retirement Archives - Turning Simple Difficult

It’s A Fine Line…

November 13, 2021November 13, 2021 by Jane8 Comments

Between Pride & A Fall It has been a long, long time since I last posted here. I wanted to let you know why... Image by Here and now, unfortunately, ends my journey on Pixabay from Pixabay Back in 2020 when we all became aware of the pandemic, I thought the toilet paper hoarding, empty shelves and the confusing instructions from the UK government were hilarious. First world problems. Also, and this is important. I felt very lucky to be here in Bulgaria, surrounded by land. Not confined to an apartment or city house and where all the shops were operating as normal. Not one person to be found hugging toilet paper like their life depended on it. When the vaccine started rolling out I was also delighted to find out that I didn’t need to wait for my age bracket to be called in. I could just turn up and get jabbed at the local hospital and on 23rd February 2021 that’s exactly what...

Meet The Team – Part Three

February 28, 2021February 28, 2021 by JaneNo Comments

Dimitrina I sometimes think that I can do everything and I’m having to learn that I just can’t. Not because I am not capable, but there are only so many hours in a day. When I’m trying to work full time, fully renovate a property, keep our current house going, promote events, look after 4 dogs, chickens and bees and create a garden capable of feeding my guests, something has to give. Tomorrow is the 1st of March which here in Bulgaria is called Baba Marta (Grandmother March), so I thought it appropriate to introduce you to my very own Baba Marta. Meet Dimitrina! Dimitrina is both a friend and a neighbour. She is above all a family woman and her daughters, her son and all her grandchildren live in and around the village. All of the villagers here have made us feel so welcome since moving here, 7 years ago, and this family have given us so much more than we could ever have anticipated. The main...

What To Blog?

February 14, 2021 by JaneNo Comments

And A Little Of What Not to Blog? Usually I have a heap of things going on. When it comes to the decision of what to blog, it is more about what not to blog… this week is a little different. We have been doing things, of course we have, when do we ever not do things!? Filling Time The thing is, having had the whole house rewired, the only thing we are really doing right now is filling in the inevitable channels, sanding walls and testing out some paint to see if it covers ok. Do you really want a whole blog on all this lot? I think not. Long story short! It is gonna look like it was never touched. A bit like being back at square one. Except with an additional month’s worth of work and a pocket full of cash lighter. Clearing Out The other thing I’ve been doing is emptying the knee-deep soil, mud, old animal dung and various carcasses out of the...

Meet The Team – Part Two

January 30, 2021January 30, 2021 by JaneNo Comments

Katie Well here we go… part two of meet the team, introducing Katie! This is so exciting for me as I’m a little bit of a fan of Katie, I have to admit. She has definitely been an influence on my journey over the last few years. To have her agree to be a part of these retreats is humbling. So where do I start? I met Katie through her Mum. She was visiting her here in Bulgaria. From the moment I encountered her I instantly wanted to know more about her and to become her friend. This young woman had a sense of elegance, an ethereal, freeness that I could only dream of. She exuded a natural mystical, spiritual, witchy vibe that I wanted to grab onto, with the hope that I would soak up a little of this just by being near her. What Katie Does Katie is an intuitive Ayurvedic yoga teacher, women's circle facilitator and reiki master teacher. She hasn’t just learned these...

Toilet Talk

January 17, 2021February 14, 2021 by JaneNo Comments

The Big Toilet Debate I don’t know if you remember the big toilet debate. I think I may have mentioned that the one thing that we have debated and debated and yes… debated some more, was the toilet situation at the new house. In fact, it was this issue that made me come up with the idea for You Decide - Design Dilemmas. I couldn’t take any more weeks of going round in circles, researching on the internet, surveying the land etc., etc.,. I decided to let you guys make all the difficult decisions going forward. For those of you that live in the UK and the US, most of you will think….well just plumb in a couple of units and off you go… what are you worrying about woman! That may be the case back in the western world but out here, in our village, mains sewage is not an option. Currently up at the Bee House we have a ‘long drop’. For those...

Meet The Team – Part One

January 9, 2021January 31, 2021 by Jane2 Comments

Kristina I am writing this in two parts as there is so much to say about these wonderful women and I don’t want to cut it short for the sake of ‘blog’ restrictions. I am so excited to share our team members with you all. These are real women, living real lives, who are looking forward to helping me create something I just know is going to be so … what? How do I describe what I have planned? There are so many relevant adjectives: Relaxing, connecting, freeing, experimenting, fun, delicious, discovering… I am making it my aim before the end of this month to put together a guide to what it ‘actually’ is, please hold me to this! So, this is Part One of meet the team. Kristina WillsChef @ Bee You Retreats in 2022 I first met Kristina through her sister. We had helped Camilla move into her new apartment in Bansko and with her younger sister about to move over from Australia into our region, we exchanged...

Christmas Presents

December 23, 2020December 23, 2020 by JaneNo Comments

Giving & Receiving For some reason since moving out here, we don't do Christmas presents. We don't give them and we don't receive them. Does that sound sad? Well it isn't I promise, as it takes away a lot of pressure to find something that the other person hasn't got, that they want and that you can afford to buy. That's a lot of stress just because someone says you must buy a gift on this day. I Am Not A Scrooge! Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay I'm not a scrooge, I enjoy Christmas now. I love the lights, the food, the time together, the terrible repetitive TV, the winter weather, the carols, the cheesy films, the lights, the decorations and the extra tot of alcohol. But I hate all the commercialism - I can give or receive a gift any time of the year - and because Dan feels the same way there is no guilt trip, no pressure, no family tradition that we...

Ask The Audience – You Decide!

December 10, 2020December 13, 2020 by Jane2 Comments

Do You Wanna Play? Image by Ylanite Koppens from Pixabay Christmas is coming and it’s the time for parlour games… oh my God am I some sort of Victorian peasant or something… What I mean is the UK Government have outlawed board games and singing this Christmas so I have invented a new game to keep you amused. It’s called You Decide and like all good puppies it is not just for Christmas. As you know we have a new house. This house will become a retreat twice a year for women. Women that are at a crossroads in life (we've all been there). Maybe their kids have grown up and left home and they have the chance to discover who they are (other than a mother). Perhaps they are recently divorced and need to find out who they are all over again or maybe they are close to retirement and the ‘job’ had defined them for so many years. Whatever their story we want to...

The Simplicity of Overwhelm

November 29, 2020December 13, 2020 by Jane8 Comments

So Much to Do so Little Time Oh boy it is so easy to get overwhelmed when you have BIG plans! The new house is mine. The winter weather is on its way and time is limited to get cracking on the things that need to be done to make it ‘workshop’ friendly. I’m a planner, so laying out what needs to happen and estimating time and funds to do it is the simple part. Looking at that plan and knowing that there are only two of us, a million things to do and only 18 months at most to achieve it… Well that raises the heart rate a little. So much to do and so little time is the first part of the equation. What if? Then I start thinking about the amount of effort and funds I am about to invest in this property and new adventure and wonder, what if? What if I don’t finish it in time? What if I finish it and...

Friday 13th 2020 – What Could Go Wrong?

November 13, 2020December 13, 2020 by Jane12 Comments

Shit Just Got Real Oh my goodness – I am excited beyond belief. Did I say excited – I meant TERRIFIED. Not because it is Friday 13th in 2020 (of all the years). No, not this as I actually believe this day is lucky. Or more to the point the number 13 represents feminine power and if we're honest we could all use a bit of that! However, all this talk about finding out who I am, or managing the expectations of others and here I am shaking in my boots because I am soon to expose myself (not physically you understand, that would be easy in comparison, if not a little disturbing for you guys, but mentally). I have spent my life worrying about what others will think about me. It has held me back from being the person I think I am. As an example, many years ago I wrote a book whilst in an abusive relationship. I kept it hidden because I...