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

Mint1955

Wow four weeks have gone missing !!!!

OH is well mended he just needs to exercise and swim more
Residency is complete
Driving licences are done we just need to collect them
The sun is hot everyday now
Lots of outings that sometimes we forget what day it is lol
My girlie friends have taken me in hand and as well as nails and hair I have a lovely new wardrobe of bargain clothes which mix and match.
Visitors are fab as in return for a few jobs we do ready for their arrivals they bring us OH favourite coffee and chocolate for me ;-)
Back to UK on the 5/10 for five days so flights are booked but I am not really looking forward to it but it will be a whirlwind tour to visit everyone and it's for an 80th birthday lunch in particular
Xxx

Mint1955

Big big bag of tomatoes donated to me so I roasted them with garlic onion and herbs then blitzed which gave me four tomato bases for meals to freeze. So chuffed that I didn't just eat a few and let the others rot.

I have started my crochet blankets again and I am also knitting a curly scarf with some strange wool that has holes in it!!

Lots of free books onto my kindle keeps me amused and no more buying DVDs even if they are cheap knock offs here as we have a special box on the tv now which means I can get loads of films and also whole series of tv shows which means in the winter I can sit and plough through them when it's a bit too cold to be out.
It still feels odd to be working all in cash but to have no debts at all and no mortgage is fab. Simple things ;-)

Mint1955

More tomatoes peppers and corgettes donated!! My freezer is tiny so I am struggling to use them which is annoying me.

Noisy cicada's around at the moment unless it's before 7am or after about 9pm. After a while you forget about them but it's lovely when they stop. I am told June july and early aug then it will be over.

We are of to nicosia to collect our new local driving licences today and find a couple of furniture shops as we will need a decent suite for the winter as our two very small two seater sofas are not comfortable.

I have just read 46 miles by Jarra Brown. It's a true account of the repatriations of the 345 that returned to RAF Lynham through Wootton bassett to the john Radcliffe hospital and all the outpouring of support.
It's A humbling read.

Aqua aerobics in the sea today for a good giggle and a sundowner at our favourite watering hole after.

19 weeks in and we are settling well, not really missed any of the stuff we got shot of and certainly havnt missed the UK. Life is now down to us and we are making sure we appreciate every day x

Mint1955

Well five months have passed so quickly. We did manage to find a lovely corner sofa so we will be very cosy in the winter.
Our other news is we have adopted a stray dog. He is called Charlie and is approx three months old. He is gorgeous and keeping us on our toes.
We return to UK for five days next week and a friend will take over his care so now we can't wait to return to start his training.

Sally_A

Bless you for taking on a stray pooch, Glad you are enjoying your new life in N Cyprus. xxx

Mint1955

The trip to the UK was good but very busy, noisy, and we were glad to be home again after five days.

Charlie is growing and learning fast but he is also a great character and makes us laugh every day.

OH is much better and can drive now, walk slightly longer distances and swim without pain in his back and legs so things are a lot easier for him.

New shower trays are replacing old bath and showers and a covered porch with a gate is outside the back door for charlie so he can be contained in shade if needs be as our garden walls are very low and we have no gates. We also have a gate now on the roof terrace where he sleeps at night.

Lots of new friends and places to go and the weather is fantastic but a tad too hot for sightseeing etc so we are making plans for the cooler months things we want to do then.

Budgets have held out well for the first six months with just the sofa purchase and the work being done to upgrade bathrooms being an extra but that's fine we knew we wanted to get comfy for the winter and this work also includes an electric shower for when the solar panels don't cope so well in the winter.

Cooking or even eating much in this heat means I am not doing much in the way of different meals but that's fine too.
People constantly ask are we bored ! There is no time lol

Mint1955

7 months in.
We now have a small fridge sized freezer so I can batch cook which will save us on the shopping. I can also use more of the free stuff given to us which sometimes gets wasted.

We are still on budget (apart from large purchases to get us set up) for everyday living with electric and water being cheaper than we thought which is lovely so we go into winter in credit.

Charlie is now chipped and has had the snip and all registered so that's an expense we won't have again.

A decent size tv for the winter is now with us and a log delivery is in ready for the chilly nights.

Weather is still hot in the day and just right at night with warm breezes. Pools are cooling of so its lovely once you are in but better to go in the sea which is warmer.

Rambling has started again and I will be doing a 110 kilometre challenge at the end of the month over three days!!

One of the shower trays doesn't drain properly so we need to get the guy back to investigate but we do love the look of the bathrooms now and it's so much nicer than the old tiled floors.

Lots of book reading ongoing and lazing around but with friends and family visiting soon we will do more touristy stuff and get out a lot more.

It's a year since the decision was made to bite the bullet sell up and relocate here for good and we are so pleased we did it.

Most months we come across a challenge some bigger than others but the locals are very helpful and we manage to steer our way round any obstacles or we adapt as we certainly don't want to say the dreaded words 'it's not like this in the U.K.' We love the change in lifestyle and look out for anything that means life is different for us now.

Goldiegirl

I was wondering how you were getting on, and you've posted an update!


Glad it's all going so well. Definitely the right decision:)

chirpychick

I can't believe you made the decision moved over there and have been there for about 5 months all in a year - it's incredible.
One of the things I was going to say to you when catching up was it sounds like buying a bigger freezer would be an investment and then you shared you had got one so all good.
It sounds fantastic, i'm so pleased you are so happy out there.

Mint1955

Every week someone says are you still working or are you bored and we genuinely say no to both. We are happy in our own company but most of the time we are out and about seeing people or walking or taking the dog out exploring etc.
This time last year we had probably just about had the conversation that ended with 'well there is no real reason not to go for it'. we will never be rich we live of the interest from the house sale and some savings until OH gets his pension in 2020 and I get my state pension in 2021 (grrrrr 6 years later than expected). The spreadsheet is set up to check if interest drops and inflation rises so even the worst case scenario means we will be ok albeit there will be nothing much left in the bank by the time pensions kick in lol

We already had the house here so it wasn't all new to us and maybe now we would rent and not buy as there is so much cheap rental here and the money earns more in the bank. But it's ours and we love it.

going over the border today to larnaca airport to collect OH brother so a little trip to alpha mega (Tesco brands) and Lidl are vital plus there is an ikea super home marks and Spencer and debenhams etc not something we do often as we have to get special insurance to cross into southern cyprus so we make the most of it when we do go.


I do read diaries all the time so I keep up with loads of you and thank you for reading mine.

Life is too short, and I am 10 years older than OH so we want to enjoy life now xxx