This time last year...

After people have been here on holiday we inherit unused and partially used food and toiletries.

I never refuse anything but I am currently struggling to get to grips with the sensitive toothpaste left behind after Kaye and co were staying back in October.  I have realised why sensitive toothpaste might be so kind to teeth - it's because you cannot get the damn stuff out of the tube - does anyone else have this issue?  My early morning daily workout comprises 20 minutes desperately trying to coax a smear of white stuff onto my toothbrush - by the end of the tube I will have muscles like Popeye!

Good news today is that Mum text to say she was feeling much better and is having regular checks on the eye, has to wear dark glasses at all times so we shall refer to her as the International Woman of Mystery from now on and has to sleep on her right side (which she never does) - my suggestion to sew something uncomfortable into her nightie which forced her to turn over didn't go down that well.

Bad news is that when we woke Charlie was on the bed and never moved when we went to feed them all - this is most unusual and when he did get off the bed he had clearly been in a fight - he had lost his second collar in the past couple of days and would not use his front left paw.  John investigated and thought he could feel a bite.  Charlie was very very very sorry for himself and took his bulk off to one of the beds under the table in the lounge and stayed there without eating - normally he eats continuously so this was a bad sign.  We decided to leave him alone, warm and quiet for the day and then would decide tomorrow if he needed to go to the vet.  In the interim I rang Mina and Clare to see if they had any antibiotics to hand as we would be seeing them later.

So today was a day of remembrance - This time last year we had our annual taverna-crawl around the village for Christmas and in so doing called in to see a very poorly Elena who so enjoyed feeling part of the crawl as Mina, Clare and I sat alongside her hospital bed which had been put into the lounge by the fire.  How we laughed that night, forgetting her situation and being girls together.  It was the last time I remember her being alert and with-it and she passed away just a few days' later.

It seemed inappropriate this year to hold a jingle, instead we decided to go and tidy up Elena's grave and put a flower or plant there and then go and have a quiet drink at the Hotel followed by a meal at Finnikas.  We were also welcoming Les to our little group.  I had met his wife back in the summer when she came to a Ladies' Lunch - she and Les are doing up a house in the village and currently they split their time between Hong Kong and Droushia.  She does not return until this weekend but Les was on his own and she was keen for him to meet people from the village.

We had arranged to meet Di and Rob and Mina and Clare at the cemetery at 12.00 but as it happens Clare and Mina were delayed so John and I went ahead and tidied up the area and left the Poinsettia we had bought.

There was a nice reason (apart from the road being blocked) why Mina and Clare were delayed.  When we had been to theirs last week they explained that they were looking for a home for a little dog called Tinks - it's a long story but to cut it short when Di was at Ladies' Lunch yesterday she had mentioned the dog to her neighbour Judy who already has an elderly dog.  Apparently Judy had been thinking about getting another little dog and decided she would give little Tinks a go so Clare and Mina were taking her round to settle her in.  We all really hope that Tinks has found her new forever home because she will be so well loved by Judy and will be great company for her original dog Carly.

They called round the cemetery afterwards and lit a candle for Elena putting it into the lantern that we had rescued and placed there earlier.

We had a quiet drink in the Hotel - it have Les a bit of a chance to get to know us and as he is a Wolves Supporter Rob was able to engage him in football conversation.  It was lovely and warm in the hotel and relaxing.

We then moved to Finnikas for a wonderful meze - the fire had been lit and it was reasonably warm in there for a cavernous room with a tiny fire!  The food was up to its usual standard and we had enjoyed a very companionable few hours together.  We would have rounded off the afternoon with a drink at Christos's before saying goodbye to Les whose house is just behind but it was closed so we wandered back down the hill to Stathmos for our last drink before going home but not before we had been called into Savvas' the Tyremans and given bags of satsumas to take with us.