Sunday 1st January

So another night of sending and receiving New Year messages until around two this morning and I was awake around five and waiting for getting up time.  As the morning broke, I noticed that this was the first morning without rain and fingers crossed that it would stay that way.  I had some lovely pictures sent  last night of the party held in the square in Djebel, it looked a cold starry night, I got homesick and reckon that I shall be, God willing, spending next year's eve there.  At six I was out of bed and adding a few more people to the ancestry chart that I'm drawing up for a friend, it's getting quite big now over one hundred people but the company that I use appear to have changed the view of the chart.  At one time you could see all of the family members on one screen but now the different branches appear when you click on a family icon but the others disappear.  It means that the view is larger but difficult to see the relationships.  I went downstairs for coffee and toast for breakfast, brought it back upstairs and carried on with the chart and at ten went into the bath to freshen up for the day and to wash my hair, I was out for lunch today with my grandson.

Hair dried and more or less dressed, I suddenly had a problem, I couldn't find my belt for my trousers anywhere.  I searched the bedroom, bathroom, took the place apart and not a glimmer until I remembered that I hadn't searched the downstairs cloakroom and must have taken the belt off when I was heading for the washing machine leaving it on the chest near the toilet.  At around eleven I suddenly had a thought.  My grandson might have been partying until the early hours and might not be in a fit state to drive anywhere today so I messaged him to ask if he was OK to drive and was still up for lunch offering him the let out clause if he wanted it.  He responded quickly that he'd only sipped the dreaded stuff last night and was fine and looking forward to lunch and arrived early, came in for a short while and then off we went.  He'd booked a table at the Pizza Express in Brighton Marina, the car park was jammed full and we eventually found a space, walked up two flights of stairs and crossed the bridge to the marina village and the restaurant.  It was so busy, we were directed to a table near to the window overlooking the marina, ordered our starters and mains and had impeccable yet friendly service.  We shared a platter of dipping dough balls which I'd not had before, individual pizzas and settled for coffee and no puddings and left the restaurant around three in a leisurely fashion.  Unfortunately, by now the weather had changed it was throwing it down with rain so it was a run back to the car park with people scurrying everywhere to get into the dry.

We carried on back to my daughter's house, I'd put the copper bucket into the car before we left home with a few books from the book shelf and I wanted to see how she was.  Her cold had really got the better of her but I found her on the sofa, watching television and eventually we noticed that ET was on so settled down and watched the end.  I was amazed that the film is forty years old yet doesn't seem that dated, I'd taken the children to see it when they were little and now both are heading for major birthdays...what a wakeup call for me....where does time go.  I suppose that forced me to look at how I'd filled the years since then reminiscing on how my road had twisted and turned.  My grandson drove me home, it appears that after our conversations in the restaurant I might have summer visitors to BG and this weekend he's driving up to Scotland, weather permitting to try to see the Northern lights with a couple of mates.  They're going to take camping gear with them which I don't think is a good idea but the things you do when you're young egh.

Off he went, I settled on the sofa and promptly got my head down until around nine tonight, update time and then hopefully a better nights sleep.  LN...A final Happy New Year...and onwards to the next......LN

Monday 2nd January

So I noticed my first mistake of the year by labelling yesterday Monday instead of Sunday and I've corrected it.  Ever since I've been back I've lost track of the days, it's just seemed like a big long holiday and now perhaps I'll get it right.  I woke up at seven, the sun was shining and I kept my promise to walk over the Downs which I did but firstly I started the morning off with a bacon sandwich.  I dressed for the occasion, a thick chunky sweater, tights under the trousers, hat, scarf, gloves and to top it all my thick body warmer and boots.  I set off about twelve and headed for the long hard climb that takes me to the top of the Downs and from there it's a gentle descent towards the sea.  There were lots of people about and it amazed me how many dogs were being exercised and most of them in little coats...so many more people seem to have them as pets where in Bulgaria most of them are working dogs.

I took the camera with me, it's all very familiar but I love the walk.  There was a fresh wind blowing, a helicopter circling and small planes obviously taking off from Shoreham airport, people that said hello and others that were obviously on a fit mission training for some event or other.  There were lots of clouds inland and several dotted over the sea, I carried on down to the windmill, our famous landmark and then over the crossing towards the undercliff walk.  Again this area was very crowded with very long queues outside the coffee places and I'm guessing several had come down without breakfast to beat the traffic thinking they'd get something when they arrived.  The undercliff was also crowded, children with Christmas present bikes, scooters and electric cars, some people were on the pebbly beach, dogs on and off leads and as for the coffee bar on the beach, jammed.  It used to be a very quiet place to have a snack as Mikey B, a good friend will vouch for when we met each other down there several years ago.  I walked towards the next place on the undercliff, realised I'd had enough so started to walk back towards the village centre.  The queue had decreased by the first coffee bar but the village pavements were crowded as I made my way along the High Street, it thinned out as I hit the main road and I made it home by three thirty.  I'd been out a long time, completed around eight thousand steps and felt much better for it....I'll give you an update on the knees tomorrow.  

I got my head down this afternoon for an hour or so, we were heading up to the chippie in the next village but unfortunately it was closed so down to the village and the local hotel and we had fish and chips there and all finished by eight more or less and drove home.  My Fitbit is showing ten thousand and two hundred so not a bad achievement for a first time of real activity due to the weather.  I'll be doing the same tomorrow it that ball in the sky is out again.  LN....I should sleep well tonight....LN  

Tuesday 3rd January

A reasonable night's sleep and awake at six.  I didn't want to disturb the household, so no making coffee until I heard movement and passed the time on ancestry searches.  Eventually I was able to make my morning brew, had toast and marmalade for breakfast, watched a little morning tv, got back to shouting at the news and the news deliverer's opinions and then turning it off and settling down and sorting a few things out.  I've partly packed the large bag that I'm taking home with me and that prompted me to log on to EasyJet on and book a hold bag to take the dressing coverall that Princess picked out for me. It's dark grey with a hood and will be perfect for sleeping in.  I checked the weather forecast and it's supposed to drop to minus ten on my first night home, the coldest it's been so far this year with day temperatures of up to twelve degrees so that house shouldn't be that cold to get back to.  Normally with the big windows and the sun, you can add another five degrees to my inside temperature.  Fingers crossed...but I already have the solution....big grey hoodie.

So the bag is booked, I went to print my boarding car and realised that the computer in my bedroom isn't connected to a printer so I had to moved to the other computer in my old office and logon to that one.  Eventually, a boarding pass was printed showing the hold bag I've paid extra for and now I hopefully will be travelling lighter when getting on and off the plane.  I really struggled this year and have decided that I will pay for the extras, some of the Dunkirk spirit has deserted me and at my age, I don't need the stress of lumping suitcases around.  I also phoned the taxi company that I use, I came up on their system and we booked one for three in the morning, earlier than I normally go but with the potential go-slow at Gatwick, I don't want any hassles.  I was amazed how much it's risen in price but that's the way of the world at the moment.  One bit of good news, I was expecting a thumping large bill after using my BG mobile in the UK and was surprised that the new bill for this period is only eighteen Bulgarian lev which translates roughly as just under nine pounds, cheap at half the price.

The grand plans of going for a walk were shattered when the rain started, the wind got up to gale force so I settled on the sofa and promptly got my head down and I've only managed just under three thousand steps today.  Supper of steak mince and onions with broad beans and sweetcorn was prepared by 'mine host' and it went down well.  I did refuse the choc ice to follow, I've got a figure to look out for.  So now I have everything in place for going home next week I feel much happier, it's seemed much longer this time, I'm normally heading home around the fifth.  So all I have to do is fill every last space in the suitcase, I think my ladies might be having Cadbury's chocolate, I didn't give them their presents before I left this year so have some rapid actions to take to catch up with myself.  New little lap-top arrives tomorrow all being well.  It's a Windows eleven machine so that's something new I'll have to get used to but at least it's a machine for taking away with me with a decent keyboard attached and USB ports unlike the one that I use now for travelling.  Apparently the battery life is good on it too...winner, winner.  LN....TV and bedtime and hopefully for a better night.....LN

Wednesday 4th January

So I slept through until seven thirty this morning and knocked up at brilliant sleep score on my Fitbit.  I went to bed earlier than normal which was a start, but no starting and stopping in the night.  I was up before mine host, went down and made coffee, toast with marmalade and carried it upstairs to check a few emails etc and on was from the company that I'd ordered my new computer from and the delivery was scheduled between ten to eleven and twelve ten.  The knocker went at eleven fifty and here it was...a new toy to play with.   I opened it up, fired it up, checked some of the information as to what to do before you fire it up and obviously didn't read the literature thoroughly.  I was getting myself set up with FB, Hotmail etc., working my way through it when suddenly I checked on something and it showed that it was for a Windows 10.  Now I knew that I'd ordered the Windows 11 version and now alarm bells were ringing.  I checked on the machine build and sure enough, it was a Windows 10 so I gave the company a call.  Sure enough she confirmed that I'd been sent the wrong one so a new one is on its way tomorrow by courier, this one is now boxed up and will be returned to the company, so get one - send one...and what a waste of time that was.  They were very apologetic but that's not the point and such a waste of money for courier services.

By now it was getting on for three o'clock and it's been another of those days where you feel that you achieve nothing.  I did find myself delving into my bookcase and looking at the beautiful books I've collected on Ancient Greece, the Mayans and ancient Egypt and have put one book to one side that if I can manage to fit it in the bag. I shall take back with me, it's 'The Times book of Ancient Civilizations and I've just been down the school day route of learning about Mesopotamia, the land between the two rivers and my teacher Miss Knight.  And I've just reckoned it up, that was about sixty five years ago.  

Not sure what's on offer for supper.  It's time I went down to the freezer to see what I can find and then aske the 'chef' to prepare it for me.  I didn't give you a weather report earlier but you are getting it now....rain, rain and more rain forecast....thank goodness I managed to get out for my walk when I did.  So now I'm waiting in again for a parcel, I've got another friend coming round tomorrow who I've just found out has self-published books on Ancient Egypt and so I shall be picking her brain about the process.  I used to write poetry and reading them through again, some were good and I might be tempted to put a few together and have a go.  LN.....The kitchen calls.....I'm hungry....LN

Thursday 5th January

Seven thirty when I woke this morning, wend down and made a coffee and came back upstairs to play Sudoku for a while.  At eight thirty, I got dressed and went downstairs and decided to walk down the village to get some more money from the post office so that I had cash for the taxi on Tuesday morning and to get some packing tape so send back the computer.  I set off eventually around nine thirty, it was a damp foggy morning but at least it wasn't raining and I went via the main road not the Downs route.  I made good progress and was amazed at the number of cars heading down to the village and the main Brighton to Eastbourne road and again I noticed how many people were out walking dogs.  I did notice a man using an industrial window cleaning on the shop windows on the Hight Street and remarked that it was just the machine that I could do with at home.  He was running the machine from his car and apparently used used only clear water and no detergent at all and I joked that if he were ever in Bulgaria, I could find him work.  

I carried on to the post office, it was open and no queue when I got there, the lady behind the counter never appears very happy but I made my transaction and went into the hardware shop next door to buy the packing tape.  The lady looking after the shop didn't know where it was so we searched together and couldn't find it and she suggested that I try the post office so I went back and found a reel of the tape.  By this time there was a queue so I waited my turn and paid for the item, carried on to the small Tesco store and bought a few items, started walking back home and by this time the window cleaner had moved along the High Street so I asked him if he remembered a shop run by a Turkish lady and if he knew when it had closed.  He replied that the shop had closed down but that she was online and he gave me her second name.  I left and went into the charity shop and mooched around for a while finding a handbag that was the same colour as my boots so bought it, and by now my window cleaner had moved further along the High Street fulfilling another contract and we had a few more words.  We laughed and I explained where I was when he overtook me, we introduced ourselves to each other, discussed Britain versus Bulgaria, how easy it was to get to Turkey and Greece from where I lived and this time I set off for home without any danger of bumping in to him again.  

Back home I put a couple of crumpets in the toaster for breakfast, took out the Daily Mail that I'd bought in Tesco and sat down to a leisurely breakfast.  I finished parcelling up the laptop and went up stairs and have more or less finished packing up the bag that I'm taking home.  This afternoon a lady that lives in the cottages at the top of the street came round to pick up a table that my host had mended for her and she stayed for quite a while, has self published books on Egypt which I found very interesting.  Eventually she left around five thirty, we made supper of steak and Stilton pies and chips but neither of us identified any Stilton in the filling.  Tomorrow I'm going to have a go at trying to set up the new computer, I'm finding the set up quite confusing and need to get it right.  I've just been told that there is a program on the television about Gibraltar so I'm off downstairs to catch the end of it.  LN.....Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far...just the way that I like it....LN  

Friday 6th January

It had the promise of a good day, we had a blue sky etched with pink and white but unfortunately it didn't last.  We ended up with grey murky skies and fog which eventually turned to rain.  I'm sure that trench foot is about to take hold.  I got dressed pretty quickly for no particular reason, made toasted crumpets for breakfast and sat doing a crossword at the dining room table unfurling my morning.  Eventually I made it back up stairs, collected a load of washing that I wanted to do before I leave especially a couple of sweaters staying here, got them going and returned upstairs and started going through one of the cupboards in my wardrobe that somehow I'd missed.  This cupboard was a treasure trove of all my school reports, references from the police force when I left Gibraltar, my first book prize hand stitched by my mother to preserve it and received from Sunday School at chapel, my first driving licence, birth certificate and other memories.  Having gone down nostalgia lane, it all went back in the cupboard and at some stage it has to be sorted and passed on to my daughter before the event.  

And now to more pressing things.  The new computer that arrived has to have a few things sorted before I can get going on it.  I needed a new USB memory stick that needs to be loaded so that it can be used as a boot if at any stage it develops and issue and the external drive is to made a copy of the original disc so that it can be reloaded as a virgin copy.  I know it's belt and bracers stuff but apparently with the latest version of Windows it's quite usual.  Unfortunately my expert and guru is no longer in BG so I want to get this done before I go home.  This afternoon's journey to Argos was a success, an eventual success, the computer ordering system they have installed phased me completely and I had to ask one of the assistants for some help.  Eventually I read the screen properly, managed to order and pay for my three items, the third being a new computer sleeve so that it didn't get bashed in transit.  We came back over the Downs and at four this afternoon it was still raining and foggy, not nice at all but thinking back, I can count the number of good days that we've had since I've been here on one hand.  The laptop back-up will be done tomorrow while I'm not around.  There is a medium at the church that I usually go to giving twenty minutes readings so tomorrow I'm heading out at nine in the morning on the bus into Brighton.  You can't make an appointment so I shall wait my turn, depending on how many people turn up and when it's over I'm to phone home and get picked up in time for a Lidl shop and afternoon tea with my good friend Angela.  We were going to do a fish and chippie lunch but apparently her system isn't coping too well with fatty things at the moment.  I wish I could say the same thing....supper tonight was beef, roasted potatoes and sweet corn followed with a almond ice-cream which should add a few more pounds to those already collected.  LN...Time to diet when I get home and back to normal....LN  

Saturday 7th January

So this morning I was on a mission.  I was out of bed at six thirty, into the bath and a hair wash, dressed to seven thirty...I was catching the bus to go to my church in Brighton.  I wasn't sure what time it stopped at the bottom of the road with it being a Saturday, so I watched from my bedroom window thinking that if I spotted it going down the road, it would go into the village and then make it's way back the same way.  Now after a while I got bored with this, nothing went down to the village so at five minutes to nine I thought I'd risk it and check the timetable in the bus stop.  It was blowing a gale out there with rain lashing so on when the hat, the duffle coat and with hood up I walked to the bus stop, only a matter of about one hundred and fifty yards, checked the schedule and it was due at ten minutes past nine so not long to wait and it was on time.  I normally get a day rover ticket but instead only wanted one way, my host had agreed to pick me up afterwards if I phoned him and I was amazed when it only cost two pounds to go into town.  The rover ticket is five fifty and thereby a saving.

I got off the bus and the door to the church was open.  This morning they had several mediums sitting in the church in the four corners so the meetings were private.  I paid my ten pound for a twenty minute session and joined the rest of the people waiting in the little church that is used when not many people turn up for services.  There must have been around ten people waiting, I thought I was early but obviously not.  The first four were called through and I was more or less in the next batch and I was shown to Carol's table and we sort of looked at each other.  She gave me some good information and it was relevant, I thought that in a different setting we could be friends and asked her if she did private longer readings and she did.  Unfortunately there was no chance of extending today's session, she had something arranged for the afternoon and lived in Eastbourne so a bit of a journey for me...so it's either a Zoom meet up but I'll save it for the next time.  My time was up, I phoned my host and he said fifteen minutes and I sat near the kitchen in the church and was quietly asked if I'd like tea or coffee.  The lady said that she's said it quietly so that the people waiting wouldn't take her up on the offer.

My host arrived and we did a Lidl shop, stopped for a car fill up and drove home, unpacked the shopping and had lunch or brunch since I hadn't managed breakfast.  Over to visit Angela my friend to say a final farewell, back home for five and I've just prepared roasted veg and chicken wings and they're in the oven.....a little taste of home.  Just checked it and turned the wings over, another twenty minutes and we shall be sitting down to eat.  Off to the lounge, a little TV, a good day and the thing about church is that it grounds me again.  LN.....Lunch with Princess and co. tomorrow....again another farewell that I'm not looking forward to.....LN

Sunday 8th January

A bit of a sleepless night, I woke up at five and had trouble going off again and eventually got out of bed at eight and wandered down stairs to make coffee.  I brought it back upstairs, it wasn't a bad morning but the wind was blowing unrelentingly and it didn't take long before the clouds came over again and the rain came down.  I played games for a while, sorted more of my packing out, found a Barbour Stocksman coat out from one of the drawers in my bedroom and put it ready to take to my daughter's house when we went for lunch.  It was her present to me around twelve years ago, I'd worn it once and intended to take it out to Bulgaria with me but it never happened.  I'd mentioned to her that she could try to sell it on the internet and also thought that when it was really throwing it down as she walked to school, it might be useful for standing at the school gate and welcoming in the parents and students and she thought it was a good idea too.  The rest of my morning was taken up by collecting up the rest of my packing and getting it ready to go in the bag tomorrow.  I'm normally very good at keeping everything contained and in my bedroom and for most things it seems to have worked.  I just have to remember the chargers, especially for new things like my Fitbit 5 when the charger is unique.  

Washed and dressed we were ready to leave around twelve thirty.  It's not a long journey to the house and we managed to park up over the road and by now the wind was blowing a gale.  Lunch was more or less ready, she'd put a casserole in the slow cooker, her husband had made fantastic mashed potatoes and lots of it and we were soon sitting down to a feast.  This was topped off with apricot crumble and cream and we soon settled down for the afternoon after everything was cleared away.  I helped tidy the kitchen and came back to my daughter cleaning an old brass miner's lamp and turning it from a very black object into a fine shiny specimen.  I think the fact that she's very proud of my old copper container that now takes pride of place in the lounge with a peace lily in it has spurred her on.  I must check the loft before I leave, I know that I've got a small brass container made out of  shell case that I bought when she was a child....she seems to be cherishing the old and putting it along side the new as I'm getting older.  Around four this afternoon the heaven's opened and we were almost getting the plans out for an ark.  It was still at it when we were getting out things together to leave, there were hugs all round, I'm on finals for departure on Tuesday morning at three a.m when the taxi comes to take me to the airport.  It's sad leaving, I miss them both but at least they have tickets booked for April and an early Easter.  

Home for six and I watched the program Pottery Showdown on Channel 4, Antiques Roadshow but unfortunately Mary Queen of Scots was too much for my constitution and then I suddenly remembered that I hadn't done an update and apologies are in order, I didn't realise what time it was.  Tempus fugit's when your watching 'stuff' on the television.  LN.....Bag gets finished tomorrow and then early night for the off.....LN  

Monday 9th January

So today has been a day of packing and unpacking, scouring the house for things that have gotten hidden or in the wrong place and deciding which clothes are going or staying.  I eventually finished at five thirty, the large bag is now downstairs in the hall waiting for a taxi, the others will follow it shortly.  I haven't done much else today, I toyed with the idea of paying my final visit to church for an afternoon session of clairvoyance but I just couldn't make the effort.  It will have to wait for next visit.  

The taxi is booked for three this morning and I'm now considering how to pass the time until 2a.m.  I've got to set the phone alarms, last year I slept on the sofa, ready dressed for departure and I might just settle for the same option but have a bath first.  It's a first time I've travelled with a large bag to go in the hold so I'm going to have to find someone to help me with bag drop....I've only done it once before and the case got stuck and we had to call someone to help us out so I'll go for the personal touch immediately and not wait until later.  It's all changed since my first sorties into the greater world.

So now bath time, the rest of the luggage is going downstairs now, into travel clothes and then down to the sofa.  If I go to bed I'm not sure I'll hear the alarm or the taxi when he's banging on the door.  LN.....Catch up with you in BG....LN