Wet and Miserable

The weather this morning was truly miserable - torrents of rain and rolling mists - but I had promised to go and see Mum and had earmarked the morning for some last minute Christmas Shopping in the Mall - well Jumbos really and I wanted to get there early to miss the crowds as Jumbos opens before the rest of the shops so if you are cute you can be in and out in a flash.

To give you an idea of what I mean this was my view towards Arodes as I set off.  It was pouring with rain but the sun was trying to shine through.  I thought it would be better down in Paphos - it usually is - but how wrong could I be?  The rain was harder and more persistent the closer I got to the Coast.  I was so glad that my sister had not come this week it would have been so miserable for her.

I had to call in on Keith on my way to return the Christmas Glasses that John had worn on Friday night and to drop of a card for them.  Their family are clearly embracing the Christmas spirit with a massive inflated Snowman on each of their balconies!  It was a quick scoot in and out to deliver the envelope because although it doesn't look like it in the photograph it was hoofing it down.

I did not get to the Mall quite as early as I had hoped and was worried that because the weather was so pants the world and his wife would be in there but actually I managed to park up really easily and got straight into Jumbos to pick up the things that I wanted.

The Mall is really nicely decorated and I know I have said it before but the island seems to want to forget all financial woes and bring a bit of sparkle to shoppers lives.  I think it works, people were wandering around smiling and chatting.

It was fairly empty in Jumbos and although it didn't have everything I wanted I got most of the things and then some things I didn't even know I wanted!!!!  There wasn't a great queue at the till either so I let the guy behind me with a few bits go first.  It was Alan from Stage One who is a funny guy who knew the people in the queue behind me and so we stood waiting for our turns having a laugh and a bit of banter.

I rang mum from there to see if she wanted me to do the shopping we had planned to do together rather than her having to go out in the rain and she was more than happy with that so I did a quick trip back to Sklavenitis and the bank for her before heading to Emba.

At Mums the persistent rain was beginning to turn her front garden into a boating lake.  She had put the central heating on and so it wasn't too cold in her house when I got in.  She had also had her new cleaners this morning and was pleased with them which is good.  We agreed that I shouldn't stay too long in case the weather remained like it was all day as I had already negotiated some flooding on my way down.

Typical of Cyprus that as I headed home the skies cleared and the sun came out although it wasn't that bright when I got back to Droushia.  John was out with the cycling boys - they had given up on their ride and headed to Polis for a coffee and a chat.

By the time John returned I had put up most of the additional decorations I had bought and introduced him to the snowflake laser light show gadget I had got from Jumbos - it will probably only last five minutes but I love it!!!

Supper tonight was a super spicy sausage casserole that I had made in advance and was in the slow cooker so ready whenever we were.  It was lovely and just right for what had been a pretty shitty day.  During the course of the evening the rains came again.  They are supposed to be the last right up until Christmas - we shall see!