We have come to the end of 2018 and I, for one, am quite glad to see the back of it. We, and many friends, have good reason to say a firm goodbye to this year and hope that 2019 will be better and we were lucky that today, unlike so many days previously, saw some sunshine to brighten our day and warm our bones.
New Year's Eve - not a day that I like at the best of times, but this year even less so. I think we had already decided that we would probably not see midnight but we just wanted to try and make this as good a day as we could. Fortunately we had been invited down into the village to have tea and cakes with Melanie and Simon (who used to live behind Mum and Dad in Emba) so we walked down to their house and we were followed on our journey by the little puppy who now lives where Bella used to, in fact there were three puppies there at one point (a couple of weeks' ago) but now there is only this one left. It will probably go the same way as Bella as it seems to have no road sense whatsoever which is a shame as it is rather cute.
When we arrived at the Rogers' house Jasmine and Frances were busy doing artistic stuff with a little help from John!!! We do feel rather privileged to have known these two all their lives and to have watched them grow into lovely little girls. It is amazing to see the change in Jasmine this year - the has grown taller and slimmer and is quite the little lady!!
Bless Simon and Melanie, they provided us with a culinary journey around the world in 80 cakes - not quite but that is what it seemed with honey cakes from Cyprus and mince pies from Cornwall and Madeline's from Paris and Chinese Five Spice flavoured macaroons from Germany! Actually the macaroons were absolutely delicious!
We sat around the lovely wood fire catching up. Simon actually went to the same school as Dad although many years apart and recently did a run on the Roseland Peninsula and took a photograph when he got to the memorial bench at East Portholland so we could see the plaque in his memory and also that of my brother in law Richard and since then another has been added in memory of my uncle, dad's brother Doug who lived the majority of his life in Canada.
So here are Simon's Angels - the irrepressible Miss Frances, Mum Melanie and oldest daughter Miss Jasmine! Such a lovely family and it so amazing how our lives have entwined! Simon was brought up at a tiny place called Gorran Haven which is next to Portholland where Dad was brought up and Simon went to the same school as Dad as I said before. Then Mum and Dad moved over here 30 odd years ago and their friend and neighbour was Eileen. Eileen's daughter Hilary and her husband Keith played in a band and used to be invited over to play here in Cyprus and they knew Simon and Melanie and Big Dave from the Droushia Dixie Seven. Simon and Melanie lived behind Mum and Dad in Lakoudia street and had just bought a house in Droushia! Are you with me? maybe not but just rest assured that we have connections!
We had a very pleasant walk home, the weather was much more like what we would be used to in December. There were some fabulous cloud formations as we passed by the Scrimmers.
It was my plan that we should have a light lunch today as we were eating this evening. I had made some soup and that was what we were to have - sweet potato, butternut squash and ginger. This seemed to go down well and set us up for the afternoon which was spent lazily trying to do that bloody jigsaw which has been proving a bit of a trial!
Our main meal this evening was some slow cooked barbeque beef ribs which I served with wedges and coleslaw - a bit of an American feel to our evening but this was not intentional.
I think everyone enjoyed the meal - the ribs were delicious, melt in the mouth and falling off the bone and this set us up nicely for the film I had chosen to taken us into the New Year or at least as close as any of us could manage. Tonight we watched the British Comedy Swimming with Men which was about a men's synchronised swimming team and which started Rob Brydon. It was gentle and amusing and once finished saw Mum turn in and then me shortly afterwards. We had not made it to midnight but I don't think any of us were surprised! I think John nearly made it but cannot be sure as I was well away with the fairies by the time he came to bed.
New Year's Eve - not a day that I like at the best of times, but this year even less so. I think we had already decided that we would probably not see midnight but we just wanted to try and make this as good a day as we could. Fortunately we had been invited down into the village to have tea and cakes with Melanie and Simon (who used to live behind Mum and Dad in Emba) so we walked down to their house and we were followed on our journey by the little puppy who now lives where Bella used to, in fact there were three puppies there at one point (a couple of weeks' ago) but now there is only this one left. It will probably go the same way as Bella as it seems to have no road sense whatsoever which is a shame as it is rather cute.
When we arrived at the Rogers' house Jasmine and Frances were busy doing artistic stuff with a little help from John!!! We do feel rather privileged to have known these two all their lives and to have watched them grow into lovely little girls. It is amazing to see the change in Jasmine this year - the has grown taller and slimmer and is quite the little lady!!
Bless Simon and Melanie, they provided us with a culinary journey around the world in 80 cakes - not quite but that is what it seemed with honey cakes from Cyprus and mince pies from Cornwall and Madeline's from Paris and Chinese Five Spice flavoured macaroons from Germany! Actually the macaroons were absolutely delicious!
We sat around the lovely wood fire catching up. Simon actually went to the same school as Dad although many years apart and recently did a run on the Roseland Peninsula and took a photograph when he got to the memorial bench at East Portholland so we could see the plaque in his memory and also that of my brother in law Richard and since then another has been added in memory of my uncle, dad's brother Doug who lived the majority of his life in Canada.
So here are Simon's Angels - the irrepressible Miss Frances, Mum Melanie and oldest daughter Miss Jasmine! Such a lovely family and it so amazing how our lives have entwined! Simon was brought up at a tiny place called Gorran Haven which is next to Portholland where Dad was brought up and Simon went to the same school as Dad as I said before. Then Mum and Dad moved over here 30 odd years ago and their friend and neighbour was Eileen. Eileen's daughter Hilary and her husband Keith played in a band and used to be invited over to play here in Cyprus and they knew Simon and Melanie and Big Dave from the Droushia Dixie Seven. Simon and Melanie lived behind Mum and Dad in Lakoudia street and had just bought a house in Droushia! Are you with me? maybe not but just rest assured that we have connections!
We had a very pleasant walk home, the weather was much more like what we would be used to in December. There were some fabulous cloud formations as we passed by the Scrimmers.It was my plan that we should have a light lunch today as we were eating this evening. I had made some soup and that was what we were to have - sweet potato, butternut squash and ginger. This seemed to go down well and set us up for the afternoon which was spent lazily trying to do that bloody jigsaw which has been proving a bit of a trial!
Our main meal this evening was some slow cooked barbeque beef ribs which I served with wedges and coleslaw - a bit of an American feel to our evening but this was not intentional.
I think everyone enjoyed the meal - the ribs were delicious, melt in the mouth and falling off the bone and this set us up nicely for the film I had chosen to taken us into the New Year or at least as close as any of us could manage. Tonight we watched the British Comedy Swimming with Men which was about a men's synchronised swimming team and which started Rob Brydon. It was gentle and amusing and once finished saw Mum turn in and then me shortly afterwards. We had not made it to midnight but I don't think any of us were surprised! I think John nearly made it but cannot be sure as I was well away with the fairies by the time he came to bed.
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