Victoria Twead's Blog, page 17

Chickens on Tony Benn's head

[image error] Hurrah! 'Chickens is finally out on Kindle. And you don't even have to own a Kindle... If you prefer to read it on an iPad, Android, iPhone, pdf, Backberry, Mac or whatever, you can download it in 60 seconds.

It's on Amazon.com where you can order it from anywhere in the world, and Barnes & Noble Nook, and now it's available on Amazon UK as well.

I love the 'photo' below of Stephen Fry unveiling his new iPad, but I also LOVE this snapshot of the Amazon Memoirs Bestsellers.

Stephen Fry, Tony Benn and Chickens

[image error] Hurrah! 'Chickens is finally out on Kindle. And you don't even have to own a Kindle... If you prefer to read it on an iPad, Android, iPhone, pdf, Backberry, Mac or whatever, you can download it in 60 seconds.

It's on Amazon.com where you can order it from anywhere in the world, and Barnes & Noble Nook, and now it's available on Amazon UK as well.

I love the imaginative 'photo' below of Stephen Fry unveiling his new iPad, but I also LOVE this snapshot of the Amazon Memoirs Bestsellers. 'Chickens' is standing on Tony Benn's head...

How to stop kittens climbing trees

[image error] For those who have been following the story of our three foster kittens, they are thriving... They get naughtier every day, climb our grapevine and are generally a nuisance. (Try sweeping the patio with three kittens hanging on the broom!) 

Climbing the grapevine may not seem a serious issue, but it is. The vine means access to the rooftops, and that way, into the village. The village is full of dogs, and now that it's summer, children. Joe and I are afraid that the kittens will get lost, or ...

Live Interview with Alex Crabtreeof Extreme Writing Now

[image error] Alex Crabtree from Extreme Writing Now writes:
Victoria Twead, author of the book Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools, stopped in at EWN today for chat. What great fun we had, as we talked about the book (just a bit), the World Cup, El Hoyo, and Joe.
The chat really was more like a chat than a proper interview. Carrie stopped by and the girls chatted about home (England) for a bit. The mood was playful and relaxed. Just how it should be.
Actually, home for Vicky and Joe is now the mountains of An...

San Juan Festival

[image error] This month we had our niece, Becky, to stay. Joe and I were a little concerned that she'd be bored, as there isn't even a restaurant or bar in El Hoyo. How would we entertain her?

We needn't have worried because Becky was perfectly happy sunbathing on the roof terrace, flirting with the builders down the street and happily, her visit coincided with the festival of San Juan.

San Juan (St John) is an important event in the Spanish calendar. It marks the arrival of summer and the shortest night of...

The YouTube that found homes for our foster kittens

[image error] I put together a little YouTube video of our foster kittens growing up, from 0 - 7 weeks. Happily, a viewer watched it and fell in love with the two little girls and has offered them a lovely home. As for the third kitten, little Choccy-Paws, he's got a home already. Yes, he's staying with us...



(Please turn on your volume.)

Two Old Fools and Telefonica

[image error] Joe and I stared at the computer screen in disbelief. They'd done it again! Telefonica had seen fit to help themselves to the funds in our bank account for the THIRD time.

It first happened last year, in August, I think. I was routinely checking the balance in our account and couldn't believe that our telephone bill had leaped from the usual 90 euros to 880 euros. So we dialled Telefonica, asked for the English speaking Helpdesk and lodged our complaint.

"There's obviously been a mistake," said...

A bit of an emergency Part 2

[image error] If you've read Part 1, you'll already know how we ended up with 3 kittens and their beautiful Mum. We've never cared for newborn kittens before, so it's all been a bit of a learning curve.

To be honest, MumCat does all the hard work. Never have 3 kittens been so soundly washed, fed and protected. Yes, she's doing a superb job. We moved the whole family from the cemetery into our woodshed to keep them safe, but one morning I had a shock.

'They've gone!' I gasped. The woodshed was empty; no MumCa...

Jumping over babies

[image error] I always thought that the Annual Fiesta in our little village was crazy, but there is another I've just heard about that really takes the biscuit!

It takes place in Castrillo de Murcia, about 36 km west of Burgos, and apparently dates back to 1620. To celebrate Corpus Christi, men dress up as the devil and jump over babies born during the previous 12 months. The babies are laid out in rows on mattresses in the street.
















Then, wait for it, the devil, known as El Colacho, leaps over the babies. Th...

A bit of an emergency Part 1

[image error] Our village is home to many feral cats. They seem to survive very well on lizards, grasshoppers, rodents and are skilled raiders of the rubbish skips. Although wild, they are clever. They recognise the hoot of the fish van and wait patiently in the square for it to wend its way down the mountain and into the square. In return, they ensure that the village is a rat and mouse free zone.

Joe and I are familiar with this particular cat because of her blue eyes and Siamese looks. We'd noticed she ...