Sunday Bazaar

I just love going to the bazaars here, they are the nearest thing to Charity shops. It’s more like a jumble sale really. I purchased these three books. The knitting one has some lovely patterns. I  sure will be knitting some of them. I also like doing Sudoku too, got to keep the green matter exercised, hasn’t one. Not a single puzzle had been done. I also enjoy looking at butterflies, there has got to be some inspiration inside this little book. All these for 1.50 euro.

The find of the day was a brand new pair of Doc Martins, very flash don’t you think. They are just my size and cost only 3euro.
As you can see I have started sewing my squares together, they are looking quite good don’t you think. I have only sewn two big blocks together and I am pleased with the results so far. So my needles are still clicking away merrily.
I am looking forward to next Sunday too, as there is another bazaar. Wonder what I will find this time!!!

Wedding and Birthday

I know it’s a while since I went to England for my nieces wedding and my sisters birthday, but I thought I might share these pic’s with you.

The Wedding

My sister with her son and daughter-in-law.

The happy couple. Louise and Stephen.

 

Me.

I know it was September 26th but it was a beautiful day and no coat was needed.

Now the Birthday

This is a family group of my mothers side of the family. 

 

The one in the middle is my Aunty Sylvia, she is the only one left out of 5 sisters.

Friends

 

And did we all have a good time?

YES!!!

On both days everyone had a great time. Well you do when you have all your family and friends around you don’t you.

This is what I have been doing lately.

Making squares for an afghan.

I found this pattern on Ravelery. It is called Psychedelic Squares Afghan. Up to now I have made 20 squares using up my odd ball stash of DK.

So when I’m sat watching telly, I’m knitting away too. I don’t know how big I am going to make it. Let’s see how far I get with the wool I already have.

Maybe I should block these ones so I don’t get overwhelmed by them all when I come to sew them together.

That makes sense knit a few block a few

It takes 4 squares to make a complete big square, so I may sew a few squares together also.

Ok, got to dash I have some wool waiting for me.

This is January!!!!!!

I stopped to take a photo of this bush today. We have had such lovely weather these last few weeks. The temperature was over 26 degrees the other day. I think this bush is a bit confused, sure it thinks it is spring.

Our Christmas

Just about to sit down at the table.

We really ate too much yesterday. I think we nearly always do. I phoned family and friends to wish them a Happy Christmas and we sat in front of our roaring fire and watched TV.

But today we worked it off.

Yes we were olive picking. It was such a lovely day, really sunny and hot.

Nice juicy olives

A working donkey

I found these lovely little flowers blooming away to themselves.

The olives all picked and loaded onto the pick-up.

What did you do on Boxing day?

Music Night.

Last Monday we when to a Music Night as I was celebrating my birthday. There where a few people getting up to entertain us, but we also had instruments too. Tambourines, maracas, and loads more.

 

 

We all had a good time.

A very enjoyable night.

Merry Christmas everyone

I hope all my readers have a great time over the Christmas season.

Will you be making any resolutions for the New Year?

Cooking the Greek way

This is a traditional oven here on the Island of Crete. It is a dome shape inside and they light a fire with wood in there. When the oven is red hot they let the fire die down and they then put in the food for cooking.

To cook bread they clean out all the ashes but for meat they put the pans onto the hot ash. They then put on the door to keep the heat in and the food cooks.

And this is the finished product. Potatoes, meat, tomatoes, olive oil, tomatoe paste, oregano, salt, lemon juice and water. Eaten outside in the olive groves. Beautiful!!!

This is a 70 yr old Cretan lady testing the meal. She gave it the seal of approval.

What a Whopper.

When we were out shopping this morning we came across these pomegranates. I have never seen such large fruits. The top right-hand one weighed in at 1.03kg. Wow!!!

Olive Picking

Well its olive picking time again. Ian was helping some Greek friends to pick their olives last week. It is quite hard work, even with the machines.

This is a typical site in the olive groves right now. The nets are placed on the ground to catch all the olives as they are knocked off the branches. This picture shows them having a break to drink a little Raki.

When they were all working I took myself a little walk and left them to it.

These are two ruined windmills

 

This one has had a little bit of renovation.

A view over the olive groves.

The weather has been a bit changeable this week, the sun comes out and it’s quite hot, then it clouds over and the rain comes and when it rains it rains very heavy. Your drenched in no time. I know this very well, as the last two days when taking Lucky on her morning walk I have been caught about half way around and got absolutely soaked.

How is the weather treating you in your neck of the woods?

Last Weeks Walk.

Last week we took a lovely walk along the cliffs at Malia.

The weather was hot. To be quite honest we have had really good weather this November.

We found this rock sticking out of the ground with all these sea shells embedded in it.

I wonder how many thousands of years ago that this happened? This is quite high up from the sea level now, so what was going on all that time ago?

The weather changed here on Wednesday 2nd December. We had lashings of rain, the water running down the streets like rivers, and the wind!!!

We  get really freaky type winds up here. Like mini hurricanes and things get tossed all about. Not too much damage though this time.

Then on Thursday out came the sun again. I am hoping we have some good weather at Christmas to, as my middle son is coming over for the festivities. Really looking forward to that.

What are you doing over the Christmas period?

Where have all the tourists gone?

All the tourists have gone home and here we are sitting in the lovely sunshine having a bite to eat.

All very peaceful.

We had the entire place to ourselves. Gyros for two, super yummy

England here I come.

Well it’s off to England on the 23rd September for a fortnight.

There are so many things to do when I get there. I have a wedding to attend and a rather special 7oth birthday party.

This is a photo of our wedding in 1991. The girl standing next to my hubby is Louise, whose wedding I am going to. She is my nephew’s daughter. My other two bridesmaids are my friends daughters, Emma and Vicky.

The birthday party is for my only sister, Lily. She will be 70 on 30th September.

I love her to bits.

Our mother died when I was only 8yrs old and Lily been nearly 13yrs older than me more or less brought me up.

Lily and her husband Steve are coming back over here with me when I return. They are staying for a fortnights holiday. It will be the second time they have used the bookcase bed.( see previous post)

A Bookcase With A Secret.

Ian made me this lovely bookcase as I have loads of books needing a home. The thing is it is not only a bookcase.

We only have one bedroom here and we needed to have somewhere for our visitors to sleep. Somewhere with a bit of privacy. Where could we put them? The stable? No, only joking, really. Anyway Ian came up with a wonderful plan. Hence the bookcase.

The bookcase is at the front but behind is a secret hiding place. My hubby is not a carpenter and came across a few problems during the construction but it turned out just as we wanted it.

In the back of the bookcase we have stored the double bed frame and mattress. Its a perfect storage place for it when it’s not in use.

When we get company the bookcase opens out and becomes a room divider. The back then become a wardrobe for the guests clothes.How ingenious is that?

It halves the size of our living room when we do have guests but we spend a lot of time outside in the courtyard anyway, so it is not too much of an inconvenience.

I know that I am very pleased with it, all it needs now is for it to be stained or varnished.