A Postcard A Day - Tuesday 1 March - T for Finnish coffee, new kitchen and some weird stuff

It seems I only blinked since New Year's Day and now it is March! Time flies! What's more... it's Tuesday!

Here is my postcard for today:

It's from Finland and features the famous Paula-girl. The Paula girl advertised the Paulig brand coffee and was always dressed in national costume. This photo/advert is from 1950. It was sent to me by Ritva, a lady the same age as me. She writes that the temperatures are 2 degrees C. Brrr!
She has used a beautiful stamp:

I'm going to link up with Elizabeth and Bluebeard at Altered booklover for our weekly gathering T for Tuesday. Please join us if you have anything to share with a drink in it.

My most exciting news is that the kitchen cabinets that the carpenter is making, have been put up (albeit without doors) but it gives me an idea of how my kitchen is going to look. The doors are going to be of solid wood but the cabinet carcasses not as you can see. (would be too heavy).

Tomorrow he is going to bring the doors, a few more shelves, the sink and the cooker hood. I can't wait! When that is done we can order the granite worktop. I hope that doesn't take too long...

I subscribe to a website called The Graphics Fairy to get daily free vintage images (that I can use in scrapbooking). This is what I got last week:

She is called the Sugar bowl girl and originally was a table place card with the name of the person sitting in that place written on the empty card.

Here is her male counter part:

He is a quirky teapot boy. (He looks quite distressed) Quirky? I call that weird!

That is it from me today. Happy T-day all of you.

Blessings,

Lisca

A Postcard a Day - Friday 29 Jan 2016 Peace doves, olive pips and Friday Smiles

Good morning! Happy Friday!
I'm sitting by the woodburner, enjoying the view, and thinking what sort of week we have had....
But first my postcard for today:

It was sent to me from Brazil, Sao Paolo. It's a black and white photo by the famous Soviet photographer Vladimir Lagrange (1939). The photo is entitled:'Peace Doves, 1962'. There had been an exhibition in Brazil by this photographer. See more of his work here.

At Virginia's blog Rocking your world Friday I usually tell about all the positive things that have happened in the week. What did I do this week? Lots of nice things....Saturday I spent mainly baking. I did orange muffins, double choc muffins and a coconut cake. (Sorry, forgot to take pictures)
There is an international group of evangelists/missionaries visiting our church. Eleven, mostly young people. On Sunday morning we went to see their performance (they did dance, mime, sketches, songs and gave testimonies) in the local cinema. Then they all had lunch at my friends' house here in the village. We arrived after lunch and brought the above mentioned cake and muffins, which went down well.

On Monday we went to buy olive pips. They are what is left over after the olives are pressed to get olive oil.

 We use it for fuel. It gets mixed with the almond shells and burnt in the stove.

It's not expensive (about 10 eurocents a kilo) so we buy it by the trailer load. More pictures this coming Tuesday.

On Wednesday my Flow magazine arrived in the post. It is my favorite magazine, wit lots of art, articles and photos as well as things to cut out or draw. 

I managed to get a telephone number for someone to teach me lacemaking. I do lacemaking but it's difficult to learn from a book. I definitely need a teacher. Watch this space.

I'm going to link up with Annie at A Stitch in Time for Friday Smiles. So here is my smiley:

I do feel sorry for the folks in parts of the world where it has been snowing heavily, but this car did make me smile.

That's it from me today.
Have a good week and a fun weekend if you can,
Blessings,
Lisca

A Postcard a day - Tuesday 22 Dec 2015 T for paella and sunshine

Good morning dear friends! 
It's Tuesday again and we are going to enjoy a nice drink, hot or cold via Elizabeth and Bluebeard's website and join in with T for Tuesday.

I have my cup of hot coffee ith me a I speak and I'm ready to show you my first postcard:

It shows a young couple enjoying their time in Kiev, the capital city of the Ukraine. Olya, who sent me this card writes: "Kiev has its own temper and even smells special. Chocolate, coffee and tasty cuisine are its essentials. Almost ten years ago I went to Kiev with my friends for the first time and one memory 'til this day remains a city symbol for me.That morning we got up early to have more time for sightseeing. A nice coffee house near the catholic church was our first stop. The air was fresh, the coffee with milk tasted nutty and we were sitting at the table at the veranda and the church bells were singing to us a melody of hope, happiness and eternal love. So no surprise that i still love Kiev deeply."

We, here in Spain, have been making our own sweet memories. 

 One of our neighbours invited us to celebrate his birthday with him and we went to a place 10 minutes drive from where we live. A cave hotel complex with a spa and restaurant. The weather was lovely so we sat outside and enjoyed the sun and the view as well as each other's company. (I am the second from the right)

The meal was paella, a typical rice dish of the area. It is served (and also cooked) in a large flat pan, which you can see next to our dinner table.

Again i am second from the right, next to my DH. It was an unforgettable afternoon. We have this view from our house as we live quite near, but we never tire of it!

We are travelling to Holland so my next post will be from there.

Wishing everyone a very blessed Christmas and until next week. (Or tomorrow for WOYWW).

Blessings,

Lisca

A Postcard a Day - Friday 18 Dec 2015 - Friday Smiles

Good Morning! 

It is Friday. Only three more sleeps before we fly to Holland! The suitcase is on the spare bed and every time I remember something I want/need to take, I fling it in the suitcase. Sunday night we will be packing and weighing seriously. I have made two Christmas cakes and they are flippin' heavy (full of brandy).

I'm joining in with Annie at A Stitch in Time for Friday Smiles, where we focus on the good and the positive.

Today I will (hopefully) make you smile with this postcard I received this week.

What a sweet kiss! It was sent to me by Irina from Tyumen City, Western Siberia. She writes that she has 'charged' it with "good luck and only positive emotions and happiness".
The stamps are really beautiful:

There is a bee, some gladioli and a 'pandion haliaetus' which in English is an osprey or a sea hawk. It is a fish eating bird of prey.

Now for a couple of Christmas funnies:

I'm making this into a Christmas card for a scrabble playing friend. 

Our little cat is doing fine and growing. He's still very playful. It's just as well that we are going away this Christmas, so we haven't erected a tree. I don't know how we could have put up a tree with so many shiny and dangly things that cats love. I found the solution on the internet:

I came across a lovely story, that really gets the positive message of Christmas across. It moved me to tears. It's a bit long so I'll put it right at the end. 

So if you haven't got time, you can stop right here and accept my best wishes for a peaceful Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year.

Blessings

Lisca

Here is the (anonymous) story: (It's in the vein of Papa Panov by Leo Tolstoy. Don't know that one? Google it, and read it with your tissue ready.)

Grandma and Santa Clause....

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.

I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"
My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.

For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.

I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!
I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.
"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."

The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.
Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.
Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.

Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.

I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

May you always have LOVE to share,

A Postcard a Day - Tuesday 15 Dec 2015 - T for snow, sledges and a lovely lunch

Good Morning! Hello Tuesday people! I'm linking in with Elizabeth for T for Tuesday. Please join in with anything you want to share as long as it has something drink related in it.

My postcard for today is a replica old postcard:

I got it from the Netherlands some time ago. I like those old black and white cards. I'm trying to guess from which era this card is.... 1920s? (I'm looking at the boots).. Any suggestions? It certainly is from a time when girls did not wear trousers. For that reason I think that this card in its time was quite saucy.

The stamps are brilliant! Have a look at these:

The picture is from a famous children's book called Ot en Sien. The above rhyme is also from the book. The stamp reads: 39 + 19 euro cent. The 39 is the price of the stamp and the 19 goes to a children's charity. The cups on the stamps I reckon qualify me for T for Tuesday!

The run up to Christmas is always a busy time with lots of things on the social calendar. A few days ago we had to take our campervan to be serviced an hour and a half drive down the road. I knew that one of my blog friends lives near there, so I suggested we meet up. I'm sure many bloggers meet up, but I live in the middle of no-where in rural Spain, so the chances are not good. So it was a very special occasion to meet Kate (mamapez) and her husband. They took us for a tour around the area and we had a lovely lunch together. Here is a photo:

I'm the lady in pink! 

Here is a close-up of the first course (prawn cocktail) on the table:

I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the meal, but you can believe me when I say the meal was excellent!

That's it from me this Tuesday. Have a good Tuesday and a good week,

Blessings,

Lisca

A Postcard a Day - Friday 11 Dec 2015 - Friday Smiles

Good Morning! It's Friday! (For those of you who work Mon to Fri, it's nearly weekend!)

Hello Friday Smile people! (I'll link up with Annie at A Stitch in Time. and with Virginia at Rocking Your World Friday)

How did my week go? Schplendidly! I'll tell you all about it.

 At the beginning of this week I received some happy mail from Russia. One of my Postcrossing friends sent me a fat beautifully decorated envelope. 

In it were 21 postcards and a handwritten letter. Isn't that kind! 
One of the cards was this one:

Cute Siberian girl.

We have a campervan which needed some maintenance. The place we usually take it to is on the coast, an hour and a half drive from here. We booked it in on Wednesday.

I was very excited about this little trip. Not because of the campervan, but because it is near where Kate Perry (mamapez) lives and we had arranged to meet up. She and her husband kindly came to the campervan place to meet us. We had coffee in a nearby cafe and chatted and got to know each other a bit. After coffee they took us for a drive along the coast and showed us around the area. Then we had lunch at a (very nice) restaurant. This was the first course:

I forgot to take pictures of the other courses but Kate and I did have our photo taken together. Here we are: 

After lunch Kate had to go home to get changed for the choir. So I had the opportunity to see her craft room, and all the beautiful Christmas decorations that she has made.  Thank you Kate, we had a really lovely day.

The other good thing that happened this week is that we have moved into our new bedroom

It's wonderful sleeping in a clean light room and having a toilet within (sleep) walking distance.

I'll leave you with this 'funny':

Have a good week everyone.... and don't forget to smile!

Blessings,
Lisca

A Postcard a Day - Friday 4 Dec 2015 Friday Smiles

Good Morning! Are you having a good day? Are you smiling today?

I'm linking up with Annie for Friday Smiles, so think of all the positiveness in your life and count your blessings and share them here with us.

I've had a good week. The weather here is still sunny every day although the temperatures are down at night, I can still sit outside in the sun and that makes me happy.

The highlight for me this week was yesterday when I joined a friend from church to make bread. Most people here have land although they live in the town or village. The land usually has a house on it that people use to relax or for holidays and of course when they work the land. My friend's name is Juanita, and in her place in the country she has an old fashioned oven (which is on my wishlist of things I would like) and with two more girls we made 20 loaves of bread.

Here she is building up a fire in the oven to heat it up for the next batch.

And here below she has just made some almond meringue type cup cakes. Very clever as the oven must not be too hot. They turned out perfect. I like a meringue with a bit of chewyness in the middle.

Our new bedroom is nearing completion and we hope to be able to sleep in there on Saturday. The electrician hasn't quite finished and my husband  needs to grout the tiles, and place the toilet.

Also this week my Tangle it! Journal has arrived! (I already wrote this on my Tuesday blog), but here it is:

Then on Wednesday morning my copy of the Flow Book for Paperlovers arrived too! I'm in seventh (paper) heaven!

 Can you read what it says? "More than 300 pages of paper goodies. *mini cards *postman paper doll * pop-up house * glitter postcards *wrapping paper *folding houses *coloring pages *craft paper *posters *stickers *and so much more!"

Here is their website and here is the link for the Youtube flipthrough. Do have a look.

Now for my postcard:

It's from my collection of WW2 motivational posters. During the Second World War people were encouraged in the US as well as in Britain, to make do and mend. There was no manufacturing, so new clothes were not available. 

When Kansas Wheat realized that women were sewing children's clothes out of their old sacks, they started to use sacks with pretty patterns.

Isn't that great! This is a photo from 1939. I found it on the internet. 

That's enough for today. I hope I have made you smile today. 

I'm also linking in with Virginia at Rocking your world Friday.

Have a good positive week,

Blessings,

Lisca

A Postcard a Day - Tuesday 1 Dec 2015 - T for Champagne

Good Morning Bloggers!

It's Tuesday again and I will link up with Elizabeth at T for Tuesday. Please join us. All you have to do is have something drink related in your post (I bet you have a mug on your desk and that will do).

My drink related things are postcards of champagne making. The following postcards are from my grandmother's collection. She traveled a lot in Europe after WW2 and her cards are all from the late nineteen forties to the early sixties. 
This card shows the pressing room at Moet & Chandon.

Moet & Chandon is one of the world's largest champagne producers and a prominent champagne house in Epernay, France.

After primary fermentation and bottling, a second alcoholic fermentation occurs in the bottle. This second fermentation is induced by adding yeast and sugar. During this time the champagne bottle is sealed with a bottle top like the ones used for beer bottles.
The bottles are then placed in racks called 'pulpitres' .

After ageing, the lees (dead yeast and residual particles) must be consolidated for removal. The bottles undergo a process known as 'riddling' (French: remuage). Every two days the bottles are given a slight shake and turn, alternatively on right then left, and dropped back into the pulpitres, with the angle slightly increased. The drop back into the rack causes a slight tap, pushing sediments towards the neck of the bottle. In 8 to 10 weeks the position of bottle is straight down, with the sediment settled in the neck.

Le Remueur (1889), engraving of a man engaged in the laborious daily task of turning each bottle a fraction.

The lees removal process is called 'disgorging'. Modern automated disgorgement is done by freezing a small amount of the liquid in the neck and removing this plug of ice containing the sediment.

I have seen photos on Trip Adviser of the cellars and they don't look any different to these.

On a personal note: our house is coming on fine. We now have a back door:

Since we took the photo we have made a threshold and covered the gap at the top.

This space, now occupied by building materials, will be the car port. The door opens up to a long staircase  down that connects all four floors.
This is what it looks like on the other side:

The back door is not visible on this photo as it's on the other side. We have a magnificent view from our house.

I finally have my Tangle it! Journal. It nearly took a month to arrive but i have it now!

I have started tangling on the first page. This book is going in my handbag when we travel (we're going to Holland on the 21st) as it is ideal to while away waiting time.

That's it from me for today. Have a great T-Day and see you tomorrow for WOYWW.

Blessings,

Lisca

A Postacard a day - Friday 27 Nov 2015 - Friday Smiles

Good Morning! It's Friday! 

Caption translates: " You don't say....is it Friday already?"

And that means I can link up with Friday Smiles and 'Rocking Your World Friday'.

As my blog is primarily about postcards, here is my first postcard that i hope will make you smile:

 I recently bought '100 Postcards from our Past' in a box from English Heritage. This is one by John Gay from the late 1950s.
Although English Heritage is  best known for preserving England's historic sites and artifacts, English heritage is also custodian of an archive of more than twelve million documents and images that includes photographs of architecture and social history. 100 Postcards from our past from English heritage gathers together some of the archive's best black and white historic photographs from the late nineteenth century to the late 1960s.
Here is another one I like:

Again it is by John Gay and it is entitled: "A tractor being driven through the doorway at St Etheldreda's church in Hatfield', 1960.

So... what have I been doing this week? Last Sunday was our 23rd wedding anniversary (See previous blog for all the photos). My husband continues to build our apartment and has finished the bedroom which is going to be tiled tomorrow.

We are enjoying the company of our little (8 month old) kitten Precious and are teaching him to use the cat flap. Not much success so far. 

Wednesday the 25th of November was 'Stop violence against women' Day here in Spain (and perhaps internationally). In our village there was the annual demonstration through the village (with police escort).

We all carried a night light with the name written on it of a woman in Spain that had died through violence. In the park we all read out the name and placed our candle in the centre, after which we observed a minute's silence.That was very moving. 

We then gathered into one of the rooms of the town hall, where one lady read out two poems she had written as a victim of violence, and a painting by a local artist (my art teacher as it so happens) was revealed depicting a woman dying through violence. Not everybody's taste but it brought home the message.

The young lady that posed for the painting is here explaining why she accepted this posing job. Note all the night lights along the edge of the stage.

The talk (by a man) was about male domination and domestic violence through (recent) history reflected in popular songs (coplas). He had a very good voice and sung (a capella) all the examples he had collected. Brilliant!

Here in southern Spain this day is more about 'macho' violence than violence in general. Domestic violence is rife here and women are up in arms against it. I know domestic violence happens in other countries too, but here in Spain, finally the women have found their voice!

Finally a few funnies I have found on the internet:

 I'm sure there are quite a few knitters amongst you..

This one is quite cute don't you think?

Quickly, I'll tell you what I am reading: The Bees by Laline Paull. Has anyone read it? I am enjoying it immensely.

Gosh, I've gone on a bit. Lets call it a day.
have a great week

Blessings,

Lisca