Friends for 20 years...

Sorry Diana I forgot to post this last night

Ok so Elaine was a complete duffer on Thursday when she left the carrier bag of fancy dress bits and pieces I had sorted out for her in the car even though I had given them to her the very minute I saw her!  This is just a normal occurrence when you get to a certain age and start chatting!!!  Anyway her fancy dress party was this afternoon so she nipped up en route to Polis to collect them - we put them straight into the car so there would be no excuse and then had a natter and a cup of tea.  John was in his "I've come to clean the pool" mode - Elaine doesn't look overly impressed!!!   Actually he is busy preparing the pool area in readiness for a new liner!

As part of our maintenance and refurb programme we are also planning to replace the existing flat roof bandage and gunk affair which needs annual upkeep for a more permanent solution and so we have discussed this and opted to insulate and tile - we have the tiles we are just waiting for the builder Bassam whose time Elaine is monopolising at the moment!!!

We don't sunbathe but at this time of the year it is glorious up on the roof terrace and we really ought to use it a bit more than we do - the view is stunning and if there is any sunshine to be had you will always find it up there.  John has toyed with the idea of erecting some sort of pergola and sail structure for some dappled shade but there was always the issue of breaching the current flat roof waterproofing but if it were tiled then that might be an option.

So it was with great interest that we watched the metal structure that we had seen being assembled over at Andreas's house being winched into position.  We had mistakenly thought it was going to sit atop the pillars which are on the roof but in the end it was settled over the void which is the walkway to the front door.  We are guessing that the structure is eventually going to be covered so as to provide some shelter and shade.  We shall wait and see.

Yesterday's post brought with it a parcel for me which contained my pyrography pen which I wanted so that I can burn lettering into wood for some signs I have been asked to make.  This appears to be a bit of a glorified soldering iron with lots of different shaped heads for different effects.

As you can see from my trial this is going to take a bit of mastering - actually the biggest challenge comes from the wood grain so we need to try and make sure that what we use is as smooth as possible.  I shall continue to practice for a while before I do the real thing!

It is nearing the end of my Aunt and Uncle's holiday and today Mum and Dad were taking them to the winery for lunch.  We were not joining them as John was off to watch the mighty ENAD (who managed a 4-1 win) but I had said if I had time I would shoot across to see them so when Mum text I got myself down from the Solanum I was pruning got quickly changed and went over just to say hello and have a coffee with them.

So this is my Aunty Joyce (Marina) and my Mum - sisters in law - I don't know if Mum was bridesmaid to my Aunt but I know that my aunt was one of my mum's bridesmaids when she and dad got married 60 years ago so they have known one another a long time.   Our two families spent a lot of time together when we were growing up - Christmases at the Miles's were legendary - I have lots of fabulous memories and anecdotes which I should record before I forget them!

Anyway John and I had had a brunch so I wasn't joining them for a pitta and some wine although when the food arrived I was tempted!  I had a coffee and left them enjoying their surroundings - we are seeing them again tomorrow for lunch anyway.

I returned to my gardening - just tidying and cutting back to keep things under control.  Diana and Rob had picked out an interesting log from some trees they had had cut down and we had finally got round to giving it some features.  He is now peering from the undergrowth outside the kitchen window - he will probably disintegrate over time but he looks quite cute so thanks Rob and Diana for thinking of me!

We were out (AGAIN) tonight - even though my stomach is just about to rebel at more food!!!  We wouldn't have missed this outing for the world as it was a chance to catch up with our friends Hilary and Keith before they return home on Tuesday.  We worked out that we think we have been friends for nearly 20 years.  We met because Hilary's mum and dad were moving out to Cyprus at the same time as my mum and dad and were going to be neighbours.  Sadly Hilary's dad died suddenly just before the move and her mum Eileen then needed time to decide whether she would continue with their plans alone.  After a short while she decided to do so and she and my mum became very good friends.  Eileen has recently gone to Scotland to live and I know that my mum misses her terribly.  Hilary and Keith and John and I became friends as a result - we have holidayed together as a four in Kenya and holidayed as a six with mum and dad in the Far East and again I have lots of memories and anecdotes that need recording like the Pimms incident, the boating incident, the going up the Troodos in the world's smallest car incident, the Bangkok key not working in the lift, the lion superglued to the rock etc etc...

We had arranged to meet at Sonny's to fulfil a life-long ambition of Keith's.  Prior to this establishment being the lovely restaurant that it is now, it used to be a dodgy club called the Banana Bar and John and Keith used to say that before they were too old they were going to go there - so now they have!  Rather different circumstances but enjoyable all the same - probably even more so.  Hils and Keith were due to come with four other friends who are all out on holiday at the same time (all musicians who regularly meet up and play and who have played over here under the guise of the Barry Rowe Big Band) but unfortunately Dick wasn't well so he and his wife didn't come so it was just Hils and Keith and Barry and is partner whose name has completely escaped me shamefully as I know her, have met her on a number of occasions and sat next to her last night (it is an age thing!).

We had a great evening - the food was excellent and we ended up being the last to leave and we probably would have sat there longer if it weren't for the fact that the restaurant wanted to close!

I do hope that Hils and Keith continue to visit the island even though Hils's mum is no longer here.  We always have a great time with them and last night was just not long enough together!