June 14th...

There was an article in the Daily Mail about how volunteering could save your life - apparently... 

"Volunteering for the WI or helping out at a charity shop could save your life by reducing your blood pressure, according to new research.  Older people who carry out at least 200 hours of voluntary work a year  - which equates to 25 days of eight hours - reduce their risk of high blood pressure by 40 per cent."

So on that basis and, based on the last couple of days, I should live for quite a while yet - my stint at Orexi yesterday and my taking Dad's friend Frank to Limassol to the Eye hospital today must count for something surely - maybe it was my time as a Soroptimist that has done it!!  I am destined to live long and poor because volunteering ain't never going to earn me a fortune!

I was up early and set off for Tala to pick up Frank and then to Emba to pick up Mum and then we were off to Limassol.  Frank has an annual checkup at an Eye hospital and I volunteered to take him.  As he was going to be about three hours Mum and I were hoping to go to Jumbo's (if we could find it!!!).  

With Frank's very clear instructions we got to the Eye hospital - about 45 minutes early and, joy of joys, it was only about 100 metres from George's material shop which was great as Crafty Jane had asked me to pick up some material for her.  Being early I got the material sorted - tick in the box and one happy Jane.  

We checked Frank in and then found the cafe and got him a coffee and sat outside to while away a bit of time - military training - never late!!!

Having got our bearings it was dead easy to find Jumbo's and to find out way back to the Eye hospital so that was good.  Mum and I found all the things that we wanted and had a good look round.  Mum is busy trying to find things for her new home.  She is really excited about making it into a happy and comfortable home and we are excited too - it is so the right move for them.

When we had finished at Jumbos we moved back towards the Eye hospital and found the Debenhams which is nearby.  We parked up and had a good old wander around and then settled in the restaurant for a coffee.

We were having a lovely time - we don't often have a mother and daughter shopping day so it is nice to do it now and again.

Frank had been pretty confident that he would only be an hour even though his letter said to be prepared to set aside three.  He said he had never been more than an hour in the past but today they took the whole three!!

The Debenhams was nice but not really nice enough to spend two hours wandering around so we were beginning to know the store like the back of our hands or were in danger of the security guard taking us away for a quick frisking!

Eventually Mum said that she had to have something to eat otherwise her sugar levels would have dropped too much and so she chose something from the restaurant (which was very clean, very reasonably priced and had some really nice meals on offer).

Would you believe it no sooner had Mum sat down to eat than the hospital rang and said that Frank was ready to collect.

Bless him, I drove back to the hospital and picked him up and brought him back to Debenhams for something to eat.

As he had been longer than expected we decided not to go to Irimi and visit his wife Thelma's grave.  Personally I think it might have been a bit too emotional for him in front of people he didn't know that well and his grandson Anton is over shortly and will take him before he and Frank go back to England (for good).  That will be a bit of a sad day for all of us.

We had our food, packed up the car and headed back to Paphos.  It was hot and sticky in the car but I was a good girl and never gave the traffic police anything to worry about - unlike the last time when I thought I had been clocked on the motorway and then was clocked going up the hill at Pickni Forest - B'tards (sorry Mum!!!!).

I had been contacted by Irene a couple of times during the day but always when I was driving.  Apparently she has had to house another kitten up our way - this time a poorly young ginger one.

When I got back home (which was gone 6.00 and later than anticipated) John wanted us to go and see Tom and Jerry for a cuddle and then to go and see the little ginger.  Little ginger had apparently been dumped and had the squits and a poorly eye and Irene had him/her quarantined.  

OMG as the kids would say, OMG what a cutie - clearly it had been someone's pet or the offspring of someone's pet as it is very domesticated and just wants company.

Irene should have no trouble homing this one although John and I were convinced it was a little boy Irene thinks it is a little girl.  We would even consider keeping it ourselves if it gets on ok with Chivvy Pops and Minnie Mou - they are our main consideration but like John says when you are feeding two you just as well feed three and in the winter they could be more cost effective than an electric blanket!!!

I was knackered when I got home and John was a real love and had tea organised, the table laid and a glass of wine poured - what more could a girl want???

We watched the sun go down as a ball of flames - fantastic - we have our fingers crossed that it will be a nice day tomorrow as we are due to go out on Jane and Mark's boat.  It has taken a while to organise and I have a bloody great picnic organised - too late to make meatballs we are having chicken instead!