Bitter Sweet...

Today we had the massive privilege of going to see the lady in the photograph above (taken about 7 years ago).  Eva is the matriarchal head of the amazing family which runs C&A Holiday Apartments in Polis.  When we were looking for specialist accommodation for John's Mum and Hadge we found it nearby and it had everything, and I mean everything, a disabled person would need in order to enjoy their holiday and by disabled I mean any disability.  Eva and her husband Andreas run the Apartments with the help of their extended family and several of them have disabilities themselves.  Janet and Hadge spent many wonderful holidays in apartment number 5 and both they, John and I and my mum and dad were welcomed by Eva and Co and became part of the family.  Shortly before Christmas we had heard that Eva was unwell having gone into hospital for an operation to repair leaky valves she took a turn for the worse and ended up with organ failure.  We were asked to pray for her and we did but as time went on we had no news of any sort, good or bad, as to how things had turned out.  In the end, last week, I put on my big girl's pants and contacted one of the daughters to enquire and was told that she was home and that physically she was very frail but mentally doing good.  What was supposed to be a three day stay in hospital had turned into over 40 days but she had got through the worst of it and was out the other side.

Eva does indeed look frail.  She is about half the weight of the last time we saw her but mentally all her spark and humour and determination are still there and in spades.  She was so pleased we had taken time to see her, she had even made sure there was home-made cake for us bless her.  We sat in the kitchen with various members of the family and caught up on all the things that had happened since we had last seen them.  So much and so much of it not good but we both went away feeling positive and happy.  We have promised that we will all go to Fitos one evening for good old fashioned Cod and Chips which they all fancy.  What lovely people and what a real real privilege to know them and be welcomed by them into their home.

On the way home we stopped to have a closer look at the funny little house thing that has appeared on the main road.  It most definitely would appear to be a small dwelling.  To the left of it is another hard standing which we wonder might have a pergola erected and provide an outside eating area.  Looking through the door we could see a small kitchen and a room which may have been a small bathroom.  There appears to be provision for electric and water and the periphery has been planted with fir trees and olives (today there was a roller there flattening all the outside area).  I am intrigued - I said to John I would dearly love to replace the Do-Jo with a water-tight summer house so that I could sit in there and do my craft or watch tv or just take in the afternoon sun.  I did make an enquiry off of someone who does them but it would be about €6K which in the grand scheme of things isn't much but do we really need it?

This evening we had been invited around to Nicky and Mark's because we really haven't seen them since they returned from their whirlwind trip to the UK as one of Mark's big birthday presents.  They came back and were poorly and then I was poorly.

They are currently getting ready for their kitchen to be installed - this will be a massive step towards the completion of their home.  In fact there would only be the outside left I think.  It has taken a lot of planning but is due any time now.

We were having a build your own burger and hot dog evening followed by a build your own ice-cream sundae pudding.  Bearing in mind Nicky doesn't have a kitchen just a number of 'appliances' I think it is kind of her to ask and even kinder that she goes the extra mile to make a great meal in very difficult circumstances.  

She made the burgers and she even made the burger buns and we had sausages and fried onions and pickled cucumber and tomato and chips and coleslaw and every accompanying pickle and/or sauce known to man!  

There were also three flavours of home made ice-cream and then bowls of different toppings like M&Ms, salted nuts, crushed biscuits and squirty cream and chocolate sauce and and and...

Our meal was to be followed by a game of beetle.  This was suitably straightforward for four adults who rarely stay up much beyond 8.30pm!!!  

My beetle game comprises the various body parts and you have to build your beetle rather than draw it.  Mrs Uber-Competitive Kirby was victorious winning three of the four games which we managed to squeeze in before calling it a night - it was gone 9.00pm and we were in danger of turning into pumpkins.

We had a lovely evening.  Good company and good food and a good catch up.  We were saying that we see less of each other now that they are living at the end of the path than we did when they were living in Emba!  But once they get their house in order they will have more time.  To be fair they have only recently fully retired and that takes a bit of adjustment.

Thanks Nicky and Mark for allowing us to gate-crash your date night - it was lovely!

Sadly since writing this Eva passed away.  May she rest in eternal peace.