Up and Down

 Every day we are threatened with thunderstorms, doom and gloom.  It has been affecting me mentally and health wise.

Now I understand why so many Brits write about grey skies and grey moods, and escape.  

This is run up to Easter weekend for you and I expect the island will fill with european tourists in shorts and Tshirts 

  The conflict now seems just far enough away, on our horizon, out of reach.  We have become accustomed to hostile war cries and rhetoric. Our Turkish neighbour rarely let's up. 

Planes are flying safely in and out, supermarket prices are more or less the same, fuel prices have flattened out.

I've had headaches, a sore back and aching bones all week. Plus the sameness everyday of that doom and gloom on our doorstep dragged me down. Days and days of sameness. 

Family pulled me out. Even though they didn't know it. 

 Luli's parade and her important place as wreath bearer.  The heart  really  can burst with pride. 

Nels learning to make my stuffed tomatoes. 

A BBQ meal with some of the family

 Messages from other grandchildren far away in Athens 

Morning greetings from my girls

Communication with my dear family downunder

The little things that matter. 

A change of time.  New timing hopefully will bring warmer weather, maybe more energy, more enthusiasm 

Help from a stranger. A little old man became my guardian angel yesterday.  I went to the Atm to use my new bank card.  I thought I'd read the instructions for the card's use but I hadn't noted the newfangled stuff. I tried to poke my card in the hole as I did the old one. I tried again and again. It wouldn't go in.  The little old man standing behind me, never seen before, said 'no no, you do it like this'.  Seems it's a swipe card. You swipe it across the little swipe-icon, never seen before. Hey presto. It worked. I gave him  a smile and a heartfelt thanks. 

I'm slow on the uptake. I know. And this wizened angel flew in to my rescue.  It really made me smile

Everything is back to normal. K is boiling old goat, aged Vaso next door seems to have wandered off and we can hear the family calling her.  The dogs are echoing the chorus. The sun has come out for 5 minutes. The washing will dry quickly. 

I feel happy enough today to make a Shein order, try out a new sticky chilli sauce recipe, plant the 2 pots of basil and the marigold I picked up a week ago. 

There's no cooking to be done today.  We've got leftovers from Granddaughter Nels stuffed tomatoes and Yiannis Bbqed meat. That boiled goat is a 'delight' for another day. It may need more than 24 hours simmering in the stock pot.  At least we will have the stock. If nothing else is edible