Today Steve and Kim returned home after a three month stay in Polemi - we weren't able to catch up with them but it sounds like they were too busy anyway having met a couple of people who might like to do a house swap next year which is good news for them.  We have heard that they got home safe and sound albeit at a very unreasonable hour and Kim nearly had nosebleed when their hotel charged nearly 20 quid for a gin and tonic and Becks Blue!  Anyway we are glad that their holiday was a success in spite of its many setbacks.

I was having a nice normal Monday at art having missed last week because of Hazel's visit so it was good to get back to my picture.  Sheila and Klaus are fine - they had a viewing last week and are waiting to hear how it went.  For them I hope it was successful but for John and I, selfishly, we love having them just up the road and I know that Klaus keeps a watchful eye on Dad which is a comfort.

So my picture progresses.  I can see that I have a perpendicular line that needs adjusting and there is a patch of cloud on the left that needs some work but it is coming on and I like it - I hope the recipient will too.

Back home the beauty of the blustery weather means that my washing is done, put out and dry in a very short period of time and if hung right doesn't even need ironing!  I returned home to make the bed but had to do so around Chivers who resolutely refused to move - the guest room had similar treatment in readiness for Nicky and Mark when they come up to stay next with the addition of a throw over the bed just in case one of the cats sneaks in for a snooze.  I often wonder if our bedrooms look nice to others - I often wish I could have done an interior design course.  I am guessing that there are rules to follow and tips and tricks which can be learned, our trouble is that we are terrible at hoarding things and as John so rightly says we have to live in our house it isn't a show house.

It was a make do and mend afternoon as I decided to alter the size of the bathmat which I bought for the shower-room whilst Hazel was here.  We have a wet room of sorts but it isn't perfect and because the room is so small we need somewhere dry to stand after showering so I purchased this mat and took the tassels off but it was still marginally too big and got caught up in the door.

I was really pleased when I had turned over both ends to make it the right size only to find that I had cocked up and done one end on the 'right' side and one one the 'wrong side' which necessitated an unpick and a re-stitch accompanied by several bugger-its!  Still it was done eventually and I will look for another when I am next in Jumbo which is going to be tomorrow all things being equal.

I am eternally grateful that I had sewing lessons when I was at school and that I have the use of Mum's sewing machine - it does mean that I can carry out some alterations and sewing with a reasonable idea of what I am wanting to achieve and that comes in very handy at times!

The job eventually completed John and I took a ride into the village to see if Bassam was in.  We had been invited to Rabia's 13th birthday party yesterday but it being a Sunday we were unable to attend as we had Mum with us and by the time she had let us know she was home safely we were too tired to go up and engage in the inevitable water fight that accompanies Rabia's birthday celebrations!  Sadly Bassam and the kids were out so we will have to return another day.

We did a little detour on the way home and swung by O Stathmos for a shandy - Bambos had been so kind as to give us our drinks on Friday night we thought we should return and put some pennies in his coffers.  As we sat there under the vines and looking out across to the rocks we said to ourselves we really should do this more often because it would be such a shame if establishments like this in the village were to disappear because this was the 'real' Cyprus that we had anticipated enjoying when we made our move here.

We returned home and had our tea and collapsed on the sofas to watch some crap TV before deciding to have an early night.  Minnie conspired to wreck this brilliant idea by being sick in the middle of the night.