woah forgot to post this yesterday!!!!

We had a bit of rain overnight but the day started clear and bright and sunny.  John had some errands he wanted to run including trying to get hold of Bassam but two visits to the 'Orexi Castle' were fruitless.  Whilst he was out and about I decided to tackle taking down the large clock vine even though it is still flowering.  More rain is forecast tomorrow night and if that plant gets sodden it will be a nightmare to deal with - the smaller one out the back will be easy and currently it looks beautiful so that one will stay as is for the time being.

I started up on the roof terrace where this year the vine has gone along two sides of the railings.  It was lovely and warm up there and the view spectacular - so clear across to the coast in one direction and across to the Trodos in the other.  From here you can watch the world go by.  I noticed that some other kind soul had stopped outside Andreas's villa where the little hunting dog has made its home and it looked like they were giving her some food.  I am sure she is pregnant and if so it will have been the result of that scabby old Alsation sniffing around.

Whilst clipping back the vine I disturbed a Praying Mantis.  I can't remember whether these disappear during the winter months or whether we just don't see them because we are indoors more.  Anyway this one didn't get scooped up with the garden waste - I put it on the privacy panel and let it go about its business undisturbed.  I hadn't reckoned on Miss Minnie finding it later on and using it as a play thing.  We realised she had something because she was running around like a mad thing on the glass roof of the conservatory.  Initially we though she had a flower or a feather but when John went out to investigate he could see it was something living but not sure what.   He managed to get his pool net and get it away from Minnie and down to safety.  It wasn't until we had a good look inside the net that we realised we had one very angry Praying Mantis inside - in full pissed off mode with all its coloured wings on show and waving its front legs in a very aggressive looking stance.  Saved once again it fled to the safety of one of the Solanums - living to fight another day.

Some of the passion flower in Wendy and Bill corner got a haircut whilst I was at it.  We were going to take the gazebo cover down and save it for another year until we realised that it was only hanging on by the skin of its teeth anyway so we left it there - the wind will see it off in due course.  The garden doesn't actually look too bad because the recent rains have nudged it back into life so some of the tired looking plants have greened up or put on new growth, this also means that the weeds are making a return though so every day whilst it is dry I try and go out and deal with a patch although sometimes they are easier to pull up when they get a bit bigger.

We were on a bit of a roll by early afternoon so decided to get the rugs out and put them down in the conservatory.  We are still in shorts and t-shirt but appreciate that others might not find it so warm and the tiled floor in there can look and feel a bit chilly.  It does make it feel cosier and we need the rugs to flatten out before Mum comes on Sunday otherwise she will be going arse over tip if she isn't careful and we don't want that.

During the day the conservatory is a lovely place to be - it is light and it is warm and when we are at home the cats like to be near us so generally Charlie will be on his throw upside down on the sofa or wedged into his basket and Boris will be in his basket under the table or on the birthing chair.  Chivers and Minnie tend to snuggle down on the bed!!

I was out this evening.  It was the Droushia Ladies Lunch Christmas meal - not a lunch but an evening 'do' at Finikas in the village.  Sheila took over from me organising these events several years ago and this, she decided, was to be her swan song - she is hanging up her Ladies Lunch gloves and bowing out in a blaze of glory!!

John very kindly dropped Di, Judi and I off at the edge of the roadworks so we could pick our way carefully up to the venue.  At this time of year tavernas can be cold so we were dressed for this but I have to say Philippos had his little fire roaring and it was toasty warm inside - made even toastier by a welcome drink of Klaus's homemade mulled wine which went down a treat.

There were not quite so many ladies tonight as there had been last year but it was a fun evening.  We had all taken a little 'secret Santa' gift which Sheila distributed at the end of the evening and bless Andri, she had made a gift for every lady to take away with them.  She must have seen the same snowman picture as I had on the internet because I made my Christmas Cards this year and used the very same design!!!  How sweet of her - we all had a pair of gloves and inside the snowman was a bar of white chocolate - I have no idea how or when she finds the time as she works in a school and has her own family when she isn't helping with her two yia-yias

There was so much food to eat that I was stuffed even before the turkey came out.  There was the beautiful rocket salad with cheese and pomegranate we had last year and a ring of jewelled pilafi which was delicious and then came gammon with a sauce (which none of us recognised but which was lovely) hot cheese pies and Andri's famous quiche.

Philippos was keen to get a photograph of him presenting us with the turkey.  My only observation regarding the main part of the meal was that the beautiful pyramid of vegetables was on the table when we arrived and remained there throughout which meant that they were, in true Cypriot style, cold which is a bit odd to us Brits!!  The meal was topped off with massive slabs of cheesecake.  Lucie had organised a thank you gift of a voucher for the Farmyard for Sheila - which is great because both Sheila and Klaus have their birthdays in December and I know they like a bit of Chinese so they could use it for that.

Big thanks Sheila for all your hard work - we shall no doubt organise some get togethers next year but in smaller groups on an unofficial basis which will save all the headaches of trying to please everyone which never happens!!