Month: April 2013

Bargains – Premier Inn Summer Rooms £29 & Debenhams 20% off Women’s and Girls Dresses & Half Price Garden Seeds & Marks and Spencer Mid Season Sale & Monsoon reductions & Folding Aluminium Step Stool £7.99

We were up at 5am, it must be summer. It’s much easier to get things done before the heat hits.

Mal was hameriting railings, a little like painting the Forth Bridge when he called me out to look at this very unusual little fella. Every time I got the camera out, he hid! Anyway, we managed to stop him becoming Hamerited to the railings! Fascinating but I couldn’t find him in my Mediterranean Wildlife book but I think he is a Phidippus something or other but according to the internet he should be living in America/Canada unless anyone can tell me anything different. So how did he get here?!

Seeing as some of the accounts relayed things like second legs longer than the others etc etc and he is also called a jumping spider, I’m afraid I didn’t get round to measuring his legs!

River has obviously started his GCSE revision in earnest as he is sending Mal past papers that he is doing and as Mal works for the exam board, he has access to the marking schemes. I think it is Physics tonight!

Thought for the Day –  “If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive.” ~ American Quaker Saying

Bargains – 50% off rose bushes &  War Horse ticket and Hotel £65 &  6 seater patio furniture set £99 & Debenhams TODAY only 10% off beauty and fragrance & Avis Car Hire 15% off

We went into Girne early for various decorating things and a new hose and connectors. Mal wanted some more gloves for when he is painting and so we drove to Mr Pound. They are now charging 3tl to use their car park! We didn’t stop and went to the one in Alsancak instead. We also took Mal’s glasses in to the opticians to have a new lens put in as he broke them when he was having a fire with all the tree branches…don’t ask! It’s beyond me why he wasn’t wearing his older ones.

Lambs lettuce at the moment is delicious and only 1.10tl for a massive bunch and the tomatoes are at last tasting of the sun (2.95tl a kilo). Cucumbers are only 0.90tl a kilo. Delicious potatoes, good for potato salad, 1.35tl a kilo. It’s salad time! If you see any, try the local asparagus too. I think that was 4tl and was delicious. Because we seem so busy at the moment we decided to buy a quiche in Cafe Boss. I know I should have made one but painting is the priority at the moment. We had to go to HSBC and it was just too tempting. It was good!

Anyone would think we had shares in Hamerite, the amount of railings, gates and archways we have to do. But the good bit is jumping in the pool afterwards. I am nearly up to my target of 100 lengths a day.I have to build up to it!

The first night with just a sheet on the bed. It was warm!

Thought for the Day – “Never be so busy as not to think of others.” ~ Mother Teresa

Bargains – Debenhams 20% off all swimwear & Victoria Plum Tree 5ft £7.49 & Bon Marche Flash Sale & Theatre – Bodyguard top tickets £39.99 & Ladies Leather flower ballerina shoes Half price

Summer is here….24 degrees when we got up this morning. Mid 30’s is the forecast for the week.

More painting and I was putting preservative on the shed……non stop fun here!! But for those in the UK…at least we have the sun and warmth!!

 

Thought for the Day – “It’s summer and time for wandering…” ~ Kellie Elmore

Bargains – Premier Inn £25 Big Sale & Boots 10% off £60 spend & How to be a Gardener plus shears £13.99 & Thorntons 30% off £30 spend & Widescreen LED TV £110

We went for a walk in the mountains. We met a lovely dog, with his owner. His owner told us they found him having been shot the first day of the hunting season. They had taken him home and cared for him, I quote “We hadn’t intended having a dog”. How many times have I heard that here?! The dog has certainly landed on his feet.

There were orchids everywhere! On the way back we bought Cyprus Today.

Lena called round in the morning and asked Mal to put a video on their website. They may only be across the road but we don’t seem to see each other very much.

Mal had a fire as there were so many cuttings that had been piled up. Not the greatest thing to do in 30+ degrees but he did have the hose pipe next to him, just in case!

We watched the Spurs game later, well at least they managed one point!

Thought for the Day – “Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.” ~ John Lubbock

Bargains – 3 LED Glow Lanterns £5.99 &  Laterooms Bank Holiday Sale &  George at Asda Sale & Fuchsia Plug Plants less than half price & Ladies Beach Shoes £6

I spent the morning pressure washing the swimming pool terrace and Mal cut the hedge (again!)

We arranged to meet Pauline and Chris for lunch at Magarina Bulli, yes, third time in two weeks for me. The food really is so good and reasonably priced. Kezi even asked Mal if he wanted seconds. No, he couldn’t manage to eat any more. Perhaps one day we will have enough room left to try their deserts. So, a few beers, fresh orange juices and Turkish coffees and for the four of us the bill was still less than 100tl.

Believe me, if the food and service weren’t as good we wouldn’t keep going back there. It is consistently good. They also do take away.

Pauline needless to say was very happy that at last the court judgement looks as though it may be enforced and she gets her money back for her K5 property.

Back home and straight in the pool.

In the evening we watched ‘The Quartet’.

Thought for the Day – “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bargains – No 7 For Men Energiser Bundle £29 & Flymo Speedi-Trim Grass Trimmer £25 &  Brantano Footwear 25% off everything & Debenhams Blue Cross with extra 10% off and Free Delivery

I heard from Joan and she had a “senior moment” and thought we were meeting today for lunch. At least she is OK, we were worried an emergency had cropped up. If I am honest when she didn’t arrive I had to check my diary to make sure I had the correct day!

Another painting day! We have now started our daily swims….lovely!

Good News for Pauline Read today, thanks to Hak (Mehmet, her advocate), she is taking the Tapu to the Supreme court. Maybe now justice will be served!

Thought for the Day – “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bargains – No 7 Mens Protect & Perfect Bundle & 3 Burner Gas BBQ £145 & BHS FREE Fish and Chips & Asda 20% off Luggage & Thorntons Springtime Spectacular Collection £20

Out in the morning to buy more paint, now we have the right white!

Cyprus Today

I went to meet up with the girls for lunch and we decided to have lunch at Magarina Bulli as it was so good last time. I arranged to meet Joan at the bank but she didn’t show. I rang her and there was no answer. Very strange. However the three of us met up. This time I had kleftico and very good it was too. Also fresh orange and fresh limonata. The food was excellent and so was the price 60tl for the three of us and that included coffees. This has got to be out favourite eating place.

 

 

 

Thought for the Day – “Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same” ~ Adlai E. Stevenson II