Christmas quilt

Am in a small village just outside Lichfield with friends at the moment and I can gladly say that the Christmas quilt was much appreciated by my friend Judi. The weather here is lovely and we are going out to the sales this afternoon for my annual clothes shop. Really looking forward to it. Am going to spend some time this week working on the Albion House website www.albionhousecrete.com and on our listing on Holiday Lettings, in time for the New Year and the great holiday internet search.

Chronia Polla

Am all packed and ready for my flight to the UK tomorrow. I am staying for six weeks and hope to catch up with all the work I need to do for Flowers of Crete and my botanical art courses. I am also setting up a blog for Albion House and am updating the Flowers of Crete blog and my Art site too. So lots to keep me busy. I finally finished Judi's quilt and with my heart in my mouth I washed it this morning. I need not have worried as it looks lovely. I hope she is pleased with it. So I would like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year.

Botanising

It's 2.00 a.m. and for some reason I can't sleep. Have just made a cup of tea and decided to check my e-mails, etc. I am meeting up with Rosemary later to continue our surveying of the wetlands at Almyros. We are planning to compile a species list for this precious habitat. This will take us twelve months and I am hoping to photograph each plant as it comes into flower. The list will be online at www.flowersofcrete.info and visitors to the site will be able to see how we progress over the coming months.

Quilt - almost finished

Why is it that cats ALWAYS have to settle down on the last thing you want them to? I had spread out the quilt to assess how it looked, turned my back and five minutes later Perry was comfortably asleep as you can see!

Course at Knossos

I received this information from the British School of Archaeology today

'We have a residential course here (22-28 April 2012) of an ecological Historical nature .. it is led by Oliver Rackham. It's theme is The Making of the Cretan Countryside.
There is room for 10 places.'

If anyone would like more information please contact me for prices and itinerary.

Quilting

I have been really busy for the last few weeks making a lap quilt for my friend's Christmas present. It will be finished tomorrow I hope and I will post a photo.

Lovely morning!

Absolutely wonderful morning here.  Was woken by Maria bringing me aubergines, cucumber and tomatoes.  Just enjoying a few more days of having nothing desperately important to do.  My Cretan dittany outside the kitchen door is still flowering, so I ought to do some work on my new painting.  Above is my first attempt at this complex plant.  I am really pleased with the new version, although it is taking much longer than normal.  It is a much bigger painting than normal though. However, quilting still calling me - I am making a lap quilt for my friend Judi and it is not going as well as I hoped. The colours are great but I feel it needs something to add some oooomphhhh.  Not sure what though.

Back from Maria's

Back from Maria's having been given some of her delicious vegetable stew for my lunch.  Also have to take her to Neapoli on Wednesday, not sure why and bring her some biscuits next time I go to Lidl - which she calls Litro.  Here are photos of her I took this morning, along with her bowl of stew.  She is a wonderful cook who makes everything, however simple, delicious.

Monday morning

Still have to fetch Thera from the apartment.  Still in pj's when Maria called me to go round for yet another coffee.  Just want to potter here and read for a while, but duty calls.  Lovely sunny day - washing out - house clean and tidy - might do some quilting later on!  Oh well, off to Maria's :-)

Back home

Back at home after TWO carafe's of raki with Maria, Dimitri and Dino.  Have been talked into doing a village meal on Thursday night by Dimitri - chicken with pomegranite. Hopoe I can remember how to cook it. 

Starting again

After a huge amount of time, I am hoping to re-start this blog.  So much has happened in the last year or so I can't begin to recall.  However, the season is now over and I am returning home to Pano Elounda this afternoon.  Yippeee.  I am working on courses and holidays for next year and these can be seen on www.flowersofcrete.info.  A new (and only one) taverna has opened in the village and I went there last night with guests from Canada.  The taverna was packed to the rafters with locals and we had an excellent evening.  This afternoon moving stuff back to the house and re-starting work on my latest painting of Cretan dittany.