The year is almost over, and the New Year’s resolutions made in January this year are due to be completed in a month. How many of them have you already achieved? All or most of them I hope!

They say that our children are our legacy, and in many ways it is true. There is surely a little of us in each of our children and grandchildren.

Halloween, like many other notable annual dates, originated from a pagan festival. However, I don’t remember much about Halloween from my childhood, it was the USA influence that brought children going from house-to-house trick or treating, and people dressing up in ghostly apparel. More latterly Halloween has been a good excuse for a party in the UK.

People often ask me about the way I write, and sometimes they are talking about whether I have a regular routine, sitting down at my desk for so many hours per day etc.

Ever village, town and city has a fiesta, or two or more.

Summer, the season of the year to enjoy the sun and the beach, but for those of us who live near the beach, it is also a good time to discover magical places inland and this year, we decided to return to a very special place, and also to discover new places. 

Once I had decided to buy a house in Spain it was time to fly over, meet the estate agent and view some properties. The full story is told in my book “A Tale of Two Villages”, but today I wish to tell you about a wonderful experience I had on that first trip.

July in Spain, what image does that usually conjure up? Sun, sand and sea? Yes, indeed it is a time for holidays. However, for people living in Spain it can be a time for air conditioning, cool drinks and dips in the pool.

I remember the day that I became a grandmother very distinctly. My daughter was about to have her first baby and the father suddenly got cold feet about being there with her, so very quickly I was gowned up and entered the delivery room. Sitting at the head of my daughter holding her hand, I witnessed the birth of my first beautiful grandchild, Eva.

In this blog I will tell you a little more about myself and a part of my life that has been quite an experience. For all those who have moved from their home countries, you will know that it is a great experience, full of learning and anecdotes to tell, that is why I decided to write it in my book "A tale of two villages".

Families, we all have them, and the dynamics of each individual and their family changes throughout their lifetime. The roles  of mother and father are paramount, and I spoke about my father in my March blog well, as it is Mothers Day here in Spain on the 1st May, I thought I could talk a little about her.

Through time, and living experiences, both positive and not so positive, we learn from them, and most important, we learn to get up after falling. Some of us don't learn at first, others do, but what’s really important, and we should all try, is to become more empathic, the world needs it today more than ever.