Thursday at home...

I never ever thought I would get excited about having a day at home and being able to wash my tiled floors but hey ho this is retirement for you!!!

I have cringed at the state of the kitchen floor, not helped by Boris and Minnie insisting on removing their food from their bowls and chomping away off of the floor - they have raw liver and that makes the kitchen look like a scene from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre at times.

With visitors and people going in and out of the pool the tiles in the conservatory have got progressively more dirty - John wanted grey rather than the beige and I am beginning to see the logic in that - he gives me that 'I told you so' look and a wry smile!

So this morning my first job was to clean the floors - it is cathartic and whilst they only remain clean for a mili-second that is the most satisfying mili-second of my day and then something blows in because the doors are open and that moment is gone - until the next time!

The cats know better than to get in my way when I am in full on cleaning mode so with the return of George and Pam Charlie had mooched on up to try his luck at 11b, Chivers had gone to wherever it is that he hides during the heat of the day, Boris had hidden himself under the sunbeds on the roof terrace and Minnie was trying to look invisible on the spare bed adopting the stance that if she couldn't see us then we couldn't see her!

John has wanted to reutilise the sun shades we bought for TD - the ones which went over the path and across the pool.  After a frantic search when we thought they must have been stolen because we had looked everywhere we eventually located them secreted in the 'Glory Hole' which meant we could try and erect one over the long bench outside the kitchen door which John made as a crafting table for me but which is in full sunshine for most of the morning so really not pleasant to work at.

The workbench covers two of our wood stores so will only be in place until the weather gets cooler and we need to use the wood in the wood burner.  I thought it had started to cool down over the last few days but today was a lot warmer than yesterday so I think it will be a while yet before we need to light it - I seem to remember we used to hold off until the beginning of December but John loves it so much he has to be reigned back otherwise you could probably spot our house from outer space because of the nuclear glow emanating from it!

I had time for a little crafting too today - John's Mum gave us a decorated heart for our anniversary which has been hanging up and which was beginning to get damaged by the sun.  I decided to alter it slightly and have removed the birds and brought them indoors and have made arrangements for the table using the roses which came from the bouquet which Mum and Dad bought me and some of the hydrangea heads from Diana's which were on the mantlepiece.  I love the muted colours of the fading flowers.

Mid afternoon and John got a fit of the munchies and said he had a craving for some home-made cake.  I didn't hold out much hope but found a recipe for a 'war-time cake' which used store cupboard ingredients that everyone should have - well I had most although I was lacking in the sultana department but made up for the fruit deficit by adding a chopped apple that was sad and lonely in the bottom of the fridge and some stem ginger that was also sad and lonely in the food cupboard.

This recipe uses oil and no eggs and the fruit is boiled (I used some sad and lonely apple juice rather than water) and it came out a bit like a tea loaf.  John said it was lovely and would be even nicer tomorrow with a bit of butter slathered on it - so glad he approved because I burnt my thumb getting it out of the cake tin and onto the cooling rack!

We were conscious that we haven't seen anything of George and Pam since their family went home and we know that they miss them terribly when they have gone so we decided we would ask them round this evening for a bite to eat and a glass of wine.

I wasn't entirely sure whether George would want to come and eat - I knew he wouldn't mind coming for a drink so I was delighted when they agreed to come this evening.  We decided on a 'Gringlish' Meze so my take on Greek/Cypriot food which seemed to go down very well indeed.  We had a salad, olives, village bread, coleslaw (yep the ubiquitous coleslaw) lounza, halloumi, chicken skewers, loukanika and Cyprus potatoes followed by baked figs with feta and basil in a cinnamon, honey and brandy sauce.  Big thanks to Pam for bringing some lush puds from Paps.

They didn't seem in a rush to go home especially when the Ouzo came out! Lovely evening with lovely people and so glad my food went down well - George declared it delicious and he certainly ate a good meal!