Sunday 9th March

Well Ladies day is over for another year.  We celebrated it at the restaurant and it all went well but we pulled down the curtains at about half eleven and headed home.  Got the fire going again and sat talking until just before one and then headed for the wooden hills or rather the Librarian did while I sloped off with Kindle in one hand and a whisky with hot water and sugar in the other...hot toddie since I'd been on apricot juice and water for the last few hours.  There was some rather hectic dancing going on and my birthday buddy carried it off well.  She really does know all the dances and the words to the song.  I was dragged to the floor for a final dance by her grandmother...and managed to move it grove it in true Turkish style.  Everybody wins at their tombola and we collected some loot....

This morning the plan was that if we woke up early enough we would head to the local Christian church.  I woke up the Librarian at just before seven  and asked her if we were still going and go we did.  My information was that the service started at eight so we sat outside the church and the padlock was still on the gate.  A little old lady came up to the gate, she opened the padlock, walked up the church steps, unpadlocked the door, shook the mat, rang the bell....and we were off.  We went inside and she was just lighting the petchka and said that it would be OK in quicksticks but to take seats near to it.  You know what it's like...people that go regularly to a church have their favourite pews but in this case there were no pews, only chairs along the side walls with the pictures of the saints and the apostles adorning the front wall with loads of candles everywhere.  We spoke for a few minutes and she asked me if we were visitors to Djebel and I explained that it had taken me four years to get there.  I asked her where the local man in black was and was told that he only gets there on hight days and holidays....so hence no service as we know it.  We were the only three in there but as the church got a little warmer from the fire she had lit two more elderly ladies arrived, purchased and lit a few candles, said a few prayers so I thought it was time that we did out bit for the local ecumenical  economy.  So the Librarian and myself purchased a couple of candles each, lit them up and placed them in the receptacles.  We said our goodbyes and it will probably he a holiday when I go next time...and it will be a darned sight warmer.

Over to the coffee bar for a hot drink, then to my student's home to pick up her father to go off to see the man that's making my furniture.  Everything sorted, the wood will have no finishings applied and I will put on my own which will probably be linseed oil and eventually beeswax.  Back to their house and they insisted on feeding us, left there and home for about two thirty and it's now started to snow.  Why is it that when I book the men for work the weather changes...

Taking the Librarian home when I've finished the update and then  I might have to phone the men and cancel tomorrow...it's still coming down and the wind is heading from Siberia...very chill.  LN.....making a move to get myself either here or there for tomorrow morning and checking out the weather on the way...LN

Monday 10th March

So slept on the sofa at the Librarians last night and everyone retired early so I put my little head down at nine thirty and at three thirty this morning I was reading.  It must be that the older you get the less sleep you need apart from when you over imbibe and then you sleep the sleep of the just.  Snowing last night but this morning there was only a little.  I had a phone call from Bekir at just after seven this morning and said that work was on and that I expected it to disappear as soon as it had come and that seemed to be the mantra.  It was decided that they would work on the bathroom but we had to go into Djebel for some bits so Bekir and myself headed for Momchilgrad and the TOK office so finalise the arrangements for the electricity connection to the school.  They can't manage it until Wednesday but Bekir wanted to visit the school to check on the connections and all looks good.  On Wednesday we have to go to the offices again, pay over some money for the connection and Bob's your Uncle and it should be all done.  Fingers crossed!!!

Came back and the men got to work on carrying out my design except for the fact that I hadn't really got one.  It appears to be fluid and is generated by the obstacles that appear in the way.  My only mantra is that I don't really want to see any pipes and they know that so at least we appear to be travelling in the same direction.  The bath was excavated from the third bedroom, measured, everything stripped out of the bathroom and Sally was straight way on finishing the tiling while Bekir and myself tried to find the correct height for the bath without me having to use a stepladder to get into it.  The design for the sink and settle as we might call it depends on the baskets delivered tomorrow from IKEA but that at least is on paper from PowerPoint as I impressed them both with my skills.

Later this afternoon it really started to come down and since they are working upstairs and the bathroom window glass is crazed, they weren't aware that it was beginning to settle.  Because neither of them drive, it appears to be no problem to them but there are lots of open spaces where the wind blows the snow over the road and it was a pretty hairy drive back...pretty and hairy but it was even worse coming back.  The temperature had started to drop and you could feel the tyres crunch into it and there were a couple of places where it's down hill and a sharp bend at the bottom where I had to take it really gently and a few hills to go up where you cross your fingers that you're going to make it.  

Any way home safely.  Don't think they are working tomorrow if the temperature really drops tonight as forecast...it will be pretty lethal tomorrow.  Got home just before seven and there was a carrier bag hanging on my door and it's a present, I think, from my lovely neighbour but it's hard to decipher the writing ...it's a box of chocolates and a pair of slippers for the 8th March.  I'm really touched.

So supper..... not sure if I want any....but I've just poured a glass of wine so maybe a little later.  LN...I hear the intrepid travellers are disembarking at Calais so I'll keep you updated....LN

Tuesday 11th March

Six start and it was still snowing so back to bed with a coffee and the Kindle.  I'd made my mind up after it took me about an hour to get back last night having to concentrate all the way that there was no way I was out this morning for the men.  It was still coming down at ten but it warmed up considerably and I was pushing slush off the terrace and the paths ready for my IKEA delivery that I'm still waiting for.  There was some confusion on the date and the day and I phoned them back to confirm that it was Tuesday but maybe he wasn't understanding my Bulgarian very well and I was certainly not understanding his English but a bit like me, he insisted on trying....so I'm thinking that between us we buggered it up.

So the rest of the day has been a day of nothing.  I did get the sewing machine out to make two new cushions for the kitchen benches but instead of that I recovered the sofa in the hall so I suppose I did something today.  Other than that all I managed to achieve was to tread on my small tablet and knacker the screen...it has a most interesting pattern of bands of colour on it but nothing that would resemble anything to do with Angry Birds which was what I was playing before I decided to strip the hall sofa ready to recover the said seat cushion and it must have been in the blanket.  Not too much of an angry bird for damaging it, the battery life was so naff that by the time you got into a game it was ready for a recharge.

Early supper and I've telephoned the Librarian and arranged for her to house sit tomorrow to accept our delivery while I'm off to the school with the men to get the electricity connected.  So pick up the Librarian, then the men, back to mine, drop off the Librarian, pick up tools and off we go to EVN main office, pay more money over and their man comes and makes the connection.  It's going to be a long day tomorrow.

The snow has melted and the roads are more or less clear so I should have no problems in the morning...or is that famous last words...LN....back to my book on my newly upholstered sofa in front of my blazing fire...LN

Wednesday 12th March

And IKEA delivery service don't know the difference between Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday 12th.  They thought that Tuesday was the 12th.....but all is safely gathered in, stashed for construction and the Librarian has hers already at her home.

So today....out at seven ten, over to the Librarians, picked her up on the lane, stopped off at the shop and got smothered by ladies starting their shift at the sewing factory and pushed myself to the front of the queue to pay for a couple of items.  Men in the car, dropped off the Librarian at mine to wait for the furniture to arrive from Sofia, over to Momchilgrad to pay for the man to come and make the connection, stopped off and bought breakfast and over to the school to get the electricity supply connected and some plugs activated.  Jobasaguddun, so to speak and apart from running short of cable and it being too late to get any more...most of the work is completed but we did not have the necessary equipment for putting in a standpipe but that will have to come later when the weather picks up.

Left at just before six, over to Djebel and stopped off at the supermarket for bread for the Librarian and we have an assortment of gifts for the wives.  Sally had some curtain rails and cabbage for his and Bekir has oranges because his son likes them.  Straight home and dropped off the tools, picked up the Librarian and the stuff that was delivered for her from IKEA and over to drop off the men and the Librarian with her goodies and I'm absolutely knacked.  I took some good photos today but goodness knows where my camera is.....I think it went into the little house but it's much too dark to go wallowing around in there so you'll just have to wait.

LN...supper was spicy sausage fried off with onions and a chunk of bread to go with it.  There is a little of the red stuff washing it down and now it's time for a shower and then to bed said Zeberdee....LN...I'm really knacked tonight....

Thursday 13th March

Silly o'clock start this morning but I went to bed at nine thirty last night so I'd had my allotted hours.  Read for a while and up at six, on to the computer and out for the men after a couple of coffees at seven thirty.  Bekir got into the car clutching two light bulbs and the intentions was to complete the work that my Avatar had asked him to do yesterday...I keep my village supplied.

Work continues on the bathroom and it changes hourly.  I put together three of the things that were delivered from IKEA yesterday but the fourth one I've but on the 'to do list'.  They supplied a crappy plastic thing for enclosing the screwing thing they supplied and KI kept dropping it.  The last one will be done in my time.  Set to making the rest of my bed and screwed up the measurements somewhat.  Bekir and myself argued the point but I believe he is correct but will not be convinced until I have measured the wood and tried it out...such is my determination and his.

Took down part of the old fence that has been replaced by the new wall and dropped it down the bottom of the wall to stop the stray dogs from entering the garden.  Tommy seems to be the favourite but anything I put in the fire pit and is not destroyed seems to be fair game for the local canine and kit-kat club.  

So men home, Sally tells me that he has his own work to do tomorrow and I asked Bekir if he still wanted to play but he will phone me tomorrow.  I think that Bekir thinks that Sally wants a good talking to...wages like I pay them aren't to be found everywhere.  Back home now and beer on the go.  I'll wait and see if I have workers or not tomorrow but either way...I have enough to do...I'm now spurred on.  Photographs are from yesterday....LN...now down infront of the fire...it's going well...LN

Hi Elsa, Received the Baba Marta wishes today Thank you.   Very nice surprise. Mum said Thank you, and Hopes your doing ok, xxxx

Friday 14th March

You're very welcome Linda and yes, I was doing OK until this morning when I decided to turn out the downstairs wet room, emulsion it and wash down the tiles...   And thank you for my Birthday card, they must have passed somewhere over India.  Lovely photos and I especially like the one of the boys.....big love to you all.

Bekir phoned this morning....Sally had his own work to do and Bekir decided that he didn't want to work on his own since a lot of today needed two pairs of hands to do it.  I said that it was OK and a day on my own now that I was motivated into action wouldn't go amiss.  First project was to make remake the bed in my upstairs bedroom.  I climbed up to the second floor in the little house and got the timbers down to ground level and it all went pear shaped after that.  When I had the problem with the chimney and there was smoke appearing to come out of every orifice in the bathroom it was somebody's bright idea to open the bathroom window but the rain was pouring down and the smoke condensed on the tiles and it was a job that I'd been putting off.  So today, took the bull by the horns so to speak, emptied the shelves, cleared it completely, set to at about one and finished at six thirty.  Two coats of emulsion, sparkling tiles and I'm now deciding how much really needs to go back or can some of it be ditched.  All the 'bits' are sitting in the laundry basket and it's a job for tomorrow.

Another incident this morning.  I reckoned that I could get the new single mattresses from the lounge up the stairs on my own.  Wrong...got it part way but I got very worried about my windows and ended up unscrewing the banister since I had reached a stalemate with the mattress....it wouldn't go up and it wouldn't come down so now it's upright against the replaced banister in the hall.  I'm waiting for a knight in shining armour but maybe Sally and Bekir will assist on Monday if there are no takers before then.

So tomorrow I have another blank canvas and I'm thinking that the kitchen might have a lick of paint now that I'm in the mood.  It must be the sun that does it and it's been such a beautiful day despite being white over this morning and quite a hard frost.  Probably get the same again tomorrow...we have a clear sky, a more or less full moon and the temperature's dropping but as long as we have sun tomorrow....the nights are perfectly acceptable...

Down to the kitchen...I have to find something to eat as I'm feeling a little peckish after a busy day....LN...same again tomorrow hopefully..LN

Saturday 15th March

Four thirty start and at that time in the morning it doesn't seem worth going back to sleep for me.  Read for a while...coffee and back to bed and up on the PC at about six and watched the sun come up.  It was a beautiful rosy-blue dawn and the mist was lingering in the valleys....magic.

So I set about cleaning the house at around seven.  I had visions of getting out the emulsion and attacking the kitchen but instead of that I shunted the mattresses around yet again and the one is now in my bedroom and the other behind the lounge door..  On Monday come hell or high water they are upstairs...  Washed the kitchen rugs and it was such a beautiful day that they dried in quicksticks.  I even took the carpets outside and gave them a good beating...it must be spring.

Read for a while this afternoon until my eyes were heading towards my cheeks and off I went for a couple of hours to be awoken by the phone.  I was so deeply gone that for a while I couldn't work out if it was morning or night but eventually came to to hold a semi-decent conversation....and tomorrow I have guests for supper.

Decided that the plants in the little house deserved much better and so they're now outside.  I've planted one rose by the garage wall but the enthusiasm waned when I hit a polythene mine and I ended up using a saw to cut though it and remove the bit that really mattered. So as the mood took me I started digging over the vegetable patch and I think the sheep droppings have produced a marvellous crop of ...grass and chickweed...remind me not to spread it again.  Supper was the remains of last night's chilli thingie with spaghetti, a little beer on the go and my student in the morning.  LN....I'd like to be getting into a hot bath to get rid of my aches and pains but it's not plumbed in yet...I'll have to make do with a shower...LN

Sunday 16th March

Early start and yet again and there were a few clouds to mar the sunrise...It took quite a while for the sun to break through but there was a bit of a stiff breeze.  Got the fire going outside and got rid of the rubbish, showered and got my hair wash and out for my student at just before ten.  More conversational that studious today and we made a torte with bananas and cream while the parents were working in the garden.  They plant such a lot up and I think it's more out of habit than need.  We had lunch and then my student, her father and myself headed for Lidl since I had invited my new neighbour and his parents around for supper so that I could get to meet them properly.  First stop though was Kaufland and I managed to purchase a few more of their super value baskets and I doubled my order when I realised that they were still at the promotional price despite being price-marked up at twice the price.  So that's a little gift for the Librarian...they are so useful and such good value.

Back home for about four thirty and straight into the kitchen to prepare and cook barbecued pork, hasselback potatoes, red cabbage and before my daughter asks me how much there was half of a big one, some carrots and peas and for pudding I served up peaches and plums with a choice of yoghurt or cream....All went well and the washing up is waiting for my attention but it can wait until tomorrow morning...guess  it's not going anywhere.

So ten my time....it was a good evening but I think the long drive down has got the better of them and they need their rest.  Tomorrow Kardjali is on the cards that's if I managed to sort the men out and everything is tickerty boo.....I hope Sally is feeling better.  Lovely moon tonight and father was out with his camera taking lots of shots of the surrounding views and the moon with its huge halo.  I'm not sure what it signifies but I'm hoping it's good weather.  LN  it won't be too long before my little head hits the pillow tonight....a very successful day and evening...LN