Apparently it is Super Cider Soccer Sunday...

We stayed over last night at Mum and Dad's rounding off a lovely evening and my two-day birthday celebration.  As usual John woke early so we were up and out and home by 7.30am!!!  I was sleepy and John had suggested wrapping me up in my jim-jams and carrying me to the car and then putting me to bed when we got home just like our parents used to do when they went out to friends and couldn't leave us with a babysitter! This is now probably viewed as child-cruelty by leftie do-gooders but it didn't to us any harm - in fact there was quite a comfort lying in bed listening to the muffled sounds of the adults downstairs enjoying themselves - except perhaps that time when Uncle David's brother-in-law fell backwards on his chair and cracked his head open after one too many whisky-macs!

Anyway I digress - we were home early and although there is a lovely bed with fresh clean bed linen beckoning us we didn't go to bed we are saving that for later, plus we were greeted by two little faces pressed up against the conservatory glass looking pitiful and starving (I think NOT!) and, because they had been home alone all night, although accompanied by music from the I-Pod, they are apparently entitled to a little treat which today came in the form of some fresh chicken's livers which Mum had given me for them.  Let's just say they did not touch the sides and the bowls were licked absolutely clean.  A hit obviously.  The whole eating breakfast thing took it out of Chivers who then had to sleep it off snuggled up to 'dad'.  John is his hero and he follows him all over - probably more in the hopes of additional little treats than anything else.

The weather was muggy and warm and it has taken the sun ages to actually break through but pleasant none the less and considerably warmer outside than in - having said that it is now 4.30pm and we have the kitchen door open letting the fresh air in.

John likes to catch up with the news on his Tablet having given up a newspaper way before we left the UK - they are so expensive over here and you can get it all on-line anyway.  

I took the opportunity to catch up on a series which I loved when it was first televised in the early 80's - Tenko!  I have the whole 30-odd episodes to go through so that is my viewing sorted for quite a while!  There are some real classic TV series from my youth that I am hoping to catch up on.  I am saving my Six Wives of Henry VIII starring Keith Mitchell (who plays Henry from start to finish) for next winter now that we are convinced that Spring is here and the night's are lighter and we have more enthusiasm to be out and about doing things rather than being couch potatoes!

On the way down to Mum's yesterday I stopped at the Kissos garden centre in Kissonerga to spend some of my birthday money.

I have noticed that one of the plants that has survived really well is a small red dianthus that the mother from Kissos gave me as a free gift so I decided to get another (pink).  Savvas and Persephone have a glorious display of cyclamen in their front garden so I am hopeful that this one will survive too.  The Bellis Daisy was only 50 cents and looks so cheerful that I couldn't resist - Nicky will recognise the trough they are currently sat in (awaiting planting out) as it is the upturned curtain pelmet from Le Onde!

John also did a bit of shopping on the way down - calling into the UK shop in Peyia where they sell the 2L bottles of Strongbow - Oh how cider always, always makes me think of Laura's husband Mark, and Laura, do you remember when they tried to set the gazebo on fire by moving the barbeque inside???  Anyway the warmer weather means that John's taste buds are moving to cider and with god knows how many footie matches for him to watch on a Sunday he needs something to wet his whistle apparently.  Anyway there seems to be a bit of a discrepancy in measures as mine is on the left and his is on the right.  My eyesight might be a bit off but even I can see that there is something wrong!  Can you believe that this was actually cheaper to buy in euros than the price on the bottle - RESULT!!

Whilst waiting for the witching hour that was Middlesborough v Leeds (sorry Chris Birkby and congrats Trev Hazzell) I decided to tackle the ironing.  I am fighting a losing battle against cat hairs.  Everything but everything we own is covered in fine ginger fur so my Ikea purchase of those sticky roller things is coming in handy.  John cannot believe that I do the ironing voluntarily and he is now looking at putting a socket out in the conservatory so that I can do it out there in the sunshine looking out at the mountains or Chrysochous Bay - this may be more to do with the fact that my old steam iron is rather noisy and interferes with his viewing than my comfort and surroundings.  Anyway whilst ironing we watched the film Edge of Darkness with Mel Gibson - now there's a TV series that I wouldn't mind revisiting!  John wanted to know how come Mel Gibson didn't take a hit in the first few minutes when he was in the firing line and I explained that it is because he is William Wallace and he can be hung, drawn and quartered and still deliver a stirring and heart rending speech - THEY MAY TAKE OUR LIVES BUT THEY WILL NEVER TAKE OUR FREEDOM - in an aussie scottish accent!!

Strangely even when you are not working Sunday still feels like a Sunday or more specifically over here Sunday sounds like a Sunday because up until Lent we were subjected to the sounds of shooting but now it is all very quiet - no builders and no hunters.  John loves Sunday, Super Cider Soccer Sunday and even more so because Minnie Mou decided to cuddle up with him whilst he checked out his pitiful Fantasy Football team where five players yesterday only amassed 11 points between them - this is not good and every week I hear about bloody Van Persie and the fact that my nephew has him in his team and has him as his captain - this IS good!  I think he should let MM pick his team for next week - she probably wont do any worse!

Finally to tea - tonight we are having baked pork loin with kumquats and cider (if there is any left).  I have found the recipe on the tintyweb and adapted it a bit and am using my own preserved kumquats.  I have just forwarded the recipe for the apple and yoghurt cake with cinnamon swirl to Paula and Drew at the Masons Arms in Odcombe to include on the morning menu when they offer tea and cake to the punters.  At this rate I ought to publish a recipe book!  Perhaps I should try Masterchef?  The only trouble is I can't stand that jumped up barrow boy - John Torrode however is a totally different matter!  Check out the food page if this recipe turns out to be a hit - John will let me know!

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