Wednesday 19th November

Six thirty start and it's getting better.....into the car for eight thirty and it was spitting with rain when I set off and it was hoping that it would stay dry enough for long enough for the men to get on..  I stopped the bread van on my way to pick up the men and bought a new loaf and a cheesy bread thingy for breakfast and I ate three out of six portions of it on my way over leaving the other three for their first cup of coffee.  

My Avatar came round this morning and I still don't know why...and despite me asking she never said but sometimes when the men are there she doesn't come out with it.  I nipped in the house and came out with some clementines and snuck up behind her and dropped some into the pockets of her cardigan.  She looked suitable indignant and scolded me and I went inside, came back with the bowl of them from the kitchen and we all sat down and started munching them.  They were very sweet with thin skins but Bekir was the lucky one and came out with the pips where the rest of us were pip free so they've now got planted and are sitting next to the lemon tree and we'll see if anything comes up.  I am the custodian of the pips...haha..  Avatar put in an order for five leva's worth of the same so I went into Djebel to get my car down to the garage and pick up her requirements.  

Bad news at the garage....it's not the dampers...it's the suspension thingies so I brought the clementines back with some teracol for the men and drove back into the garage and coming back on the four o'clock bus.  What an experience.  The bus sets of at four via the school to pick up the school children returning to the village and via the kindergarten and school in Rogosche to pick up those children as well.  By this time there were children everywhere and I know most of them for knocking on my door for sweets at their festivals and I got an 'hello' from most of them.  There was one little tot that I picked up and sat on my knee and her little eyes were going so I cuddled her and off she went.  It's a long day for little ones.  They go to the kindergarten at six thirty in the morning and come back at four in the afternoon.  She is such a poppet with beautiful eyes.  It suddenly occurred to me that this wouldn't happen in England...you'd' have inspectors everywhere quoting H & S at you.

So big car out for men to go home.....delivered them safe and sound and it's supposed to chuck it down tonight but the thunder has just started up again so I won't be long on the pc......Supper was the remains of last nights fried up and really delicious....gin and tonic on the go and the water heater is on and I'm in for a dip tonight.  LN....I've just started running the back and filling up the glass...LN

Thursday 20th November

So last night I went for my bath and woke up at twelve and thought it was time to go to bed....usual for me...back to the womb.

It was hissing down this morning and I lay listening to it and thought that no way was there going to be any sun today and at six thirty Bekir phoned and he had the same thoughts...wrong...at nine thirty the sun was out and it stayed that way until about one this afternoon and then the rain came.

Th e intention was to make my lavender bags for my ladies for their Christmas presents but instead I settled in and read my book this morning after a bacon sandwich and lingered longer than I should have done.  I looked up and the Librarian was in my garden looking at the work that had been done and it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't got the key in the door to signify that I was in residence and there was only the Beast outside since Beauty is in the garage so out I went to confirm my existence in society.  She'd gone into Djebel to my student's shop and had decided to pop by on the off chance.

So we chewed the fat for an out or so, talked garden and preparing stuff for the winter and I was reminded that my rhubarb was still uncovered for the winter.  Avatar came round and I'm invited to lunch tomorrow so let's wheel out the Anglechanka...she has her relatives coming and I know them from my other students.  Fish finger sandwiches for lunch and they went down well and off she set at just after two to sort her 'stuff' out in Benkovski.  

As she was leaving the rain started to fall so back to my book, the illusive Daily Mail Sudoku that I'd had three attempts on on line and had resorted to doing a paper version of it and that meant that I could rapidly enter the solution and bring down my average time...cheat, cheat I hear the call.  Out to get the wood in for tonight...the fire was ticking over most of the day since it was still going this morning and with a little teasing was brought to life.  Lovely sunset this evening....very chilled day and feeling good about tonight.  Curtains all drawn since the temperature appears to be dropping but all's good in my little world.  I'm saying goodnight now...I have a little beer on the go...and let's hope that the weather is good enough for the men to work and I get good information about Beauty...I do worry about her...she has to work very hard...LN

Friday 21st November

Five thirty start but that's OK..Went down to make coffee after reading for a while and saw the thin sliver of a moon so had to get the camera to capture it....  Back to the bed and back to the book but watched morning shed the dark shadows of night and into the day we went.

Into the biggie and over to the men...it was a beautiful morning but the windscreen was frozen so had to get the scraper out and rely on the screen blast to finish it.  Got to the village on time though and watched Bekir's dogs playing.  They know that he's near so don't stray far but the little one wanted to play with an outsider and no way was the big one having that and moved in to protect him even though he'd been the one to go outside the circle...that's dogs for you.

Men carried on with the insulation and I went to my luncheon appointment at just before twelve with the rest of the village ladies.  Most I knew but I'd not met Semile's mother before but ended up taking her home.  Lunch was the norm of food being delivered and whisked away before you manage to have your fill.  Several courses and out in the hour but this time we lingered over tea and as they all shoved sugar lumps in like they were going out of fashion...I said 'bez zaha'...'without sugar' and I think this got more attention than the rest of the meal.  My Avatar took food over to Bekir and Sally and I asked her not to give them too much...I needed them to work this afternoon and this went down well with some of the ladies.

So as I said..lunch over and from a short list of one I took Semile's mother home to the farm, carried on to Djebel since I knew the diesel in the Beast was running low, called into the car shop for an update and apparently Beauty was awaiting collection.  Drove home, dumped the Beast and saw the one thirty bus approaching my drive, I flagged him down and explained that I wanted to go to Djebel and he asked if I wanted to go inside to get a coat and I said that I was fine....reminded me of England...not.  So to Djebel...she was amazed that I'm made it back so quickly and the garage owner appeared so I managed a lift back to the garage.  Paid the price.....one hundred leva....peanuts...and drove it home.  Fire lit, men finishing off, wine box from Djebel ensconced in the kitchen for later and no plans for supper...I'm stuffed.

Talked work for next week and we are finishing off the under eaves wood in the main house and the workshop.  Have to go to order more wood but that will be done on Monday.  Men home in the little one and I jumped up and down to confirm that the springs were now OK.  I wished them a good weekend and got back about five thirty...curtains all drawn and toasty inside.  LN....I've had a very busy but enjoyable day...LN

Saturday 22nd November

Five thirty start this morning and I think I've been catching up with my sleep ever since.  Opened my curtains to a beautiful start to the day and the sun eventually popped its little face up at around seven thirty but it popped its had back behind the clouds  and that's been it for most of the day.  My fire was still going from last night so I rescued it and that's been going most of the day as well.  It's not been cold but the house has begun to warm up and that's the way it should be before the winter really sets in.  It's supposed to be down to minus one tonight.  

Down to the bread van this morning and most of my ladies are there.  Haciber brought back bread and a couple of small bottles of mastica for her son and now I what to get him for bringing me back the ginger biscuits from Sweden as a reciprocal gift. The van had run out of cheesy bread so I had to make do with crusty bread and butter for breakfast which went down just as well.  

Today was full of possibilities and I did not of them.  I weighted up the options and sat and read my book in the chair near the stairs, nodded off to sleep at around eleven thirty, read some more and put chicken wings, diced potatoes and onions in to the oven for supper and that was done by about five thirty.  Mayo and sweet chilli sauce finished it off with a glass of the red to see it on its journey down.  Reading again and I've just woken up again but now we're heading into night-time but I figure I need it.  It's full on days when the men are here and Saturday is my day for relaxing...it's student tomorrow.

I'm going to say goodnight....as to my book...I'd printed off the order to read them in and had got to what I thought was book eight of the Harry Bosch series but at fifty percent there was no mention of Bosch and I was getting bored with the detail that the guy was throwing at me.  At fifty five percent I abandoned it and went on to the next and he popped up in the first page so now I'm a happy lady.  I might never find out who murdered who in the last one but it really doesn't matter.  LN...I'm going back to this one...it's steeped with mystery...LN

Sunday 23rd November

So another five o'clock start...it seems to be the bewitching hour. The fire was still going so teased it to life again and slammed on another log.  I went back to bed with a coffee and worked my through the latest Bosch book to discover 'who dunnit'.  Nice twist to this one.

Over to my students for just after ten but I was stopped on a routine police check on my way in.  I think the young copper thought he'd bitten off more than he could chew when he found out that I was English but the only problem was that he couldn't see the document for my insurance so I pointed him to the sticker on the windscreen and his number two was saying that everything was OK and that I should be allowed to continue...all in Bulgarian.

So lunch today was liver banichka that I'd never had before and it's sort of stayed with me.  Liver under cooked finds its way through quicker than over cooked. but I suppose there's a first for everything. Home for just after four and again my fire had managed to stay in and I soon got it going again.  I decided on a fillet steak for supper but as I was cooking it, the gas bottle decided to give up the ghost so that's a job for tomorrow but better now that when I've got no men to sort it.  Finished supper off on the electric.....not as good as I'd anticipated but adequate to fill the gap.  I'm on to my next Bosch book...very addictive.  No pickies....the police just wouldn't smile for the camera...LN

Monday 24th November

And this morning I think it was the chill in the air that woke me up....It went down to minus two overnight and the darkest hour and it appears the coldest is just before dawn...as the song goes.  The man from the mosque sang his little heart out at around six thirty and there was no sign of dawn until just after seven and even then there was no sunrise that you could spot.  

I cleaned out  the fire and even though the ashes were warm I decided against lighting it.  Out to pick up the men at just after seven thirty, they both appeared wearing hats today and over we went to the materials yard and on the agenda...more wood for the under eaves work and it was supposed to arrive this afternoon and we're still waiting.  We went into the shop, got more nails and the plugs to hold the insulation on the walls and a pomegranate.   So the last time I had one of these at my students I was castigated for not eating the seeds only sucking and juicing the pips and yet again I was told this was the best part.  

Home, men set to work on the under eaves, lit the fire and got more wood in for the night time, coffee seems to have been brewed most of the day since it has been cold, cold. cold, mainly due to the wind and the hats never came off.  Got the call that the pomegranate unveiling was about to commence and we sat down with it and again I was sucking and spitting out the seeds.  There just didn't seem to be any flavour in it but I now have a pot of seeds and we'll see if any germinate.  I have my little kitten back but tonight it's being deposited back from whence it came....I repeat...I do not want a cat....

Men home after they'd supped the red wine that I'd poured for them to get the circulation going again.  Tomorrow they should finish the under eaves and then we'll see how much work is left for the week.  I think we need to find something inside for them to do and there's lots to be done.  Pork chop and jacket in the oven before we set off for home and it was ready when I got back.  I knocked up a sweet and sour sauce and drizzled it over the chop and into the oven it went to finish off while I had a little mastica and time with my book.  Supper over, delicious and now about to go and snuggle in.  It's supposed to be minus four overnight with a dusting of snow between midnight and two and I'm hoping I'm not up to see it.  There will be pictures if I am.....snuggle time....LN

Tuesday 25th November

Full on day...awoke at five thirty and read for a while and then out for the men at the allotted hour.  Sunrise was not so much sunrise as a glimmer where the sun shouldn't have been.....but it was enough for me to get out the camera.

Over to pick up the men, stopped my bread van on the way and got some goodies that I would present to the men for breakfast...and it worked.  The delivery from Esats didn't happen this morning, this afternoon or this evening so I was off with Bekir to track down another supplier.  This was delivered in quicksticks and of the delivery comes tomorrow ...it's going to be refused.  Two days late and no acceptance...

Washing done and dried within the hour...it might be cold but it works.  As I said the men were waiting around for the delivery...they ran out of materials and by the time that they arrived it was time to go home.  Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

Men home..supper was spicy sausage with chilli, soused in red wine and served with pasta but the sauce wasn't thick enough to miss the sweater so that's in the wash too.  Frustrating day with materials...cold...sunny ...and a continual supply of coffee...LN....my fire is superb this evening, my supper was the same and I've a new book series by the same author...I'll fill you in tomorrow...LN

Wednesday 26th November

What a cold one it's been.  The fire was out this morning but I managed to get it going by seven and it's been going ever since.  I went over to pick up the men and it was minus two when I left and it slowly rose to zero but I provided them with hot coffee and hot white cheese bread for breakfast and it went down well.  Both of them were using wood preservative on the under eaves wood and there's not a lot of activity in using a brush.  Emula came round for a chat and to scrounge a cigarette from Bekir and kept hinting at coffee but it wasn't forthcoming.  Instead I knocked up a couple of Oxo drinks for my men and he had some of that.  

I decided that I'd do a tidy up of the leaves that had fallen in the yards since they kept blowing in by the front door and making the place look untidy.  Several large bucketsful later and onto the bonfire they went.  They've almost finished their work for this year now.  We've decided that once the under eaves is finished, that's it for this year.  They were late coming to me and I don't feel that we've achieved much this winter so let's look forward to the spring.  The clouds rolled over this afternoon and the temperature rose a little but nothing to write home about....I just kept the fire stoked in the garden.

Emula returned at five and asked if he could come with me to take the men home.  I offered him the keys to drive them but he refused but kept hinting that he wants to come and work here next year.  Bekir told him that he talks too much to be considered a serious candidate but we'll wait and see.  Home just after six and dropped Emula off at home....fire going, supper was the remains of last nights reheated and almost ready for bed.  Tomorrow could be their last day so I need to make a list of the jobs I want them to do before we say fond farewells for this year.  LN...where's that pen and paper....LN

Thursday  27th November

Four o'clock start this morning and don't ask me why but I'm still; going strong tonight....

Over for the men and met up with the bread wagon on the way so picked up breakfast for all of us, unsliced loaf and some eggs since I realised that I was out.  Four leva fifty for the lot of it...Asda eat your heart out.

Men set to on finishing the under eaves but there was a fly in the ointment.  I didn't like the way they'd finished off the workshop to the house so it was back to the drawing board Cecil.  They know what I'm going to say before I've said it and Bekir knew that it was coming....and so we worked out how to change it and we did.  There was a sprinkling of snow this morning and Bekir shouted me to make sure that I didn't miss it.  I tried to capture it but it was so light that it just didn't show up on the photos....but there you go ...my first snow of the season.

I worked on the heap that was left by my guest to remove the debris from my patio....the wood is being stacked and the debris burnt on the bonfire...Bekir reckons that it will all be good to burn...I'm not convinced but what was thrown against the wall is not being stacked...

After finishing the workshop they moved upstairs to insulate the patio windows and we discussed taking some of the supports down but that's for next year.  It will make quite a difference to the space up there and I'm all for it.

Emula came round at about five and brought me a vase that he'd found somewhere...It's outside waiting to be washed before being brought inside.  He came with me to take the men home and we went into Djebel to make sure that I've got enough benzine for the morning trip...over to the cash point to make sure that i've drawn enough to pay them and coffee from the bottom supermarket so that I've got coffee to cater to their needs in the morning.

Egg and chippies for supper...been awhile since I indulged myself,,,,mastical is helping it down and Peter Skellern is playing on the ipod.  I need to finish the wood pile tomorrow and it appears the men are working though it wasn't in the original plan...so off I go in the morning....Nine my time and seven yours...it's been a long day...LN