Sunday 27 December 2015

Christmas plain and simple

Our Christmas expectations were not high, particularly when Mr FF returned from his Santa drop and took to his bed with similar symptoms to mine. However against the odds we had a wonderful Christmas that involved no fuss, no over eating just quiet, calm and lovely lovely presents.  It might be that I was at a low ebb and feeling emotional but my gifts really touched me, I was amazed that people know me so well, for example this little wooden placque.  I am not a fan of those bossy signs telling you what to do, but this I like
A great selection of books, I had already considered turning Danish anyway, and the Guest Cat sounds just up my street.  Love stories to read in the sunshine, delightful.

Candles and creams, a pretty toilet bag and gorgeous marble soap

Charming bird accoutrements to take out to Italy, I have decided that it would be a good idea to encourage the birds into our garden where they are safe from the horrible hunters on the hillside and might help keep down the mosquitoes. 

Once again Mr FF managed to blow the £5 budget with books, a dvd to watch some time in Italy, a book mark
an interesting knitting book and some chocolate coins

And finally this shopping bag from our local supermarket that makes me smile every time I see it
We both decided on Christmas morning that we had no appetite for the steak we planned, a rake round the freezer produced some fish cakes and they were enough.    No pudding or cake, a glass of prosecco and that was our meal. Fish cakes could be the festive way forward they certainly worked this year, Christmas was easy, simple and happy.
Enjoy the rest of the holiday.

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Feeling poorly

You know I'm not at my best at this time of year but now I seem to have gone down with some horrible virus.  Started on Sunday with a sore throat and runny nose followed by a day of banging headache and vomiting.  I couldn't even keep a pain killer down let alone water, in 40 hours I ate only one dry cream cracker. Now I have a terrible cough and still no appetite but whilst feeling wretched I am counting this as pre-festive detox, I can drink nothing but water and Lucozade.  A neighbour told Mr FF that what I have is known as the 100 day bug because that's how long it will take for me to get well, so cheery.
Instead of an overnight at my brothers and the merry exchange of gifts with family and friends, I am either curled up in bed or on the sofa under a blanket. Mr FF dashed of at first light this morning to complete the Christmas duties, just as well I wrapped the presents early. 
No idea what we are going to eat on Christmas day, no idea if I shall want to eat anything beyond a jacket potato.  I am wondering if this is some kind of punishment for being so bah humbug over the years.
So I hope you are all well and that you have a lovely lovely Christmas, me I am trying to be positive and concentrating on my recent weight loss.  Maybe here is a Santa after all.

Thursday 17 December 2015

Different Decs

Our communal decorations in the hall are quite traditional and as everything is artificial they are the same as last year if slightly differently arranged, very large tree with tasteful candles and swags.   This is how I see them from the penthouse and very lovely they are, I didn't go down to take more photographs as I showed you plenty last year.
Inside the penthouse we have taken a new and interesting route.  We bought a very modern lit tree that obviously doesn't need any decoration, apart of course from our tin birds.  Don't ask me what they have to do with Christmas, they normally stand where we put the tree so we left them.
                         
We did think about having the tree in the lounge but it was a bit distracting so it is at the very end of the hall and we see it when we come in and when we move between rooms.
                   


And since we don't have a tree that requires decoration, I've hung my very favourite bits and pieces, my golden goose, the wooden armadillo, the fish and some stars from the beam in the lounge.

I could pretend that this pretty lantern is part of the decoration too, it always sits beside the fire but I did thrown in some silver beads for extra effect.
Next week I shall add some greenery to the apartment, hopefully collected from my brother's garden when we go over to exchange presents. And that will be quite enough festiveness for me, you'll be expecting me to sing along with the Christmas songs in the shops next.

Friday 11 December 2015

Better to give

I really really like these socks, they are Ann Budd's Mock Wave Cable from Favourite Socks by Interweave.  Pleasingly I knitted them in the same colour as they are shown in the book using Cygnet wool rich 4 ply that I believe was on offer a while back from the lovely Kemps Wool shop in Sunderland.  The top photograph is true to colour, a sort of lilac, but I kept the others to show you the pattern detail, it's rather dark in the penthouse at this time of year.
Whilst I was knitting them, in Italy, I wasn't totally enamoured by the results, despite my love of cable and the fact no cable needle was involved.  It wasn't until they were finished and I tried them on that I was smitten.


However, tis the season and I have wrapped them up to give as a present, how good am I.  Not that altruistic, I still have enough yarn to knit myself a pair and I shall.  
Incidentally Cygnet Wools are based in Bradford, their address is on the ball band.  However no where does it say where the yarn is actually produced.  I'd like to think it was spun just over the hill from me but somehow I doubt it, I have emailed to ask and will let you know.

Saturday 5 December 2015

You won't believe this

but nonetheless it is true.  
I have posted off all my overseas Christmas parcels, today I am going to post my overseas cards, I have wrapped all the presents apart from the ones for Mr FF, yet to be sourced, and I have the address labels printed and stamps purchased for my UK cards.
You will believe that this hasn't put me in the best frame of mind, it's that time of year that doesn't suit me.  Tomorrow the Christmas tree goes up in the hallway of our building, there is a list for volunteers to sign up to help with the decorations, it's best I stay in the apartment.

Saturday 28 November 2015

My garden

We may not have made much progress inside our Italian house this year but we made great strides in the garden.  My new border was planted up with plumbago, two bougainvillea, oleander, nasturtium and malva.   Amazing how quickly things grew in the lovely weather with the help of our irrigation system and it soon filled out.
I took various packets of seeds from the UK.  Some were not so happy, the sweet peas for example really didn't like the heat, they started to recover just before we left and might even be flowering now.  The morning glory were in their element and happily romped up the new trellis in front of the gas tank.
A 99p packet of snail vine seeds produced two plants that were greatly admired by friends and neighbours.  Having climbed several metres up to the fence on the wall behind the border, they produced these pretty flower buds

that opened up like this, so exotic.


All my pots did really well, it was a pity to leave them but I moved everything together at the back door in the hope Mario might water them if needed.  


I harvested the walnuts, invented a pasta recipe to use some of them and brought a big bag home 
A picture of the olive harvest in progress above us, our water burst was some distance above the green netting so you can imagine how difficult it all was.

Finally an autumnal view from the orchard and in case you are worried, we heard a day ago from Mario that the cats are still in residence and their food dispenser has been replenished.  


Sunday 22 November 2015

Back in Ilkley

Well that was some trip home.  We anticipated delays at border crossings though really it was only France that had taken any serious action with auto routes reduced to one lane for checks and lorries being stopped and searched. There didn't seem to be any extra security, or really apart from a look in the car boot any security at all at Zebrugge.  
We made the ferry with little time to spare, parked the car, found our cabin, complained as the bedding wasn't clean and were move a bigger 4 berth one that was much more comfortable.  We were due to depart at 7.30 pm but were told that high winds had caused a large container ship to come adrift, it was bobbing round the harbour and all available tugs had gone out to rescue it.  This wasn't a bad thing as we were able to enjoy our dinner on board before we set sail.  Mr FF went off to watch the football though spent most of his time watching the boating activity and I settled into bed with my book.  We cast off at around 12.30, into force 10 gales and waves up to 4 metres high.  I've never done an overnight on a boat before, two hours across the Channel was my previous limit, and I wasn't too sure if the ferry was supposed to bang and creak and clatter for hours on end.  We rolled around on the North Sea unable to sleep until about 4 am when things calmed down a bit and we dozed until around 8. Unfortunately we were then told that instead of docking at 8.30 am it would be more like 1.30 pm when we got to Hull. So be it, P&O Ferries looked after us well, coffee and cake for everyone mid morning and a reasonable lunch all provided free of charge. Fortunately the boat wasn't full at all, 200 passengers with a capacity of 1,000, and I met some nice ladies from Sheffield who were busy with their knitting. Sadly my wrist still prevented me taking up my needles though I have now started doing about quarter of an hour each day.
So a couple of hours driving and we were home safe and sound, a bit wobbly and dizzy after the travel.  We have been exhausted ever since, sleeping well and long but it just doesn't seem to be enough.  We may be getting a bit old for all this travel, we both turned 67 this year, and we do seem to be feeling the cold which doesn't usually bother us.  Still nothing for us to do but recover.
So let me leave you with some photos of the kitties, a week since we left them, we hope they are coping.    
Not so long after Marzia arrived in August



Just before we left, almost as big as Mum now

This is the cat apartment, we left the door locked almost closed for safety

Saturday 14 November 2015

So many goodbyes

We leave Lazio tomorrow morning and all being well should be home in Ilkley around noon on Wednesday.
We seem to have been saying goodbye for weeks, our Danish friends left the same day as our last visitors and seeing them all go was hard.  Our neighbours have gradually moved back to the city for winter, we had our last lunch with our friend Monica this week and tomorrow we leave Mario and his family for another year.
The final and hardest goodbye will be when we leave our little kitties.  Mr FF has totally refurbished the outside gas cupboard, yesterday insulating the walls and moving in the cat bed.  We bought a food dispenser that should keep them happy for about a week, plus many big bags of crunchies and later today Mario is coming for a lesson in topping up the food.   Marzia was happy to go into the little house, the door is fastened open at cat width with a catch that a dog couldn't nudge open, but Lisa was very resistant.  However we went out with a torch late last night and mother and baby were tucked in and Theo was on patrol outside, excellent.  We spoke to a local vet and he said at 3 months Marzia is far too young to be spayed and suggested 8 months which would fit in with our return next year if she is still around.
So it's a sad time and I shall be glad when we get back to the penthouse but in light of events in Paris it's nothing.  I'm proud that Mr FF and I care so much for our friends and our animals, I am appalled by the human race's inability to accept differences and live in harmony.

Tuesday 3 November 2015

One handed

Things weren't going too badly, our neighbour's grandson found our water leak when he was out playing and Mr FF has fixed it.  We had already been to the water board and after queueing an hour filled in a form for a Tecnico to come out and locate the leak.  We asked if he would have a listening device, yes he would.  Next day we received a message that he wouldn't be coming, the leak was our responsibility but they were sending someone to consider moving our meter out of the pit, which it transpired the inspector was too large to climb into, onto the roadside.  Long story short, they wanted 110 euros to move our meter 10 metres onto the roadside, we declined the offer and hope eventually they will move all the metres at their own cost.
Saturday I had a fall in the garden and seem to have badly sprained my wrist.   Luckily it is the left one but it is very disabling, swollen and still slightly painful so activities are limited and definitely no knitting.  The nights are long watching old repeats of Pointless on Challenge TV but I still have a good stock of books.  The weather is so good, up to 20 degrees, deep blue skies and autumn colours on the mountain above us, things could be worse.
Good job we got the olives picked before my accident, 182 kilos of fruit turned into 20 litres of oil.
So just a few more jobs for Mr FF, we are waiting for the weather to break, which isn't forecast for a while, trying to find out if we can have Marzia doctored before we leave, hoping the cats might start using the new shelter Mt FF has re roofed and re floored for them, at present they still prefer to be put on the terrace snuggled together as the nights get colder.
Forgive the quality of my typing, this 60 wpm touch typist is reduced to stabbing with one finger, but that's just one of the many challenges facing me at present.

Friday 9 October 2015

It goes on

Life here in Lazio goes on much the same and you probably don't want to hear much more about the sunshine, the outdoor life, home grown tomatoes, meals out etc, so let me update you about some of the more mundane aspects of being here.
We had another financial scare from the Italian authorities when we received a demand for 480 euros plus a fine of another 300 euros for unpaid community charge back in 2008.  They said they wrote to us about this in 2011 but didn't receive a reply, we never received the letter,  so they wrote again 3 years later, I'm saying nothing.  Anyway we were able to find our receipt from 2008 and we owe nothing, which makes a nice change as we seem to have forked out quite a lot in fines over the years.
We have a leak on our water supply.  For some reason the meters for the 4 houses in our road are high up on the hillside behind us and we are responsible for the pipes that run down to our houses.  We were alerted when a neighbour who lives above us called to say there was water on the road and sods law it seemed to be our pipe.  Mr FF fixed this leak by digging down at the roadside and finding the problem but our meter is running even when the supply is turned off at the house.  Finding where this second leak is seems hopeless, he could probably dig up half the mountainside, I think he may be as he goes up there most days for hours on end.  Giovanni, the neighbour who is in his 80s is kindly helping, and providing huge quantities of his delicious grapes too.
Marzia our kitten is doing amazingly well.  It soon became clear that she's wants to join the local feral pack.  Weeks ago she started to resist being fastened into the cellar overnight with Lisa,  making a big fuss, crying etc so we decided to let her sleep on the terrace.  The first night I was awake worrying and up at 4 am checking she was ok, she was on the pillow I put out tucked in between her mum Lisa and her uncle Theo.  The 3 of them are inseparable and the 2 adults put up with a lot of abuse, being attacked, jumped on, all in a good natured way.  I really didn't know what to do for the best when we leave, certainly Theo and Lisa survive the months without us and come back to the house when we do.  Even if we could find a home for Marzia I wonder if she might not be happier living outside with the others presuming we can make some arrangement for them to have shelter and  food.  I'd like to get her sterilised before we go but I think she will be too young allowing for us to be here after the operation to give her care.  Meantime she gets bigger and smarter every day and is a delight to have around, she is in great condition and has definitely had a good start in life.
The olives are turning black and though we don't have a great crop we should get some oil.  We have friends coming to visit in a couple of weeks and then it will be November, our Danish friends will have left, the nights will be dark and we shall start to think about the drive home, but not just yet.  Sunshine and tomatoes a bit longer please.

Saturday 19 September 2015

Italy, now you've made me cross

Weather continues to be wonderful so on Thursday we decided to spend the afternoon at our local outdoor pool that is part of a large sports complex.   We first visited on 25 August and signed up for membership for the rest of the year having been told the pool was always open as they have a retractable roof.  As we drove down we noticed despite the heat that the cover was on, Mr FF suggested if might be because it was a breezy day and debris from the garden could blow into the water.  It was 35 degrees when we arrived to see that not only was the pool covered but there was no furniture in the garden.  I mentioned I didn't want to sit inside the cover as we approached the entrance, fat chance there wasn't any water in the pool and no one about.   We went to the office to be informed  that the pool closed at the end of August as the summer was over, did I mention it was sweltering outside.  We were told the pool would open again in October for winter courses and when I checked the completely out of date website I saw that the summer season doesn't start again until mid June, at least it didn't in 2014 when the site was last updated.
Strange when we took membership that no one told us there was only a week of outdoor swimming left.   Even more annoying that they turn away business based on the calendar rather than the  temperature and therefore demand.  We had to give an email address when we registered so presumably they could keep members updated about opening times and extend the season and their income accordingly.  We wasted an hour travelling to and from the pool,  we had expected to pick up shopping on the way back but of course the shops stay closed till 4 and we were home by 3 feeling hot and cross.  I have sent an email to the club expressing my irritation, I have no expectations at all that I will receive a reply.

Wednesday 16 September 2015

Extending the flip flop season

I don't suppose you want to hear that despite a couple of storms we are still enjoying glorious weather, that we've been to a variety of local festas, had friends for meals, been to friends for meals, eaten lots of our own produce, rather sick of aubergines now but still loving the figs.
You probably do want to hear that Marzia, our little kitten who was named by our guests before she disappeared, is doing wonderfully well.  Our multi level garden and terrace are death traps for a little one but despite one big fall onto concrete that left her dazed but otherwise OK, Marzia is now coping with all the steps, not wandering off the end of the terrace, eating proper food, tormenting her mother Lisa dreadfully and keeping us amused but sometimes terrified by her antics.  We are making efforts to find her a good home, which isn't easy here as everyone has kittens to give away but because she is pure white with a slightly ginger tail, strong and fairly well behaved we are hopeful.  Our black feral Theo is so good with her, tolerates being jumped on while eating and never retaliates, it is delightful to have all three cats around.
So days pass quickly and I am ever conscious of the changing season,  darker and cooler nights that at least make it easier to sleep and a general autumnal feeling.  Time for the grape harvest, the outdoor pools close mid September, no doubt the beach establishment have all disappeared for another year and the bars will soon replace their displays of gelato with delicious cakes.  Who wants to swim or eat ice cream when it's only 25 degrees - well me actually but it just wouldn't do, be liking drinking cappuccino after 11.30 am.
We have family coming to stay next week until October, then we shall start thinking about the olive harvest, driving home and Marzia's future, but for now I want to continue this warm and carefree life just a little bit longer.

Tuesday 25 August 2015

Incredible

We arrived safely at the house on Friday early evening and Lisa our little cat appeared within half an hour, Theo the shy one not much later.   Lisa didn't  visit so often afterwards, we assumed because our neighbours had been feeding her and she was still getting food and attention.  This evening she came round and I put out food and milk but again she wasn't that interested.  I heard her in the garden being quite vocal and then later I spotted her in our lower garden complete with ... wait for it .... a white kitten.  Obviously when the first kitten was taken she has moved the other and kept it very safe until she felt confident enough to being it to us.  She proceeded to lead the little tot across the garden and carried it, a few steps at a time, up the 13 steps onto our terrace. She was so pleased and happy, purring and fussing the baby.  I was in the middle of preparing dinner, which I abandoned as I tried to find a safe place for them both, they are now locked in our cellar with food, water and bedding.  Lisa didn't seem that pleased to be fastened in but needs must, it was getting dark we couldn't let them stay on the terrace in case junior walked off the edge and anywhere else in the garden left them vulnerable to predators now they have broken cover.
I really hope we can keep the kitten safe, I have already suggested Mr FF start building an enclosure, he was more concerned that his dinner would be burnt, it wasn't because he started without me but at least I can sleep tonight knowing mother and baby are safe.

Saturday 15 August 2015

Things to look forward to

We return to Italy in a few days and while I don't relish the thought of the long drive I do look forward to being back in the heat, seeing our cats and how the garden has progressed.
There was sad news about Lisa, she gave birth to two kittens but they only lived for a few days.  She is a feral cat and though she did her best to find a safe place for her kittens they both disappeared, probably taken by predators.  I am assured that while she was fretting she was fine and she and Theo are now being fed by our neighbours until we return. Nature can be horrible at times I'm afraid.
Back in Ilkley we applied some time ago for Listed Building consent to replace our wooden doors onto the balcony with aluminium double glazed ones. This was granted with only one objection, probably because the doors are hardly visible at fourth floor level behind a parapet wall.  We then applied to install two new double glazed windows, one either side of the doors of the same size.  This has been agreed and so we are now going through the formality of obtaining planning permission.
Having this extra glazing into our lounge will be wonderful, the current doors are badly fitted and very shabby.  This is the view from inside as the sun went down, with twice as much glass it will be spectacular. We probably won't get the work done until next spring, imagine the dust and dirt in our lounge and the logistics of carrying out the installation on the fourth floor, but it will be so worthwhile.  We can then tidy up the steps to the balcony, get some nice new curtains and fit the balcony out for eating and sitting.
We've had some incredible sun sets this last week, almost on a par with the ones we get in Italy, sitting looking onto something like this will be a joy.  

I'm not sure when we shall be back in the UK, no doubt long dark nights with no UK telly will take their toll.   The novelty of cosy evenings in front of the wood burner may fade even with my stash of books and yarn, and our friends and neighbours will gradually close up and leave their summer homes.  Autumn isn't something I ever look forward to and I am much more conscious of the changing seasons in Italy.   Once the olives are picked we will return to the penthouse so lets hope for an early harvest.  Meantime there is the rest of the summer, we have family visitors in September and possibly October and plenty more flip flops days to come.

Monday 10 August 2015

Copenhagen in pictures

At last I can show you some of my snaps of our week in Copenhagen and hopefully impress you with this gorgeous city.  There was so much to love, the fabulous Design Museum was a good introduction to all things beautiful, 
furniture, 
toys and 
the cafe wasn't bad either.
Married for so many years to an engineer and being hosted by one too, I got a great tour of the city, taking in projects our friend had worked on including the school of architecture which is beautifully located by the water.  
We looked across to the gorgeous Opera House, 
designed by Henning Larsen, it is one of the most perfect buildings I've ever seen. 
Of course we had to see the little mermaid, even smaller than I expected but so sweet.  
Our borrowed apartment was beautiful too, lots of white and calm in a smart and quiet area with lovely local shops, cafes etc but a short walk to the station and 20 minutes to the centre. This is the leafy view from the lounge window.
We also did some out of town visits, 
Here are the grounds of Fredericksborg Castle in Hillerød where we saw an exhibition to mark Queen Margrethe's 75th birthday displaying dresses worn over her reign.  It was fascinating, fabulous outfits including her wedding dress with video clips of events where they were worn, the exhibition room was understandably full of drooling women. 
So after all that beauty and efficiency  it was a big contrast back in rural laid back Lazio and the words 'this wouldn't happen in Denmark' were spoken often. I love both places and my view of Copenhagen might be swayed slightly by the lovely sunny weather which apparently isn't the norm and our generous hosts but I shall definitely be back.  

Tuesday 4 August 2015

My cycling year

We caught a stage of the Giro d'Italia that came through the Tuscan town where we were staying but we were delighted to discover that another stage came through our own little Lazio village while we were there. We had expected to travel to see the boys and only found out that morning that we just needed to go down the hill and wait.  The riders were only a few miles from the end of a very long stage and climbing so they passed slowly and I got a great view of the pink jersey and eventually winner of the Giro, Alberto Contador, fantastic.
Before we left for Italy Mr FF had suggested that on the way home we might go into Paris to see the last day of the Tour de France, driving into Paris, the crowds etc, none of that appealed to me, but I was amenable when he said we could pick up the penultimate stage as we travelled home.  Saturday we crossed from Italy into France and headed towards a little town the Tour passed through but unfortunately several slip roads from the motorway were closed off, in both directions causing massive queues for travellers.  We did however manage to come off the motorway further on and make out way back, we parked up and just followed the crowds.  
This was a big day for the riders including the notorious climb to Alp D'Huez, you can see from the background how steep and high the mountains are.   I think seeing Team Sky leading the yellow jersey Chris Froome and the look of total concentration on his face as he battled to maintain his lead was my best ever cycling experience, apart from when I got a drinks bottle from one of the riders.  Amazing and also unbelievable that I managed to get a photograph.
The town was beautifully decorated for the stage visit, look at this they even had the Yorkshire flag flying.
Sunday we drove towards Calais for our last overnight before the ferry and Mr FF offered to drive to the start of the last day, no racing apart from the final sprint and the boys all taking it easy so we might see more.  I was up for that but again the slip roads were all closed so we pressed on, me thinking we were in the suburbs of Paris on our way out when suddenly this was before me.  

Oh no, that's not what I wanted to do.  We parked up and took a walk round in the rain but although it was early afternoon we couldn't find much indication that such a major event was taking place.  Eventually Mr FF spoke to some people who told us that the Tour didn't start till 4.30 and wouldn't be in town until at least 5.30, we had some distance to travel and it was 1.30 then. After rather tense discussion about checking the route but not the time we got back into the car.  We then drove round central Paris for about 3 hours, so many roads closed, so much traffic, not a fun experience.  We arrived at our b&b around 6.30 apologised for being late and explained what had happened. Madam immediately whisked us into her beautiful home where we joined her husband in front of the television to watch the final hour or so of the Tour with a glass in our hands.  If Mark Cavendish had won the sprint it would have been perfect, it was pretty good anyway.
So I've seen the Tour de Yorkshire in my home town, two stages of the Giro d'Italia and one of Tour de France, I am such a biking groupie, my best year ever.

Friday 31 July 2015

In Ilkley

We are counting ourselves very lucky to be safely home with all the problems at the Channel.  We received an email on Sunday evening at our b&b about an hour from the port to say there would be no Calais sailings next day,  we were booked to depart at 11 am next morning, and that we should proceed to Dunkirk. We got up extra early anticipating problems, they started immediately when our sat nav wouldn't work and we drove round the little French villages looking for the auto route. We found the slip road but it was closed, more travelling in circles till we eventually got on our way.  
At Dunkirk we queued for around 1.5 hours to be told we needed to go to the office and rebook our crossing, what they actually meant was go outside the compound and back to the end of the queue to start again.  Mr FF, and don't try this yourself, decided to park the car and walk back, through lines of lorries, past security staff etc leaving me sitting in the car feeling very uneasy but it worked and saved a lot of time.
We were re-booked onto the 3 pm ferry that actually left at 4 pm, another 1.5 hours queue to check in, a jam packed boat and another choppy crossing but we arrived back in Dover relieved.  A good drive back to Yorkshire including a stop for fish and chips and relax.
I really can't contemplate the return journey to Italy at present, I need time here to enjoy the calm and cool.  
I have lots to tell you about the exceptionally hot weather, stages of the Giro and the Tour de France, the madness of trying to get things done, rants will follow, don't they always.  

And while you are waiting, here's a picture of our little Italian cats Theo on the left and Lisa on the right.  Still no sign of the kittens, we are being kept informed by guests who are staying in our house and taking good care of them both for us.