Rain

Today saw Droushia's first real rain of the Autumn - typically as I had decided to wash in our bedding - fortunately I did not have it out at the line when we had a short sharp shower.  The garden needs it but we still have a host of visitors either here or coming to the island - they do not.  John's cousin Karen arrives tomorrow or Monday (not sure which) and then we heard today that our friend and musician Andy is planning to come next weekend with his partner.  Hilary and Keith are here - we are due to see Hilary briefly on Monday for a coffee - later on Jane and John are coming and then my sister who should be the last in 2022.

We were having a day at home just tootling about.  I busied myself getting our supper ready for later - a chili con carne which seemed to go well with the morning's weather and a sort of shepherd's pie thing for tomorrow when Mum is here.  

We then embarked on an ongoing project of sorting out cupboards and drawers in an attempt to scale down the amount of stuff we have 'just in case'  I am not exactly sure we got rid of anything much just simply moved it around!

Two of our neighbours (Das and Belinda) celebrate their birthdays this week so I spent a while making some cards.   I wanted to find something appropriate for Das and happened upon a picture of a Bazouki player which I thought was nice.  

You might remember seeing a video clip of Das at our wedding anniversary last year playing his Bazouki with Lakis serenading his wife Argy!  I popped the cards and a small gift over in readiness.  

I got John to get the sewing machine out because there were a couple of small jobs that have been sitting around for a while.  One was to make a replacement strap for Lakis's swimming pool cover and the other was to sew down the lining on a dress I bought the other week which I plan to wear on Monday when we hope to actually have our night away at the Almyra Hotel.  We have had to postpone this twice already!  Anyway we have half board so we will be having a meal in the evening and breakfast the following morning which will be a real treat for us.

I then went out into the garden for a while - little and often works for me!!!  I noticed that we have a small plant in the trough which is on the window ledge outside the 'downstairs' toilet was in flower.  It has never flowered before!  This is Tradescantia Sillamontana or cobweb spiderwort and it doesn't get a great deal of light where it is placed hence the leaves are a bit yellow.  I shall try and take a cutting of this so I can place one in a better location.

I next turned my attention to the poligala which is outside the kitchen window - when I was washing up I noticed that it was looking quite sick, lots of the leaves had fallen off leaving some bear twigs.  I don't remember it doing that in the past although the solanum have a bit of a 'shed' around this time every year and then buck their ideas up.

Anyway John has been suggesting we cut it back because it is beginning to block the light out of the kitchen window.  I couldn't see a way of doing that and keeping any sort of sensible shape so I decided to be brave and drastic and so halved it.

John came out to inspect and hadn't expected to see a skeleton but it has two chances and I reckon that now it is cooler and we have had a bit of rain that if it is going to survive it is as good a time as any - time will tell and if it doesn't then we will just have to replace it with something else!

John took himself off to watch the not so Mighty Blades put up a poor performance against Stoke - I couldn't be bothered to go through the trauma of watching them so continued out in the garden.

We are lucky to have really great Cypriot neighbours and today I had a text from Persephone to check if we were in as she had some homemade gifts for me.  I don't know who was more excited me or Charlie who loves 'Aunty' Persephone and so he dashed out down the path to await her arrival.  

Persephone had brought some homemade liqueur made from the leaves of the rose geranium that grows here along with dry red wine.  Now I never knew there was such a thing but apparently it is called Arbaroriza liqueur.  

She also brought me some jam made with her own plums and a tub of amazing smelling pesto made from her own basil.  It was so kind of her and I love to try new things particularly if someone has taken the trouble to make it themselves.  I am planning on using the pesto with some pasta on one of our non-meat eating days.

So the football might have been a bit of a failure but my chili was an absolute triumph.  Just the right amount of chili heat which is always a bit of a hit and miss affair.

Nice to have a quiet day at home.