Now I'm a bit embarrassed to admit this but since most of my "real life" friends and my regular readers are already aware Im a bit of a sad cow it will come as no surprise when I admit that this week I have bought not one but TWO dustpan and brush sets.
I had admired my mum's set and although you probably can buy them in the UK I can't say I have ever seen them. I do have Fibromyalgia Syndrome and often use this as an excuse to not be too meticulous with my cleaning. If I can run the hoover round it's a good day. Getting on my knees with a dustpan and small brush to sweep up under the table? Hmm. I wouldn't look under my kitchen table if I were you. DH is very good at sorting that out just before dinner guests arrive. On other days you may find anything under there from felt tip pens to a decomposing mouse.
But seeing her handy long handled set I though it might make removal of mummified rodents much easier so we scoured local supermarkets around Paphos util we found one.
Then today I found a nicer set.
By nicer I mean cheerfully spotty instead of plain. And with a brush with an offset handle like a golf club. Yes. My name is madmumof7 and I am easily pleased.
So I bought that one too. I plan to donate the first plain set to my church - I figure it'll make cleaning up easier there for me & the vicar with her terrible back problems and more fun for whichever child draws the short straw at the end of junior choir when a small mountain of biscuit crumbs have to be cleared up.
So. Euro shop bargains and brush set bought we came home for a lovely barbecued chicken lunch. Then we decided on a bike ride. "Healthy exercise?" I hear you exclaimed in a frankly disbelieving tone. Well, we planned to cycle to a small supermarket on the edge of mum's village where they sell tasty Champagne flavoured Magnum ice lollies with a spectacularly blingy silver coating. Calories lost from bike ride well and truly re-added to intake and then some but worth it.On the way home of course we had to stop at the Klimataria Tavern - better known to most people here as Yiannis. Ordering the Island special, Brandy Sour, we settled under the grapevine with a couple of mum's friends and put the world to rights.
What a hilarious conversation. At first glance we looked like a respectable group of mature ladies, probably chatting about crochet and cleaning products and other ladies things. But in fact they were animatedly telling us that they had found the perfect water guns for scaring pigeons off the roof!
Oh yes these lovely ladies of later years were delighted they had found a gun which would shoot water 30 metres - perfect for dissuading pesky pigeons from settling on the house making noise and mess. They'd had so much fun with the gun that apparently now they only have to step outside and the pigeons spot them and fly away! And as an added bonus apparently the gun is great for persuading local feral cats to find somewhere else to poo! It was a conversation I feel privileged to have witnessed and a stern reminder not to take people at face value.
Home for some packing and then a walk to try another of Mandria's eating places. I've done Yianni's (many times), and the fish and chip shop in Mandria ( amazing prawns and giant cod) and so last night we went to the simply named "coffee shop". Well, it might have another name but the coffee shop is what everyone here calls it.Another simple but tasty meal with matchstick cut homemade chips from potatoes grown in the village. Yum! Followed by a freshly made pancake flavoured and garnished with local lemons. And then a waddle home!
Today (May 14- put it in your diaries for next year) is my birthday so before heading to the airport this afternoon for the 4.5 hour flight back to Gatwick I will be filling myself up with either lamb or pork chops at Yiannis. With maybe another Brandy Sour or two to celebrate hitting 45. Yiamas!
