Some weeks whizz by

I have no idea how it's Friday again. Although it seems like a long time since last weekend, which is bizarre. I just don't know where Monday to Thursday went. I suppose the history monks* have been working overtime again.

Tim was going to do some of his NCSC curriculum work this week. He really wants to finish what he's doing, to the end of the second level, so he can concentrate on more interesting things. However he hasn't woken up before about 10am any day this week, so decided against it. It's hot and humid, and he's not inspired towards academics. Maybe next week. Instead he's been helping out with various things at Richard's office, and spending time online. Thank goodness we have two computers in the house, plus Richard's notebook computer when he brings it home.

We heard a few days ago that a good friend of ours from Limassol had fallen out of a tree and broken several ribs. Even worse, his family had just flown to the States for a couple of months, and he was due to join them this week. Today Richard managed to speak to our friend - who is still in hospital - and was relieved to hear that he sounds as if he's mending, albeit in pain. He's in the ICU, which worried us; however the description sounds like an ordinary ward - with DVD players and TVs and even personal fridges (unlike UK hospitals!) . Normally in ICU patients wouldn't be in the kind of state to care about food or entertainment.

Anyway, he's hoping to be discharged in the next day or so, and will then go to stay with some friends. He won't be able to get to the States this summer, though.

Richard also spoke to our landlady this evening. She isn't planning to sell the house any time soon, which is a relief. She doesn't really want to sell it at all, but this friend-of-a-neighbour is apparently very interested, and she says that if he offers her a vast sum she might consider it. But not this year.

Tomorrow evening Tim's having some of the guys from the youth group over. Two of them have finished school, so have had to start their compulsory army service. Hard work, and no fun in the heat. These two guys have a weekend off, and wanted to get together with some of the other youth, so Tim's arranged for them and a few others to come over here in the evening. A perfect opportunity for us to go out - and we have a great reason for doing so: some of our friends here gave us a voucher for a meal at a rather nice restaurant, for our anniversary. A real surprise and a lovely idea. So we'll go tomorrow evening. Not that we have any problem with the youth group - they're great people and we'll be interested to hear about the army service. But it's easier for them to hang out without us around.

I completed my first 500-piece jigsaw in about 18 hours. It was a very nice one, easy to do and attractive to look at. Now I'm doing the second: same number of pieces but a whole order more difficult. I thought it would break us in gently to do the 500-piece puzzles first, but this one is difficult. It's an impressionistic picture of two black cats amongst some flowers. Not that I'm looking at the picture on the box, of course - although it may come to that! I don't mind expanses of sky or water in jigsaws, but for some reason I find flowers and trees extremely tricky.

*[see 'Thief of Time' by Terry Pratchett]