Very Tough Choices.House for Sale.

Well its been a lot time since I updated this blog, and Ive put it off for quite a while for one reason and another.
The last few weeks have been especially difficult, I been pretty ill for almost two months now and just the day to day struggle has been enough to make me not bother with this.
The good news is after various different hospital emergency rooms and visits, I finally got an appointment for an endoscope exam. Not the most fun way to spend an afternoon I might add. But at least a decent diagnosis and some more effective medication. I have  severe duodenal ulcers, quite unpleasant and very painful.
All this has meant that the amount of work done here by me has dwindled to almost nothing, just about managing to put a meal on the table for the hardworking men around here. Gareth is still with us but will be moving on at the weekend to Austria, we will miss him like mad, he has become so much part of the family. We had a fleeting visit from a young French Canadian called Dan, he stayed about ten days and helped Gareth with weeding and wood collecting. Rick of course plods on and as ever works incredably hard , but is feeling the strain alot too now. He also is getting busy with his Softball work, he will be going to Tempo Prague at the end of the month for an unknown amount of time. He already turned down a season long coaching job in Germany as we didnt know how well I would be to be here alone for so long. It looks as if  in future years he may well be away for months at a time during coaching season and thats not something we had planned for when we came here. But very exciting for him and his career.
So...
We have put the house up for sale. Yep, the whole lot, house, guest cottage pool, caravan  land etc etc...
We both feel it is time to move on and look at new and different challenges in our life. We have absolutely loved our time in Portugal but the Czech Republic beckons to us...
I have created a website especially for the house, it gives as much info as I can manage and lots of pictures.
Hopefully someone special will come along and buy it, its such a special and unique place it deserves someone good to take care of it and finish what we started...
www.buyoursmallholdinginportugal.weebly.com

General Update.

I know its been ages... sorry..
This is the morning view of our valley.... stunning isnt it...

Things are still very hectic, we've lots of guests backwards and forwards, Gareth and Rick have been working extra hard on the house, we've been taking advantage of having Gareth here as he's moving on to Austria in Mid march... we'll hate to see him go but its an good placement and  not to be missed for him.

They have worked very hard and we actually now have a living room upstairs that looks like a real room... I love it! The walls have been all rendered and painted, the floor painted and the double doors varnished. should be a pic here somewhere. Its made it so warm and cosy... we cant afford to panel the roof though so its not quite finished, but still looks amazing to see it so transformed...

We've had quite a few friends around for meals , plus with all the guests and cooking tons for the men , Im spending most of my life at the cooker...

In the next few weeks I plan to make more skin balms and salves for a good stock for summer. I need to make more jam as Gareth loves it and has eaten my whole stock... luckily I have fruit in the freezer to use..

I need to get down the orchard and weed my broad beans... they are coming on wonderfully. We need to clear and get the main veggie patch tilled so the frosts we are having can kill any bugs.. as planting is only a few weeks away now...

I have to clean the little greenhouse I use and get some seeds in pots...

The blokes have to collect TONS of wood, we are getting low, down to only two rows now...

plus set up the new irrigation system our lovely friend Alik brought us out a while a go, its going to be used to help our corn this summer. It was so gorgeous last year we have saved lots of seed and plan a HUGE field of it this year...

I have a French Canadian helper arriving in mid Feb to help with the workload for a few weeks. but will need major help with weeding, planting and wood collection during spring and early summer.

Bloody Caterpillars

Just a quick precautionary post, the prosessionary buggers are on the move very very early this year, its also a terribly bad year, nests are everywhere... its going to be very bad...
please everyone, watch your dogs (and cats) its fatal if you dont act fast..
My other post on here somewhere details effective and often lifesaving treatment everyone can do...

General Update, Sostice, Christmas, Sunshine, and stuff..

Wow... its been ages again. Sadly its that time of year when dosh is difficult so money for the Dongle or trips to town come very low down our list of priorities. But hopefully now Christmas is over (well it is in Portugal ) and we already have some bookings to look forward to, things will get easier again.

We still have Gareth with us, working hard as always, but Osian has moved on, down to Peniche to be a surfer boy for a while. He worked hard and accomplished tons while he was with us. Gareth we hope will stay till Spring at least  we always have work for willing hands.

Hes been helping Rick in so many ways, and the fact that they hit it off so well , having a shared sense of humour helps a lot.. He's been so enjoying the weather, spending his free time relaxing with a book, often outside in the sunshine, he couldnt believe that it was possible to do so on Christmas Eve...

So...

Solstice went very well, although money was tight we really felt it was important to carry on with our celebration if at all possible, so I splashed out on 10 euros worth of chicken, for that we got over 5and a half kilos of chicken... I roasted it all in different marinades, and then served it with homemade bread, roasted pumpkin, carrots, potatoes and baked spagetti squash... oh and red cabbage cooked with apple and onions... all from our garden or a gift from neighbours, so it cost nothing, I made a dessert, some of our lovely guests also made desserts... some brought wine or beer... and a fantastic time was had by all for next to nothing...

We always decorate the house with branches and leaves from the forest, it really makes for a festive atmoshphere. Rick and Gareth built a Solstice Cabin outside, we lit up the garden with tons of little tealite candles someone had left in the cottage last summer, plus of course the Sostice Bonfire and our Yule Log, I made mulled wine with spices and fresh fruit from our trees...

 

 

For us Christmas is just a quiet day, a nice meal (roast pork etc) and back to work today... we had a walk in town to look at the pretty lights and see the bonfire which burns for 12 nights in Figueiro Dos Vinhos... a very low key and relaxing time for us..