Weekend

After having sang happy birthday to mother and grand-mother, we went to look for moss to the presepe. It was an intensive weekend. Nieces and sis are not overcoming the panic caused by the tornado. We spent the best of the time all together in order to give some help with it. At least A., who was not eating almost anything (and she's a "packer" - goes out to aunt!), more relaxed with all together at home, ate like a starveling. Great!

Their catechist said that it would be nicer to lay baby Jesus down on his bed only on the evening of 24. And I thought that it was a good idea. It would be nice to live in the expectation of the arrival of the Savior. But nobody cared. And we left baby Jesus on his bed as is he was.


My little son wanted to do the presepe so much but after all it was I. who was committed with this task. That was really good. Between laughter, stumbles, chats and food, we spent one more supporting family weekend.

Chapel

It seems to be a simple ruined house, seen from the distance. But when we're near it assumes a religious air. And the name of the street leaves no doubt: Chapel Street. The only building in this street. I don't know how long it's been here, but this was a chapel. A beautiful one.
I took these photos last week on that cold day when the water seemed so smoky. On the way back to Ourem I always used to look to these ruins. I decided to stop and touch them on that day. I didn't resist.
I felt so good. It was cold but I was wearing a comfortable coat. I just wanted to spin with open arms and shout: yay!!!!!

Softer

Now that the tornado seems to has gone after having destroyed much in my town, I feel more relaxed to show some of our Christmas decorations here.

It was so good having my child jumping around me, giving his opinion and giving solutions to this and that.

Every year I have the same purpose: decorating Christmas tree in a different way, in a modern way, with a simple but showy decoration.

But I soon quit.

I cant't resist to my old balls, ribbons and lights. This yellow ball for example, exists since my first Christmas tree. It has resisted to all these years, more than 30. I still can smell it...

By that time Christmas tree was a real pine tree that my mother and I cut together, before the night came for nobody notice us. Otherwise someone might think that we were stealing pine trees. And we returned home to fullfill it with the odor of the pine. It was fascinating to seat on the floor and staying looking to the flashing lights. How wonderful...

My mother always used to make the presepe. These were the main figures. Joseph is all glued thanks to a cat that I had that loved to play with broken pieces. We did the presepe this year too. It was not my intention. I just planned to put the main figures and the hut and cover it with moss. But I couldn't resist to my little son's appeals and we started unwrapping the pieces that were in the bottom of the box, some of them with a very old wrapping paper... Even without the moss we could "build" a village. Now we have to wait until they open our forest, which became destroyed by the tornado, to make a better composition and give it more realism. Now I am the mother doing the presepe. Now it's me who have a son around, fascinated and vibrant with all that has to do with Christmas. It is so beautiful... Each passing year is better.

I saw it

We had a turbulent day today, here in Tomar. It was scary. I'd never seen a tornado before, only on television and it was worrying to see how much damage it caused and it was only a small one! It made a loud noise, the leaves flew in the air and got into our houses, the pigeons flew uncontrolled with the rolling wind, we could hear the people screaming, and it was scary to hear the ambulances all around. Traffic was chaotic. Everything was chaotic. As we were deprived of electric energy, we couldn't listen to the news anywhere and felt lost in these happenings. I just felt more relaxed when I picked my son up at the kindergarten and saw that everyone was ok. The weather forecast is not very optimistic with the coming weather but we hope that it won't happen another tornado.

Correction: due to the lack of means of communciation, I didn't know that my nieces were in the attic of a building when the tornado passed by. Beyond the panic, only one of them was hit by shrapnel in the leg and had to go to the hospital. Poor girls. But they're ok now.

Olive oil mill

Today was the day to go to the mill and bring some olive oil. That one with color, smell, texture and taste like the real olive oil. Oh my God...



It was really good to smell that perfume in the air and see that golden color gushing into the bottles. My little son was so excited. He wanted to see everything, to know how everything worked, he loved to watch the machines working and asked tons of questions. And he was keen to help us with the bottles. He was so happy to see something new and good. It was really good.

Old year, new cup

Rainy day. Day to decorate the house for Christmas and to worry about my little son's fever. But he's been brave, since he wanted to participate in everything and even helped with his opinions. Great son.
Pause. I'm always breaking dishes, so we often put new dishes on the table. Now that we're almost in the end of the year, it is time to go to the bottom of the trunk and search for the old coffee cups. They have so maaany years. I'm not sure but I think that they've been kept for almost 30 years! I'm becoming old, ain't I? But I liked them. They are old but new to our eyes. Perfect to taste a deserved moment of pause... Until my little son calls again, of course.

Cold

Taken from my window in the morning. I preferred that the white grass was snow, but one has what can be... Cold, very cold.