Monday 11th December

Cold, dark, damp morning but I'd very little to do outside so it really didn't matter.  I lit the fire at six thirty and it's been going most of the day except while I was upstairs deciding which hand luggage to take I ignored the fire and I've just got it going again now.  It shouldn't take long, the house is still nineteen degrees, we had sun this afternoon which shot it up to twenty four in the stairwell and five degrees outside.  

I made poached eggs on toast for breakfast, fed the last of the stale bread to anyone that wants it and the chicken bones went out for the cat.  It obviously wasn't enough, it was perched in the bird table until I spotted it and sent it packing.  I did not that all the food has gone so it does need refilling tomorrow.  I tidied the kitchen, washed up and feeling very virtuous finished watching the series that I'd started and didn't get round to starting the 'elf work' but all the packing was finished by four this afternoon.  I moved upstairs and had a rethink about the clothes I was intending to travel in and realised that if it's very wet in Sofia, the down jacket is going to be quite damp so changed my my and am currently favouring my old faithful leather big jacket.  Also if I'm short of luggage space on the way over or back, I can wear lots underneath it...that's the plan.  Also my faithful brown boots are taking the journey with me, they're comfortable, waterproof and warm and I've got lighter boots in the UK irf push comes to shove.

I had a phone call call from the garage asking if I was going for the lesson and it had slipped my mind completely.  It just doesn't feel like a Monday, I offered to go and we decided to forget it.  So tomorrow it's the day for putting in chargers, etc.  Unfortunately I found out today that my lift isn't going to be able to take me to Kardjali as arrange, he's in Sofia already so I'll be taking the nine o'clock bus from Djebel or a taxi if I miss it.  The Sofia bus leaves at ten thirty to there is some leeway.  Missed most of the sunset tonight, just managed to catch the tail end.  LN.....Presents out for delivery tomorrow....let's hope people are home......LN

Tuesday 12th December

So woke up at two thirty and yet again, played a few games of Sudoku without success on the really difficult ones but I do find I keep challenging myself....I'll learn one day.  I did manage to get off to sleep again but was up and about just before six, brain going ten to the dozen, made tea, washed up from yesterday and turn the fridge off to defrost it before I go.  There's very little in it anyway, I've run it down, the butter went into the freezer, an old pack of bacon went to the cat along with some cheese.  What the cat doesn't manage, the birds will but I wasn't sure about the smelly blue stuff but if seems to have left the yard.  I lit the fire, it was cold this morning, played around with the packing, taking somethings out and adding more and eventually picked the leather rucksack over the cloth bag...I'm just hoping that some bright spark doesn't decide that it's too big for the underseat but fingers crossed it will be fine.  

I started the Beast, it's stood too long so unpacked it from its winter jacket, and decided to deliver the pressies in style and to charge the battery. at the same time.  The key struggled to unlock it and it didn't sound right but after doing Djebel and back and round the lanes a few times it sounds fine.  I do love it, it's just a pity that diesel is so expensive.  Ladies presents delivered and Gouljan's mother and father catered for.  Mincho wasn't at home so went back to the square, caught some of the ladies but Zelinger was at prayer so just left hers inside the door and caught up with her later in the day.  I've had a few gifts myself this year from the ladies and a few for the children but I'm really sure on space so they'll have to have them when they come over.  I went to see my other Gouljan and was surprised to see that she wasn't at work.  I was invited in, her mother has developed a slipped disk and has so much support dressings on her slender frame, stripped off she would be a perfect match for the invisible man.  Apparently the operation has only a fifty percent success rate and she's not willing to take it at the moment and I'd probably feel the same way.  Mother went back to work, Gouljan insisted on opening her presents and was so pleased with them all.  I did warn her that there was a bomb attached and that if they were opened before Christmas day it would explode but she was will to risk it.  Father popped his head in, it was his day to pay out pensions, he also likes to open them early and I bet he has already.  

I left and drove to the car shop, bought an additive for the diesel to stop it freezing and reckoned that the reluctance this morning was due to old fuel and the cold temperature so I added the fluid before I put one hundred levas worth of fuel in it and it sounds smooth as silk now.  Finished delivering the pressies back in the village and received more myself, parked the Beast back in the garage, reapplied the winter jacket, had a bonfire and checked out the water in pipes, the lagging with insulation board is still OK and there's no water in the clock box.  I packed it up again, I'll turn off the supply in the morning before I leave.  I came in and cooked turkey burgers for supper and turned the gas off and that's another thing off my list, only got the emersion to sort out and that's just unplugging it from the electric.  I think I'm on target ....final packing will be done before I go to bed and tomorrow it will be jump into travel gear, load the garage presents into the Nipper, turn off the water, car onto road, apply padlock to the gate, keys already sorted, car to garage in Djebel, walk to the bus station, pick up nine o'clock bus to Kardjali and ten thirty to Sofia and then relax.    If there's a hitch anywhere...take a taxi....it's only money.  LN.....I'll let you know if it worked tomorrow night from the hotel......LN

Wednesday 13th December

I had a six start, everything was done last night but this morning I decided to not use my leather rucksack but moved everything over to the official sized bag....at seven thirty....I don't want any confrontation tomorrow and certainly don't want to pay anymore to Easyjet.  

I caught the nine o'clock bus. bought breakfast from one of the food shops, ate it while waiting for ten thirty to arrive, realised that I ought to go to the loo before we set off for Sofia so walked to Kaufland supermarket, the toilets in the bus station should be marked as public no fly zones.  I had a single seat right by the door and when the lady shut the door for take off my jacket was caught in the door so I knocked on the window, she opened the door and released me but I've never been so uncomfortable for so long and not being able to do anything about it....the bus was full.  Sofia by one thirty and got off before the bus station and gingerly got into a waiting taxi expecting the worst but he only charged me ten leva and in the grand scheme of things that not bad at all.  Got established in the room, no kettle this time so made noises and they have a new system where you are given a special container, you go to the filling station and can even get sparkling water.  I was give two packet of coffee and a paper cup and worked out the system quite quickly.  I could do with one installing at home.  Another slight problem, the television remote didn't work so one of the maids went down and found me new batteries....all systems go.

I don't have to be out at the crack of dawn tomorrow, the flight is at one thirty so a reasonable time to arrive in the UK.  I'll get the train down to Brighton and will probably get a taxi for the rest of the onward.  Going down for supper around six thirty, nice long shower and then bed.  It's been a long day and packing up the house has been more stressed this year but cars in the right place, keys where they should be and all presents delivered to the right people.  LN....Nice photos of the sunrise but not got the right program on this new laptop....you'll have to wait till the eagle has landed.....LN

Thursday 14th December

Hotel was fine and I managed eight hours sleep which for me is never heard of.  I did go to bed at ten though and slept through until six so I was still up early and had time to fill before breakfast and the courtesy bus to the airport.  I was still panicking about the luggage but eventually I recognised that it would be OK eventually, but I hate going through airport security.  I had breakfast in the hotel at eight thirty, there was a wide selection of food but I settled for two bacon sandwiches and two muffins with apple juice to wash it all down.  Back to the room and read the Kindle and tried to keep everything charged up but there were a lot of electrics going on.  I took the courtesy bus and arrived at the airport at half eleven, sailed straight through check-in and then on to virtually stripping down.  I'd dressed for snow which wasn't in Sofia so had a body warmer and leather coat, big boots and all that has to go into trays that disappear, and you wait for them to reappear and hopefully everything is there....and it was.....and then it's time to get dressed again.  On to the passport control and as well as my UK passport I presented him with my Bulgarian registration document and that sailed me through.  I went to the gate, settled myself, I had two hours to wait before the flight was due to depart.  On to the bus and I sat in the right seat and was second on to the plane, bag in overhead, other bag on the seat and I asked one of the hosties if it was possible to put my coat in the overhead and she told me not to and to put it under the seat.  I explained that I had a bag in that compartment and she said well if you put it up there and there's a problem with lack of space it will have to come down again.  By this time I was still fighting with people getting on the plane so I sat down, got back up again and got 'divorced' from my leather jacket....it went in one of the overheads about two down from my luggage.  I also realised that I'd picked the wrong seat, the lady next to me was reading a newspaper and as she turned pages her elbow kept knocking into me and the guy next to me was having problems getting comfortable.  Next time I'll go back to an aisle seat.

Flight landed OK eventually but we were far away from the main gates and stayed that way for a while.  The electronic system directing the aircraft to the docking station had gone down and it was at least thirty minutes before we were docked.  Passport control was OK, on to the rail to take me to the train station and it was so difficult to get a ticket.  The booths had all gone, the way they'd arranged the entrance to the automatic ticket machines I must have walked around five hundred meters, a very unhelpful assistant was forced into helping me, down to the platform and being forced to go down another rabbit hole made me miss my train .  The next one was on another platform so I had to climb stairs since the lift wasn't working and walk down another set of stairs complete with heavy luggage. The train journey was fine, Brighton station was the next hurdle, lots of police around and men erecting barriers blocking off the route to the taxi rank and I was forced to go out of the main entrance to the station and by this time I was feeling rather knacked.  Got in a taxi, had a really good conversation with the taxi driver about Bulgaria and religion and his parting shot was that I should read the Koran.  We shook hands, I said that there was not much change of that happening but he did let me off with seventy pence from the fare because I only had notes.  

Unpacked, had a mare of a time getting into the system here so the updates are done but again no photos.  I'm too tired to investigate, I need image resizer to do its stuff before they're of the size to post and I'll tackle that when I've had a good nights sleep.  LN.....Back in the UK, things to sort out.....but not short of energy despite the long day.....LN

Friday 15th December

It's been another long day and it's only half six.  I was awakened at half five this morning by my host going to the bathroom on his crutches since his knee is playing up and just couldn't get back to sleep again despite trying various techniques.  So I put the light on and did a little computer updating, got bored with that so went down to make a coffee and decided to clean the kitchen and worktops.  He's now had to resort to two crutches and finds it difficult to keep on top of the things that have to be done....so....the angel of all household tasks has descended and the kitchen fairy went to town and now all's good in that area of the house.  By eight I'd got bored with that so I washed and dressed and was at the bus stop at the top of the road to catch the nine fifty into Brighton and I left him slumbering.

I arrived in Churchill Square in Brighton around ten thirty, the bus takes a very convoluted route but does cover all bases and gathers them all in from the neighbourhood.  It was good to be back in Brighton again, it wasn't too crowded, the weather was OK and not too cold.  I wanted more computer cables so went to the 'Poundshop' but unfortunately the range has changed and there really wasn't much on offer.  I did manage to buy chocolate snowballs, marshmallows, a couple of books and stuffed them into my leather bag partly hidden by my body warmer. I tried Primark but they've had a refit and it was just strange shopping there and the familiar high street was no more.  Lots of the shops have moved out, new ones have taken their place but there was nothing that really interested me.  I managed to buy Christmas cards since that was the reason I was there, was greeted at the door of one shop by a young lady with ginger biscuits that I immediately recognised as the ones that I used to have in Copenhagen at Christmas time when I was working there.  I said to the young girl that I knew them as 'Peppercocka' and she looked at me blankly so I didn't push the point home...there would have been no point in doing so.....but I did buy two tins of them for Christmas.

Back on the bus and I was home for one thirty more or less and felt that I'd had a good day.  My host hadn't realised that the kitchen fairy had been at work, he'd not made it down on his crutches and was playing on the computer upstairs.  I made tea and coffee, was tempted to open the biscuits but controlled myself and instead we finished off the bar of Cadbury snowballs and moved to the lounge.  I did managed to buy some new charging cables and put them to good use already.  Tired of the television I went back to my room and have managed to download my photo reduction program onto my new machine so should be able to post pictures again.  Time to move back downstairs, I think I'm on kitchen duties again, I'm getting hungry so I'm going on a hunt to see what's available.  LN.....Christmas cards will be done tomorrow and maybe even get some in the postbox......LN

Saturday 16th December

Today again was an early start, I'll still running on Bulgarian time.  I finished the rest of the kitchen tidying, sent a message to my daughter, received a replay and decided that since the weather wasn't so bad I could walk down the village and get bread and ham for breakfast.  The cupboard is bare here, a grocery delivery is about to take place and so old Mother Hubbard got in her own stock.  I made ham sandwiches for breakfast, my host was still ensconced in his night quarters and then my daughter phoned and we had a first real catch-up since I've been here.  She asked if I was going to church tomorrow and offered to take me in to Brighton and said she would like to stay for the service which came as a real surprise.  I think the last time that we went together was just after my mother died which was a long time ago.  

So back to my day, I searched without much luck for my address book so that I could start my Christmas cards but didn't manage to find it.  I looked in all the places where I would expect it to be but no luck.  I did the cards that I could, sent messages to those that could help with other addresses and then gave up.  It turned into a miserable damp day so no change of getting another walk in over the Downs and to the sea but there's still plenty of time for that.  I put a gammon joint into the slow cooker so at least I would know what I was doing later in the day, my host is still hobbling around on his crutches and the basis for an evening meal was in place.  Not much else to report really except that despite not being able to get English TV in BG, I was determined to watch the Strictly final which was going well until Cher started to give her renderings and I promptly fell asleep on the sofa.  I've not long woken up, had missed the result and have just Googled it and despite being third after the judges scoring, the last girl remaining picked up the trophy.  I was pleased that she did it, a deserved winner.

So church in the morning at eleven, then I think we'll meander into Brighton Marina and have a look at the shops if the weather is good and play it by ear.  Time for my beauty sleep.   LN.....Camera will be out and about with me in the Marina......LN

Sunday 17th December

Early morning start again and I should just have about cracked the start of day when it's time to go home.  I didn't bother with breakfast and was ready and waiting for my daughter and husband to pull up in the car to take me to church but unfortunately it didn't have the results I was hoping.  We arrived early and was invited to sit in the church to wait for the service to begin, one of the stewards decided we needed to listen to some Christmas songs which didn't seem at all appropriate for me but we went with it.  The rest of the congregation appeared in dribs and drabs and in the end there were only around twenty people there.  The web page advised that there would be an international medium and that was the reason I was there and introduced to us was a lady who had travelled down from London to take the service and I can only assume that she was a substitution for the one that was supposed to be there.  

The opening reading was inspiring and her address was all about kindness to each other which is especially needed considering the state of the world today.  Unfortunately when she came to linking with her spirit guides, a connection is made but it is directed out to the congregation and not to an individual and I think mediumship today has changed.  She started her second  in a way that it could have been destined for my daughter and myself and included something that we'd discussed while we were waiting for the service to begin.  She said that she was drawn to us but it seemed more as if she was talking to my daughter and describing me and my life.  I had to stop her at this point and explain that I didn't think the message was for us, since I was very much alive and not dead yet which caused a titter around the rest of the people in church. Eventually she moved on with the same message and someone else took it on.  We sang the last hymn, left the church and son in law had driven to pick us up and off we went to Brighton Marina where it was cold and blowing a gale so we didn't linger long, found the restaurant and had a very enjoyable meal.  They dropped me off at home around three, I had a search for my Bulgarian debit card and found it in my passport and I guess I put it there when I realised that I wouldn't be using it.  In the restaurant I went for my English card, realised that my other card wasn't in the place it should be and had completely forgotten making the transfer to the passport.....that's age for you.

I settled down on the sofa this afternoon and fell asleep probably due to the early morning starts and trying to keep on top of things and sorry for the lateness of this postings and again without photos.....I'll sort them out tomorrow.  LN....My bed it calling.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far....I'll see what I can get up to......LN  

Monday 18th December

Another early morning start but it is getting later I'm pleased to say.  Coffee, back to bed and played a few games then waited for the sun to come up and I was waiting all day....and still no sign of it.  Since my host is still getting around the house on crutches I phoned the doctor's surgery to try and identify what was actually happening with his medication was any treatment on the agenda.  I firstly addressed my concerns in reply to the last email I received from them and decided to follow it up with a phone call to the surgery which took me around twenty minutes until my turn came....I started out at tenth in the queue....the state of British medical system.  Eventually I spoke to a lady and asked firstly if my email had arrived in the inbox and it had.  I asked her to read it and said that I was concerned that nothing seems to have happened since I raised issues with the in October and she said that she would speak to the doctor and I was put on hold again.  My main question was what could he take for the pain that didn't interfere with the prescribed cocktail of drugs that he's already taking and her response was that she wanted to speak to him to confirm that she could share information with me.  Now he was still asleep, so I woke him up by removing the breathing assist nightly attire and he mumbled that she could share any information that she had with me.  As I moved the phone and asked her if she had got it, she suddenly went off the line and now I had to join another queue to renew the connection.  I was now thirteenth in the queue, twenty minutes later I spoke to a gentleman, explained that I had lost connection with the lady that I was speaking to, he went off the line, came back on and told me that she wasn't available, asked me to wait and he would come back to me.....and never did.  I sat holding the phone going nowhere.  Next step was to send off another email and apparently I am supposed to receive a reply within two days.  Let's wait and see.

By now it was getting on for lunchtime, my host was still asleep and didn't join the land of the living until one thirty, I'd filled in time by finishing my Christmas cards and making bank transfers for birthday and Christmas presents using my son as the banker and my grandson away with the army won't run out of drinking vouchers while he's away.  The rest of the afternoon was sorting out my computer, passwords being the bain of my life and just delving into drawers to find what was hidden away in my old bedroom and trying to place an Asda online shop so that we don't run out of food.

Just seen a weather report for home and we have snow, lots of it and I'd love to be there.  I just hope that we have more when I get back but not while I'm making my journey from Sofia to home.  Let me get settled first.  I suppose I better start thinking about supper and see what I can find....not for me, I've got a bag of soft mallows starting me in the face and it would be rude not to.  I'm turning into chief cook and bottle washer.  LN.....Don't you just love the national health!!!!!....and no photos, I can't find my camera......LN

Tuesday 19th December

Seven thirty start this morning so at last I am acclimatising to the time scales but it's so dark in the mornings that you'd never know.  I had another session with the surgery when they sent an email to me asking me to phone them.  I got cut off the first time, tried again and managed to get through and when she said that she would put me on hold I asked her not to after being cut off so many times from them and this time she promised to phone me back....and I didn't get cut off.  She had a discussion with the paramedic that had come out to visit my host in October, came back with what action we could take and I have to go to the surgery tomorrow to pick up a prescription for the pain and documents so that we can get blood tests done.  All this has to be accompanied by a letter so that I am able to access the contents of my host's medical records.  At last I seem to have got things moving.....and before I go I'm arranging for him to have help at home for three or four hours per week.....he's at the stage that he needs it.

I had breakfast, arranged with my daughter that she's picking me up in the morning and tomorrow we are shopping in Lewes and hopefully we won't get another parking ticket in Tesco's car park.  We were supposed to be going today but the weather was just too wet even for us so hence the delay.  Despite the weather, I get tired of being inside the house, as you know there's lot of light inside my house and air circulation so I gathered up my Christmas cards and walked down the village.  There were very few people about, most had the sense to stay inside, I made it to the post office, she stick the stamps on for me, I withdrew cash and set off for the sea front to watch the waves crashing on the undercliff walk and the pebble beach.  I like it when it's wild and I was the only one down there.  Next stop Tesco where I bought mini-pork pies, chocolate, ham and a few other things bearing in mind that I was carrying them home.  I stopped off at the charity shop and bought a children's wooden hang up sign where you write how many days it is until Christmas and I think I might just take it back with me to give to my ex-student who always wants to open her presents early.  Just a gentle reminder.

Two of the pork pies have gone and some of the Cadbury chocolate, my host was still in bed when I got back so I settled down in front of the TV and watched what I can't get over in BG thanks to the company providing the service going bust.  Now it's time to think about supper, I've had too much chocolate to worry about it, but I have a duty to perform.  LN.......Shopping tomorrow but I must remind myself that there's not a lot of space in my luggage.....I could always take another bag back......LN  

Wednesday 20th December

Not such an early start this morning, I didn't bother with coffee and had an hour trying on evening clothes that I hadn't bothered with for the last ten years or so. I even have one that my mother made me when I was twenty four years of age, I can almost get into it but need to lose a little more and then I shall be finding a ball Cinderella....and I'd wear it with pride....it's still fashionable.  Toast for breakfast and a mini-pork pie.  I had a bath didn't bother with my hair it was OK and got dressed and waited for my daughter to pick me up....we were going shopping.

We drove to Lewes, did the charity shops, Waitrose and then drove round to Tesco advertising pre-packed veg at fifteen pence so we filled the trolley with carrots, parsnips, potatoes, sprouts, red cabbage and swedes and the total came to approximately two pounds.  It's a good reason to become a vegetarian but after this morning's pork pie....maybe not.  Back to her house, we unpacked the shopping, had lunch and chilled for the afternoon.  We went out again this time to the surgery to get the paperwork done for a blood test and x-rays on my hosts knee and it should be sorted before I go home.  

It won't be long before I head upstairs for bed, it's been quite a busy day, miserable weather and cold and I'm looking forward to climbing into bed tonight.  A gentle morning is planned.....Telegraph suduko while my daughter does the crossword.  LN.....Just our morning routine when I stay here.....LN