Wednesday April 24th...

After several abortive attempts today was the day that John, John, Mark and Trev could play at being Lumberjacks down in Emba.  It was a very warm day - perfect for logging!

Twenty odd years ago when Mum and Dad had 'Mandeville' built three squares were left out of the pavement and they had to plant a tree in each.  One tree has long since gone to the forestry in the sky but two remained - one of which had reached for the skies and become very tall with a list that meant it could have fallen onto the house, the gazebo or even reached the houses across the road.  

The idea was to have enough brains and brawn on the job to ensure that when the trees came down they came down safely.  This meant that some severe pruning had to take place in advance and John (my John) was the person who went up and took off the branches.  This photograph shows the tree at about two thirds of its original height and ready to come down and be cut up.  The trees probably didn't provide quite as much wood as they looked like they might but we will all get a day or two of free heat out of them if not more and Nicky and Mark no longer have the worry of them pulling up the pavement, cracking the boundary walls or worse.

Whilst John was away (and because he had the car so I couldn't go to Jeannette's this week) I decided that I would do some crafting of my own and set myself up in the conservatory with the doors wide open enjoying the sun and the view.

My immediate requirement was for a wedding card - Elaine and Paul have their civil ceremony in Peyia on Friday and I am going down with John to take some photographs for them.  It took me quite a while to find a design that I was happy with and then a while longer to find suitable bits and pieces to enable me to construct it.  You could NEVER charge for the time and effort - this took well over an hour by the time I had finished!

My next requirement was to make a card for Dad's friend Frank who will be 90 on May 1st.  Having spent many years in Kenya managing a tea plantation and having given John and I a genuine spear once used in anger by a Masai Mara warrior (although against human or animal I am not sure) I wanted to do something with an African theme.

I came upon this silhouetted figure which I managed to print onto card and then I decorated it in a couple of places with some beads.  I couldn't find a man figure but I am sure that Frank will appreciate the thought all the same!

There are several key birthdays in May for which I will need cards including both Mum and Vix.  Bearing in mind how long it took to create just two cards I will need to pull my finger out if I am going to get some more done.  Apparently Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration so based on today and the fact that it was a million percent in the conservatory by mid-day I am verging on being the twin of Einstein!  

I was just getting my mosaic out to try and finish the lazy Susan when John appeared - much earlier than I had anticipated - I thought I would have most of the day to myself!

As we had the remainder of the day to ourselves we decided to go out and have a spot of late lunch sitting by the sea - sometimes when you live so close you don't take advantage!  We decided to go to Yiallos at Latchi where the conditions were perfect - warm sun, warm breeze and a stunning view to go with a very decent pitta!

It also gave me the opportunity to scour the beach for some pebbles and driftwood for a project that I have in mind.  It was so lovely sat on the beach watching the waves lap up onto the shore that we really didn't take things too seriously and just made the most of the afternoon.

On our return home I went and picked a bucket load of lavender from Paul's next door.  This is the very large headed French type.  It occurred to John that we probably cant throw confetti at the Peyia wedding venue - not that we had any anyway but we could through petals or similar so I found some little draw string lavender bags and have have spread the heads out to dry - even if they don't they are soft enough to throw.  

I bet Elaine is getting well stressed by now!