Dolce far niente

In Italian, because I don't know the expression in English...

This is the real life - having nothing to do but stroll through town (in this case Madrid, Spain), seeing the sights, visiting a museum (the Prado), but in general just enjoying ourselves.

Taking a seat on one of the many terraces on town to have a drink or a bite to eat. Resting long and peaceful in our hotel room at Vincci The Mint (to be recommended) and enjoying a lovely breakfast in the morning. When you take a room with breakfast included you can just order anything from the menu, even as many a time as you want.

This is really the break my sister and I could use!)

Suitcases are packed!

This afternoon, we packed our suitcases for our trip to Madrid, Spain. Mind you, we don't pack big suitcases. We always take care we just have hand luggage because you pay a lot less for your airfare.

It takes about 5 minutes to pack such a small suitcase. The trick is to pack only what you really need! Like underwear for the days you're away, pajama's, some basic wear like T-shirts or tops,  2-3 pair of good quality linen trousers (can crease as much as they like) if you like wearing trousers or the same amount of cotton or linen skirts. Two pair of sandals and one pair of shoes in which you can walk kilometers. The rest goes into your handbag: your smartphone, sunglasses, those products which you have to show at the check-in (like cremes, deodorant, perfume - mind, don't take too much), an e-reader, a sunhat (we have cotton ones, which we bought years ago in Vancouver, Canada - they easily stow away in a leftover spot), your identity card or passport, credit cards or money (best is not to take overmuch), a comb, ...

Even if you travel for a longer duration, we don't pack big suitcases. My granddad always used to say: don't pack a suitcase you can't lift. We have never had to pay for overweight and still have more than enough to wear. It's best to work with basic garnments, like skirts or trousers of a very good quality which can be worn everywhere.

Needless to say we're really looking forward to this trip. At last warm sunshine (we haven't got this in the course of July and what's passed of August), outdoor dining, ... Will be great and very relaxing.

Enjoying the last day at the coast

While writing this, I'm relaxing in an easy chair placed on our roof terrace...

Today is one of those rare days when the Sun breaks through the clouds and the afternoon turns sunny and warm.

So we didn't make a walk like usual but instead decided to enjoy that Sun for as long as it lasts.

Tomorrow we're heading home because we need do run some errands and back home most shops are closed on Sundays. On Monday then we are leaving once more for a city trip. I'm already looking forward to it!

Watching another work

The neighbors left to right and across the big avenue, who would be watching us, will probably think I'm a very lazy girl.

Why? Becacuse my sister has been working (painting the front of the flat, the railings, cleaning up windows etc.) constantly, while I'm just looking on. Well, sometimes I hand over a (small) bucket of water, or fetch a spunge, ... but in general I can't do anything special.

My major surgery is 4 weeks past by now, but I'm forbidden to do anything tiring or heavy. I can only lift something not heavier than 5 kg and it's best not to stretch too much either. I'm allowed to roll my small suitcase when we do our trip next week, but my sister will have to lift it up when we put it in the overhead luggage carrier - or else I'll find a guy who wants to do it for me.

Being forbidden heavy work has it advantage, of course. When back home, I can't clean the house (!) only wipe away some dust. Will enjoy that as long as it lasts...

Love on the Risky Side

Meet author Mariah Ankenman, author of contemporary romance. Mariah is doing a virtual book blast tour to promote her latest release, Love on the Risky Side, from Wild Rose Press.

Mariah will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please remember to use the following link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f2372

Blurb

Falsely accused of the murder of her best friend, Kayla Jenkins is on the run for her life. She ends up lost in dark, snowy woods off some backcountry road in the middle of nowhere. Frightened and colder than she’s ever been in her life, she almost thinks she’s hallucinating when a warrior on a white steed saves her.

In all his years as the sheriff of Peak Town, Colorado, Jake Ryder has never come across a half-frozen woman alone in the woods. She’s terrified…and lying to him, yet something about her calls to him on a primal level.

Even with her trust of law enforcement lower than the harsh temperature, Kayla finds it difficult to keep her secrets hidden from the kind and far too handsome sheriff. But as her faith in Ryder grows, she not only risks the real murderer finding her, but losing the one thing she has searched for her whole life and only just found…love.

Excerpt

“My name is Jake Ryder, but most folks call me Ryder.” When she didn’t return the introduction, he continued. “Can I ask how you came to be all the way out here in the middle of the night?”

Giving a guarded glance from the horse back to him, she simply said, “Got lost.”

And they say women were chatty. Hell, he had a pet parrot as a kid that talked more than this woman. Not a problem. As sheriff, he was used to interrogating uncooperative suspects. Not that she was a suspect, yet.

“Got lost...” He looked her over. Big, red, winter coat, long dark slacks and—were those high heels? “…shopping?”

Honestly, who the hell wears heels in the woods?

She scowled, wrapping her arms around herself. “My car ran off the road. I—I got out to find help. Wandered off the road and got lost.”

Something about her story smelled like Wind Chaser’s stall after feeding time. “Why didn’t you call Triple A?”

Her gaze darted to the side. “Cell died.”

Yeah, and I’m the King of England.

“You need a ride back to your car?”

Her eyes widened. “On that thing?”

“Her name is Wind Chaser, and yes. Did you think I had a car hidden in the trees?”

Her jaw clenched at his sarcasm. Well, excuse him. It was dark, cold, and the last thing he wanted to do was be out here trying to pull a story out of Ms. Lying-Crazy-Lady.

Author bio and links

RWA® Golden Heart® Nominated author Mariah Ankenman began writing at the tender age of five. Her first book “George and the Green Glob” received high praise from her mother. Many years, and green glob stories later, Mariah received a playwriting degree from the University of Wyoming. After a few years in Hollywood, working in “the biz,” she came home to the beautiful Rocky Mountains. When she’s not writing Mariah loves to read, crochet, and play her ukulele. She loves to hear from readers.

Social media:
Website: www.mariahankenman.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mariahkenmanauthor/
Twitter: @MAsBooks

Buy links:
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Risky-Side-Peak-Colorado-ebook/dp/B072SZ89CT/ref=sr_1_2
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-on-the-risky-side-mariah-ankenman/1126614819

https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5173-love-on-the-risky-side.html

Weather - unpredictable?

I don't know if I'm the only one who asks herself the following: our scientists can do almost everything (shoot rockets to the moon and other planets, manipulate gens, treat diseases like cancer, ...) so why can't they do something about the weather?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if every country could get the weather it needed? Some better weather in the northern part of Europe (where we have been getting conditions more resembling autumn and winter instead of summer) and less heat in the southern part (where people are dying because of the extreme heat)? Every now and then some rain in the Sahara and other deserts, so crops could grow there. Constant cold at the poles, so the ice doesn't melt anymore.

The heatwave in southern Europe would lessen in the middle of next week, but the bad weather in the nothern part remains for at least one week more. Guess it'll turn when school start again, that's a classic!

Luckily I don't care anymore. We have finally found a sunny destination for the week before my sister begins to work again. We're heading to Madrid (yes, where it's now 38° Celsius). We know how to protect ourselves against the heat, that's not a problem. We've often been in warm climates and  never had a problem. Just drink some liters of water a day, that helps a lot. So we're looking forward to at least one week of sunshine which will make good on the holiday we had to cancel.

Frustration!

Yesterday morning I got the permission of my doctor to travel again. My wound is healing well and I'm fit enough to take walks.

Now I'm feeling a bit frustrated because we cancelled our trip to Tuscany on advise of the doctor. She wasn't sure I'd be well enough to make this trip. But look and see, I'm almost as healthy as before. So actually we needn't have made the cancellation. We could have been enjoying the good life in Tuscany and bask in the sun.

We've been looking to find another (short) trip now that I'm allowed to travel, but since my sister is working again on August 21st, the time is short and you don't find anything anymore. Either the air fare is way too expensive, or the hotels cost as fortune.

I know, I should be thankful I'm doing so well and that the cancer in my kidney was not of an agressive sort. There is a chance the other small tumors will now remain as they are or even disappear. A checkup in October will bring more insight. Otherwise, I'll need to take more medication (chemo is not good for me, having only one kidney) to fight the cancer.

But right now I'm feeling selfish and I wish both my sister (who's been doing a lot for me, and needs a break badly) could enjoy some days in a sunny resort.

Will keep on looking!