Little friends

Happy Friday

Call it karma, call it fate, call it having been coughed on many many times by the children over the last few weeks (the best is when you are zipping up a coat and get it full blast in the face). Am down with the flu, destructo at my side (who has just informed me she has washed her hands in the toilet )if I understood her mumbling rambling correctly.. lucky for me she woke up with a double dose of energy this morning.

Can't wait for nap time.

Busy adding rocks to the artichokes... (not exactly in the mood to cook them today).
Spotted by the Mr.
for those that may need a little something to make them smile today, or this.

At times

I so wish I had a wood shop at my disposal..... would certainly be attempting to make these blocks myself as the price is just a bit steep. But how fun would they be to play with!!??
* my father for a good part of my life was a woodworker and so in addition to wanting to do some building myself with wood I do have a real soft spot for the smell of saw dust.

My kind of store

Still plan one of these days to take some photos of the creative names you find on the front of beauticians and hair salons here- and there are many (perhaps as many as churches per village).

This post is some weeks overdue and I apologise.
 I was given 3 blog awards in the second week of December.

Am flattered and want to thank those who have given me the awards,

Zen, fellow Maltese blogger with a great deal of local history and knowledge of the Maltese islands. Angela from Reflections in Canada with a Maltese twist.

and Les Voyagers the lovely illustration blog of Maia Larkin.

To keep up the good will and gratitude I would like to pass on an award to these three blogs:

Caremel carmelo - for her calming, peaceful and beautiful blog
Return to bohemia for her wit and humour, am almost always moved to laughter or inspiration.
 Dim sum, bagels and crawfish a fellow gypsy mom in the Mediterranean, lovely photos and great links.

Because the Honest scrap award has been making the rounds,  those receiving this award from me please feel free to write or not write ten honest truths about yourself but please do choose at least 3 blogs you like that you would like to pass on the Honest scrap award to.

Past the artichoke fields

Our Sunday stroll today was through a valley known as Pwales, and the meandering little path started out by winding around a field of blooming artichokes,  'qaqocc' in Maltese. Guess the season is upon us here, have never before seen them growing in a field. Will have to start searching for good recipes.

The path wove past fennel as tall as I am, a small bamboo forest, twisted carob trees and a few old abandoned houses (tempted to move in, how could you resist with a front door looking out on a green valley and a path to groves of cedar forests five min walk away).