Month: February 2014

Bargains – Debenhams Sale Dresses – 10% off at debenhams.com & Dunelm Mill Electrical Offers – 20% off at dunelm-mill.com & Sheaffer 100 Pens – £6.99 plus free delivery at whsmith.co.uk & Family Photo Shoot – £17.50 plus Free Delivery at activitysuperstore.com & Miracle Grow Multi Purpose Compost – 50L 2 for £10 at wilko.com &Butlins Big Weekends – up to 25% off Easter Breaks at butlins.com

Another sunny day. I feel we are going to suffer for this dry fine weather in the summer when water is rationed!

Latest on the “talks”. We were outside all day and once again fascinated watching the kestrel flying overhead.

In the evening we watched the film Blue Jasmine.

Thought for the Day -” People pay for what they do, and still more, for what they have allowed themselves to become.  And they pay for it simply: by the lives they lead.”  ~ Edith Wharton

Bargains – Bath Mat – Colourmatch Popcorn for 99p at argos.co.uk & Debenhams Mens Suits Sale UK – 10% off at debenhams.com& Gardening Direct Discount – 10% off at leadthegoodlife.com & Marks & Spencer Sale – 20% off at marksandspencer.com & British Airways Holidays – from £699pp at britishairways.com & Golf Clothing Sale – Mens Dunlop Golf Suit for £24.99 at sportsdirect.com

A little more information on the “talks“.  Another lovely sunny, warm day. Morning walks are so nice in the mountains.

Back home and I started organising lunch for David and Kenny. It is so nice to lay the table outside and know we will have lunch in the sun (and in February). It is unusually warm and dry for this time of year. As always, in good company and lots of laughs.

Thought for the Day – “It’s not how many friends you can count, it’s how many of those you can count on.” ~ Anthony Liccione

Bargains – Boutique Hotel UK – Special Offers at laterooms.com & Snowdrops in the Green – 50 bulbs for £9.99 at leadthegoodlife.com & Italian Restaurants in London – 2-courses for 2 plus wine for £29 at redletterdays.co.uk & Polycell Polyfilla – 200ml for £2 at wilko.com & Brantano Shoes – 30% off at brantano.co.uk & Dog Beds UK – Cosipet Dog Superbed from £18.50 plus Free Delivery at pet-supermarket.co.uk

A walk in the ravine and then up to the mountains. We did meet Kenny and Loppi on the way. We then went shopping and also bought a new pool brush. We left Ellie in the house and she really seems as though, whoever had her before us, left her on her own often. She doesn’t panic or rip things apart, bless her.

BE AWARE the shepherd has laid poison in the mountains between Bellapais to Catalkoy!! It’s no wonder that I said I would never have another dog in this country. I weakened and Ellie would not have had a home I know but poison (also found in Karsiyaka last week), then snakes and sand flies. It is not a dog friendly country.

We were out in the garden all afternoon.

Thought for the Day – “In every gardener there is a child who believes in The Seed Fairy.” ~ Robert Brault

Bargains – Thorntons Chocolate – up to 50% off plus Free Delivery at thorntons.co.uk & Debenhams Home Discount Code – 20% off at debenhams.com & Holland & Barrett Coconut Oil – Buy One Get One Half Price plus Free Delivery at hollandandbarrett.com & Argos Electrical Kettle – £11.99 at argos.co.uk & Vango Tents – Gamma 200 for £47.97 at gooutdoors.co.uk & Womens Holiday Clothes – Bon Marche Sale at bonmarche.co.uk

A lovely mountain walk in the sun. The man from the village is getting very friendly with Ellie.

The latest on the “talks“.

Margaretha came round and had lunch with us and we heard all about her holiday in India. I had made a desert and Margaretha brought another desert with her! She bought hers at L’Artisan….sooo chocolatey.

In the evening we watched the film “Philomena”, I thought it was very good.

Thought for the Day – “As you grow older, you’ll find the only things you regret are the things you didn’t do.” ~ Zachary Scott

Bargains – M&S Men’s Suits – 20% off at marksandspencer.com & Dorothy Perkins Sale – 25% off at dorothyperkins.com &Women’s Sports Shoes Online – 30% off code at thehut.com & Men’s Polo Shirts Sale – 15% off at thehut.com & North Cyprus Holidays – 2 wks HB 3rd wk free from £399pp at mercury-direct.co.uk

The weather forecast is good for this week, 20 degrees plus. Up into the mountains and my goodness does Ellie run fast. this was her flying past me. I think only one of her feet is touching the ground.

We went down to see Steve to pay our house insurance. He has a lovely little dog called Ben who sits in the office with him but he is very timid.

I heard from Torin again, asking me about Crufts and could I order some tickets for him because he knows I get all the bargains!! I have been to Crufts three times and Torin has never been and has decided he must go this year. I think it is a place that if you love dogs you should visit once in your life. It is on 6th-9th March this year at the NEC Birmingham. It is cheaper if you pre book tickets and you can use the promotion code telegraph14 and receive 25% off!!

The first time I went my mum won a competition –  tickets for 4 people for the Saturday and Sunday and this included a hotel stay and dinner with some of the judges and also tickets for Best in Show. So my sister and I went with mum and my step dad. Well, mum, bless her was getting on in years and not at all well, so we took it in turns sitting with her at one of the arenas and the others walking round seeing all the exhibits. By Sunday it had taken its toll on mum. My sister and I were so looking forward to watching Best in Show, in person. But Sunday lunchtime mum was not feeling well, was so tired and of course this was her prize so I told her if she wanted to go home, of course we would take her straight away. She said yes please. We handed the Best in Show tickets back to the sponsors who held the competition. They told us the tickets are like gold dust, yes we knew that but it was mums weekend and so we drove her home!  So close to seeing it!! Perhaps one day! I have been another twice since then and each year it seems to get bigger and better.

Nice weather so back to the gardening.

Thought for the Day – “Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he’ll believe you.  Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he’ll have to touch it to be sure.”  ~ Murphy’s Law

Bargains – M&S Clothing – 20% off Knitwear at marksandspencer.com & Thornton’s Chocolates – Winter Continental Selection for £7.49 at thorntons.co.uk & Premier Inn London – Free Kid’s Breakfast at premierinn.com & Debenhams Coats – 25% off at debenhams.com & Burt’s Bees UK – 10% off at thehut.com & M&S Furniture – 20% off at marksandspencer.com

A magical walk in the mountains, with the raindrops on the pine tree branches, sparkling in the sun.

Ellie chased around everywhere and managed to find a very muddy puddle to jump in. We saw the old man from the village again and it looks as though he has made friends with Ellie, he made a fuss of her today.

Mal, Ellie and I were invited over to David and Kenny’s for Sunday lunch and very good it was too. We always enjoy their company. The three dogs get on really well together.

 

Thought for the Day – “Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us.” ~ Stephen Covey

 

Bargains – Phase Eight – Womens Online Fashion at phase-eight.co.uk & Debenhams Flowers Delivered for Free – debenhamsflowers.com & Russell Hobbs Steamglide – £9.59 at dunelm-mill.com & HoMedics Shiatsu Foot Massager – £33.32 at boots.com & Debenhams Kids Clothing – Free Delivery at debenhams.com & ColourMatch Toasted Sandwich Maker – £5.99 at argos.co.uk

It was dry when we went into the mountains, although there were some muddy puddles which Ellie loved jumping in. We had to laugh at Ellie as we saw one of the old men from the village out for his daily walk. He is frightened of dogs and a look of panic came over his face when Ellie ran up to him and she promptly sat down right in front of  him. He even managed to stroke her in the end.

We went shopping, leaving Ellie behind and she is very good, doesn’t touch a thing. Cyprus Today. Not only milk but now bread has gone up from 1tl to 1.25tl. Very little interesting in the paper but be aware some scum has been laying poison meat in Karsiyaki, close to houses. I will refrain from saying what I think of that and how long will it be before a child picks something like this up?

We were home just in time to talk to Violet on the web cam. She read (from memory) the entire Tangled/Rapunzel story to us, showing us the pictures at the same time. That’ll teach us to include books in her Christmas presents!

Now there is another sink hole in Hemel (Hempstead), this is where I grew up. England is falling apart.

More rain in the afternoon, so log burner on and we watched last nights Graham Norton show. If you haven’t seen it, it really is worth watching with Matt Damon, Bill Murray and Hugh Bonneville. It made us laugh (You can catch it on BBCiplayer). Then of course in the evening we had to watch The Monuments Men.

Thought for the Day – “Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.” ~ Sonia Ricotti