Thursday 20th December

Five fifteen start, I played Soda Crush for a while and decided to get my head down again....nothing was stirring...not even a mouse.  My UK phone went at seven and it was Princess and I said that she'd woken me up and her response was that I was always awake at seven and my response was...'well I am now'...and we had a giggle.  Arrangements made, we're going to Eastbourne on Saturday at some ungodly hour to try to beat the crush and it gives me the opportunity to see if there is anything she'd really like for Christmas.  The sun was up and it looked like it was going to be a good day so I washed and dressed for town, toast for breakfast and I was ready for just after nine but it took a couple of hours to eventually get the eleven o'clock bus.  My host isn't the best at getting active in the mornings.

So a day ticket on the bus and I was five pounds down already.  I got off at Churchill Square and my host stayed on to the furthest point and we agreed to meet up somewhere in the middle of West Street,  My first visit was to W H Smith  and I was invited to use the self serve cash point and I refused.  It's much quicker getting someone to do it for you.  Cards bought, birthday present bought from the Lego shop and all posted and on the way to London, Primark for jeggins for me, Poundland for a few things that I don't need but fancied, a trip round all the perfume shops for my Samsara with an unsuccessful outcome and on the bus for home at three thirty.  The sun was just going down over the see and the windfarm was showing up against the evening sky and was worth capturing.  I'd left my host by the bus stop while I legged it over the road to take the pickies and ran back to the stop to catch the next bus to the end of the street.  I would have walked it but the rain was just about to throw if down again.

So back home and noticed that the cherry tree was in flower along the street, the fuschia's were flowering in the garden and they are so beautiful.  I must take a self-set back with me....or try to strike a cutting while I'm here.  My Christmas tree is going to be dressed tomorrow which should take all of ten minutes to do but it's my addition to Christmas here....I miss my decorated house.  As for the toy cow on the bed...I have five more that I have to get rid of before I go home.  I'd love to take them for my neighbours but excess baggage is something I try to avoid...too costly.  Not sure what's for supper tonight...I'm about to raid the fridge and sort myself out....I didn't fancy what was on offer.  Lazy day tomorrow wrapping all that I managed to buy today.  LN...It's getting nearer....LN

Friday 21st December

So I managed a seven start to the day, down for coffee, back to bed, a few games and then the urge to get up and do something hit me.  Washed dressed, toast and Marmite and then I wrapped up...I was walking over the Downs to the village.  It had more or less stopped raining and by the time I went it had.  The sun was attempting to break through the clouds but the there was a gale blowing out there so the old duffel coat with the hood came out and I was well padded underneath.  The walk up to the Downs is a fair hill to climb but I managed it holding on to the handrail and stopping to get my breath a couple of times on the way.  Last year my calves hurt the following day so watch this space.

I noticed a few changes.  There is an extension to one of the bungalows skirting the Downs which is a recent addition,  It's not pretty but probably very functional to get the view.  There were a few people walking dogs but no one looked very happy about it...I was out for a different purpose...I needed some fresh air in my lungs...I'd been inactive for two long.  So I walked by our windmill, looked for the wood art that used to be in the allotments but that's now changed to two horrific figures and then carried on down to the sea.  I negotiated the traffic crossings, went in to the charity shop but they were taking apart the window and redressing it so there was nothing of interest to see and headed for the view point looking out to sea.  It was a grey rolling sea with waves crashing on to the long beach.  I spoke to a man walking a dog that had tried to take the undercliff walk from the next village down to Rottingdean but had found it unsafe.  The waves can be really fierce in winter so he'd taken the high road...he had to take the dog to the vets.

So back up the High Street and I admired the fruit and vegetable display from our local greengrocer and marveled at his display of parsnips...a sight to behold.  I was also amazed at the pots of bulbs that he has on show.  On to the second charity shop and picked up up a glass decanter with a very heavy bottom for a reasonable fee, bought a couple of Christmas presents and a weekend case that might be useful for something.  Along to the Co-op and lottery tickets purchased for tonight and tomorrow and then home sweet home which was rather a trek at the end of a long walk.  Very restful afternoon and a siesta, supper of gammon, potatoes and mixed mashed swede and carrots that I bought in the Co-op.  And now into the evening...bath...hair wash and tomorrow Eastbourne.  LN...Christmas cometh....LN

Saturday 22nd December

Lovely leisurely bath last night and managed to get my hair dry to boot.  Straight to bed and woke up at a fairly sensible time this morning to get me ready for my day out to the shops in Eastbourne.  Ham sandwich for breakfast set me up for the day and Princess was at my door for eight twenty five and off we went.  My grandson was in the car which was a surprise, he's home for the holidays and was full of his new venture and stage of life.  

The roads were fairly quiet and we managed to find a parking space fairly easily.  The boys went one way and we set off to do girly things in Boots, Smiths, Primark and the shoe shops and we only seemed to buy essentials....not really living up to our reputations.  I did managed to get a few more presents though.  As for Princess, she is obviously used to having to pay for carrier bags so came prepared...folded unicorn and 'Frozen' bags appeared and our shopping was well catered for.  We met up with the boys and did some of the communal shops and by ten thirty the boys were hungry and we headed in to an 'all you can eat' for breakfast place and I settled for a bacon sandwich.  I'd never been in this pit-stop before and if I was hungry I would do it again.  There was everything you could want.  Back to the car for eleven thirty and we set to do the final shopping in Sainsbury and by this time it was heaving.  I'm just amazed how the store has changed, lots of clothing which they didn't have before, shoes and we did managed to pick up a pair of gloves each with elves sewn on to the finger tips at a massively reduced price.  It would have been rude not to.
Home for twelve thirty, the outside little Christmas tree is dressed and the lights are on.....it's my addition to Christmas.

I settled on the sofa with a packet of chocolate buttons with a resealable top but sad to say...they are no more.  I did buy a tin of Quality Street that I can dip in to as I want but I'm loathed to start them....and I bought a second tin for my time with Princess and Co.  My host is spending it with his family and me with mine...only fair really.  A little television tonight....no pickies...I've been far too busy.  Out for lunch tomorrow with Princess and Co. at the local Toby carvery...all go this end.  LN...Dieting when I get back....LN

Sunday 23rd December

Horrible night's sleep last night.  I was awake at two this morning after having a dream about burglars and finding the place wrecked,  It might be something to do with the piles of wrapped and part wrapped presents scattered around...If burglars broke in to here they'd think it had been done already. The tidy fairy has booked for tomorrow to bring back a semblance of order.  I did get back to sleep again eventually and the second awakening was at a much more sensible time...coffee...breakfast of a ham sandwich...more present wrapping and then getting myself into gear for a one o'clock carvery along the sea front.

The joint was fairly heaving...it was good to have a proper catch up with my grandson and fortunately there was lots of space between the tables,  You didn't feel that you were sitting on top of people and it was mainly families out preparing for the onslaught of the rest of the seasonal activities. A family of elves arrived with big ears attached to green felt hats and they caused quite a stir.  Note to self...need one of their hats to go with my elf finger tipped gloves... The order was taken and we all decided to 'go large' on the carvery and off we trotted with out tickets to the counter.  Ham, pork, beef and turkey were all served and then the rest of the veg was up to the individual.....with some being more 'laden' than others.  Mine was pretty moderate and I managed to eat it all ready for 'pud' but there were no other takers so I shelved the idea.  Bill paid and we went our separate ways, Princess and Co to the sanctity of their home to get their heads down and we headed for Newhaven shopping centre and ended up in Lidl of all places.  I only wanted toothpicks...the meat had lodged in the crevices and nothing would move except by hook or by crook so I went for the hook.

Shopping completed we headed for Burgess Hill to visit my good friend and deliver a present and we timed it right to pick her up from the nursing home where her husband unfortunately has had to take up residence.  Alzheimer's a bummer.  We got her home with her walking frame and in to the house, the kettle went on and we sat in the lounge sipping coffee and I handed her the present that I'd got for her.  She was over the moon with it.  I'd got her a dark red and black very large scarf that would also double as a shawl and she loved it.  I told her that I'd got one for me in green but she seconded the opinion that the colour wouldn't have suited her and that she was really happy with the one she got.  At eight we decided to take ourselves home and headed back over Ditchling Beacon and it's a road I don't really like.  It's the old coaching road with flat points so that the horses could have a rest on the way up and leads to some very interesting cambers.  Home and shopping unpacked and I was delighted to receive a telephone call from my prodigal son and we talked for around an hour.  He had a year's activity to update me on....

So tomorrow I'm shopping early in the morning for final presents and Princess is picking me up at around five tomorrow night and I'll spend Christmas Eve with them.  My host will be setting off early on Christmas morning and hoping that there will be very little traffic on the road up north or there will be a lot of people eagerly awaiting his arrival.  No only has he children there but grandchildren and great grandchildren.....and here's hoping that they all have a wonderful time.  LN...Only two more sleeps....LN

Monday 24th December

So it was four this morning when I woke up on the sofa so it was a quick leg up the stairs and in to my bed.  The second shift ended at seven thirty and so far so good...there's been no need to get my head down.

I had a very frustrating morning.  I've been trying to log in to the main machine so that I could do my emails and I found out later that the keyboard has problems....and eventually I made it.  Some of the settings it remembered from last year but not the one that I wanted.  I did try to set up my other tablet that has duel boot but so far no joy.  I shall leave it to my trusty grandson that seems to be a whizz with all things electronic...it should be up and running by tonight so that I shall be able to get my update done tomorrow.  Presents all wrapped, I did do another top up from Asda this afternoon, packing done and I'm waiting for Princess to pick me up...strong girl.  

So as for updates...I'll try to keep you all in the loop but you'll probably all be busy doing your own Christmas things.  I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and enjoy what ever you get up to.  LN....My taxi is on its way....LN

Thursday 27th December

So that's it for another year.  I'm back home and have spent two hours this afternoon relaxing in a Badedas bath with the Kindle and this time only one of us was in the water.  The Kindle was put to one side before the eyes headed southwards for a power-nap...

Santa left loads of pressies in my stocking at my daughter's house and lots of things under the tree for everybody.  One thing that amused me was the different types of gin that were handed ....Princess received a bottle of rhubarb gin, which I'd never heard of before, a strawberry one was floating around and apparently this year..it's all about gin but it's rumored that next years tipple is likely to be spiced rum.  Thank goodness I've given up the demon drink...my kidneys would never take to the changes.  As for chocolates...I have the famous chocolate orange to get through, I bought two tins of Quality Street which should now be renamed Quality Lane since the tins are pretty small to what they used to be.  The one tin was to be eaten and Princess house but since it wasn't touched, I now have one and three quarters left which I have about ten days to get through.  I promise I'll keep trying.  This evening Princess and Co are going to see the Rocky Horror Show at the Brighton theatre and unfortunately the tickets were ordered and issued in October as an alternative pantomime treat from work.  I didn't realise it was running in Brighton and there are tickets available.  I'm going to speak to her tomorrow to get a review and make my mind up then.  I've got the music on my ipod and realise it can be a bit raucous but think it might be worth the effort.  A meal in town and the theatre either tomorrow or Saturday....a treat to look forward to.

Thoroughly relaxed from the break...it was good to spend time with my daughter and family and I'm hoping that they can come over for longer next year to spend time with me.  Had a good conversation with my son and we're due to meet up before I go back on the 7th January.  Telephone calls are all very well but there's more humour face to face and it's what we're all good at.  So I was in PJ's by five after my back and it won't be long before my head hits the pillow....I'll take the Kindle where there's little danger of damage if it falls.  I'm back to reading Game of Thrones and am now on book three....and this time appreciating it all the more after seeing the films.  Now downstairs to be sociable now that my host has arrived from seeing his family up north.  LN... Checking the chocolate box out....LN

A belated Merry Christmas Elsa! x

Friday 28th December

Thanks MikeyB and lots of love to you and yours.  

Well today has been a horrible day.  It started off OK and I decided to head downstairs for coffee and I spotted some crumpets and thought I would have a couple for breakfast...wrong move.  There was a bit of a funny smell about them but I'd never had that brand before so I didn't think much of it, spread the butter on them and they seemed alright until around an hour later.  I'd washed and dressed, found a gift back from Princess which was one with a 'Frozen' design and I read the lettering and realised what it was.  An 'Elsa' starter kit where you had to cut out the necklace and bracelet and me with my normal humour decided to phone Princess...it did say ask an adult for help cutting the stuff.  Her response was that she hadn't done the H & S certificate so wasn't able to help.  So I moved on to the computer to catch up with normal rubbish and suddenly I came over all hot and the tummy gripes set in.  I just made it to the bathroom and worshiped the great white god for fifteen minutes or so....went down to the lounge and spent the rest of the day snuggled up in a blanket before getting my head down.  Lucky old me...the bugs were ejected before they could do any real damage but I just hate being ill.  I was asleep for a couple of hours and felt better when I woke up but I shan't be having anything to eat until tomorrow....more fasting than feasting.

It suddenly hit me this evening....I feel as flat as a pancake and I think it's all down to the fact that the weather has been absolute rubbish ever since I've been here.  I think I've had one sunrise that was worth getting the camera out and one sunset over the sea and that's about the top and tail of it.  Wall to wall miserable days and no crispy frosty walks this year.  'Country roads, take me home to the place where I belong' was playing on the radio today and it sort of struck a chord.  As for heading out to the Rocky Horror show at the theatre, it's not on.  Princess reported that the performance was brilliant but there were lots of hecklers that knew the script and had to join it so for a first time viewer it was difficult to understand and play along with.  Despite the fact that the tickets are very reasonable...I shan't be making the effort.....forewarned is forearmed so to speak.  Age makes it more difficult to put up with certain situations..

So conversations with my student has resulted in another quest for me...D&G perfume that I'll have to head in to town for at some point and it might be tomorrow.  We have a couple of dinner invitations that we have to sort out in the ten days or so that are left.  LN...Better start making phone calls.....LN

Saturday 29th December

So it was six thirty when I woke this morning so I settled in to Candy Crush and I kept winning.  The game lasted for about an hour and a half until I got to 'eating the chocolates' and I gave up before I got stuck into that.  I don't enjoy that game and coupled with the fact that it was a 'hard one' I had more fish to fry so to speak.  Breakfast of bacon and egg baguette which set me up for the day and by eleven I was ready to head for the highlights of Brighton with my two item shopping list,

I managed to get on the eleven thirty bus for my five pound return, the weather was chill but not cold and at least if was dry even though it looked like the heavens would open at any minute. There was one little boy about three years of ago who had been on the bus when I got on and had an obsession with the word 'poo' and both grandmas were subjected to this treatment.  Everything was poo.  There were few people on the bus until it got nearer to one of the main stopping points and that's when the mothers with pushchairs descended.  One poor lady with twins was having a terrible time with a double buggy, she obviously hadn't put restraining belts on the little ones.  The first one escaped and was hanging on to the back of the pushchair rail, she was holding on to the second one who appeared to be climbing over the first one and eventually she put the second on e on the seat next to her.  Not content with just being out, the second one was standing against the back of the seat and waving to all and sundry, she was grabbing the first one so make sure it didn't fall out of the pushchair and her hat eased it's way over her eyes.  Now she had the dilemma....which one did she let go of to move the hat so that she could see again.  She risked it with the one on the seat, adjusted her hat and then tried to put the second on back into the pushchair while the child was omitting ear piercing noises.  Eventually all was quiet on the western front and off they got to the delight of the other passengers along with poo boy and his grandmas.

I carried on to Churchill Square and went to Primark for more underwear similar to that I'd got from Eastbourne but nothing to be had.  Made my way to Boots for the branded tweezers and managed to get small travelling ones and carried on to TK Max and picked up a pair for a third of the price....branded by somebody else.    I meandered the Brighton Lanes and nothing has changed.  There is still lots of expensive jewellery that no one appears to be buying and the windows are crammed full.  I did spot a brown and blue agate pendent set in silver but couldn't warrant its purchase.  I have so much that I don't wear at the moment...I should be selling not buying.  

Back to the bus stop and looking around the area there were several homeless and it seemed thoroughly useless.  Does giving them money really help?  I don't know the answer to that one.  So the bus came and sitting on the front seat I recognised the wife of my hosts friend and we settled in to a good chinwag on the way home.  We are supposed to be setting up a night out with her and her husband so I must remember to ask my host to make the phone call to get it organised....they're his friends more than mine.  So home by three thirty, I'd got a little cold so I decided to have a long bath to chase out the chills and to relax with the Kindle,  I took a bag of Cadbury Snowballs in with me, finished them all and so no supper is required tonight,...I'm an easy guest to have.  Eastbourne shopping has been suggested so I'll see if it materialises...these ideas sometimes evaporate.  So the PJ's went on after the bath so I'm ready for bed and have been for a long time.  Just after eight thirty my time...a little tv and that will be me done for the day.  LN...I'll be checking out the sunrise.....LN
  

Sunday 30th December

Silly night...didn't get to sleep until one and then wide awake at three thirty hot as you like.  I decided to take off my sweatshirt of a pyjama top to cool down and managed to sleep until six thirty and I've been tired all day.  Toast and marmalade for breakfast since I was the only one around and managed to get to church for ten forty five but very few others made it.  Maybe it's too close to Christmas and the weather wasn't good for some of the older ones to come out and play.  Lidl for a few items that were missing from the store cupboard, it was one by the time we got home.  We unpacked the shopping and decided to take a trip into Eastbourne, the parking is free on a Sunday and why Brighton doesn't do it beats me.  

The journey was grim...we took the coast road and there was so much hill fog, everything was dull and damp.  My only reason to go was to try to get the underwear that Primark didn't have in stock and to get a perfume gift box if they still had one in Boots.  My perfume is still not available in stores, available on line but you wonder if it's the real thing or a copy.  I did offer to buy the tester of the original Samsara from Boots but there was no joy there.  They've relabelled, rebottled and assured that it's the same but it's not.  There were lots of offers to be had but I wasn't tempted by much, clothes are so much cheaper in my cheapy shops in BG and the only thing I really liked was a pair of boots but with a price tag of seventy pounds, I wasn't that tempted and that was with a fifty percent reduction.  We scanned the ticket to leave the carpark and sure enough it was free, back along the coast road and I managed to get a shot of a favourite local river walk at Cuckmere Haven and one of the top of the river with a man on a skiff but he's very much in the distance.  As we neared home we were tempted to stop at the local chippy so that there was no cooking to do tonight but it was closed so it was a rethink for supper and we settled for snacks.

Flicked on the television and watch the original Charlie and the Chocolate factory which I absolutely adore....and then promptly fell asleep during the next programme hence the late update.  I'm so much out of routine.  Nothing so far on the agenda for tomorrow....New Year's Eve will be spent quietly at home...most of our friends in the village are in bed with hot chocolate by ten thirty despite the date on the calendar.  LN...Time for bed said Dougal....LN