Goodbye to Sonia

Up and writing early, and I feel I am making decent some progress on my poetry MS. Robin and I were a bit late with the Podcast this time, but we got this uploaded this afternoon. It features Robin interviewing  Helen Ivory and chats about Thomas Tranströmer and Robert Hamberger. 

Today was it was the last time Sonia would come around and clean for us. She has been popping in once a week for ten years now -- in fact we are her oldest customers -- and is going back to Bulgaria with Barry. We had a long chat, and she showed me more photos of Bulgaria, and talked about the loveliness of the fresh food there, and worried about Barry being eaten alive by mosquitos and midges.  I gave her the little tree of life necklace Lorraine and I had chosen for her, and a card. She put her necklace on and when we hugged goodbye she went off in tears down the road, and I felt a tear in my eye too. I have always enjoyed chatting with Sonia over the years, and her warmth and her down to earth take on the world has made me laugh many times. My source of Bulgarian wisdom has gone.

Very rainy still this morning, and off and on during the day. After Sonia had gone, and the podcast uploaded, I went for a walk up to Hollingbury Hill which made me feel happy. Dark skies, but a patch of sunlit water on the horizon.

Back home, and Lorraine came back from work. We ordered a curry, and Beth came around briefly in her nail varnish red car and ate with us. Sam and Jade down for a curry. After losing her car keys for a bit, Betty set off down to Preston Park to watch James cycling in the pouring rain at the velodrome. He came last, although he was pitting himself against a higher division of riders, but was pleased to find Betty there for him.

In Kenny towers, Lorraine, Jade and I settled down to watch England vs Scotland. A game played in lashing rain, and a dour goalless affair with Scotland's far less fancied team playing well. A waste of an evening really, but that's football!    

A snap of the sunlit sea from afar.