Tuesday

Today is my mother in law Janet's 70th birthday which she celebrates with my nephew Michael (who is not 70) and the lovely Elena's mum (who is in Finland) so happy birthday you three and anyone else celebrating at the same time.  It is the reason why John has returned to the UK for a short while and it sounds like he is having a good time even if he did managed to get his mum rather squiffy last night and it wasn't even her birthday then!!!   She told me on numerous occasions on Skype how much she loved the Pandora bracelet we had bought her and I asked her if she might leave it to me in her will but fill it with beads before she pops her clogs - she agreed although at this point she would have agreed to anything.  Anyway Janet I hope you had a lovely lovely birthday and I am sorry I wasn't there to celebrate with you all but we will do something special together when you come in the summer.  Glad that John went and I think he will be too as his reunion with school mates was a resounding success and time spent with his mum is priceless.

I was such a good girl in his absence as I got myself up and went to the gym with Diana although I could have quite easily turned over and continued sleeping.  We were joined by the owner of the hotel and we thought it would only be fair as he owns the equipment to let him have first dibs - he only uses the walker/runner so Diana and I worked with the other equipment but I was feeling the belly dancing from last night in my legs so wasn't too bothered about the walker/runner but John I can confirm that I worked harder on the bike and managed to do 23 laps which is a couple more than on Friday.

It was an absolutely stunning morning so we decided to have our cuppa outside and the lovely barman guy cleared off the sofas for us so we could sit in style - he is the one that gave me the biscuit recipe and I had to confess that the first lot I made were not up to his scrutiny but I will be making more and I will let him try them.

I called in to have coffee with Elena this morning.  Whilst I was sitting waiting for her to make me one of her absolutely delicious cappuccinos (to go with a bit of the childrens' delicious apple cake) I spied a wicker basket on the top shelf in the kitchen.  Is that basket from Fortnum and Masons? I asked - Of course! she replied and I thought I had the only ones on the island!!! (My Mum will laugh at that comment!!). Bassam has bought himself a lathe - his woodwork is fabulous but with a lathe the world is his oyster - I think I have persuaded him to turn the table leg thing he was practicing on into a wooden candlestick for me - the piece of wood he was using was beautiful.

Spring really seems to have sprung and looking at the weather forecast it looks set fair for the next couple of weeks which is great.  As I set off for Paphos it looks as thought the Kritou Tera Environmental Study Centre is up and running as I passed a number of students orienteering and heading down the hill in that direction - we often see them wandering around Droushia looking confused with maps and compasses in hand!

It really was a very pleasant run down this afternoon - everything looks green and lush and beautiful in the sunshine - such a contrast to the weather on Sunday.  Work is being carried out in the fields in earnest as the vines are being prepared for the coming season and the spring flowers are beginning to bloom.  I reckon it will be early for the orchids this year as we have had very little sustained cold weather and the temperatures are really incredible for February.  Everything seems so much better when the sun is shining and I feel energised.  Poor John won't know what has hit him when he returns as I am compiling a new TODO list with loads of ideas I am collecting together!!!  He will probably rue this week away!!!

When I arrived at pickleball Jeff was doing what he does best - cleaning!!!  He always arrives early and puts the next up (we swear this is to his advantage as he gets no end of dinkie shots that run along the net and then just fall in) and he generally gives the floor a sweep - god knows what happens during the traditional dancing lessons but it obviously causes the girls to lose their hair as we are greeted by vast bundles of tumbleweed comprising dust and black hair - all rather disgusting.

After our session and after having a cuppa with Mum and Dad (and thanks Mum for scouring the Paps supermarkets to get the Kerosene heater that was on offer) I went off to Jane and Johns apartment with the coddlers (read yesterday's blog if you don't understand) and our old android box and a memory stick filled with a load of films so that they have something to watch if they are in of an evening.  I got it set up and it worked and the films played so that is a bonus.

John contacted me whilst I was at Mums to say that he was monitoring the PV system and although it had been a beautifully bright day the system said we had produced nothing.  This was a bit worrying - either something was broken or something had tripped.  I remember switching on the lights last night and a bulb went and I know that sometimes trips something else but I had thought I had seen the box showing it recognised the inverters were up and running.  On my return the box did show it could see the inverters and the fuse box in the house was ok - the PV fuse box is above the conservatory and I couldn't see the fuses even when standing on my nice new step - I did manage to take a photograph but the light was across the box so I think all was ok but I couldn't be sure - I took a meter reading but it was too late in the day for the panels to be generating so will  need to wait until tomorrow to see if anything gets put in.  Don't you love it when something like this happens when normally John would deal with it?

I have had a bit of a tidy up and am trying to pack away my bedding etc so it is tidy and within reach - the original storage bags I got were too big but the replacements are much better I just need a few more.  Minnie managed to find a quilt that was on the sofa and snuggled into it to go to sleep.  I think she thought she was hidden but I could see her but left her there as she wasn't doing any harm.  I thought I would be able to creep across to bed without her waking up and insisting on sleeping on my chest but how wrong could I be?  As I made a break for it she shot up almost smiling at me and beat me to the bedroom - come back John she is doing my head in!!!