Thursday 11th March

Registered my company.  OK my solicitor was almost two hours late for our appointment but what the hell...jobsagudun...and all achieved.

Bought a 4gig memory stick for the new radio and radio installed and memory stick being loaded with music overnight.  Richard tried to get it finished but with 8 hours to go, the call to the restaurant and cheesy chips and chicken wings was growing stronger by the minute and I decided that the memory stick could wait.

Back from the restaurant and wasn't disappointed at all.  I have my 'local handcream' sourced and paid for and now to bed.  The temperatured has gone down tonight again so I shall sleep with two layers of PJs just to make sure that I don't wake up in the early hours...  Sleep tight...

Friday 12th March

Morning sun shining on the snow covered peaks....beautiful...tidied my room yet again...and can't understand how it can get in a mess with only me for company and no one else to blame.  Internet has been like a bride's nightie this morning so I'm taking advantage of it while I have it.  

My memory stick now contains goodness knows how many albums so today I think I shall just drive round and listen to my newly acquired stereo for the Clio.  It was a toss up whether it went in the Beast or not...but we'll see.  I might get them swapped over later.

Off to the house now to see what I can get on with.  The men have decided to let me know when they will be returning...ie...when the snow goes.  It's a shame but it is still only the middle of march and we are quite high up in the mountains.  Must go and check on my little old man.....catch you later...

And there he was in the bus shelter...not sure if it was warmer and drier than his house but he directed the action when I was removing the snow from the side of the road so that I could park without blocking the road....and what did I forget?  My camera.  I lit the fire, opened up the place to get some air into it and dug the snow from the front door to the road.  The ditch just beyond my boundary wall was running well just like a stream and going into the drain under my drive and out to the path beyond the well.  I just hope it doesn't freeze tonight or it will be lethal tomorrow on the roads.  So tomorrow, camera at the ready and promise will post tomorrow night.

Lecka nosht....it's time to get my head down....

Saturday 13th March

I received my electronic mother's day card for Princess this morning...so pleased she remembered and I wished her a beautiful tomorrow with the frogs.

I have spent the morning researching another part for the Beast.  It's currently in hospital awaiting love and attention and major surgery.  Well only major since I am having difficulty sourcing the part to make it well again.  Parts here are extremely expensive and you need to know the part number to make sure if it coming from the UK that it is the right part.  Needs as needs must though.  I think I might be going into Plovdiv and damn the expense.

Now I am off with the camera....it's a beautiful day and worth capturing....

Saturday 13th cont...

As promised, a few of the snow...

Sunday 14th March

Happy Mothering Sunday to Princess, Luey, Clare, Pepe and other mothers of the group.  May you all have a wonderful day and delight in the next generation knowing that you are loved and appreciate.  Enjoy the moment.  This morning is civilized.  I am drinking a cup of coffee, thanks to Richard's donation of a coffee maker, remembered to put my slippers on as soon as I got out of bed before they got chilled from the concrete floor and my internet connection is staying connected.  Thank you Maureen for the amusing emails you sent and some of them are winging their way to the far corners of the globe.

Now down to business...the exhaust manifold still seems to be a problem but I have a team working on it.  I just need to get the beast on the road and this morning I have called in the heavy brigade to help me break into my own house.  The front door has swollen in the snow and the key just won't turn in the lock so I need reinforcements.  Let's see what the rest of the day brings.....I think I might be lunching out because 'I'm a lady what can lunch' but it's a pity that the one that I usually lunch with is in UK and not here.  I shall just have to organise another luncheon date....

Well I didn't bother...the sun was shining in the room all day so I lay on the bed and finished my book, nibbled the rest of the blue cheese that I had got from Billa the other day, had a phone call from my Princess wishing me a Happy Mother's Day and just had a phone call from my Miester to say they can work tomorrow....result.  Now I'm a happy bunny and I'm off to the restaurant for supper..  LN

Monday the Ides of March....15th

I had men working so for me it wasn't so much beware but welcome the Ides of March.  The road going up to the Cafe where I meet them was slightly hazardous.  It was -2 thereabouts this morning and ice had formed overnight.

Interesting day....the men have been preparing the lounge for plaster and light sockets.  It was a hive of activity since this is the room that needs more preparation than any of the others being the newer part of the building.  Dropped them off at about 6.30 tonight after a hard slog and did emails and the likes and over to the restaurant for cheesy chips and a couple of local beers in the company of the local C of P and one of his cohorts.  

Now for bed said Zeberdee...it's an early start for me after the holiday I have been having...LN

Tuesday 16th March

The Ides came and went and I'm still alive to tell the tale.  It was a cold one this morning must have been about -4 and nearly froze my fingers off just getting the ice from the car windows.  There was ice on the road where the snow had melted yesterday so I gingerly made it to pick up the men and back to the house.  Stara Mush has been round most of the day having a warm and despite the sun, the wind was cold and the chill factor must have remained just on the freezing all day.  The wood burner was belching it out but with the doors open it was a hide into nothing.  I have a new ceiling in the lounge.  The men have been throwing the white stuff around, I have cabling in for my electricity sockets and two overhead lights, and a few big stones are going to be left exposed to confirm what the wall is really made of.  We have compromised on the bathroom and have redesigned the window to meet all needs.  Result.

Back in the hotel now and just considering a shower and food or a shower and bed....I just don't think I can raise the energy to get dressed again and go out.  Now would be a good time to phone for a pizza but a) I don't have a number and b) don't think the service exists.

I'll leave you in suspense....I'm off for a shower....LN

Wednesday 18th March

It was fristy frosty this morning but at least there is less ice on the road surface.  That cold wind is still rattling round though chilling you to the bone.  Star Mush has spent most of the day wrapped in the warmth of my wood burner and the men have been throwing white stuff at the walls.  The idea of leaving some of the stone uncovered was abandoned. The wall is almost 40cms thick and I didn't want it to look like a UK pub conversion so now it's hidden.

At 4.30 there was a bit of a rumpus outside and what was it....the windows cometh on a roof rack.  One car, two men and four windows and now installed.  Tomorrow...another nine windows so let's see those on a roof rack...I can hardly wait.  The house is beginning to look like a home

Thursday 18th March

I have this thing that I have forgotten someone's birthday and if it's you, I apologise....

Today has been really cold and yet again so I got out the recipricating saw (not quite a chain saw) and got busy on the old beams from the house getting enough together to warm us all up despite doors still being left open and workmen and Star Mush being in and out all the time.  I did a bit of destruction work and am currently faced with the ...do I want it exposed or not syndrome...it's the wooden beam in the kitchen which would look quite brilliant but I'm not sure it's in good enough shape.  One of the builders thinks that I am stark raving while the other one repeats...ti...in other words...your decision.  I'll sleep on it and perhaps the answer might come in a dream

Well the window's man didn't come today but he did have rather a lot to make and perhaps he's still tying them to the roof rack.. but as the day went on it got colder and colder and I think we were all pleased to leave tonight.

Stopped off and had a word with Pepe who was preparing the ground for the tobacco seedlings.  Rumour has it that BG is  trying to get away from this crop and offering cash alternatives but it is somewhat a way of life.  Both her and her daughter were laying out polythene to cover the seeds when they are planted.  My builders confidently assure me that it is going to be hot for the next three days and thank goodness for that.  Come on spring...we've had enough of winter.

Lecka Nosht...shower and bed in that order.  Made lunch at the house today so not much doing in room 301 tonight or in the surrounding restaurants...LN.

Friday 19th March

And the window man didn't come again but we spent a good couple of hours to find the wood for the door frames since they are very wide (stone walls and all that jazz).  Eventually we tracked it down and I now have one in place and the door goes in tomorrow.  Reason being that to get the last of the concrete columns into the lounge, we have to open it up to the elements so need to secure the rest of the property from would be trespassers.  And secure it will be.

I sat out in the garden today since the wind had died down and the sun was warm and read a book.  Well only a couple of chapters, I have jobs to do like keep the woodfire burning and keep the coffee coming for my troops and the tea for my friendly neighbour.  We have a new code name for him.  If he doesn't get his own was he sort of goes off on one, a little like a two year old having a tantrum.  My newly coined phrase is CocaCola man since he goes off like a bottle of fizzy that has been shaken and the top removed.  I explained it to my men and they seemed to understand and now if I say cola man, they are either smiling because they are patronising me and thinking poor Anglechanka or they get the joke.  Either way, in my ignorance I'm content.

Now to the restaurant for something refreshing and filling....LN