blackdogsandblueskies.blogspot.com
black dogs and blue skies: Sorting, packing....Portugal
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Black dogs and blue skies. Saturday, 25 May 2013. Sorting, packing.Portugal. Since I last updated two months ago, we've been busy making arrangements to move to Portugal. The list was long, over 300 items, I am an inveterate list maker and it does give one a sense of accomplishment when things start to get crossed off. Then there is the endless yard sale that's been going on for six weeks, books, furniture, household goods, hobby items, gardening tools, and anything with a motor. The different electr...
blackdogsandblueskies.blogspot.com
black dogs and blue skies: March 2013
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Black dogs and blue skies. Saturday, 30 March 2013. During our last week in Figuiera dos Vinhos, the weather began to improve warming a little day by day. The camellias began to bloom in the formal garden, and by the little stone house the lavender was budding and early primroses were peeking out under the trees here and there. Camellias in bloom, roses leafing out. The location and the pretty terrace were tempting and we discussed the idea several times, but the complexity of dealing with two owners was...
blackdogsandblueskies.blogspot.com
black dogs and blue skies: Getting the paperwork done......
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Black dogs and blue skies. Thursday, 6 June 2013. Getting the paperwork done. The last few weeks have been so busy. Not only have we been packing and selling and gifting most of our possessions, but we've been attempting to get all the paperwork in order for our move to Portugal. We've updated our passports, obtained police checks, got health certificates and been to see the accountant to discuss taxes and moving bank accounts. Not sure yet, but it involves lawyers so. At least we're not bored! Simple th...
blackdogsandblueskies.blogspot.com
black dogs and blue skies: May 2013
http://blackdogsandblueskies.blogspot.com/2013_05_01_archive.html
Black dogs and blue skies. Saturday, 25 May 2013. Sorting, packing.Portugal. Since I last updated two months ago, we've been busy making arrangements to move to Portugal. The list was long, over 300 items, I am an inveterate list maker and it does give one a sense of accomplishment when things start to get crossed off. Then there is the endless yard sale that's been going on for six weeks, books, furniture, household goods, hobby items, gardening tools, and anything with a motor. The different electr...
blackdogsandblueskies.blogspot.com
black dogs and blue skies: Day trip to Tomar
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Black dogs and blue skies. Friday, 29 March 2013. Day trip to Tomar. In late February we took a day trip to the Portuguese town of Tomar, about an hour south of our little house in Figuiera dos Vinhos. Tomar, pronounced 'Tu-mar' is a lovely walkable city of about 20,000. It was originally a Roman town known as Sellium, though any evidence of Roman habitation now lies far beneath the present city. We had lunch in a pretty restaurant overlooking the river, alas no fireplace, but warm and cosy just the same.
blackdogsandblueskies.blogspot.com
black dogs and blue skies: Shuttered Dreams
http://blackdogsandblueskies.blogspot.com/2013/03/shuttered-dreams.html
Black dogs and blue skies. Saturday, 30 March 2013. During our last week in Figuiera dos Vinhos, the weather began to improve warming a little day by day. The camellias began to bloom in the formal garden, and by the little stone house the lavender was budding and early primroses were peeking out under the trees here and there. Camellias in bloom, roses leafing out. The location and the pretty terrace were tempting and we discussed the idea several times, but the complexity of dealing with two owners was...
blackdogsandblueskies.blogspot.com
black dogs and blue skies: November 2012
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Black dogs and blue skies. Friday, 30 November 2012. Rest and relax before the Christmas rush. Have been working so hard on my website that I have worn myself to a frazzle. Time for a break. So I took a couple of days off. I have been working in my studio making jewellery that I sell on Etsy. Not ready to put anything up yet, would like about 10 items. Have sketched out about six designs and have the first one nearly completed. Tuesday, 27 November 2012. Website work, steep learning curves. I know more a...
blackdogsandblueskies.blogspot.com
black dogs and blue skies: December 2012
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Black dogs and blue skies. Sunday, 9 December 2012. We went to our local Christmas fair yesterday, a large room above our local bookstore. Perhaps 40 vendors filled the long room. The baking tables were the busiest by far. They were laden with stollen and Christmas cakes, mince pies and shortbread. We bought a lovely stollen and tucked it into the freezer for Christmas morning. I spent the evening making an assortment of Christmas tree decorations. I took crepe streamers and cut them into long strips...
blackdogsandblueskies.blogspot.com
black dogs and blue skies: A County House in Portugal
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Black dogs and blue skies. Tuesday, 19 March 2013. A County House in Portugal. The little stone house we rented for a few weeks is situated at the end of a country lane, just off a cobbled road that curves through a forest of ecualyptus and pine trees, a few miles outside Figuiera dos Vinhos, a lovely village about 2 hours north of Lisbon. When we arrived, in the middle of February, it was cool and wet. We made a light supper of soup, bread and cheese and sat by the fire listening to the wind in the trees.