A day with Mum

I popped to see Sonia the other day and she very kindly gave me a cutting from her magnificent Goosefoot Plant which I have long admired.

I temporarily put it in a plastic flowerpot but had a bit of a find yesterday.  Someone had discarded a rather nice brown pot which they had been using as a paint-pot.  I managed to remove the crusty paintbrush which was stuck to it and took the view that this was one bit of rubbish removed from the countryside.

I have potted it up - I hope the plant survives - it did come with a little aerial root so I am hopeful.  I know it doesn't like direct sunlight so I have found somewhere where it gets a bit of shade and some indirect light.  Hopefully this should make the leaves a good colour.

I forgot to mention yesterday that our lovely new neighbours brought us a box of Vasilikon wine as a thank-you.  Oh how well they know us after such a short time!  Anyway thanks Jan and Derek we shall raise a glass of vino to you whilst you are in the UK and then look forward to your return.

We had given Mum a choice this week (sorry not sure why the photograph is out of focus - think I just took it too quickly knowing she isn't too keen to be papped).  Her choice was to come today, Sunday and have a full roast dinner with us or to come tomorrow when it is Bank Holiday on the island and have a barbeque as I had bought some special kebabs from Shuks which I thought she might enjoy.  She plumped for a full roast.  We had a piece of brisket in the freezer and I was a brave bunny and got out the Instant Pot to cook it in that.  John had made proper Yorkshire puddings and we had roast potatoes with carrots and peas.  Bless John he had also made his lemon yoghurt pudding with extra lemon to give it a sharp zing as Mum doesn't like sweet things.  I know that Nicky uses her Instant Pot all the time and is very proficient with it but I still hang on to my old pressure cooker and slow cookers so it is all a bit of a voyage of discovery.  I have to say the brisket was amazing, very moist and very tasty with enough left over for Mum to take some for sandwiches and enough for us to have a meal tomorrow evening.

There was a lot of sport on today including day three of the Test Match between England and New Zealand.  As you can see Charlie is enthralled!!!.  He really doesn't know what he was missing as the England Batsmen edged nearer the NZ first innings total after a shaky start.  Charlie has made friends with Derek next door so is probably tired out having been super cute next door!  He is going to miss them later this week when they have gone back to the UK.

Nicky and Mark called round for a catch up before having their meal.  We haven't really seen much of them recently as they have both been quite poorly with suspected food poisoning. 

I also managed to catch up with Hazel back in the UK.  She was on good form and looking forward to coming out to visit us next year all things being equal.  She was laughing because she still has my 60th birthday present to bring out - I had almost forgotten about it!

Not too late a night for us.  John has to make sure he is up and about to let Martyn the bathroom fitter into George and Pam's as that part of their refurbishment starts tomorrow.  I hope that he hasn't forgotten it is a Bank Holiday or realises but is coming anyway.