re arranging

A family day yesterday. My daughter in law Heleen delighted me with 3 lovely bunches of flowers..

White Fresias.. their fragrance is lovely

Bright red tulips.. A grouping of some of my hand made portuguese pottery.

I decided to get some of my nice hand painted pottery plates out of the cupboards and clean them up..I have made a nice new space for them on my little study wall..

Colourful Peonies....

I am looking forward to seeing them grouped together. The rooster plate is an antique plate..

I love this water pitcher.. The potter who made it"Snr Antonio" lives about 10 min from my Quinta. His pottery factory is family run. He learnt from his father and his father from his..and so on.. Its family run. I love to take my friends there when they come to visit.

I have had it high up on a shelf.. but i am moving it around today to try and fit it in with the other ceramics. . Its a beautiful piece ..I watched the girl hand painting it..

A little blue and white platter. I use it for butter or nibbles..but it will go with the grouping.
A fun plate .. astrology and all that stuff. !! All my pottery are from the same factory.

I feel that spring is in the air. I am washing my curtains, while the weather is good..and re arranging pot plants and my pottery.

Happy last Sunday in February..

Thursday snaps

Thursday morning.

walked around the garden, with the dogs and i was delighted to see some blooms. We really are experiencing an early spring. My roses are already getting new leaves and shoots. Its so dry here, that i now have started to water every day.
Just a few shots of around the place
To my surprise i found this rose hiding between the Oleander trees.. I was amazed.. its one that escaped my pruning.
I am no expert on names of bushes.. but this bush gives a tiny little light lilac flower, all the year round..

To add to my morning.. my son sent me this absolutely great photo of my youngest grandson Max. It speaks for itself. He is adorable and i love him to bits.. He turned 2 this month.

Happy Thursday everyone, from me and Max

"Carnival time"

The Brazilian Carnival and the art of Samba. Brilliant bright feathery costumes of semi naked dancing girls, have taken over in many of the big carnival parades in Portugal.!

For me its very south American . Old cultural traditions and ceremonies are being left by the wayside.. Its sad really. We are European. How I would love to see these old traditions re kindled and brought to life again in other parts of the country.

Amazingly it is so in the north. "The men from The Beira's"

I have always loved their old traditional stories and tales at Carnival time told by the village folk and friends from that region.

All sorts of amazing tales.. of tall strange masked men who come from the hills,with strange faces and chanting with loud voices and jingling bells. Jumping high at the sight of the villagers.. They come in the dark of night ..tall and scary.

.. Below and above traditional masked men , dressed with masks, that seem to resemble strange animals. ..The northern people are proud of their old traditions. It makes me happy to know they still continue every year this same age old ancient ceremony. Fine figures they make. One can only imagine them peering around the door on a cold frosty winters night.. when all together a very impossing sight indeed.

Its a holiday for many here in Portugal, and the children have been parading in their costumes and enjoying fun times together.

Tomorrow- the floats will be going through the towns and villages. Its a happy time for all. The beginning of Lent on the christian calander.

cinnemon

I read recently that Cinnemon is another excellent health suppliment.. I bought some cinnemon and apple tea.. also cinnemon with honey.. Trial runs this weekend.

Have a good weekend. Try some cinnemon tea..! exotic smell and taste.

an ounce of gold

I am conservative with my perfumes.. I might venture out now and again to buy a new fragrance that has come onto the market.. but rarely. Perfume for me ,turns the key of time in my memory.

I spray or dab the perfume on..and depending which one i choose .. I go back into a place and time gone by..and all good things come to mind. Perfume ignites my senses. I feel good when i wear it.

The smells take me to a time, of my first kiss, when i wore my first evening gown!.. or the time when my first child was born!.. that memorable wedding!.. lunches with friends!, a long walk on the beach,precious moments with my children , happy carefree times...

Perfumes make me happy.
I remember well, when i recieved my first bottle of perfume. It was amongst my presents on a christmas morning , wrapped in a lovely box with bright red christmas paper and a big bow.. I was 12. That christmas i felt so grown up.. I wore a beautiful new blue dress with a red sash and red shoes..

That was my first introduction to "4711"..Eau de cologne. Oh how sweet the smell was. I always kept a bottle amongst my perfumes for many years after. When i used it.. I was a child again, with not a care in the world..
My favorite perfume of all time, that really suits my skin and makes me feel good ,for me the fragrance is just divine..This perfume holds a special place and the scent takes me back to such memorable days in my life.

"Y" by Yves Saint Laurant.... Each time i wear it, is another memorable day.
My second choice is the classic Chanel No 5.. "wow, whats that fragrance or perfume you have on" ! I am asked. No 5 , takes me to another dimentional time in the diary of my mind. It never ceases to amaze me , what an impact "smells" have on us.!
This waterford crystal "atomizer" sits on my little antique dressing stand .. in my bedroom.

It was my mothers, she loved her perfumes. The atomizer at the moment is sadly empty!!

I have been looking at it for a while now, and remembered how many years ago, my mother and I would go to a special perfumery, where we could buy our own choice of fragrant perfume. It was sold by the ounce. The perfumery ,was at the back of our chemist shop. A fascinating place, with shelves full of different sized bottles of "liquid gold." Ladies could sit and sample all the lovely frangrant choices of perfumes, the scent in the room was ever memorable. We would usually take about an hour or more choosing which one we would buy and take home. "our little ounce of gold."

A modern Atomizer. They look so elegant on a dresser. Coming in all shapes and sizes.
I hope to get my atomizer full again.. Its time for a visit to the perfume shop..!
Bottles of perfumed essences.. such delight- which one shall it be!
Simply beautiful. Hand blown Egyptian glass perfume bottles.
Always fascinated with the perfume shops of Cairo..On our visits there, my mother would delight in acquiring a few special frangrances to add to our collection. Those days were so memorable and exciting.
A Cairo Perfume shop, full of all shapes and sizes of elegant coloured glass perfume bottles.
The essences and perfumes were "Gold" to the Ancient Egyptians.. and were used at various cerimonial events..for bathing and sometimes used in the process of mummification..and placed in "amphoras" at the side of the pharoes sarcophagus, when buried in their tombs.
Hieroglyphics depicting an Egyptian offering sacred perfumed essences..

The making of the essences from herbs and flowers is possibly still produced in the same way today !!! Jasmine, Geranium, lavander, to name a few.

Do perfumes inspire you?

please note.. Today is Thursday the 16th.. a "glich" with the date header..

"Love"

Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition.
(Alexander Smith )

Wishing all my friends a happy Valentine's day.

Joys of Rural life

It seems that the storks have not migrated this year. With our exceptional warm winter days, they are still here. Its so amazing to see them perched on top of the large electric post.. The municipalities of the area erected them for the storks to breed ..as they were using the actual electric posts.. So now they are dotted all over the area.. I took this photo of a pair not far from my quinta. I wondered if they might be the pair that fly over my little dam at the bottom of my land..
Its grouse season. Lots of grouse around and about.. Often have mummy and her babies run in front of my car. They live in the thickets at the bottom of the land. Unfortunately, they are gourmet food and the hunters were out yesterday. ! Poor little grouse. At least no hunters are allowed on my property.

I took this photo on Saturday... Its one of my neighbours moving his sheep to his other grazing land. Its one of the lovely wonders of living in the country.. No stress, everyone and animals alike..take their time.

Make the best of your Monday.. be happy.

Noble Breed

The Lusitanian Horse

Situated within the municipality of Sintra , district of Lisbon.. In the grounds of the National Palace of Queluz.. is the "Portugese School of Equestrian art".

The Lipizzaner - The Andalusian and the Lusitanian all three noble breed of horses, are related bloodline cousins. Also mixed with the bloodline of the "Berb" horse, brought into Iberia with the invasion of the Muslims. The story and origin of the horses, from the begining up to moderen day is most interesting.

The school was founded by King Joao V and Queen Maria lst in 1748.. The palace having been their summer residence.

The cavalry school has a long history ..and is known as the "Alter Real" ..The horses coming from the Royal stud.

I had the pleasure of going to see the cavalry perform their equestrian artistry.. It was a truly fascinating morning. The horses are so magnificent, strutting around the arena.. with all the pomp and ceremony that goes with such an event.

The National Palace of Queluz , is open to the puplic. Its setting is unique.. The gardens delightful. Meandering the lovely lanes , one can just imagine how the Royalty lived.. one is totally charmed by it all.

Statues and ponds.. beautiful "topiary" one of the last Rococco palaces to be built in Europe.. sometimes named "the miniature versailles"..

Opera's are held here during the summer months.. in the beautiful scenic outside gardens.
The Palace:- Abundant with guilt painted walls and ceilings. Frescos and hand painted tiles fill the rooms, with its unique captivating charm and style.

The Dona Maria Pavillion, is still used as a guest house for foreign heads of state when visiting Portugal.

It is indeed a most magnificent opulent Palace.. "The Portuguese School of Eqestrian art" most certainly have a wonderful home.

60 years on the throne

QUEEN ELIZABETH ll DIAMOND JUBILEE

The British Monarchy have been through so many ups and downs during the last 60 years.

Queen Elisabeth has sood firm and shown great strength of charachter.

Her great grandmother Queen Victoria Reigned for 63 years and 7 months.

Wishing her a great happy day today.