A Normal Monday...

So it is back to normal this week and on a Monday that means Art with Sheila and Greek with Sam whilst John does the shopping.  We overslept this morning although I am wondering if you can actually oversleep when you are retired and your morning's activities are not cast in stone.  Why did we oversleep?  We overslept because we foolishly put ourselves through the misery of watching England playing in the quarter final game of Euro 2012 - a game in which England played abysmally and, predictably, lost on penalties.  What is it they used to say about the American GIs during the second World War?  Overpaid, oversexed and over here - that could apply to the England Football team!  Headless chickens spring to mind and that is being charitable.

So back to this morning then and we got up a bit later than we would do normally because of the football -  I had to get up because Minnie Mou came into the bedroom in desperation and jumped on top of me and started padding vigorously on my stomach - on my bare stomach and full bladder.  That is enough to make anyone get up I can tell you.  So sh*t, showered and shaved and shopping list written for John I walked down through the village via the post office and on to Sheila's where I am still working on my Clematis picture.  I am really enjoying this one but ultimately it will get finished so I need to think about what I am going to do next.  Sheila has lent me a lovely book on drawing and painting flowers so I am looking for some inspiration and a subject that will complement the Clematis because I have two frames that I would like to use.  I am erring towards the fuchia pink Morning Glory flowers which are a similar tone and meant to take a photograph of the one's in Sheila's garden but John arrived before I had time to do so.

Once again I was treated to a wonderful lunch cooked by Klaus - today it was a salmon, potato, pea and bean dish which was delicious.  I feel so guilty that they feed me without taking anything for it.  On a different subject I was so pleased to see one of their feral cat mums bringing a new kitten around for food.  John and I were worried that they might have been the two we had seen run over last week.  Both are beautiful and I understand she has more kittens than this one and I expect they are equally beautiful too.  The photograph was taken through a fly screen hence it being a little out of focus.  Anyway I had another lovely morning - I can't tell you how much I am enjoying getting back into doing some form of art and I am going to craft again on Wednesday now that Jeanette is back from the UK.  I dont have a project but I can just go along and enjoy the 'craic' as it were!

We took the scenic route down to Sam's which goes via the bee hives.  Not something you can get too close to when you want to take a photograph particularly when the bees are swarming!!!  Joohn was coming to Sam's with me because he is going to look at fitting a catflap for her cat James Bond.  My lesson went ok.  I learn everything but when Sam starts talking to me it all goes out the window and I get very confused - one hour a week with nobody to practice with probably isn't enough but it is better than nothing.  I dont have a lesson for two weeks now so I shall have to knuckle down and do plenty of homework to keep it fresh in my mind.

On returning home we decided to concentrate on Gregoris's pool and garden.  John is busy filling the pool with fresh water so it is looking infinitely better than it did yesterday.  He is also taking out the plants that have to make way for the paving slabs when they are laid.  They are hoping to get this done before they are on holiday in August.  It will certainly make their plot much tidier and it would only take me two minutes to give it a sweep before they come so it looks nice for them.  John is still struggling to sort out the pump and filter for the pool but with work going soon all round the pool he may be slightly wasting his time until this is finished.

Both cats came and joined us as they tend to think of that garden as their own territory!! Chivers sitting on the wall and Minnie Mou taking up a vantage point from the top of the carport.  At one point John had to rescue a tree frog from Minnie's claws and deposit across the road in one of the abandoned swimming pools.  We have to stop them both making a bee-line for the house as they don't seem to realise that it is not our house and that they might not be made quite so welcome when others are staying there!  John is in demand at the moment as we are off to Helen and Alistair's tomorrow so that John can help Alistair erect his new barbeque - Mark is coming along with a Bangladeshi worker as this will be at least a 4 man job.  I shall be going along to lend my support or is that supervise!!!