Wood!

We are cooking - it is very hot at the moment but we are coping quite well at night without aircon so it can't be that bad because this time last year we relented and had aircon installed!!!

First thing this morning we went down to see if Kenny was ready having been to the menders.  We use Andreas down the hill - he is the husband of our Mukhtar's clerk Marianna and although Andreas speaks a little English and John next to no Greek with the help of Google Translate and wild gesticulations and sound effects they seem to understand one another - just.  Anyway somewhat surprisingly it would appear I had to have a new radiator which I was not expecting but Andreas showed John the fault so we could not argue, he also proudly displayed two of my shot engine mounts and declared the oil leak to be 'better'.  The proof of the pudding is in the eating or in this case the driving so I took Ken back home having parted with probably a third of the value of the car had we been trading it in.  C'est la vie and all that, I now feel much happier about loaning it to Uncle Stan when he comes and if Uncle Stan is a good boy Ken may even get a wash beforehand.

As the temperatures began to cool a little we borrowed Richard's trusty old truck and went across to Arodes where Marianne and Jeff had had part of a eucalyptus tree taken down and offered us the wood as they do not have a wood burner.  It had been lying out in the sun so was good and dry.  They had sent a picture but that gave us no idea of the size of the load and John only just managed to get it into the truck.  We were so grateful to Marianne and Jeff and have agreed that one night in the winter when we are burning they are to come round for a meal and to get the benefit.  Hopefully by then Jeff will be feeling better as they think his recent ill-health is long-covid and it is taking its toll.

My fantabulous large leaved goosefoot plant which came as a cutting from Sonia a few weeks ago is thriving in the conservatory in its rescued pot.  It is not in full sun which Sonia said to avoid.  The little wooden carved toadstools were a recent purchase in aid of the local Polis pound and which Ross from the village kindly brought up today so I didn't have to go down to Polis to collect them.   I love them - they look really sweet.

It was a hot and sticky evening.  I made some chicken satay to go with our leftover chili beef and noodles and then sat out in the cool of the evening under the gazebo and got in touch with my bestie Haze.  I am so disappointed that she will not be out again this year but look forward to her visiting next year hopefully.  I fully understand her reticence about travel as she had to self isolate for so long with her emphysema.  We never struggle to find things to chat about but then I have known her for nearly 50 years and we had such fun together as 20-somethings in Yeovil.  She is a breath of fresh air and has me laughing all the time and more importantly I am about to run out of my favourite lipstick and she has the replacement!!!