Sunday 19th December

Another early start this morning and up well before my host.  I made my breakfast, threw the outside of the Tiger bread onto the top of the shed and it was descended on immediately buy some really large birds.  I suddenly noticed the robin so went inside and got the camera and I believe it's got a hidey hole underneath the Calibra and that's about all it's useful for nowadays.  I should really try to get rid of it while I'm over here...free to interested parties.  The time was ticking on and eventually my host surfaced so I went in the bath and my tiumeline this morning was to get ready with hair washed and boots blacked and to be at the meeting point for twelve.

We left at half eleven and on the way over I mentioned that the I wouldn't be surprised if my daughter put in an order for my cardigan I was wearing and as I walked over to her on the carpark it was the first thing she said to my daughter-in-law that the cardigan wouldn't be going back to Bulgaria.....wrong....it is.  It was hugs all round, all Covid tested and hoping that that was enough to keep us all safe. It's been two years since we were all together so we piled into the Carvery, daughter-in-law took the drinks order on the phone and my son ordered the food in the same manner to save any confusion and we were on our way.  Normally I pick up the tab but this time my son and daughter decided it was their turn to split it, I said I wanted to contribute but no one let me get a look in.  It was good to catch up with my three grandchildren ranging from twenty two down to twelve and my beautiful grand-daughter wants to come out and stay or stay on after her parents go back in the summer.  She apparently has lots of Bulgarian friends who thinks it's pretty cool to have a grandmother who lives in their country and I understand they travel over to Greece so it will be interesting to find out where their families live.  She's also into ancestry and we spend time discussing how far I've got back and how far her other grandparents have followed their history and she's asked for my help with her research.

Home for two and settled down to watching a little television.....with eyes closed and woke up for Sport's personality of the year and the end of the Royal Variety which was as rubbish as ever.  Blog is late again.....I can do better and will tomorrow.  Shopping tomorrow in Eastbourne....I'm handing out money vouchers this year realising that my taste is not probably their taste.  LN.....And now to bed....apparently the gas man cometh tomorrow....LN

Monday 20th December

Another disturbed sleep, five o'clock and I was playing sudoku, six o'clock I was falling asleep over the screen, five after six it was lights out and seven it was lights on and I'd not caught up on any sleep.  Washed and dressed and ready to meet the gas man at what was supposedly eight, and no one showed up so after a phone call to the company by my host, apparently the engineer had phoned in with Covid, they'd phoned but not left a message, the appointment has been rebooked for the thirty first of December.  Let's wait and see if that one happens.

Shopping was off.  My lovely Princess said she woke up and had an dramatic start to the day with a loose tummy so had gone back to bed and didn't know what to blame it on.  The rest of the house was OK so she took a Covid test and that proved negative, we'd had the same food at the buffet yesterday but sometimes it doesn't take much.  Also my grandson had some sort of bug on Saturday and was sick so maybe she cuddled him a little too much on Sunday morning.....who can say.

I spent the morning working on the other side of my grand-daughter's family chart.  She hadn't given me much to go on only one name and after starting from the oldest hint that I had I hit upon the name that I'd been given and appear to be on the right track.  It's such an unusual surname that there aren't too many to trawl through when you do a search....not like if it's a Jones or Smith.  In the absence of anything to do tomorrow, I'm going to chart it up properly and complete the families of the brothers and sisters of the one link that I've already established.....it's rather like a jigsaw puzzle but the pieces have to be found from the computer.  I was leaf clearing for a short time this afternoon until the cold and damp got through to me even though I was wearing a huge puffa jacket.

Usual television programmes and as for my quiz night .....I should be able to stay awake to watch them all, we are two hours behind so they start and finish earlier.  Supper has been a picky night of pork pie, pate and malt loaf to finish on with a few nuts and raisins to finish off with.  That should do me until tomorrow.  LN.....I haven't spotted Robin today...probably too cold for him to show his little beak.  LN....Down to the warm...I certainly miss my woodburner....LN

Tuesday 21st December

Another early start but at least I felt that I'd had a good night's sleep.  Played around with ancestry, made bacon and mushrooms on toast for breakfast, did a load of washing and spent what appeared to be hours on the phone and internet trying to contact Argos merchandiser to complain about trying to log in to my account.  The company seem very intent on sales and the completion of orders and very little else.  Princess came to my rescue and tomorrow we pick up the item that I ordered and paid for with old gift vouchers that I have no recollection where they came from but now they are no more.

As planned tonight we managed to get over to see an old friend, picked up fish and chips and sat eating them on plates on our laps as true friends should.  Temperature has dropped to minus one tonight and it was strange being out after dark and a passenger in a car....I'm not used to that.  I've had my first nap of the night, am just about to go to bed and tomorrow shopping with Princess in Lewes....haven't been there for a while but we reckoned that Eastbourne and Brighton are going to be just too busy.  LN.....My bed calls......LN

Wednesday 22nd December

Sleep of the just last night and woke ujp around seven.  I had nowhere to be until ten when my daughter was collecting me and we were off to shop until we dropped.  She'd oredered my new Fitbit and it was ready to collect in Lewes so with boots browned she arrived and we were in the 'Cherry Pop' heading to Lewes.  It took a while though to get comfortable, my grandson CJ had been in the passenger seat before me and at six one he'd adjusted the seat to meet his requirements and with the in-car technology I eventually got settled and comfortable....two buttons and a slide switch and I could see over the dashboard.  Modern cars...egh.  more whistles and bells on it, console where you can choose the colour of the surround light the likes of which I've never seen before, a screen for watching the rear when you're parking and bleeps when you get too near to the cars to the side and any barriers at the back.  Beauty and the Nipper would be totally outclassed.

So we parked up and two hours parking purchased on a mobile phone for a pound in a centre car-park sounded reasonable to me.  Firstly we picked up the Fitbit and the store forgot to take off the security tag and off it went when we went into Smiths to send a parcel and so we split it and it didn't go off again. We walked to the top of the town and went in every charity shop on the way down and I could have contributed not taken away but Princess managed to buy her Christmas day top....at a very reasonable rate.  We did Waitrose, Specsavers and then on to Tesco's and Costa Coffee.  We asked if they had Cappuchino and some bright spark over the counter and behind a shield said in a much too loud voice that he hoped so because it was a coffee shop and almost met my wrath but the screen saved him.  We took a seat and had the drinks brought over to us and he smiled sweetly so I let it go much to my daughter's delight.  So now into Tesco main store and I was stunned by the choices on display and having said that, she had quite a basketful of really nice items and I was surprised at how low the bill was.  She'd save quite a lot using her Savercard.  Time was now marching on so we headed home, there was lots of traffic on the move, we parked up and the next job was to put my new Fitbit on to my account which proved more difficult than we had anticipated so it's gone home with her where she can do it quietly and without interruptions.

Supper tonight was a pizza that I'd bought in Tesco and my mouth is still ringing from it.  It was a smoked prawn with spinach and peppers and boy was it hot.....and I shan't be having that again in a hurry.  I managed to get my little PC onto the house internet and suddenly there was a flurry of activity.  Messages from Ms D of S with a couple of videos of G wishing me a Merry Christmas and thanking me for a little gift that I'd sent.  I miss those two and a thank you from Angela for last night.  Nothing on the agenda so far for tomorrow.....I'll see how the day unfolds.  LN.....Lovely to be back with my daughter again......LN

Thursday 23rd December

Another funny old night that I'dthought I'd got over.  I was awake at four, the Kindle wasn't charged so I read for a while  and eventually went off again at five thirty or so and slept through until just before seven remembering that 'the gas man cometh' and it was my job to let him in.  The door knocker went, I showed him in to the dining room, he asked where the controls were to switch the boiler off and I hadn't a clue so back upstairs for further details.

He did his stuff and had finished by ten thrity so we were in for a late breakfast.  My host's daughter had sent Scottich square sausage, black pudding and fruit loaf for his Christmas present so that was breakfast this morning.  I flet stuffed to the gills by the time that I'd got though it and suddenly the day was slipping away.  My daughter phoned just after twelve inviting me for an afternoon at her house and said that she would pick me up around one thirty which she did.  I've had a lovely afternoon with her and the rest of my family, boys on the playstation and her and I trying to set up the new Fitbit that I'd got yesterday and what a difficult job that was.  It's on my phone but pairing it was difficult not made easier by the boys downloading a fairly big game from the internet.  We had supper early, the boys went back to their game and we sat chatting going though old photograph albums and out came my wedding one which I was surprised to see.  I didn't realise that she had it and the photographs still look quite modern considering that they were taken almost fifty years ago and were really trendy for the time.

Princess ran me home for around nine and I'm so pleased that I tidied my bedroom before I left.....it's nice to come back to a neat room.  I had another telephone call from one of my dear friends today and we're planning to meet up some time next week.  She did come and stay with me in Bulgaria but unfortunately will never be able to make the trip again due to ill health...such a shame that we have to grow old.  LN.....Might make Brighton for a bit of a shop up tomorrow, weather permitting.......we'll wait and see...... LN

Friday 24th December

Pretty good night's sleep according to my Fitbit and after three months of not having a clock face on it, my new one works and syncs with my phone.  Goodness knows what they've done with the software, I've got the feeling that they decided that the Charge 3 was on its way out so they helped it along.  For the last week I was using it without a display it was still gathering information but refused to Bluetooth over and provided me with information.  I wouldn't have bought the Charge 4 except that I had vouchers to use up bringing the price or outlay down.

So my rash is back so I might be doing away with my tablets altogether again.  I've got three very heated patches on my right arm and one on my left, I've been drinking lots of water to flush out the toxins and another visit to the doctor on my return seems very necessary.  My blood pressure is well withing the permitted levels so as long as it stays there....without tablets I shall be fine.  Washed and dressed pretty early on, undecided what to do, I wanted to go into town for pressies for the clan to unwrap...monies not exciting but lovely to spend.....so I set myself up with a bus payment app. and bought my tickets.  I made it to the twelve o'clock bus, hadn't a clue how to present the phone to the screen so the driver helped me out and fortunately I'd remembered to activate the ticket before I set off.  I'm not very technically minded, well I suppose I am for an oldie....but I wish I was more savvy.

Brighton was empty, I found myself i Boots but they didn't have what I wanted so into the Centre, the two perfume shops didn't have what I wanted so out to the main shopping street.  I tried Primark but they didn't have my style in jeggins, I did manage to buy some Christmas 'wrapperbles', tried Poundland but found very little for a pound so the joke about how much things cost in the Pound Shop is no longer a joke but a statement.  Back on the bus for four just as it started to rain, it had only been dull up until then and sat back for the thirty minute journey back to the end of the street.   Spent the rest of the afternoon wrappping the 'wrapperbles' and I'm all set for tomorrow.  The goodies are all in a bag with the cards and I'm ready for the action, Princess and Co. are doing most of the work and the dishwasher will do the rest when we've stuffed till we bust.

To people that have followed me through the year, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and for those that I said to wait to open your presents on the allotted day, it will soon be here.  LN.....Enjoy whatever you get up to.....LN

Saturday 25th December

Christmas day is here.....

Just had the perfect day with Princess, her husband and my grandson.  I'd made a few telephone calls this morning to friends from afar and wished them the season's greetings and then with boots blacked and presents wrapped we set off and arrived more or less on schedule.  We'd had a phone call to say that they'd all taken Covid tests and I'd done mine but were warned that one of the people last night at a gathering had proved positive this morning even though the rest of the family had passed the test and did we want to risk it and I did.  Tests will be taken in the morning and is this the way that we have to live now?  I'm really not sure.

So we settled in and I helped out carryiing the food to the table but my SIL is a kitchen slave, cooks everything and enjoys doing it and serves everything with all the trimmings.  We sat down and devoured lunch, rested for a while and had individual trifles, cups of coffee, opened presents and generally relaxed.  We watched the Queen's speech, very little else on the tele while the boys played XBox games challenging each other and my daughter and myself just were mother and daughter.

The kitchen was tidied yet again, at just after eight I said I thought we should make a move and we eventually got into the car by nine and home for nine thirty more or less.  Food parcel unwrapped and it should do us for two days or so, toast and turkey dripping for breakfast for me and it will be cold meat and fried vegetables.  I've even got a Christmas pudding that they won't use with a pot of cream to go with it.  LN.....I've had a superb relaxing day.....LN

Sunday 26th December

So I was awake at seven this morning, washed and dressed by seven thirty. I love the house when there's not much happening and I took a photo of the soft toy that CJ bought for my Christmas present and sent it off to my daughter complaining that it hadn't really settled and I'd had a sleepless night.  Her response was to give it a cuddle from her and that she thought it would settle down.  All soft toys in our family soon develop personailites and acquire a space in the family and this one, yet unnamed is no exception.  

I went down to the kitchen and made toast with turkey dripping, carried on to the lounge and put the TV on and settled in to watching Country file and it's at that point that the chocolates came out and it's been that sort of day.  I did fall asleep around nine thirty and woke up at ten thirty, munched my way through a packet of chocolate brazil nuts and fell into watching Beauty and the Beast and really enjoyed it until my host came down and started talking over it.  When it came to rustling a packet of biscuits, he had to be silenced and eventually banished to the dining room.  I had a brainwave for supper, the remains of the turkey that we came home with was covered in curry sauce in a casserole dish and went into the oven, the vegetables were put into a roasting tin  and followed the curry into the oven thirty minutes later.  Eventually all was served up and it was delicious, the dishwasher is loaded and now I'm upstairs on my computer catching up on 'stuff'.  I did take a phone call from my son during supper and we caught up on Christmas activities that we'd been up to,  Apparently they'd been down to the beach near where the inlaws are living and got soaked by freak waves.

So back to the TV tonight...not sure what's on but I'm sure I'll find something to relax me.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far but tomorrow might be the time for making decisions.  LN.....Let's hope nameless gets a better night.....LN

  

Monday 27th December

So another reasonable night's sleep and this time I didn't wake up until seven thirty.  Again I was washed and dressed early, down for breakfast finishing off the turkey jelly on toast.  The weather has been rubbish all day and just now it's started to really bucket it down and it reminds me of the time that we had a flash flood through this house so maybe it's time to put the bolts on the doors.  I phoned Princess to let her know that Elias, the elephant has been named, had a reasonable night's sleep too....as I said any soft toys that get introduced to our family receive names and characters....it's the way that we are.

I didn't do much this morning, I started looking through old photographs and putting names and dates on a lot of them.  I have photos of grandparents that I want to scan in or photograph and add to my family records.  I aslo did some research on a few more of people in my chart and followed a few 'hints' which in some cases are good but in others they do not belong at all.  This afternoon I moved into my old study and came out with another box of photo, two plastic containers of old candles, and a box of post-its that I'm sure Princess will make use of when she goes back to work after the holiday.  I also came across work that I'd done for the phone company I worked for and realised how professional the documentation was that I was responsible for writing.  There's some good sections on customer care which would be good for running training courses in Bulgaria but they's never take off. 'Why do we need that? would be the response.  I aslo found a box of mixed new card and I'll probably be taking a few of those home, I used to buy odd cards with original silly slogans in them but since I do most of the birthdays using Moonpig, it could be a waste of time carrying them over to BG.

No supper for me, I've just had a packet of honey roast cashew nuts and I'm sure I'll manage until morning.  Watching TV has gone to the ether.  I keep remembering the times of English programs that I watch over in BG and forgetting that they start two hours earlier here so in fact I miss most of them.  I think a nice long soak in the bath is on the cards for tonight and then to bed with the Kindle.  LN.....Rain, rain, go away...I need to go for a walk.....LN

    

Tuesday 28th December

So the clear up continues....the little study is finished and I even got the hoover out this afternoon as I moved into what used to be my study and is no more.  I've been delving in wardrobes, found more photograph albums that are virgin and one more that I'd forgotten about that I'd started to put family photos of my grandparents in which is more important now that I've done the chart.  There are such a lot of items that I'd love to take over but now my Princess is going to become the holder of photographs and hopefully will keep it going for the next.  While was tidying my host cooked a full breakfast of items that had had received in a Scottish Christmas hamper and that has done me through to tonight with only a few chocolates to sink into the gaps.

Princess phoned this afternoon and tomorrow we are off shopping to the charity shops in Seaford along the coast and armed with the photo albums we're going to sit down and go through them.  There are the inevitable school photos purchased each year of me and mine that do need dating and I was very fortunate to be taken on some lovely holidays by my parents at a tender age and have photos to chart my progress through my teens.  It's even more poignant knowing that I had two brothers that died shortly after birth, just before I was born and watching how I became a tom-boy for my dad, helped ease the pain of the family name not continuing through to the next generation.

So after shopping tomororw I'm staying the night at my daughter's house and we'll have a chill day.  I think it is more important as time moves on and that's why the family are coming to see me this year.  It's not tyhing up ends, hopefully I've got a lot more in the tank, but it's knowing where the ends are and getting, to use one of my new sayings, ducks in a row.  The kitchen calls, I'm just going to raid the fridge for cheese and biscuits, I've had a scheduled nap this afternoon, woke up and watched 'The Voice' (children's version) and now the hunger bugs are nibbling.  LN......I've achieved a lot today......and will switch off tomorrow.......LN