Wednesday 11th January


So that nothing to do turned into nothing to do until the roof called and there was plenty to do.  I was up on the roof of the wreck devising ways of attaching  timbers so that the polythene remained intact.   Such is the life of a single female in Bulgaria.

After much deliberation and knocking in of nails I decided enough was enough and went back to my book and fire and left the rest to the elements.

Lunch/supper was prepared this morning and it was left to the urge to eat and that occurred at about four this afternoon.  Chicken wings with curry powder, onions, chilli, ginger, tomato and rice added at the end of cooking and it was delicious.  The rest of the day has been taken up with reading and more reading and has been a gentle blur.  What a day.

Nine o'clock my time, seven yours....back to my book,,,and about to sort out fires.  LN...

  

Thursday 12th January

Bit of a sleepless night last night...saw the clock at two and again at five but then managed to get back off until six thirty.  Fire was one of those that I tried to nurse back to health and failed miserably so back to the drawing board Cecil, took it apart and got it roaring.  It was sooooo cold last night but once that sun came up we have had a beautiful sunny day but when it went down at about four thirty...you could feel that it was going to be another cold one.

Didn't do much this morning again.  That's the trouble when I get a good book I go for it.  Put some haricot beans in to soak last night so got those into the slow cooker and they simmered away this afternoon while I was struggling with a text called 'Why matter matters' about solids, liquids and gasses.  I think I was more glazed over than my student but we live and learn.  Remembered to buy some matches while I was in Djebel since I've laundered about three boxes recently.  I have boxes in trouser pockets, pj's and if there's a pocket, there's bound to be a box of those little red ended devils somewhere.

So back from Djebel, wood in, coal in, fires out, fires in and got the central heating belting it out and the little one ticking over nicely.  I mixed the beans with the rest of the chicken curry sock that was left in the pot from last night, added some more tomato paste, honey and chilli, sliced a local spicy sausage and added it, brought it up to temperature on the cooker and then simmered it on the wood burner.  Result....curried sausage and baked beans and there's enough for tomorrow as well.

Enough for tonight....A little drop of beer tonight to move the beans along....LN.....I'm back to my book with only eighty pages to go and I'll give you all the details tomorrow.  

Friday 13th January

So I realised it was Friday the 13th and then read Jonathan Caner's predictions that in Spain they think that Tuesday 13 is unlucky so I got on with my life.  

Boy was it cold last night......it was white over but as for my thermometer, the fact that it got crushed under the outside door shield that never did get put up for the winter (thanks Sally) means that the thermometer part of it has moved and now the scale means sod all....all I know was that it was cold....but pretty.

Moon was still up and reflecting on the stair well windows and the sun was trying desperately to show iit's little face and they both said good morning to each other.  And then the moon went to bed while the sun was doing its stuff and has done all day.  I roamed the garden and picked up all my burnable rubbish that the dogs and wind had scattered and some that I had accumulated from the rubbish tip along the road.  I must train the locals better...why don't they burn it like I do.  Had a little bonfire with the remains of the Christmas tree which seems reluctant to go and generally walked the garden looking for signs of snowdrops and crocus but we've had the snow but no drops...well not any so far.  I'll just have to concentrate on my freasias that are budding beautifully indoors and should be out in a few days.  My azalea is still in bloom and so are the bizzie lizzies so I'm not without anything to brighten my life.

Got stuck into my book this afternoon lying on my sofa in the lounge until the need to rest my eyelids came over me and woke up at three o'clock realising that fire duty was imminent.  All sorted...Had this weird idea that my phone was about to go and two seconds later there was a text from Gouljan that she was available to go into town tomorrow so we are off for the highlights.  I think it calls for a lunch in a new restaurant....I'll leave it to her judgement.

What do I need from the shops...curry powder from Lidl.  They also had a binding machine on offer so I might indulge even though I've got two of the beauties in England that might find their way to a car-boot eventually. Supper that was last nights is now on the big wood burner with added spicy sausage...it's a good job that I view food as fuel sometimes and not a gastronomic delight.....a little beer...the last of the two litres of red wine remains in the bottle untouched....I am showing restraint.....LN.....my books's good and I do promise to share it with you....

Saturday 14th January

Well woke up to a covering of that white stuff again and it was grey and cold with it.  One of the other sites that I visit were complaining about the weather in England and one said that her central heating was broken and didn't come on at all.....mine, two shuffles with the poker, on with the log and hot water round the system in quicksticks this morning and it really needed it.  Got the little one going in the kitchen with an ember from the biggie so all systems go by eight o'clock.  Not bad saying it was seven before I came to this morning.

Cooked myself poached eggs on toast, washed up from last night and this morning and toyed with the idea of a shower and thought that it probably wasn't a good idea since it was pretty chill outside.  Picked up Gouljan at ten thirty as promised and off to the big smoke.  First call my nearly new shop and after much searching around found the bargain of the day for five leva.....a ski cagoule in very bright colours that will be just right so that I don't get lost in the snow....on to the curtain shop for another pillow case to match the ones that I bought for the sofa, on to the leva shop where I got a pillow for the pillowcase, some picture frames, a replacement makeup mirror and three pairs of wool socks and lots lots more.  Moved the car to the market square, fruit from the veg market, into a dinky doo shop that I'd never been in before and spent a little fortune....saw a canvas that will be just the thing for somewhere (and it's only on the radiator to take the picture), a chunky necklace and earrings to match and a new bracelet for me and the lady asked if they were presents and I replied....yes...all for me.  Stopped off for lunch and while Gouljan managed to eat a hamburger with salad...I managed to devour a half chicken, salad and chips...cost nine leva.

Next stop Lidl and who should be in there but Bekir, Sally, his son and their friend from the post-office.  The story goes that there is no hardboard in the suppliers so they can't work at the minute but if the weather gets better Bekir will telephone.  I did mention that the house was now covered in polythene and he looked surprised and asked who had done it....me...and Sally's comment was that with this wind it would be over the hills and far away but so far, so good.  Back home five thirty.  Tomorrow I'm going to Gouljan's since she has a few films in English that I'm going to download and I shall probably be having lunch since her mother will not take no for an answer.

Fires stoked, enough wood for a siege, not hungry but have a box of Belgian chocolates that jumped at me as a walked by the fixture and a bottle of pseudo-Baileys that did the same...such is life.  Back to my book....looks like being an early night ...it's been a good day.

Sunday 15th January

What a stupid night's sleep or lack of it.  Went to bed at eleven feeling very sleepy, settled down and at one thirty, wide awake.  Out came the book, on went the logs and read until five thirty, went back to bed again and woke up at seven thirty,  Not particularly tired during the day or even this evening but maybe it was the block of chocolate or the quarter bottle of pseudo Baileys that made me hyper....I'll stick to a little beer tonight and avoid the box of Belgian chocolates lingering in the hall.

Managed to frame a couple of the photos of the little girl that came to see me with her parents on New Years Eve and had arranged to take my terabyte external drive down to Gouljan's so that she could copy over a few English films.  The four year old was there with her parents and one pickie was in a very sweet photoframe and the other one was in a plastic 'oak' lookalike.  She chose the pretty one and left the other for granny.  Loved it to bits.  Mother was helping Granny cook lunch and Gouljan kept me entertained until lunch arrived and in true local fashion, the table clock was put on the floor, the round table only twenty five centimeters put on top of it, forks and spoons are placed and out comes the food.  We all sat round on the floor, you lift the table cloth over your knees or legs whichever is nearer the table and you dive in to the platters of food.  Yoghurt, green salad, veal with rice, stuffed vine leaves and another tomato and onion salad finished off with baklava.  

Now the little girl eats nothing apparently and will never sit with the others.  I asked her if she was joining us and she replied that she was full.  Now when my children said that I looked in their ears, told them that I could see some space for a little more, this was translated for her and she decided to join us at the table.  Gouljan said she couldn't believe it...it was the first time apparently that she had ever sat down with the rest and eaten.  At the end I looked in her ear again and said that this time I believed her ...children egh....just needs a little effort and imagination.

Downloaded the films, father tried to persuade me to stay for supper but never one to outstay my welcome I replied that I wanted to get back to get the home fires burning since it was threatening a big minus on the scale tonight.  How low I shall never know....the bloody glass in the thermometer insists on moving up and down like the proverbial yo-yo so it could be minus anything tonight....and I'd never know....note to self...get a new one.

So fires going, don't have to cook tonight, book getting vaguely more interesting and I've just learnt that there is a fifth in the series.  The library is becoming mobile and heading in after the librarian has finished her work in Kardjali... so I'm thinking that lunch might be on the cards....I'm signing off...no pictures today only those framed and delivered...LN....that beer will not do any good (or harm) left in the bottle.

Monday 16th January

Beautiful morning...slept like a log and no....didn't find myself in the fireplace.  Seven twenty when I saw the glimmer of dawn from my zebra nest and went to the window to investigate.  The sky was just beginning to get red and you know what I mean when I say that it looked cold out there.  There was only a slight covering of frost but everything was so still.

So last night....sat it out until nine thirty deciding if I was hungry or not and made up my mind to get up off my backside, head for the kitchen and get creative.  As it turned out, not that creative but leaving Gouljan's home last night, her mother gave me a couple of eggs from her chicken apologising that she could not give me more but the hens had only just started laying.  Two potatoes, two eggs, chip pan, frying pan, two slices of bread and butter, gas hob and within ten minutes....chips and fried eggs.  Sat on my sofa in front of the biggie wood burner and scoffed the lot....maybe that's why I slept so well....my body tired itself out digesting that amount of food at that time of night.  I did worry about it for all of two seconds but believe me the thought didn't stay.

Wood in, fires going from last night....few clouds creeping over that morning sky and they're now covering that sun.  It did predict white cloud on the BBC weather site for Kardjali...looks like it's on the ball...breakfast calls....

Monday continued

Well that sun was in and out like nobody's business today but on the whole, temperature stayed pretty raw all day.  Decided that I would welcome my librarian today with leek and potato soup, accompanied by hot crusty bread and local white cheese since I was not the possessor of a chunk of Stilton which I would normally serve with it.  So this was my task for this morning.

So twelve o'clock came which was supposed to be the estimated time of arrival but I know what these visits to hospitals can be like so the soup went on to the wood burner to tick over.  By three I was beginning to get a tad hungry so decided to serve up mine and the phone went and the reason for the delay.  She had seen the doctor, had to have a scan which was arranged for that day and the results will be there for her tomorrow.  Try that in the UK and it's supposed to be backwards here.  Didn't know what time they would finish so I'm going to the 'library' on Wednesday to change my books.

Just spotted the sunset before I decided to catch up on the sleep that I missed on Saturday night.  Stretched out on the sofa in front of the wood burner, closed my eyes and the next thing I know is that it's eight thirty and time to throw another log on.  Forced into opening up the chocolates but the wine still remains in the corner and lives to see another day...

LN....about to look at the films from Gouljan to see if there is anything worth looking at tonight......One is called the King's Speech.....I'll send back a report....

Nice to see my cactus being well cared for.  Booked our flight for 24 March.  See you soon

Dom

Tuesday 17th January

Quoted from KingDom

Nice to see my cactus being well cared for.  Booked our flight for 24 March.  See you soon

Dom

As are the rest my sweet...lemon trees, orange tree, pot of cacti, fuscias...oh shite...better go and have a look in bedroom two...just a little water needed and I'm sure they'll be fine...  

Silly night again.  Resting my eyes yesterday afternoon meant that I was able to watch 'The King's Speech', play several games of Freecell, numerous Sudoko, games on the DS and eventually got to bed at two thirty but did sleep in this morning until seven ten.  Fires still going (bonus), temperature outside minus eleven since I checked the temp in the jeep and reset the glass tube, and boy was it cold when I took out the ash cans.  Even the birds weren't flying very far.

No books to read but had a very gentle morning on the pc and downloaded a few English texts for my student for the next few sessions.  Found a new site and they look better with more exercises.  Had a shower and washed my hair and decided to wear a .....denim skirt ....with thick tights....and black socks with pink hears on them but they were getting hidden by boots until I went to my students apartment and the courtesy is that you always take shoes/boots off and he remarked that he thought they were pretty cool.

Went shopping with his mum  after the lesson to get her curtain material from the local shop, called in and got some bread, a bottle of brandy, some beer, chicken wings and spicy sausage from the local supermarket and spent fifteen leva in the process...like seven pounds.  Got stopped by a local lady as I was getting into my car...she has two boys and would like me to give them lessons and I'm meeting with her one day next week to make the arrangements.  I've said that Tuesday/Thursday or both days would be fine since I am in Djebel for my student and it could follow on....jobsaguddun.

Got home and on the way recognised Gouljan's mum walking the five kilometer home so stopped and picked her up and was she pleased.  Dropped her off, got the big wood burner going since there was no joy with it before I left...it just didn't want to so now everything is belting away.  Temperature was minus two at five o'clock so we're in for a corker....just about to get my soup on...the brandy was opened and a dollup was added to a black coffee to warm me up when I got in but now I want sustenance....

LN....'The King's Speech' I can recommend...let's see what others I have acquired...

Tuesday continued

The soup has been embellished with fried spicy sausage and mushrooms...two portions are now in the freezer but goodness knows why I just didn't put them outside...bbbrrrrr and the wine is now open.....LN....I hope to sleep well tonight....