Late swim!!

We cannot promise to recreate the challenge that we set ourselves in 2017 when we continued to the pool until the temperature dipped to a massive 10 degrees Celsius which is the equivalent to 50 degrees Fahrenheit - but we just might try!!!   It seemed like such a wheeze at the time - we were all jolly hockey sticks and stiff upper lip British "this will be a breeze!" until push came to shove but we did do it even though we were convinced that the thermometer had given up the ghost and was stuck.  In the intervening two years we have treated ourselves to a new thermometer which is gently shoved up an orifice in the duck.  Currently the temperature is hovering around 20 degrees and we are beginning to think that this too has got stuck as it does feel somewhat cooler than that - I mean to say 20 degrees is a balmy summers day in the UK.  Still we did go in today - John says it makes your skin feel fabulous afterwards and he is right, it does and he tells me it is good for my foot although I think he may be stretching the truth somewhat on that score.



It being Friday we were off down to Emba for pickleball.  Sadly I was not playing although I have managed to get my trainers on again today.  Diana, who did some impromptu break dancing on the front patio of her house several weeks ago and ended up smashing her little toe was also entering uncharted territory today by enclosing her feet in trainers.  On the subject of Di and the Bobster they will, on Sunday, be celebrating 35 years of married bliss and to that end I had made an anniversary card but wanted to get something nice for them.  We decided that we would call into the Gift Finder Shop next to Arabica to see if we could find something and after I suggested several items to John and he looked at me like I had grown an extra head and he suggested several items to me and I looked at him like he had grown an extra head we both agreed upon something which is a bit of a miracle as we have very different ideas!!  Anyway gift was purchased and nicely gift-wrapped which has saved me a job!!

We had sorted out a bag of items for the Charity Shop where Mum works - this is What's New Pussycat in Kissonerga which raises funds for Tala Monastery Cats. Mum said it had been very busy when she had worked there this week as they had, incredibly, taken over 200 euros that day - when you think that the vast majority of the items are around 50 cents to a euro maybe three euros max then they shifted a lot of stuff.

I am trying to go through our cupboards and drawers and get rid of things that we simply do not use.  It is a task somewhat like choosing a gift for Di and the Bobster as I suggest something and John looks at me like I have grown an extra head and he suggests something and I look at him like he has grown an extra head and normally we end up not agreeing on anything so my charity bag remains unfilled.

We didn't drop off much but we did manage to scrape together a carrier bag full (mainly because I failed to run it past John in the first place!!) and this would be a bag of stuff that they didn't have previously.  John was pretty chuffed to find a pressurised sprayer which he can use when he next waterproofs the walls and all for a massive 50 cents - and it works!!

Liselotte and John have visitors - in fact Liselotte was driving them back to Larnaca airport later today but in the meantime she was taking the girlies to see the Old Town and leaving John and Jens to play pickleball.  She had said to Jens that he would be fine as it would be fairly sedentary and he wouldn't break into a sweat.  Well let's just say Liselotte you couldn't have been more wrong and we got a bit worried at one point that poor Jens was going to overheat from all his exertions.  He did enjoy himself though and it was good to have an extra player to increase the numbers.

John and I made our way home via Paps bakery at the Tremithousa traffic lights where we had decided we would pick up our supper.  We purchased a rotisserie chicken, some potatoes and a portion of chick peas/black eyed beans in a tomato sauce.  Now I know my photo doesn't look that appetising but I stripped the chicken and put it in the slow cooker with the potatoes and the vegetables added a slug or two of wine, some cream and some lemon pickle and left it to heat through whilst John and I crazily went for our second swim of the day.  It was delicious - really delicious and John was pleased that there would be enough left for him to have on Sunday when Mum and I are having a girlie day together - we were going to be joined by Sue and Fran but a bereavement has meant that they are unable to come this weekend.

When we turned in for the night we left Mr Boo like this - legs akimbo catching flies.  Can somebody please explain what possesses him to then go out and get duffed up by the local bully boy tomcat???  Blooming heck his fur has still to grow back from his last encounter and we are three collars down - four if you include the one to stop him scratching his abscess.

No visible signs of bite marks but another scar on his nose and he was covered in poo so either he was ambushed whilst on the job or Bastard cat decided to teach him a lesson good and proper!

Poor Mr Boo is feeling very sorry for himself although not so sorry as his namesake the Prime Minister who lost his do or die vote today when usually parliament sat at the weekend.