My birthday

On the 22 October it was one of my girl's birthday, as I posted before, and on the 24 was mine.

I wanted to post here a picture of the cake and all but I couldn't find a way of transfering the pictues to my computer because I have a new camera!

Yes, my husband gave me as one of the presents. The other one is perfectly good but he wanted to give me one more advanced. The problem is I was so used to the other one that now I don't know, yet, to do some things as putting all the photos in the computer.

Never mind. I will show you the ones taken with the old one.

That's hubby's hand here.

I don't dare to show my face. When I see me in the mirror, I don't dislike it and accept very well the signs of the time but when somebody takes a picture of me it's so depressing. I was looking at some my husband took and I couldn't stop thinking to myself: who is this old woman? And I felt a bit sorry for my husband who married a pretty girl and now have this fat and old thing.

Well, I must say to myself that the image in the mirror is the true one, not the ones in the pictures.

Don't think now that I have a low self estime. I quite like me , with all my good and bed things - in my own opinion, more good than bed. It's just I have a very bad relationship with the camera when it comes to my face. I think I'm never well enough.

Sorry about this, I just needed to talk. Maybe someone who reads my blog can feel the same and understand.

Now, here they are some presents I had, given by my mother: a rose plant, a nightie ( it's so pretty, isn't it?)

a big birthay cake, my favorite, here still inside the box, and a Christmas towel.

My mother knows how I'm crazy for Christmas.

15 !

In my house ther is always someone's birthday.
Now it was the time of girl nº 2. She is 15 years old.

Slow Autumn

Here, in this corner of the world, the Autumn is coming slowly. We have flowers everywhere

as it was spring or summer

but we can see the fallen leaves everywhere.

The temperature has been quite high. Now is going a bit better and pleasent.
We were dreaming with the rain and it came.

Now, in this moment, we are having strong clouds and a bit of sun. Yesterday it rained so much that today we are waiting for more.
Most people dont'l like the rain but I like it so much.
So, I'm happy in this departement.

For Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer.

21 years

Today is our aniversary.
Thanks be to God.

Solo Dios basta

As I am in a music mood, this one from Taizé and with words of St. Teresa de Ávila.
It gives me always a sense of peace.
Praise the Lord.

And what about this one?

Are you dreaming already about Christmas as I am?

Erik Satie

I have a passion for this music.

It's so autumnal, almost mystic. Gives me a sence of peace and well being. At the same time makes me feel alive.

For you all.

Have a good weekend.

Arriving autumn

Here we are now feeling the Autumn arriving and, if it's not as obvious as in other countries more at the North, even so we can see the sins.

For instance, this tree of diospiros at Monserrate.

First of all, I must say that, translating on google, the answer for diospiros was kakis. I don't know if it's true. I must ask my husband.



Anyway, previous saturday, we went to the garden of Monserrate - more pictures in my blog Sintra, Glorious Eden - and again, this saturday we went there.

First most leaves of that tree were green, now most of them are brown.

Amazing how they changed in a week.

It's time to be cozy in the sofa with a throw - ah, I like that - and eat apple pie, which my husband already made.

I quite prefer the apple crumble and I'm planning to make it soon.

That amazing how, in all the blogosphere, people are feeling the same need of baking.

More news about it soon.

Almost there

I'm still quite computerless. Almost there.
Maybe in a day or two everything will be allright.

She rises when is still night

Today I woke up at 5.30 AM. Also my big girl.

It was not like this image yet. It was a deep and dark night with a sky ful of stars.

The reason for that is that today was first day of school for her, first day at university.

Here, parents don't dump their children at the university in the first day and leave them alone and forgoten until next holidays. People go to classes everyday in the morning and come back at the end of the day to their homes.

So, I took her to the train station at 6 A.M. and at 7.40 she was calling me to say she was already at the university. She only begins classes at 8 but went early because it was first day.

Happily, mondays are the only days she has to go so early, usualy she will begin at 10.

I remember when it was me, I would arrange my schedule in a fashion I could stay there for the less time I could and come back home quickly.

I always prefered home and family to outside and strangers.

Sintra, Glorious Garden

I'm still with computer problems but I couldn't wait to announce you that i have a new blog on Sintra, my town.
I'm able to post there because I'm still posting pictures from the archives, aka Flickr.
So, I'm doing it from one of my girls computers.
I joined City Daily Photo and it's a pleasure to see other people's towns.
My blog list there has a lot of british blogs. The reason is I found City Daily Blog one day I was looking for pictures of England because I was home sick. Now I have a lot of blogs bookmarked.
If someone likes the idea and decides to make a photo blog of her town, pleeease, make me know.
Mine it's called Sintra, Glorious Eden and it was Lord Byron that called it like that.
I think the blog it's rather nice and i'm veryy happy with it, the problem is it's not very known.
Go there and see for yourselves.

Silly computer

I'm having computer problems. I'll be away for some days.

Guimarães

Guimarães is one of the most important cities in Portugal, historicaly speaking.
This man is the Founder of our Nation. It's called D. Afonso Henriques and was our first King. Guimarães was his birth place and is also the birth place of Portugal.

Here is the Church where he was baptized.

This people you can see here are my girls and husband.

The Castle.

Look at the views from the Castle.

And the streets are so beautiful!

For Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreaner.

Hotel Paris

There is an hotel in Oporto called Hotel Paris that exists since the XIX century. It's delightful. I was there twice, each time for several days.

It's always full because everybody likes it, it's so picturesque.

Last time I went there its was full of people, even a couple from New Zealand.

The Entrance.

The way to the Breakfast Room.

This is the Breakfast Room.

It's full of corridors. Our room where here, one in front of the other. In the botton, a window with a view to the town - also our room had big windows with beautiful views.

The bedrooms and all the hotel have antique furniture.

Delightful!
More pictures here.

Assumption of Our Lady

In this day of August, 15, we celebrate the feastivity of the Assumption of Our Lady to Heaven.
It's such an important feast that today we don't work.

We went already to Mass, as it should be.

So, for Our Lady, all these roses.

For Pink Saturday at How Sweet The Sound.