Today started promisingly, bright and dry and we decided to give the glass people a ring to see whether or not there was any news on our conservatory so that we could plan what we would be doing for the rest of the week. John had been invited by Sheila and Klaus to come for lunch on Wednesday when I go round for Art then there is pickleball and the quiz on Thursday. It just helps to know!
We were so excited to learn that they were just waiting for the glass to be delivered from Nicosia and then they would be on their way and with us around 12ish. OMG how fantastic - only a matter of time before no more rain dance!!
Whilst we were waiting for the men to arrive we did something we had been planning to do for ages and that was smash the pedestal off of the sink in our minuscule shower-room. I thought it would give an illusion of a bit more space and we do have a different hand basin to put on at some point which is much neater and rectangular so that will help as well. We had also bought some 'brown stuff' for the floor - I love the tiled floors but boy they can be bloody cold on your feet particularly when you have just stepped out of a nice warm shower.
The space inside the shower-room is snug to say the least and therefore not conducive to both John and I working together - but then when do we ever work well together!!! We started off by disagreeing where the join in the 'brown stuff' should be! It has now been laid (by me under supervision) and makes quite a difference. That room is never going to be anything more than tiny so we have to try and make the best of it.
True to their word the men arrived at about mid-day. John and I had cleared the space and I had placed the bucket filled with sand very prominently in the hopes that they might discard their fag-butts there rather than just on the floor. Vain hope as it turned out because although I showed them it they gave it a stiff ignoring. We are just amazed how they work with a fag on constantly!
John kept out of the way ostensibly chopping up the remainder of our logs but really with one eye always on the proceedings bearing in mind the beam incident of the previous visit.
I stayed in the kitchen doing some cooking but always watching out of the window to see how things were progressing. I got so excited when the first piece of roof glass was hoisted into position...
...and then the heavens opened and the four guys stood miserably in the glass-less conservatory being pummelled by rain and hail.
Within a short period of time when it was obvious that the weather was not going to improve they declared that (a) it was too dangerous to be handling glass in the rain and (b) that it was impossible to seal it all effectively when it was so wet. We couldn't agree more sadly but as John's biggest worry is that it wont be sealed properly we reluctantly said goodbye with just one pane of glass to admire. BUGGER so near and yet so far! The forecast for tomorrow is worse but thereafter is looking more hopeful.
The men had brought with them all the glass, doors, panels etc to complete the job and obviously didn't want to have to take it back with them but John was concerned about its safety as it has been really windy here - so windy in fact that the other night the pool store was blown across the garden along with garden furniture. Everything has had to be lashed down and protected and we have relinquished any responsibility for its welfare whilst it is up here.
I had been busying myself in the kitchen as John suggests I should stick to what I do best - cooking and cleaning!!! This is, apparently, a joke but hell, I know my place! On the menu today was to make a chicken curry as we had purchased a fresh whole chicken from Paps. I was also keen to make some citron tarts as I had some lemons and oranges that were going over and we are fully marmaladed up! Finally, I had invited Marian around for coffee on Thursday and she is gluten-free so I was determined to try and find a recipe for some sort of sticky we could eat that wouldn't have her rushing for the little girl's room thereafter! With limited ingredients I found a recipe for chewy sesame seed, honey and raisin squares. I am happy to own up to the fact that I did not make the pastry for the tarts. I used some grotty frozen stuff I found in one of the shops and although the recipe said blind baking was not required I really should have blind baked as I ended up with two rather crispy frizbee-like disks. John has subsequently sampled and agrees that the pastry is not brilliant but the filling is fab. One for the Food Diary page when I get a minute.
Hopefully if the weather holds Jane and John are coming up to the Orchid walk on Saturday and then stay to have lunch with us before they go back to Paphos and fly back home. They will be returning in September so it wont be too long before we see them again.
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