Gifts

We all love to receive and these last few weeks I received many gifts. This makes me very happy as you can imagine. 

It started with a visit to Sra. Maria da Gloria. She used to live about an hour walk outside town, past the dam,  in the loveliest place. Now she spends half her days in town, a recent move which leaves her extremely sad. After visiting her I now understand why. She offered me a "refresco" of honey in water. The honey she said was still her father´s. Very old honey, and very tasty. I am now addicted to honey water. Before we left to make our way back to town Sra. Maria da Gloria turned to me and asked me if I wanted a stool. To my surprise she presented me with the most wonderful cork stool. She made it for me, with cork from trees she has on her property, and finished it with an old vinyl floor covering she cut to size. The vinyl makes it cheery. Even though it is probably not the best combination with the cork in terms of warmth, I love it.

Then I received a swift. I now no longer need to dance around two chairs or ask for help with the job of  taking wool skeins and turning them into balls to use as I please.

Then Sra. Lizete told me she had a bag of fabrics for me. They are lovely and so happy and some are quite old already. I have to think of a little project for them. The fabric that made the happiest is the one pictured with the donkey and squirrel, what a wonderful combination.

And today I received these blocks of soap, also made by a lady in town, Sra. Fátima. She makes them from olive oil and other things I cannot remember. She says it lasts forever.

Other gifts were received that are not pictured. Of note is a can of tuna, a very random gift, from the man at the fabric shop in Sabugal. And Cherries from a lady from Massarelas, who is also attending the weaving workshop in Maçainhas. The cherries were the brightest red and far too delicious and when I remembered to take a photo, it was too late, they were all in  my belly.