Thursday - at home...

A quiet day at home today - it was supposed to be a day down in Paphos trying to find tiles for the sun terrace but we just didn't get ourselves into gear soon enough (everything seems to shut at 1.00 and then doesn't open again until 3.00 or maybe even 4.00) so we decided that we would have a look on our way down to Mum and Dads on Saturday morning instead.

I was up early but John clearly had other ideas and as it had been his birthday yesterday I couldn't be too cross!!!  I got up and crept across into the kitchen passing Boris who was having a freshen up with the water from the swimming pool.

It amazes me that we provide about a dozen bowls of fresh water dotted around the garden and all the cats migrate to the swimming pool and its cocktail of chemicals and drink from there and wash in it - typical!!!

My new regime has started - I know I have put on weight - I don't need anyone to tell me - my clothes are telling me and I don't like it.

I am very lucky that both Mum and her neighbour Effie or at least members of Effie's very extended family grow passion fruit and passion fruit that looks like it has been on steriods.  I love passion fruit and they are so very expensive to buy in Paps that I just look at them longingly and then walk on by.  I have for the last couple of days breakfasted on passion fruit and greek yoghurt which I absolutely adore.

I am probably kidding myself that this is a healthy and low calorie breakfast but it has to be better than a fry up or toast and marmalade surely?  Whatever the case it makes me feel virtuous so must be good surely?

John had planned to help Sean with turning one of their bedrooms into an office today so before he got stuck in there were one or two things we needed to get sorted.

We were taking a trip through the village to go and see our friends Diana and Rob Veasey who live pretty much directly in front of us but further down the hill.  They are having some new pergolas constructed and there was some gash wood in the skip that they had offered us.

We had to negotiate our way past the big old Stallion and his girlfriend - he is incredibly protective of her and even though we had an apple for them - scrumped from the empty garden at 2B - we kept our distance as he always looks ready to kick out if pressed!

It has been a couple of weeks since we saw both Rob and Diana - they are a lovely couple who moved into the village last November and have been working like trojans to transform a neglected bungalow into the beautiful home that they have now.  It was really kind of them to think of us when they had some waste wood - if John cannot build with it then we will burn it but he has a couple of projects in the garden which require some rustic ladders so some of this wood will be perfect!

While John was away helping Sean I thought I should tackle the ironing.  I haven't done any for at least three weeks whist Janet and Hadge were here - not that I really need an excuse - and it was a little cooler and more overcast today.  I have no idea what John has been wearing as it appeared that the ironing basket held every shirt he owned and at least two thirds of his shorts!

Mr Boo has found the whole day very exhausting - even though we have George and Pam and Sharon and Sean here at the moment he has chosen to spend the whole of the day indoors with me and curled up on the sofa.  He has taken looking relaxed to the nth degree and I just can't help but want to snuggle him all the time - he certainly knew what he was doing when he found his way to our garden at Christmas!

There has been a lot of activity in the field next door as they start to tidy up and clear the remaining grain that is drying there.  The community combine was here this afternoon and a young family seemed to be there overseeing the bagging of the grain.  Periodically we could hear a sound which we thought was a cat but which turned out to be a young child!

I spent some of the time this afternoon making a birthday card for Hywel who celebrates on Sunday - he is Welsh and therefore a died in the wool Rugby supporterso that made the theme of the birthday card a bit easier - unfortunately John was not about so I risked life and limb getting my craft boxes out of the cupboard!

We were out tonight with Sharon and Sean to celebrate John's birthday - we rarely venture down to Latchi but before it gets too cool to do so we wanted to go tourist-style and eat down by the sea.  As Sharon is vegetarian it is good to go where they specialise in Fish as they generally have more choice for a non-meat eater.

This was our thank-you to them for all the things they have brought over for us - we really do appreciate it and will miss the facility to send Sharon on a shopping expedition when we need cat collars or such like as she never moans about getting us whatever it is that we need!

I have to say I was well impressed that at the end of the meal we were given a MASSIVE plate of passion fruit for afters - see my note above about passion fruit!!!!  I was well impressed!!