Nice lavender bag! The sort of embroidery I am just no good at.

Hey all, just a quick note from me to thee to say don't worry about the lack of blog post; there have been internet issues over at Chez Elsa today and she can't get on to post. She is very well and will hopefully, internet gods willing, be back with updates tomorrow.

Saturday 23rd August

Thanks Jean....it's been a while since I picked up the needle and thread and I'm pleased that I have.  It was handed over tonight as a birthday present for the Schoolmasters new lady love and I think appreciated.  Another thing that I made today was to laminate some lavender seeds with a picture of lavender encapsulated and then run over them with the sewing machine without any thread in it....lets the perfume out a treat.

So very damp start after yesterday's thunderstorm and my internet connection has been flaky all day....I might just need the tree trimming again between me and the antenna...it might be that simple but it does come back with 'resolving host' so I think it's a problem their end.  Baked some sausage rolls today that I found in the freezer and no I don't remember when I got them.  Fortunately the instructions were thirty five minutes at two hundred and I found no sell by date and they were fine.

Lavender bag finished and I made a note book for the birthday girl and a card by my own fair hands.  Showered by five and ready with boots blacked and over to Ms Kingdom's to pick up my date for the birthday bash in Momchilgrad.  We met up with another couple, S and S who also have a school over the other side of Momchilgrad and it was an opportunity for Ms KD to meet up with them.  Very nice meal.....I've just taken Ms KD home and back to mine for ten fifteen.  No thunder so far but there's lightening brightening up the sky even though there's not a cloud in sight.  I'm not lingering long...I'm expecting the connection to go down again so I'll say....don't want to push my luck and I'll be complaining about it tomorrow...

And down it went but I saved the text in Word....Bride's nightie springs to mind.....LN...I'm up and in five minutes I'll probably be down again....ah well and thanks to the Roo....It reminds me of 'The Noble Duke of York'....LN

Sunday 24th August

So from promising beginnings this morning it went downhill by two this afternoon with yet another storm and now it's very overcast.  

Six thirty start for me and at seven thirty I was delivering cucumbers to my Avatar as I disturbed her morning even before she had put her teeth in.  She was out tending her chickens and she told me that yesterday she locked herself out.  She's just had a new door fitted and like mine, once it's shut there is no opening it from the outside and apparently she went out to the outside toilet, no luxuries for her and her grand-daughter was outside too so they were both stuffed.  She panicked as one does, no windows were open so she ended up getting one of the locals to break in through the roof tiles to solve the problem.  I suggested that he could have come down the chimney like Father Christmas and we did have a laugh about it.  The first time it happened to me, I'd got my keys but I'd put the other key in from the inside so Kingdom shinned it up to my bedroom door before the balcony went in.  The second time I phoned Bekir who had a set of keys anyway and ended up meeting him in Djebel, driving him to his village to get the keys, back to mine and back to Djebel to carry on his socialising.  My routine...key in the outside of the lock every morning and when I'm leaving, remove the key, throw it on the inside sofa and stand and look at my car keys to make sure.  She's now hidden a key outside....a lesson learned....

Over to my students house this morning.  We sat out in the sun with coffee and biscuits and they told me about the habit they have of upending the coffee dregs and trying to read their fortunes.  I explained that in England the practice is with tea leaves but that reading them wasn't one of my skills.  We sat out until the flies drove us in, it was very humid again and they explained that they were expecting their uncle and aunt who were over from Turkey.  Her uncles job was to replace several light fittings to 'modernise' the place.  Now most of the new fittings had two bulb holders but the father explained that they would only be fitting one bulb because of the cost of the electricity and I laughed and ask him why that had bought lighting with two lamp holders and his response was that they looked prettier.  Now for me, if they have two they have to both be there otherwise they always look like one bulb has failed....ah well...and I suggested that they fitted a dimmer in the lounge otherwise I would be answering any questions that they had...it was a bit like being under interrogation....

So back home for three thirty and it was a matter of head down...the weather is so draining.  The perspiration drops off you without expending any energy.  There was a good downpour so no need to water the gardens yet again....the girls are off to Davidkovo for a few days of rest and recuperation and the intention was to join them but I've declined the offer......the three of them will have a better time without me I'm sure.  Another time when the weather is more settled.  Crickets kicking off tonight and the screech owl is out.  The temperature has dropped fortunately so it should be a better night for sleeping.  Now to find a snack for supper since lunch at theirs was substantial....LN....on with the evening...

Monday 25th August

Reading until silly o'clock last night / morning and didn't seem to settle at all.  Weather was OK there was no storm but it felt a little chilly this morning and today's temperature was down to manageable and the garden beckoned.  First though I felt like breakfast so I cooked a pack of bacon, a couple of eggs and fried bread and so much for my dieting today...it wasn't going to happen at all.  I was half way through it and my Avatar was at the door, I went out and she had brought a wedding invitation for me for next Saturday.  She's not going, her grand-daughter is going in her place and it's her brother's daughter that's getting married and the reception is at an hotel in Momchilgrad.  Now what to wear?

Out in the garden after breakfast and cleared the weeds from a couple of flower beds and moved some things into the little house new garden to fill the bed up a bit.  I needed to dig out a couple of reasonable sized holes so that the roots at least stood a chance.  Digging down it was like concrete so I filled it with water to soften it up and I think all the tools came into play.  A bit more excitement...the fighter planes were out again but by the time I got the camera they'd gone so I decided to stand around for a while and yes, I managed to get a couple of pickies...not particularly good but OK.  In for a while for a break and the sudoku book came out for a while, I rested my eyes for an hour or so and then back out to the garden and came in at about seven after watering it, watered myself and got the day's grime off and fresh clothes on and about to settle in for the evening.  It's been a good day...I've achieved a lot in the garden and just caught a visitor to the burning pit and it was chewing really hard on something it had found in my kitchen rubbish...I wonder what that could have been...LN....I'll go out and investigate once I've posted...LN

Tuesday 26th August

Up with the sun and went out on to the balcony with my Angry Birds and looked up and saw that it hadn't let me down.   Up it came, red as you like and the clouds were swirling round it, mist in the valley...normal for me.  Apparently it had rained in the night according to the Librarian but I didn't detect that we'd had any here without it had cleared up before the sun got up.

Out to the garden and sorted out the forsythia that I'd started from cuttings.  They had the most amazing root formations so two into the front wall garden, two more into a bucket to bring on and one into the side garden and the final one went over to my Avatar's and we planted it in the garden.  She said that she was out of potatoes and that if I saw some,could I get them.   Back to mine and then down to Haciber's with a cucumber and I do love it when I can play them at their own game.  Cooked breakfast of bacon, fried bread and egg and I was finishing off when my phone went and it was the Librarian saying that she had a problem with M-Tel so I told her to get in the car and we could sort it over the phone with Sofia but if not we could head to Kardjali and she arrived about twenty minutes later.  So over the phone they could do nothing and suggested we went into the shop which we did and sorted them out with a vengeance...and vengeance is mine said the Lord.....

We called in at my really cheap shop and for twenty two leva which is approximately ten pounds I purchased a kingsize white sheet for my bed, two small pillow cases and a table runner to make my lavender stuff with, another pillow case that I can do the same with, a linen granddad shirt, a cotton dress and a H&M handbag.  Such a throw away society and please keep throwing it in this direction to the poor pensioners.  

We stopped off at Lidl for a few essentials and they had an offer on fresh chicken so I picked up a couple and back to Djebel for freshly baked bread and some ham for lunch which we did at mine.  She set off at about three, I delivered the potatoes that I'd found in Djebel to my Avatar and offered her one of the chickens saying that if she didn't want it it would go in my freezer but at three leva forty...she just couldn't refuse.  The fighter planes were still buzzing around....I hope they don't draw us into something that we would prefer to be left out of...

Telephone call from the UK and at the end of the call I had a visit from Semile and Jaylan's lads and his uncle and he wanted me to print up some photos of a sheep called Black Eyes.  Now I don't know if this is one that is about to get slaughtered or just 'special' and I couldn't get it out of them despite the uncle speaking perfect English.  Jobs a guddun so to speak and they went off happy.  I teased the boys about driving cars and tractors and they took it in good part.

Tomorrow I'm off to top up my tan with Ms KD in Momchilgrad since the weather has settled down again...Thursday it is the pre-wedding bash in the village square and tonight I'm looking out for Mars.  There are rumours going around that it's the same size as the moon....load of bo**ocks  so to speak...it's just a little way off to the left or right and I shall be out there looking for it.  

Down to the kitchen...not that bothered about food but ought to do something.  I'll see what takes my fancy a little later on...LN.....it's a beautiful calm night here....I just love BG...LN

Wednesday 27th August

Seven start and out to the garden and potted up a few more shrubs, swept and washed off the little house terrace and watered the garden.  Looked at the clock and I had to get my skates on to be over to Ms KD's and off we set going through the men's village and on to the new Greek road heading for Momchilgrad.  We decided to cross the river over the little bridge, stopped off to get some food from the bakers for breakfast and we checked into the pool for about ten forty and not a soul in sight. Straight to our normal sunbeds, into swimming gear and straight way into the pool...such a hard life.  

We dried off and had our breakfast and then it was serious top-up until it was time for another swim.  We were only joined but three young lads all day...it was very quiet and we were both stuck into our Kindles between bouts of activity and listlessness.  So we had our last swim at about five thirty and showered and changed and decided to eat at the hotel to save trying to find anywhere else.  Supper was cheesy chips and those that have been here know that they are well worth eating, tomato and onion salad since neither of us are into greens and for meat, chicken wings and lamb skewers.  Ms KD had the luxury of beer to wash it down with while I settled for a lemonade with just a splash of her beer.  

Left the hotel at about eight, back over the bridge and hers for about eight thirty and then I didn't bother to stop, I headed home.  Such a relaxing day....we both agreed that time in the sun and swimming does give you a marvellous feeling and I've promised myself that it has to be once a week for me and such good exercise in the pool.  A little mastica on the go, no need for nibbles so LN....bed and sleep will be along in a little while...LN

Thursday 28th August

Messenger message this morning quite early so I knew that I was on a mercy mission to take Gouldjan to the hospital to visit her sister but as it happened I took the mother and grandson.  Sorted the garden pretty early and went round with the hose pipe.  The rain from last night didn't happen but it looks like we could be in for a storm tonight.  

So I managed to prize Remsie out.  She came round for a rest I think, started off on the sofa but ended up on the floor saying it was more comfortable down there.  The locals are used to squatting on their haunches...I don't know how they manage to contort themselves.   Into the shower and hair washed and over to the next village to pick up Gouldjan's mother and a telephone call later I was picking up Gouldjan from school so she could visit too.  Parked up at the hospital...they went in while I sat in the car and read my book and after thirty minutes they were back and had managed to talk to the daughter through a screen but they were keeping her and the one year old in the hospital under observation for a few more days.

Stopped at the bus station and got the tickets for Sunday for mine and Ms KD's concert in Sofia and back to Djebel so that Gouldjan could pick up her work to take it home with her, met up again at the local supermarket and the back door lock of the car had jammed and the door wouldn't shut properly so ended up tying it up for the journey home and telling Gouldjan to hold on to the door but for goodness sake not to lean on it.  Dropped them off with their shopping back home with the door hanging out since there wasn't anyone to hold on to it, backed it into the yard and decided to do it later which I did, with a hammer, nail, a dousing of oil and playing around with the central locking system.  Success...I am now a motor mechanic.

The band has started in the village square for the pre-wedding bash and I might as well go down since I won't be able to sleep for the noise.  No photos today so far but I'm taking my camera down with me so I'll post them tomorrow if I get anything decent....LN...I'm off partying...LN

Thursday continued

Well I've got back and left the partying to the teenagers.  It struck me tonight....there are not many of the old babas left....they are very Turkish with their head-scarves and long coats.  I'm witnessing the end of an era.  The young ones will not accept the restrictions of the old...there won't be any tobacco growing and stringing for them...one or both of them are making their way cross Europe and working at anything to raise their standard and can you really blame them.It's just a shame that a culture is dying but it's almost like my grandmother with the flowered cross-over apron....that went....and pipes, Woodbines and flat-caps.  I think I'm being maudlin except that it's not the drink that's brought it on....it's seeing all the generations together.

I left the party when the call was for 'Mastica', the bottle arrived and the men started dancing and drinking....LN..the cars line the narrow lane and I expect there'll be lots of shunting tonight and it will go on well into the night...LN