I can reach...

With thanks to Liselotte for doing another order from Ikea because that meant that my new kitchen step arrived and I defy John to stand on this and break it like he has done my two other folding ones.

The folding ones were great and easier to store but I thought that this would be more a piece of furniture.  It arrived flat packed and is made of beech but we wanted to stain it to match the rest of our wood.  This was to be our job for the morning and it was a pretty quick and painless affair and now I can reach the things I need to reach!!!  Fair play to Ikea - all the bits were there and they even provided a neat little handle for the alan key so you didn't hurt your hand whilst assembling.

I was planning an hour or so in the garden and the weather was cooler today which was great and meant I could do what I wanted.

The memorial rose we have for Hadge is back in flower after a brief respite and a little haircut - it certainly likes its new position and this morning there were 13 flowers in bloom and loads of buds waiting.  It hasn't suffered from greenfly either this year which it normally does which is good news.

We also managed to get to the cemetery today and give Dad's little plants a drink.  I am pleased that they are also surviving and have been flowering now for quite some time and there is fresh growth and new buds.

This week's challenge is "Something from my Childhood" and I have done a couple of photographs and thought I would have a go at a painting as I have a couple of small canvasses to get rid of and some old watercolour paint to finish up before I replenish stocks (if I am going to).  It'll do as an entry to bolster the numbers!



After going to the cemetery we went up to the village to check the post - John's Mum, Jacky and Stan have sent Di cards for her birthday - in plenty of time but sadly they haven't arrived yet so I will have to write a substitute one until they do.  Work continues on the cobbles and they are slowly coming down the main drag - they are just at the entrance to the Post Office and you have to be careful to pick your way through so as not to disturb the more recently laid stones.

You have to feel for the residents and the businesses along this stretch for the disruption they have endured over such a long period of time.

It is certainly going to look lovely when it is finished and we just hope that they will all have survived and then will thrive when people hopefully flock to come and see the village in all its glory and patronise the bars and tavernas.  Unfortunately we cannot do it single handed!!!  Anyway we did see a few wandering up to Stathmos this evening - it is Lush's birthday today so know she will be having a celebration.

I was not cooking this evening - we had decided to have a takeaway of fish and chips from Fitos.  It came with a lovely box of fresh salad although I really only want chips with my fish!

Charlie, who is looking somewhat more svelte due to the heat, likes to come and sit at the table to see what is on offer - this is a bit annoying and we do try and deter him.  It is worse when he decides to come and sit directly behind you sharing your seat.

He was less than impressed by the box of salad although as he was a good boy and got down he did benefit from a bit of leftover fish later on.

We had takeaway because tonight the Mighty Blades were playing footie so we had tea and settled down for the match which took until time added on for SUFC to secure a win - John was a happy bunny and if John is a happy bunny then I am a happy bunny.

The cooler weather today was great as it was much more pleasant come bed-time.