A new week and some sunshine...

It is the beginning of a new week and I am pleased to report that Sheila was feeling well enough to give art a try as she has been suffering badly with her back.  It was bright, dry and warm enough to walk - I tried to get the mountains behind me in the picture but failed.  You can see snow on the peaks of the Troodos but the roads all seem to be open again so anyone wanting to see it first hand should be able to make the journey quite easily.  

It is very green everywhere and I have seen that some people have been able to harvest wild asparagus already - this is early we usually have it around our way in February - I remember one year when Laura came out on her own we picked some and then cooked it fresh with eggs for her breakfast.  I saw no-one on my walk but noticed that the horse has been moved and it now enjoying the grass as the back of Steve Peyiotis's family house.

I had to be careful not be followed on my travels by the little puppy which lives at the house where Bella used to live - this little one looks just like her and is equally as stupid when it comes to following people and cars so I worry that it will not be too long before she/he is involved in an accident.  I hope not and wonder what happened to the two other puppies I saw there a couple of months back as it appears there is now only this one remaining.

It was really good to get back to my picture and it is amazing how much it has faded since I last worked on it which was before Christmas.  I completed the little selection of nuts in the bottom left and started on the main pomegranate.  Sheila is working on a picture of a lion.  She managed pretty well sitting for a couple of hours so hopefully the physio she is having with Marios down in Polis is doing its stuff.

John came to pick me up.  I had visited Dad's grave before going to Sheila's and John had been before picking me up.  I am going with Mum on Wednesday to make decisions about the headstone and surround.  It is the last good thing I can do for Dad - make sure he is tucked up neat and tidy.  We have been for a good look around the cemetery to get ideas and ultimately it will be the final resting place for Mum, John and me so we want to get it right and something we can all agree on.

Whatever happens I want to make sure that the original plant which is in the middle is rescued and found a home in our garden.  It has valiantly flowered from the minute we put it there and is flowering now after all the awful weather we have just had.

I know this will be an emotional thing to get organised but we are approaching the first anniversary and it would be nice to know that we have got something sorted even though it is unlikely to be completed by that date.  Apparently it takes six weeks from the time the design is agreed and the deposit paid and that is, of course, weather permitting.

Back at home the house felt toasty warm having enjoyed some good spells of sunshine.  Chivers and Boris were making the most of things enjoying the rays coming through the partially open shutters to our bedroom.

John had been super busy - he has removed the curtain poles and started to fill in the holes and freshen up the paint.  The only trouble is that you cannot do just patches of painting because then it makes the bits you haven't done look grubby.  We think the house looks bare without the curtains so we will more than likely be getting some new ones to put up once the new blinds are in situ.  The quote came today - it is a little confusing so we will need some clarification before we can pay the deposit and get the ball rolling.