The spring cleaning has begun – at home, I mean. The idea is to thoroughly do one or two rooms each week, starting, this week, with what we call the laundry room. We have a wardrobe in there, and the original idea was, we stored the winter clothes in it in the summer and the summer clothes in it in the winter. So, yesterday, we emptied from it suits that hadn’t been worn since 2004, a hundred shirts that ‘Might fit one day,’ 50 towels, a rug, four winter coats worth keeping, George’s bedding (for when my nephew comes to stay), two pillows, five old photographs, a painting of the Nautical Museum by Gill Bennett (if anyone wants to buy it, let me know), two paint trays, and five ground sheets. It’s a big wardrobe.

Then, there was what was on top of it; loads of boxes that ‘Might be useful one day.’ Actually, they were very useful to package up the 101 old glasses we never use, some old crockery, and various other things that might break in the bins and become a danger to the stray cats. Then, there came the other cupboards, the things on shelves, the shelves themselves, three buckets, several broom handles that I ‘Might do something with one day’ and other paraphernalia of no use to mouse or man.

It was a lovely day for emptying, cleaning, throwing out and replacing, and this morning as I passed through on my commute to work, I looked at the room and felt slimmer. Next to be emptied, cleaned and restocked, I reckon, will be the spare bathroom where the WC doesn’t work, and where, if we use the shower, we have to empty the water tank before the water runs hot, so we use the room to store other people’s suitcases. We shan’t be throwing them away, but we will give them a brush to get the winter dust off. After that, it’s open season on the rest of the house, when we feel in the mood, while out in the wider world, as mentioned yesterday, people are preparing their houses for Easter. We are also preparing ourselves for our annual MOT health checks next week, and I’m keen to tell you about our excellent experience with a private imaging clinic in Rhodes, but more about that another time, because now, I want to stand in the laundry room and listen to the echo.

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As usual, I had a good idea of what to write about, last night, but have now completely forgotten what that was. I could tell you about my dream where I lost my cello on a flight from somewhere to somewhere else, but that’s not very exciting. What’s more entertaining is that, when leaving the house yesterday afternoon, we were met by Michaelis coming to read the electricity meter. What was fun about that was that I’d only just seen him on TV a day before, running in the Athens half marathon. He got back here and back to work pretty fast, but then, he is a marathon runner.

We are still walking in a spring wonderland.

People are starting to tidy up their houses and businesses getting ready for Easter, and after that, the summer season. The outside of our house looks like a dodgy work of art, but it’s not up to us or our limited bank account to redecorate it. We take care of the inside which, to date, has involved two or three repaints inside, including the courtyard, balcony and ironwork, a new bathroom ceiling, a hot water tank and about four water pumps, plus general day-to-day stuff like renewing the traps under the sinks and having various bits and pieces repaired as anyone must do.

Right, the sun’s up and so am I, though I’m still looking for that missing cello… I must get on. I’ll try to remember to write down my brilliant ideas for tomorrow you have something more interesting to read with your morning coffee.

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I’d say spring is springing, or has sprung, or is about to spring a surprise, because I took a quick walk yesterday through greenery, as you’ll see from the photos. That was on Sunday morning after I finished the almost last draft of my next mystery, ‘Acts of Faith,’ which Neil is now reading, and which must go to the proofreader next weekend. That means, beside me is a blank page in a notebook, to which I hope, soon, to start adding notes for the next one. I’ll let you know how things go, or course, but if you want to know what these mysteries are, the current series starts here.

Not there, which was at the top of the Pedi valley yesterday. I’m guessing the harbour cafés were busy yesterday, because there was a football match. Sam reports that the café where he works is always busy on a weekend and will continue to be so as the weather improves. He’ll not be there for much longer, though, as I believe he starts his summer job next month, which sounds early, but then, the island will busy up as Easter approaches. For my piano student, the next few months brings the end of school (for ever), a grade four piano exam, the summer job and then college, so, like spring, there are a lot of new things coming up.

On my way back from my walk yesterday I passed the museum and found four young tourists sitting on the bench politely waiting for something to happen. One stopped me and asked if this was the museum, and I said, yes, it was. It was closed with a sign saying, ‘Back in five minutes,’ which I suspect is permanent at this time of year. I banged on the door because I gained the impression the lads were too polite to do so, but to no avail. There was a phone number to call so I suggested they tried that. I hope they did, because they had obviously made such an effort to get across from Rhodes for the day, climb the steps, and find the place, and I hope someone came out to show them around, as I believe, the museum is supposed to be open on a Sunday.

Anyway, for me, it’s nose to the grindstone as always, or fingers to the keys. Finish this book, start the next, begin on the spring cleaning bit by bit, carry on carrying on, and look forward to seeing old friends while meeting new in the summer months.

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I’m just sharing a few photos today which Neil took yesterday when he was out and about. As you can see, the new road surface is well underway, as mentioned yesterday. There are also a couple of shots taken from that end of the lane which overlooks the upper side of the village one way and the back of Yialos the other. I am sure these two areas have proper names, but I can’t think what they are, or I don’t know what they are. They make for great views though.

If you’re wondering how to reach this lane and view, it’s very simple once you have found the village square, the platia, or Syllogos Square (all the same place). Where the Kali Strata meets the village, just up from the tavernas, opposite the bars… You’ll find the square easily enough, just ask someone. You climb up to it via the steps and then, set off in one of only two possible directions. As one takes you into the main village road with shops and things, you’ll know if you’re going the wrong way. Take the other exit up a slope, around a dog-leg bend, and you are on the lane. Follow it all the way around and you will pass the church with the dome on your right and down, and at the end, come to the top of the Kataraktis, which is the very old way down to the back of the harbour. There. You can note that down for your next visit.

We reached 20° here yesterday, at least, we did in our courtyard. I managed to get a lot of editing done inside, and today, I have a load more to see to. It’s inconvenient when you are watching a film of an evening and a stray thought wanders in and tells you to alter or change something in the story you’re working on, and you think, ‘I’ll remember that’, and of course, you never do. I’ve got one of those in my head, and I can’t remember what it was, but it was later in the story, so hopefully, I will remember when I get to it. It wasn’t vital, just a slight improvement.

One last thing this week, if you want to join my author mailing list, you’ll find you’ll get a monthly update of promotions for new reading ideas. These aren’t paid promotions, simply links to where a set of titles old and new are on offer from various publishers and in various genres. I usually go in for historical novel promos and the like. You can always opt out of the newsletter if you find it’s not of interest but you have to opt in first, and you can do that very simply by heading to my other website and blog here:

https://jacksonmarsh.com/newsletter/

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Here’s a photo of the house I was talking about yesterday. I took a few snaps coming up the steps that day, and this was the last one I took before turning right and entering Chickenland, never to be seen again…

It looks like today is going to be another sunny and calm day, though so far, I’ve only looked out of the window. I must pop up the road at some point and have a look at the state of play. We’ve got piles of cut stone along the side of the lane, ready to be put down as the lane is resurfaced. I think some of it up and around the corner has already been done, and I’m expecting the drills and mixers to start up down our end any day now. It looks like the lane will be paved in the way other paths were done years ago as the improvement schemes continue. The main road has, I am told, also been tarmacked all the way across the island now (?), which will be a great improvement on what was there before. The Kali Strata, of course, remains as it has remained for the last 100 + years.

Last thing today is a book push. The biography of my godfather, ‘Bobby, a life Worth living’ is being publicised in a promotion that covers historical fiction, time-travel, women’s literature, and memoirs, which is what Bobby kind of is, because I tried to keep the text in the style of his storytelling. The book’s done reasonably well since I launched it last year, though I’m still waiting to hear back from Shirley Bassey who is the only remaining-alive person from Bobby’s past and briefly mentioned in the book. I sent her a copy out of courtesy, but can only assume it arrived. There are plenty of other names and historical incidents mentioned in the book, and many other books in the promo, where most of the covers definitely have a ‘written for the enjoyment of women’ look to them. See for yourself by clicking the banner below:

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