Mini Break Time

Just to let you know I am taking a mini-break and will be back 3rd June.

DH and I are entertaining family for a week. Our weather has turned hot and it will be good to take a break from the manuscript editing I have been working on.

The manuscript, query and synopsis are almost complete. The rewrite is much better than I envisaged.
I will attempt to get around blogs before I sit on the porch with a glass of wine.

Still Here. No End of The World So Far. Pics from my garden day.

Well I am still here despite the prediction of the world ending. Or maybe it did end and I am enjoying the afterlife. It is a beautiful day outside, and for that I am grateful.

My garden is showing its thanks for the extra rain and looking glorious.

The climbing rose has gone crazy. The geranium has suddenly shot up.

The PollyKalla is blooming amongst the Lavender and its mauve flowers are beautiful

The stone well has been swamped by the trailing geranium

The Palms have taken height above the fences and are looking good.

The lavenders are huge and full of flower

A tiny Jasmine sprang to life and now needs more support

I love the height in the garden this year. 

Joke Time

Picture The Scene
A man is dining in a fancy restaurant and there is a gorgeous redhead sitting at the next table. He has been checking her out since he sat down, but lacks the nerve to talk with her.

Suddenly she sneezes, and her glass eye comes flying out of its socket toward the man. He reflexively reaches out, grabs it out of the air, and hands it back.

'Oh my, I am so sorry,' the woman says as she pops her eye back in place.

'Let me buy your dinner to make it up to you,' she says.

They enjoy a wonderful dinner together, and afterwards they go to the theatre followed by drinks. They talk, they laugh, she shares her deepest dreams and
he shares his. She listens.

After paying for everything, she asks him if he would like to come to her place for a nightcap and stay for breakfast. They had a wonderful, wonderful time.

The next morning, she cooks a gourmet meal with all the trimmings. The guy is amazed. Everything had been SO incredible!
'You know,' he said, 'you are the perfect woman. Are you this nice to every guy you meet?'

'No,' she replies. . .











'You just happened to catch my eye.' 

The Bee-eaters are in Town.

The Bee-eaters have arrived for a few weeks here in Cyprus. They will return again in September.

The Merops Apiaster (European Bee-eater)

The photographs were taken through smoke glass windows. (Dirty from a sand storm).

Here are a few flowers from my garden to brighten up your weekend.

Enjoy a slice of my fresh baked bread!

News From The Aviary

The aviary is alive with colour this year. The babies from last year have flown the nest and DH has found a retail pet shop who want as many as he can provide. Normally I would not condone this but given the birds over here are captured from the wild, or imported in from Holland, I think home-reared and healthy is the way forward. I dislike seeing sick and weak birds lolling around cages. Some are not used to the heat. At least DH's are acclimatised.

His birds are often admired and I am not surprised. They are well fed and handled.

Due to leave us soon are three baby Red Rumps Parakeets. They are now in their large cage getting used to an enclosed environment.

 This little Budgie has a long way to go yet. He is a cutie, I am sure you will agree.

Paphos Hospice

This is the link to the hospice story. How they are trying to fund and build up the hospice. In the UK (and I am sure the US and Canada) they are thriving, however in Cyprus this is it, four beds. My few € will help by a pot of cream or something, but as they say, every little bit helps.

Sadly I have four friends who have used or will need the assistance of the hospice, this is my small way of supporting. The Paphos Hospice.

Miscellaneous Birds and Craft

A bright coloured Greenfinch (male) sat upon the budlea. He was attracted by a female in the aviary. She was found by a Cypriot friend and DH brought her up. We are hoping she might survive with the cock bird if he keeps calling and they pair up. A great release day for all should he remain interested.

Card making is still going strong. In-fact the orders are coming in for wedding, baptism and Cypriot birthdays.

I treated myself to a new baby stamp (digital), and made three cards. The shading is perfect for my promarker pens. The lemon and green are the colours on the Cyprus flag, so I thought that would be a good unisex card.

My embossing plates come in useful. I love the flat-backed pearls, combined the two enhance a plain white piece of card. 

 The Martha Stewart heart punch is ideal for edges and internal pages on a wedding card.

 A plain piece of silver card is brought to life with the embosser.

 I bought a bulk of heart diamante earrings of of ebay. They were so cheap and when I take the earloops off, they are great for cards.

 This was a special order for a Cypriot nine year old girl. A great chance for me to get out the fairy stamp and  magic dust glitter. The letters are sissix  cuts, they take a little patience to glue insitu, but make a card stand out. Xronia Polla means many happy years in Greek.

The hospice will receive a few euros at the end of the month. I am thrilled they are selling well.
I am even more delighted to find that Joanna Sheen craft deliver worldwide free of charge. I received my order within a week. The only thing she cannot deliver free is paper and card because of the weight. But free postage to Cyprus is a bonus!

Funny: Getting a hairdryer through customs

Getting a hairdryer  through customs....   A  distinguished young woman on a flight from Ireland asked the  Priest beside her, 'Father, may I ask a favour?'   'Of  course, child. What may I do for you?'   'Well,  I bought an expensive woman's electronic hair dryer for  my mother's  birthday that is unopened and well over the Customs limits, and  I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could carry  it through customs for me? Under your robes perhaps?'   'I would love  to help you, dear, but I must warn you: I will not  lie.'   'With  your honest face, Father, no one will question you.'   When  they got to Customs, she let the priest go ahead of  her.   The  official asked, 'Father, do you have anything to  declare?'   'From  the top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to  declare.'   The  official thought this answer strange, so asked, 'And what do  you have to declare  from your waist to the floor?'   'I have  a marvelous instrument designed to be used on a woman, but which  is, to date, unused.'   Roaring  with laughter, the official said, 'Go ahead, Father.  Next!'