Wednesday, July 23, 2008
My new cam...
I have seemingly misplaced my camera, so my loving Sohlmate bought me this one. Gotta love a man who likes to buy his sweetie electronics. Since I got it just today, I've yet to try it out. However, you can expect new pictures of the house, the views, and the kids in the next few days. Let me know what other things you'd like to see of Espana. Oh, and if you know the super secret codes to make special characters (like those I'd need to make the n with the tilde over it), please let me know. I hate that all my stuff says Espana and not... well.. you know.
Prayers, please!
Hola!
So I'm going to make this short and sweet! I need some prayers for my Corpus peeps. They're prepping for hurricane Dolly, which as of this post was to head just south. Pray for the people of that area, for their safety and health. If you're in Corpus, be safe my friends, and let me know what's up. The static weather images make me more anxious. I'm watching you!
So I'm going to make this short and sweet! I need some prayers for my Corpus peeps. They're prepping for hurricane Dolly, which as of this post was to head just south. Pray for the people of that area, for their safety and health. If you're in Corpus, be safe my friends, and let me know what's up. The static weather images make me more anxious. I'm watching you!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Pictures!
And now, the moment you've been waiting for... pictures!!
Fountain in Cadiz. They really, really like fountains here.
Churros y chocolate. MMMM... no sugar on these, though many people say that they're better with it. The chocolate is sooo thick and rich, I can't imagine adding more sugar.
C-dawg enjoyed them.
K-Oed. And, yes, we thought he was smoking, too.
Waiting for the train. Andres and Carter were as patient as you could expect them to be.
It arrives!
Watching for our stop.
Waiting for our stop.
Checking the monitor. ARE we THERE??
THE TRAIN STATION!
What more can I say?!?
The tasty chicken, cream cheese, and pineapple croissant, with olive oil chips, and the tiniest fork I've ever used.
The merry-go-round. More like the crazies-go-round.
Cathedral Nueva, circa 1700's, in Cadiz.
Former Cadiz city battlement wall. Now it's a tunnel.
Street in Cadiz.
Sandwich shop I've mentioned before. This particular one has a great view.
Hills of Jerez.
View from Puerto Sherry.
Cadiz coastline, and the coolest power pole I've seen. Ever.
Cadiz.
Cadiz.
Government building on the plaza in Medina Sidonia. Tasty pastries made here since Moorish times. So a while then.
The fam. Bit brisk this day...
My Sohl son's new ride.
Showin' his skillz.
Rota views.
Our hotel room in Marbella.
The pools, viewed from our balcony in Marbella.
Rock of Gibraltar.
This picture doesn't truly show the degree of narrow-ness of the streets of Medina Sidonia.
View from a hillside in Medina Sidonia.
The city hall, which is inside an old chapel, which used to be a castle... in the 1500's I think.
Gorgeous Spanish balcony.
David's meal. Nice presentation, right?!?
My mushroom crepe. Muy delicioso!
A view in Rota.
The cold section at Mercadona, a Spanish grocery store, during the trucking strike. YIKES!
The emptied fruit section.
An example of a Feria dress. These are bright, festive dresses with lots of "flair."
My new Spanish shoes.
Fountain in Cadiz. They really, really like fountains here.
Churros y chocolate. MMMM... no sugar on these, though many people say that they're better with it. The chocolate is sooo thick and rich, I can't imagine adding more sugar.
C-dawg enjoyed them.
K-Oed. And, yes, we thought he was smoking, too.
Waiting for the train. Andres and Carter were as patient as you could expect them to be.
It arrives!
Watching for our stop.
Waiting for our stop.
Checking the monitor. ARE we THERE??
THE TRAIN STATION!
What more can I say?!?
The tasty chicken, cream cheese, and pineapple croissant, with olive oil chips, and the tiniest fork I've ever used.
The merry-go-round. More like the crazies-go-round.
Cathedral Nueva, circa 1700's, in Cadiz.
Former Cadiz city battlement wall. Now it's a tunnel.
Street in Cadiz.
Sandwich shop I've mentioned before. This particular one has a great view.
Hills of Jerez.
View from Puerto Sherry.
Cadiz coastline, and the coolest power pole I've seen. Ever.
Cadiz.
Cadiz.
Government building on the plaza in Medina Sidonia. Tasty pastries made here since Moorish times. So a while then.
The fam. Bit brisk this day...
My Sohl son's new ride.
Showin' his skillz.
Rota views.
Our hotel room in Marbella.
The pools, viewed from our balcony in Marbella.
Rock of Gibraltar.
This picture doesn't truly show the degree of narrow-ness of the streets of Medina Sidonia.
View from a hillside in Medina Sidonia.
The city hall, which is inside an old chapel, which used to be a castle... in the 1500's I think.
Gorgeous Spanish balcony.
David's meal. Nice presentation, right?!?
My mushroom crepe. Muy delicioso!
A view in Rota.
The cold section at Mercadona, a Spanish grocery store, during the trucking strike. YIKES!
The emptied fruit section.
An example of a Feria dress. These are bright, festive dresses with lots of "flair."
My new Spanish shoes.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
It's coming together...
We've been in our new house about a week now, and it's coming together. Pictures are fitting, furniture is placed, and the kitchen is capable of just a bit more of Spanish-made dishes. We love it, and know that pictures are required. I promise that once our internet is up, you'll be inundated with pictures of what we've been busy doing here.
This weekend we're heading to Ubrique with our friends Nacho and Mari. We're excited to purchase some authentic Spanish leather, see un pueblo blanco (a white village), and more of the province of Cadiz. To get an idea of the distance, check out this map... it's about an hour and a half, so the kids don't have to sit too long.
To take advantage of the gorgeous views of the Bay of Cadiz, we purchased a new patio set from El Corte Ingles in Jerez. It's wonderful to sit out on our covered patio space, and look out over the bay to Rota and Cadiz. There are sailboats, jet skis, and fishing boats to watch, and every so often a cruise ship lumbers past. I know I haven't been able to give you the photos you'd like, so check out the Rota tourism site to get an idea of what the sights are like here. Be sure to click on various links to see all the amazing sights.
I'm off to let C run through the sprinklers, so I'll catch up with you manana. Hasta luego!
This weekend we're heading to Ubrique with our friends Nacho and Mari. We're excited to purchase some authentic Spanish leather, see un pueblo blanco (a white village), and more of the province of Cadiz. To get an idea of the distance, check out this map... it's about an hour and a half, so the kids don't have to sit too long.
To take advantage of the gorgeous views of the Bay of Cadiz, we purchased a new patio set from El Corte Ingles in Jerez. It's wonderful to sit out on our covered patio space, and look out over the bay to Rota and Cadiz. There are sailboats, jet skis, and fishing boats to watch, and every so often a cruise ship lumbers past. I know I haven't been able to give you the photos you'd like, so check out the Rota tourism site to get an idea of what the sights are like here. Be sure to click on various links to see all the amazing sights.
I'm off to let C run through the sprinklers, so I'll catch up with you manana. Hasta luego!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Happy Independence Day!
I'm amazed...
There are only a few days a year here we can fly the American flag, but you can bet that on those days, many people go all out. I mean ALL OUT. Which seems fairly ordinary back home; here, it's a feat! I mean, you only get 2-3 days to display your patriotism with American-themed stuff. So they make it count, storing stuff, ordering things online, or picking things up at the only store here that sells American patriotic products.
I can honestly say that I didn't realize how much I enjoy that junk until I was told I couldn't do it on my terms. Imagine it like this... don't think about your shoes. Don't think about how they fit, their color, where you got them, or which outfit they match best. Don't! So... what are you thinking about? Exactly. I wasn't mad; I wasn't even surprised that I couldn't do it... just surprised at my reaction. All I thought about was how I'd decorate my house, hanging bunting and flag-related garb from anything that would stand still long enough.
Now, realistically, I don't decorate this way. I've no idea how to hang bunting, and though I've never bought any, I'm sure if I were to do so, my Sohlmate would make me remove it... he's a patriot, just not the overtly decorated, outdoor music-blaring type. But back home, I do have the freedom to do it in just about any way I choose.
Nonetheless, I find that Independence day means more to me this year than in years past. We in the states are so free to... whatever. We can dress, we can eat, we can think, we can say, we can print, we can decorate, we can... whatever, however, whenever (obviously within limits of our democratically determined laws).
What's even more interesting is that we've taken that freedom to a "whole 'nutha leevel," as Pastor Ed Young says. We are free to challenge each other on what we're free to do, and when we're free to do it.
I'm so thankful that there are so many who are committed to the idea of fighting for our freedoms that they sacrifice their family time, their individualism, and the idea most Americans have of independence, to defend ours. I'm thankful that I have the independence to decide for myself whom I think will do the best job of deciding what the right path is for our nation, and I'm thankful that person can be me (should I completely lose my mind) if I want to try. I'm grateful for the freedom to pray at anytime and any locale for those selected to choose the direction our country will go. I'm grateful for the ability to choose just about any thing I'd like to do - work or not; be in the military or not; go to school or not; have children - lots or a few - or not.
It's an amazing freedom we have, and I'm thankful that we have so many who willingly volunteer, many multiple times, to serve to protect, defend, educate, and heal our country.
Happy Independence Day! Celebrate how you'd like: it's a free country!
There are only a few days a year here we can fly the American flag, but you can bet that on those days, many people go all out. I mean ALL OUT. Which seems fairly ordinary back home; here, it's a feat! I mean, you only get 2-3 days to display your patriotism with American-themed stuff. So they make it count, storing stuff, ordering things online, or picking things up at the only store here that sells American patriotic products.
I can honestly say that I didn't realize how much I enjoy that junk until I was told I couldn't do it on my terms. Imagine it like this... don't think about your shoes. Don't think about how they fit, their color, where you got them, or which outfit they match best. Don't! So... what are you thinking about? Exactly. I wasn't mad; I wasn't even surprised that I couldn't do it... just surprised at my reaction. All I thought about was how I'd decorate my house, hanging bunting and flag-related garb from anything that would stand still long enough.
Now, realistically, I don't decorate this way. I've no idea how to hang bunting, and though I've never bought any, I'm sure if I were to do so, my Sohlmate would make me remove it... he's a patriot, just not the overtly decorated, outdoor music-blaring type. But back home, I do have the freedom to do it in just about any way I choose.
Nonetheless, I find that Independence day means more to me this year than in years past. We in the states are so free to... whatever. We can dress, we can eat, we can think, we can say, we can print, we can decorate, we can... whatever, however, whenever (obviously within limits of our democratically determined laws).
What's even more interesting is that we've taken that freedom to a "whole 'nutha leevel," as Pastor Ed Young says. We are free to challenge each other on what we're free to do, and when we're free to do it.
I'm so thankful that there are so many who are committed to the idea of fighting for our freedoms that they sacrifice their family time, their individualism, and the idea most Americans have of independence, to defend ours. I'm thankful that I have the independence to decide for myself whom I think will do the best job of deciding what the right path is for our nation, and I'm thankful that person can be me (should I completely lose my mind) if I want to try. I'm grateful for the freedom to pray at anytime and any locale for those selected to choose the direction our country will go. I'm grateful for the ability to choose just about any thing I'd like to do - work or not; be in the military or not; go to school or not; have children - lots or a few - or not.
It's an amazing freedom we have, and I'm thankful that we have so many who willingly volunteer, many multiple times, to serve to protect, defend, educate, and heal our country.
Happy Independence Day! Celebrate how you'd like: it's a free country!
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