Monday...

So a very big fat CONGRATULATIONS to my niece Elena (on the right) and her great friend Rosie (on the left) for completing the Dublin marathon yesterday.  It was clearly a very cold day but they did it even though Rosie picked up a knee problem en route!  We were so chuffed for them both and even more so because we had originally thought they were running a half marathon so were a bit surprised when using the app to see them get to the half way point and...they kept going!

I tracked them through our lunch which I know was a bit rude and had I been a spotty teenager everyone would have been tutting at me checking my phone but I wanted to us to feel like we were involved in their journey (such a cliche I know) and in so doing then we were.  So once again congratulations to you both - the girls done good.

So back to today sadly I was going to a funeral with Mum.  I knew it was going to be difficult for her because it was a dear friend Donald who had passed away and the first part of the proceedings was to be a service in the chapel of rest and neither Mum nor I had been back there since Dad passed away.  

It was very hot today when we parked up at the carpark and bumped into Charlie and Des.  Des has been Mum's hairdresser for years and also Donald's wife Maureen's.  We walked together to Angel Guardians and were so pleased to see a fabulous turn out for Donald on this his final journey to the winning post.  Donald was an ex-jockey who was, quite literally larger than life, he touched many people's lives.  In the end he suffered a series of strokes and was at home when he died having been in a coma for some time although we were told he looked longingly at a painting next to his bed showing racehorses heading for the winning line.  So goodbye dear friend, we will not forget that fabulous time you took us to the races on Boxing Day many years ago - it is a trip we will always remember.

I made sure Mum was ok and returned home.  It doesn't matter whose funeral you attend it is always rather draining emotionally because you wouldn't attend if it wasn't someone who mattered to you so when I got home I suggested to John that we make the most of the beautiful day and go down to Latchi for a light lunch and some time together.  We really don't do that enough - just take off the two of us.  We have so much beauty around us and sometimes we just let it pass us by.

We have kept on saying (since we went with Mike a few weeks ago) that we should go back to the Souli and have their calamari again as it had been so nice.  So that is what we did - John took no persuading to be fair!  We opted for just a simple lunch of calamari, chips and salad which just hit the spot.  It was so lovely down by the sea although it was everso slightly choppy!!!  We sent Mike a message just to show him where we were and then we sent one to our friends Carole and Paul who have spent many a holiday here and we passed on their best wishes to the owner who was there and who sent his good wishes back.

Whilst I had been out this morning John had been busy.  He had decided to turn the bread mould into a light fitting above our dining room and although he had asked Rob for a hand did his usual trick and struggled on and did it himself.  It is not the finished article - he has used the existing lamp to provide the electric until he can find a permanent solution and we would also like to have the larger old fashioned Edison lightbulbs to make a real feature of it.  So this is it in daylight.

This is the light when it is on and I LOVE IT even if it is only up temporarily at the moment.

I am so grateful that John had the vision he had for that board because I just think it is beautiful and it fits in so well with our dining area.  Our little house makes Winter such a pleasant time of year because it wraps us up in a big fat blanket of warmth and we love it.  We can't do minimalistic although we would like to be a bit better about not hoarding stuff but you can bet your bottom dollar that if we throw something away we need it the following week!

I did my good deed for the day today when I answered an emergency phonecall from David and Edda's grandson.  He and Edda were at Paphos Airport awaiting the arrival of Edda's daughter when David senior had rung, confined to his wheelchair, to say that the temperature had dropped and he was freezing but couldn't reach anything other than the gas ring on the cooker hob to keep warm and after his nasty accident being cold wasn't good.  So I raced up and located a radiator which could be wheeled in and got that going and picked up a duvet for him, had a chat and left when I was absolutely sure he was going to be ok.

The temperatures are beginning to plummet at night now and we were walking down to the Hotel to have a drink before it closes on Wednesday for a refurb and it makes it very difficult to work out what to wear.  The temperature in the conservatory seems to be holding steady so we are hoping that the money we spent on the triplex will have made the difference we were hoping for.  I opted for jeans - it seemed sensible and I was grateful on the way home that I had something on which was warming!

So we met up with Rob and Di for a final drink with the hotel as we know it.  We were practically the only people there - definitely the only ones in the bar and lounge save for the lovely Virginia who was looking after us.  Apparently Mr and Mrs Veasey left a bit squiffy and after the walk home in the cold air John showed signs of some social confusion I have to say!!!

So goodbye Droushia Heights as we have known you for the past nearly six years and don't stay closed for too long and don't change too much!