natjtan I hope you’re having a great weekend! If you’re like me, counting down the days until covid-19 lockdown restrictions end or more than anything ease up, so we can be released from our homes even if it’s to exercise only.
Sea sunrise colours this week
I thought again this week’s Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have caught my eye or made me smile this week would be short and sweet. However once I start, it’s like thinking what you’re grateful for or counting blessings. The list’s always larger than you think.
Less Traffic Noise
Mountain mist one morning this week
Two weeks ago Spain imposed further lockdown rules of only essential workers allowed to work helping kick start flattening the curve. I’m sure many of you know in Europe after Italy, Spain is the worst hit for covid-19 virus. Traffic in the 2 weeks leading up, was reduced as those who could work from basically had to work from home, or if in retail, hospitality etc stay at home as gyms, clothes shops, restaurants closed, has been like Christmas day. Weekend traffic’s quieter than Christmas day. From Monday the non essential workers such as construction, factory workers return to work. Everybody else stays at home as Spain starts to get back to a new normal. We’re still under lockdown! The two constructions sites nearby will be back to work and they’re noisy. I’m going to miss the less traffic, zero construction noise and better air from these past 2 weeks.
Sunrise this week
If I can I’ve been getting up early having breakfast on the balcony before my neighbours get up to soak up the quiet. Try, sometimes I’m still zzz.
Hearing Birds
Photos taken before lockdown
I’ve always been able to hear some birds above the traffic dim like magpies and parakeets but only if they flew at a certain heigh or a lull in the traffic. I’ve been hearing birds in the mornings during Christmas morning rush hour traffic and at the weekends song birds. It makes me so happy to hear them!
I’ve noticed too, seagulls are flying lower and a few song birds flying higher. Most seen birds are seagulls, magpies, pigeons, parakeets with the occasion wagtail, swifts or swallows and kestrel.
Toucan Plant Plant Decoration
You never know what you’re going to find in Alcampo (Auchan in France) supermarket. While most departments are blocked off, some outdoor lights, bbq coal and garden decorations weren’t this week. I’ve noticed I’m walking food down isles I usually wouldn’t venture down as it’s my only outing twice a week bar the bakers. I saw the toucan, it went in the basket to join the other animal plant decorations already on the balcony. From where else but Alcampo a few years back.
I’m not good with plants!
Operation Hamster Cheeks (OHC) without the processed stuff that can harm collagen production because I need all the collagen for non saggy cheek skin I can get! Snacks help with OHC. You never heard me say it, tired of reaching for bread and peanut butter I made a batch of energy bars. I loosely followed a Tone It Up recipe from their 2019 Summer Series doubling the batch adding oats instead of protein power, cocoa powder instead of cocoa nibs, agave syrup instead of brown rice syrup, peanut butter instead of almond butter. I added in addition to almonds, coconut flakes and goji berries, raisins, chia seeds and a little salt. Threw everything in the mixer, flattened the mix onto greaseproof paper in a baking tray, left to cool/set in the fridge. Perfect fridge raiding snack
They were so quick and easy to make, this lazy girl’s going to make more of them as she likes raiding the fridge for snacks.
Balcony Office
I know the chair needs fixing. I’m hoping when new normal returns I can get it fixed. It’s an original Lloyd Loom from back in the day got cheap from a car boot sale. I have 2, both car boot bargains that have lived as far as I know 3 countries now.
About 30 minutes a day on a sunny day before the sun moves on I take my blogging or snack time reading to the balcony. Now it’s warming up, this is my outside as much as possible. I can’t edit photos due to light, but I can write and read.
No excuses for the bad photo. I forgot to photo it pretty for here
I’ve been liking this scrub as it does leave my skin feeling cleaner. Some coffee scrubs are okay, TMI when I do the nail test: run my nails along my arm for example in the shower after exfoliating to see if it works, they don’t come up clean. I said TMI! This one passes the test and leaves my skin moisturised afterwards. I notice the difference applying body lotion after. All Aussie native ingredients too. Sometimes coffee scrubs can be hit or miss with sugar scrubs being more hit. This is a combo of both giving me ideas (sugar for brightening effect) for when I experiment with my own scrubs. It has a nice scent thanks to lime caviar extract and lemon peel oil with a little going a long way.
Does anyone else find when you start exfoliating other body parts are like Me, Me Me next?
Internet finds
Ffs OMG Vids. Twitter. Funny clips guaranteed to make ya laugh!
Anonymous neighbors and rooftop views: Three photographers’ dispatches from isolation. The Washington Post via Apple News. Playing nosy neighbour 🙂
An Extraordinary feat pulled off by a lizard could suggest the species is going through a rare evolutionary transition. CNN via Apple News
Turkish government feeds hundred and thousands of stray animals. Independent via Apple News. Happy news!
Treacle finally Home, Sweet Home, after 300 days at rescue shelter. Katzenworld via Apple News. Only realised editing this is non other than Katzenworld I started following years ago on WordPress reader! Congratulations to Treacle and to Katzenworld featuring on Apple News!
Antarctic seal photo wins top price. BBC News. New wildlife photography competition by drone.
How to create a space cleaning jar in your home. Crystal Muse. I swear this works! I’ve been doing this for just over week, changing the rooms daily. I’m sure the energy has been more upbeat, go get ’em!
What’s been making you smile or caught your eye this week? Please share in the comments below and have a great weekend ahead!
The quiet here is nice, too. I live in the suburbs where it’s usually quiet, but it’s even quieter now. We have a lot of idiots out in their cars – they refuse to stay home so they go for a drive. We are not on a mandated lockdown. We were sent home to work remotely, but our state’s governor refused to impose a statewide lockdown. We were strongly advised to stay home. I wish he had just done the lockdown. I hope you stay safe and well.
Happy you’re okay!
I think it depends on the amount of police the state has to enforce a mandatory lockdown. Here they’ve set up roadblocks at tolls, random road blocks and I think what has worked is there are fines in place caught out. They even at times stop pedestrians. I have to sign a form on saying why I’m out going to the supermarket. But I think the form is just in the Catalunya region.
Playing devil’s advocate, I can understand why people are going out for a drive. To escape the house, get away from people in the house etc. As long as they stay in the cars it’s okay right? And filling up gas they wear gloves. I laugh that I read people complain too many people are out when the complainer is out too! I’m not sure what’s going to happen here when they ease the restrictions. If we’re allowed out to exercise, everybody will be outside! 4.5 weeks in lockdown with another 1.5 to go and possibly another 2 on top. I’m hoping the last 2 the government eases up restrictions if anything for our mental health.
Stay safe and well too!