Wedding bells part 1.

29 days from today My middle son Miguel will be getting married.    A wonderful son that has achieved and believes in smiles. "Smiles he says, take you a long long way in life"

                                      looking at one of his school photos. Taken at school in South Africa where he was born.. He is the second from the left...look at that grin.

                    Some of you  might have read  before in a post , that Miguel is a prominent Dental Surgeon and a specialist on Implantology.
 I wonder if he knew this would come to be, here in this photo.,taken when he was about 8 or 9 months old  . His elder brother Manel is holding him . I took it on Manel's first day that Manel  went to primary school. - "Smile Miguel".. mouth open Miguel gives a smile. "
 He still says that today.!!

                                       A lovely photo taken with his his sister about 8 years ago.

                                     The    Invitation  simple and elegant

                                                  with a simple  gold wedding band seal stamped on the back of the envelope

                               Bell's will be ringing soon.  

                                                            A simple rose on the front of the invitation.


Miguel in June recieving an award in Cannes.

                          Sasha is a top model and we just adore her












                                    Prince charming, has found his princess.

I was looking through photos today.   When a few tears fell upon my cheeks.  How I remember so well the day he was born.  A wonderful son.   He is loved by his sister and brothers , and I am blessed that they are all very very good close friends.
I am so so happy for Miguel ,he has waited a long time for his princess.

The invitations have been sent
I have my dress and shoes .ready
Lots of excitement at the moment in the family.

I am making this post in 3 parts..   This is the first.... Then the venue - then after the wedding.  August the 30th.

Sharing a little part of my life and the love that my children have given me, each one of them is special.




 Love is the most wonderful gift that god gave us.   Sending all my dear blogging friends lots of love..

    Val

keeping the flowers watered

With temperatures up in the high 30's - somedays 40º.. Its a battle between me and the sun.   I have been getting up at around 6 and going out to water, as its just too hot during the day. By the time the evening comes , I am often too tired to water.  I do have a piped water system,only noticing a few weeks ago that the little holes where the water drops out are clogged with calcium.  So it will be another new project for winter time, to get the pipes and sprinklers sorted. Now I have to do it by hand.  I cant complain. As it really is a great time to wake up during these hot days and enjoy the garden.   This year is another exceptionally hot summer, loosing a lot of my rose blooms to the heat.  On Wed. I had the garden centre deliver the bark cover for my one bed of roses. The other two deliveries for the other rose beds will come this next week.   

When one has a garden, there is always something to do or that needs doing.  If we want some beauty around us ..its all work. Playtime comes at sundowner time. With that long icy drink. 

THE TOP VASE I THINK IS VERBENA! And Geeraniums. The blue flower which is a creeper. (dont know the name) I have two that are now growing fast. I transplanted them last year.   I am very pleased with my rose in the pot. That has taken some time to take hold.  Some of my roses.. and another creeper with a purple flower..its going crazy.

                This pomegranate tree was a gift from a friend.  We planted it 2 years ago.  It was touch and go at one time...but now it has about 5 pomegranate's on it.. I am thrilled.  Its a lovely tree.  Its only bare  for a couple of months.

 Am off again out into the garden, to dead head my roses,while there is a little breeze.

Wishing you all a very pleasant weekend. Whatever you may be doing.

val

Brown and green

Summer temperatures here in the Alentejo can reach well into the 40's.. Most of our days now the temperature is around 38 39º..  Year in year out, its always the same.   The fields are totally brown except for the olive trees and the trees around the pond at the bottom of my property. Yesterday morning , I took an early morning walk at 6.30 down to the pond..  From the cottages it looks so so green.     Leaving through my inner gate, took this picture of Olive cottage. I have the pepper trees and large verandah roof for the outside. Its shady there.

                              Walking down to the pond... you can see within a couple of months how totally brown the fields are.. I dont like to see it like this.  I suppose we cant have it all.  I do enjoy the long summer days. Time for long drinks ..at the moment its large glasses of ice cold sangria , with a sprig of mint and ice.. great at the end of the day.

                                   The sun is shining at 6 already in the morning . You can see the little gate next to the pink oleander tree.. its just green all around the pond.   The pond is fenced off .. This is because of the sheep . One sheep , two sheep and in they will go. !

                                 The conifers have grown so tall in the last 10 years.. The elm was swaying with the early morning breeze.  I have hundreds of elms now..baby ones , middle sized ones.. they seem to seed themselves.

                                    The pond.. Ducks sometimes rest here on their flight south..or north.. not sure where ducks fly too.  They dont stay here.!

                                  Green ivy all over .. Oleander trees , palm trees.. its just overgrowing. Just too much for me to keep up with now.  Its a beautiful little oasis.. the dogs love to roam around inside.  It was so so quiet. Just me the dogs , nature and my camera.

                                  Another view outside the fence.

               My main reason for going down to my little pond , was to see how my grapes are fairing.. and i am thrilled.. there are quite a few bunches this year, they thrived on all the rain we had.

                                    Healthy and will be ready in a couple of months.. Such excitement to see the grapes growing. The vine is over 50 years old.  I never touch it. Some years I have none and others a few..but this year there are lots.  

Hope you are all having good weather wherever you are!  

I was glued to the tv. yesterday afternoon, waiting for news of the new baby.   The prince of Cambridge.. we now have to wait for his name.

Happy days everyone.

val

The Lynx

Two Iberian lynx (Lynx Pardinus) were born last year in Portugal at the Town of Silves reproduction centre. Part of an Iberian speceis recovery plan.  They were released on 21June this year 2013. In the Guarriza Valley Spain.  You will see from this map that Spain has the bigger population.  They are found   along the borders......but mainly in the south , where there is more dense bush.

In the Silves breeding centre.. there has been 45 births with 26 kittens surviving.  That is really progress.

                                                                           This is an old map from the 60's

                                                   An Iberian Lynx with her baby.. (rare shots)

                                            The babies that were released this June.2013

                                         Their habitat.  The Monchique mountains in the Algarve are known to have been sighted.  A gentleman a couple of years ago sighted one.

               A most beautiful specimen of a wild cat.. the Iberian Lynx. Very striking to look at. How I would love to see one in real life.

                                      This is an image of the Asian lynx.  Found in various provinces of China. They are of a different specie.

In 2002 Jerez Zoo Had 3 females for developing  in  captive breeding one of these females was called "Saliega"..she was captured as a cub in 2002. She became the fist Iberian Lynx to breed in captivity and gave birth to 3 healthy kittens.

There is a big program now in place.. both in Spain and Portugal.  The Spanish government has pumped in more than 5 million euros to boost the program  for the reproduction of  the cats in captivity.

I dont like to talk about cloning!.. there is experiments going on.. but not working.using domestic cats.
and embrioes are now being frozen. The cloning did now work.

It is estimated that there are 100 to 200 animals remaining in the wild.  The species numbered 4.000 in 1960..They were also hunted for their skins.. now banned.

The Lynx has always fascinated me as a cat ... It resembles other species of Lynx , but the Iberian lynx has short tail, tufted ears and a ruff of fur beneath the chin.
Today my post is about these beautiful animals...  The map below shows their  decline , up until 2003. So its no wonder there are only around 200 to 300 now in the wild..   Let us all hope that their population will increase even more as the years go by.. It would be a great loss to loose such an Interesting stunning specie of  animal.

Hope you enjoyed reading about this endangered specie..

Wishing you all a happy weekend.

val

Family,art and summer days

Time seem to have flown these  last couple weeks of .    I thought I could fit  in a couple more posts . 

 In between my last post,but alas family arrived.   My youngest son Filipe  his daughter and Fiançe Diana came and prepared a  wonderful bbq.last wed.  With the heat of the summer afternoon ,drinking chilled wine and  eating under the pergola Filip's famous spiced ribs. .. It was a wonderful day, In and out of the pool and enjoying the good times while they last.  My boys are men now.. all busy with their own lives..so I enjoy and savour every moment i can get with them.

  I was pleased that i had finished the cupboard and chairs project.. (its still in progress)..slowly does it and I will get there.  I worked on my painting of fruit that was on my last post.. just a couple of areas to fill in.. then its ready for framing.  I am going to frame it with old wood ..from around the garden.. am looking forward to seeing how it comes out.

                                  I was looking through my art books for ideas for my next canvas, I want a still life.  I especially like Cezanne..his work is so simple.. well it looks it..but of course thats not so! . Its his simplicity that is hard to captivate.  I have started setting up my prop.. more or less, out to buy peaches tomorrow.  Of course with a twist of my own style ,it might just turn out ok.!! If not ..try and try again.

                          Paul  1839- 1906 Cezanne's work- His life story   and his art fascinate me.
(maybe another post one day)

                       If the painting comes out how I would like it too.. It will take the place of these large apples I painted about 8 years ago. The painting is hung above my Chinese sideboard.  I love the paiting ,my own work.. but i need to see something different on the walls for a while now.  Time for a change of art scene at Rose and Olive cottage.

                      Here are some of my unfinished work.. I think most artists are the same.. but, I do go back to some, but as one progresses our styles change with us. You will see one of 'Gauguin! another artist who fascinates me.

                         Setting up for tomorrow.
   Below is a lovely little teapot with cup and saucer.. forgot to put the saucer.. My dear friend Manuela bought it for me, when we went shopping on Monday afternoon to Evora.

Yesterday, I got such a welcomed surprise.  My sister in Law Luisa and hubby surprised me (one of Mr M's sisters) I am very close to her..  she phoned to say they were in my village, and that they were waiting for me for lunch. I was just about to start sketching.

They had come all the way from Lisbon to have lunch with me. Good job It wasn't monday.
After lunch we came to my quinta and we spent the hours talking about our times in Africa. She lived most of her life in Angola and part in Brazil.. but also lived with us for a while in South Africa.. we were recollecting so many things.. I was a little sad when they left. It was so wonderful to see her. I had not seen them since Mr M's 80th birthday.     We made arrangements to not make it so long next time.  She is 11 months older than mr. M.. she is 81..but a young 81 a joy to be with and ever so kind.

Another surprise visit this morning.. Didi, who I might say, is more interested in her i phone than me! note the face!  "Yes grandma" ,but how i love being in her company. We both talk the same language and have a lot in common.  She is such a lovely sweet girl.   So the sketching starts tomorrow.

Friends for afternoon tea today.. Isn't summer wonderful!

                                                        Didi-   Audrey Marie

 My fields are going brown, but we are having glorious happy days of summer at Rose Cottage.

wishing you all a wonderful week too. Full of love and happiness.


                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
val

Please note dear blogging friends..  my blog adddress is http://valerietilsten59blogspot.com... my blog name is val's Alentejo.
I lost this blog on he eve of 1st july... then it came back again.. in the meantime i was having such trouble i started another one... valrosa59blogspot.. please IGONORE that one.  I  am now using only this blog.

Thank you for all your kind comments. I am back on track now.

val

My project and things

I woke to very light drip drop of rain this morning. Our temperature has dropped.  How we needed it. We were in a very very hot heatwave. Its been a lovely day today.  Shilah and Pascoa were moved to the fields on the right hand side of Rose cottage.  The other pasture is just about bare now.  They are in their element. all nice new pastures for them .  I am sure that they too are enjoying the drop in the temp.

         My patio is looking better, work in progress.  I enjoy sitting out there , its especially great of an evening when the cool breeze of the evening comes along.

  preparing for a painting day tomorrow. must get my projects finished.

                                The cupboard is finished and the little chairs also.  just a couple of things to add. flowers on the little red chairs.. and handles on the cupboard.  I am really happy with the green I mixed it came out nicely against the red.

                                              Isaa having a good look at it all

                                    My DIL, gave me this lovely cabinet. I dont have space for it in Olive Cottage.. so its now part of the patio furniture and I am using it for all my artwork paints .Everything in one place.

                                   I was lucky to pick these little pink wedding roses. (thats what i call them)..they dry very quickly with the heat we have. They are on the re painted cupboard.

                               I hung up one of my paintings from some years ago.. so the cottage wall is not so bare.


Dear blogging friends.

for some reason.  It seems I have two blogs now.   I have tried to delete the new one I started, when i lost this one..  valrosa59blogspot.  I AM NOT USING THAT ADDRESS.

my address is http://valerietilsten59blogspot.com..    blog name  Val's Alentejo.
It was all working so well ..and for some unknown reason.. i lost all your comments..  but i thank you all for the kind comments you left on my last post.

wishing you all a Happy weekend.


val

In the middle of it.

I  am  privileged to  be outside enjoying the delights of  these balmy lazy hazy days of  summer. Here at my lovely home. Waking at 5.30am to catch the sunrise,picking up the hose pipe and watering the flowers. Watching the early birds flying too and fro.      The sun  going down at 9.30pm  .Sitting under my pergola having my cold glass of rose,( a drink I have rather taken to this summer). Its home and I feel I belong. Its what I should be doing and I enjoy it.

   We all waited so long for these warm days after a very long winter.

 Taking it all in and  smelling  the roses and the sweet flowers of all abundant with their colours  mother nature makes magic happen.

  When I was a little girl, my mother was the gardener in our home.  Her name was Ellen,dad and family called her Nell ..She was always known as Nell.(I miss her) .  

 She had green fingers, and a most magnificent garden , anything she planted would grow.     I suppose not realizing it, I learnt a lot from being with her in my youth and then when I had my own garden, it all came into use.  Those were special times. I hold them dear.

 When I married. Mr M, he would do the garden, head gardener and chief mower. He would mow and clip the trees, I think he liked to disappear amongst all the trees ,while mum was in the house doing what mums do! 

 We had row's and row's of magnificent blue and pink hydrangeas. large stralitzias. enormous azelias over 7ft high .. , our hydrageas were the size of a dinner plates.  They really were the show of our garden.  We lived far from the city way out in the country"it was called the bush in Africa in those days" Still is these days.    Monkeys here and there all over everywhere.

our vegetable patch was raided all the time by them, We gave that up. 

---------------------------   

  It was not until about 12 years ago, having started a new life for myself. That i really began my initiation into the garden scene.  

                              Planting everything from young shoots and roses from the garden centre..and this and that.  I commented yesterday to Olga. (Olga helps me around the garden and house , along with Pedro my handyman,)  how the trees and shrubs and flowers and roses have grown so so well.   My back wont allow me to do too much bending ,they are both a great help to me ..  Since Monday, its been very productive,  I was out there with Olga working and enjoying every moment.  I decided to leave the cleaning of the cottages.. and just concentrate on (my project)  and the garden for a few days.  we achieved so much.  just 4 hours Monday and Tuesday morning and its looking lovely. lots of fertilizer this week as the flowers are becoming parched very quickly with this heatwave.   I dead headed my roses- some were just like paper flowers.  Raked all the fallen leaves off the oleanders ..we were two happy bunnies.       Every day for a week its been over 40º.. but I love it. We start early at 8 when the sun is not so hot.   Afternoons its far far too hot to do anything.

                             This soleno creeper  needs to be attacked  and clipped now.. its growing out of all proportion.. it flowers all the year round. I want to see if I can take some cuttings and see how they come along.

Looks as though i am having a yard sale..   knick knacks. st Joseph. tea pot,candles and jugs  waiting to go back in their places on the finished cupboard. 

           After having refreshments and a little sit down .. Work on the restoration of my old chairs and cupboard started.

                          I think we were a little messy, but both feeling very happy with ourselves.

                               I mixed the light green and this is the first step. Its now drying so we can start the next phase. Tomorrow.

            The chairs are all glued and screwed and ready for tomorrow's painting

                                  This is the table that the 4 chairs go with.. hoping to get it all looking nice once again. I have had it for about 11 years.. It needs some TLC.

                              The rim of the drawers and the cupboard will be red.

 Around the rim of the flowers on the doors will be red.  New handles and I think it should look just dandy.    So I am still in the middle of it.   Hoping to try to get it finished by the weekend.

wishing you happy days.


val