A whole year without Dad...

Regular readers will know that my blog is a couple of weeks' behind real time - this is done for good reason - that way if I say we are going to be out or friends are away it has already happened so any burglars reading this will be misinformed. 

Anyway the point to this is that today (not now when you are reading but today, 25th February) is a very significant day for our family.  Somewhat overshadowing the fact that it is Jack's birthday (4 this year) it is sadly the first anniversary of Dad's passing.  I cannot believe that a year has passed already although sometimes it seems like that fateful day was a lifetime ago.  We had asked Mum to come up and spend the day with us so that we could go to the cemetery together before going down to Latchi for some lunch.  Dad loved Latchi so it was a good choice for the day. 

We are in the process of sorting out the permanent surround and headstone for the grave which will include an integral trough for plants or flowers so we shall take advantage of the money my sister sent and from John's mum to place flowers there when it is complete.  In the meantime we used some of the money that Anne and Mick left when they were last here to put a beautiful geranium in place of the chrysanthemum which I will bring home and nurture.  Later in the day Di and Rob very kindly visited Dad and left a beautiful plant for which many many thanks - I will go and remove the pretty paper and take the bottom out of the pot and that way it should last a lot longer.

We were treated to some sunshine today thank goodness as it would not have been very pleasant at the cemetery if it had been raining.  We managed a little walk around the harbour not realising that it was considerably more sheltered there than back where the restaurants are located.  As I said Dad loved Latchi - he thought it was nicer than Paphos Harbour and we never had to do much persuading to get him to come down here for a walk.

We cannot change the situation so we try and make the best of things and ensure that Mum is happy although we cannot be with her 24 hours a day, nor I am guessing would she want us to be!!!  We had a pleasant little walk and then headed back for Molos where we thought it would be nice to sit outside and watch the world go by.

Well that is where we started but John had forgotten his sunglasses so wandered off to see if any of the shops were open and in the meantime the wind got up and it was very cool and breezy so we gave Mum the choice and she decided it would be more comfortable to sit and eat indoors and I have to agree because otherwise your food does get cold a bit too quickly.  Anyway indoors we went and we had a nice lunch - nothing too fancy, Mum went for fish and chips and John and I had the steak baguette before we decided to make our way back home.  The call of my banana cake and a cuppa was stronger than a visit to the Droushia Heights so that is what we did - returned home and got stuck into the cake.

Mum set off home late afternoon - today at least she would be travelling in dry conditions.  When she got back home she was greeted with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Jane and John we were with us this time last year and were the first people we called to help Mum when Dad collapsed and we were racing down from Droushia.  It was lovely of them to remember her in this way as they will be with us the day after tomorrow.

Mum also got a nice surprise this evening when my sister phoned to say she would be coming out for a week in April to stay with her.  She will overlap with Aunty Joyce and Uncle David by one day but that will be fine as Mum can put her up on the sofa bed for that one night.

I am pleased that actually today was not as bad as I thought it might have been and before we retired for bed John and I raised a glass of Dad's favourite red wine in his memory.  Dad, you will be pleased to know that we are single handedly trying to ensure that Vasillikon's profits remain healthy.