Help... It's time for change!!!

Mint1955

Today is Election Day here so no alcohol can be served in bars and restaurants !! Out for Sunday lunch and we all had to order just a mixer type drink definately couldn't say beer or wine and miraculously they all came with the correct tasting addition of gin or vodka etc lol

Lazy afternoon in the sun while OH watched F1 and then tried an early night...... But now can't get to sleep although very tired.

I really need to start doing some of the minor diy jobs as they are starting to annoy me now and we need a wheelie bin to keep the cats from stealing the rubbish as our bin lid is broken.
OH has been busy fixing computers and in return one chap put my pictures up on the wall which is lovely.

A spot of food shopping, bed changing, washing and ironing tomorrow morning with a quick visit to see my Turkish neighbour then to a auction in the afternoon followed by an evening with the local volunteer group I am hoping to join.

Tuesday will be a day off ;-)

sls1313

thank you for that ,one day i will be there too!
i would love a 2-3 bedroom villa with a pool and nice garden to grow lots of herbs and veggies,i really want to grow as much as possible to help with the finances..
how are the turkish lessons going?i think i will try learn a bit whilst dreaming of getting to where i want to be in 5years time,your journal did make me realise how much there is to do,but made me open my eyes and focus lol.
keep up the good work and i hope your husband is getting better.:)

Lynplatinum

hiya Mint

my dream is to retire to Cornwall - i am already semi retired and can easily occupy myself all day and now wonder how I managed to work full time LOL. My biggest joy at the moment is that on the days I do work I dont start until the afternoon! So I can get up when I like - Ok I usually get up between 8 and 9 but that is sooooo different to throwing myself out of bed at any thing between 5 and 7 am as I have had to do all the rest of my life. It is only thanks to Martin and this site that I have been able to reduce my outgoings significantly to the point where I can really enjoy this! Fascinating to hear about your life - do keep on posting and hope you OH gets well soon.

Mint1955

Well the auction was fun and I bought a lovely throw. I didn't get to the meeting which was annoying but I did visit my Turkish neighbour and her lovely twins and as always I left with some home grown veg from their small holding.

Tuesday we said goodbye to friends after sorting out their electric bill and ended up dealing with site issues with OH most of the afternoon then a lovely massage. Filled pita breads for dinner and now we wait to se OH daughter on tv later.
Our adventure tomorrow is to cross the border to South Cyprus so we have to get papers and extra insurance sorted.
The weather is really picking up now although it was windy today but still warm.

Lynplatinum, Cornwall is beautiful keep the dream in focus xxxx

Mint1955

Well we went South and managed without any hitches at the border. We bought lots of little bits to make life simpler and some storage units which makes the villa tidier lol

We are still going daily for physio but OH is managing well.

The budgets are holding up well and the extra spends just lately are fine as we knew once living here we would have to adjust the house to get settled.

The weather is now hot everyday so this week the shades and sails will be up and with the last of the Coptic winds, the last of which brings red sand down with it now done for the winter I can get outside cleaned and swept ready to put the big outside furniture on the roof etc.

We still have to tax the car during the month of May but we have located the office and we can do it after hospital monday.

Tuesday we have a friend to collect from the south at Larnaca airport so again a mini adventure as not driven there yet.

I am still walking weekly with the group and OH managed a mini walk this week but it's still tough going for him with the pains if he does too much.

No extra electric being used now as the solar panels have heated the water before we need it in the mornings and there is plenty all day and into the evening.

We are still being asked regularly about taking a stray dog in but as yet we have resisted. The site cats come and visit lots so thank goodness for fly screens which keep them out while letting a breeze through.

Life is good and as soon as OH can resume normal life we will be out and about more exploring.

Mint1955

Well we did get the car taxed after a few wrong turns and being redirected at the offices into the correct office and the appropriate queue etc.

Sadly friend didn't make it on holiday as her mum had another stroke ( same friend and mum from earlier in the story). But two weeks on and she is home and getting stronger.
Physio finished and now OH has exercises three times a day and must swim and walk more to get things moving and build his muscles up again.

Another trip south over the border as we had already paid for the special insurance ready for collecting friend and we didn't want to waste it. So we have now investigated all the shopping places recommended. Although a little more choice the cost of petrol and the insurance to cross the border really don't make up for it so unless we are going south for a reason I.e. Airport collection, girlie day out or a sightseeing trip where we pop into the bigger supermarkets on the way back we won't be doing it often.

Smaller diy jobs are ongoing and after 12 weeks we are really settling in.

We have started to go through the process for our residency stamp so that we don't have to leave the country every 90 days as they are getting very hot on the rules and when we came back after the last trip they only gave us 30 days in which to register. Many papers and forms to be collected and much running around to find the local chap who is like a councillor to fill out a form saying we are who we say we are and then we had to take it to get it witnessed by the lady in the garage and the man at the local shop lol
Special stamps have to be collected at the post office but they didn't give us enough so a second trip was needed and finally at the police station every thing gets checked before you are given a slip to take to the hospital for your blood tests etc. It all takes time but we go monday for the tests and then take the receipts back to the police station. We then wait for two weeks and then collect the envelope from the hospital take it to a completely different town where our papers should have been sent by the police unopened for them to check them all again and verify we are fit before hopefully issuing the stamp that we need to stay for a year. Then repeat every year but apparently once you have done it once it gets simpler! After that we apply for Turkish driving licences as well to ensure our car insurance is valid and again these need renewing every year, more paperwork and queuing lol.

Weather wise we are still having odd days that are a little overcast but most days picking a shady spot is needed.

Do we miss UK, definitely not the friendliness of everyone here is amazing.

We were in the queue at the post office and asking directions to the main police station which were a little tricky when a local customer said he would take us just follow his car as it would be easier.

If you go to the local shop and either you or the shop don't have the change its fine sort it next time.
Our Turkish neighbour is always dropping of bits from their small holding.

Still no dog but maybe we will one day.
Having halved our outgoings and selling everything, clearing the mortgages and having no credit cards etc live is simple but bountiful and we are so grateful.

Hugs to all xxx

Mint1955

We managed hospital for tests Monday, well we went to the state hospital as requested but there you just pay the fees and they give you a slip of paper and you then go to another hospital for the blood tests and TB scratch to see if you are allergic. We need to return tomorrow Thursday to see if any reaction.
Once they telephone us in a couple of weeks we then collect the results and we are nearly done thank goodness.

We have now moved outside as the temperatures are late 30most days and we have fitted a fly screen to the new but awkward window which we had done on the stairs which means we get a lovely through breeze at night.
Just a sheet at night and we have identified a lovely cool spot for in the day when just sitting is too much lol

Money wise grocery shopping is running over budget but mainly because I am too lazy to menu plan and there is far too much grab and run shopping being done. Plus a lot more booze is in my basket than in UK!!!

Leisure budget is holding up well and today I am going to start on a big spreadsheet change so it tracks actuals against budgets more efficiently.

Dust is everywhere and windows are filthy all the time as we live with all the doors and windows open so it's frustrating and as I have never been successful with cleaning windows I tried out a karcher window vac and my goodness what a difference so I have ordered one to be brought out with a friend.
Thank goodness for my kindle as I am reading more and it works so well in the sun.
My iPad however hates the sun and regularly overheats so it's now confined to barracks.
We hope to get the rattle fixed in the car this week which is now getting embarrassing and new hub caps as the ones on it were cracked and that also caused a rattle, I felt like the clown whose car makes a terrible racket and had bits drop of dramatically ;-)
Far to early to be awake but at least it's cool at this hour. Time to get a couple of jobs done x

Mint1955

We drove back to the hospital Thursday a drive of 45 minutes for them to look at our arms to see no reaction and they said all good you can go now, so we now wait for ten days for the results to be ready for collection but back at the first hospital which is handy as we have to go there about that time for OH appointment for his sciatica.

We went to get a pair of shock absorbers as we were told the front right shock had gone hence the noises and the left one was on its way out. When we got to the Ford dealer in Nicosia they said they could fit them that afternoon and the price was good so we left the car there and went for lunch. When we returned they said no suspension problem but they had changed he rear brake pads to which we said that we had been told locally it was front shocks problem. They insisted nothing wrong with front shocks but a rear brake pad problem!!! We asked that he drove us round and lo and behold no noise and the car is holding the road and feeling much more back to how it was. On the drive home the car felt so much more responsive so we are flummoxed as to what the reason is but for now we will wait and see.

With many holiday makers coming and going life is busy so I have booked a couple of nights away in a log cabin on the beach far up the pointy bit of Cyprus locally called the pan handle. It's OH 50th birthday while there and he didn't want a fuss so he won't get one as it will be me and him for two nights lol
Joined a craft club this week which was good to natter with others permanently living here especially when the winter comes and the holiday makers all go home as our site will be dead. This has promoted us to look at wether we should start thinking about moving away from a complex to a village etc.
12 weeks in and no regrets just waiting for OH to be able to start to do all the things we had planned as even going out for long is tough on him and the day after he suffers more if he over does it.
Today is the first day I have slept until 8.50 and it feels so much better than waking at 5 or 6 as I have been everyday.
Shopping this morning a few household chores later and an invite to a BBQ this evening. Happy Days xxx

chirpychick

2 nights ago I stayed up until "stupid o'clock" (read 3am) reading all of your posts from the very beginning!
I love reading your blog style posts and am finding your journey very interesting.
At first I started reading as I also am not very good at cooking from scratch so was looking for ideas and help on that front and then got hooked lol.
Just wanted to let you know you had readers

Mint1955

Wow Chirpychick well done and thank you.

Food wise I am doing ok and being a little more experimental and everytime I can I double up so using my ingredients and oven /cooking time in a more cost effective way.
Left overs I deliberately cook extra or don't eat the last bits just for the sake of it and use where possible for lunch the next day or freeze extra portions. Slowly I am getting a store cupboard together but no more jars or packet sauces and I am quite chuffed at my results.
I made Twinks hobnobs this weekend and my next attempt at baking will be a lemon drizzle cake so if anyone has a foolproof recipe please share,
For some reason I can't sleep its 2.35 in the morning here and I just wandered outside the sky is so clear and the air is beautiful.
Oh is making faster progress everyday now which is great and with two days away this week I hope that soon we will be exploring and walking again although it's getting a little too hot to do too much.

I am having a treat tomorrow and getting my nails done so I will be a little more ladylike for a while and a cut and colour on Saturday is long overdue.

A large white chocolate toberlerone is calling me so as I can't sleep I may as well indulge xx