What is our new normal?

As we near the end of August it is clear that we are some way from having established our 'new normal'.  Recently we have been looking into the possibility of recommencing pickleball but during the hiatus both Tom and Mum decided to hang up their paddles.  Liz, after the unexpected death of her partner John just before lockdown, has now decided to return to Scotland for the majority of her time so will only be around to play if and when she is over on holiday.  Mum was by far the longest serving member but both Tom and Liz had played a long time too.  As things stand we may well struggle to have enough people to play so that we cover the rent so the club, which has been in existence in one form or another for over 20 years, may cease to exist.

I have also made a decision that, on the tenth anniversary of this here blog, which will be sometime in February next year, if things haven't changed too much I will call it a day as I struggle sometimes to find anything of interest to write about.  Procedures for people wanting to move over and settle will change after 31st December this year when the UK ceases to be part of the EU so any information regarding our move would be out of date and we are getting older, less interesting and, currently, less likely to go out anywhere to report back.  We shall see but I think that is what I will do.

Back to today we were thrilled to see that Marky-Mark had come out of hospital and was back in Droushia.  Not only that, he was up and about and happy to have some visitors so we went over to get a report on his lengthy and rather dangerous operation.  It was amazing to see him looking so chirpy after what must have been a very harrowing experience.  Medical science is pretty fabulous that all that work on his heart was done through key-hole surgery going up through an artery in his arm!!!  Anyway we wish him all the best for a speedy recovery.

This evening we had been invited round to our neighbours for supper.  Not just any old supper but Argy's legendary roast lamb with Cyprus potatoes. 

It made for a nice change to get a little dressed up and sit in the cool of the Memorial Garden to have a little drinkie before walking over.

The beauty of going to 2b is that we know that not only did they test negative with their NHS tests but they also tested negative with their test on arrival and have been next to nowhere ever since - not least because Mum, Kia is 92 so we have no worries about being in their company and we know that both Nicky and Marky-Mark had negative tests prior to his surgery.

We had a little pre-dinner drink sampling my new bottle of Gin (a 60th Birthday present from Kia).  It was a bottle of Bloom which I don't think I have tasted before and was nice, smooth and aromatic and helped to cool us down on what had been another very hot day - weather warnings are out for tomorrow too.

We had a fabulous meal - the lamb was beautiful, tender and without that strange strong smell and taste some local lamb can have.  The potatoes were to die for and I had veggies with mine (sweetcorn, carrot and mange-tout) whilst John opted for salad. 

It was a warm and balmy evening.  Lakis had rigged the TV up so that the boys could sit at the end and watch the Charity Shield - Arsenal won on penalties!!!