Thursday 1st June

White rabbits, pinch and a punch...or whatever you usually mumble on the first day of the month.  At five just after I came to, made a coffee, did a Sudoku, folded up my washing airing on the curtain rail in the bedroom and at six promptly snuggled down again with George my giraffe until nine this morning.  Nothing was on my agenda for today so I'm not dissatisfied with my achievements.  Before I went away I bought new tablet which was fantastically reduced but hadn't managed to set much up on it.  Now it sports Kindle for the PC and the ones that I've purchased from Amazon are now on it giving me a back up.  This is going to be useful since I'd tried to load some of the books on someone else's machine which resulted in abortive copies and now he's borrowed my Kindle and I've no access to Candy Saga....the withdrawal symptoms have started to kick in so he can now have my new one and I can go back to normal...

Peculiar event this morning....I phoned Princess to see how the land lay, it's half term so she's free.  The phone kept going off and then returning and suddenly I saw that one of my other friends name and number were on the display so I finished that call and decided to call her back later. I phoned Princess again and caught up with the gossip and firmed up plans for the rest of the week and Sunday, finished the call and called back my other call.  She said that she hadn't phoned me and all I could think of was that my ear had pressed against the screen and I'd called her.  She said that her phone rang and asked her daughter in law if she had heard...very confusing for her.  Anyway...this time we had a conversation and Saturday is party night again.  Oh what a social life I have....all these people to see and so little time.

Beautiful day today...I sat out in the garden, toast for breakfast refusing bacon and egg but the Cadbury chocolate cakes are going down rapidly....ah well ...the intention was good.  I've been round the garden identifying the plants that I want to dig up and take with me....there's a hypericom with the large yellow flowers, mine in BG only has small ones with red bracts.  There's also a couple of small trees, ones a bay and there's another small Japanese maple.  So nice and early today....but the photos will have to be on the next post....LN....I've got beans to shell for supper....LN

Friday 2nd June

Falling asleep on the sofa last night, sidled into bed at ten thirty and straight through until six thirty this morning....the sleep of the just.  Down for coffee taking care not to step on the stairs that would wake the rest of the house and back to bed to come round with the Outlanders, Clair and  Jamie.  I'd made arrangements to go shopping with Princess so it was washed and dressed fairly early on but that didn't happen.  Toast and marmalade for breakfast followed by yet more coffee and at ten thirty I phoned her to see if she was OK to which she responded she was watching rubbish TV and needed a quick kick up the you know where to get it into gear.  She arrived at eleven and off we went.

We couldn't decide whether to go to Lewes or not for an expedition but instead ended up in Paradise Park where there was a coach trip so the shop was heaving.  We scanned around for father's day gifts but nothing jumped out at her, we sat for a while on one of the garden furniture displays expecting to get moved along at any minute putting the world to rights.  We went to look at the baby rabbits but they'd all been sold but there were some hamsters and it reminded us of the one she had as a girl that used to have its cage in the bathroom.  That poor unfortunate seemed to spend hours on its wheel and that's all you could hear at night....we should have had a generator attached to it....

Over to Sainsbury and picked up enough for lunch and we sat in the garden with our ham laden French stick, I had a small pork pie and fell utterly stuffed after a jam and cream filled doughnut.  Beautiful day and beautiful company and we covered loads of topics as mother and daughters do.  Back home by six and no supper for me.  I've just eaten a bunch of grapes and that will do until morning.  Tomorrow we're supposed to be catching up with our good friends in Burgess Hill....so the camera will be out then and apologies....I didn't manage any today.  LN...Getting nearer to D-Day....LN

Saturday 3rd June

It was one of those stupid nights again when I was reading from one to three thirty this morning and then had a fitful night for the rest of it.  I think it's the anticipation of going home again.  Coffee at seven thirty but I've felt a little jaded for most of the day.  Breakfast was half a melon sitting on the patio in the sun followed by toast and marmalade and then it was to horse with the packing.  My large back is done and weighs just under the twenty kilograms and the little one seems to be that everything will fit Cinderella....result.

So out this afternoon to our friends in Burgess Hill and she was hospital visiting in Haywards Heath and it's been years since I worked in the town.  I didn't remember any of the shops there but managed to get some gel for a stiff shoulder that I seem to have developed and a couple of presents to take back with me.  Back to the hospital for the pickup and then to the house and we sat in the garden catching up and updating her on my holiday exploits....we ordered an Indian takeaway which was delivered at six thirty and it's been ages since I had a Chicken Dhansak....in fact years....delicious with big crispy poppadoms.

Home for ten and that camera has been elusive all day so once again I have to apologise.  Lunch tomorrow with Princess and family at the local carvery.  It looks like my diet will start when I get home and not before.   LN....Bed time said Dougal...LN

Sunday 4th June

Seven start so back to normal and the shoulder seems to have responded to the Deep Heat...not so painful today.  Coffee to start the day off right and not much activity from the other room until eight thirty by which time I was ready for second cuppa.  Breakfast of poached with ham on toast which seemed to set me up for the day except that I was out for lunch at one and wondered if I would have enough space to take in the copious amounts of meat and veg that I knew would be served up.  I bathed and washed my hair so that I was fresh for the occasion and at eleven my ex said that he didn't feel too well and took to his bed and at this point my brain shot into gear deciding how to get to the venue not having a car here that I could drive.  At twelve I woke him up and had decided that if he wasn't going to make it, I was, and planned to walk down the village, use the undercliff walk and be a tourist taking photos along the way.  I set off at twelve fifteen, monitored my time well, used the tunnel to get to the other side of the road and arrived at the pre-arranged time to one and Princess and co were already there.  Hugs all round and my grandson is under strict instructions to stop growing...it hurts my neck giving him a hug...

We all settled for the normal sized carvery and I went for treacle sponge and custard for afters and I feel thoroughly stuffed.  In fact we all were.  Over to Marks and Spencer in one of the trading parks to pick up an order that wasn't available in store and we walked round the little supermarket while we waited for son in law to collect.  I was amazed at the prices...a carton of strawberries was priced up at seven pounds and flavoured water at silly prices.  The choice was fantastic with sushi available and fat free snacks but I'm just spoiled at home.  We maybe don't have the choice but what we have is at a price which doesn't blow a hole in the reserves.  So I got dropped off at three thirty, they didn't come in because I wasn't sure of the condition of the patient but the television was on so I realised that there had been a recovery of sorts.  I've been sorting the final packing and the laptop that was staying here is now going back so that it can be updated with Windows 7 now that the current program is unsupported.

Six thirty my time...nothing much to do tonight...no supper required and just a pint of two of fizzy water to get the food moving.  I've been like a tourist in my own village today.  Beautiful weather and lots of tourist, children on bikes and scooters and dogs being exercised.  It's a lovely area.  LN...One down and one to go before lift off...LN

Monday 5th June

Another night or morning reading the Kindle at silly o'clock and at three I was ready for the taxi to arrive....twenty four hours early.  Why is it that the body swings into operation in advance and I bet I'll feel knacked in the morning.  It's been a day of deciding which suitcase things are going in to....the laptop was supposed to go into one of the handbags but it ended up in mine so I'm taking up weightlifting to get into practice for next year....You just can't get the staff these days.

So I got the last of the washing out while the sun was shining and rushed back in the house with it as it started to rain.  What was out there is staying here but I wanted it dry before I put it away.  I like to leave my bedroom and bathroom ready to move in to.  Clean, tidy and shipshape.....I knew I should have gone on a seven day cruise...ten days and you come back with good habits. Princess came round after she had finished her first day back at school....it appears half of the school didn't want to stick to school uniform and she showed me an article in the national press from last year when the boys decided that it was too hot to wear long trousers so they opted for the girls skirts......as you do.

Everything is in the hall waiting for a three thirty taxi, my departure was timed to coincide with my guests departure to mine for his annual BG stay.  Hence the ..'Who is going to carry it?' and 'Have you packed so and so?...The flight is at six from Gatwick and destined to arrive all being well at eleven-ish with the two hour time difference.  We're staying at the Holiday Inn tomorrow and heading for home on Wednesday.  It's going to be so nice to get back to sense and sensibility.  Anyway...I' shan't be too late tonight....busy day tomorrow.  LN...Need some beauty sleep....LN

Tuesday 6th June

So I  beat my alarms that I'd set.  I'd banged my head twice on the pillow for two a.m and sort of stroked it over the pillow for half past the hour....two twenty five and was able to turn my alarms off in good time.  Down for a coffee, taxi arrived at three twenty and on the road for three thirty five.  Straightforward journey to the airport but boy how the systems change from one visit to the next.  Scanning the boarding card got us in but then we had to self drop the bags which proved fun in itself.  Mine was slightly over but was remedied quite quickly, the second one stuck in the channel to take it to the great beyond and returned and asked that the whole process be done again.  When the bag was put on the belt it tried to charge us for the entire load so  a supervisor was called who had to take us to another operator since he didn't know how to remedy the said  problem but eventually...we had a receipt for the second bag.  

Over to the next stage and I ended up with items in three trays that went off into  the great beyond and I couldn't keep an eye on them.  Through the personal scanner and arriving at the baggage reclaim the man told me to pick up the three containers and head for another packing area...Superwoman I  am not at four fifteen a.m. so I said that a little assistance would be gratefully received and he obliged.  It was heaving at Gatwick this morning.

Slight delay on take off but arrived in good time, taxi to the hotel, checked in, went down to the garage to check that the Beast was still there and turned the engine over for good luck and it started first time.  That's my girl.  Swam this afternoon for about an hour and into the spa to ease the early start away.  Now about to sample the joys of hotel food.  We're not heading into Sofia...far too knacked,

Home, sweet home tomorrow....and on with the washing machine......LN ....Reality and sense and sensibility.....LN

Wednesday 7th June

Seven a.m. start in a very hot hotel bedroom swimming in a damp bed due to the mattress protector.  Don't you just hate it when that happens.  Made the coffee and tea, back to bed with the book to wake up properly.  

We were on the road by nine thirty deciding not to opt for breakfast in the hotel....we were both full to the gills from last night's supper.  We caught the morning traffic to the motorway but after that it was all plain sailing..The only excitement was a three car convoy with flashing lights that blocked both of the lanes, nipped into the garage as if they were looking for someone and then popped out again and shot off still blocking  both lanes and off they went into the distance.  It did slow down some of the speed merchants though.  I decided to take the Asenovgrad road...I love it through the mountains and stopped at a restaurant half way towards Kardjali for an early lunch or late breakfast.  Really good and good value...definitely to be recommended.

Kardjali....Kaufland and Lidl to top up reserves and home for around four.  My painter had been in and knocked back the lawns for me but nothing had stopped the weeds.  I have lots of work to do...   Plants watered, pots weeded, washing in and ready to go, lots of visitors this afternoon welcoming me home.....and I suppose I should take my packing apart....outside work was a better proposition.

Gardening on for tomorrow just to get on top of it again and I phoned my painter to say thank you and he's popping round tomorrow.  Now for supper...I have a guest so I should jump to I suppose.  LN...Off to the kitchen....LN

Thursday 8th June

So I woke at silly o’clock again and ended up reading.  It was my own fault….the moon was very bright and I hadn’t drawn the curtains and I knew there were still obstacles from the packing lying around.  I didn’t fancy the death defying walk to the window.  So light off and down after half an hour or so and managed to stay sleeping until seven and crept down the stair but I didn’t have to bother.  There was a gentle snoring from my downstairs bedroom so I went out and had my coffee on the terrace,

At eight the bread van arrived and it was a joy to go down and pay my respects to my Babas.  It was hugs all round… I managed to say good morning in Turkish which went down well and I skipped back up the road clutching my uncut loaf, cheesy bread and a banichka for breakfast.  Eventually there were signs of like at nine thirty, more coffee and breakfast.

It was a reasonable start to the day…light cloud and a little sun and then it was to horse.  My painter came round and I paid my dues for the work he’d done on the garden, my Avatar came round and asked if I had any jam pot lids so that she could bottle fruit and I found her lots from the workshop.  I started to weed the garden after lunch but the weather wasn’t with me.  A downpour, thunder and lightening stopped play and the fork is still out there ready for tomorrow.

A cooked supper of minced beef in gravy, potatoes, carrots and peas followed by ice-cream…The sun’s just come out again lighting up the hillside with a golden glow and hopefully it seems to have settled.  

At the moment there is no internet connection…I’m writing this in word hoping that it comes on later…fingers crossed.  Maybe the mast was a casualty of the lightening.  LN…We're back...LN