La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
IKEA CLOSED ITS DOORS TO shoppers in recent months when stricter COVID rules went into effect. We’ve been in need of new pillows for the bedroom, so I finally ordered them online and they were quickly delivered along with the new pillow covers. I put on fresh sheets yesterday and replaced the pillows. Then, IKEA was permitted to reopen. Still, it was more pleasant than walking through the store’s maze among other masked shoppers. The excitement was nearly overwhelming, as you can tell from the first photo.
Speaking of excitement, San Geraldo is baking another Moorish pie (click here) for dinner tonight. He roasted a chicken last night and said he would either use the leftovers for chicken salad at lunch today or he’d bake a Moorish pie for dinner. My choice.
We had apple cake earlier in the week and, when that was gone, SG baked three more loaves of chocolate chip banana bread. I nicknamed him San Geraldo to be ironic, but he deserves the canonization (most of the time). Not to be outdone in the kitchen, I “cooked” up a batch of Wasa crackers with peanut butter and apricot jam as an afternoon snack. I offered to cook some for San Geraldo, but he declined.
Moose loves to snuggle [crushed] against San Geraldo during the night and I love to take pictures of him whenever I wake up. Dudo has been enjoying the heat in the apartment, but has been frustrated by the lack of sun and, therefore warmth, on the terrace. I don’t have heat in my office, but I have a space heater that does the trick. Dudo has his very own faux bearskin rug and could sit for hours soaking up the warmth. San Geraldo has heat in his office, as well as a space heater. It’s one of Dudo’s favorite rooms in winter. Of course, being close to San Geraldo is an added bonus. It’s like a sauna and I can only stay a moment before I feel like I’m melting.
An interesting (to me) sidenote: Bearskin in Norwegian is Bjørneskinn, and that’s the name of the town in Northern Norway where San Geraldo’s maternal grandfather was born.
.
IKEA CERRÓ SUS PUERTAS A los compradores en los últimos meses cuando entraron en vigor reglas más estrictas de COVID. Necesitábamos almohadas nuevas para el dormitorio, así que finalmente las ordené en línea y las entregué rápidamente junto con las nuevas fundas de almohada. Ayer puse sábanas limpias y cambié las almohadas. A IKEA se le permitió reabrir ayer. Aún así, fue más agradable que caminar por el laberinto de la tienda entre otros compradores enmascarillados. La emoción fue casi abrumadora, como se puede ver en la primera foto.
Hablando de emoción, San Geraldo está horneando otro pastel moruno (haz clic aquí) para la cena de esta noche. Anoche asó un pollo y dijo que hoy usaría las sobras para una ensalada de pollo para el almuerzo o que prepararía un pastel morisco para la cena. Mi elección.
Comimos pastel de manzana a principios de semana y, cuando se acabó, horneó tres hogazas más de pan de plátano con chispas de chocolate. Lo apodó San Geraldo para ser irónico, pero se merece la canonización (la mayoría de las veces). Para no quedarme atrás en la cocina, “cociné” un lote de galletas Wasa con mantequilla de maní y mermelada de albaricoque como merienda. Le ofrecí cocinar un poco para San Geraldo, pero se negó.
A Moose le encanta acurrucarse [aplastado] contra San Geraldo durante la noche y me encanta hacer fotos cada vez que me despierto. Dudo ha estado disfrutando del calor en el piso, pero se ha sentido frustrado por la falta de sol y, por tanto, de calor, en la terraza. No tengo calefacción en mi oficina, pero tengo un calentador espacial. Dudo tiene su propia alfombra de imitación de piel de oso y podría sentarse durante horas disfrutando del calor. San Geraldo tiene calefacción en su oficina, además de un calentador espacial. Es una de las habitaciones favoritas de Dudo en invierno. Por supuesto, estar cerca de San Geraldo es una ventaja adicional. Es como una sauna y solo puedo quedarme un momento antes de sentir que me estoy derritiendo.
Una nota al margen interesante (para mí): “Piel de oso” en noruego es Bjørneskinn, y ese es el nombre del pueblo en el norte de Noruega donde nació el abuelo materno de San Geraldo.
• Un mural en la pared de un restaurante del barrio. El cableado sobre el mural es una obra de arte (o no) por sí solo.
• Limpiar y nivelar la playa en preparación para “posibles interrupciones debido a la lluvia”, como dice el meteorólogo. (Ya estamos siendo interrumpidos).
The kitties like your new bedding–great camouflage for them. Too bad they can’t relax. 🙂
Sheesh, the wiring above the mural is like an overdone dish of spaghetti.
Mary:
The sheets aren’t actually new, just clean. But I always buy sheets that coordinate with the cats. Priorities. I think I’ll do a series of photos of the wiring around town. It’s like that everywhere. I’d never seen anything quite like it until we moved to Andalucía!
The wiring looks like the underside of my desk, Jay looks away in horror. I am with the kitties on staying warm. IKEA does a good job on deliveries, when I go to the store, I need to allow a couple of hours to find all of the things I didn’t know I needed.
David:
The wiring is a common sight here. It used to make me crazy. I’m like you when I go to IKEA. They know what they’re doing.
We need new pillows too. I hadn’t even thought of Ikea as a possible source. Cats are so funny — one of my friends calls them “heat-seeking missiles.”
Steve:
IKEA makes some things very convenient. I’m always amazed by how qjuickly the cats’ coats absorb the heat. A few seconds in the sun and they’re hot to the touch.
Heat-seeking Dudo and San Geraldo are two birds of a feather!
Debra:
Yes, SG’s heat makes Dudo very happy. Moose has to regularly leave the room to cool down.
Good that ‘they’ painted those wires the same colour as the wall…..
Moose is a comfort seeker. He looks so comfy!
I remember the first time we went to Ikea. It was like a maze alright! We got lost and disoriented…..lol!
Now….no problem.
Jim:
I plan to wander and get photos of the painted wires all over town. It’s everywhere. If you need to paint, and there’s a jumble of wires, I suppose you just paint. The first time we went to IKEA, SG had a claustrophic meltdown. He followed the arrows and was in and out in 5 minutes. We didn’t buy a thing. Judy was with us (her first time, too) and she whispered to me when we got outside, “Next time we go to IKEA, let’s leave him at home.”
Too funny! We left with nothing as well!
Jim:
I tend to have much more success (or load up on things I don’t need) when I don’t have SG with me.
Nice mural, but those wires are some kind of ugly! I would stay in bed all day if I had Moose and Dudo for company. I have a shirt with a smaller scale version of that same pattern on your bed linens.
Wilma:
The wires are some kind of normal here. They used to make me nuts. I’ve adjusted. However, if my own house had them, it would drive me over the edge. You’re all set to lounge with the cats. All we require is proper fashion coordination.
It looks like SG is giving Carlos a run for the money for the title of MasterBaker™.
Bob:
I thought WE already had the trademark. Some nerve!
The pillows are pretty, but how did you manage to place an online order? Wasn’t it Ikea that caused your hair to fall out? I made my chocolate chip banana bread and it is delicious.
Love,
Janie
Janie:
Yes, IKEA did make my hair fall out. (I had a full head of hair until just a few weeks ago.) I finally phoned. A customer service rep was able to bring up my account and my shopping cart and get it done! Unfortunately, although I explained to him the problem with REQUIRING two last names when many people only have one, I didn’t get the impression he planned to report the problem. Ah well.
Reporting problems most likely does no good.
Janie:
Clearly. I reported it online and on the phone!
pretty pillows for comfy cats to rest upon. your “cooking” skillz are impressive! 🙂
anne marie:
I know! Can’t believe SG declined my offer. Ingrate.
When I was little, I would sometimes have a snack of crackers and peanut butter, and on top of each I’d place a peach slice (as in, a syrup-y one from a can). It’s such an 80s midwestern sounding snack now, and in the last year as I’ve regressed into needing comfort things from childhood, I’ve actually “cooked” that snack up for myself again a few times! Your idea of apricot jam is MUCH better. I think I’ll give it a try. I’ve also made several loaves of banana bread over the last year, but I bet San Geraldo’s far surpass mine in flavor, especially since I keep forgetting to buy chocolate chips. 🙂
Michelle D:
Your version of the PB and cracker snack sounds very gourmet. My apricot jam is even low sugar! SG had never added chocolate chips to the banana bread until recently. I love it without and love it with.
You often write about the cold in Spain, this latest post got me thinking that when we live in Rome, I found the months of February, March and April cold and difficult because of the bone chilling humidity. Our house did not have central heating, we had the little heaters on wheels like the ones you have. Also our building had no heat between 9pm and 6am and in the day time no heat from 10am to 5pm so the little heaters where the thing. We also lived in one room and did not live in other rooms. The kitchen was always warm because of the stove. I can say that Winters in Jordan and in Egypt were also cold again the humidity and the cold winds. So I do get your point about the weather. Always nice in the bright sunshine as long as you stay expose to it.
larrymuffin:
I write about the cold half-jokingly, but the chill can go right through me. Many places here have no heat or AC. I don’t know how they survive. San Francisco, however, had the climate I liked least. Bone-chilling damp. As Mark Twain said: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”
Wise of you to get pillows the color of cat.
Urspo:
All our bed linens coordinate with the cats.