2026 in Andalucía started with some very extreme weather conditions, with storms and flooding, and very strong winds.

When I was in England, I used to host many dinner parties. Cooking and baking were a joy for me and, in later years, a happy release from my day job, being a self-employed tax consultant.

This was the third Christmas that we had spent away from our home, the first being in Majorca and last year in Seville. This year we were travelling to Granada, leaving home on the morning of Monday 22nd and returning on Saturday 27th, spending five nights away.

I was so hoping to say that our kitchen was finished. However, that is not to be, yet. After many visits to the showroom, and lots of WhatsApp messages, Manuel finally came yesterday for the final measure before installation sometime next week. I promise as soon as it is installed, I shall share a photo of the finished kitchen. John and I first selected our worktop in May of this year. We had a provisional installation date for after when we returned from our summer holiday in July but, that did not happen. Then there was August when all businesses close for the month. So, I hear you say, what happened in September and October? Well, in September we went to the showroom and Juana, the lady who worked in the showroom, explained to us how Manuel was buying a new larger cutting machine, and employing another worker to use the old machine, so that he could finally catch up a bit, and (his words) better serve his customers. So, towards the end of October, we visited the showroom again, and Juana told us she would talk to Manuel when he returned. Each time I went to the showroom, I would stroke the granite that we had chosen, I cannot wait to see it installed. Unfortunately, the date that Juana gave us for Manuel to come and take final measurements went without any sight of him! So, Wednesday we went to the showroom, yet again. On walking in Juana said that we had come at a good time, as we could talk to Manuel himself, who was in the back in the machine room. Reluctantly he came over, no apologies for not turning up before but, he promised he would be there the next afternoon, and he was. Now I am waiting for the two-day notice of installation, next week please!!

After we married in 2021, since the first anniversary we have gone away for a weekend around the 8th of April, to celebrate our wedding anniversary and my birthday. The first year we went to Aguadulce, the next we missed as I was waiting for an operation, then in 2024 we went to Murcia city, which was a lovely break. This year we had started the kitchen renovation in March, and it did not make sense to stop for a weekend, as really that was the only time that John had to work on the kitchen, so we delayed it.

Well, we are finally here, the day of publication of book 3 in the Morgan Morales Murder Mystery Series - Deadlier than the Male.

It had been three years since my daughter Sarah and her children visited in 2022, on that occasion for the Wedding Celebration, and with Eva my eldest grandchild too.

Firstly, let´s just talk about the subtitle of my books, the Morgan Morales Murder Mystery Series. Breaking that down we know that Morgan and Morales are the two detectives that appear in each book of the series and that we already have the first two books, so it is confirmed it is a series.

I have heard that the UK has had some rather good weather this summer, although not consistent blue sky and sunshine like we get in Spain. Though our summer has been a bit strange, more cloud than normal and some bouts of rain. Recently we had a thunderstorm where the rain was lashing down, and the thunder was really loud. However, we did not have it as badly as Caravaca and Murcia, which are to the north of us, they had severe rainfall and flooding. Perhaps global warming is affecting our weather.

Our pet and house sitter Joan arrived on Thursday 4th July to give her time to get to know Luca's routine and to find how everything works in the house. John arrived home from work at about 10pm, and we three sat outside on the back patio with a bottle of wine and chatted until it was time for bed.

As I sit here writing this blog, we are just three days away from our holiday.

When I sat down to write this blog I could not think of one theme to base it on, so I decided to tell you about what is going on in my life this month.