All that remains is the actual transferring of ourselves and our belongings. For me, this is the easy part, it's simply a matter of organisation and time management, oh, and muscle of course, by the lads!. By this time next week we will be pretty settled in our new home, (fingies crossed, anyway).
Needless to say, the past week has been super busy, sorting, discarding, packing and cleaning, as one does. Really, all I have left to do is to sort out a few of the most precious plants from the garden that will do well in pots...we are still waiting to hear back from the new landlord about whether or not we can put in some raised beds for herbs, etc. in the meanwhile, planters and pots it is!
Onto our inchie world tour, rapidly coming to an end...this week we are visiting Cyprus.
The Republic of Cyprus first came to my attention when I was 11.
Australia had been requested, and refused, a request to send a military force to Cyprus following the outbreak of violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots in December 1963. The Government elected instead to provide the UN force in Cyprus with a contingent of personnel that could handle civilian tasks, things outside military training and expertise. Therefore, forty police officers from around Australia, including 2 from Tasmania, arrived in Cyprus in May 1964 to compliment military teams from other countries. This was the beginning of a long tradition of Australian police deployments to UN peacekeeping operations.
The reason I was made aware of this highly political decision well outside my tomboyish introspective view of my little world was that my father, at that time a sergeant in the Tasmanian Police with all the skills and competencies required, was keen to attend this overseas posting,. However, he was not accepted because us, his family. It was not known just how dangerous the secondment might be for the participants, therefore single men were chosen. I remember dad's disappointment on hearing he wasn't eligible to apply and the strange feeling it gave me that somehow me and my siblings were a direct cause. A young officer from his station was accepted though, and I remember his coming in to show off his uniform, including a lovely blue beret to us and say goodbye before he set off overseas.
Cyprus is the largest island in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the most heavily populated. It has a long and tempestuous history, settlement dating back to the Aceramic Neolithic period, between 7000 - 5000 BC.
The plant I have chosen for this country is Crocus hartmannianus, a rare endemic crocus. I read an article regarding a very damaging fire that swept through part of the Solea valley, one of the areas where this endangered species is found, with locals believing it to be the death knell of this species. However, after the fires, the plant unexpectedly reappeared and in far larger numbers than had been hoped for...creating a bit of excitement, well, amongst botanists, anyway.
For the text mat this week I have used a partial image of a terracotta tablet with a Greek inscription in Cypriot syllabic scrip, thought to be a commercial document, dated from about 600 - 500 BC, found near Akanthou.
Hollie finally returned home with the girls yesterday afternoon. I am sure she would have been be very glad to get back into her normal routines...also, Chris and I both will be glad to be able to sleep in past 0500 hours when one of us needed to be up to see she was let outside for her ablutions...invariably we both woke in case the other slept in, and once awake it's time for tea and the new day...Tim is never disturbed by these issues, he usually doesn't raise an eyelid until the kettle has boiled at least twice! Still, we miss her furry presence here with us after this longer than usual visit.
As the craft room is now fully packed, I have come to a full stop on producing items for the gallery. However I did manage to make two little retro Christmas gift card boxed sets, and one of my favourite matchbox gift boxes, this one with a star dangle and a loop to hang it on the tree once it has been filled with delicious little somethings...
Bye,
Di.