Pool Update

It's Outdoor Wednesday time, which is hosted by Susan of http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ I have a few people ask about the pool so I thought of taking this opportunity to show you the progress. Just remember to visit Susan afterwards and check out everybody else's contributions too.

The pool was the easy part. It is pretty much done but it is what surrounds it that is taking forever to finish. This is the view from the master bedroom.

This is the view from the office.

Right now, they are working on the floor drain. Do you see that long strip?
And this is the view from the family room. I wish they could start adding the fun features but they can't until the concrete is poured.

Here is another view from the family room.

View from the kitchen dining. We are bird sitting until Thursday, see the 2 parrots in their cages?

and this is the view from the breakfast nook. As you can see, all my orchids are on the table. I cannot wait to put them back outside. I wish the deck would get done soon.

This is one reason they haven't poured the concrete on the deck. Our house is situated on a hill and this part of the pool's ground was 2.5 ft. lower so they had to build it up and then build a retaining wall.
What do you think? Should I paint the hollow blocks in terracota?

My poor plants on the terraces! Some have been buried in dirt, sand and cement. I can't wait to be able to clean up down there and get the plants healthy again. Looks like I am going to have to redo the whole thing.

They still have to lay the brick coping around the pool but we are able to use it. We sneak in as soon as the pool guys leave, lol! The water temperature right now is perfect, it's warm and we don't even have to turn the heater on.

Hopefully the next time I post more pool pictures is on Met Monday, when everything is completely done.

Thank you, Susan for hosting this Wed. event and thank you all for coming!

Table Linens, Another Obsession

We just got back from a trip to the Caribbean and I have been so busy unpacking, doing laundry and organizing. I finally got to sit down. I missed posting on the blog and I think I will take advantage of my free time right now, just in time for Three or More Tuesday, which is hosted by Tam of http://gypsycorner.blogspot.com/. Be sure to swing by there and check out the 3's that everyone is showing off.

I brought back 3 or more tablecloths from our trip, 5 to be exact and 1 runner but I forgot to take a picture cause I already put it away. We bought this particular one from the French side of St. Maarten, in a flea market. It's 70 x 120 and should fit my big table in the formal dining room. I fell in love with the toile print and I can't wait to create a tablescape with it. But it will have to wait because my blue and white plates are still in FL. I just packed them before flying this past Sunday so my daughter can bring them to Destin when we meet them this weekend.
The design is all around the edges.
Here's another one we bought from the same booth. It's the same size but the color is lilac and cream. Looks like I am going to have to go on a hunt for purplish plates or I guess I can use my cream ones.

We bought this white one from Nassau, Bahamas. It was maked down to $40 and I grabbed it from the clearance table. I was so glad to be there at the right time because it was the only one. It included 12 napkins with it and the size is also 120 x 70. It is embroidered all around the edges.

I just love the embroidery and the cut outs.

No cut outs but more embroideries on top.

We bought this square table topper from the Dutch side of St. Maarten. The beading is exquisite. The size is 54 x 54. I am going to use it this week for Tablescape Thursday.

Last but not the least is a beige embroidered tablecloth with cut work. The set includes napkins also. it's 90 x 90 square and I plan to use it on the square table that we just bought for the deck when I get in the mood to do an elegant setting outside.

That's it! They are heavy and they sure added a lot of weight to our bags. Luckily, John brought an extra luggage. I hope you enjoyed seeing what I just bought. Thanks for stopping by!

Thank you, Tam for hosting this fun event. I am so happy to be back in the loop again.

Belize

It's Saturday and although I am not home, I will share a few pictures that I took while in Belize. Please visit Chandy of http://whatnowtablescapes.blogspot.com/ also because I know she will have something to share with us too.

Below you will see my granddaughter AJ and her mom (my daughter) Rochelle.

Do you see the huge iguanas on the trees?
We went to a babboon farm. This little one was so cute, just taking bananas from all the adults. But when AJ handed him a banana, he took AJ's hand and ate the banana while holding her hand. That was so sweet and I got it on video. He must recognize the

young and warms up to them.

Can anybody guess what that big pile of something on the tree is? It is a termite hive, but not quite the same bad termites that we sometimes have invading our homes.

Thanks again for coming by. I apologize if I am unable to respond or comment soon. I will try to catch up as soon as I get home.

A Pink Duck and A Visit to Fatima

I am up for another double post. I will start with Pink Saturday, which is hosted by Beverly of http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/. Don't forget to visit Beverly and then visit each and everyone of her participants and see all their lovely pinks!

I went around the house looking for anything pink. I really do not have a lot cause I am more of an orange, green, brown and turquoise kind of gal, but I spotted this pink duck in the laundry room.
She is kinda cute, isn't she?

She keeps me company when I am folding the laundry.

She is standing there watching over my little knick knacks.

Thanks Beverly, for hosting another great Pink Saturday!

Now, don't go yet cause you will like where I am taking you next.

It's Saturday! Let's go on a tour! Would you like to go on a pilgrimage? Fatima comes to my mind. But before we go on, let me remind you not to forget to visit Chandy of http://whatnowtablescapes.blogspot.com/ for she has somewhere to take us also. Let's not miss another exciting trip. If anyone wants to join us for Sightseeing Saturday for this week and next, please let me know by Friday so I can add your blog address. I will be away until the 28th so I will have to post in advance.

So, are you ready? Let's go to Portugal.


Below is where the Virgin Mary appeared to the children in a small village near Fatima called Valinos, when they were not allowed to go to the Cova, where the Lady usually appeared to them. Because the authorities did not believe them about the apparitions, they were forbidden to go to the Cova. You can read more about the Cova below. Somehow this picture uploaded in the wrong order. Let us drive through Lisbon first, on our way to Fatima. I really like this bridge, kinda reminds me of the Golden Gate.

I think this is a school.

They have a lot of monuments there.

Pretty Spanish style buildings huh?

Beautiful mountains and valleys.

Now, we are finally in Fatima. Vendors are bountiful near the Cova and they are all selling religious items and other Portuguese made items. We did not have much time to go shopping or I would have bought one of those tablecloths. You might still remember my framed hand painted tiles of Fatima. I bought it unframed in one of those stores and had it framed here in US.

Now, we are approaching the Cova and Basilica.

This is the Cova da Iria, where visions of our Lady of Fatima to 3 peasant children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta took place in 1917. A shrine was erected where our Lady appeared and a small chapel built around it. It used to be a pasture land. The town has a population of less than 8,000.

Large torch-light processions are organized in the evening

and the experience gave me goose bumps. As many as a million believers attract the shrine and visit the basilica, especially on May 13 and Oct. 13th, 2 very significant dates of Fatima apparitions. There were 6 apparitions, always on the 13th of each month from May to Oct. Here is AJ with the Basilica in the background.

Do you see the lady in a green top on her knees, on the lower right side of the picture below? She walked on her knees all the way to the basilica. You will witness a lot of people there having this kind of devotion.

This is where Jacinta is buried now. She died in 1920 at the age of 9, during the Spanish flu pandemic and was beatified in 2000. She was not originally buried here. In 1935, her body was exhumed and was found to be incorrupt. Her body was again exhumed in 1951 and again was found to be incorrupt. Francisco's has decomposed. Sister Lucia, who became a Carmelite nun and who passed away in 2005 at the age of 97, is also buried here.

In the other side of the church lies Francisco's tomb. Francisco died in 1919, also due to Spanish flu, at the age of 10 and was also beatified in 2000.

Because of many visitors, they had to build another gigantic basilica called Igreja da Santissima Trindade (Holy Trinity Church), done in a neoclassical style, on the far side of the esplanade. It is one of the largest churches of the world built in the 2000's. We were fortunate to be able to attend mass there during our visit. Below, you will see some of the doors. There are 12 side doors, one for each of Christ's Apostles and one central door, Christ's door.

This is one side of the church.

And this is inside. It has a sitting capacity for 9000 people.This is the house of Lucia. In 1993, the first time we visited Fatima, I met her brother in this same house.

This is the bedroom that Lucia shared with her sister. The house is very modest, very small with very low ceilings.

Shown in the picture is Pope John Paul II with Sister Lucia.

This is the olive grove where an angel who presented himself as the Guardian Angel of Portugal, appeared to the children 3 times before our Lady appeared to the children. The angel prepared them for the appearance of Our Lady of Fatima. She urged them to pray and offer prayers and sacrifices to the Most High. On his third visit, he gave them Communion and presented the proper way to receive it.

I hope you enjoyed our tour for today. I really enjoyed going there and I was so happy that AJ experienced it. It is such a good feeling to be in the same place where the apparitions happened. Thank you all for your visit!