This Week

It hasn't been too bad, on the whole. Ros and I beat Wigan Pier at the bowling on Monday which was a real achievement for us. I really love it when the young lads look at us old grannies and think they will end up with an eight nil victory. Lots of life left in us yet!

Wednesday was Maz's birthday. We had a 'Tenerife Day' getting rather piddled from visiting half a dozen bars. She managed to make it until past midnight but us part-timers only lasted until around eight!

I had a chat with my brother, Ray, earlier. He's taking his family to Spain for a holiday. They fly from Blackpool next Monday and I hope they enjoy it. I'm feeling a little sorry for Auntie Pauline as she is looking after Shadow, a black lab, two goldfish, one mad rabbit, a cat, one hamster and two goldfish for two weeks. Rather her than me!

It's closing day for the photo competition tomorrow and my sunset is in joint first place at the moment. I'm so excited.........well, I will be if I win!

How Strange

There is quite a lot of building work going on in our part of the village and this is one of three cranes which I can see from my house. It is really puzzling us, as to why the seagulls only land on this one. I know, we need to get a life!!

We do have proper television at the moment as our mate, Mick, has lent us his digibox for a little while, as it's surplus to requirements at the moment. I've never been addicted to day-time TV before but it could happen!

Bowling was a disaster......................we won't go there.

Bye Ann x

Five o'clock club had a leaving 'do' for Ann on Thursday evening as she went back to rainy Manchester on Friday afternoon.

We've enjoyed around seven weeks of her company and I'm really going to miss her. I'm sure Charlotte will feel a little lonely without her Nan too.

Charlotte lost a tooth on Thursday and the Tooth Fairy came to visit during the night. She left a Euro under Nan's pillow before realising she had the wrong bed!! Two Euros for Charlotte!

Actually, she did ask a question which proves an active mind.......'what does the Tooth Fairy do with all those teeth?'. After a one or two stupid suggestions, I came up with the concept that they are given to little babies. She seemed quite happy with that and Caron owes me one!!

Well Cool, Sophie!

Such a laid back position in which to eat one's lunch!

Many thanks to Karen and Simon for their letter and photos x.

I'm sorry that I didn't receive the emails but my internet connection has been belly up for ages too. An email to follow.

So Flippin' Hot!

We are experiencing a calima at the moment. Horrid dust which is blowing over from Africa and is creating a film over the entire island and trapping the heat in.

I took this pic about an hour before sunset and it's really obvious. In fact, the weather reports are predicting the hottest summer ever with temperatures reaching over 50 c.

I'm worrying about my camera as I'm sure that the x-ray machines at the airport have messed it up...............terrible lines across all my photos. It needs a mending man!

Television

We watched the Bernard Manning thing earlier. I never really rated him as a funny man because I'm not a great lover of stand up comedians but I must admire his guts for arranging his own funeral before he went. Fancy picking your own coffin; I think I will leave that chore to my nearest and dearest! As for picking on the Asians and Blacks..........he did the same with the English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish. Everyone to their own thing. Poor chap didn't look well!!

I've just downloaded a series called 'Lipstick on Your Collar'. We watched it around ten years ago whilst we lived in Cornwall and really enjoyed it. It's a seven episode thingy which I'm looking forward to seeing tomorrow. Lots of fifties music to enjoy.

Apart from that, it's the normal stuff like Corrie and Eastenders, but I do enjoy Saturday Kitchen. Well strange as I can't cook to save my life. I'm well up on the theory though!!

This and That

Nothing very mind boggling, I'm afraid, as it's been fairly quiet around our neck of the woods this week. That isn't always a bad thing!

We had a 'Tenerife Day' yesterday. A nice walk around the village, stopping where you fancy for refreshment and a natter. My friend Maz has had a cancer scare recently and, thankfully, got the all clear a few days ago. We had a beer to celebrate!

Today was our usual Sunday trip to Fanabe for bowling. Doreen and I had to play Jeff and Brian grrrr!! We won the first quite easily but Brian came up with the 'bad back syndrome' on the second and really put me off. He did mutter something about his foot sticking during practice so happen he did have a problem. No need to spoil my game though! Anyway, we managed a draw which is quite a good result for us. I had two high game scores too!

Talking about trips...........we have a new bus service. The Titsa Bus Company finally realised that a more direct route between Los Gigantes and Los Christianos was necessary and the 477 was born. It runs every hour weekdays and takes less than half an hour as opposed to the hour and a half we suffered before. The magic bus!

Finally, the photo competition has resurfaced. The subject.........whatever blows your frock up! Suggestions will be gratefully received.

Better Late Than Never!

Having had a couple of weeks without my internet connection I've been sadly lacking in blog updates of late.

(Apart from a couple of sad ones.)

Shona came to stay for a week towards the end of last month. We had a pleasant time doing the usual stuff and I missed her to bits when she left. She brought this photo of her and her new grandchild, taken the day after she was born. Such a sweetie!

Caron had an appointment in Los Christianos yesterday which we used as an excuse for a day out. She dropped her mum, myself and Charlotte off in Las Americas to give us a change of scenery. Nana and I introduced Charlotte to the delights of window shopping. I'm none to sure that she agreed with the concept!! Not to worry, we all got together, later, for lunch. A nice day!

The Hard Part

You would not believe how much stuff my little man has collected over the past ten years. I made a massive effort to take his food bowls out to the bin today, along with the food he hadn't eaten.

I've just put his bean bag and his toys, along with his lead, in a black bag, ready to take out tomorrow. His collar is tucked away in my 'precious drawer', to be kept forever. His ball is behind my computer desk and I can't bear to move it just yet.

My house feels like the heart has been taken away. Poor, poor, Topsie xx

Sunday Bowling

I didn't really feel up to it today, as I spent most of yesterday sobbing my heart out, but Brian thought we should go to take our minds off poor Top. I must admit that he was right!

Brian and Jeff won 6 - 2 whilst Doreen and I lost yet again! We did have some good scores though. Forty weeks to go until the end of the season so we are going to have to pull our socks up.

I must mention last week's efforts at this point. Doreen played a blinder on the last game having a turkey and then a double. I noticed that she had a score of 104 on the fifth end and, should she keep a steady head, she could win that 200 shirt we both covet so much. Knowing that she never checks the score whilst playing, I kept quiet, but did let Jeff know so that he could witness it.

It was so painful but well on course until the tenth. She went and got a SPLIT after throwing a very good ball. She ended up with 197. Such a disappointment for us all.

Our Little Man

He has been with us for over ten years and has shared our lives. He travelled through France and Spain with us six years ago, happily sitting between us, for almost six thousand miles.

Sadly, tonight, we held him whilst the vet put him to sleep.

We loved him so much and can't bear life without him. There is such a gaping void in our lives.

Topsie, we love you so much xxx

Topsie.......you were a nasty little ankle biting bastard.........I loved you.........from Daddy xxxx

A Long Ten Days

I decided to change my service provider from Telefonica to Direct Telecom, in the hope that the connection would improve. It looked very much like that I'd wasted my time as I've had no internet for ten long days. However, this morning (day eleven), I spoke to the engineer who talked me through the set up. It's a miracle!!

Fingers crossed that it isn't just a blip and Tenerife Tales can continue, as normal, later today.