A Matter of Choice

The last one

2024-02-07T14:59:00.005+02:00

I've never written this blog as if no-one was reading it, although of course when I first started no-one was reading it as no-one knew about it. I was trying to remember the exact reasons I started it, and I think the number one was to document our move to Cyprus, I can't imagine that I would have thought anything else would have been worth reading but that would have been interesting, I'd have certainly enjoyed reading someone else's story, and have done many times.

I also thought it would be something to do, and a great thing to look back on, I realised it was an important point in my life, new Mum and moving abroad. I was right, I do enjoy occasionally looking back over old posts, some I hate but overall I'm pretty proud of my blog.

I do miss it, and considered many times stopping and taking it offline. I never wanted to officially end it though and so always left it here just in case.

Back in November 2022 I wrote a few posts, as tends to happen I suddenly get the urge and fire a few off in rapid succession before remembering why I stopped previously.

Originally I shared the blog with a few people, my thoughts being that it was easier than updating everyone individually by email with what we were up to. Didn't even have a smartphone then!

Over the years my followers increased and after writing for a local magazine for several years many of them were friends / neighbours etc. It made it a lot harder to write like nobody was reading, it's not the same when you imagine that it's basically the equivalent of walking into your local pub and just shouting out all your thoughts, of course not everyone will be there, or even be listening but it's still out there for them to find!

My last post was in tribute to my mother in law, and that of course was a hard post to follow so I just left it until inspiration struck me. That of course was now well over a year ago and for the first time I didn't post a single thing in a whole year!

It's been a long time since I was 'knee deep in nappies and train tracks'

(btw, I have had a post in draft for over 2 years with that title- I never got round to writing it but I thought it was a great title) and so 'Mummy blogging' doesn't sit as well. Of course it's also changed a hell of a lot over the years..... back in my day it was all fields round here, weekly memes (in the orginal sense of the word) link parties and Tiktok, even instagram wasn't even a thing.

So after realizing I'm now an internet relic, I'll end here. Maybe I'll be blogging elsewhere, who knows, but next time I'll leave the social media promoting and all that malarky and be a little bit quieter!

With these hands

2022-12-09T17:04:00.000+02:00

This year we lost an amazing woman, I'm so sad to say that my mother in law, Diana Jane passed away. I'm not going to write a big post as nothing I could say would do her justice, but I wanted to share two of my favourite photos. I asked Aaron if he was happy for me to share them along with the following poem that was read at her funeral.

I'd never heard this poem before but Pam Ayres was a favourite of Di's and I think the words are just perfect for her.

With These Hands by Pam Ayres

With these hands so soft and clean,

On which I stroke the Vaseline,

I soothe the fever, cool the heat,

Lift verrucas out of feet,

Slap the plasters on the knees,

Dig the garden, prune the trees,

And if it doesn’t work at all,

I throw the mower at the wall.

With these hands I crack the eggs,

Floss my teeth, shave my legs,

Write the cheques, count the fivers,

Make rude signs at piggish drivers,

Clean the goldfish, light the fires,

Pump up half a dozen tyres,

Feed the hamster, worm the dog

And decorate the Yuletide log.

With these hands I block the lens

When taking photos of my friends,

This is Mary, this is Fred,

See their eyeballs all gone red.

With them I gesticulate,

I wag a finger, say, ‘You’re late!’

Throw them up, say, “Don’t ask me!”

And, ‘What’s that in your hand? Let’s see!’

With these hands, I fondly make,

A brontosaurus birthday cake,

I’m sorry for the shape it’s in,

But half of it stuck in the tin.

I pop the corn, I pick the mix,

I whack the cricket ball for six,

I organise the party game,

And clean up things too vile to name.

No pair of jeans do I refuse,

No Levis, Wranglers or FUs,

I wash them fast, I mend them quick,

I sew through denim hard and thick,

For no repair job makes me frown,

I take them up, I let them down,

I do the fly, I do the rip,

I do the knee, I do the zip.

And with these hands I dab the eyes,

Officiate at fond goodbyes,

As in the earth we gravely dig

The late lamented guinea pig.

I bow my head, cross my chest,

And lay his furry soul to rest,

Reflecting that, on many a day,

I could have helped him on his way.

I greet the folks who bang the door,

Fill the mouths that shout for more,

Scrape the trainers free of muck,

Gut the fish and stuff the duck,

I cart the shopping, heave the coal,

Stick the plunger down the bowl,

Take foreign bodies from the eye

And with these hands I wave Goodbye.

13 years in Cyprus and time for a trip

2022-11-21T15:57:00.001+02:00

This week sees our 13th anniversary of our move to Cyprus.

On 26th November 2009 we ran through Gatwick airport desperately trying not to miss our flight to Larnaca with 3 suitcases, 3 cabin cases, a pushchair and car seat, and of course a slightly confused 6 month old Leo!

Strangely on the 26th November this year I will be flying back to Gatwick for a week's visit for the first time in almost 10 years. (With less baggage, no baby and hopefully not running late this time!)

2019 was an obvious milestone for us, and I wrote about it in my "10 years in Cyprus" post so I will try not to repeat myself by reminiscing on our time here. The last couple of years have been lacking in visitors or major events apart from the obvious so I've not got too much more to add so far.

You can also read the story of our move here "Let's move to Cyprus" written as we approached our 5th Cyprus anniversary, in which Aaron first brought up the idea of moving whilst we were watching Top Gear.

We have now lived in this apartment longer than anywhere else in my adult life, I was in my childhood home for 17 years, but from 1997 to 2007 I lived in four different places!

It seems like a lifetime ago that we moved here now and I can hardly remember what life was like pre Leo and pre-Cyprus. I think I'm going to be very surprised back in the UK next week. I can't imagine what it will feel like, driving and shopping and just generally being in another country, let alone the one I grew up in.

I'm still in contact with a few of my friends in the UK but since I went back for a few days in 2010 we'd spoken very rarely, Nic has been to visit several times in recent years (before covid cocked it all up) but these last 10 years have been full of changes for everyone with many kids being born between us within that time (plus several from before to be looked after too of course) plus house moves, job changes, businesses being started and general family 'admin' to tend to.

Within our group we have children ranging from 5 to 27 years old, even younger if you count the fact that the eldest of those children now has one of their own, making one of us a Grandmother (not that she allows anyone to call her that!) Between us all there has been countless house moves, multiple relationships, job changes, illness and the many ups and downs that we all trundle on through.

During lockdown we had a few zoom meetups and it was the first time in many years we'd got the chance to catch up, it's only a 2 hour difference but it can be quite a lot when you add in small children and bedtimes etc, although I am always more than happy for a 10.30pm video chat especially as I can lie in now in the morning if needed.

It's so hard to properly keep up with everyone and at a distance you don't really get the chance to get past the 'niceties' of how are you / oh not bad / could be worse etc. You tend not to go into the details that we once did in person when you there are such long gaps between them and so much happens.

I was so happy to catch up with 2 of the girls that I had not seen for a decade, this year when they came over to Cyprus, firstly one of my oldest friends (in time not age!) who was on holiday with her family ( with me getting to meet her husband for the first time in person) followed by my best drinking buddy / school/ college/ bridesmaid friend Sarah who came on her own for a week in September meaning we got to have an actual holiday of sorts (and needed a serious detox afterwards!)

Since booking my flights and talking to all of the girls arranging where and when I am seeing them all, I am giddy with excitement! I've spoken to them all more in the last couple of weeks than I have since I've been here I think. Many video chats, whatsapp messages and a 3 hour ~~drinking session~~ phone call with Claire last week have added to the anticipation, that and I'm really looking forward to going shopping!

The one where we got a dog

2022-11-17T15:58:00.001+02:00

I'm gifting you another post just in case I wake up tomorrow and the urge has passed.

I'm also hanging my head in shame and apologizing for using the word 'gifted', the phrase enrages me as much as a friend of mine is incensed by the existence of tomato ketchup - I mean what the hell is the problem, you don't like it, don't eat it!

Well, it's been a over a year since I blogged (not including the last post but I've literally just hit publish on that so that doesn't count) and therefore it's hard to know where to start. We've had birthdays, and a holiday, and covid and other stuff that is not immediately coming to mind but the biggest news is.....

WE HAVE A DOG!!!

Meet Roxi....

If you know us, you would have undoubtedly be bored of the many times we have talked about wanting to get a dog over the years.

Aaron and I have wanted one for so long, maybe Aaron more than me as I was more worried about it all, but I did strongly feel that despite the work a dog would bring, it was just something that was necessary.

The main issue was that we live in an apartment on the 2nd floor, and therefore do not have a garden, it's also not the largest apartment considering there are four of us and 2 bedrooms. I thought this made it impossible to have a dog, or at least an absolute nightmare when trying to toilet train them. The other was financial when we were often wondering how to feed ourselves let alone a little pup!

After working throughout most of 2019 it was looking a little more feasible to get one from a financial point of view and at the start of 2020 we were seriously considering it, after all we only had to get to April and we'd be having a great season with lots of tourists and lots of work coming our way right?

Well, of course not but we weren't to know. As lockdown loomed I very nearly contacted a local pound over a dog I saw they were looking to re-home. On one hand it seemed the perfect time to get one, as we were all at home and dog walks would be high on everyone's to-do list. But I realised that was not a good reason and I was worried that lockdown might be longer than the two weeks suggested and therefore would we end up starting work later and possibly struggling later on??

So we left it again, but spent the next year STILL going on about it to anyone who would listen. I followed every dog rescue I could find and we debated and deliberated over many many dogs. Aaron loved nearly everyone but I was kind of specific on what I was looking for, although I couldn't really describe it.

I grew up with German Shephards and would have loved one but obviously they are way too big for a small apartment. Aaron didn't really like small dogs and I kept looking and looking but was always unsure.

Until I saw some photos of a litter of pups that had been dumped and rescued by Merlin's Haven Dog Rescue. Dubbed the 'bin pups' they had been taken in and were being cared for by Merlin's, and were just up the road from us.

Knowing that Louka was desperate for a dog, and would have fallen in love with anything we showed him, we went up to the farm without the boys to see what we thought. I'd met Lynn, who runs the farm a couple of times before and I knew she would be more than happy for us to go up and meet the dogs with no pressure.

Aaron would have come home with any dog he found I'm sure, but I wanted them to be a good fit and I still couldn't really explain what I was looking for!

Then we met Roxi (originally named Luna) and she was the one.

We visited again the following week with the boys to make sure they were happy, part of me would have loved to do the whole surprise 'look we've got a dog for you' but it was more important that everyone agreed and was happy.

Leo had been very scared of dogs and we explained this to Lynn, who was more than happy for us to take Roxi out of the main area so he could meet her without the other dogs crowding around.

Everyone agreed and so home checks were arranged and a few weeks later Roxi came home!

It's not the greatest video but this was her first few minutes in her new home.

Louka especially was so excited, and we explained he should give her some space and let her settle. He did insist on sitting on the floor though, and was very happy when she chose to sit by him - just look at his face in the photo below....

Roxi has been with us since January, and I believe she will be one sometime this month. She is generally a good girl, still quite nervous of people although she will bark her head off when someone she doesn't know comes to the door, only to back away when they try and say hello. She loves other dogs and is desperate to play with any that she sees.

And Leo, who was really worried about all dogs, loves her to bits...

Roxi is a Malinois cross, we are not sure what she is crossed with, but something small. She has the look of a Mali but not the size. The Malinois or Belgium Shepherd as they are also known has very similar look to a GSD and she's the actual dog I was trying to find but didn't exist!

If you are thinking of adopting a dog, either here in Cyprus or re-homing to the UK, please visit Merlin's Haven you can also make a donation to help them look after and re-home dogs,or visit and help out looking after the dogs.

www.merlinshaven.com

www.facebook.com/merlinshaven

Bored and Blogging

2022-11-15T20:13:00.000+02:00

Over a year has passed since I wrote a blog post here and after all this time I thought I was finally done with it, but today I've felt restless and bored, yeah I could have tidied out a random cupboard or baked a cake but I chose to do a bit of work admin followed by an unhealthy amount of time randomly scrolling through Instagram.

I finally got bored of that too and I even did all the ironing and put all the washing away. I've been used to running at a hundred miles an hour all summer and now I've ground to a sudden halt and I'm not quite sure what to do.

I definitely wasn't planning on blogging, I absolutely loved this blog for so many years, and it got me to where I am today but I used to write freely without thought of who was reading and what they might think. I'd merrily sit on the balcony with a vodka or three and type whatever came into my head.

I didn't know too many people here in Cyprus and while at first I felt like an anonymous blogger, it gradually started to feel like a different place online.

I started to second guess what I was going to write and think of how people might react or what they might think, I realised what ever I wrote was akin to walking into the local pub and just shouting it out loud. Over the years I'd met many people here and friended them on facebook where I shared all my posts, and they weren't all necessarily actual friends.

So along with other reasons (working, older kids, etc) I stopped blogging. Everything I wrote I imagined different people reading and I wondered what they would think about it, which is strange as who am I to presume that people are even reading this crap anyway! Apart from my Mum of course - I know she always read it (and to make matters worse, printed them all out into a folder, and therefore I shouldn't swear, which makes things tricky as I love to swear! )

I realise that even if I did walk into the local pub and started telling everyone random crap, there would be varied reactions, at least online you don't have to read it if you don't want to - just get back to scrolling mindlessly somewhere else!

My boys are 13 and 10 and while they have never shown any interest in reading my blogs particularly, Leo has probably forgotten that I did it, and Louka probably has no idea or if he does I'm sure he doesn't really care. Blogs aren't cool, but parents aren't supposed to be cool anyway. They are very impressed that I've got a YouTube channel though (and randomly an old post recently got 142k views recently for some unknown reason!)

I could never be a controversial blogger, I like my place here on the fence way too much for that, so why should I give a shit about what I'm writing about, especially when it's such random ramblings!

I never used to reread a post before I hit publish, if I had I'd have probably published a lot less. I've skimmed over this again but mainly as I've had a drink and no dinner yet!

So, absolutely no point to this post, although I'm suddenly all up for blogging I realise its a bad idea to promise tons of new posts and interesting content, (although the blogger in me has awakened and has at least 3 post ideas jumping about in my head)

I'm off to write at least one more to be scheduled anyway so it's a start!

A random photo I took earlier this year, for a post with no real point

The one where I picked up a pencil

2021-07-28T13:23:00.001+03:00

Did you know that if you wait long enough for a blog post, another is sure to follow it right up!

While I wouldn't go as far as saying I have the blogging bug again, I think it would take a bit more than two posts, I did fancy writing another. I thought I'd share something that I was surprised I could do...

For years I have said that I'm no good at art, my go to response has always been 'I couldn't even draw a stick man' and when Aaron started drawing last year out of lockdown boredom I didn't even consider joining him.

However, in an attempt to encourage the boys to do a 'Draw with Rob' video on YouTube I decided to attempt a drawing, I assumed it would be terrible but therefore at least make them feel better.

Our first attempt was the 'Gregosaurus' and all three of our attempts were awesome, I was genuinely surprised how well we had all done.

Spurred on by my initial success I attempted the Unicorn....

I tried a couple more, some on my own and some the boys did too. Louka only tried a couple but Leo did some really good ones.

The Train was one we both did together...

And then I tried a couple of very recognizable characters...

Sonic was another 'Rob' video tutorial but the Care Bear was just copied from another picture, so I was even more amazed by how he came out.

By this point Aaron's drawings had gone from good to amazing and he was happy to give me some tips, of course I wasn't happy to receive them so pretty much ignored everything he said and stopped drawing 'cos I'm like that!

(more on Aaron's Art coming up but it warrants its own post!)

After a while I stopped being a child, and the never ending lockdown was boring me so I picked up a pencil again, and did a free Christmas themed drawings which I turned into Christmas cards.

I was quite enjoying it, and still stunned and amazed that I drew something that looked pretty much like I wanted it to. Friends told me that they couldn't draw like that and I just keep saying nor could I!

Next up was a butterfly for my Mum

I was saving pics on Pinterest that caught my eye and thought I'd try something a little harder. As I had been playing Final Fantasy on the Xbox I thought I'd go for something similar...

That was several months ago now, I had started another similar picture but stopped just over half way through, I'm sure I'll finish it off eventually but haven't fancied doing it for ages now. Maybe when it cools down again I'll be in the mood, it's much easier when you don't have to try not to sweat on the paper!

Time for a little update

2021-07-25T15:27:00.006+03:00

Hello, my long lost blog readers, just when you thought I'd left you all I'm back for a random blog post or two!

I'd been quite happy with not blogging for ages this time with the other things that I've got going on, but I was looking up an old post the other day and realised that after all the years of blogging, hundreds of posts, comments, shares etc, that there was no way I could leave it with the last post being about Fruit Pasta - I mean what a terrible way to go!

I thought I didn't have much to update you on, especially as it seems strange to blog about every little thing these days, but of course we've had birthdays, and the odd day out (although nothing major due to a bit of a pandemic going on!)

We've both been double jabbed - ( I don't want your opinions on it, just saying!) and this means we have our 'safepasses' and can go to shops and restaurants by showing it to gain entry, however because Leo is over 12 now he has to be tested every 72 hours if we want to take him anywhere except a beach. (The current rules in Cyprus mean you have to have a 'safepass' to go anywhere with more than 20 people including supermarkets and retail shops)

It's oh so very hot now so everything seems twice as difficult, and of course Leo doesn't actually like the beach, Louka isn't the biggest fan but still enjoys digging! As always I am so very grateful for our communal pool, I don't know what we would do without it!

We are now about half way through the summer holidays and starting to crawl the walls a little bit - Leo even said he was bored of watching Youtube which can't be good! What on earth are they supposed to do though? I looked on pinterest and the lists of suggestions would be laughed at in this house. It used to be so much easier to entertain them, not that I realised that then! It was harder work and relentless but they were much easier to impress, I could just imagine the look Leo would give me if I presented him with a block of ice with toys frozen inside now or a bunch of cornflour gloop.

The biggest thing this year was Leo's graduation from Primary school, which luckily was able to go ahead despite covid restrictions. They had a brilliant ceremony with a look back over the years from nursery as most of the kids have been together in class since then, followed by a meze in a local taverna for all the students and families.

Luckily Leo's birthday was timed once again between lockdowns so we were able to have a small party as we have always done, this time I somehow managed to create (thanks to pinterest) a 'real life' Among Us game and even joined in to make up the numbers, even though I had no clue what was going on.

In other news we've been to the Sculpture park in Ayia Napa, and the Camel Park in Larnaca, we've been to both a few times before but not for several years so the boys enjoyed both, having been stuck at home for most of a year helped too I assume, they were just happy to be doing something different.

That doesn't seem like much for 4 months, considering how I used to blog several times a week but that's a pandemic for you!

There's been lots of swimming, board games (our current favourite is Munchkin or good ol' Uno ) tons of Xbox (from all of us, not the just boys) and even more tablet time, but we are muddling through as you do - roll on September and new starts, and temperature drops.

We've got Louka's birthday coming up, and our anniversary, and a lot more pool time I assume.

I may well be back before then - once I blog I sometimes get the bug again but no promises!

Slimming World Dessert - Fruit Pasta

2021-04-09T18:32:00.001+03:00

You have read that correctly, the title of this post is indeed Slimming World Fruit Pasta. You are also perfectly entitled to think that I have gone completely crazy as you wouldn't be alone in those thoughts.

Over my Slimming World years I've tried many things, some only once and others that have become a staple part of my diet even when I'm not following the SW plan.

Lots of them are very sensible, things that many people like that I'd just never thought to try before such as butternut squash, cous cous, and spinach all of which I regularly enjoy now.

Some of the things are more 'diet-y' like cauliflower rice or courgetti (not that I've tried that, but I would be happy to) and some are a bit more odd such as lasagne doritos, or 'Smash potato scones' but I've never been more amused by a suggestion than I was when I saw a photo of Fruity Pasta on pinterest yesterday.

The idea of fruit and pasta isn't new of course, I used to think it strange but there are many recipes out there with melon, or mango, apple etc used in a pasta dish, but there was a difference to this one....

Where as they usually seem to be a main meal, with the fruit being just a small part this seems to be aiming squarely at a desert option.

I love desert!

So what the hell, why not give it a try I thought. I like pasta, I like fruit and one of the hardest things for me on SW is finding a good filling sweet option.

It's so easy it doesn't really need a recipe. It is also very versatile of course, you can use whatever fruit you prefer.

HOW TO....

Boil your pasta as usual but rather than plain or salted water you need to use a sugar free fruit squash mixture. I would suggest making it a little stronger than you would usually drink it.

When cooked drain the pasta and leave to cool.

Mix with your chosen fruit, I used defrosted frozen berries mixed with sliced fresh strawberries.

Pop the fruity pasta in the fridge.

Serve with some fat free yogurt or as it comes.

The length of time you can keep it varies depending on the freshness of the fruit at time of making. I'm sure it will be fine for a least a day or two.

It's syn free on SW, and a good way to add speed food with tons of fruit.

THE VERDICT...

It's a bit strange but not too bad! It's sweet and satisfyingly filling on 100% on plan which when following SW is always a good thing. I wouldn't want to eat a big bowl of it but as a little sweet thing in the evening instead of chocolate bars or similar I think it might be an alternative worth trying.

I'd be up for trying variations on it, maybe using orange squash and mandarins, I think kiwi fruit or watermelon would also work well.

What do you think? Would you try it?

Scrolling and Sighing

2021-02-25T10:47:00.001+02:00

Do you ever find yourself on social media scrolling with a sigh?

I'm sure you have seen posts that make you feel like you could be better, that others are fitter, tidier thinner, more beautiful, wealthier, loved, or just generally happier than you.

This time of year can be the worst, when it looks like everyone is having a better time, with huge piles of gifts, perfect decorations, happy families, matching PJs, and beautiful happy children baking cookies.

It's not unique to Christmas of course, summer evenings at the beach, family BBQ's, birthdays, exotic holidays, cute kids, loved up couples, beautiful people and inspirational houses can have the same effect all year round.

There have been times where I've had to step away from the phone, when it all feels a bit too much. Times where I was perfectly happy until the beautiful happy photos slowly chip away at your peace and start to make you feel like things should be different, everything needs to be improved, that your relationships are not good enough and that everyone else is generally having a better life than you.

They say that 'Comparison is the thief of joy' and it is so true. Feelings of envy and jealously breed low self confidence and depression, which in turn will make you feel even worse about your life and perpetuate the cycle.

It's a hard habit to break, and one that I still battle with. I am happy with my life, and know I am very privileged to have a roof over my head, food on my table and family and friends around me. I have spent years trying to practice gratitude and instill the same into my children, and mostly I am doing OK. I am increasingly able to look at the beautiful photos and I usually smile to see that there is joy in the world and that the people I choose to follow are finding something to be happy about especially in this year where so much has been difficult to say the least.

The most important thing to remember is that all you see on social media is someones highlights roll, they only share the things they want you to see.

It can be hard to remember that though - I know from experience!

I once felt envious after seeing photos of a lovely family New Years Eve, and a pang of envy at the matching outfits, stunning decor, food, games and laughing smiling faces. They were photos posted by a friend of mine and a few days after we met and I commented on what a lovely evening they had. I then heard about the tantrum from the toddler, the snoring husband who didn't join in with the games, and the food that the kids refused to eat. I realised that I'd actually had a lovely night with my own family and yet again I'd let the habit of comparison steal my happiness.

Remember that for every perfect Instagram photo there are usually many more that didn't make the feed. The crying children, the messy house, the badly lit selfies, the list is endless.

Some of the least happy people in real life have the most perfect social media lives, you never really know just what the smiling faces are hiding, or if the pile of dirty washing is just out of the frame on the perfect tidy house photo. They used to say 'the camera never lies' that couldn't be more wrong these days.

Studies have shown that people are less likely to reveal their negative emotions and at the same time tend to over estimate the positivity of others. So as well as not seeing the full picture on someones feed, the tendency is to also distort the feelings behind it.

Once people tried to keep up with the 'Joneses' and their neighbours and now it's moved online giving us a window into many more lives and making it harder to separate the facts from the filters.

We just need to remember not to compare our behind the scenes and outtakes with someone else's highlights reel.

Sunday Photos

2021-02-14T15:16:00.004+02:00

My Sunday photos today were taken earlier this week on a walk along the beach path in Pernera. I walked alone with the plan to listen to music along the way but ended up enjoying the sound of the sea too much, it turns out I also don't really like not knowing what's happening around me, it really makes me jump if someone walks up behind me!

There was a lovely feel of spring in the air, and lovely to see a few gorgeous yellow flowers along the way and feel some real warmth in the sun.

I love this time of year in Cyprus, when it starts to warm up a little and the promise of everything coming back to life. Winter is always quiet and I always feel that this time of year is full of anticipation - Carnival and Green Monday is usually around now, or very soon, and after that it all seems to begin.

Of course this year like last is looking to be very different, but we can only hope better days will be here soon.

Thriving in lockdown

2021-02-11T11:04:00.000+02:00

Originally published on 'Talking on Eggshells' at the start of January, just before the 2nd full lockdown was announced in Cyprus.

As the UK and many European countries head back into a full lockdown it's hard at times to think of anything else. Everyone has an opinion, for or against lockdown, schools closing or not, vaccines good or bad and so on. But whatever your opinion on the subject, it is what it is and like it or not we have to make the best of it.

There was a lot said at the start of the lockdowns in March last year about using the time productively, to get fit, learn a new skill, reorganize your home and so on. For me at the start I tried to embrace this and loved the inspiring posts I saw online. It kept me going in a strange and scary time and helped me focus. Being productive gives me a sense of achievement and I've always worked on the theory that even if it doesn't cheer me up, at least I've done something useful and taken my mind of things in the process.

I do realise I was lucky and it was easier for me to do this than others in different situations. Not being in the UK, our lockdown was strict but our cases were low so no-one really knew of anyone getting sick or being affected health wise. Money was tight as businesses were forced to close but we were still in the off-season so we are used to many things being closed until the tourists arrive in April / May. It was a difficult time but for us at least it was ok- ish.

I have always tried to find inspiring and motivational posts online but there started to be a shift in the types of posts I was seeing, and the overriding message became 'It's ok not to be ok'.

It is, of course but I started to find it gradually pulling me down. I'm sure this message helped many who had been overwhelmed by all the posts from the 'over achievers' those who had lost weight, nailed home school and set up new businesses etc. It is important to not be too hard on yourself, but I was missing the push to do more, like it wasn't ok to admit to being happy or achieving any more. I missed the inspiration, I didn't want a hug as much as a kick up the backside!

I wanted to shout into the interwebs - yes it's ok not to be ok, but it's not ok to stop pushing onwards.

Whatever that thing is that keeps you going, you've still got to push for it, even if you are only able to take the tiniest of baby steps each day.

I feel people are scared to say, get up and get on with it, and I do get that - after all I've started a whole new blog to be able to say what I like without worrying! Mental health is a very tricky subject and to someone really suffering its not as easy as a motivational instagram post or a kick up the bum, but if that applies to you I'd really recommend stepping away from social media and talking to a professional.

It's a weird scary time and of course you need to take care of yourself, in whatever way is best for you. For a very large proportion of us that means getting your big girl pants on, setting your alarm clock and shifting your arse!

Karin from Imperfectly Happy, puts it much better (and more politely) than I can, and I strongly recommend popping over to the Imperfectly Happy page on facebook as we head into the next lock down for a support and inspiration.

Thriving in Lockdown...

Initially I was going to call this daily series “Surviving Lockdown” but I believe that language is powerful when it comes to mindset. While I don’t think that anyone needs to set unrealistic targets or goals which ends up placing unnecessary pressure on themselves, I do believe that having goals is critical to progressing. 

Your main goal is not just to survive lockdown but to thrive in Lockdown. 

Thriving doesn’t mean you have to lose 2 stone, write that novel you’ve been meaning to write or make your own sourdough bread. Thriving is whatever keeps you smiling & lit up inside. Thriving is feeling alive & strong. Thriving is taking care of yourself & keeping your well-being as a priority. 

Remember that rule about putting on your oxygen mask first? You cannot help others to thrive if you are faltering.

Thriving in Lockdown involves 2 critical steps. 

1) GET OUT OF BED
Try not to linger in bed. Set an alarm, don’t repeatedly snooze & get up! Laying in bed leads to lazing in bed. Lazing leads to overthinking & catastrophising. That leads to not wanting to get out of bed at all! So get yourself up, MAKE YOUR BED & put on some exercise clothes. By making your bed you’ve already accomplished something and your bed is more inviting to you when you return in the evening. Putting on exercise clothes takes you one step closer to moving your body which is the critical next step to Thriving in Lockdown. 
2) MOVE YOUR BODY
Every day, find a way to move your body for at least 20-30 minutes. It doesn’t matter what you do! Just move! It’s great if you can do something outside but when weather or circumstances prevent it, just move! If you are able to get outside, you’ll find so much benefit in fresh air, sunlight & nature. There are also plenty of indoor exercise opportunities too. YouTube has a plethora of free workout videos (Yoga with Adriene, Joe Wicks’ The Body Coach, PopSugar & Boho Beautiful to name a few) but you can also purchase memberships to online classes like Les Mills & Peloton if money isn’t a concern for you. It doesn’t matter what you do or where you do it, just MOVE YOUR BODY. The boost of endorphins, the lowering of your stress hormones & the exhilaration of oxygen & elevating your heart rate is so good for your wellbeing. Try it, you’ll like it! 
Finally, I encourage you to start a Gratitude Practice straightaway. It’s quite simple really & only requires either a notebook or a device in which to record. Choose a quiet time to evaluate your day. This is often best done in the evening, right before bed, but you can choose when & where. Look back on your day and find 1-3 good things about your day & record them. They don’t have to be massive achievements (they can be that too though), they just have to be things that made your day brighter or better. Aim to find 3 good things but if you’re struggling, find one. Some days are harder than others but as my favourite quote reminds us, “Not every day is good but there is good in every day.” The more you strive to look for the good in every day, the easier it gets to find them. Over time, this exercise will change the way you look at the world. Such a simple thing really but it truly will change your life. 

What do you think? Will you aim to survive, or try your best to thrive throughout lockdown and the coming year?

Resolutions for a new year

2021-02-09T09:00:00.001+02:00

Another one of my 'Talking on Eggshells' posts, which if you missed it was the 'other' blog I briefly started and then decided to ditch. So as not to lose the few posts I'd published I decided to move them over to here - hence the 'New Years' post in February.

I've always loved New Year, the very start of them at least. Many a New Years Day has been hungover to varying degrees, but once we recover from that I love the new beginning. I love a new calendar, writing in the birthdays and any plans that have been made for the year. As much as I love Christmas I like to get the decorations away, have a good clean and feel like we are back to 'normal'.

I'm not one for making a long list of resolutions, but I do tend to have some in mind at least each year. I never plan to start them immediately though, I think that's a recipe for complete failure, for me at least.

It doesn't seem to be mentioned much these days but it always seemed to be that people talked about giving up smoking for new year. Maybe they all did eventually but it's the main resolution I remember hearing about growing up, and then of course once I started smoking myself.

I gave up almost 3 years ago now, not at New Year, although as the new year rolled around I knew I wanted to give up that year, it just had to be when the time was right for me. January can be a rubbish month for so many reasons and adding a pile of resolutions just adds more than you might be able to deal with.

If your resolution is to give something up, eat less, stop drinking or start something new - go to the gym, run 5k, and so on, then January is perhaps not the best time for that. If it's something you need to push yourself for, and lets face it it probably is or why do you need to make it a resolution, then choosing to start in the month that is dark, cold, tight on funds, and lacking the sparkle of December might make it quite a bit harder.

On the flip side, January sucks so having something to strive for may be just what you need, it's all about striking a balance I feel.

Aim high for the new year but remember there are 365 days of it, pace yourself and take it one step at a time. If you have spent the last two days in your pyjamas eating cheese and trying to finish all the booze you've not failed, just don't buy anyone when you've eaten it and make a start then!

Today I started Yoga with Adriene's 30 day yoga journey for 2021. It is the 3rd January I have joined this, the first one I completed every day and was so proud of myself. It was a challenge some days to do it but because it was 'live' and I knew I wasn't alone it somehow helped and even on the days I really didn't fancy it I pushed myself and got on with it.

I continued throughout most of the year on and off, and my fitness and mobility levels were better than they had been possibly ever!

Last year I put my back out around day 11 and I just gave up.

This year I hope to complete it in the 30 days but I plan to continue and if necessary will take a little longer without beating myself up about it.

Of course it is better to take 35, 40 or 80 days to complete it than not doing it at all.

So, what are your plans for the year? Will you be starting them now, or a little later?

Back to school - again!

2021-02-08T10:30:00.001+02:00

As part of the relaxation of lockdown in Cyprus primary age children (and those in their last year of high school) return to school today after the latest covid measures shut them all down again. We saw it coming in December as our cases were rising so it was no surprise to anyone that they did not open as planned after Christmas.

Home schooling was a 100% better for us this time round, although we are so glad to see them back in today. Last year home school was a nightmare with tears and tantrums, and the kids weren't much better, but for a host of reasons this time was so much easier.

I think main reason was that it was less of a shock for everyone, I wrote about getting up for school when I didn't have to and reading it again reminds me how strange everything felt back in March last year. Of course schools were not prepared and there was so much uncertainty everywhere.

This time round Leo had online lessons from 8 am till 10:30 am every day, he didn't really like them but got on with it with few complaints and we didn't really have to get involved at all other than photographing his homework to send to the teachers, which to be honest he could have also done himself!

Louka, first time round was a different story but I discovered this time that if I totally dedicated my time to him while he worked, either talking him through it, or even just sitting right next to him, then there was hardly a moan from him. It made no sense to me, and I felt he should be able to get on with it pretty much by himself - his teacher told me he was more
than capable, but for whatever reason he wouldn't or couldn't and once I accepted that our world was a much better place.

The first week of back in January was hard going, but once we got past that we found a new routine and it passed relatively painlessly. Leo was over the moon to hear the news they were to go back, Louka not so much but then again he hadn't had to put up with Teams lessons.

Yesterday we repacked bags, checked pencil cases an sanitizer and searched for uniform - we are still searching for Leo's long sleeve tops of which we could only find one for some reason. (my job for this morning is trying to locate the rest..... where the hell could they have gone since December?)

They got a lift to school this morning due to the ridiculous weight of their bags as they had to return all their books that they had at home. Both were a little tired at the early morning - who knows why as Louka was maybe up 10 minutes earlier than usual, but they were ready without a fuss and excited to see their friends.

Unlike last 'back to school' they were not nervous, the teachers wearing masks and brandishing thermometers was not an alien sight to them. They know what to expect with spaced out desks and no running about at break time. They hated all that last year but are less bothered as they know it's better to have to put up with these restrictions than to not be able to go at all.

We are hoping that they get to finish the school year this time with no more home school!

Normality is very slowly returning as shops can reopen today, along with the hairdressers and beauticians that opened last week. We still have to text for permission to leave our homes but hopefully that will also change too soon.

Better days are coming..... eventually !

My Sunday Photo - Quiet Cyprus

2021-02-07T08:00:00.006+02:00

Winter in Cyprus is always very different to summer, we expect it to be quieter in Ayia Napa and positively sleepy in Protaras, and we are used to seeing empty beaches free from sunbeds and closed bars and restaurants.

When we looked into moving here we were told that the east coast closes in winter and it wouldn't be a suitable place to consider moving to ( I think her company only dealt with Paphos properties). I was really annoyed by the comment, how ridiculous I thought - surely the people who live there manage to survive!

What she meant was that when the season ends many businesses close between November and April, although that would only be a problem if you are trying to live like a tourist all year round.

Of course the airports are currently closed to all but residents and essential travel, and all the bars and restaurants are closed until further notice and we realise just how much life there usually is in the winter months.

Usually we appreciate the quiet winter for a rest from the crazy season, this year we all can't wait for a return to the busy times.

Being cheerful in a pandemic

2021-02-06T10:00:00.001+02:00

After starting a new blog to be able to rant and write about more about things on my mind I cheered up and my first post came out all cheerful, but I was feeling like it was not acceptable to be cheerful so had not wanted to put it 'publicly on here'

Maybe one day I'll progress to not putting a 'disclaimer' on how I feel!

Here's the 2nd 'Talking on Eggshells' post (written 15th December 2020 so apologies for the mentions of Christmas)

So where to start with my shiny new blog?

The overthinking is going well and I've had so many post ideas pop into my head in the last 24 hours that I now don't know where to start!

I thought it strange that I've felt happy / excited about it, and one of the reasons I started 'Talking on Eggshells' was so I could talk about things that made me sad or angry without worrying so much about people I know in real life reading it all so easily. I forgot though how I love a new thing, even if one of the things I love is sharing it and that's kinda hard with a blog I'm trying not to make personal.

For several years, inspired by other bloggers, I've looked for the good things in every day, and for reasons to be cheerful, so much so that it became a habit, one I've even passed onto my children.

However I've been feeling like I couldn't write a 'Reasons to be Cheerful' post, like people wouldn't get it. I've not been all that cheerful to be honest and feel like I'm constantly struggling with the fact I am actually ok, not sick, have my family, can put food on the table and just about pay the bills too, and therefore I don't have anything to complain about.

Everywhere you look people are sad and struggling with something, and while I know its not a competition, it seems maybe disrespectful to shout about things making you happy - like I needed to add a disclaimer saying I'm also sad, struggling with stuff but I'm just trying to see the positive stuff and not go completely mad.

So, with that out of the way, my reasons to be cheerful are...

1. It's nearly Christmas! I love Christmas and am thankful that our plans are pretty much the same as usual. We have small family Christmas at home and can still meet small groups of friends in line with the current restrictions.

2. We are still able to see our friends, even if not all at the same time. If our whole group including children and partners are together there are 2 too many of us but we are getting round it by meeting, just the girls, or in smaller numbers on different times. It's all a bit crazy as it's just 3 families, all the kids are at school anyway, and some of us are out working but it's good we can still see each other.

3. I've wrapped presents and prepared Christmas food. I'm happy that I had some work this year and although not as much as usual it enabled me to buy presents for the kids early - no waiting this year for them to arrive at the last minute. I really struggled at their birthdays to buy them gifts so I am so happy that Christmas has worked out ok. They are not getting the big dream present they would love (new games console) but they wouldn't have got that in a normal year anyway, but they will still be very happy. Not only that, but I've wrapped it all!!

4. Jigsaw puzzles! I picked up a few jigsaws from our local charity shop and have been doing them with hubby, which makes a change from arsing about on my phone.

5. My new blog - I've not abandoned my old one as it's my baby but I'm excited about blogging for the first time in years. I feel that every post I wrote was potentially read by people I walk past in the supermarket who know me, and so it was starting to limit what I wrote about. ( I was once stopped by someone I vaguely knew who was chatting about stuff I didn't remember telling anyone they knew, and then realised they'd read it on my blog)

In other news I started a twitter and Instagram account yesterday for the blog, trying to remember how I got my followers on the last blog, and thinking that would be a good place to start.

I used to follow many bloggers and regularly comment on other posts and join in with endless linkups and blog memes, over the years I got out of the habit as so many bloggers I knew gradually disappeared, I'm now down to just a few that I am in contact with but would class as friends even though we've never met - I probably know more about them than my real life friends though these days, I'll look you all up on Insta and hopefully get back in the the swing of things.

Talking On Eggshells

2021-02-04T16:58:00.000+02:00

At the end of 2020 I decided on a whim to start a new blog. Five posts in I realised I just needed to give this one a new lease of life instead of giving myself another blog to run so I stopped it before it had a chance to get going.

So here is the first of the five posts from what was going to be 'Talking on Eggshells'

Many years ago I started writing a blog, it began much like this one with no prior planning and no plan as to where it was going. I knew nothing about blogs, websites or social media other than how to put a few random pics on facebook. While I've never gone viral or become a famous blogger, all these years later my blog is still known - by friends, family, neighbours and 'blog friends' worldwide and because of this I find myself always overthinking what I write these days.

I never tried to be anonymous with my blog, and to be honest I'm not even sure I'll be able to pull it off with this one but I would love to be able to write without judgment, to be able to ramble on about whatever is on my mind without worrying what family will think, if they will worry about me or try to 'fix' it. I've always shared my posts on facebook via a page and my personal profile and for me it's time to cut that down a bit and attempt to stay a bit more under the radar.

I am very used to over sharing, of course - you don't manage to write over 1000 blog posts about your life without that trait. Back in the day I had a circle of friends, several best friends with whom I shared everything - literally every detail of my life, and they with me and I really miss that.

I've never been particularly opinionated, always joking that I'm quite comfortable on my fence thank you very much and I've always taken care not to do politics or such like online, mainly because I can never quite make up my mind 100% on a subject so feel I lack the ability to back it up in an argument if necessary.

Generally I'm a positive person these days, I've had bad patches over the years for various reasons but for the last few I have made an effort to look for the good every day and by and large it's become an ingrained habit. I plough on relentlessly with the good things and being organised so I don't slip into the negative again.

It's not always easy though and without the ability to talk it all through it's much harder so here we are, a new little space for me to chat away without any agenda, or thoughts that it's all being saved for family posterity or that I will get a call from someone being worried (or upset if I'm having a little moan about something they think is about them!)

I'm ready to stop worrying so much about breaking the eggshells!

That was the first post, and I wanted to bring it over here rather than lose it in cyberspace. I still love the name though - maybe I'll create a section with the name here instead for the posts I was planning to write!

Blog like no-one is reading

2021-02-02T17:34:00.008+02:00

Despite blogging here for many many years, at the end of 2020 I decided on a whim to start a new blog. I thought about it for all of a couple of days, threw a template together and plucked a name out of thin air.

Why?

5 posts in on the new blog and I'm asking myself this very question.

I started this blog way back in 2009 in what now seems like another lifetime, I've had highs and lows with it since then, times where I posted like clock work, and times where the posts have been few and far between. There have been many times when I've considered ditching the whole thing, either just stopping or even taking the whole thing offline but I think it's an amazing achievement and I'm quite proud that I'm still going it seems a shame to ditch it now. I would have never believed you when I started that I'd still be here over 1100 posts later and more than 1.3 million page views.

The thing is, when I started no one knew about it, I had no followers and it was just me merrily waffling away about whatever popped into my head - I've been calling it the 'Random ramblings of an expat Brit' for many years in descriptions. I wrote for me, or for those back in the UK who wanted to keep up with our news, it seemed like a nice way to keep a record of our move to Cyprus to look back on, and it would save me writing huge emails to keep friends up to date.

I've never been political or controversial and although I've blogged about the boys I've always been a little mindful about what I'm posting. As they got older I've always asked them if I can use the photos or write about something that's happened, they love the blog, although they think it's a bit boring, a YouTube channel would be much more exciting to them.

In real life I know a lot of people here, some very good friends and many acquaintances I've met over the years, Cyprus is a very small island and it seems everyone knows everyone it some way or another.

I was becoming aware that when I wrote a post in some ways it could be just like walking into the local pub and shouting it out for everyone to hear, I was starting to overthink everything I wrote.

Once I was chatting to someone I only very vaguely knew and they asked me about something I'd done recently, I was really confused until they pointed out they read my blog. I've also found a couple of people who read my blog for ages before I'd ever met them. it's not Ladbaby or Unmumsy Mum fame of course but it's still a bit weird!

So that brought me to the idea to start a new blog, but it's just strange - I feel like I'm abandoning a child. I was very excited at first but after all these years it was a little lonely, like I'm shouting into the abyss, turns out I do prefer to shout into a crowd!

I didn't feel like I could blog if I was 'too' happy - after all there is a pandemic going on and so many bad things happening. I didn't want to blog if I was sad - I didn't want messages from friends being worried. I didn't want to be opinionated - I didn't want to upset people. I didn't want to rant - in case people I knew took it personally. I didn't want people I didn't know to think they knew me when it's just a snapshot of a bigger picture.

Then I thought what the hell does it matter, my blog, my posts!

After the initial excitement of a new thing, I realised that I can't keep up 2 blogs, plus the work one so I'm merging them back together, I don't think I'd have been able to keep up the anonymous thing anyway, too hard not to mention Cyprus in the posts, or use photos of the area!

So look out for the 'other' posts coming up soon....

Our January round up

2021-02-01T18:27:00.004+02:00

Here we are in the second month of 2021. I hope you all made it through January relatively unscathed?

What a strange time it is, and what a strange mood I find myself in now it's February. I'm happy to say I'm ok, which is pretty good I think considering. I'm neither sad or bouncing off the walls happy, we are plodding along in our own little world and getting through it ok.

Home school isn't the best thing of course but the last 2 weeks have been a thousand times better than the previous lockdown so I'm feeling very grateful for that.

We have fallen into a routine of sorts with Leo getting on with his online lessons, he's not really enjoying them but does it all without fuss and I'm proud of how he's handling it all. Louka generally has worksheets to complete, and I usually have to sit with him to give him encouragement the whole time but if I give him 100% then we are muddling though them together with a bit of Google translate and a bit of help from Leo. I'm pretty sure he could do a lot more by himself but we are taking the path of least resistance this time round and it results in a lot less stress all round.

I've been enjoying yoga, and was very pleased to have completed the 30 day Yoga Journey from YWA in January, only the 2nd time I've managed to see it all the way through. Today I've started the next 30 day challenge - Home. I'm sure this goes a very long way to improving my general mood. I've also been back on track with Slimming World after realising just how much weight I'd put on over the last year.

The boys and I have been doing the live PE with Joe workouts which helps and gets the boys moving too, even that is going better this time round with them both joining in a lot more. It's a good laugh too, although I'm not sure the neighbours would agree!

We've also been drawing, following the Draw with Rob videos, and I've even done a couple now with no tutorial - I'm amazed how well they turned out, but will save that for another post.

Of course there has been a massive amount of tech time for the boys (and us, but we can do what we like!) but there's only so much you can do to limit it, I think we do ok in the scheme of things. I'm sure there are worse things that could happen.

Louka has discovered Virtual DJ however, which is at least a change from watching other people play video games on youtube. He's loving playing about with it and DJ's for us most evening while we cook dinner!

Cyprus has been in lockdown since the 10th January, and there wasn't much we were allowed to do before that. Visits to other houses have been banned since New Year but we have been able to meet up with another person for a walk (kids are not included in the number). The boys had a great time playing on the sand hills at Fig Tree Bay - I think they enjoy it more than the beach in summer!

We've had some really cold days and storms, luckily no damage or leaks for us this time, but also some beautiful sunny days. I've been more grateful than usual to be lucky enough to have this weather - although I'm sure the boys would love to play in the snow!

Another good thing this month has been Saturday night zoom calls, as well as a quiz for our Cyprus friends it's been amazing to see a couple of my old besties from England, there was a little bit too much drinking on the first evening but we seem to have found a better balance in the last couple! It's crazy to think we've seen each other more this year than in the last 10 - there's always a bright side to every situation!

In other news, we've made the decision to postpone the FPN Party in the Park - our big event we had planned for April, we'd really hoped all would be well by then but it's not looking like all the restrictions will be lifted by then and it doesn't give us much time to plan if we wait any longer to see what happens.

But we are still looking on the bright side - what else can you do!

Today (1st Feb) Cyprus has started to ease the lockdown restrictions, hairdressers, barbers, and beauticians and tattoo shops can reopen, and you can have 2 visitors to your house. From Feb 8th small shops can also open, you can have 4 visitors and most importantly primary schools reopen!

Who knows what the next few months will bring, all eyes are on the UK really as that is where most of our tourists come from, and with most of the people I know, where they want to get too or have visitors from. It will be what it will be though, we can only hope for the best.

Happy New Year - Welcome 2021

2021-01-05T20:56:00.002+02:00

Happy new year!

We had a nice New Years Eve, on the last day we were able to visit other peoples houses. It was a sudden announcement that had come in with just a few hours notice on the previous Tuesday but New Years Eve had been given as an exception to the rule. Which was good for us as it meant we were still able to celebrate as planned with my parents.

We opened our memory jar and the boys really enjoyed opening up all the slips and reading out the memories. It took a lot longer than I thought it would and there were a fair few in there that we had all forgotten. It went down so well that we've already started again for 2021.

We'd printed out a few quizzes and puzzles to be completed throughout the evening, and some questions to get everyone talking about the year.

Of course a lot of answers were covid related, especially with questions such as 'Most Challenging thing this year' and 'An unexpected obstacle this year' but it made for some good talking points, and kept the boys of the Xbox for a while.

Last year I'd made a slideshow video of photos from the previous 10 years which had been a highlight of the evening so I did another for 2020. Along with the memory jar it was a great way to look back on the year and remember the highlights, it would be so easy to write off the year as a bad one but I really wanted the boys to remember the happy moments.

We saw the New Year in singing Auld Lang Syne on the balcony, and opening the front door as I've done all my life, and my Mum and Grandad did beforehand to let the old year out and the new one in. We actually opened every window in the apartment to make sure it the old one left this time!

On New Year's Day we were supposed to be having a final festive dinner at Mum and Dads but the new restriction meant we were not able to. Nothing to stop me sitting next to my car in it's parking space which is right outside their front door though.

It wasn't quite the same but still gave us a laugh as I had a cup of tea and a biscuit talking to them on their doorstep!

I'm not starting the year with the wild optimism that we started 2020 with, I'll just be calmly and quietly walking into 2021. Who knew this time last year how it was all going to pan out, I didn't even know in March when I sat by the sea with my friends and told them to stop dramatising and "of course they will not shut airports, there's no way that could happen"

So no predictions from me this time. We all think we are about to head into another lockdown like the UK, the rumors are saying so anyway. Tomorrow is a bank holiday and the schools were supposed to return on Thursday, so far the holiday has been extended until the 10th but I assume that will also change.

We will just wait and see what happens and what this new year brings us.

A Cyprus covid Christmas

2020-12-31T11:00:00.002+02:00

Christmas was always going to be strange for many people this year, for some a little strange would be more than they could hope for of course but I'm staying away from the absolute sadness and horrors of the world like I've always done on my blog.

I'm talking about the people I know and know off in Cyprus, those who would have traveled back to the UK, or elsewhere, those who were expecting family to come here, those who would have met friends for Christmas dinner in a restaurant, or had a large gathering at home.

Our restrictions changed mid December and a 9 pm curfew came into place. Soon after all bars and restaurants had to close. We were allowed to have up to 10 people in our houses (but randomly only 2 people could meet outside).

Most Christmas events had been cancelled, so no markets, school shows, parties etc.

All the towns still put up the Christmas lights which were lovely to see as long as you were home by 9 pm.

We went to Paralimni on Christmas Eve for a little walk around to see the lights, it was nice but a little strange. The roads were very busy with traffic but there were very few people on the streets. Shops were open but quiet apart from the large ones like Lidl, and Public.

I'm glad we went, it was like we were in a little Christmas bubble, after many years of seeing the lights in crowds of people at noisy events it was a little surreal. Hopefully one we will find hard to imagine doing same next year in a crowd once again.

As Cyprus is a popular tourist destination we are used it be quiet in the winter months. Paralimni would be busy at Christmas being that it is inland and residential, Protaras would be pretty much closed, Kapparis would be open almost as usual and busy with expats who live here year round. Pernera would be somewhere in between the two (literally and figuratively!)

Ayia Napa would still have its tourists, a different vibe to the busy summer months but still with life to be found. Popular with tourists from the Scandinavian countries staying in the hotels and with visitors from expats and locals all over the region going to enjoy the bars and restaurants and coastal walks.

We had a walk around the harbour today and of course it's a very quiet place this year.

Yesterday more restrictions were suddenly announced. Around lunchtime it was declared that from 6 pm that evening it was no longer possible to have visitors in your house who are not permanent residents there.

It was lucky we checked our phones as we were at a friends at the time! It was a little strange watching the clock to make sure we left by 6pm. Jokes were made as we finished our drinks as we wondered if we could just take them to the car and have them bring out more to us outside in the road.

There is an exception to the new rule, tomorrow on New Years Eve the restriction will be lifted for one day only, until 1 am and 10 people from 2 families may meet indoors. I know what you are thinking - that's a bit crazy but I'm happy enough with it, it means that while we have to cancel our planned New Years Day dinner with my parents, we can still have them at ours for NYE evening.

I'm so very grateful we got both Christmas and New Year as we would have done every other year. I know that we are in the minority. I can only imagine what it must have felt like to have Christmas planned ruined when so many went into tier 4 (including my old home town) so suddenly and especially if that was the first time they were all planning to get together.

As to what will happen in 2021 - who knows?

After my absolute definite opinion back in March that 'Of course they won't shut the airports' I don't think I'm qualified to comment!

As it stands, schools are not returning on the 7th as they should, and are closed until the 10th January. This is the date that all the current measures are in place till. With record numbers over the last few days though there is no way it's all going to be lifted then.

It is what it is though, we can only keep on keeping on.

Let's hope that 2021 will bring better days for everyone.

The not so strange Christmas week

2020-12-30T20:35:00.001+02:00

Here we are in what is usually the strange week of the year between Christmas and New Year, when you you're not quite sure what day it is, and you feel vaguely guilty about sitting around doing nothing, feeling like you should probably be eating more healthily, drinking less and getting outside more.

2020 may not have given us much but it's made me feel a lot less bothered by this week!

I love Christmas and the whole run up but every year around this time I feel a little uncomfortable, happy but also like I *should* be doing something - getting outside for a lovely winter walk, especially when people are doing in through snow and frost and we usually have gorgeous blue skies over Christmas (the rain comes in the next couple of months)

But this year I am not being lazy, I'm just being sensible by staying home!

I've made peace with over eating and drinking, assuming we are about to enter into another full lockdown we can reacquaint ourselves with Joe Wicks and take a daily walk then.

(random comment from Leo - he enjoyed going for walks in lockdown, when I pointed out we can walk whenever we like now without having to text for permission he replied but that's not as much fun then)

Of course as with almost everything I say, I'm exaggerating but I do feel less confused by this week than I usually do and even though I could have stayed indoors 'guilt free' we had a lovely afternoon walk in Agia Napa today.

Encouraged by the tiny thought in my mind that we may end up in full lockdown again next month, and be restricted to walking around our own apartment block we drove to the sea. The boys needed a little encouragement to get off the sofa and off their tablets, by that I mean I told them it wasn't optional, but as predicted they really enjoyed the break. The fact we played Pokemon Go all around Ayia Napa harbour might have also had something to do with it.

I've always been happy being by the sea, and 10 years on still amazed we live here but these days I do appreciate it just a little bit more.

The 2020 Memory Jar

2020-12-27T11:00:00.001+02:00

Last year we went to a great Christmas party at a friends house, as well as yummy food, silly games and a few drinks we took part in my first ever proper 'Secret Santa' Our Santa's all did well, my gift was a Memory Jar along with a fancy pen and colourful papers to record our best memories throughout the year.

Of course this time last year I'm sure my secret Santa had no idea of what was to come, assuming that I would easily fill the jar with days out, parties, weddings and memorable moments.

It would have been all to easy to leave the jar empty, I'm sure after all that many people have started a similar jar in more 'normal' years and failed to fill it as the months go by, and 2020 hasn't given itself the best of times for people to look back on with fondness.

However, I have managed to pop quite a few memories in there since January.

They are mostly simple things that made me smile on the day they happened, things like meeting a friend, or everyone eating the same dinner (I remember writing this one as it was a momentous occasion!)

I am looking forward to opening the jar up on New Years Eve and looking through them all. I'm sure I will be surprised at the amount of things that I had forgotten, especially as I've written few blog posts this year and taken much fewer photos than in previous years.

The Christmas Tag

2020-12-20T11:50:00.004+02:00

I used to join in with many blog link ups and tags but they either happen less or I read fewer blogs these days. However I came across this from Life As Kim and thought I'd relive the good ol' blogging days.

How did you spend last Christmas?

As we usually do, at home with the boys and my parents. For the last few years we've had Christmas at ours rather than my Mum and Dads, they live in the same apartment building so it's not a massive change but as soon as we got a dining table large enough for us to all sit round I declared that Christmas would be ours!

How are you spending this Christmas?

Same as usual, we are lucky here in Cyprus that although pubs and restaurants are closed until 31st December we are able to meet in groups of up to 10 people in private residences so the 6 of us are fine and our day will be the same as it would be in a normal year.

What’s your most memorable Christmas memory?

Well, that's an impossible question as there are just so many.

I can't really pick one so I'll say one from childhood would be Santa leaving one present by the door rather than under the tree. I remember being pleased with my presents but then finding out I had yet another one and it was one of the things I most hoped for.

Also, in a completely different way, going out on Christmas Eve in 2005 with a crowd of us dressed in Santa outfits, dancing till the early hours to Christmas songs with a countdown to midnight like it was NYE. At that moment I declared it better than New Year as you still had it all to come, I thought it was the way forward for Christmas celebrations..... however the hangover on Christmas morning meant I never did it again!

On Christmas Eve, what do you leave out for Santa?

Whisky and mince pie, plus a carrot for Rudolph. None of this milk and cookies crap here - and don't even try to tell me he can't get drunk in charge of the sleigh, the reindeer have it all under control.

Do you have any other Christmas eve Traditions?

We started our Snuggle Sack many years ago, before Christmas Eve boxes became the 'must have' that they seem to be now. The boys open the sack early evening, get changed into their pyjamas and we watch a film with snacks before putting out the whisky and mince pie for Santa and then they go off to bed.

What is your favourite Christmas movie?

I'm not the biggest fan of films and there are very few that I rewatch, but as I've seen Love Actually a few times I'll probably go with that as my favourite Christmas movie.

What is your favourite Christmas song?

I love so many, but my all time favourite is Fairytale of New York. I also really like this by Si Cranstoun though as its a lot more unusual.

What do you eat on Christmas day?

Crumpets for breakfast, I love them and I brought them once a few years ago as a treat as they are so expensive here and it kinda became a tradition to have them once a year.

We have a turkey dinner with the trimmings, stuffing, pigs in blankets, braised red cabbage, cauliflower cheese, sausage meat, brussels, peas and honey glazed carrots. We also always have 'smiley faces' potato shapes and sausages as once that was all the boys would eat - Leo happily has enbraced the proper dinner these days, we are hoping Louka will too one day!

Do you wear Christmas jumpers?

Yes, but only in recent years. It seems that it's only over the last few years that its became a thing that everyone does and they were really hard to find in Cyprus at first.

What is your favourite decoration in your home?

We have as singing Santa that we've had for years now that Leo danced to in his baby walker but I've just treated my self to a Gnome this year so he's my new favourite.

Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

Fake, I've never had a real one and I wouldn't want one. I prefer the look of a good fake tree and it's just so much easier than getting a new one, dealing with needles etc and then having to get rid of it afterwards.

Do you like Egg Nog?

I'm pretty sure I don't like it, I can't think of a specific time of trying it but I'm sure I have at some point.

Have you ever gone Christmas carolling?

Just once, when I was in the Brownies we sang, at our local shops all stood round a postbox (not sure why but that particular memory of it always comes to mind)

Have you ever built a gingerbread house?

No, I would really like to attempt it once day just so I can say I have but I am pretty sure it will be a disaster, the kids will either be not interested or I try and take over too much, or I will do it myself and not be able to use them as an excuse for it looking terrible, and I'm pretty sure no-one would actually like the gingerbread anyway. So every time I see the kits in the shops I think about getting one but decide it would be a waste of money.

What is your all-time favourite Christmas food?

Christmas dinner, no, cheese, pate and biscuits, nope, Choc Chesnut pudding.... aargh why would you make me choose a favourite??

Who cooks the Christmas meal?

It's a joint effort, Mum cooks the turkey, Aaron makes the gravy and I do the rest. I prepare as much as possible in advance and then I enjoy putting it all together with a glass of wine by my side and my Christmas tunes blaring out.

Are you a last minute shopper or are you organised?

Both, I am organised and could be ready for Christmas usually at any point from early December onward, but I'm always adding to the presents right up until the last minute with things I come across and chuck in the shopping like sweets or smellies just because I think ooh they'd like that and I try and justify it by saying it's inexpensive and they'd have / use it anyway.

What gifts do you want for Christmas this year?

I hate this question as there is always so much and nothing at the same time. I realise that doesn't make sense but it's so hard to answer especially when I don't want people to spend money that is needed elsewhere. I would really like some bubble bath though!

Are you good at buying gifts for others?

I assume so, no one has ever complained!

Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts on Christmas?

Both! I am always excited about giving people their presents, especially the boys but I happily admit I do love receiving them too!

What was your favourite gift you’ve received for Christmas?

Wow, another really hard question! I loved my doll 'Violet' I received when I was little, and a Magic set I received a different year, as an adult I would say at the time it was the huge and heavy first four seasons of Friends on VHS video, when I'd only watched the first season at that point.

Worst Present you’ve ever received?

I've not had many but I did receive an usual looking belt from my Uncle one year that I couldn't even work out what it was initially. It wasn't helped by the fact that wasn't there to give it to me and had sent it over from America, to make it worse my Dad was filming me open it (new camcorder for Christmas so was filming everything) and he caught my confused expression on camera, it was a lovely thought but I never did wear the belt.

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

Nope, another question I can't answer - I love it all, the actual day, Christmas Eve, Boxing day, the run up - buying and wrapping presents, baking, Christmas events, meet ups, parties, just all of it!

Have you ever celebrated Christmas in another culture?

If you count the fact we've been in Cyprus for 11 years then yes but we haven't changed the way we celebrate other than the fact I now class this as a song I have to hear to make it feel like Christmas along with the others.

What makes Christmas special for you?

Being with my family.

What would be your dream place to spend Christmas?

If I had to choose somewhere other than at home, I'd say in a luxury log cabin but only if I had lots of people there, and every single luxury item you can think of plus all the food and drink I love.

What’s your one Christmas wish?

That everyone I love stays happy and healthy and that 2021 is all that they hope for.

What would be your Christmas wish?

Christmas is coming - Covid or not!

2020-12-14T15:13:00.001+02:00

Christmas is coming, whether you like it or not, covid isn't going to stop it.

It's going to be a strange one for many this year of course but it's still going to happen regardless. Lots of people have had sudden changes to make with the latest lot of Covid restrictions meaning all bars and restaurants have to close (unless offering takeaway) in Cyprus, and many have known for a while they would have to make changes to their usual plans.

I hate seeing that 'Christmas is cancelled' though there has been a lot online to be sad about this year but that is the most depressing thing yet. Christmas plans may have changed either a little or a lot but the 25th December will roll around regardless!

I love Christmas, and the month of December and I feel so very lucky that our Christmas will not look much different to usual. Apart from school celebrations being cancelled (which one of the boys is very happy not to have to take part in) and a few events that we would usually enjoy in the run up, most things are pretty the same for us.

We are lucky to not have or want to travel 'home' for the festive season, we always have the day at home, and we love our small and simple fun filled day together. We never have tons of presents to buy, people to visit or things we 'have' to do.

I really feel for those who have had to change their plans, those who travel abroad at Christmas, or are used to big family get togethers that are not possible this year, and those who are on their own and would have enjoyed a Christmas meal around others in a restaurant.

Even more so I feel for those who have lost loved ones this year, or are unable to buy their children a present or feed the family without worry. It absolutely sucks for so many, but to stop me going crazy thinking about it all I've got to focus on the good stuff.

Think differently if you are down about the season - get online and have a virtual Christmas party with a friend or two, watch endless Christmas films in your pyjamas, play silly games and YouTube quizzes with the family or test yourself, order take away or cook Christmas lunch at home - go all out with all the trimmings for the first time maybe, or have a turkey sandwich, box of After Eights and a bottle of baileys - whatever makes you happy!

This Christmas may be different but I hope everyone can find something to be grateful for, or some joy even in hard circumstances.

When you grow up

2020-10-16T07:37:00.001+03:00

Whilst going through some old blog posts I came across this little gem from 2011, it was part of a 'Blog meme' where lots of bloggers would tag their blogging buddies and everyone would join in and write a post on a certain theme.

It was part of a longer post which is not relevant now so I thought I'd update it
.
Back in 2011 I asked Leo what he would like to be when he grows up at several different times in the hope I would eventually get an answer that made some sort of sense. (Don't forget he was not yet two years old!)

Replies included
table,
bebums (raisins),
look Mummy dirty feet,
a circle.

Eventually I got the crayons and paper out to immense excitement from him as it is possibly his favourite activity and asked him to draw what he would like to be....

"is kerkles an lines mummy"

I also rephrased the question and asked him what he wanted to be when he was bigger.....

He replied (with arms waving above his head) 'BIG.' Fair enough!

Starting on Leo's 3rd birthday and continuing each year since I have 'interviewed' him, an idea from another blogger back in the day and asked him a set of questions, one of the questions is 'What do you want to be when you grow up?'

Going on his last few birthday 'interviews' he has said he wanted to be a "Photo Booth Operationer" (I'm loving the job title!) or a Taekwondo instructor.

Both better than his 3rd birthday when he said he just wanted to go outside on his own!

Out of interest I decided to ask him again.

The replies were not much more help!
Me: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Leo: "A nice person"
Me: "What do you want to do for a job?"
Leo: "I don't know" (followed by) "are you just writing everything I say on your blog?"

I'm not sure my answers would have been much better at that age though, although I'm pretty sure I never wanted to be a table.

I seem to recall that friends of mine wanted to be hairdressers, or cake makers, or teachers, I remember thinking about all of those and not fancying the idea of any.

I remember never having a clue what I wanted to do, I suppose what I'm doing now didn't exist back then so how could I have known!

I asked Aaron what he would have answered as a child, he reply - "Older".It turns out he was always full of smart arse answers.

Louka was not so vague about his plans, he was completely convinced he will play football in the World Cup, and be The Greatest Dancer, (when we were watching the program) never mind the fact he neither wishes to go to football or dance lessons, I certainly admire his belief and optimism!