First Ladies Lunch of 2016 - Epiphany

On the cat feeding and coffee run I was encouraged by the sunrise this morning.  After yesterday when we could not see our hands in front of our faces this morning it felt warmer and the sky was clearer.  This was good news because Mum and Dad were driving up later.  Mum was coming with me to Ladies Lunch at the Hotel and Dad was being fed by John who had made a sort of Shepherds Pie - this being one of Dad's most favourite meals.  John was using up the orange chili beef which we had in the freezer so it have a little more oomph than a standard Shepherd's Pie - let's hope he likes it.

It was lovely to see the sun back this morning so we had all the windows and doors open to get some air flowing through the house.  It all feels a bit shut up and stuffy and in the lounge there is a strong smell of woodsmoke hanging around from the woodburner.  I really need to give the house a good old 'bottoming' but until we no longer use the woodburner that seems a bit of a waste of time.

John's work in the kitchen done he settled down for a bit of down-time with his ipad whilst we waited for Mum and Dad to arrive.  The minute he sits down Chivers is upon him - he is very much Daddy's boy as he never comes and sits on me.

John was less than thrilled as he had on one of his new Christmas polo shirts and within minutes it was covered in Chivers' fine ginger hairs.  John and I are going to have to change our wardrobes to clothes which have an orange hue.  We constantly go out looking like the Clampetts and have to warn people if they are coming here not to wear black.

All the cats are in much more than usual - not sure if it is because there are more people about.  Still they should think themselves lucky as my neighbour Angela came round this morning with the contents of her fridge as she and Phillip are leaving today and she had a bag of cooked chicken which she thought the cats would enjoy.  Charlie and Boris certainly did, Chivers had a bit but wasn't fussed and Minnie ate none!

Fresh cooked chicken was clearly not enough for Charlie-Boy as we heard an odd banging from the Kitchen and on investigating realised that he has now worked out how to open the cupboard doors by lying on his back and flicking at the underside of the door with his paw and then catching the door as it opens.  He then squeezes his bulk inside and sits on the basket which contains the catfood pouches.  God help us if, or more likely when, he realises he can tear them open with his claws.

Mum and Dad arrived safely and we left Dad with John and Mum and I went off down to the hotel.  It was beautiful out on the terrace and Lou-Lou was enjoying some sunshine and that wonderful view.  The wind must have been coming from behind the hotel so out on the terrace it was protected.  Inside they had the heating on and the fire lit so it was lovely out and cosy in.

The table was all laid up for us, 20-odd of us meeting up for the first time this year.  Unfortunately several people had to cancel because of illness but there was still a fair number and we had three newbies and someone returning who has not been for a while.  I hope that they were all made to feel welcome and will return again.

I have to say the mushroom soup was delicious this time and those non-Cypriots amongst us who cannot get our head around the heavy unleavened local bread were more than happy with a good old bread roll to accompany it.

This was followed by a selection of salads, the hot food which for once included carrots and peas!!! and then the puds - one of which was a sort of brownie larva cake affair which was absolutely delicious.  What the hotel might lack in food finesse it makes up for with everything else, the ambiance and the attention and the price.




This evening we are going to resume the Droushia Cribbage Championship with Sharon and Sean.

In the meantime John is out doing floodlit snail catching.  He is incensed that there is a plethora of snails making their home in his lemon and his lime trees.  This he no-likee and so they have to be evicted.  He has rehomed a large number of them by lobbing them over into the field next door!!!