Monday 23rd December

Wind and rain lashing all night again and more storms forecast.  It's truly horrible here.

Over to Burgess Hill for lunchtime and met up with Angela and off to a local restaurant/pub where we had already made a reservation.  The last time we went it was full of party goers from the local offices, this year it was more like a kindergarten and all of the parties must have taken place last week...there was very little atmosphere in the place so we had to make some...or at least try to.  We ordered the wine. a bottle of Merlot that set us back just over fourteen pounds.  Now I don't mind paying out but when I compare the price of it with a box of Merlot in BG.....I could have approximately nine litres of the stuff for the same price....and I jest not.  So I watered it down with a few tears, the first course of a shared cheese and garlic dough ball left a lot to be desired and the waitress did say that it wasn't to everyone's taste and that was all the sympathy we got.  Main  course was OK....steak and onion pie in a red wince sauce with puff pastry topping and the mini pud of cherry something washed down with coffee was a pleasant OK.  We chewed over the fat for about three hours....and I managed to drag it out of her that she will seriously consider another couple of weeks 'chez moi' in BG....result.

Swapped pressies back at theirs, drove back over the downs and the car was all over the road with the wind rocking it.  Floods on the roads and there can't be much more rain left up there....at some point it has to stop.  I'm sure there will be a few trees down before the night is out and many of the bridges in and around London have been closed for safety.  No pickies....it's just been too dark and miserable....LN....I refuse to check the weather in BG....LN

Happy Honika Elsa!  

Tuesday 24th December

Mazel Tov...MikeyB..you never did understand my religious beliefs and leanings....

Bloody wind, bloody rain it kept me awake most of the night and I ended up reading at four thirty this morning for about an hour.  This morning there will be an attempt to get everything back in the garden from whence it started out.  My old car has been stripped of its protective covering, next door's fence is lying on the pavement, some of the shrubs in the garden are flattened but the trees are still standing.....yeah, yeah, yeah....let's put it to music.  Breakfast for speed was buttered toast since after yesterday's blow out there was nothing on the menu last night but the hunger bugs that were nipping this morning have now been satisfied until lunch.  Down to the shops....one last present to get and then bring on the 25th.....

Grandson's birthday today so here's hoping he has a good day and big hugs going his way.  Catch you later....

Tuesday continued

Over to my daughters after after a request of which end is the turkey's bottom and which do you stiff.  I gave her the instructions over the phone closely followed by 'do you want me to come over' to which there was 'yes if you can'.   By the time I'd got there she's managed it (well she is my daughter) and it was out with the bacon and cover the breasts of the turkey (not my daughter) and all is ready for six of the clock tomorrow morning.  I suggested using the giblets to make the gravy and that idea was taken up (not) but I think it was when my s.i.l. thought it would be a good idea to make giblet soup that it went pear shaped.  When we got to the house they were erecting fence panels.  That wind was murderous last night.  

Finished my shopping in the Peacehaven centre, down to Brighton Marina for fuel and the last of the shops, back home and cooked supper and opened a bottle of port and after a couple of glasses....update complete and last of the presents to be wrapped.  As for the weather...still not nice but it is threatened to be a little better tomorrow and Boxing day.  I'm sending a thought out for those that are without power and their houses are flooded.  There but for the grace of god....LN....back down stairs...I'm all ready for the 25th ....LN

Merry Christmas Elsa. Hope you have a fantastic day and a perfect new year. Big hugs from us all. XXx

A very Merry Christmas Elsa.  Hope you have a lovely day and the weather is a bit kinder to you today.  Have fun. xxx

Wednesday 25th December

Thank you Sarah and Danast.....it has been a lovely day, good food, excellent company and a board game to boot after lunch.  Obviously the girls won...what more do I need to say...

The weather has stayed fairly dry all day but it's started to rain now but what is a day without it...I wouldn't know....I don't believe I've had one good day in the last ten days.  So my daughter and I were both dressed in black with leopard scarves and we'd not even planned it.....we spent the first hour unwrapping presents and I have a beautiful pen with different coloured cartridges. a new book to write down my poems in and as my daughter reminded me....there used to be lots of them so now seems like a good time to start over again.  The boys both had one of those silly wooden toys that separate out into thousands of pieces that you have to put back together again....and they persevered.  My daughter was under instructions to open one of her presents last....I knew that once she got her head in the VIZ new dictionary that it wouldn't come up for a while.  Husband was in the kitchen and towards the end of the cooking we were commandeered to stir sprouts and she made the bread sauce and we made out that we had done such a wonderful job of it.

So home now...the rest of the red is about to get demolished.....it rather took second place to a little white fizzy number with 'something special' added that saw my daughter and myself through the meal.  Party hats, silly jokes and the red fish that tells you if you are passionate or not....just had to be done.

I hope that you all had a super day....I know that I did with family...LN....I'm going to find that bottle of red..LN

Thursday 26th December

Got a surprise new Kindle last night and sat up until one getting my email and stuff sorted on it and another free version of Angry Birds.  He, he, he.....

Woke at eight thirty this morning and went down to make coffee.  The sun was shining and as I walked into the dining room that is normally in darkness to maintain the heat in there, the words from Yentle flashed through my mind so I drew back the curtains and 'welcomed the dawn'.  I maintain that that's the story of my move to Bulgaria instead of her move into Judaism.  Breakfast was a mince pie...I was much too busy sorting out clothes for the charity shop and children's books for my neighbour's grandchildren.  Lunchtime came round pretty sharpish and at two thirty we decided to walk down to the sea forgetting that they have an annual tug of war, the best of three, between two of the local pubs.  Now this takes place in the High Street, illegally closing the main road to the discontent of some of the local 'boyos' but close it they do and it's a very serious, alcohol fueled affair and it's not only the participants.  Best of three, the Black Horse crew beat the Plough by two to one and then we continued to the sea, the road was re-opened and normal service was resumed.

Lovely walk on the Undercliff with lots of families and children with scooters and newly acquired Santa bicycles and roller skates.  Sat and watched the sun on its way down, walked back up the village via Kipling Gardens and spotted some tiny cyclamen that were in flower.  Supper was a selection of all things that could be stuck in the oven and nibbled to be closely followed by cheese and biscuits but I'm working up to that.  There also appears to be a bottle of port on the go.....but it's not looking as healthy as it did.  LN..it might need a little mouth to mouth....have a good evening all....LN

Friday 27th December

Six start...slept straight through for seven and a half and for me that is good.  I did get into a bit of a recurring dream and was trying to get six people through an airport and someone on the flight with hand luggage that entailed a  bed mattress...now where did that come from?...   Too much port last night maybe.  Unfortunately I woke up to lashing rain and wind and yet again with no hint of that big yellow thing that I'm used to.

Neighbour came round and managed to offload the books for his grandchildren, Martin is off to the hospital today so I'm going to be a shoulder to cry on.  Went in on the bus and took one of the saver tickets so that I could jump on and off at my leisure and I did just that....To the hospital, from the hospital into town, from town to the pub and from the pub, home.  Door to door for under a fiver.

Lots of people round the shops today but we didn't linger long.  We did the North Laines and The Laines and the only thing I bought was a lovely vase made up of lots of little vases on a pottery tray and yes...it's destined for BG.  I looked at several other things namely clothing but everything is so expensive here that my purse stayed firmly in my pocket.....just as it should.  So down to the White Horse on the bus....fish and chip supper so I now don't have to think about either being in the kitchen or making enough noise for someone else to be doing it.  Pint and a half of the hard stuff to wash it down and at just before six, I have nothing to do and can chill for the thrill so to speak.  LN....I'm switching off physically and mentally...LN

Saturday 28th December

Really late start this morning...seven thirty and I was falling asleep in the armchair last night at just after ten and eventually made it upstairs by eleven.  You know what it's like....you've got to go upstairs, get undressed and go through the bedtime routine...'nuff said.

Not much has happened today in the way of going places and seeing people.  The weather started off with a little of the yellow stuff but we're back to normal...it's raining but at least the wind isn't rattling the rafters.  So the grand clear up has continued...the charity bags are heaving and I have been in corners of the wardrobe that haven't seen the light of day for years.  I also came across a jacket that I made for my daughter when she was three years old and now that's gone into the treasure box.  Somethings you can't part with and I'll let those doing the great sort out get rid of it when I've either gone to higher pastures or they've eventually selected my care home.  I'll wait to see which comes first.

I found it amazing as to how many evening dresses that I have and at least three have still got the price tags on them.  I used to go out shopping with my daughter, spot it try it on and then out came the credit card.  Sometimes it was for me...sometimes for her but we were a tad naughty.  As it is now I get great delight picking up sweaters in BG for three lev and boots for twenty.  My how things change .  Now I'm waiting for the charity shops to open and the house will look much tidier.  I'm hoping that some of the charity shops don't send things overseas....

My turn in the kitchen tonight..... I've got to hunt through the freezer to see what I can find....it's not like being at home where I know what's lurking...pork chops I'm thinking.....LN...and I believe there is still a bottle or three of red left over that may need some attention....LN