Shocking

This boat set out from Cyprus on Monday, loaded with 4 tonnes of medical supplies to help the people of the Gaza strip. Yesterday, this boat was rammed by the Israeli Navy and had to dock in Lebanon. Luckily no-one on board was injured, but the supplies on board the boat are now needing an alternative method of transport to allow them to reach the area where they are needed.
People on board the boat say that it was in International waters when this incident happened.

Something needs to be done, and it needs to be done NOW.

Photo and story from The Famagusta Gazette

Kinky Carrots and Cat Food

So we went shopping today and tried a new (to us) fruit and veg store in town. Cool place- they have lots of stuff there- all local fruit and veg, meat, deli counter and plenty of tinned stuff. Just picked up essentials- tons of veg! They had some B grade stuff- which is fine for us, most of it gets cooked in stews, curries and soups this time of year.

Kinky carrot featured here- male or female? You decide- I saved it from the curry tonight so I could take a picture of it- mud and all.

Nothing else happening really- its been raining down here so looks like more snow on the hills. Sea was calm again but tide going towards the west, strange to see it blowing one direction one day and the opposite the next. Tomorrow is the last day of the year. I can't believe how quick it has gone- we're going out tomorrow night round to a friends house, last year David wasn't well and the year before we were out with a boat friend. It's still very quiet here- definitely not as many tourists around, even the harbour area has been quiet this year. They are planning a New Years Party at the Town Hall- first for 5 years- but I think it's going to rain so we will be better off indoors! Still, if we get bored of what's on TV (or not) there's nothing stopping us popping by and seeing if they have free food and drink. Oh, and there's going to be a World Record attempt for the World's Biggest Doner kebab. Any ideas how big that would have to be???

And the cat food? I need to buy some tomorrow so I thought if I wrote it down somewhere, I would remember to go and get some before the shops shut early. I just love winter opening hours sometimes (ha ha)

I will try and add to my New Years resolution list. Or not.

Delays and deliveries

Here's something that makes me laugh every time I see it. It just does ok! Quite appropriate too as the first few Christmas cards we received this year showed penguins.

So today we finally got some mail- only been 10 days since the last lot was delivered. Not bad eh?! I received some more of the RAK packages that were sent early December! Hurrah they are still coming through and all those lovely people are making me smile still. Some wonderful ATC's today- and some inchies- how do people make such beautiful things so darn small????? Don't think I'll be attempting them any time soon.

Delays of another kind when a friends plane was nearly an hour late. And she didn't bother to tell us that her boss was picking her up when we were ready to go out and help her get home. Never mind.

Oh, and I took a computer keyboard apart today for fun. The electrical circuits are printed on plastic, so guess what might be making an appearance on ATC's sometime soon? I kept some of the keys too and stripped the outer plastic off the main wire. With the sea glass I have been collecting, I guess I should get back to making some of my wire ATC's. Keep your eyes peeled, they might just be exclusive to this blog!

Rocks and rubbish

Near to us there is an abandoned house- well, the concrete skeleton of one.
If you take the turning beside it, you get down to the sea- eventually- after you pass a huge amount of dumped rubbish which was recently set on fire and ebbs and flows as various people try to clean it up or dump yet more fridges, pieces of old concrete and glass. The bamboo is growing back along the sides of the 'stream' and the birds are enjoying flitting through the new stems.

But I digress.

We decided to try and see what some more of our local coastline was like- and we found some amazing rock formations! The island of Cyprus was under the water for years- a lot of the local rocks were formed out of mud that was under the sea- so they are full of thousands of shells. Sandstone like rocks are very soft- and they are mixed with a local form of soapstone and iron and copper ores. Round by the harbour, the rocks are very similar but its always good to explore what you have on your doorstep and see things through new eyes.

We had an explore and I found some parts of shells that have been worn flat and smooth through water and rock action over the years. I can see them being used in some form of altered art in the near future! I also found a dead crab- so I had to pose him on the nearby rocks.
RIP kavouri mou.

Cyprus- island of contrasts

Here we are sitting in the blazing (ish) sun- with tourists visible in shorts and t-shirts. What a beautiful day, just a whisper of movement in the air, the sea like a mirror showing the deep blue of the sky.

And 50 miles away from us? Yes there is snow on Mount Olympus and in Troodos village- this is todays latest shot. Apparently the roads have been packed with people rushing to see the snow- makes me wonder if Cypriots really do need their heads examined! They spend all summer complaining that its Poli Zesti (too hot!) and then they rush to see the snow as soon as it falls...... Mind you, it is early this year- and just 3 days ago, that same webcame just showed mud mud mud. At least the fancy new ski lift they put in that produced all that mud will get used. Here's to hoping we get 20 odd feet of snow and just a touch of it lands down here in town.... I want to see the tourists turn yet another colour - blue. You see them milky white (just arrived), pink, lobster and peeling. Blue is this years new suntan!

I really ought to...

post more often in this thing- guess what is going to be on my list of New Years Resolutions?

1. Be positive
2. Update site and blog more often
3. Art more

I'm sure the list will grow, but this will do for now :)

Wondering

I've just seen a very funny post on a blog that goes by the name of Old Prof. You have to read his website, it's a very wry view of his world. He has an article up about the Seven Wonders- his take on it (I hope he doesn't mind me copying this.... )

Since I am now 85 years old I feel qualified to offer my own personal list of the Seven Wonders of Old Age. These wonders are How, Why, Where, If, When, What and Who.

1. I wonder how people move that fast.
2. I wonder why people move that fast.
3. I wonder where I left my keys.
4. I wonder if I took my medication.
5. I wonder when I take my next medication.
6. I wonder what that spot on the back of my hand means.
7. I wonder who this doctor is. (He looks awfully young)

I think OH can relate to this. And me to a certain extent! I'm always losing my keys- seems I keep putting them in the wrong coat pocket (light-weight coat during the day, heavy-weight one at night- and it's always the wrong one for the keys!)

I started a new forum a while ago for Artist Trading Cards- and I have a cool name. Just waiting to get my own domain name URL when I have the pennies.....

And I've been personally wondering what is the best place to put up a free forum.... so I tried a few.

1. Yahoo Groups
2. Aimoo Groups
3. Forumer.com
4. Ning

They all have pro's and con's. It's so difficult to choose which is the best one for a particular purpose. So anyone have any ideas they wish to share on how to choose the best one? I have one on each of them and they're beginning to look like mirror sites- they're not but I want to get the best one before I delete the rest.

Oh, and if you've got any creative ideas on how to promote a forum- please share! I'm doing all the boring stuff already!