We reach a New Year - 2019 and to be honest we and many friends and family have good reason to feel happy that 2018 is behind us. We woke to a thunderstorm and hail - this is not a good start particularly as we were due out for lunch at the Farmyard in Kathikas which we have done for the past 4 years or so. In fact we have been going out for New Year's Day rather than going out for New Year for some time - it started initially when Annie Ramsden moved to Argaka and wanted to raise a bit of money and have some company so hosted a small intimate seven course lunch at her home - we had a couple of really lovely lunches there before she moved back to Wales to be nearer her son and grandson. We have subsequently lost touch but I do hope all is well with her - she was a lovely lady.
Actually the storm gods were kind to us because as we set off for our lunch there was some light cloud and blue skies and a little sunshine so it was much more pleasant than we had anticipated and meant we managed to get to the car without getting soaked. In spite of all the food we have been eating we were still feeling peckish and for me it was to be a meal I hadn't had to prepare and cook so I was doubly excited!
The view from the Farmyard gives an idea of the weather conditions around and about - the cloud was so low over towards Akourdaleia it looked like it was sitting like snow. The forecast for the next week is awful for here - wet and stormy. We arrived early at the Farmyard - no surprise there - in fact we were the first but we didn't mind particularly as we had been allocated a table near a heater so Mum was toasty warm and we settled with a drink and chatted with Rachel, Valentina and Donna.
We don't appear very often together in a photograph - so just to prove that we were both there here is about the best selfie I could manage! Being first has its advantages as we were called for our starters in pole position which meant we had plenty of time to let it settle before doing the carvery full justice. The soup was mushroom and Mum doesn't eat mushrooms nor would she tackle the salad bar so the chefs had kindly made her a gallon of veg soup instead! John had the salad and I had the soup - the was lovely - tasty and peppery and warm and comforting.
The carvery was exceptionally good today - John and I thought it was probably the best Sunday roast we have had out for a very long time if not ever. There is so much to choose from that we have now learned our lessons and do not over face ourselves. I just had beef and lamb and a sliver of pork with a mahousive yorkshire, roast and mashed potatoes, carrots, peas and baby corn with a couple of pigs in blankets on the side. Afterwards I had a teeny bit of red velvet cake and some of Savvas's famous bread and butter pudding.
We had paid for our meal some time ago so our bill when it came was only for drinks so we treated ourselves to a bottle of gin - Savvas and Rachel also run the Gin Palace in Kathikas so have a fabulous range of gins to chose from but this is a particular favourite and we got it at a good price.
We plan to have our own little gin night and I just need to get our chubby gin glasses here because it just might get messy and we have two beautiful gin glasses but they are on a super fine stem and were a gift for John's 50th birthday and I am such a clumsy person that I just know in advance what is likely to happen and John wouldn't be very happy with me, those glasses only come out on special occasions and under strict supervision - and I must have been deemed compos mentis enough this evening to be trusted with one.
Once home we settled down for the afternoon - space on the sofa was at a premium as Boris was doing his superman impression. For some reason he took a bit of a dislike to mum which is a bit of a shame - he couldn't settle on her lap the other evening and managed to scratch her as he slid down her legs and her skin is so thin that he drew blood and lots of it.
Mum and I continued with the jigsaw whilst John enjoyed another brilliant Blades performance and a 3-0 win which put them up into third place. I think the emotion of the occasion got to him as we had a rather interesting final cards session. There was a little social confusion at the scorecard and in the end I took on the role of scorer.
This was to be our final evening of challenges and Mum had bought prizes - we all got one but she had chosen them carefully for each of us - I decided that the wine would probably be best put in a safe place as seemingly enough had been consumed today!!!!
We are now at the end of the 'Festive Season' - it may not have been the one which we would have been anticipating this time last year but I hope that Mum will have been able to relax and 'enjoy' what she could. I am now going on strike - Sunday we are going out for lunch - woo hoo!!!
So Happy New Year everyone - may 2019 be kind to you and may it bring you everything you wish for.
Actually the storm gods were kind to us because as we set off for our lunch there was some light cloud and blue skies and a little sunshine so it was much more pleasant than we had anticipated and meant we managed to get to the car without getting soaked. In spite of all the food we have been eating we were still feeling peckish and for me it was to be a meal I hadn't had to prepare and cook so I was doubly excited!
The view from the Farmyard gives an idea of the weather conditions around and about - the cloud was so low over towards Akourdaleia it looked like it was sitting like snow. The forecast for the next week is awful for here - wet and stormy. We arrived early at the Farmyard - no surprise there - in fact we were the first but we didn't mind particularly as we had been allocated a table near a heater so Mum was toasty warm and we settled with a drink and chatted with Rachel, Valentina and Donna.
We don't appear very often together in a photograph - so just to prove that we were both there here is about the best selfie I could manage! Being first has its advantages as we were called for our starters in pole position which meant we had plenty of time to let it settle before doing the carvery full justice. The soup was mushroom and Mum doesn't eat mushrooms nor would she tackle the salad bar so the chefs had kindly made her a gallon of veg soup instead! John had the salad and I had the soup - the was lovely - tasty and peppery and warm and comforting.
The carvery was exceptionally good today - John and I thought it was probably the best Sunday roast we have had out for a very long time if not ever. There is so much to choose from that we have now learned our lessons and do not over face ourselves. I just had beef and lamb and a sliver of pork with a mahousive yorkshire, roast and mashed potatoes, carrots, peas and baby corn with a couple of pigs in blankets on the side. Afterwards I had a teeny bit of red velvet cake and some of Savvas's famous bread and butter pudding.
We had paid for our meal some time ago so our bill when it came was only for drinks so we treated ourselves to a bottle of gin - Savvas and Rachel also run the Gin Palace in Kathikas so have a fabulous range of gins to chose from but this is a particular favourite and we got it at a good price.We plan to have our own little gin night and I just need to get our chubby gin glasses here because it just might get messy and we have two beautiful gin glasses but they are on a super fine stem and were a gift for John's 50th birthday and I am such a clumsy person that I just know in advance what is likely to happen and John wouldn't be very happy with me, those glasses only come out on special occasions and under strict supervision - and I must have been deemed compos mentis enough this evening to be trusted with one.
Once home we settled down for the afternoon - space on the sofa was at a premium as Boris was doing his superman impression. For some reason he took a bit of a dislike to mum which is a bit of a shame - he couldn't settle on her lap the other evening and managed to scratch her as he slid down her legs and her skin is so thin that he drew blood and lots of it.
Mum and I continued with the jigsaw whilst John enjoyed another brilliant Blades performance and a 3-0 win which put them up into third place. I think the emotion of the occasion got to him as we had a rather interesting final cards session. There was a little social confusion at the scorecard and in the end I took on the role of scorer.This was to be our final evening of challenges and Mum had bought prizes - we all got one but she had chosen them carefully for each of us - I decided that the wine would probably be best put in a safe place as seemingly enough had been consumed today!!!!
We are now at the end of the 'Festive Season' - it may not have been the one which we would have been anticipating this time last year but I hope that Mum will have been able to relax and 'enjoy' what she could. I am now going on strike - Sunday we are going out for lunch - woo hoo!!!
So Happy New Year everyone - may 2019 be kind to you and may it bring you everything you wish for.
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