Friday 11 August 2023

A Postcard A Day - Friday 11 August 2023 - Friday Smiles

 Hello lovely ladies, 

Here we are once again at the end of the week. Another opportunity to share smiles and positive moments. 

I've had a good week with lots of highlights. My only moan is the heat. It doesn't cool down at night. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and decided I'd sit out on the patio for a while with a drink. Well I lasted about 5 minutes, It was so warm! I know in the UK they have had nothing but rain, and Iris complains about the weather in Germany. So I'm not going to complain.

Let me show you my postcard:


The South Downs National Park is England's newest national park, designated on 31 March 2010. The park, covering an area of 1,627 square kilometres (628 sq mi) in southern England, stretches for 140 kilometres (87 mi) from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in the east through the counties of HampshireWest Sussex and East Sussex. (Wikipedia)


The card has been bought at the National Railway Museum, so I assume that this is an old railway poster advertising the beauty of the South Downs. (But I don't know for sure as it doesn't say on the card).
The stamps a gorgeous:
The stamp on the left is the White Ensign, The ensign is a flag. The ensign is often flown at the stern by naval vessels in commission or by merchant vessels.

The stamp comes from a series 'Flags and Ensigns'.


This miniature sheet is marking the centenary of the Submarine Service. The price is £1.08, and it contains four 1st class stamps featuring flags and ensigns: Union Flag (‘UnionJack’), White Ensign, Jolly Roger, and the flag of the Chief of the Defence Staff. 

The present Union Flag, popularly if erroneously called the ‘Union Jack’ dates from 1801 and the unification of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Ireland. It combines the English, Scottish and Irish crosses of Saints George, Andrew, and Patrick.



The other stamp features Alice in Wonderland. I haven't been able to find much info about it other than that it is a PHQ card (PHQ cards are postcards issued by the British Post Office depicting the designs of their commemorative stamps). This one was issued in 1994.

From a series all to do with letter writing:

 

Paddington Bear

Rupert Bear


Peter Rabbit

The Bear family in Goldilocks.

Now onto my life here in Spain. What have I been doing? 

I had to pop into the hospital to change an appointment and I parked under this beautiful tree:
I call it a 'bird-of-paradise-tree', but its real name is Albizia Julibrissin or Persian Silk tree. 
Albizia julibrissin, the Persian silk tree, pink silk tree, or mimosa tree, is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae, native to southwestern Asia and eastern Asia. The genus is named after the Italian nobleman Filippo degli Albizzi, who introduced it to Europe in the mid-18th century. Wikipedia

On Tuesday I wrote that I had met Deborah, a girl from Honduras, and I had commented that I knew several Hondurian girls. Deborah wanted to meet them and I organized a meeting at my house this week.

We were 8 (in the photo some of them had already left) and we had a lovely time.

This week, as every week, my friends came for lunch and I cooked king prawn risotto:

It was very nice although I say it myself.

It continues to be very hot:
nearly 41 in the shade!
And at night it doesn't cool down:
A friend of mine took this photo at 1.30 at night.

I really feel sorry for people in northern Europe where it is cold and wet. Someone had put this sign in the window:

On that note I'm going to leave you. Please visit Annie at A Stitch In Time to share your smiles. 

In the meantime there are some funnies at the end.

Have a lovely weekend,
Hugs,
Lisca








































6 comments:

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

I Lisca, I am certainly not complaining about the rain. I think people forget how hot it was in June and early July when the waterbutts dried up. If that had continued we would have had a drought so I was pleased when the rain came though this week has been quite sunny. Loving your collection of stamps and it looks like you've had a good week. I am going to pop back later to have a good luck at the funnies as I must go now. Wishing you a very happy and relaxed weekend. Hugs, Angela xXx

Iris Flavia said...

LOL... let us trade the weather! "Already" 22C - maaaaybe we get one warm day today :-)
Beautiful stamps indeed. And tree. And company. And weather. Yes, sun, it´s August, not October...
Yes to the book-tower, and I love Charlotte´s Web! Have a great Friday and feel free to send some temps over!

Annie said...

The sun has def shown its face here this week but I'm pleased to say it's nowhere near as hot as with you. I wouldn't cope well in that heat. Love the funnies.
Hugs,
Annie x

mamapez5 said...

Hi Lisca. I have appreciated some cooler weather in UK this week though some days we have had to come inside because we were too hot. Chris landed in 41 degrees last night and he said it felt humid and sticky.
I have a silk tree in my garden. It grows at a ferocious rate but the flowers are very pretty. (The tree in our front yard that has yellow flowers with long red stamens is a Bird of Paradise tree).
I am glad you have had friends visiting you through the week. Kate x

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I planted one of those Albizia Julibrissin trees in my back yard in Missouri. I learned it was a mimosa tree. I have checked several places online and The Spruce (https://www.thespruce.com/growing-persian-silk-trees-albizia-julibrissin-5094178) also calls it a mimosa. I thought I had lost my mind. The Spruce doesn't call it a Bird Of Paradise tree, though. From their site: Common Name: Persian silk tree, silk tree, pink silk tree, mimosa tree

Nice of you to play hostess to the Honduras ladies. They sure look happy and I suspect they will all keep in touch.

Some of your funnies were laugh worthy. I LOVED the IKEA cake (even though I have never been to an IKEA), the Charlotte's Web review, and the confidential one. Have a super rest of the weekend, dear.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I forgot to tell you that your temperatures are downright balmy. Yesterday, we hit 42.78 C (109 F). The heat index was even higher.