Tuesday 20th December

Back to BG time ....a five o'clock start so I read for a while and eventually went back off until seven thirty.  There was still the gentle rasping of the steam engine coming from the other room so I was up, dressed, breakfasted before there was much sign of life.  Eventually we made it on to the bus and into town...him with his bus pass and me with my day saver which meant that I could go on as many buses as I wanted all for a fiver.  So into lit up Brighton, everywhere looks extremely seasonal and the queues were horrendous.  'In the shops, tills are ringing, great big bills will be winging, the sounds of today will be heartaches this way....Shopping in this winter wonderland'....I have bought some things for me though...why should everyone else have the pleasure.  My only headache is getting them back.  One of my stop-offs today was in the Bear Factory and I enquired whether George my Christmas gift from my grandson eleven years ago could have a new voice box fitted,  Now for the full story...George actually has a recording made by my grandson and says...'Happy Christmas Nanny...I love you' but unfortunately this was wearing down and you could hardly hear it.  In the shop I asked whether it was possible to salvage it and put it back to it's normal strength and the fabulous assistant advised me to take George in and she would see what she could do....and so I did later that day...still on my five pound ticket....as many trips as I wanted...

Home we went with the purchases and at four I set off to catch the bus again but this time with George in my bag and straight to the shop.  They were amazed....apparently George was an 'original' from the Bear Factory and now they trade under a different name.  His jumper was removed, he was cut open and his two little hearts sealed inside were removed from the stuffing along with his voice box.  Maria took it off leaving him looking dejected on the table face down and five minutes later she reappeared, the voice box is back to full volume, she added a little more stuffing, put the two hearts back in and stitched him back up.  George is whole again.  I put his jumper back on...gave her a hug of thanks and asked how much and the reply was that it was free of charge as a good will gesture.  What a fabulous shop.  He was put back in the bag, I stopped off and bought some chocolate on offer from Smiths and then back on the bus for the journey home.  

The television is on but there are none of the usual programs that I watch...we are into Christmas week so it all goes to pot.  Only two more cards to get into the post...everything else made the five o'clock collection.  Gammon and chippies for supper with chip butties...it would have been rude not to.  LN...I'm down where it's warm....LN

Wednesday 21st December

So it was still half five this morning and I was playing on the kindle and reading and I didn't get my head down again.  I slept really well and have kept going for most of the day without any relapse.  Breakfast of poached egg and the rest of my morning was investigating a new camera.  My Sony has a shadow on the inside of the lens which is exaggerated when you use the zoom so it's time it went.  I've had it for about three years now and I'm looking for something better.  The Canon has lots of capabilities but is large to carry around and to get the full zoom you have to change the lens so even more baggage.  I thinl I've settled on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90 18.2 MP Compact Digital.  It seems to have all I want and I do love my Sony with the Zeis lens.  I really wanted it for Christmas...a present to myself ....but I might wait to see if there are any offers going around in the sales.

So what else did I get up to?  The final cards in the post, I restructured my host's excel spreadsheet of contact addresses and added a few to the list.  I helped out with the repair of the outside security light being a go-for for the things out of the garage.  I did make the suggestion after the repair that it got tested and on testing it didn't so it was back up the ladder.  Eventually it was ascertained that the bulb had been inserted incorrectly....a quick repositioning and all is now lit up if we have intruders like foxes or badgers that get captured on camera.

I wrapped the few presents that I've bought and stupidly bought a very glittery paper that sheds glitter everywhere.  It's on my tights, jumper and I think I even managed to eat some on my chocolate that is now no more.  In town yesterday I was tempted by a huge bar of Cadbury dairy milk and I've been nibbling it yesterday on the bus home and finally it's finished.  Only a giant bar of Toblertone to go but I'm not opening it yet.....it would be fatal.  Not sure about supper tonight....I've got a fancy for Marmite on toast...I must be in need of salt.  Princess phoned this afternoon and we're off to Lewes tomorrow for a meander and lunch.  I don't have much to buy but there is my favourite jewellery shop there so who knows.  No photos today....it's been dark, dank and miserable ....outside at least.  Shower, shampoo ready for my Princess.  LN...Shop until we drop tomorrow...LN

Excellent choice of camera Elsa! They get excellent reviews and if any of the pictures I've seen taken with one are anything to go by, you'll love it! It seems to be about £250 everywhere with a couple of retailers offering a free mini tripod at best... Hopefully it'll be in the Jan sales with any luck!

Thursday 22nd December

Will it never get here.....Christmas seems to be ages arriving....   As for you Mikey B....I'm pleased you agree with my choice.  I've had Sony with Carl Zeiss for ever and rate them highly.....now just need to save the pennies....

Early start for England...late for Bulgaria so I was reading. drinking coffee until it was a decent time to start to disturb the rest of the house.  I ran the bath and got cleaned up with my sojourn into Lewes with Princess.  First stop was Matalan where we had to take apart three displays of jeans apart to find the correct size and correct shape and correct colour with the right coloured thread....and when we did they were the wrong shape.  That's jeans for you.  I was going to look out for a pair but had lost the will half an hour later.  We carried on to Lewes parked up eventually and hit the charity shops where my Princess managed to find three pairs that fit perfectly each with the Next manufacturer's mark for the princely sum of just under eleven pounds.  Bargain and I only managed to find a children's book and a reversible little coat for a little girl who shall remain nameless.  A nice little gift.  I love the shops in Lewes....they still seem like family shops but there was one incident where we had just crossed the road on the lights and the traffic had started to flow.  Two little boys were running towards the road so I reached out and grabbed the smaller one and couldn't see anyone looking for a child or children come to that.  Two seconds later a woman appeared and told me to take my hands off her child and I tried to explain that he was about to run on the road and all we got was a mouthful of abuse.  I didn't see this but apparently she was on her phone and not even looking in the direction of the children but she made it perfectly clear that she considered we were in the wrong,  There was a bit of a glaring match but what was the point.  She was obviously guilty as hell that she wasn't really paying attention but I would do the same again....she's lucky to have two children tonight not just one.  

We were going to a restaurant for lunch but changed our minds and ended up in Sainsbury and bought pork pie which I haven't had for years, boiled ham and french stick and headed home.  We made up the rolls and stuck Jeremy Lyle on and wondered why we were watching it.  Home for five thirty and we'll not see each other now until Christmas morning, tomorrow we are out with Angela and John some good friends of ours for a late lunch, early evening meal which will either be fish and chips or an Indian takeaway, it depends on what the general concencus is tomorrow night.  No supper for me I'm stuffed after an epic ham thingy....LN...I'm going down to the fire....LN

Friday 23rd December

Silly, silly night.  That incident with the woman in Lewes yesterday was playing on my mind and I was reading from four until six, eventually going off again but in a semi-conscious state and finally rose from the apparently dead at nine thirty this morning.  I had the remainder of the pork pie from yesterday for breakfast and headed out into the garden looking at the wild life.  My host was digging out the bottom of the compost heap with the intention of potting up some pot bounds but it didn't seem to happen.  Fortunately the robin found lots to occupy him in and around that area and I must have spent an hour taking shots and you have the best to follow.  We walked the garden and I've got several self-sets of hypericum and other shrubs to dig up and pack....different varieties of those I've established in Bulgaria.  I also have to find Fuchsia and Jasmine...they are frost hardy varieties that I don't have.

Set off along the street and paid a visit to a couple of friends and had coffee with them.  It's amazing how conversations these days always seem to end up with immigration and the EU despite best efforts to avoid the topic.  I'd done a load of washing before we'd left and I remembered to hang it on the airer so that it would be dry by the time we came from our next outing....and we've just got back.

Angela and John have been friends for a long time but unfortunately he has been diagnosed with dementia and boy after a year away do you notice the change.  I just have nothing but praise for the one left behind....the caring and at the time that the couple should be enjoying each other, you have to put on another hat and adopt another role. Anyway...we had fish and chips and mushy peas from the takeaway which went down a treat and a desert of Lemon-isu which was a take-off of tiramasu with ice-cream.  Finally the packaging was retrieved from the rubbish and we identified that it was one unhealthy desert...too much fat, sugar and salt but it finished the meal off extremely well.

So back home for nine and not much on the agenda tomorrow.  I'm supposed to be having my hair trimmed in the morning which I'm always worried about....Edward Scissor hands might be lurking and I like my locks.  Now for a long glass of water....that desert must have had loads of additives.  LN....Down for the TV...LN

Saturday 24th December

Stopped up and watched the tv last night after my host had gone to bed and Mrs Brown's Boys was on.  I was almost sobbing with laughter....so sacrilegious but you just can't hold it against him.....very funny.  There again...you have to like him to enjoy it and I do.  There is so much natural humour in the man and you have to wait for the bits in the script that he changes as he goes along...very off the wall humour.

Six start this morning  and not even a hint of a sun up there until well on into the morning.  It wasn't so damp but there was nothing crisp about it.  There were some interesting photos on FB from the lads from my village so I made a comment and got a response in English....that's my boys for you...I'll get them speaking it one of these days.  Had my hair appointment for eleven and it's one of the group that my host goes around with that had the shop at the top of the road.  I'd only mentioned that I could do with having it done but without any real sincerity but no sooner the word than the blow.  We got there an time, he damped me down so to speak, got out his scissors and it was that bit that I was dreading,  I told him that I usually did it myself and he said that he hadn't got a lot to do to level it up and that I was doing a pretty good job myself...Who needs hairdressers!!   So he showed me the back which looked very much the same as it did before I went and we agreed that it probably needed about ten centimeters off it to get the split ends and really knock it into shape.  I'm not that brave at the moment....enough for this time.  Out came the mince pies and champagne cocktails and I apologised and abstained for not imbibing.  I've really got this thing bad.....

So this afternoon I undated my lottery details and got tickets for tonight and Wednesday.  I'm unable to play it when I'm not in the country which I think is a bit of a swizz but there you go.  I also spent the gift that I got last year from Mr D of S and I now have five new books on my Kindle from the Harry Bosche series by Mr Connelly.  Something to keep me occupied for the next ten days or so before I catch the great eagle homeward.  I'm not getting stuck into sorting out my 'stuff' this year like I did last year....I'm just accumulating a box worth of goodies that will make their way across Europe on their own without me having to lift a finger in the process.

So my only task towards Christmas lunch tomorrow is to make the bread sauce.  Princess has updated me on the progress and her husband is very good and enjoys the performance and is a brilliant cook.  Nothing for me to do except be there.  So down for the television...to try to find something interesting to get stuck in to.  I might be watching the old lady that lives in the rusty old van on Mr Bennet's frontage...looks like it good be a good choice.  

So I'm here for another year and another Christmas....May I wish you all a special day and all good wishes for 2017.  I found the verse in one of my church hymnals and adapted it.  It talked of God the father and I'd just like to add that whatever you call the great power that keeps you ticking along...may you get the support you need for the coming year.  LN ...Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year...LN

Sunday 25th December

Another Christmas day over and now heading for the new year....

A bit of a restless night...I looked out to see if Santa was around but couldn't see any signs of him.  I was reading for a couple of hours in the middle of the night but came to around seven thirty, down for coffee and there were three presents wrapped and waiting for me.  I made my coffee and headed back upstairs...I don't like opening them unless the giver is present.  Thirty minutes later I was down for more coffee and decided that I would make the breadcrumbs for the bread sauce and found my old machine in the bottom of the cupboard and it still worked.  On with the milk. in with the onion bodged with cloves, peppercorns added, butter and on to the gas to warm it through but without boiling the milk.  Into the saucepan went the breadcrumbs, back on the gas for a while and then off with the gas and I left it to steep until it was time to leave.  Quick bath and hair wash and we were on starting blocks at eleven twenty and on time at Princess' home.  Hugs all round, my son in law was busy in the kitchen since he'd been nominated from a shortlist of one to be on duty, grandson was hugging a huge bar of Dairy Milk that we discovered had five thousand calories to his chest, presents were swapped and opened and we were all happy bunnies.  I had a lovely present from my son and his family, a bracelet that appears to be made out of several shades of plaited metal ribbon....very unusual and in a telephone conversation with him, I discovered that it came from the Maritime Museum.....good choice Timbo.

Lunch was served around one and we were all pretty stuffed after it and it was a flop down in front of the television and we watched a DVD that I hadn't seen before....very funny.  The chocolates were out for most of the afternoon and it was a dip in as you will time so the Christmas cake that was made never did get knifed.  The snow on it remains virginal and left for another day.  So home now by eight.....it was at the stage where they were talking about getting into PJ's so we made out exit.  A little teletime for me and I shan't be late tonight.  Arrangements have been aired to meet up with number one son and family next week sometime to catch up with the grandchildren.  LN...Now it's chill time...LN

Monday 26th December

Been and gone....I had a picture this morning of the desired breakfast for the morning after....turkey jelly and it has to be slapped on toast.  Unfortunately that's the nearest I got to it.  Looks like I'll be cooking my own next year and Bekir has already offered me one of the ones that he grows on for the year.  This year I asked him if he was going to sell them....I think he had ten...and his response was that that was only ten weeks.  Happy new year Bekir.  I'm also waiting to see if I win anything in the New Year Day tombola....they were both given ten leva to buy tickets but if it was edible they were to enjoy it and if not...I'll have it when I next see them.

So as for today.  It was a brighter start and I managed to get some washing on the line but not much.  The rest of it went in the downstairs boiler cupboard....it's almost as good as my bathroom.  Breakfast was toast and Marmite...nothing to linger for...five minutes with the toaster and that's it over and done with.  It was a bit of a frustrating session with the Kindle.  I downloaded four paid for books yesterday and when I came to look for them on the device...one had none and the other only had two of them.  I'm not much with this cloud and understanding where 'stuff' gets stored so I'm trying to delete books from my Kindle and find out where the others had gone and not a snowballs.  I managed to delete some of them but I couldn't find the new ones on the device and eventually I went to the Amazon website, found my cloud and managed to get the new books on to the device.  Unfortunately I now have a million and one copies...slight exaggeration maybe....but more than I actually need or wanted.  I'll see how it pans out.  The other issue was that when I used the USB cable in the USP device and not the computer port....I couldn't see the books on my old Kindle reader.  I kept loosing the settings and I discovered by putting it straight into the computer....success on a plate. I now have the four new books on both devises...and I also updated my host's Kindle and printed out the reading order so that should keep him quiet until he next comes out to BG.

So this afternoon's viewings were Dancing with Wolves and the Gruffalo...not at the same time might I add....that could have been one heck of a story.  Tonight's viewing is lined up...Dr Brian Cox...the musical at nine thirty and then it will be early to bed for me.  The intention was to get out this afternoon to a garden centre to see what they were giving away.  It didn't happen but I bet we didn't miss much.  Kitchen calls...I think it's my turn to knock something up so to speak.  LN...I'm off to hunt...LN

Tuesday 27th December

Last night I watched the Big Bank musical and I really must report on it.  Dr Brian Cox really tried hard to keep it under control but with Eric Idle and the theme of the song castigating that the earth is spinning at a ridiculous speed and that there is really no sensible life on earth...it was very funny.  It caused a ripple of enjoyment.  A box of Allsorts was attempted and the general consensus was that they weren't as we remembered them.  Mr Bertie Bassett had failed to delight.

Slept well last night and didn't raise my little head until eight of the clock.  I looked out of the window and was aware of the house over the road and the outside light that's been on continuously for the last three days.  It's almost tempting to go knock and tell them but maybe they're away.  Poached eggs and boiled ham on toast for breakfast and that's the stuff to feel the troops on.  By the time the kitchen was tidied we managed to catch the bus into Brighton, just missing one and waiting in the shelter for the next.  Unfortunately they were running a Sunday schedule which we weren't aware of but we didn't have to wait long.  We got off at the top of town and the Poundshop was the first port of call.  I wanted some of the bags that you put 'stuff' in then insert the vacuum and suck the air out of it.  I'm getting ready for my box to go to BG so the more I can get into it the better.  I checked out a parcel of about forty kilos and it equates to just under the forty pounds sterling so jobsa guddun in my neck of the woods.  So over to the Sony shop to try to see the camera that I wanted but they didn't have it in stock....one similar but not one with GPS which is the later version.  Down to Currys and they didn't have one either so the assistant suggested Jessops but none in stock or in the warehouse.  Elusive...typical of me.....I shall have to do more investigation.  Back on the bus but instead of getting the straightforward one we picked up one that would take us along the coast road and where's that camera when you need it...still in the shop...well one of the shops somewhere....The bus headed down to Brighton Marina, did a circular tour, back on to the main road and dropped us off in our village.  I headed for the cashpoint at Tesco and that was out of service so thought the post office might oblige and that wasn't even open.  Fortunately the bus to take us to the end of the road was in so it was hop on to the next and drop off with one hundred yards to walk.  Having said that that only means that I can have ten After Eight tonight....   Just watch a program about a man catching a giant anaconda and better him than me....it was a real biggie but he was with three local buddies who were used to it.

Supper tonight is going to be a sandwich....a gammon joint was baked yesterday.  I've lined up University Challenge for tonight....it's the first of the semi-finals tonight and I've been following it in BG.  Makes me realise how much I don't know though but it's never too late to learn.  Tomorrow I'm out for lunch with my special buddy Angela .....not sure where yet...she's found another newby for me.  She did come out to visit me in BG and I'd love to see her there again....maybe one day.  Right I have a sandwich to make before I get stuck in front of the goggle box.  LN....I can smell the honey roast from here....LN