Month: April 2014

Bargains – Mercury Direct Vietnam Tour – mercury-direct.co.uk & Sports Direct Clearance – up to 80% off at sportsdirect.com & Baby Casting Kit – £4.99 at play.com & Cheap Hotel Rooms Sale – £10 off at buyagift.co.uk &Debenhams Flowers Discount Code – Free Delivery at debenhamsflowers.com & The Hut Discount Code – 10% off plus Free Delivery at thehut.com

We were looking out at a beautiful sky from our bed this morning.

I took Ellie to have her microchipped. Margaretha was going to Pertev anyway, so we went together. Very easy, the chip went straight in and then registered on the machine. Ellie didn’t bother at all as she saw the treat in Pertev’s hand! Pertev then fills the form out with all the details and sends his copy off to be put on to the register.
A lot of people are abandoning dogs because they go back to the UK in a hurry and their dogs don’t have the rabies jabs. We decided the sensible thing to do was to start Ellie with the rabies injections, so should anything unforseen happen, we can take her with us, well, we certainly wouldn’t leave her. So, we started with the rabies too. The total cost for the chip and the first rabies injection……120tl. She has the next rabies jab after 14 days but within 28 days.

Pertev said he has been very busy chipping dogs. All dogs here must be chipped by the end of June. He told us if dogs are not chipped it is 8,000tl fine or 6 months in jail.

Thought for the Day – “We have to listen to the child we once were, the child who still exists inside us. That child understands magic moments.” ~ Paulo Coelho

Bargains – England Football Kit – sportsdirect.com & Creative Recreation Sale – 35% off at thehut.com & Monsoon Sale Dresses – £10 off at monsoon.co.uk & Mercury Direct Holidays – mercury-direct.co.uk & House of Fraser Discount – 50% off at tesco.com & Kwik Fit Offer Code – kwik-fit.com

Early walk then to the shops and then Margaretha came round. She had a couple of computer problems that Mal sorted out for her.

I have been taking a lot of photos of Ellie as Jean (Crowfoot) is going to paint me her picture. She painted one of Rosie for us and it was so good. It seems every photo I take Ellie is either screwing her eyes up because of the bright sun or the colours change depending what light she is in!

Thought for the Day – “The world lies in the hands of those that have the courage to dream and who take the risk of living out their dreams.” ~ Paulo Coelho

Bargains – Robot Vacuum Cleaner – £50.41 at thehut.com & Mini Dehumidifier – £24.99 plus Free delivery at maplin.co.uk &Cheap Converse Watch – 30% off at thehut.com & Buyagift Discount Code – buyagift.co.uk & Boots Fragrance – save £5 at boots.com & Currys Discount Code – £50 off at currys.co.uk & The Hut Discount Code at thehut.com

Don’t forget (from Cyprus Today) “Power cuts – in Girne which will affect the area from Karaoglanoglu to Lapta from 9am-3pm on Monday.” That’s today!

A little cloudy on our walk, low cloud in the mountains.

Our power went off at 10.30am and came back on at 2.45pm. It was nice to be informed this time that it was going off.

I noticed on Facebook that the new Winters Gardens, Margate Brochure is now available, online as well. I glanced through it only to find that Dave Swarbrick and Martin Carthy are playing there when we will be visiting the UK. Firstly the date and the day in the brochure did not tie up, ie on the Sunday but that date wasn’t a Sunday! I couldn’t book tickets online, so again Skyped the box office. Oh, it is the Sunday, they got the wrong date! And of course, tickets aren’t ready yet!!!!!  I do wonder how they keep the theatres afloat in Thanet. They have promised to let me know when tickets will be available, for this and of course for the Lindisfarne Story too!

I haven’t seen Dave Swarbrick since he had his double lung transplant so hoping he is as good as ever.

Thought for the Day – “Never give up on your dreams, follow the signs.” ~ Paulo Coelho

Bargains – Dorothy Perkins Free Delivery Code – dorothyperkins.com & Homebase Discount Code – homebase.co.uk & Bon Marche Sale – 40% off at bonmarche.co.uk & Expedia Sale – expedia.co.uk & MandM Discount Code – mandmdirect.com & Go Outdoors Voucher Code – 15% off at gooutdoors.co.uk

We looked like intrepid explorers when we set off for our early morning walk. Walking sticks and a rucksack with all we needed now it is getting warmer. We can’t fit it all in pockets any more! Mal playing the fool as usual, pretending he is 90!

One side of the footpath high up, all the plants were dying, the other side new orchids appearing and the higher we went, the later they are opening.

I noticed yesterday that during one of our future trips back to the UK, “The Lindisfarne Story” is on at the Theatre Royal, Margate. So, I clicked on the website to book tickets. It went to the Theatre Royal but they weren’t even advertising it. Nothing else for it, so I Skyped them. The receptionist “Who? Can you spell that? Never heard of them. No they are not here!!” Rather typical of Margate.  For those of you either not old enough or whatever, they sang ‘Meet me on the Corner’, ‘Fog on the Tyne’, Lady Eleanor etc. I saw them years ago and they were very good.

So, I emailed Theatre Royal and being fair they emailed back later yesterday and said they would  let me know when they are selling tickets.

I also emailed the Lindisfarne website, after all how are they going to sell tickets when Theatre Royal don’t even know they are performing?!   This morning I received a very nice reply from Ray Laidlaw no less!! He is frustrated by the whole thing.

Come on Margate get it sorted!

I listened to Wilko Johnson (Dr Feelgood) on Radio 2. He has terminal cancer and has just completed an album with Roger Daltry. Brave man. Puts things in perspective listening to him.

We had a power cut during the Chelsea v Liverpool match….grrrr!  But I was pleased with the result even though we saw little of the game. The power cuts appear to be getting more frequent. Just when we put all the candles away!

Thought for the Day – “All we have to do is understand that we’re all here for a reason and to commit ourselves to that. Then we can laugh at our sufferings, large and small and walk fearlessly, aware that each step has meaning” ~ Paulo Coelho

Bargains – Joules Discount Code – joules.com & Laura Ashley Sale – 25% off at lauraashley.com & Marks and Spencer Sale – 20% off at marksandspencer.com & Fashion World Discount Code – fashionworld.co.uk & Homebase Sale at homebase.co.uk & Premier Inn Deals – £25 Room at premierinn.com

A nice cool breeze on our walk. The colours of some of these orchids are just amazing, as we watch them change from green to all sorts of vibrant shades.

I don’t mind if I am being boring, I love them and I guess the majority of people here won’t even see them. Perhaps just as well, to be left just the way they are.

On the way back we bought Cyprus Today. Am I really so cynical that I couldn’t find any “news” in it? Well, I’ll leave it to the editor with his usual sarcastic wit! One thing to note ….”Power cuts – in Girne which will affect the area from Karaoglanoglu to Lapta from 9am-3pm on Monday.” Be warned.

We watched the Spurs game later and then the Man U game. What a different team under Giggs!

Thought for the Day – “We deserve all the good things that happen to us. Don’t feel guilty, accept the blessings.” ~ Paulo Coelho

Bargains – Debenhams Swimwear – 20% off at debenhams.com & Go Outdoors Discount Code – 10% off at gooutdoors.co.uk & Holiday Shop – thehut.com & Dorothy Perkins Free Delivery Code – dorothyperkins.com &Marisota Promo Code at marisota.co.uk & Lego Discount Code – thehut.com

Phew, even though we were up early, it was very warm toward the end of our walk.

Jobs around the house (there is always something to be done).

We had just finished our lunch and Ellie was having a drink from one of her water bowls outside. Mal and I both thought we had seen this before but were not certain but yes we both witnessed it this time…..she held her nose under the water and blew bubbles! It seems the more we laughed, the more she did it.  Mal is convinced she is a Hammers supporter.

Well, now I feel old (again)…..River is having his first driving lesson today.

Wonderful, back to swimming every day! Ellie looks as though she wanted to join me and instead kept doing very quick circuits around and around the pool!

Thought for the Day – “The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it.” ~ Dudley Moore

Bargains – BHS Furniture Sale – up to 50% off at bhsfurniture.co.uk & Yumega Plus – pet-supermarket.co.uk & Debenhams Kitchenware – debenhams.com & La Redoute Discount Code – laredoute.co.uk

I am going to have to get a small back pack to carry everything on our walks in the summer, now we carry water and a portable dog bowl as well as everything else, our pockets are bursting!

Ellie is getting very good at retrieving the ball and putting it gently into your hand…..she will even do it for Mal now (he doesn’t have quite so much patience as I do!)

Our internet went down and didn’t come back on until 3.15. Torin had called in the morning and said he could hardly hear us on Skype, obviously that was when it was on its way out.

Thought for the Day – “If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall.”  ~ Nadine Stair