Thursday - Raising Money

It was an early start this morning for the basket weavers - we had been given homework from the night before and we had to have started to do the sides of the basket in readiness for the decoration of plaited reeds which go on the top.  It is reeking havoc with our hands as we are dealing with wet material all the time but we are determined to finish and get on to our second basket which we are told will look much better.  Maroulla, class swat has already finished her first basket and is on to her second.  Kelly says she needs to get a life!  She obviously doesn't have a family to feed or a social life or a series to watch on the TV which has stopped her fulfilling her basket making potential unlike the rest of us!

I don't know if it was to make herself more popular but Maroulla came armed with goodies for us to eat during our tenses - we can't last until elevenses.  I jest of course Maroulla is lovely and just better or more committed than the rest of us and the goodies were fab and we were able to sit outside and enjoy them.

I was leaving class a little early today because I had been asked to to and take some photographs down at Beauty by Kate.  She and her friend Nickola (along with others) had been raising awareness for breast cancer culminating with a grand prize draw this afternoon.

Nickola had been raising money so that she would dye her hair pink which as you can see she did and then there was the money from the raffle.  In total they raised nearly €3000 which is no mean feat and to celebrate that fact Kate opened up the room that used to be her salon and put on a fine spread of food and drink for the supporters.

I love Kate - she is a remarkable woman and I was so pleased for her that she had done so well in her endeavours.  Even nicer is that now her husband Demis works on the island he can join her when these things are happening.

They are a great family and later in the afternoon she was joined by her three children who all got into the swing of things desperate to hand out the prizes to the lucky winners - that and eat the cupcakes and toffee apples!!!  It was such a lovely afternoon that people spilled out onto the pavement enjoying a glass of bubbles and some very pleasant late autumn sunshine.

I had made and donated as a prize one of my heart pictures and was thrilled that my friend Pam Fitzgibbons was the lucky recipient.  She looked happy with it anyway!

On leaving Polis I had to shoot up to Orexi HQ where my student Rabia was beside himself thinking I wasn't going to be able to show him how to add songs to his Ipod.  I managed to get there in time to show him and he duly sat down and very seriously watched the proceedings before trying it a couple of times himself and then doing it all on his own!  He then very politely thanked me for my time - I could just eat that boy he is so lovely and he always asks where John is - I think he was disappointed I came on my own because John always has a kick about with him as both John and Rabia are footie mad.

Bassam did his best to try and tempt me with some juicy pomegranate, Lola tried to tempt me with some pickled caper leaves and Elena succeeded with some little fluffy macaroons!  I couldn't eat too much because John and I were going out later for ribs at Steni Water Mill with Janet and John Jinty and knowing that we would probably have to have one of Dawn's delicious puddings as well didn't want to be too full before going!