Thursday 1st December

Six thirty start this morning and again it was raining, two degrees on the thermometer so cold we and miserable.  The birds looked bedraggled on the branches, black cat was perched near the frog garden and looking hopefully in this direction.  I took the bones out from last night with a slice of bread and some apple turnover things that I'd found in the freezer, cooked and tasted disgusting...even the cat left those alone but scoffed the rest.  A few magpies flew in to take the bread but nothing approached the apple turnovers and they'll have to be really hungry to tackle them.  They were taken from a new pack from the freezer but now the rest are going to the bonfire.  They just tasted of old rancid fat.  I got the fire going and decided not to empty the ash can.  I'd noticed that my student's mum hadn't emptied hers when I lit their fire and strangely enough, it's burnt really well all day and the fire has given out lots of heat.  Maybe I've been doing it wrong all these years!!

I was cooking breakfast at eight, poached egg on toast, I wrapped up the present when I realised that today was my student's birthday. in my head the 1st was Friday.  I did a quick whip round to tidy the place and was in the Nipper for ten thirty and heading for Djebel.  I hadn't got a lot to buy, deliver the pressie, buy some sewing needles with big eyes on them, the ones I have take me thirty minutes to thread the needle and five minutes to do the job...really bad time management.  I parked up outside my student's mum's shop and went in for five minutes which turned out to be thirty, Left the car outside and walked to the cheapy shop and found the needles so bought two packets at the exorbitant sum of two leva, carried on to the real leva shop and bought a new hat that I think I shall never wear.  It looked alright in the shop but that's the way that some things turn out.  I also bought a gas fire lighter and a can of gas for my student's mum.  When I lit the fire at their apartment I used matches and the flame was a little too close for comfort and when I gave it to her, she was unsure about it.  When she used it her face lit up and she said that she'd not thought about using one of those to light the fire.  I said that matches were a thing of the past and all my old ladies in the village start their fires with these.  

Home for half twelve, fire was ticking over nicely, I ate the last three remaining drumsticks, mended my sweater and no time was wasted threading the needle.  I got in two log carriers of wood for tonight and tomorrow and found the big white cat hiding under the Beast so it was given its marching orders.  The rest of the afternoon has been spent thinking about packing, replying to messages and geeing up hospital patients and making further plans for my journey down south from the airport drop off point.  I've yet to phone the cemetery to confirm the time that I shall be arriving to visit mum and dad's final resting spot and I have to buy a holly wreath or flowers to put on the grave.  I know that they're not in there but it's a mark of respect, don't know why but I feel I have to do it this year.  Not sure about supper, I appear to have nibbled all day demolishing a packet of tea biscuits more or less, had a couple of satsumas and that should do me for today.  

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far...a day all to myself.  Packing, unpacking and packing it again...looks like an interesting day ahead of me.  LN.....I'll report back.....LN

Friday 2nd December

It's getting boring now.....another cold, wet and miserable day.  Black cat, loyal as was waiting for food and I obliged with the bones from last night and bread that had been steeped overnight in the cooking juices and hot water.  It finished all of it and the white bully of the village appeared just as my cat was about to move away and sat on the wall most disappointed.  I settled for ham sandwiches for breakfast, tidied the kitchen and then decided to defrost the fridge, the icebox was in a really bad state and I wanted to make my journey to leaving easier than spending hours on this task as the days roll on.  I'll be switching the fridge off only leaving the freezer running.  As I thought it was a long drawn out process and was about to resort to the hairdryer but the last chunk slid off while my back was turned.  I cleaned it out, switched it on and it purred to attention.

In between doing the fridge I assembled everything that's got to go in the suitcase.  I'm only taking overhead luggage, I've got lots of clothes in the UK but just want a few different ones that I'm familiar with.  I'm also visiting friends that I've not seen for ten years in one case and almost thirty in another on my journey to the south and that might even be extended now after my latest news from the UK.  My one stop is to stay with a woman who was nineteen and I was sixteen and straight from school when I started working at the local council.  It's amazing that our friendship has lasted that long and when I phone her we still laugh about some of the things that we used to get up to.  She kept up with other people that we worked with and just to chart their journeys is incredible...how many people can say that.  

So I'm on track for lift off, bus ticket and hotel booked and I'll go into the bus depot now that I know that my arrival into Sofia will be in darkness so no dropping off at an earlier stop.  It's always difficult to get a taxi from there and more chance of getting one that charges normal fare not exorbitant prices.  The hotel does have a courtesy bus but I doubt it will pick me up from the bus station but will definitely get me to the airport without any hassle.  So this afternoon I settled on the sofa with the woodburner just hanging in there until I boosted it with a firelighter and sticks.  I was warm, comfortable and yes, you can guess the outcome.  I woke up just before six, remembered that Strictly has been moved to eight thirty tonight to accommodate the football and unfortunately it appears to have dominated everything. LN... Again no photos, I'm hoping that we have some good weather otherwise I'll be developing webbed feet.......LN

Saturday 3rd December

So it was a little later this morning when I raised my head from the pillow.  It was cosy in my nest, outside was showing three degrees again and inside was around sixteen and I toyed with lighting the fire then thought better of it.  I reckoned that if I was active I wouldn't need it but as the morning progressed I had this vague notion that it wouldn't be as active as I would have liked....and I was right.  There would be no way that any bells or whistles would be emanating from the Fitbit today.  It started well, I made a bacon sandwich, took a barbecue rib from the freezer ready for supper.  I found a load of washing and having done that changed my mind on the fire front, I now had washing to dry and no way was it going to be the natural way...it was another cold miserable day.

By now it was heading for half eleven, the fire was going well so I put Netflix on and finished off the series that I'd half slept through last night and I'm still wondering what it was all about. It was strange all the way through but I just had to finish watching it hoping that the plot would sort itself out but it really didn't. It reminded me of the very first Doctor Who, stilted in its animation and the sound wasn't very clear...but I persevered and got my answer.  Thank goodness there wasn't a second series.  I got on with a few jobs around the house and suddenly heard someone speaking to me, I checked the door and there was no one there and I realised that I'd had a Messenger call so called back and it was an update on a friend's health situation and I was pleased to get the news.  We followed it up with a few messages and pickies and hopefully we can meet up when I'm in the UK.

By now the fire was going well and I was cosy and warm inside and no what was I going to change the status quo.  The next fil offered to me was Lady Chatterley and having read the book in my teens hadn't realised that they'd made a film out of it.  I was well into it and suddenly there was a knock on my inner door and it was Guljan's mother that I hadn't seen for a long time.  She came laden with bags and gave me spinach banitsa, home made bread, home made yogurt and a bottle of yogurt drink that I had to refuse...I would never have got through it and don't really like the stuff.  She also asked me to enlarge and frame three photos for her so that looks like a job for tomorrow.  She told me that one of the pictures was of her brother who died in a freak accident and tears started to flow, the other was of Guljan's wedding and I'm sure I've given her others of this event.  Off she went with some After Eights in a bag, the yogurt drink was going down to Zelinger and the enlarged photos she might have before but I guess after Christmas.

I watched the end of Lady Chatterley and enjoyed it. warmed up some of the spinach banitsa and put the ribs into the oven.  I filled up the log basket and took the log carrier to the woodstore, filled it up and brought it back and the empty starter wood bin was taken to the little house and a full one established in the porch.  I might even chop more wood to fill up the empty container, I'll see how my time pans out before I leave.  Strictly results tonight and I was very good and didn't check out on the internet who was given their marching orders. LN.....I'm hoping for a more productive day tomorrow with regard to packing my suitcase.....LN

Sunday 4th December[

Woke up early again, played silly games where I was warm and snuggled in the nest and eventually got up and about by seven thirty. It was another cold, damp miserable morning, cat was sitting on the bench on the terrace looking in towards the lounge when I opened the curtains and hopped on to the terrace from the grass when I delivered the remains of last night's supper in a bowl for her. She didn't eat all of it so after she left I threw it on to the grass, fair game now for anyone else that wanted it.

I made a bacon sandwich for breakfast, washed up and then set about final washing, sorting out travel clothes and packing.  I'd washed two pairs of trousers and a body warmer to take with me and they were OK and didn't need care and consideration.  I though about taking my alpaca jumper which is exceptionally warm and having listened to the weather forecasts for the UK, it could come in extremely useful.  I've had it a long time, haven't worn it much so checked on the internet how best to wash it and it suggested by hand in cool water, rinse it well and dry it in a towel first off and not to spin dry it.  I did the first part, into the washing machine it went, rinsed it, gave it a spin but did put it on the airer flat in the upstairs bathroom.  My neighbour from down the road came round with a present for me. not sure if it was an early Christmas or not, we walked the garden and she noticed that the cranberries were still on the tree so started to eat them.  She pulled on one branch and the ones remaining on the tree fell down on her and we both started to laugh.  On we went to the bottom of the garden and she noticed that I still had medlar fruits on the tree  and she's coming for those tomorrow.  What she really came round for was to ask me to take her to the spring to fill up some bottles for them before I go away and I'm picking her up at nine tomorrow morning.

Off she went, I lit the fire and it's been going well all day.  I settled in to get my packing done, suitcase finished, make-up bag washed and cleared out, chargers sorted, toothbrush on charge, tablets assembled, necessary paperwork in its right place and only thing left to do is to sort out money and jewellery for my hand luggage.  Had a lovely phone call from my daughter this afternoon, they'd had a weekend away and were on their way home.  My grandson has finished already for Christmas and soon I shall be there. I hadn't noticed but earlier in the week she'd sent me a photograph of her sprout socks that she bought a couple of years ago and I told her mine are already packed for Christmas day....the memories we make egh....

I made Béchamel sauce from a packet, threw about seven Swedish meatballs into it and put them in the oven.  I took some croquette potatoes from the freezer, put them in the air fryer and voila....half an hour later I had supper done and in another ten minutes, dusted.  Washing up done, kitchen tidy, washing virtually dry, fire going well and I feel I've not got a lot left to do before I go.  Nice stage to be at, nothing to do tomorrow except my mercy mission to the spring and maybe I'll have time for my student on Tuesday.  LN.....Now to see if I can avoid the football.....LN

Monday 5th December

So I had a bath last night, there was nothing else to do.  The internet went off just as I was about to settle down to the England game and so the bath was the other option.  I went through the usual procedures and it definitely wasn't at this end and thee were no lights on the mast on the opposite side over the river.  I went to bed at eleven, read for a while, played timed sudoku trying to beat my records and light out at around eleven thirty.

I slept well and was out of bed by six thirty.  Again it was damp and miserable and fortunately most of my washing was already dry so no worries there. My promise to my neighbour to take her down to the spring was kept, I was outside her house at nine and she was thinking it would take some time if the water was slow but I said no way....the amount of rain that we've had would make that impossible.  We took seven bottles down with us and within five minutes they were full and we were heading home....the water was gushing out.  Toast for breakfast, cat had stale bread and banitsa and then I started on the pots from the terrace.  Everything is in, just need to water them tomorrow and hopefully things will manage until I get back....they normally do.  The final bench is in from the terrace and one from the balcony is now in my upstairs bedroom and most jobs are done.  One think I didn't count on was that the strap of my Fitbit broke just near the meeting point with the watch itself and I've only had it a year so it should be a free one.  Unfortunately while I was messing around with the strap I must have pressed another button and the screen went black, I'd inadvertently put it into 'dim' and it took about half an hour on an online chat to sort it out.  As for the strap he pointed me to another help desk so I'll do that later.

I stitched the broken bit back on and then encountered a problem putting it back on the watch.....not sure but I've ordered another one from the internet and I'll be able tell.  At three thirty my neighbour from this morning was asking me if I was going into Kardjali tomorrow, I said 'no', she said that her phone wasn't working and I suddenly remembered that I had an outstanding bill so told her to get ready quickly and I'd pick her up in fifteen minutes.  Typical with anybody you offer a lift to, it's never easy, we had to go to her home in Kardjali first to get the documents for the phone, I headed for the parking, she went off and I tried to pay for a parking slot on line, it didn't want to play so I decided to risk it, ran to my phone shop and paid my bill.  She came back to the car after ten minutes and said that the problem was with her phone and nothing had been achieved and she has to go back tomorrow.

Fire stoked up, I had a fish finger sandwich around two this afternoon so nothing required for tonight.  I'm on final count down and my biggest problem is decided what to wear to travel in and what else I need to put in the suitcase......and then to the final, finals.  LN.....Better make a tick list......LN

Tuesday 6th December

Silly night last night, I slept through Only Connect and University Challenged, woke up on the sofa, couldn't get to sleep and it was three a.m. before I put the light out and got my head down for the second time.  I slept well though, woke up at seven and it was all go after that. My fire was still going but only just and I must have spent about an hour going back to it and eventually it took off and it's still going now.  I toasted fruit loaf for breakfast, forgot that I'd turned up the toaster and came back to the kitchen with smoke emanating from it and the smell has lingered for the rest of the day.  I had another attempt but stood over it and it turned out OK. washing up done and then stripped the bed, washed the nest and on to the banister to dry it.

I turned my attention to the packing and eventually settled on the my travelling outfit, all on the coat hanger and only the hand luggage to sort.  My attention was then drawn to my ancestry subscription that is due and phoned the company to check whether or not my account was still active since I'd received that email offering me forty percent reduction if I came back.  Joanna answered the call, said that I should never have received it and that my account was active, I told her I was really annoyed and said that the option was to cancel my account and come back with a forty percent saving...and why wouldn't you.  Eventually she came back to me late this afternoon, too late for me to speak to her so I emailed her, the discount had been agreed but I wanted a breakdown of the charging and reminded her that I still felt entitled to my loyalty discount of fifteen percent.  I'll expect to hear from her tomorrow morning before I leave with a final figure but I reckon I shall save around sixty pounds so why wouldn't you challenge the email.

That done I watered the houseplants, all the pots in the little house, wrapped the bonnet of the Beast in an old rug and a waterproof jacket and that's another job off the list.  I went to see my student, we read through a really sweet text about Jack Frost at New Year delivering kindness and love to people who needed it...very appropriate for this time of year. Arrived home at five thirty, the fire was still going and easily rescued, suitcase finished and zipped up and that's it.  I've still got the morning here with only a few jobs to do already on a list and I'll work though it.  LN.....Bus, taxi, hotel and then face the train service, or lack of when I get to the UK.....the delights of going home.....LN

Wednesday 7th December

It's been one heck of a day but at last I'm in my hotel room and ready to crash onto a kingsize bed.....a little different from my winter nest.  Posting may be sporadic for the next few days....this computer is destined for the knacker's yard when I get home....no USB ports so have to rely on friends and family and free internet in hotels.  

Nipper safely stashed in the garage in Djebel, but it's been buses all the way and when I arrived in Sofia bus station I asked a good looking young guy where the taxis were and it wasn't a chat up line....but he was most helpful noticing my suitcases and English accent and phoned me a taxi that cost fourteen leva not the useual rip off when they spot a 'newby'.  Thank you kind sir and off he went when the taxi arrived.  I've booked my transfer to the airport for eleven twenty so I shall have an easy morning...flight at 13.20....arriving in Manchester at 3.00 to be met by my nephew who happens to work there......and then the fun begins....bring it on.  LN....How does one navigate a train strike?.....get the thumb at the ready.....LN

Monday 12th December

I'm here...back at last and posting.  It's been hell without it...I tried hard to do a posting from my English phone, hadn't got enough juice in it, eventually gave up and it had to wait until I was down in the south.  I've managed to achieve what I set out to achieve and despite the trains I arrived in fairly reasonable time despite the snow.  

My nephew met me at the airport, with full blazer and authority.  He is responsible for certain areas of security so whisked me away from arrivals into his chariot parked not too far from the airport to his home and I was to meet his partner whom I'd never met before.  I was given the baronial suite, they reckoned that if I managed to get into the spare bedroom I might not make it out again...some second bedrooms are like that.  I did say I'd be fine but they were having none of it.  I stayed with them for a few nights and eventually my body clock adjusted from Bulgarian time and I wasn't roaming the house filling in my time until everyone got up and about.  We didn't make it very far but at least I did meet some of the rest of the family and had a baby cuddle with the latest addition, we had a splendid Italian meal and the next morning I said fond farewells and my nephew drove me down to my next stopping point.

I worked with this 'young' lady when I was sixteen years of age at my first job.  We'd made lots of lovely memories, had maintained our friendship for the last sixty years and not many people can say that.  We also went out socially until I left for Gibraltar, knew each others boyfriends and shared some giggles about the things we got up to.  A lot of it was ...'do you remember when?' and there were times when we had to relate the stories, remember names etc.  She still drives well and I managed to see my friend who is in hospital not far from where she lives and she also took me to find my parents grave this morning so that I could leave a wreath.  I'd also bought a robin made out of woven cane that I was going to take to the cemetery  that had a cyclamen in a pot inside its back but I decided against it and left it with her.  I felt that the cyclamen would die and the robin might 'fly' to another site....it was left for her to enjoy.  Our few days were cut short....the train strike was looming and the snow came so we drove into Stafford and I managed to get a ticket for just before three this afternoon and was doing OK, it was a non-stop to London but then one of the trains before us had a shattered windscreen so we were delayed for an hour, I had to walk across London to change stations and my bag seemed to get heavier and eventually I managed to get to my next train and arrived in Brighton around eight this evening,  managed to get a taxi and the fare like everything else has climbed astronomically...when do we reach the pinnacle?

So now I have to buy cards, write them tomorrow and get them in the post, think about presents or money that will be put into accounts and send flowers as a 'thankyou' for the hostesses along the way on my pilgrimage.  I've had a lovely time, as I said have achieved what I set out to achieve, made new friendships and possible visitors for next year and renewed old ones.  LN....And now to my own bed said Zebedee....LN

Tuesday 13th December

It's cold in the UK and tonight I'm going to have to put another quilt on the bed.  I was awake early, my body clock is still out of step with the my current location, the snow has all gone, frost had formed overnight so there was a 'whiteness' to the morning and not many birds were out and about.  I found the box of Christmas cards left over from last year, my address books and a pen and started to write my cards for this year and eventually completed them by eleven.  I suggested that my host wrote his and fairly bullied him into it...why go to the post office twice. I did end up writing and addressing his, he was finding the addresses from an excel spreadsheet, marking that one was being sent and obviously will mark whether he gets on in return or not.  If I get one I'm happy but I really can't go to those lengths.  Because he was making his mind up whether to do them or not I took the the bath with my Kindle and here the hot water is limitless, not like my eight liters at home with top ups and I must have been in there for an hour or so and very relaxed and then the push to get the rest of the cards done and it worked.  

I settled for toast for a snack, I somehow missed breakfast but kept the coffee up and we headed into the village at about three choosing to go by car where normally I would walk over the Downs to the sea.  By now the weather had gone really cold, not a lot of wind, slight flurries of snow but nothing to write home about.  It's probably because we are so near the sea.  We chose to take the scenic route and there is a very narrow lane that has to be negotiated.  We pulled over, there was room for the oncoming car to get by us but he made a fuss, said he couldn't get his car through, as far as we were concerned he could have done, we couldn't go back, he wouldn't go back so we went forward proving that the space was adequate....and the word 'prat' springs to mind.  We'd only taken that route because the road down to the village get's really jammed but I'm sure it would have been quicker in the long run.  So we'd managed to find enough stamps for the majority of the cards and I was only left with one for overseas and an oversized card, the rest went in the box.  The lady is very sweet down at the post office so I selected family cards from there and shopped locally, more expensive but hey...parking in Brighton makes everything expensive.  Back to the car, into the Tesco for bread and unfortunately I spent more on Dairy Milk chocolate, four eclairs and a very small Christmas tree that I will decorate in the morning and by then I should have worked out how to get my camera attached to this system I'm using.  Home James and don't spare the horses, coffee and two eclairs while watching The Chase, the football went on and went off, we're out and I'm really not interested in the outcome any more.  Supper was served, minced beef with baked beans with mashed potato, I like this restaurant, no bill to follow and no washing up....it goes in the machine,

Not sure about tomorrow.  I want to go into Brighton to find some pressies but only if the weather is dry...dry and cold I like but wet and cold is not for me and that will be on the bus.  Alternatively I might just meander over the Downs and to the sea and blow away a few cobwebs.   LN.....I'm missing posting photos....just got to get my head round how to do it on this system.....LN

Wednesday 14th December

Even worse tonight....I can't manage to open up the big machine, a new version of Windows 11 and what a performance it is.  So now on my little Chuwi from China and this is the one that might not even return to Bulgaria...

Another cold day....I.ve not moved away from the lounge and have in fact done nothing...Not quite true...I cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the fire place off and renewed the tea lights, decorated a litte Christmas tree that I'd bought and that was it.  I also replaced a tea light in a little pottery snowman just to make it more festive and it worked.

Supper was beef with potatoes and peas....and it didn't have to cook it.  I like this travelling the country....I get fed but I'm not sure how much entertaining I'll be doing in the summer when they all come to visit.  So now I'm giving up, the cursor keeps flying around the screen and I can hardly keep up with it.  LN....Camera and system sorting tomorrow or maybe a walk if the sun manages to come out......LN

Thursday 15th December

So another cold fristy-frosty day and tonight is down to minus three according to the internet.  I woke up at six thirty, didn't managed to get back off again, coffee and back to bed and played around on my little Kindle.  Not quite sure what had happened to my sudoku, it looks like an update has occurred, I lost all my records of the times taken and the screen options had all gone and it took me a while to get it back to as it was.  All my record times have disappeared and now I have to start all over again....stress and more stress.  I've just realised that I didn't take my blood pressure tablet this morning but after the desert I've just managed to shove down, it I get a sugar rush I thoroughly deserve it.

Before my host appeared I managed to clean the lounge, the glass doors between the rooms and now I'm quite prepared to let anyone in to sit down.  We had breakfast and then I checked the progress of the flowers that I'd sent to my last two hostesses on the journey down, ordered a model Mitsubishi Pajero as a gift for a special friend and my host was still trying to sort my log on when I heard the door knocker.  I went down and opened the door and there was a lady there who obviously didn't expect that the door would be opened by another lady and she looked quite shocked.  I invited her in when she asked for mine host, I explained who I was and then she sort of relaxed, she'd come to see how he was getting on with a repair he was doing to a small table.  He came down the stairs, we got to talking about charity shops and the taking in of books and she mentioned that there was one in the village and we have loads to get rid of.  Off she went, I parcelled the books up and around one we popped them into the car and he waited in the car while I gave them in to the ladies in the charity shop.  So another job out of the way, there must have been about forty or so, all in good condition and all to be sold at the Brighton racecourse for charity.

So this afternoon I've managed to set myself up on the new computer, I have my own log-in, password protected and an added layer of security.  It's just a matter of remembering all the extras.  I've added Messenger which I really get on with, might add more later but at least I can see where and how to login now.  A little bit of tv this afternoon and I'd made my mind up that it was going to be fish, chips and mushy peas for supper at the local hotel and we set off at seven thirty for the village.  We parked up easily enough, ordered at the bar and found a table and when it came it was a huge piece of fish...everything perfect.  I finished off with a strawberry Eton Mess.....and feel full to the gills.  I've had confirmation that one bouquet has arrived in Stafford and hope the other has arrived in Manchester.  Only one thing left to do now, I have to download the program that I use to reduce the pixels on the photos that I post and that's a job for tomorrow, not that I've taken any but I must get round to it.  LN.....Soon everything will be back to normal...promise.....LN

Friday 16th December

Funny old night and very early start.  I woke up at five thirty, tried to go back to sleep again and nothing doing so played silly games and it was soon seven.  I tried once more to go off to sleep and what I should really have done was to go in the bath and get my head down in there but instead went down and made coffee and did a little ancestry on my nephew's fiancé and established and confirmed a few dates.  I now ned to start making a better example of a family chart, in a rough formulation I'm back to middle eighteen hundreds.  I also need to set up a printer on this machine to substantiate my findings.

I settled for toast for breakfast with marmalade, toyed with going in to town to see what the offers were for an upgrade on my phone and went out to catch the twelve o'clock bus from the bottom of the street.  Unfortunately my host had got the times wrong and it was more like a quarter past the hour when it arrived but I'll know for next time.  The buses are so smart these days, free WIFI and you can plug into USB sockets, four in one set of backwards and one forwards....luxury and all the world and his friends have phones.  Mine stayed in my bag....I just enjoyed the journey looking at the scenery and noticing how much traffic there was on the roads.  I made my way to the phone shop, was invited to take a seat and the young lady soon came to see what I needed.  I said that I was there in response to an email inviting me to upgrade and that's when it all went wrong.  I told her how much I was paying monthly, she wanted to know what was my comfortable threshold for a new phone and I told her I was happy with the old one, the only problem was that the keyboard is very difficult to use and I wanted something different.  She started off at twenty, said I could go SIM only but that I might lose my 'roaming' so I told her to leave it as it was.  I can use it for just calls and only use the keyboard in an emergency, she wasn't pleased but I was.

I did a little shopping, the shops were rammed with people, Churchill Square in Brighton was heaving so I didn't stay long.  I managed to get my renovating brown polish for my boots, Deep Heat patches for my knee and some cream to rub in the other one.  From the 'Pound Shop' I managed to get some slow cooking inserts that had been recommended and I bought a couple of presents from Clarks the shoe shop.  I did a walk round Boots and again, just too many people and mayhem so I went back to the bus-stop and I was on the three 'clock and heading for home.  The seats were heated on the bus and thankfully I managed to stay awake and got off at the correct stop but at one point I thought it was touch and go....early morning... no siesta....I'm over it now but won't be too late tonight.  Pizza for supper and it was so spicy that I had to have a bottle of water on standby and my host had cooked it in the microwave and the base had gone very leaden and I left most of it, teeth have to be preserved.  Lord help the birds if it's thrown out for them tomorrow.  LN.....Heat patch going on my knee tonight and cream going on the other.  LN....I'm putting it down to the cold not old age.....and photo program will be sorted tomorrow, hopefully.......LN

Saturday 17th December

Not such an early start this morning but last night I slept with a heat parch on my knee and it somehow disturbed me.  It didn't stay long though this morning, as I stood up out of bed it fell off....and stayed off....useless things.  I had toast for breakfast and then settled in to carry on with my ancestry investigations for my nephew's fiancé, managing to get back quite a way.  I decided to record it within my program, starting from scratch but at last it's looking a lot like a proper chart.

Another cold day and frosty day and the only time I ventured out was to get some mince pies and crumpets...things I can't get in BG.  I did also invest in a lottery ticket and I suppose I ought to check whether or not my luck is in...but I doubt it.  So home from the village and two crumpets were put in the toaster and lashed with butter followed by a mince pie and they've been a temptation on the worktop ever since....but I controlled myself.  Unfortunately the Dairy Milk didn't fare so well...half gone already.  I fell upon a Freddie Mercury concert this afternoon which kept me out of mischief, Strictly was on this evening and I was surprised at the winner even though I think he was the bookies choice and then watched Freddie's' program as to how his 'dueting' with the Spanish soprano came into being and their relationship.  It was really quite sweet and I guess by then he knew he was dying.

Just after eleven my time, church tomorrow morning and then lunch at my daughter's home and I'm really looking forward to both.  Not much chance of going to church in BG.....there is a Christian church there but they only have a priest on high days and holidays, the rest of the time old ladies gather round the fire, light candles and gossip.  Now it's time for bed, bath and hair wash in the morning and present myself to the world clean and tidy.  Just noticed flashing blue lights near the house over the road and it's a fire engine.  There was another one near to the main road but that has gone leaving just the one.  Looks like it might have been a kitchen fire, the upstairs windows are open and one of the firemen was looking at the bargeboard and feeling the temperature of the walls.  LN....Fingers crossed they will be able to sleep peacefully in their beds...too near Christmas for problems.....LN

Sunday 18th December

Woke at seven, bath called and hair wash and managed to get to church on time.  It was good to see that I was remembered, I did what I wanted to do and have found out the rest of the programme until I go back to BG.  It was good doing familiar things again.  Lidl called on the way home, this shop has so many more things than we have in BG, so much more variety that you wouldn't believe it's the same company.  A trolley was half filled by my host and it should keep us going for a while.  

We arrived at my daughter's house at just after one and it was hugs all round, I haven't seen her since the summer and I haven't seen my grandson for a year now and it's all been too long in the making.  It was back to old times, the school she works at has finished for the year so we can plan out shopping trips...it just has to be done.  She'd cooked a huge shepherd's pie followed by a bread and butter pudding ...my baby knows how to cook.  The dishes were cleared and I happened to mention that my Fitbit strap was not attaching itself to the watch properly, the connecting lug was not working properly so she confidently got on to the site and set the wheels in motion.  I should be receiving a new once since it's still under guarantee all before I go back home.  

The predicted snow didn't fall but lots of rain did and still falling now.  If it goes colder, it might be but the temperature is up to five degrees already so it might still be rain in the morning.  Nothing to do tomorrow so far, there is a church service at three and I might decided to go there if  the mood takes me otherwise I should be thinking about writing my family cards, the rest are already despatched and hopefully winging their way unless the post strike follows the railway strike.  Tonight's post is late I know, we came home around seven, unpacked the Lidl shopping, I lay on the sofa and yes you've guessed, fell asleep and woke up watching 'A Star is Born' and got sucked in to it until I realised what the time was and gave up on the ending.  LN....Time to sleep now in the proper place....hopefully to wake up to a snowy wonderland but guessing that it will be a wet soggy mess everywhere.....LN

Monday 19th December

Another very successful night, woke up at seven thirty and felt pretty good.  Coffee and ancestry for an hour or so, my host and myself cooked breakfast, we'd bought a French stick yesterday which was filled with bacon, egg, sausage and brown sauce and it was hard going to finish it...but finish it I did.  The dishwasher was topped up and set into motion and then it was back to the computer and a few more records complete.  I also decided to purchase the 1921 Census option so now I have lots of hints that I can follow up.

I had a few more emails to contend with from Fitbit who seem not to believe that the Fitbit that has problems is associated with the account that it's held against complaining that address do not match.  So now it entails going back onto the helpline....the will to live is evaporating.  I think I might be ditching Fitbit for another make.  So this afternoon I caught the bus and went to another service at my church.  I got there a little late, I'd underestimated the time it would take or overestimated the speed of the bus....either way as I said...I was late.  There were only about seven people there, it was a clairvoyant afternoon and it was a little different than I'd been to before.  This man wanted to know who he could link you with so I said my father and left it to him to sort out.  We left the hall at four fifteen and I walked to the bus stop, waited only ten minutes and back on my bus heading for home.  Home made soup warmed me up, the temperature has dropped again, it's only raining a little and this might turn to snow...I wish.  Mince pies followed the soup and now I'm suffering from indigestion but will suffer in silence.  I've just tried to download the photo reduction program and was doing well until I forgot the settings that I use at home for the photo size, the next phase will be experimental so bear with me.  

We have a lunch date for tomorrow so will need to post pictures of that so I should get my backside into gear and work out the proportions.  LN.....Head down and backside in the air......LN

Tuesday 20th December

Slept well last night but still felt tired, I think it was lingering in a long bath this morning.  Two buttered crumpets for breakfast and then settled in to solve one or two mysteries in the new family chart that I'm working on for a friend.  I eventually dressed into going out gear, we were off to lunch with an old friend that I haven't seen since last year, we keep in touch with phone calls but it's not quite the same.

I wrapped her present, we set off around twelve fifteen, the arrangement was that we would be at her house after twelve and we were on time since no firm time was fixed.  She has mobility issues and uses a walker so we let ourselves in, outdoor shoes off and we settled ourselves down to chat until it was time to leave for the restaurant.  We had a lovely catch-up regarding children and grandchildren.  Her grandchildren are a similar age to my grandchildren and CJ and L used to really enjoy our visits to Shoreham by Sea annual air show and how things move on.  It was a regular event in our calendar.  I also had a conducted tour of the new bungalow, she's had the conservatory completed since the last time I was there and what a brilliant job the builders have made of it.  It's a very light and airy room, perfect for days when it's just too cold to sit out but with the sun coming through and underfloor heating.

She manages really well with her walker, it was me who was the novice.  As she says she needs three points of contact, two good foot positions and a good hand hold and then she can maintain her balance, the walker fills in the gaps with hand holds.  I helped her into the car and put the walker in the boot, helped her out into the restaurant and then we got down to the business of ordering food.  I settled for spicy chicken wings and cheesy chips for a hint of BG but when then came, the wings were very spicy and they'd doubled up on the chips for some reason so I ended up with a gift wrapped pack to carry out and now I'm wondering what to do with them.  I only asked for the starter to be doubled up on for me as a main ...nobody mentioned the chips.  The others settled for steak and kidney puddings and their only complaint was that there was very little kidney in the dish but the meat was very tender.  Pudding time and I went for the stodge, ginger toffee pudding with custard while the others went for sorbet and ice cream with vodka and coffee topping.  We were more or less the last to leave the restaurant, steps back to the car negotiated and well steered into the bungalow and she was settled.  We didn't stay, the light was failing and lots of traffic on the road hitting home time for lots of people.  I didn't see most of it, I nodded off and woke up when we reached home.  Decent clothes off and into my p.j's and new felt slippers, I was in for the night especially since the temperature seems to be dropping again.

Lovely day, my daughter seems to have sorted out the replacement Fitbit and it appears that I have a Fitbit 5 winging its way to me so therefore an upgrade.  I'm hoping it's got a strap with it and not just the watch otherwise I'll have to get one on order to arrive before I leave for BG.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow....a day to sort out Christmas gifts and get them wrapped up.  LN.....Countdown to the 25th seems to be happening fast......LN

Wednesday 21st December

Seven start this morning and we had that lovely pink sky but unfortunately it didn't last too long.  The wind got up from the west and brought with it rain and lots of grey clouds.  I got stuck into my book and I'm waiting to get to the end of it.  You probably know how it is, you start to read something, stick at it, don't find it riveting yet you can't leave it alone.  Roll on the end and there are three more in the series but I'm not sure I shall be going there.  It's in the historic period that I like but just doesn't flow the same and I keep hoping it's going to get better.

I made poached egg for breakfast and had it on toast with ham and it went down well.  Washing in and no way was it going outside so went in the old boiler cupboard and should be cooked anytime now.  It was one of those days where the morning just scoots away from you and after a bit of this and that I realised it was just after two so I settled down to wrap presents and write the family cards.  I also wrote my final 'To Do' list and surprisingly there's not much on it, just four more presents and only two of them that I need to think about....the others are bottles.  I've just grazed the kitchen and the mince pies have taken a hammering, I could really get down and make them but I've not had the urge come over me.  I also went on the internet and found out the value of a nineteen fourteen half sovereign that I found in a little purse in a leather handbag in an auction lot of household items in Market Harborough years ago.  According to the internet it's now worth about thirty times what the lot cost me so I'm 'quids' in.  I've also discovered my grandfathers' and grandmothers pocket watches on the internet but they are probably beyond economical repair but will have a silver value so if I have to tighten my belt....I've found some assets.

Shopping tomorrow with Princess and it's going to be an early start so that we can get things over and done with.  If the weather follows the forecast, we shan't be long at all and will probably spend longer over lunch than shopping.  We're going into Lewes where we have our favourite jeweller's shop so it might be an expensive run but there again.....it's Christmas and she's worth it.  LN....Time to think about supper....maybe a steak and onion pie and chippies......LN

Thursday 22nd December

Bit of a sleepless night.....disturbed by I know not what but I was awake at two thirty, five thirty, played Sudoku for half an hour or so, went back to sleep again and was up and at it at seven thirty.  I didn't bother with breakfast, washed, dressed and was ready but the time Princess phoned to say she was just slapping on her make-up and I replied that I'd just slapped on mine.  She said that she would be with me shortly so just before nine I went out to meet her outside and she eventually arrived at nine fifteen.  I'd walked out to the pavement, it was a grey old morning but I had to retreat to the porch, I'd not bothered with keys and my host was still getting a few zzz's in and is usually un-wakeable.  She pulled up so I went to join her and she was busy fiddling with her fully 'intelligent' car, somehow she had taken off the speed clock and had replaced it with something else and the speed was only showing in a numerical block.  She fiddled around with it for a while and suddenly by accident the dashboard appeared normal and as we drove on it reverted to how it was and she suddenly realised that there were two more electronic 'slide controls' on either side of the steering wheel...so now we know.

We parked up in Lewes, did the jewellery shops and nothing caught out eye, did the charity shops but again we left with nothing except for a metal Christmas tray and a mug for 'Mummy' and that was for me and now sits at their house.  We just managed to stay clear of the traffic wardens that were freely roaming, drove home and my new Fitbit had arrived at their house but we'll register it later.  I think I'm going to order a new strap for it, I don't really like it as much as the one that I'm using now.  We had lunch and enjoyed ham French stick with beetroot and orange pickle that Princess had made and finished with cheese and ham quiche.  We settled in after lunch and put the world to rights, found and ordered some buttons to attach to the back of a mobile so they're easier to hold and some might arrive before Christmas...Amazon takes some beating.

She drove me home about five and the traffic along the coast road was horrendous .  Unfortunately she was having to turn round and join the queues going the other way to go home.  Tomorrow we have a family lunch at a carvery which I'm looking forward to, we're meeting at twelve and should be done by two, one day and then it's Christmas.  LN.....As a note the day temperature in BG today was 8 degrees but over next week it goes up to fifteen degrees and wall to wall sunshine....doh....LN

Friday 23rd December

I woke at five thirty, some strange happenings with my ancestry program batting round my head.  For some reason, maybe because I'm using Windows 12 it's been subject to lock-up with messages to refresh the screen and 'this page is not responding'.  I managed to solve one attachment but it's almost like a phantom person with a dotted line running to it and not attaching the husband/wife/spouse link successfully....and I've not met it before and as for the help desk....not sure they would be able to help so not bothered.  I had to detach quite a few of the links and start again so tonight I have another frustrating evening ahead should I choose to accept the challenge or settle for an evening of British television.

Quick bath and hair wash, presents and cards sorted and bagged ready for today's lunch with the family.  We arrived a little early at the venue and swapped a table so that we would be able to talk better with each other, we'd been allocated two and it didn't work last year so I nipped it in the bud.  It was good to catch up with my son, wife and grandchildren, I haven't seen them since the summer when they came out to Bulgaria and of course Princess and her husband and my CJ.  We were all seated by twelve thirty, we managed to get drinks ordered and delivered and then we were supposed to use an app to order the food but tracked down one of the 'operatives' who did it for us.  Most of us settled for the carvery, the chef controlled the meat delivery then you topped up with any veg that you wanted and I dished myself two sprouts, one to match each of the socks I was wearing.  When the children were small I've been known to hide them under the turkey bones but this year, I did the right thing and ate them...but still don't like them...too ingrained.  The humour was very lively round the table with my son deciding that the two Yorkshire puddings were quite novel as glasses and he managed it without a great deal of gravy going everywhere.  Kids...who'd have them.   We settled on no puddings, had a present swap and we were back on the car-park for hugs and promises for the next year and went out separate ways.  My son and family were off to stay in a hotel in Brighton, my grandson has his birthday on the twenty fourth so they want to make something of the day for him and then off to the outlaws for Christmas.  We are going to Princess' home for Christmas day and will come home on the night-time and spend the rest of the holiday here.  

Home for four thirty stopping off at the little supermarket in the village for a pork pie to satisfy one of my 'must haves' when back in the UK, marshmallows and another block of Cadbury Milk chocolate.  The marshmallows have gone and then head down for a couple of hours or so on the sofa in the lounge and feel much better for it and it won't be long before bed-time.  Nothing planned for tomorrow but I have a vague inclination to go into Brighton and pick up a few more silly pressies for Princess and co.  LN....I'll see how the mood takes me in the morning when I do a weather check.....LN

Saturday 24th December

So another five thirty start, played games for a while so as not to wake my host but there was little danger of that...he sleeps very soundly and I know when the action is about to begin...the snoring stops.  I made coffee and woke up the computer and worked on the new chart that I'm doing and encountered the same problem as yesterday, a rogue box and when you add a spouse it creates a new box attached with a dotted line and the existing box remains.  It might be Windows 11, it might be the changes that they've made to the programs now that they've created an app. that you can access on the move.  Good to show family members but all additions need a pen and pencil handy.

I toasted crumpets for breakfast pinching out bits of mould and checking the sell by date, they should have been finished yesterday and even I can't go that quickly through them.  The other packet had a sell by of the twenty first so I think they're all destined for the birds on the top of the shed ...Merry Christmas...robins, sparrows, crows and magpies.  Eventually my host emerged, went to the computer and I got a time out of him to go into Asda to buy a few more things for pressies but I waited an hour and eventually at twelve we set off.  He sat in the car while I faced the crowds and as for the expectation of people cutting back and looking miserable, the shopping baskets were full and maybe the belief is that it will all go away after Christmas.  I picked up a few items, made my way back to the car and we set off for Lidl and I bought nothing.  I'd checked out the queues and realised it would take me a while to get out so why bother.  I settled down in the lounge with my book and started to graze on the chocolates.  The dark chocolates are no more, half a pork pie has gone AWOL from the fridge and only half the Cadbury dairy milk remains on the lounge table.  I settled in to watch an animated film of the 'Boy, the mole, the fox and the horse, I have the book and it really did follow it closely and was beautifully done.  This was followed by another fairy tale and to my sofa was delivered half a steak and onion pie with a jacket potato, the film finished and I've just tidied the kitchen and the dishwasher is about to go.

This evening is going to be spent finishing off the rest of the wrapping and I've just remembered that I bought Princess a present that I'd almost forgotten about.  Money will make up the shortfall for CJ or as my son used to call notes 'drinking vouchers' and I'm sure will be greatly appreciated.  Again it's been a dull day and who wants to see a photo of that...it's depressing enough when you look out of the window.  May I just wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  May Santa deliver what you want more than what you need in these difficult times.  LN....Switching off for the evening......LN  

Sunday 25th December

Seven thirty lie in this morning, I had a vivid dream last night and can't remember a thing about it....more's the pity.  My host was sleeping in so I was able to wrap my presents, sort myself out, get myself washed and dressed and all ready for the off.  I didn't bother with breakfast, I knew that there would be plenty of food at my daughter's house, chocolates in bowls and lots of things to nibble at and I was right.  We eventually arrived just after eleven thirty, her husband, the nominated chef for the day was 'dish-pi-doing', one drink on the go in the kitchen and the second in the lounge and happily gravitating between the two.  Grandson had had a bit of a bender the night before so we didn't get much sense out of him until lunchtime but he was still very cuddle-able.

Lots of food, the cook was complaining that the turkey was a little dry, it started off in cook bag which exploded, he removed the bag and left the turkey to its own devices and the result was, in his opinion, dry and difficult to chew.  I suggested he liquidised mine which he refused to do stating that it would be more like sawdust.  In my opinion it was fine, I had a special helping of dark meat which I much prefer anyway.  Lots of vegetables and I let it be known that I had placed three sprouts on my plate, rumour has it that I used to make the children eat them and would hide mine under the turkey bones so that they wouldn't know.  I am exonerating the past....   The trifle was amazing, just like mother used to make (me) but with slightly less alcohol that I used to use.  It was the time that I was drinking but I didn't notice any in this year's trifle....it must have been only a trace.

Washing up done and everything cleared away, present opening time and I've got some lovely ones that will eventually find their way to BG be it next trip or Princess visit in April.  My grandson might also be coming out, his friend is studying in Plovdiv so a trip might be on the cards.  Settled in for the television and watched Aladdin, then caught the end of Strictly and then the wheel.  Grandson was the only one that knew all of the answers coming out of a coma while lying between his father and myself on the sofa wearing his new trendy hoodie to do with pickles.  The programme is supposed to be on Netflix and it's been recommended...I'll give it a whirl.

Everything packed up including a pot of turkey jelly that I shall be having on toast for breakfast tomorrow morning.  Nothing else on the agenda for tomorrow, it's going to be a day of rest.  LN....And finally I hoe that you and yours have had a day filled with love and kindness.....I know that I have......LN

Monday 26th December

A horrible sleepless night but I did manage to knock off a few record breaking Sudokus at three this morning.  I've been trying to beat my records since they updated the system and stripped it bare of all my achievements.  Don't you just love it when that happens.  It still doesn't feel like Christmas...but I did manage to make for breakfast toast and thickly coat it with the turkey jelly that my daughter gave me last night to bring home.  It takes me back to when I was a girl and we used to fight over it...not actually but literally.

The rest of the day has been pretty normal.  I worked on my new chart for quite some time, started to handwrite the chart out and then realised with so many families and loads of children I've got to rethink the whole layout.  I've almost filled an A3 and have gone on to the second page...eleven children is the record so far but I have several with nine and when you get parents with lots and then children with lots of offsprings it can lead to a very confusing chart.  I did manage to go up into the loft this afternoon and bring down a large bag for travelling home.  I don't want to bother with a just hand luggage, getting on and off the plane was a drag and I think that's what knacked my knees.  I'm not risking it on the way back, I'd rather drop the luggage off and coast through the controls without having to take the usual banned items out of the suitcase and then struggle to the plane.  So I need to make the changes and print my boarding pass  out...it's just one week to go before I set off for the airport at silly o'clock.

So tomorrow I'm off to spend time with my Princess and the family just staying over one night and it will be good to relax with them.  Not much else to report except that the new ancestry chart has now over one hundred people....and off soon to find the America connections.....that should be fun.  LN....Now going downstairs to look for chocolates and crisps, Fitbit has just informed me that I've done over ten million steps last year and I feel like spoiling myself....LN  

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 29th December

This is a bit of a catchup, I didn't have a computer over there with a keyboard and trying to update on a screen was worse than sticking pins in my eyes so I aborted the attempt.  I'm back at my resting place having been dropped off this afternoon, my daughter was developing a stinker of a cold so I left her to her own devices so that she didn't have to worry about me catching it.  What has my few days consisted of?  Very lovely times with my Princess, meals produced by the pair of them, turkey jelly toast for breakfast, films on tap, a little shopping at the local rundown Co-op for a few essentials and exercising my brain with printed off Sudoku each morning and helping her out with the Telegraph crossword. Although she didn't really need my help, I insisted.  Along with this crossword is a blog that if you get really stuck and don't understand the clues, a very kind man helps you out but today, we managed it without resorting to help, Princess submitted it online and we had one wrong, it should have ended in 'ed' not 'es' but that was soon rectified.    My grandson was around some of the time so it was good to catch up with him.  We watched some really good films, chasing round various channels until we managed to track them down and last night we watched 'Holiday'.  I realised I'd seen it before when it started but had forgotten the ending so really enjoyed it again.

There's not really much to catch up on.  The first order for my Fitbit strap has refused to show up so the order has been cancelled and two more ordered that are supposed to be delivered tomorrow.  I've also managed to set up my new tablet with all the things that I really need on it and unfortunately this is the one with an onscreen keyboard, I really have to buy a small travelling one for just general things and the blog.  I also will have to make a change to my homeward bound luggage...I've accumulated lots of presents so tomorrow I think a re-run is in order to see if I can fit it into my case or not but a quart never fits into a pint pot so perhaps not really the need to try.  

Princess was popping to the shop this afternoon so I suggested that they drop me home so save them the effort later.  I got here around four, was faced with a challenge to print out a calendar for my host, it was created via the internet and downloadable to Excel but the margin sizes had all been screwed up.  The upside is that it's all printed out and there probably was another way to do it but I ended up changing each sheet manually but got there in the end.  I've just had a leisurely bath and snuggled into my new oversized lounger on top of my PJ's and in for the night.  Not much on the agenda for tomorrow apart from suitcase trials and so ...wish me luck.  LN....I might even walk over the Downs to the village if the weather is good tomorrow....the exercise will do me good.....LN

Friday 30th December

So I woke up at the acceptable time of seven thirty and not even a mouse was stirring, probably because we don't have any.  One load of washing in, into the airing cupboard to get it dry, the intention of walking over the Downs and to the sea was quashed when I saw that the rain was pelting it down and the grey sky indicated that there would be no let up this side of New Year.  It's also been predicted that there won't be anything better going on until my plane takes off on the tenth.  So washing safely stashed, I started to tidy my bedroom which is also an overspill computer room when I'm not here so I didn't have much of an affect on it but at least I felt better about it.  I was also drawn to my document box and looked what I had stored in there, found my birth certificate, 'O' level certificates and lots of other 'stuff' that gets accumulated through life.

I went down to make breakfast and settled for toast, brought it back upstairs and did a little on ancestry, sorted my clothes out and fiddled with the lock on the new luggage bag that I'm taking with me and couldn't remember the combination and thinking about it, it's been used by someone else in the meantime so it could be anything....bolt cutters to the ready without I have an hour or so spare to carry on fiddling.  My Fitbit straps that have been reordered didn't arrive but a Mitsubishi Pajero ordered from China did.  It's a little die-cast model of mine in BG and is to remind me of a very dear friend who's not very well at the moment.  We have a bargain and the Pajero is the prize. .  A request went in that I went down the village by car, my host would drive and I would run in and get Boiled Linseed oil for a little shop so I topped up with some tablets that I want to take back with me from the chemist at the same time.  On went the elf socks, big boots and body warmer and hat...it was raining hard, very windy and cold and it didn't take me long to cover the two shops.  I also remembered to buy some Brasso.....my copper pot that my father in law bought for me for one Christmas is going on to a different location, she's inheriting early and I have to polish it before it goes.  I still love it but it's much too heavy to get out to BG so it's going where it can be appreciated and a peace lily needs a new home anyway.

The Dairy Milk is about to take a hammering so supper could fall by the wayside for me unless something tempting is put in my path and then I would go to bed full to the gills and wishing I hadn't indulged myself as much.  It also means that I'll be on the look-out for more chocolate offers from the supermarket.  So the fire calls, the heating isn't on upstairs yet and there's a gap between the elf socks and the trousers so I'm off downstairs.  LN.....Rain, rain....please go away....LN

Saturday 31st December

So a very disturbed night again, I woke up with the light on at three, switched it off and slept through until seven, tried to wake up and didn't manage it so went off again until nine.  The house was silent, I went down stairs, put the television on and made poached eggs on toast for breakfast, saw the copper container on the table in the dining room and decided to polish it.  It took two hard sessions of elbow grease to get it sparkly, it's now Christmas packed along with the rest of the cleaning stuff and my daughter will inherit for the New Year.  Apparently the house plant has been informed that it's to have a new home ...Princess is as wacky as I am!!  Unfortunately her cold has got much worse so she has my complete sympathy...she even took a Covid test and fortunately it was negative.

By now my host had arrived downstairs awakened so he said by the smell of polish though I didn't see how that would have wafted upstairs.  My new straps for the Fitbit had arrived and so I decided to change the repaired strap for one of the new ones and that's when it came to grief.  I was right, it was the watch that was at fault not the strap so it was time to get the replacement out and link it up with the App. and I was surprised how simple it was.  I've yet to make a few changes, I don't like the watch face on it but that can happen a little later.  I settled down this afternoon and sent a message to my grandson asking what he was up to and if he fancied a meal in town but unfortunately he was doing stuff already.  What he suggested was that we go to Pizza Hut tomorrow, I said that sounded good so I asked him to make the arrangements and just let me know what time he's picking me up and it's now been set in stone.  I missed him last year, he's been out of the country for quite some time, busy with his mates over Christmas and I felt that I just needed time with him so now it's going to happen.  I better get some trendy gear out!!

It doesn't feel like New Year....it's been much of a muchness since Christmas ended and having spoken with my old friend this afternoon, we reminisced on how we used to get new clothes to go out and party until the very early hours when we were young, and some would say foolish, but at least we can look back fondly on the antics we got up to.  What me!!!! No...you must be mistaken!!  I'd like to wish all my family and friends a Happy 2023 and hope that it turns out (mostly) well for you.  May those who are not well harvest strength from wherever it may be found.  LN.....I'll pass up a message to 'him upstairs'......LN