Birthdays and Brexit

Normally I would go down to Paphos to do some admin and shopping and then call in and see Mum but we are having a family lunch together on Friday to mark the anniversary of my dad's passing - on the same day it is also her great grandson Jack's birthday.  

Today was John's Mum's birthday and my nephew (mum's grandson) Michael's birthday.  It is intriguing how many of us share our birthday with someone else we are close to.  I share my birthday with Lakis and John shared his birthday with Dad, it is intriguing but actually not that rare apparently...

...The birthday paradox, also known as the birthday problem, states that in a random group of 23 people, there is about a 50 percent chance that two people have the same birthday.

So today we did still go down to Paphos to sort out a few things and decided to treat ourselves to a breakfast en route which we did at Arabica opposite the new Atlantica Mare Hotel.  This may be the last one I have for a while because fried foods is something I need to avoid along with spicy food, alcohol, tomato and tomato based products, chocolate and coffee to name but a few.  Tonight I will be trying to sleep propped up if I can manage it.

We did all the things that we needed to do - not least get some cat food for Charlie at a price which does not necessitate us selling a kidney.  The prices here are going bonkers - thank god that after 12 years on the same money John's pension will increase later this year although the change in the taxation rules means that once it reverts to being taxed at source he will end up losing most of his increase as he will no longer be able to take advantage of Cyprus's more generous tax regime.  

The weather was so much nicer than we had expected.  It was glorious and really warm in the sunshine so when we got home late morning we sat outside to have coffee - I was in jeans and it was actually too warm!!!  We needed to make the most of it because the forecast is dreadful.  I really should have got washing out today but my ancient washing machine has such a long cycle that it would have been early afternoon before it had completed and by then there wouldn't be enough time to get things dry.  I am not holding out any hope that I will be able to do it tomorrow.  

You may be wondering what the pots are on the table - these are nine of the hosta roots which Ellen brought for me.  Three of them are in pots on the floor because they have already started to sprout quite healthily and now the ones on the table are following suit.  Currently we have just three not showing any signs of life but the two which I already had in the garden are pretty dormant too.  Fingers crossed all of them will be successful.

We were catching up with Marianne and Jeff this evening - we have been trying to do so for about 6 months but circumstances have conspired against us.  Jeff is on the case of the withdrawal of the Winter Fuel Allowance and if anyone can sort it then he is your man.  He told us that the case is still open and ongoing and he has not given up hope that there will be some recompense - we admire his optimism and enthusiasm but are not sure that we will get anything positive out of our complaint!

Interestingly Marianne's birthday is Friday - the same day as Jack's!