The Most Beautiful Words

Henry James the American writer
said the most beautiful words in
the English language were "summer afternoon".

Being British, I know that the reality of summer afternoons
are sometimes few and far between

That's why my least favourite word is "umbrella!" ;-)

However, when a summer afternoon does arrive, it really
DOES feel like the most beautiful words in the English language.

I couldn't resist this!

What is your favourite word in the English language, and why?

All images from Pinterest

March Means.................

March is definitely one of my favorite months for many reasons;

.........it epitomizes the beginning of Spring for me

........of knowing that the feel of sunlight on my skin is not far away

....... the sight of the morning dew instead of frost

........everyone seems to have removed their Winter veils

and are smiling for no reason(unless you are Victoria Beckham ;-)

.........buds are breaking out of their naked branches

........some of my fav flowers are starting to

shove their shiny snouts through the bare earth

.......the realization that my grey roots can no longer be hidden

under customary winter hats!

.......the smell of freshly laundered sheets that were

left to blow in the breeze

........seeing gorgeous pastel colors in the shops and knowing that

the slow banishment of black from my wardrobe must now begin

......my basket of sunglasses taking residence on my hall

stand so that I can grab any pair as I dash out of the door

.........the realization that the feel of sand between my toes is not

far away (maybe 1 more month if you live in Spain)

.......time to start thinking of summer accessories after

months of scarfs and hats

http://bit.ly/yrzSbM

........new tastes to tantalize the taste-buds after months

of having an excuse for eating comfort foods ;-)

........the amazement that the beginning of Spring is always better

than you expect

.........finally, it's the month when I was born. So it's

always a month of reminiscing, new objectives and

appreciation for another wonderful year on this planet

What's your favorite thing about the beginning of Spring/March?

We're a Little Late for the Party!

I know for my American friends and family, summer holidays will be starting to wind down shortly. But here in the Med, the 1st August officially marked the start of the holiday season. Most big cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Seville (where I am) are now like ghost-towns.

When you bid clients and friends farewell in July, they always say "see you next year". For Spanish, the "new year" begins in September;a time when new objectives/goals are set, new diets started etc.

So what does summer mean for this expat?
Heading to the most secluded beach we can find (Hubs and I have found some real gems since living here), away from the madding crowd.


It's time for some real rest and recuperation; catching up on my reading list, setting objectives for Autumn and Winter, which in turn produces lists! And generally trying to just enjoy the silence, broken only by the breaking waves


Summer means more fruit and liquid! Does it matter if the liquid is alcohol? I make a lethal sangria that usually puts everyone into an after-lunch coma!


Summer means casual attire. I don't actually own a pair of flip-flops, but you get the idea.Flip-flops are really popular in the US, but not so much in Europe.What's your "must-own" item for summer?


Summer certainly means not participating in anything that takes too much brain power or physical strength. It really is my time to be lazy, altho' I'm not great at being able to switch-off, and it usually takes me a long time.

So what does/did this summer mean for you? Any new objectives? Perhaps you don't even like summer and prefer the cosiness of Winter. I must admit, by the time September arrives, I really have had enough of the heat, dried hair that is starting to resemble crispy seaweed! I start to look forward to seeing rain, watching an electric thunderstorm from the warmth of my home, and feeling the fresh wind against my face. What about you? Are you a beach babe or more of a little tortoise that is just waiting to go into hibernation?

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