Mi casa

We did it!  After two years, we've finally done it: we've hung up our house number!  Yes, amazon.com-package-wielding delivery men from all across La Mancha are rejoicing because that crazy American lady with that loco name has finally put a number on her house (although I do have to laugh - they now know me so well that I probably don't even need a house number anymore!).

Isn't it pretty?  We haven't hung up the wrought-iron lantern above it yet (the wall still hasn't been wired), but you get the idea.  During the winter, I planted wild mountain thyme and lavender (sounds like a Rosamunde Pilcher novel) in front, which will slowly fill in.  Best part is that they don't need watering because they're native.  And when I say native, I mean dug up from my backyard!

As you can see, things are slowly getting done... poquito a poco.

Now it's time to give credit where credit is due: if you are looking for a handmade tile house number, this one is from Cerámica Verónica (house number tiles), located in Cádiz.

And now that the wall is done, it looks like at least someone likes it!

 

Podarcis hispanica

Welcome, 2013!

Wow, 2013 already.  This is the year my eldest son becomes a teenager (and will most likely pass me in height!).  Lots of Spaniards are nervous about the new year because it started on Tuesday, and Tuesday and the number 13 in Spain is like Friday the 13th in the U.S.  And given our economic situation, I dare say that yes, we should be nervous.

 

2012 is over, but we will remember it as our first year living in our new home.  Unfortunately, I feel that we didn't get all that much done (or, at least, not all that I had hoped).  This was mainly determined by budget constraints, but, hey, what isn't?

 

Outdoors, our main project completed this year was the front wall and gates.  Yes, I finally bowed to Spanish tradition and we raised a wall high enough so only the tallest of NBA players could take a peek over it.  For some reason, here there is a big fear of people peeking in your yards and/or homes.  Must be because there is always someone trying to do it!

 

Here are the results:

Front door

Front gate

Front wall

 

The wall was built by our friend, Pedro, to my specifications (poor guy).  The stones for the wall were brought in by Pedro and his backhoe from another empty house lot where they had been dumped.   The little stone path to the door was made by my father-in-law, who used the smaller stones that Pedro had discarded.  My DH and I have found smaller river rocks on another vacant house lot that we are (slowly) filling in the front with. 

 

      All in all, I'd say it looks pretty good...

....until you open the door and ACH!  You see this:       





 

 

Front yard

 

Front yard (taken from porch) 

  

 



Ditches, electrical cables, discarded fencing, sand piles and buckets, OH! and let's not forget the weeds and my dead oak tree (wimper, sob).  So, you see, an 8-foot wall is a good thing.

 

Obviously, this yard represents my project for 2013, and I've made a New Year's resolution to work at least 15 min per day in this space.  I hope that one day these photos will be "before" photos and that the "after" photos will be a huge improvement! 

 

 

So, what's your New Year's resolution for 2013?