Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Late tuesday night

So back in Portugal and really busy- started a new landscape for some good Englaish people and that should follow on to about six other orders so great to be busy again. My building team are up at Quinta de Stuart starting to rebuild my ruin there. I am puting my back into Saturdays exhibiton at the Garden Centre - now up to about 26 exhibitors and starting to panic - havenĀ“t enough space, need to get loads of plants, kids with e 24\7 on holiday and and...
I am a bit annoyed that Owl is having to work so hard so not really seeing her this week - aftr five days apart not really happy with this but she putting her 100% into her job so she can get Easter off.
Just finished another book (on the plane back to Portugal) Maximum Diner about a guy who starts a dner in Uckfield - really funny.
Gnigght!

Late tuesday night

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Lost in England

Saturday night and still in England. The buzz has disappeared and I want to get back to my Portugal. Good trip really, found a carpet supplier and bought 20 Indian style rugs and yes am taking them on the plane back to Portugal... Had a trip to see eldest brother Gavin and took them away for a night in a small town called Nailsborough - near Stroud, lovely part of the world, good beer and good looking women (just window shopping your honour...) . I have been relaxing (read drinking) and reading (read drinking) so now feel a little jaded.
Brother is cooking Red Dragon Cassarole - aduki beans and rice, new one for me.
Think I have spent five days talking to no one else than my brothers, not my normal tactics but you English are so well English. Dinner is ready and then early night (read drinking..) Tchau!

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

QM on tour

Morning campers. In England on five days holiday and just woken up with a fair sized hangover. Strange thing English beer. Started in a pub called The Fox in Harpenden - stupendously full of beautiful women (all half my age but you know...) and then it went down hill to pubs with blokes with thick jumpers on.
Had a good week end. Kids still with wicked witch (ex wife) so had the whole weekend with Owl. Good bible class on Friday night then serious shopping on Saturday and relaxed Sunday - lunch at Julias restaurant over looking the beach. This place used to be very expensive now it is the same price as the rest - but the service is brilliant. High light came with Newcastle beating Spurs in the FA Cup. For the uninitiated of you, I am a life long sufferer of Newcastle United and am convinced neither Newcastle ot the England football team will ever win silver. It just gets more painful as we progress futher into the FA cup and UEFA cups..
Now back to England. Today off to Petticoat lane and Campden market to suss out a few suppliers of rugs and scarves for my gallery. Tomorrow up to Stratford upon avon to see other brother and drink more of your funny English beer.

Friday, March 11, 2005

T.G.I.F

Finally friday. Not a bad week -1800 euros which is just above break even and have bought in two lorry loads of stock. The clock is ticking for me to go to England on Tuesday for five days. Cold horrible old England!! Today is day 5 of not drinkng and havent lost an ounce of weight so think I will have a binge after tonights bible class....
Owl came around on wed. night and got well stewed on a bottle of wine - flooded the kitchen doing the washing up and I realised it must be a real pain for other people when I have had a few drinks and they havent, although I am still capable of doing the washing up withot spilling water every where..
Just been to a funeral of Antonio a guy from my church. Well attended but a boring latin service with no singing. When I meet glory I would like dear readers the following:-

Entry song - something by Enya,
Nice service with someone telling a few jokes about me.
Two good evangelist hymns - Michael Smith type
Exit song - you guessed MPs Always look on the bright side of life.
Buried naked, just as I came into this world.
Good party afterwards, lots of sea food and good wine - shiraz red and a good Alentejo white.
Pressie for all guests -penknife or something really useful.

Must go - off to save the world and my bible group. Have a good week end - I havent gt the kids ths week end and kind of missing the mayhem!!

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Good Morning Vietnam!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that was a good film, Williams is talented, dead poets and all that - where is he now??
Well a beautiful sunny day in South Portugal and the Garden Centre is now ticking over. We were supposed to be starting a new landscape today but it was cancelled at the last moment... lovely business. So have sent my team to my little farm to dig out a terrace and plant another palm (Phoenix dactilifera if you are interested)
Had a nice dinner out yesterday at The Beer Factory in Faro - excellent seafood and not too expensive, with Owl and my mad Aunty Lu lu .... who behaved herself bar a few sharp prods on my arm. It was a bit painful for me as I am not drinking at the moment (My name is Stuart and it is 2 long days since I had a drink....) as part of South Beach Diet - I have actually put weight on!! Nearly drove me to drink.
Yesterday was Dia de Mulher, womans day so all the restaurants were full of women. I noted two things:-
1. They treat this much more importantly than Valentines day
2. The Portuguese women are outstandingly ugly!!!
Going in the bath - vote here if you want a picture posting of me in the bath!!

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Sausage and chips

For the kids, not old veggie head me.
Not a bad week end.
Friday, bible study group lasted until 10,30 so didn't even get around to eating but it is a good group, very serene.
Saturday, finally let the kids go riding and Owl returned from Porto minus her voice - I didn't want to suggest that it was maybe as she had been shouting down the phone to me on friday night but apparently it had been freezing up North. Nice quiet night in - kids well behaved for once.
Sunday - dropped the kids off at the riding stables at 8,30 - competition on!! Went to church and had yo sing alone - including two songs I had never heard - regardless to say I was magnificent, or would have been if a heavy cold stopped my breathing. Church lunch afterwards. Wouldn't you think that about 40 respectable church goers could sink so much wine!! Nice bunch though - strange coming from the tee total Sally Army into the beer swilling Anglicans!!
Picked the kids up - both won a first. Only Holly could dispute the decision - even though she won!!
Now Owl has gone shopping and will now do tea for kids. Busy week ahead. The ex wife is back tonight so kids off to her tomorrow. Oh yes tomorrow I start the South Beach Diet - no booze for two weeks so best get loaded tonight.....

Friday, March 04, 2005


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T.G.I.F.

Friday afternoon and week over. The sun came out and the garden centre got busy this morning - great to see a few cars in the car park!
As promised a few photos of the inside of my new gallery (and one of Holly with her new car!!) Met a nice guy called Brian today who interviewed me for his magazine.
Now here is an intersting one (just in case you were reading this thinking "boring boring". I got a phone call from a landscaper who messed up on a big job that I have quoted to put right. He claims the owner is a two faced - a nice old man who turns into a baddy. The owner claims to me this landscaper is a two faced liar..... who should I believe??
Week end upon us - kids out tonight with ex girlfriend and I am off to bible study. Saturday kids horse riding (I relented) and free saturday night (any offers readers??). Sunday up early, pick up mad Aunty Lu Lu and singing at church hopefully girlfriend back otherwise singing alone and I am brilliant except for the fact I cant sing....

INside my gallery

Wells, it blocked an e mail I sent to you!! Inside the gallery are large flower prints and teak furniture, candles and rugs - the walls are painted funky colours and I have just finished it. We have a Spring Craft Fair there on Easter Saturday (26th March from 10am to 3pm. Be there!

Thursday, March 03, 2005

Tom tom thursday

Howdy! Another wet day so no business at the garden centre except a couple came in and ordered some landscaping from a quote I did last week and then had lunch with some new friends , Bill and Sue. Bill plays guitar in the worship band I star in and is part of a group called "CALL - Cristians in the Algarve Lay Like" who inter connect churches and help, his wife Sue is a qualified volunteer at Faro hospital chatting to foriegn patients and holding people's hands. The best bit is Bill drinks Medronho (our local cure all anti septic) and has replaced his lawn with a vegetable patch (did I say Bill is Irish...)
Off out for dinner tonight with Aunty Lu lu - my maverick 69 year old mad adopted Dutch Aunt. She was widowed about 4 years ago and is such an open beautiful person, we could all learn a lesson from her.
Owl has gone to Porto on business for three days to a trade show - no reason now not to tackle the evil flat pack lurking in the corridor... but first I shall tackle the photo thing again. If all else fails you can view me and my garden centre at
http://photobucket.com/albums/y13/stuartmerelie/

Later on. back from dinner, great stuff, good fresh Dourada and a nice night out - Loes (Lu Lu) has invited me to her 70th birthday bash in England in August. It was great to see her. After losing my aunt last year she is the closest thing I have to an older relative (i.e. on my Fathers generation) and she is such a kindred spirit. Although she is not a Christian she is such a samaritan, and the kids love her. She is coming to hear me sing in church next sunday then coming to the church lunch afterwards.

Me!!


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My new gallery


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My Garden Centre


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Me!!


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Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Wicked Wednesday

The day started very pear shaped. Rebecca (eldest daughter, 11 going on sort of divorced 40 year old type) refused to go and get a carton of milk, after drinking the last one last night. To redress the balance I got one then promptly cancelled their wed. afternoon riding lesson. Not fair on the youngest daughter (Holly 8) but then life is not fair.... so I took the opportunity of driving to Seville on my own flat out (182km in 75 mins!!) and bought a whack of carpets and rugs for my gallery, oh yes and two lobsters and some prawns and some wine and a whole salmon and, well you may have guessed by now I have six consecutive Olympic golds for shopping, Steve Redgrave, amateur mate. Highlight of the day was lunch in 100 Montaditos (100 Sandwiches bar) when they have to read the peoples name out on the micrphone when the food is ready "Stu..wa!! Stu..wa!!" Well I couldn't help it, next order I put my name as Fun King ( I stayed for a few sandwiches and it went far far down hill from there..) I also bought a flat pack monster shelf pack which will probably live in the hall in its box for a few weeks - nasty things...
Eldest daughter now home with pal, happy Jessie and now time to get other one from after school study class - she had maths test today and was actually looking froward to it!! At this point I must explain, I left school (mentally) at thirteen and started working in a Greek restaurant - I did more hours there (1978, 10p an hour) than I was doing at school. So me and school are well not like peas in pod. Menu tonight is:-

Avacado dip with carrots and red pepper strips
Spare ribs and sausages in BBQ sauce with jacket spud

That of course is first sitting, girlfrieng coming in later and sceond sitting:-

Spicy guacamole dip with crudities
Grilled half lobster with fresh mushroom sauce
Jacket potato and green salad

Good spanish wine (todays shopping), fine music and (myob).

Now still struggling with getting a photo up onto site. Both yahoo photos and picturebasket now have my photo on an accessible url but when I put the url on the blank space on my profile it spits it out..grrrrrrrrrrr - please help me some clever reader (or Ann, readers very clever son!!)

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Terrible tuesday

Well another wet day and the only thing worth seeing in the garen centre is Crystal's smile... this is my not so secret secret weapon, the glamourous Crystal, Pakistani but bought up in Saudi and Dubai nothing is too much effort for her - so predicibly I have her painting the back gallery floor. I have been trying to upload a photo of me to this site but it spits it back out again.
I have been reading the South beach Diet which tell me someone if it is different to the Atkins, although it has an interesting index called the glycemic index - this measures the amount that your blood sugar goes up and how quick it goes down. Food with a high number makes you hungry quickly after eating and food with a low number not so... hence all green veg is below 15 and your good old cornflakes is 83... chips 75 dates 103 full fat milk 27 (lower than semi skimmed!!) so actually worth looking at. A good web site is
http://www.mendosa.com/gilists
I am vegatarian these days due to tummy problems and don't eat carbohydrates so this introduces another interesting element - I also avoid foods high in purines so I think that leaves me with lettuce... and the odd glass of wine.
Music practice moved to tonight is now cancelled so taking my girlfriend out to dinner, must feed kids now (shepherds pie, home made - no time to be fancy tonight.)