Quirky

Years ago I enjoyed "The Far Side" comics in the daily paper. Some days they went right over my head, I just didn't get the joke. Many of them made me laugh ( or groan), because they seemed so silly. Looking back at them now, they still make me smile.

Have a good week everyone!

What Are You Watching?

Since the weekend is almost here, I have a question for everyone...

What are you watching on TV or Almost-TV?
  

Let's hear about the movies and shows you'd recommend putting in the queue!

A New Song For The New Week

Do you ever hear a song that just blows you away? I did yesterday and I haven't been able to get it out of my head. It's Ben Platt's version of River, Joni Mitchell's song.

A little back story: The song was sung by Platt, who is a Tony award-winning actor, singer, and songwriter, on the new Netflix series called The Politician. His character performs it at the memorial ceremony for his good friend, River.

What songs have stuck with you lately?

Hello weekend!

Another Friday has come around again. Fall is definitely in the air in the Midwest, and it feels very nice and cool right now. We are in the very small window of time where neither air conditioning nor heat is needed. It won't last long, the nights are already getting chilly. My garden is still producing hot and sweet peppers, which is a much longer growing season than usual. I picked my remaining green tomatoes a couple of days ago, and I hope they ripen in the house. It was a good year for tomatoes as well.

I love autumn even though it leads into winter. There is just something about the cool sunny days, and the colorful trees. The crunching of leaves during a walk with Duncan is one of my favorite sounds. The actual raking of leaves is a different story, but I guess it is good exercise 😉 The smell of bonfires and thoughts of chili and other comfort foods is also appealing. The house smells so good with something simmering all day!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Back to reality

Happy Monday! I am back from my much anticipated vacation. It was a beautiful hot sunny week in Florida. I was sad to see it end, but feel energized by the time away. Here are a few pictures..

Traveling through Alabama, it was very buggy.

This was taken out the window seconds after we enter our condo. So pretty.

The sunsets were amazing each and every day.

        This may be my favorite sunset picture, two strangers on the beach, and I captured their selfie.

For a change of pace, we enjoyed the beautiful pool when we were tired of salt water.

We had to eat and drink of course.

At the restaurant we saw an alligator or two..

Then one final sunset...

Homeward bound.

This guy said, finally!!!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

What A Week

We avoid political posts on WTIOC, but what a week we've had.  

Let's leave it at that.

Happy Friday, Everyone!

p.s.  Please pray to the football gods for a better season going forward for our boys in blue & maise... they're off to a bad start.

Granada!

I’m sorry for the long absence, too many things going on...

Life in Spain is good, better than in France. It must have something to do with my Spanish being miles better than my French! Not to mention having a very loving family.

I came out of my shell about five months ago. The first year without Peter was very strange because I kept moving all over the place and had no opportunity to feel all the stuff going on inside me. I came back from Miami on March 1st and cried until nearly the end of May. I needed it, but I couldn’t spend all my time crying and longing for someone who would never come back to me.

I had joined a thing called InterNations, Granada branch. People from all over the world meet once a month at some nice venue. I promised myself I would go to the May event and it changed my life. I met loads of people and also a man, but that’s kind of complicated... he suffered a loss seven years ago, but the relationship was a short lived one, she was taken away in a cruel way, much too soon. He was left wondering what could have been, whereas I have 37 years of memories, a legacy. I think he finds emotions very difficult, and being typically English, he’s very reserved. Anyway, that’s only a small part of my life here.

Some of you have seen my posts on Facebook, but I would like to share the good times with all of you.

There’s a splinter group of InterNations that meets every Tuesday at a posh hotel in the centre of Granada. I went to a few reunions, had a really good time, but the organiser announced that she had to give it up due to family health issues. If nobody stepped up to the plate, the meetings would have to stop. Well, I’m the new organiser and enjoying it immensely. People are grateful and the group keeps growing. The first one I hosted had 33 attendees, with more attendees each week. The reunion this week had 61 people!

Then there’s a splinter of the splinter group and we go to a religious themed bar after the meetings for more drinks and tapas. It’s fun!

Enough talk. Here are some photos:

This place is called Carmen de Aben Humeya, where the last InterNations event took place. There are several Cármenes in Granada. They were large houses with big enclosed gardens, and areas for growing veggies. These days they have been turned into restaurants with best possible views of the Alhambra. Most of them are in the Albaicin, an area that used to be dangerous years ago because of the gypsies. It’s a maze of narrow cobbled streets, very hilly. It has changed a lot since the last time I came to Spain, nearly forty years ago. It’s no longer dangerous and it’s always packed with locals and tourists.

This is the hotel where we meet on Tuesdays. We have the use of a large room and the terrace surrounding it. Good drinks and tapas.

Our religious bar. There are images of Jesus and the Virgin all over the place and at midnight the lights go down, they play some lovely music, it’s a time for reflection. It only lasts about five minutes, then it goes back to lively music. The drinks are cheap and the tapas are delicious.

Tapas are small portions of food served with each drink. In Andalucía, we only pay for the drinks, the tapas are free! 

That’s it. Life is an endless fiesta. Between the meetings and family gatherings, I don’t have much time left...

I hope you enjoyed this little sample of the nightlife in Granada. We haven’t had any virtual travels in a looong time!

It's a Special Someone's Special Day...

Here at WTIOC, we know how to celebrate birthdays, but today is an extra special one because.... 

It's our Dear Pallotine's birthday today!!  

We all wish Pallotine a very happy day, full of all his favorite things (and maybe a couple of our own). 
So let's get this party started!!

First, please step into the stadium for the celebration.  Is that the band I hear?

WOW, look at the crowd (and those cheerleaders- hubba, hubba)!!

What did you say?  You've worked up a thirst in anticipation of the big win vs those damn Buckeyes... 

We all can easily predict the results of the November 30th noontime game... 

GO BLUE!!

We know you're not much of a drinker, P, but we've provided some ice cold beer for you.  

Cheers to you, our dear friend!!

I think we're missing something... guess what it is.  

You need a hint?  OK, it's rich, decadent, and totally delicious.

??????

Haha, we wouldn't forget your cake.  The ladies have been baking all day, and that includes TW!  

Please enjoy the chocolate delights we've whipped up for you!!

Amy made this one... she always puts Martha Stewart to shame!!

Annette, we would never forget you.  You take care of our favorite guy and for that, we can never thank you enough.  

Here's a little something from us gals.

Dear Pallotine,

 We love you and wish you happiness, love and health today and always.

Happiest of Birthdays!

With Love From,

The Gals

xoxo

One Last Cape Trip Of The Summer

Last weekend, DH and I were fortunate enough to spend the weekend on Cape Cod.  We took our time getting on the road, and arrived at 1:00.  After dropping our things at the cottage, we high-tailed it for lunch to one of our favorite restaurants, Moby Dick's in Wellfleet.  This was the first time there this summer, so what's a gal to do but order something decadent... a lobster roll!

The sun was out so we continued north to Provincetown, to stroll the main drag and take in the sights.

The sun went behind the clouds late in the afternoon, so I brought DH to my new favorite spot in PTown, Pepe's!  It's a restaurant with an incredible view from their second floor.  The bar is a nice place to relax with a beer, cocktail or mocktail.

 Sunday was an absolutely perfect beach day in the 80s.  DH and I met some friends at White Crest Beach in Wellfleet.  It is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Outer Cape. 

Someone even went in for a very quick dip!

It was a glorious day.  I took this video to bring you all along with us.