Friends

In a previous post I mentioned about my internet friend Joan in New Zealand & how we had never met. Well, that will be changed in May 2013.
As my sister Lynda turns 60 in May & my eldest great nephew will be celebrating his 5th birthday 4 days earlier, I decided that I would go to England to be there for both milestone events.
Allen wont be going with me as he will be playing in the Spanish Nationals, but I am giving them a miss this year.
I got onto the internet looking for a flight at a reasonable cost & managed to find one into Birmingham on the day before Haydns birthday - perfect. I have hired a car to go to Gloucester & will stay with Lynda until the day after her birthday.
Amazingly as I was booking my flights to UK Joan was doing the same from New Zealand so she could visit her Mum in Sandbach. The dates coincided (spooky), so on 23rd May 2013 Joan & I will finally meet in person in Cheshire. I will have 2 1/2 days there before I return to Birmingham for my flight home.

Stamping & Colouring

Allen bought be 96 Spectrum Noir pens for Christmas & I have started playing with them. It takes me back to my childhood but it is relaxing to do.
My first 2 attempts have turned out well & for a beginner I am happy with the results.
The first one uses a Tilda image & backing sheets bought from Craftsuprint in pinks & plums. I have also had my Cuttlebug die cutting machine out to make some flowers & swirls.

The second one is also a Tilda image but this time I have done the backing sheet myself using a Designer resource from Craftsuprint. Cuttlebug Flowers & swirls to finish.



Will post others as I do them.

New Look Valencian Championships

This year the Valencian Bowls Championships have changed format. Instead of single sex disciplines , this year there are Mixed Pairs & Mixed Rinks. North & South Alicante are playing down to Semi Final stages in their own area, then the 8 pairs/teams will play off.
Matches started today.  At San Luis Mel & Colin Highland overcame the pairing of Mike & Florence Edwards of Greenlands. In  the afternoon at San Luis Roy & Sally Cordell played against clubmates Paul & Jean Parkes. I have not heard the result of this match yet. The rest of the San Luis teams were in action at La Marina.
Keith & June Jones beat Gail Watson & Fred Willshire (Greenlands), Margaret & Ian Rogers beat Alan & Sheila Booth (San Miguel), Sheila & Mike Cox beat another San Luis team, Ann Holland & Ray Pollock. Les Bedford & Sheila Cammack also beat another San Luis team - Bobbie & Trevor Vanner. Allen & I were up against Violet Campbell & Fred Roberts (Quesada). This was a tough old game & with 2 ends to play it looked as though we would lose, but a 4 on the 17th end put us 1 shot ahead with 1 end to play. At one stage they held the shot needed to force an extra end but we managed to pick up 2 shots to win by 3.
All the winning pairs play again tomorrow.

My Kiwi Friend

Many of you will wonder how you can have a friend who you have never met but who means the world to you. Well, I assure you it is entirely possible.
About 18 months ago a lady in New Zealand asked a question in the Craftsuprint forum about a card design. Having bought the same design in a different colour I was able to help her along the way to make hers up.
This led to various emails & it turns out we are alike in so many ways. Similar looks, size, sense of humour, hobbies & also in life events.
We are now firm friends & are in contact daily just to chat, sometimes to moan about life in general, but mainly just for friendship.
Joan is originally from the UK but has lived in New Zealand for a lot of years. She is currently having treatment for breast cancer but she stays positive through it all & if she is having a down day she knows I am here to lift her spirits & to sometimes chide her.
It would be so lovely if at some stage in the future we could meet but that will have to wait a while.
Until then we will continue to have our long distance chats with a 12 hour time difference - while one of us is having breakfast the other is having dinner.
Joan has recently become a designer for Craftsuprint & is going through a learning curve but I am always here to encourage her in her efforts & she will shortly make silver as a designer & gold as a crafter.
So if someone says how can you have a friend you have never met, just tell them EASILY.

Future Visitors

Whoa Whoa. My lovely sister is coming to visit again. I got a text from her with her available dates & within 1/2 hour I had her booked on a flight for November. She will arrive with us late evening on Friday 16th & leaves late evening on the following Wednesday. This will give her 5 full days therapy shopping & I have already booked a girls day out on the Tuesday. Seems ages until she comes but I know the time will quickly pass.

Paso de los Pescadores

On Monday, a number of the International Costaleros who carry one of the Easter floats in Torrevieja were asked to assist with carrying the Paso de los Pescadores (Fishermans Float) as they were short on numbers.

Quite a few of the Internationals turned up & all were given a shirt with the Paso badge on. The picture shows Allen & another San Luis member Les Bedford proudly displaying their shirts.

The float was taken from the church down to the harbour & loaded onto a fishing boat decked with flowers.

The boat then sailed off into the sunset for a trip around the harbour.

When they returned it was almost dark. The boat & all the support boats were decked out in lights.

They unloaded the float then a choir sang for about 30minutes before a spectacular firework display. The float was then carried back to the church. Some of the International Costaleros retired to a bar for an after carry drink & for some toasted cheese & ham sandwiches at midnight.

Here we go again

Last night was the opening ceremony of the Spanish Nationals Bowls Championships.
Today we start playing & it will be a long 2 weeks as I am also organising.
Temperatures well into the 30s so lots of water will be needed.

Champion of Champions Final

After this mornings final I am now offically the Ladies Singles Costa Blanca Champion of Champions. I am so chuffed to achieve this, especially as I have been spending 9 hours a day organising the event too.



Champion of Champions

This week I have been running & playing in the Costa Blanca Champion of Champions. All the San Luis entrants got through their first round matches only to fall at the second hurdle, except little old me in the Ladies Singles.

After a very scrappy game in the first round in which I played in my terminology crap but managed to win, I have won my other matches comfortably to get to the final. This will take place on Saturday morning, as my possible opponents still have to play their semi final.

Will update after the Final.

Weightwatchers

Two weeks ago I signed up for Weightwatchers as both Allen & I wanted to lose weight.
The first week I lost 2,1kg & Allen lost 1kg. After weigh in this week Allen has now lost 2kg in total while I have lost 3.8kg (over 1/2 stone for those who work in old weights).
We are both happy with our progress & I am hoping that I can lose my 10% by the time we go to UK early June.
Will keep you upto date with our progress.

We Are The Champions

This weekend was the conclusion of our Club competitions which have been running throughout the winter season.
I was fortunate enough to get to 3 finals, 2 of them with Allen.

Yesterday morning we played the first of them, the Rinks with Joe Johnson & Alan Barton. We showed what a team can do if they play as a team. We scored 2 shots on the first end & after that were never ahead in the match. We scored a single shot on the 18th end to draw & force an extra end. When Allen, Joe & Alan had finished bowling we were holding game but Mal Hughes killed the end making us replay it. Once again after the three lads had finished we held shot, neither Mal nor I did anything with our first bowl but Mal took the shot with his final bowl. One bowl left to play & I had a tickle off my first bowl to turn it onto the jack & win the game.

A quick break for lunch then Allen & I were back in action playing Mixed pairs against Mike & Sheila Cox. Once again we won the first end then let them get away from us. With the score at 13-4 to them it looked as though the writing was on the wall but a 5 on the next end put us back into it & we got going. We only dropped 1 more shot on the final end & won 21-14.

This morning I played the Ladies Singles against Margaret Morrison. What a game we had. First Margaret went ahead then I did. Margaret pulled level then I went ahead again. She evened the score at 17. A couple of ends later & she led 19 to 18. She now needed 2 while I needed 3. I then played my best end of the match & with just Margarets last bowl remaining held 4 within inches of the jack. She played weight & hit the head but the jack went the wrong way for her & I held the 3 shots for game.

Three finals & 3 wins.

I am especially pleased because of the amount of time I have had off from bowling this winter with health problems.

Snow in Spain

Today the highest temperature has been 9C & I understand it was down to -2C overnight. Have spent most of the day in the house with heaters on to keep us warm. But according to the pensions office in UK the ex pats are not entitled to receive their winter fuel allowance as they live in a hot country. Anyone think we should send them this picture to prove we do need to pay for heating.

This is Alicante, only 30 minutes drive away with snow on the mountains behind.