old cancer survivor with high blood pressure who takes Ambien to sleep at night.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.

* If you cheated on your first wife a number of times and finally with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you ARE a good Christian.

* If you advocate responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

* If, while governor, you staunchly push abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values are not America's family values.

* If your husband is nicknamed "First Dude," with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable and ALWAYS puts 'country first'...

OK, much clearer now.

Posted by: HapR | 17 Sep 2008 16:17:00

There's so much written on this issue that it's a full time job sorting the wheat from the chaff, but I can only plug away trying to keep up as the outcome is going to have an impact on us all.

Cadiz Air Show

2008-09-15T17:45:00.003+02:00

We should have been there at 9 to park and get a good spot. Loaded up with picnic, blanket and beach umbrella it was more like mid-day when we arrived and it was mayhem in Cadiz.....people, cars everywhere. Not an inch of space to spare.

Cruising down the side road of the Causeway, hoping someone had got fed up, gone home and left us a space, we got further and further away from the action. Ah but..... we found parking near an almost deserted beach and with our binoculars were able to catch a Catalina-type flying boat used as a firefighter, the Mirage and F11 jets and, to end the show, the Spanish equivalent of the Red Arrows, streaming red and yellow smoke trails. All in all a good few hours and I solved the mystery of why there are hordes streaming to the beach every day: there's always a lovely breeze down there to cool them off.

A new direction.

2008-09-13T21:20:00.003+02:00

I’ve wound up my gardening blog and am over here to let my thoughts be given free rein on any topic that takes my fancy. Not for nothing is it called Everything and Nothing and that the url means “my foot in my mouth” (my partner’s suggestion - I wonder what he’s trying to tell me!)

Let me kick off with a lovely observation from Kate here. I’ve been thinking and reading a lot about aging recently and I think her metaphor provides a nice link between my old blog and the new.

gracefully aging

While admiring the Pulsatilla vulgaris this spring, I began thinking of how the life of a flower from bud to seedpod loosely parallels our lives. When we are young and in full bloom, we turn our faces to the sun and bask in our youthful beauty and exuberance. It is a time of unlimited possibilities and much exploration. Our petals are shiny and bright. We are filled with youthful optimism and yearn to reach higher and experience as much as we can.

And then, as time goes on, we gain more knowledge and a deeper wisdom about life. We have cycled through our early adulthood and have reached middle age. We have learned much about life and love and know the meaning of loss. We know, too, what is really of value and what we cherish.

It is a time of a different sort of beauty- more of a radiant, inner one. Even though we are exhorted to try and maintain youthful appearances and banish any outward signs of aging, there is a dignity nonetheless in allowing ourselves to enjoy the skin that we're in.

Just as with the Pulsatilla, the seedpods are not as flashy as the flowers, but they still have an allure. There is a mystery to them. They are occupied with other things beyond passing fads and pleasing others. Sometimes these are hard lessons to learn.

Thank you once again Kate for allowing me to use this.