Hello 2023

2023 started with an amazingly bright and warm day.

As we have done for the past few years (save for the Covid hiatus) we were going to the Farmyard in Kathikas for Sunday Lunch.  We were taking Richard and Ellen with us and meeting Mum and Lilian.  Well that was the plan but sadly Lilian succumbed to the nasty bug which is doing the rounds and despite dosing herself up she had to cancel.  It was a shame.  I offered to drive down and pick Mum up and drop her back but she said she felt able to drive up.  I think she may have reached the conclusion that her driving licence is unlikely to be renewed so wants to drive whilst she still can - that doesn't stop me worrying about her on the road from Emba to Kathikas - I know that she will miss driving terribly and the independence it brings and it will impact on us but I think the time is right.

I had time before setting off for Kathikas to do a bit of art.  The current challenge is black and white portraits.  This one was done using a marker pen.  

There have been some absolutely amazing entries so far but Christmas and the New Year have meant that there are not as many as I would normally expect so I have decided to extend this challenge for another week.  That also gives me more time to decide on what the next challenge is going to be.

We showered and changed ready for our lunch.  We have been amazed that the water has been heated solely by the sun which is quite unusual for us this time of year as our solar panels face east and come the afternoon the sun is too far over to continue to heat the water.

This has certainly been a much warmer and drier winter so far than we experienced last year thank goodness but that was one of the coldest winters on record here - hence the government gave additional winter fuel payments which we eventually received just before Christmas.

Mum arrived safe and sound.  Rachel had put us on the round table in the corner which was in full sunshine so at least there was no chance of Mum being cold.  Without Lilian there it meant that Mum had to engage in conversation and Ellen was great as was Richard in including her in things which we were talking about.  In fact it worked out well and everyone really enjoyed their meal.  Ellen and Richard had not been before for the Sunday Lunch in fact last week was the first time they had ever been to the Farmyard when they took their family for Thai food and loved it.  So much so that they wondered why they had bothered to keep traipsing up and down to Coral Bay.

It was lovely not having to cook and the rare beef was absolutely delicious.  Mum was disappointed that there was no bread and butter pudding so it looks like I will have to make one for the next time she comes to us for Sunday Lunch.  Hopefully Lilian will be able to join her.

Mum left from the Restaurant and got home safe and sound.  We invited Ellen and Richard to come and have a belated Christmas Drink with us.  They had visitors so weren't able to come before.  It was toasty warm in the house once John had lit the woodburner and we all kicked off our shoes and spent a couple of hours chatting and drinking.  They are great neighbours and we all agreed that we had to thank Sonia for getting Richard to come and clean her windows all that time ago.  It was his first introduction to Lordos 1 - the rest, as they say, is history.