… because I won’t be saying it then. I’m taking some time off from the blog(s) and books to put my feet up more than usual and have a fun Christmas time. This fun will start on Monday, if not sooner, as on Monday, we’re going to the Christmas carols and sing-a-long at Scena. Dawn organises this most years and all money raised goes to the orphanage in Rhodes. That’s Monday, on Tuesday I will be peeling vegetables and making ‘pigs in blankets’ with Harry while Neil makes stuffing with Sam, and Jenine organises and makes a lot of noise. This has become a tradition over the last 22 years, 20 of which have been spent with the boys. Actually, as I said yesterday, I can’t really call them boys any longer, because they are men (or are just about to be), so, as it’s the time of year, I shall call them snowmen with no S. In other words, they are nowmen. Get it? How about this instead:

Christmas Day will be spent at their house, and Boxing Day at ours. Here, the usual form is I make a big pot of something with lots of fibre (lentil soup), and everyone brings leftovers, and we chill, veg, talk, laugh, eat, watch a film, and then the nowmen slip away to their real friends in the early evening having stayed a polite enough amount of time, and us adults watch another film and, probably, drink too much. Here’s another one:

For the past two years, we’ve all trotted off to Athens for New Year but not so this year. Money is the issue, and the sense of ‘done that, where next?’ This year, nowhere but home, but that’s fine too. I intend to start on my next project at some point over this festive break. I have a new novel mapped out, and an idea for another set of short stories set in the late 19th century, so we shall see what comes out. And another.

In fact, the images are coming thick and fast now, so I think I’ll leave you to get on with Christmas or simply a holiday if you don’t celebrate the mass itself, and wish you a pleasant time and hope all goes well for you. I’ll be back in the New Year, but keep an eye on the Symi Dream Facebook page. You never know what might turn up there. Meanwhile, here’s the last of what’s turning up here this year:

Have a happy Christmas and New Year!

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At last, I have some out-and-about photos to share with you today and tomorrow. After that, I shall be taking some days off over Christmas, though I might pop in to share some of the festivities before returning in the New Year. Before putting those images up, I need to let you know that the next mystery is now available in paperback and Kindle. So, if you are interested, follow this link and it should take you to your nearest Amazon store:

https://mybook.to/GraveDevelopments

And so, to yesterday, when we walked down the steps to Yialos to do some shopping. First, at the ‘new’ supermarket, aka, ‘Sam’s Supermarket’ because he worked there once. Then, to the post office, wine shop, other shops, anywhere you could legally part with money, and then a pit stop at the café on the corner, where Sam is now working for the winter, so that will soon be called ‘Sam’s Café’, no doubt. After a very nice cup of coffee there, we took a taxi back up with Konstantinos, and were home by eleven. Talking of the godboys as I half was just then, they are coming for supper this evening. Rather, H is stopping after his piano lesson to cook with me, and big bro is turning up later for some totally inappropriate banter, maybe a game of cards, and a general ‘let your hair down while you’ve still got some’ evening. In preparation for that, I should go and prepare to do some more shopping, this time up in the village, and leave you with some shots of yesterday.

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The path to Christmas is paved with good intentions. Last night we went to Jenine’s house to play cards, hang out, and have hot dogs. Much fun was also had. The nice thing about such an evening is that the venue is downhill, until you come to go home when it is uphill but, by then, such things make no never mind. I know I got home because I am here, and so is the bag I had to bring home, but not the pudding basin. We have the boys coming for dinner after piano tomorrow and H and I are cooking chilli and rice, but I also wanted to give them something they’ve not had before, in this case, ‘spotted dick.’ (I say not had it before, but who knows with youngsters these days?)  We saw it being made on Bake Off yesterday, and I thought I’d have a go because, at the moment, I happen to have that rare commodity, suet.

So, today’s event list must include a trip to the household shop for a pudding basin, plus, if I can handle the excitement, the butcher for some mince. Other than that, today will be mainly pottering around the PC doing some publicity, sending up the new book, assuming the file that’s just come in is good to go, and some more pre-Christmas preparations. Neil has taken care of the rest of the sitting room for us and magicked up the floating candles.

The sun is out, the air is chill, the sea is calm, the water tank is filling up, and all is reasonably well with the world, though I should get the hoover out and vacuum my office, but let’s live a little first and do the dusting. Later, I will venture out into the village in daylight hours in search of a pudding basin.

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There are two things I need to do. One, is to start getting up earlier and doing the blog before half past eight in the morning, and the second is to start reading things properly. I’ve started getting up later in the morning than I used to and I’m quite enjoying it. It’s mainly because I’ve had to cut back on typing time because of the arm, but also because I have less work to do generally, and I have all day in which to do it. As for reading things correctly… Yesterday I was watching an advert on Greek TV when I saw a product called CamelotWater. Now then, legend has it that Camelot stood on a river. Tennyson mentions it in his poem about the Lady of Shalott (1832) when he opens with, ‘On either side the river lie…’ and later, ‘By the island in the river flowing down to Camelot,’ and so on, and yet, no-one ever mentions the name of the river. So, M’lud, surely the advertisement should have been for CamelotRiverWater? However, ‘river water’ instantly sounds yucky, so they kept it simply as CameltoeWater.

At least, that’s how I read it.

Anyway, on this day in (my photographic) history, I came across these oddments.

Romney Marsh in the snow. I must have been publicising my book that is set around Winter Solstice on Romney Marsh: The Saddling.

The second could have been us last night when in fact, it was this night last year. I’ve also got a photo of Jenine’s decorated sitting room also from this day last year. We’ll be there again this evening. Not much changes in winter around here.

Then again, I have this one from a Christmas dinner back in 2016, though I suspect it was taken a year or so earlier. I also suspect there will be more of this foolery, costume, funny glasses and feasting before long. For now, I have the proof layout of my next novel to check, so that’s this morning’s job.

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All quiet. Fireworks to open the Christmas festivities in Yialos over the weekend, a mild thunderstorm last night, nothing too heavy, no reason to go very far from home, got some films watched, did some work on the book, had a day off. That’s about my weekend summed up.

As for my week ahead. Today, after this, I must finish the last proofing of the next book as I want that to be on the virtual shelves by the weekend. The title is a play on words:

(You can find this series and all the others listed on my Amazon page.)

Also this week: two practice sessions with my piano pupil ahead of a short family concert on Boxing Day, my new glasses should arrive today, I have some tidying up to do now all presents are wrapped, some boxes to put in the bin, some others to recycle, a few last, small gifts to wrap. That’s about it. Weather today appears calm and sunny so far, with some clouds swiping the sky as they pass, and that’s about it. Let me put up some random images from the file and then I must run.

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