Tuesday....

Bless John, today he found a solution to the conundrum we were facing - how to sit and feed eight adults on Christmas Eve when we only have a table that barely seats six at the best of times and how not to make it feel squashed and even more importantly how not to spend a fortune in the process!!!!

He went off down to Polis and to the smaller wood place behind the wood yard that we normally use and managed to come back with the goods - thick chipboard that was going to act like a springboard if someone was resting on the end - hey I don't like brussels sprouts at the best of time so I sure as hell don't want them being catapulted in my direction!!!

We now have a new reusable table top which sits eight comfortably, which we can walk round comfortably and for which I managed to find a sheet for a tablecloth.  We now have our Christmas table and now all we need is the food and the guests and a bit of wine.

What a difference a day makes - yesterday snow and today sunshine.  I had arranged to go and spend a couple of hours with Mum so drove out the back road from Droushia having gone to see Elena who was sleeping peacefully so I didn't disturb.

Driving from Kathikas to Stroumbi I stopped briefly to look across to the Toodos - there is snow in them there hills - it doesn't look much from a distance but if you check out the webcam you will see just how much has fallen over the last week.  Today was probably one of those days when people could and would be swimming down in the sea somewhere on the island and then skiing up in the mountains.

We have to be careful at Mum and Dad's now because Fred is home, resolutely refusing to use his new cage he has the run of the utility room and the sun room but MUST be kept indoors as he is still healing and will probably always be in danger of being severely beaten up if he ventures outside.  He may have been a bit keen to escape to begin with but he seems to be most vocal when he wants a cuddle and given time and patience he will become a house cat.  He looks a bit odd with one half of his face looking like a hamster and the other not but he will heal and he will look normal again.

Mum and I nipped into Jane and John's apartment to sort out their android box which died after the electric tripped when Jane was preparing food for her party this evening, we then headed for Carrefour to have a mooch around and have a cuppa together.  We were reminiscing about Mum and Dad's early years in Cyprus when there was next to nothing to tell you it was Christmas and now the shops could give those in the UK a run for their money!  There is every sort of decoration in any colour you could wish for.

It was beginning to cloud over as I came home - the weather forecast for the next few days is not so good and for Thursday is appalling as we can expect 16mm of rain in a day - deep joy.  As I passed through Kathikas the sun was peeping through the clouds - it looked magnificent so I stopped to take a photograph.

Back home John was swathed in a feline blanket - he and all four cats were taking advantage of the lovely warmth coming from the wood burner.  We were out later at Jane and John's soiree but having been awake and actually up since 5.00am I just wanted to snooze and recharge my batteries otherwise I was going to be like a zombie.  The tablets for my neuralgia are working but they make me feel rather nauseous and they lose their effectiveness overnight.

Jane and John put on a great evening - the food was amazing - hats off to Jane for putting herself through so much in an unfamiliar kitchen with such unpredictable equipment.  She has set the bar very high so no pressure on me for the meals I am going to produce for them whilst they are staying with us.