Life carries on...

So for the meantime,  as we dont expect the house to sell overnight, we have to carry on with normal life. That means starting to get ready for planting. Ive already managed to plant a few peas, Im growing them up the old tomato trellis this season, and the tomatoes which have been in the same place three years running are getting a change of scene.
Yesterday, I cleaned out the little wood and plastic housy that Rick made me which serves very well as a greenhouse , and as we-ve been collecting yogurt pots all winter, Ive planted up tons of seeds, the usual for us, courgettes, Uchi Kuri squash, big pumpkins, little pumpkins, spaggetti pumpkins, Butternut squash, and tons of tomotoes. Ive also started off my Petunias and sweetpeas that I use in tubs to pretty up the cottage area, plus some Portuguese flowers I dont know the name of, stunning colours, of Cerise and yellow and sometimes a mix of both. They open in shade so are good for all sorts of odd corners.
Gareth has gone... and we miss him loads, he has gone to friends of ours in Austria for the summer, a great placement for him and Im sure he will be well looked after, but he was here so long he felt like family.
The broad beans down on the orchard area are in flower, sadly they are a little stunted due to lack of water, we-ve had no real good rain now since last spring, the odd day here and there but nothing to make a difference. The orchard generally is very wet during winter as it has a winter run off spring that flows from the wall. It hasnt flowed all winter. And we have no way of getting water down there easily. So we just have to take what beans we get and be glad for them.
The main house garden area will look better this summer too, over winter I just stuck in some odd cuttings around the lovely stone walls the lads built, and have noticed recently two of the climbing roses have taken plus a couple of Yuccas, and a few other bits and pieces. I just have to get my self into gear to tidy it and weed a little.
 Im gradually trying to do more around the place I am feeling a little better the last three days. I can feel a definate improvement, but apparently its going to be a long job...
I have added the link  of the house sale site to our friends list , It would be lovely if we sold it via here. I so want this place to go to someone who understands what we-ve been doing here and why...

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