Family, Friends and Ffffffffff........orty!

Home baked goodies

Family,
Well, it has been a busy time here at HBH, with lots of scurrying around, dusters dusting, the sound of hoovers buzzing through the house, even the silver could be heard squeaking as it was polished to shine and sparkle. Cushions and cushion covers have whizzed around the washing machine,furniture moved and beds made up with nice crisp sheets. Homebaked bread,cookies and cakes are in the freezer along with coconut ice cream and the home made ginger beer is brewing in the fridge..............

Bubbling in eager aticipation for a big family feast.

Today,my family are coming to stay with me for the first time ever and I cannot tell you how excited I am!
It has really given me the opportunity to fluff up my feathers and tend to my nest and I have tried to make it all as comfy and cosy as possible, though doing that in 33 degrees heat has been a challenge.
The visit is their present to me as I head down the path over this next week to the transition into my FORTIES!!!!!! and it is a fantastic present. Though they won't be with me for the actual day, I am so delighted that they are going to be with me on the run up and that we can spend some quality time together, sharing and caring for each other. I have had such a great time preparing for this, that alone has given me so much pleasure, now I cannot wait to share it with the ones I love. What a simple joy in life!

Friends,
On Saturday we shall have a BBQ bash here at HBH with some new found friends, that we have met here in Cyprus and I am really looking forward to a day filled with chitter chatter, laughter and happiness.
When you make a big move like we have done, it is such a good feeling to finally say that you have made friends, last weeek I went out for a ladies lunch with them, they showed me new places,you know the little funny places in life that aren't in a guide book, like where to get keys cut and where the material shops are and where to get woodwork done and furnature mended,where to get arts and crafts,which supermarket is cheaper, how to get across town, all these things that one needs to be shown one needs to learn form others, picks up in a community,we had lunch in a really cute taverna and chattered away, I had such a wonderful time,listening to their stories, discovering more about who they are and their views on life and it really warms my heart as it is even more reasurance that we are another step closer towards settling in our new enviroment.

Freshly picked Figs from a tree in the village.

40...............................
It is interesting that for me turning 40 is far less daunting than it was to turn thirty, in the run up to thirty I was so disturbed, my life was not where I wanted it to be and nothing seemed to have fallen into place as I had hoped or planned and I really struggled with it.
But now...... in the run up to 40, I am definately where I want to be, well, yes I could do with loosing weight so I am not phycically where I want to be, but emotionally, wow...... yes where I am right now is a very good place. I have a wonderful supportive husband, live on a beautiful Island and have the opportunity to really explore who I am and what I am about. Living more simply away from consummerisum, trends,superficial niceties and high speed life, here in this place in this space,I feel wiser, more self confident and I think that is what pushes me forward to 40 with a big smile on my face. I am not loosing my youth,or becoming middle aged, I am gaining my wisdom, becoming more self assured, finally knowing and understanding what I do want in life..... Simplicity, enjoying the little things in life with the ones that you most care for,and working towards that every day, letting go of what I do not want, and the best of that, is that at 30 I would have felt guilty about letting go, but at 40 it is toatally liberating.

Don't Take It For Granted

I too had a home in Africa!

I have seen it so many times that it is a part of my life and all too often, especially in times of uncertainty I find myslef quoting from the wonderful Sydney Pollack movie,Out Of Africa.The story of the writer Karen Blixen's (AKA Isak Dinesen) life in Kenya.

I guess it is a family thing, we used to watch it a lot after we left Kenya and when I see it, or hear the music it gives me comfort,clarity, understanding and this week one of the lines from the movie has been very prominent in my mind.

'I had a compass from Denys, ' to steer by' he said, but later it came to me.....that we navigated differently, perhaps he knew as I did not, that the earth was round, so that we did not see too far down the road.'

With the recent knowledge that Alzheimers has decided to join my family I have begun to wonder if it always a good thing to know what the future holds for us or are we sometimes better to go through life taking each day as it comes, cherishing the memories and making the most of the here and now. We seem to spend so much time planning for a future that we cannot plan and in the mean time we forget to live for today, to enjoy the moments that we have with family and friends, to laugh at the good old days and remember special occassions. But most importantly to let loved ones know how much we love them.

Congratulations M & D for 54 years of marriage this week. I am so proud of you!



If you knew what was ahead of you would it change the course of your life? Would you make different decisions? Would you maybe say the things you haven't said, do the things you haven't done, or would you live exactly as you are today? It amazes me that all too often it takes an illness to knock us into gear and appreciate what and who we have around us, why is it that we take so much for granted.

My first day at school.

I know how lucky I have been, to have grown up in a beautiful place, surrounded by nature and wild animals, within a loving caring understanding family who have encouraged and supported me every step of the way. Sure we have had the usual arguments, but generally despite the distances we have been there for each other and I have never taken that for granted. Perhaps that distance has made me more aware of just how important family and friends are.

Now, we, our family have a new and challenging road ahead, one none of us could ever have planned for, but I have no doubt that individually and collectively we will rise to that challenge, taking it a step at a time and climbing the mountain that towers above us.

We will manage what life throws at us as well as finding much to laugh about along the way, knowing that we have each other to lean on. What was that song... the road is long with many a winding turn..... he ain't heavy, he's my brother. We must carry each other when the tough days call.

Don't take life for ganted,live every moment, be consious, life can change in an instant, make the most of every day and be sure to stop and smell the roses, see the beauty in the little things and hug those you love, no matter what, you never know what is around the corner.

Happy weekend to you all from Hay Bale Happiness.

Out Of The Fast Lane

In our previouos life, both TBH ( the better half) and I used to spend quite a lot of time driving up and down the main highway of the city getting to and from work. At one time it was classified as the most dangerous highway in the world and some of the many fatal accidents that we saw occur on it would verify that. At the time there was no other alternative, pleased to say that now one could take the train instead.

We are both thankful that now when TBH goes to and from the office he no longer has to take the risk of being run off the road by a 4 wheel drive doing 200 kmp in the fast lane trying to overtake you on the hard shoulderof a 6 lane highway. Instead TBH can meander through the country lanes, passing the succulant vineyards where the grapevines spread their green leaves and the grapes begin their juicey journey into winehood.






We have taken the exit of the fast lane and slowed the pace down giving us time and energy to enjoy what is arround us.

As you can probably tell, TBH is a very good photographer, ( the not so good ones are mine!) and his photo bag goes with him most days so he doesn't miss the opportunity to capture the little things in life like this pretty caper flower dancing in the evening breeze.

We feel increadibly fortunate to live where we do, and there isn't a day that goes by that we aren't grateful for the challenge of change, and glad that we took that exit, as this has given us the opportunity to explore the more creative sides of our charecters, which in turn has given us the inspiration for Hay Bale Happiness.

Saturday Shopping

Saturday is shopping day since I gave up the car to reduce expenses and my carbon footprint. So once a week ( we hope to reduce this later to bi weekly or monthly) we head off to the supermarket and this time we actually remembered our sack bags! Living on one income means, learning to be more frugal and we have great fun in the shopping isles trying to get the best value for money for our items, beating the system by NOT buying the water that is on special offer cause there is other water in the water isle that is much cheaper! I walk through the shop adding my items on my mobile phone calculator as this ensures that I stay within budget and ask myself is this a want or a need.Back at home with bags unpacked and produce put in place,

we sat down to a simple but succulant salad lunch lovingly prepared by The Better Half( husband), thankfully he enjoys cooking and when we first came to Cyprus he did 4 months as a chef in a hotel near Polis learning all the specailaities of Cypriot cuisine, village salad being one of my favorite

Sadly none of this is home grown, we are hoping to ask our friendly sheep farmer if we can buy Fetta, Halloumi and maybe milk directly from him, we can see the sheep and goats from the window in the snug, and it would be wonderful to support him knowing exactly where the produce has come from. We are planning some raised veggie beds for the garden I will write about that soon but in the mean time we have started this week with our sprouter.

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

As One Door Closes Another Opens

This time last year, the boxes were packed, furniture in the shipment, cats in crates waiting to be loaded onto the aircraft and we sat there looking out onto an early morning smog that covered the city. For 18 years it had been my home, I pondered on a thought as I waited anxiously to wave it goodbye. I had grown to know Dubai so well, but in it's rapid growth for economic success, did Dubai know me? Had it forgotton through it's furious fight to be the biggest, the best, the most exclusive, the most expensive, had it forgotton it's roots, the roots that lay at the base of the Dessert Rose that used to frindge the shorline dunes of Jebel Ali beach before the bulldozers ripped them up. Had it forgotton those who came to experience it as explores looking for an adventure, mindful, respectful of it's customs and replaced them with gold diggers, looking for nothing more than a quick buck, and a Bur Dubai Whore. Had Dubai really sold it's soul? Sadly as I boarded the Emirates flight and watched the final closing of the cabin door I decided the aswner was Yes.

We had been planning a lifestyle change for a while, and then due to the recession which hit Dubai like a tidal wave, the bettter half (Husband) lost his job and we like many others had the harsh realisation that loosing your job in Dubai not only means loosing your income, but it, means loosing your home (most accommodation comes with the job) loosing your medical cover, loosing your visa, your very right to be in the country. Thankfully we were prepared for this moment and within 3 weeks, we cut of the cable, sold the cars, paid off the car loan (which was un heard of and even the bank didn't know where to send us for payment) shut off electricity, finalised water bills, and kissed a fond fairwell to some very very special friends.

Touch down, taxi, and finally the cabin doors opened on to a clear bright day. At the cargo hall we cleared the cats through customs and headed west across the Island Of Love. This gorgeous, quaint, beautiful Island is now our home. The cockralls crow at dawn, the sunrises casting shadows on the hay bales across the golden fields, the shepard herds his sheep amongst the olive groves and life is much much slower than it has been for a long time. Though the last year has been tough and it has tested our desire, our quest for a simple life, I have no doubt that at this point on our journey we are exactly where we want to be.