“Charity should begin at home, but should not stay there.”
―Phillips Brooks
However, this post from @galenkp got me thinking. Dr Who happened to be playing on the television, and now several thoughts were whirling around in my head.
Image by mc-smalt from Pixabay the tardis from Dr Who
What would be my ideal weekend?
This is my entry for my ideal weekend challenge. My thanks for reading, and fiction, outrageous, far-fetched it might have a touch of all three!
Friday 5pm
Ah shoot, I forget to put my Euromillions ticket on. I whipped out my phone, opened the site and placed my £2.50 ticket, noting that the jackpot was an estimated £42million.
Edinburgh Castle - image by the author @tengolotodo
Tickets had been secured for the 7.30pm performance of the Edinburgh Tattoo at the castle, and we just had time to grab a bite to eat in the Grassmarket, which is only a 15 minute walk from the castle.
Halfway through the two hour show, I felt my phone vibrate. I read the notification which was from The National Lottery, I had won a prize. Awesome I thought, will check that in the pub after the show.
Once the fireworks were over we made our way down to the Malt Shovel, a good old fashioned no frills pub that was my regular during my student days.
A couple of Belhaven pints later, I suddenly remembered my notification. Whipping out my phone again, I read the notification in disbelief. I had won the jackpot a silly amount of £42 million.
Drinks are on me for the night, I told the barman, and the whole pub erupted in raucous cheers somewhat akin to the cheers my beloved Rangers let out when we beat the arch-enemy Celtic.
What a day, I had finished the first draft of my book Archie Cameron - The Home Coming, seen an awesome military tattoo and now this mega win. The Universe is smiling at me I thought.
The front doors creaked open and in walked Clara Oswald, the assistant of the Doctor in Dr Who. Hey Eddie, she called out, finish up your drink and let's go. The Dr let me borrow the tardis for the weekend, so get a move on, we have places to be.
Could this weekend get any better? Damn right it could, so let's find out how.
Friday 11.42pm
Clara opened up the tardis and in we trooped, every one of us awestruck at the inside of the police box that just kept on getting bigger and bigger.
Image by willbot studios from Pixabay the interior of The Tardis
Where to? asked Clara. Give me a minute please! I told her. I whipped out my phone again and in a flash had a £4.2 million donation sent to each of Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , Give a Dog a Bone…and an animal a home and Scottish Wildlife Trust .
Awesome I thought, nothing beats the feeling of giving, but wait, that might be the animals sorted, you forgot the bairns though!
Out the phone got whipped again!
Clickety-click and a £4.2 million donation whisked it's way to Save the Children
Okay Clara, first stop is to the publishers to grab some copies of the 1st draft of my book, I know some special ladies that are waiting for their copy.
Five minutes later, with multiple copies of the book Archie Cameron - The Home Coming stacked in a corner of the Tardis, Eddie and friends were ready to go!
Clara, please take us to Caracas in Venezuela.
No problem, on it already.
The console flashes, the Tardis makes it's usual noise and bam we have arrived.
Friday 11.54pm UCT Caracas Carstairs, Scotland
I opened the door of the Tardis and immediately felt a gush of cold air, I thought Caracas was meant to be warm I muttered, this is bleeding freezing.
Spotting a pub, Eddie sauntered off. The door was closed and actually locked. Frustrated he looked at the signage on the window. Masons Arms, hmmm not very Spanish sounding. The street sign said Main Street, that was not very Spanish sounding either!
Clara, are you sure you took us to Caracas?
My bad, Caracas, I thought you meant Carstairs. Sorry Eddie, Caracas here we come.
Friday 7.59pm Caracas, Venezuela
The restaurant that I had chosen was Restaurant Alto and I had the table booked for 8pm. I do like to be on time, even if most of the Spanish speaking world does not!
source - screenshot of the Alto Instagram page
We sat on the terrace and I placed some of my books on the chairs.
I preordered the sampling menu as it was a feast in itself!
Ah, here they came @coquicoin @rebeysa85 and @gertu
Ladies I am so glad that you made it, may I present you with your own signed copy of my first draft of Archie Cameron - The Home Coming!
The amazing food was complemented with fine wines and scintillating conversations and a wonderful night was had by all.
The last thing that I did before hitting the sleep button was make a £4.2 million donation to Healing Venezuela
Saturday 7.03am The Tardis, Caracas, Venezuela
Rise and shine people, the day is bright and we have travelling to be done I said to the group of sleepy revellers.
Clara set a path for Mexico and then onto Chile.
Saturday 7.42am Mexico
Knock, knock...
Hola @lourdeshd6 I have a copy of my book for you😁 and a £4.2 million donation to Enseña por México , if you are free please join us on a wee tour that will end up somewhere exciting!
Okay everyone all ready? Good ... Clara take us to Chile please!
Saturday 8.13am Vallenar, Chile
We need to stop off and deliver a book to @jcchelme and give her a £4.2 million donation to Habitat for Humanity
Don't worry I can hear your stomachs grumbling, I have booked us all breakfast at Los Olivos de Vallenar
A sumptuous breakfast was followed by a tour of Vallenar and everyone was ready for a late morning siesta.
Clara, take us to Hong Kong!
Saturday 1.01pm Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong
There she is, hello @jane1289 please take this £4.2 million donation and give to the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital Foundation
In the meantime, let's go eat mushroom congee at your favorite congee restaurant.
We all had the most perfect Chinese lunch and were in need of another nap, but no the itinerary was for a quick stopover before heading for our final destination of the day.
Clara, take us to Bohol!
Saturday 3.42pm Chocolate Hills, Bohol, the Philippines
Having seen numerous pictures of the chocolate hills, I was excited to see them for real! There are at least 1,260 hills but could be up to 1,776 hills. They are covered in green grass which turns brown in the dry season, yep you guessed it they become The Chocolate Hills!
source Image by young woon Song from Pixabay
We were met by two amazing hivers who were to be our guides in their homeland @eylz619 and @bloghound .
Ladies here are you copies of my book, see if you can spot yourselves in the book! Here also is a £4.2 million donation to Alagang Kapatid Foundation
Now, lets take a wee walk round some of these hills. Two exhausting hours later we all flopped back inside the Tardis.
Clara set sail for Lady Grey!
Saturday 5.59pm Lady Grey McGregor,Western Cape, South Africa
You do know that you can't trust everything you see on the internet Eddie, said Clara. Lady Grey changed its name in 1905 to McGregor to honour Rev. Andrew McGregor, who had been the Dutch Reformed Church minister of the Robertson District for 40 years.
Oh really said I with pouting lips!
We reached our last destination for Saturday and were just in time to heard the penultimate poem in the Poetry in McGregor festival.
There they are I said as I spied the two people we were here to see. @fionasfavourites was going to make me a poached egg on her famous Thai slaw (she just didn't know it yet!). Hello Fiona and there is @papilloncharity , let me give you a £4.2 million to help out.
Now then Fiona, would you like to shows us your world famous village irrigation system and then we get have some of your mountain wine that you rave about, as my glass is looking decidly half empty right now!
We all had a blast, songs were sung and dances were made from all corners of the globe, and many a dram was had.
Bed people, you need your sealegs in the morning.
Clara set sail for our final destination at 7.30am!
Saturday 7.32am Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia
Here we are folks, time to do some sea angling or fishing. If you want you can go sightseeing or better yet get the material ready for the barbeque. We are lucky in that @galenkp has agreed to help us slip a shrimp on the barbie.
source Image by Wolfgang Krzemien from Pixabay
That is my boat and I am away to get some fish.
I didn't catch a marlin, but I did catch lots to put on the barbie.
Evening was spent eating drink and joking, before we all got in the Tardis and bid our farewells. One by one I dropped everyone off. Having dispersed of my lottery winning I was in a good mood.
The charity did begin at home, but it didn't stay there.
And that my friends was my ideal weekend.
Thank you for reading I appreciate it.
Oh wow. You got it all, uncle Ed. My favorite though is the castle. Take us all there hehe.
Yes of course you can all come to the Castle, I know how you love them Mrs P!
Sigh! One of my bucket lists, uncle Ed!
whoaaaa what a weekend! since you already brought us to Australia can I stay there for a few days have to visit some friends :P but I want to see that castle too! now you are not wildlife Eddie anymore.. you are big heart Eddie :D
of course you will be staying longer in Australia, and yes you will see the castle, haha big heart Eddie , salamat Eylz :)
your welcome big hera Ed! it suits you hahaa
hehe salamat salamat Eylz :)
This is the real Tardis, standing on the sea front at Scarborough where its always been!
hehe brilliant, well I live by the sea, so maybe it started there before picking me up 😁
Cheers Tito Ed! You got a whole lot of fun, adventure, friendship, charity and so much more on your great weekend!
Salamat CJ, it grew arms and legs, and I also deleted a bit with people by mistake 🤣
The imagination is boundless and it's great to keep it going wild, hehehe
Haha nice weekend! That is a lot going on in one weekend, I love it!
hehe it was a busy one and thank you😉
Nicely done and a well-deserved win! The lotto money flying around and Hiveans showing up everywhere, brilliant!
Thanks for your kind words, it was a fun one to write😁
Congratulations!🎉 I've been busy...will read your post in detail when I get some time, today or tomorrow:)
Thank you @millycf1976 that was a fun one to write, I think I have a coffee post brewing soon :)
You're welcome!
😊 Bring it on :)
You have such a big heart that I hope you win the lottery and maybe you won't travel in the Tardis but in a perfect blue boat. And like Eylz and Bloghound I'll love to visit the castle too. I'm super chuffed you got the more than deserved prize in the challenge. 💙
And in Tardis or not I will wait for my first draft on time 🤣🤗
I would love to cruise from spot to spot in a big blue boat for real Eli!
Haha the first draft I know HAS to be on time!
thanks, that was a fun one to write, but it grew and arms and legs with the researching 😁
This is a great pass. And thank you for this great donation you have made. Really fun to read your witticisms. A big hug my friend.
Thank you Gertu, it was fun to write and would be fun to meet you, and of course see some of those plants of yours :)
Thank you very much, I would also be very happy to see you personally. I would take you to see my beaches, my plants, my favorite places, you would love them. And I would also invite you to a coffee in my garden hehehe.
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You had me with
And then I read on: my word, you have done your homework!
I'm delighted to have been included in your ideal weekend, and have one small request: if there's small change left, you might include our animal charity and the work of this amazing ballet school for what the do - on shoe strings literally - in our village.
After that cheek, yes, you will get a poached (duck - if they're in season) egg on that slaw. The Husband might even do one of his famous braais for you...while you drink some of our excellent wine....
We have a date!
Oh that ballet school is amazing, free classes and free leotards that really is amazing, and I love the helping of animals at Ouplaas farm absolutely, so absolutely they would get some donations.
Yes, it is fun to do some research and explore the world. The poetry festival took me by surprise as did the irrigation system, I am not sure if that is still all up to date info though.
Ah you guys do you love your braais that would be cool, and I can see why you always a half-full wine glass, you got some awesome local wines.
I am sure I can find at least one duck that would be in season! That would be one good date!
A date it is. We need to be sure you are here either in summer when the leiwater ("lead" water ia the literal translation) is running. It's one of the thkngs that made me fall in love with the village nearly 30 years ago. We get some of our water from that system.
Or
When the Poetry Festival runs. Covid had an effect and it has had some re-imagining. I think this year or next is the 10th.
So, yes, the information is up to date.🙂
Oh yes I imagine the Poetry Festival has been revamped in format.
Then it would need to be summer, as I would like to see it when the leiwater is running! YOu get some water from it, now that is pretty cool!
You did quite a trip there huh Ed? That was awesome, and for the record I was already waiting when you arrived haha I'm a very punctual person. I wanted to go to Australia and Hing Kong, next time add a spot for me please!
It was a big trip Rebeca and great to meet you too :) You were early it was awesome! Oh yes you will have a spot saved for all the places ...
Oh Eddy!! Sería genial que de verdad te sacaras la lotería jejeje ya veo que ayudarías mucho y por supuesto que uniría en tu aventura de conocer lugares... A ver a dónde me llevarías! Jejeje
Saludos Ed!
¡Sería divertido Lourdes!
Sí, podemos soñar, y quién sabe qué pasará. Pero sería genial verte y llevarte en nuestro viaje.
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What a wonderful weekend you had. Thanks for remembering to stop by Chile.
I'm glad you are doing well at Hive 🙂 .
Gracias Juany, it is fin, and of course, I had to come and see you 😁
What a wonderful ideal weekend, as I would like to know that place only in photos and the way you have recreated the castle is fascinating @tengolotodo
Thank you for allowing my imagination to fly high and dreaming that I am there enjoying and getting to know it.
It is a magical and fantastic literature what I have just read in your weekend story.
Have a great night.
I think tomorrow I will post where I could or would like to be any weekend this year.
Happy night from the caribbean and sunny place where I live.
aww thank you for this wonderful comment.
I do like to write facts and fiction and call it faction.
I used to do a lot of writing like that, maybe I should do some more again.
I am writing a book and the castle well we have a lot in Scotland so my imagination runs wild.
I look forward to reading you!
Friend what a pleasure to hear from you @tengolotodo , of course I loved that magical literature is a wonderful fiction. I loved the castle I have never been in one, so I got to experience it by reading your post.
Of course you are going to read me , I have posted yesterday about molly the formula 1 and her dear friend Lady hunter. in Hive pets, it is very nice and very light reading.
And now later I'll post something here that is in the process of being planned for a weekend with good friends at the beach very soon. I hope you read me ...
Hugs from the caribbean to scotland my friend.
oh I need to visit your profile and have a read.
Big hugs from Scotland:)
Gratitude my friend @tengolotodo , greetings are returned from the land of the beloved sun ,
Thank you and enjoy your sun for me :)