New Year's Eve

... is here and now.  This record is finally up to date, in a last minute dash to get 2011 all written up in 2011! 

Resolutions:

• write this up more often, every three or four days ideally

• do some journalism for local magazine 'The Ionian'.  Met the editor in Elite the other day and offered some articles.  No pay, but writing credits if I'm published.

• finish polishing the novel, and enter more writing competitions (nice to be shortlisted in Dec, do better next year).

• get the house started: at least the foundation, wood frame and roof, if the money holds out.  Starve if necessary to find the money (well okay, live on bean stew then).

Now to run the generator for hot water, trim Dave's hair with the clippers (brave man), get clean and go help set up the band and the Biblos for NYE.

Land agent Vassillis just popped by with a 1.5 litre water bottle of home brewed white wine, looks powerful stuff.

Happy New Year to all friends and readers.  

Enjoy 2012, just in case it is the last!

Good husbandry

Wednesday 28 December 2011

The rain has stopped for the time being, thank goodness.  The potatoes have all sprouted excitedly, and Dave has found some energy and been busy building a new bed and turning and composting the one by the writing hut.  As you may have noticed, I've been busy updating the blog!

 Our Christmas present from Michael and Alison: A tiny hot chilli plant - see them growing out vertically on the left?  And a baby pomegranate tree - with two baby pomegranates.  Lovely.

Flowers and Fungi

Monday 26 December 2011

Out walking on Boxing Day - the Iris have noticed the rain, and turned up as a perfect Christmas decoration for the bottom of the field.  Mushrooms are sprouting too, with a great crop (inedible, unfortunately) on the heap of horse manure.

The Gig

Christmas Day, Sunday 25 December 2011

Rob went on to do his third gig in three days at the Yacht Club in Vlicho.  We went along to support him, but didn't last too long, and left before we fell asleep.  Luckily (I suppose) my gippy tummy had kept me off the booze or we wouldn't have got there at all.

 Some people didn't leave before they fell asleep, witness this lovely photo of Ruairi, yacht club owner, with Michael just visible on the bar next to him.  Michael made the mistake of borrowing the 4x4 later in the evening, and driving the offside front wheel over the edge of the Corner of Doom.  No harm done, but a cautionary note.

The Meal & Pressies

Christmas Day, Sunday 25 December 2011

I got back to George’s to find Elizabeth investigating a Christmas Cracker – giving it a good shake, checking both ends ...  Very curious.  Surprisingly, these things are unknown outside the UK, as I found out when I tried to buy some, that’s why Sarah’s gift of these was such a boost.  Not essential, but fun for the children and good to have silly hats to wear.  Not at all ecologically friendly, though - will have to think of an alternative for next year.

So I got potatoes, carrots, parsnips (a present from Robbie's allotment, prepared and frozen a week earlier) broccoli and sprouts (another gift from Angie - we missed the window of opportunity at the one supermarket that sells them) ready, while the boys got showered and returned to huddle round the wood stove.  Dave produced the chainsaw, and George, Rob and Josh all clustered round - you could smell the testosterone.  Too much mulled wine had been drunk for this to be playtime, though.

We sat down about 2ish and the meal went very well.  We'd had a few cultural clashes in the kitchen - Elizabeth couldn't understand why we didn't want to puree the mashed potatoes and add nutmeg.  And the parsnips and sprouts were treated with some suspicion.

The crackers and silly hats went down a treat, and much fun was had as George's daughter Maria translated the bad jokes into Albanian, and we watched horrified realisation dawn on Elizabeth's face.

Alison had originally turned up terribly worried that they'd lost the pony - wondering if Bella had turned into somebody's Christmas dinner, but after the swim they went for another look, and found her up by Dmitri's restaurant in Paleokatuna where he was preparing a meal.  Obviously Bella had decided she didn't want to be left out.

After eating, we clustered round the stove, and watched the kids open their presents.

 Rob and George resort to reading the instructions for putting the wheels on the buggy for a patient Isabelle in the background.

Toys for the boys - an RC Nano Flyer (top right, glowing red) leading into skills tests to see who could land it in the Bree.

The Swim

Christmas Day, Sunday 25 December 2011

Up early, took everything we needed down to George’s, to prepare for the meal and the swim.  I was in the car, ready to go, when I remembered two things forgotten: ‘Delia and the Chainsaw’ I shouted to Dave – sounds like a great name for a band!  Delia the cookbook, and the Chainsaw to chop up wood for George’s stove (he’s been cutting it all by hand).  On arrival, George resisted any help from Delia, and I didn’t like to argue, not knowing the kitchen.  George, despite assurances, had not been able to get the skin on the leg of pork – it’s just not done here unless you go to very specialised butchers, which we didn’t find out in time.  No crackling for Bob!

I set the table – I had found prickly oak and hawthorne in berry in lieu of holly.  Sarah from the Boatyard contributed the crackers, Angie the Christmas napkins, and I’d found little candles at the School Bazaar, so it felt a very communal affair.  Then I put on the mulled wine for the swim.   I used Sue’s Irresistible Spiced Wine Recipe, and it came out very well. 

Just starting for the quay when I realised we didn’t have any towels – so Michael shot back up to Goat Bottom to find some.  Dave walked the hot wine to the quay and I drove round with a gas ring and the fancy dress, remembering at the very last minute to take a ladle.

 Dave as a 'Soggy Bottom Boy' (watch George Clooney in 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou' if you don't get the reference) admired by Isabelle in Christmas cape.

 Michael came as a Christmas Tree - it was my proposed costume, but the day was just too busy for me to go swimming - potatoes to cut, etc, so I gave the crepe paper to Michael and Alison rustled this up.  He's got a star on his head which unfortunately doesn't show in this photo.

 The Goat Bottom boys readying themselves for the plunge with a little mulled wine.

 All the swimmers - not many this year (its been cold compared to other years) and lots of people are away.  From left: Dave; Rob as Osama; Zorina as Christmas fairy; Michael; and Josh as Adolf - beret, moustache and embarrassing flag.

 Rob held hands with Zorina, said '1, 2, 3, Go' and jumped.  Luckily he wasn't holding her hand too tight.

 In she went, very bravely, but the cold terrified her.  Rob did a good job soothing and helping her.  Well done, Zorina!

 Christmas Tree in flight.

 Where's the costume gone?  At least the star made it.

 I missed Dave's dive, but he seems pleased with himself - how did that hat stay on?

 Josh - an action shot.

 Hat, beard - all he lost was his piece of straw.  Well done all swimmers - very brave.

No shortage of watchers, though!

Gigging

23 and 24 December

The band were booked every night through Christmas.  Friday night at Mamma Mia’s; then Saturday they played in Nikiana – the owner was at the School Bazaar and asked them to play Christmas Eve in his bar, with a view to more gigs in the summer if it went well.  It was a very Greek audience – hardly any response to the music, but when they tried to finish, endless requests for more numbers.  It seems to have gone well.  The bar is not very big, and so the band separated out around the entrance door and this Christmas tree.  Vinnie couldn't do the gig, so Maggie stood in - her first public appearance since starting to learn the bass in the summer.  She did very well, despite having had little chance to rehearse, and having to read the music for most numbers off a stand in the corner.

I hadn’t been feeling too well for a few days – maybe too much food on Solstice, but Dave said it might be the water.  When there’s been rain for weeks it can compromise the fresh water in some way, so we’ve moved to bottled water for a while.  Anyway, I left before the end, needing some sleep before the big day.