Friday 5 January 2018

Bugs and things



If these last few days are anything to go by then 2018 is going to be a year of extreme contrasts, ups and downs.

We started off  merrily with a party at the inlaws house in brilliant sunshine and the next day were bedridden with a stomach bug while it rained and blew a gale outside.

Someone in the extended family had the dreaded lurgy and it cleaned us all out like a pound of prunes.  We all kissed each other spiritedly as one does here and obviously it got passed on from cheek to cheek.  The only ones to miss out on the plague were the two youngest ones who (quite rightly) refuse to kiss anyone and some of the younger generation who hygenically only indulge in air kisses.

So after two days of herb teas and tentative spoonfuls of sloppy rice and lemon juice it seems a good time to start off again on the right foot and a healthy diet avoiding fatty pork, great measures of alcohol and sticky cakes.



A Cretan herbal tea with sage, dictamus and fliskouni (pennyroyal)


I salute a very healthy 2108 and hopefully a very hearty weight loss.    Celebrations don't need to be times of extravagence as we found out (with the rest of Greece) in 2010 and have slowly forgotten and you don't need alcohol or an overdose of sugar to express enjoyment and have fun.




The rogue herd of goats reappeared and spent much of a very wet morning munching the olive trees in the empty field next door.  I thought goats hated getting wet but I suppose if you're a free spirit, as these ones are, then you have no place to shelter.  There was a rumour that someone rounded them up, shot six of them for the freezer and let the rest go.  There are still twenty or more roaming freely if this is true.





On this wet and windy day the telephone people came along and put in a new pole for our english neighbour's Wifi connection.  They put in an application a year ago, or was it two?  Now they just need a wire laid across the last 20 metres.

Last, but indeed not least, I started to take down our Christmas decorations.  Hurray!   I was heartedly sick of them.  The tree is still up but that is being dismantled and will soon disappear into the storeroom too.

Good health to you all. I'm off to sit beside the fire, do some crochet and enjoy a cup of (milkless at the moment) tea.   I need an easy evening.  Tomorrow is another big day.  Epiphany.  But that's another story.









15 comments:

  1. I'm also tired of our Christmas decorations which go up on the 8th December and taken down the day after Epiphany.
    I hope you're feeling a lot better, and good health to you too.
    Greetings Maria x

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    Replies
    1. I am a lot better and eating a lot less. Hopefully I can keep this up.
      It is so nice to have a slightly less cluttered house too

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  2. Sending Hot (41c) wishes to you (and your family) for a happy -healthy - New Year!
    I got over the Christmas clutter problem this year by not putting it out. We were having minimal visitors with no littlies (most of family were elsewhere) and I felt rough so it didn't get done. Nobody made mention either:)
    Gastro is the pitts - here's hoping you all recover quickly.
    Take care
    Cathy

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    Replies
    1. Thank Cathy for all your greetings. Glad it's you who has the 41o. I am quite happy with my fire and woolly socks.
      Lost a few kilos which is definitely a good thing but back to normal now.

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  3. You are oh so right about not needing to stuff ourselves to enjoy Christmas, but we do it anyway. We have now both promised to diet, but I'm having difficulty getting my wife motivated.

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    1. Diet is a nasty four letter word. Healthy eating sounds better but you're just trying to fool yourself.
      A little of everything and that includes mince pies!
      AHH, moderation!

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  4. I hope you are now better. We celebrated Christmas for two days, then I took the tree and cards down. I left the crib on the table, and today is the Epiphany and I will put it away tonight. I may leave the crib attending animals on table for a little longer as I like their calming presence. Enjoy the Epiphany celebrations.

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    Replies
    1. We had two epiphany celebrations. One at the monastery and one in the harbour. Sunny day, good company, grandchildren involved. Great day. Thanks!

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  5. So glad you are feeling better. It seems like most of us over indulge at this time of the year and then try to get back on the wagon of sensible eating! Hope there'll be lots of air kissing in the future!!

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    Replies
    1. Air kissing at a discreet distance!!
      Thank goodness I feel better and eating less makes me feel even better!

      Delete
  6. oh no, I do hope you are all on the mend, nothing worse than someone going out in public when they are sick. Not good.

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  7. All over thank goodness. Feeling better and lighter

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  8. Nothing worse than feel not well. I hope your much better
    I started the new year six kilos lighter than I was the month before.
    I hope to continue in the new year!
    The epiphany was yesterday for us. So all decorations and the last Christmas tree came down. It’s all packed away until it’s time again at the end of this year!

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  9. Six kilos is magnificent. Keep it up, or rather 'off'. I haven't weighed myself yet, too busy, or too scared to face the truth lol

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    Replies
    1. Thank you.
      Losing it is one thing
      Keeping it off?
      But I’m really going to try hard.

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