Thursday update

So it's stayed dull as ditchwater all day and I'm not believing the weather forecast that's currently telling me that it's going to be sunny all day tomorrow....as for the cleaning...off the agenda as quickly as it got on.  I thought I'd finished my cards until I started looking closely at them and I hadn't.  Had a really good day designing new ones .... very creative and got the laminator out and tarted them up somewhat.  I'm not putting any pictures on the web...don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone.  

Didn't light the fire until lunchtime when I went down to make beans on toast and it's as I said....it's the damp air that gets through to you. The beans warmed up the inside and once the fire was going it soon warmed the house.  Supper tonight is already cooked and only needs warming through so it's time to go to the kitchen and get it going,  Tomorrow the letters are going in the post and what a headache it will give to the postmaster so better get there early....he will give me a receipt for them and if he'd only give me the stamps I'd do them myself...He has to do them all himself and frank the stamps by hand.  I'll try and sneak my camera in...so.LN...I'm off to the kitchen to get the chicken underway...LN

Friday 12th December

So where's that sun I've been promised...it failed to keep its appointment!!  Not quite raining but still very damp with a very low cloud base and a cold wind...ah well...

Boots blacked and off to the post office in good time but I was flagged down by one of the old men from my village and gave him a lift to the next village to get his pension.  He insisted I take one leva for my trouble, I said it was OK and he didn't have to pay me but he insisted and threw it on to the dashboard and he would have been offended if I'd have given it back....very independent most of the oldies.   I decided to check whether there was any post for me and to meet my new post lady but she said not to bother calling in, she would send her 'man' if there was anything for me.  So as I left the post office I was flagged down by one of the other locals that I know and gave him a lift into Djebel.  He has a smattering of English and spends several months of the year with his daughter and family in Florida and between us we managed to have a discussion over the ten kilometers.  Nice start for the day.

Into the post office and he called me over and handled my cards without a frown.  I'd also got a parcel to post but I had to go and get some brown paper for that to cover the box but since it was outside the EU...there were that many labels to fix on to it you could hardly see the parcel so keeping my fingers crossed that it gets there....and they've all gone airmail so they should make it.

Took my wellie boots back but they didn't have the next size so I'm waiting on the delivery.  Stopped off and did a little food shopping and home for a very respectable time of eleven thirty.  Sprayed my sunflowers gold and put them to dry, cleaned the house and mopped the floors and now I'm ready for Christmas.  One set of fairy lights still working so that's a bonus so tomorrow I need to get another couple of sets.....Santa is climbing up the outside wall but not lit up yet but that still works and the rope lights I need to think how to get an electricity supply to them now that the insulation has been done on the little house.  Last year they were on the end wall but there are no holes to poke a cable through now.  The sun eventually came out this afternoon and I had to take a photo of it....it might not be out tomorrow.

Both fires going well and the house is toasty....one load of washing done today and that's drying in the bathroom and I've still got one chicken leg left from the three I bought on Monday.  Off to Kardjali tomorrow with the Librarian and Gouldjan has just phoned saying that she has lost all the information from her flash drive and no back up so she's coming with us tomorrow to see her 'expert'.  Temperature is dropping now and it's supposed to be minus two or three overnight so that fire is going to be banked up.  I'm off to see what I can do with the third leg....LN

Saturday 13th December

Five start this morning, sat up to read for a while, sipping my coffee and there was the buzzing of a ...mosquito,,,and where did that come from!!..  It's winter and I can only assume that it's come out of one of the plant pots that have come in from outside.  I did get my revenge though....as I drew the curtains it wafted up onto the wall...and it is no more.  Checked the thermometer and it was at minus six at seven thirty this morning, there was a ground frost with swirling mist and cobwebs on the terraces.  Shower, shampoo and ready for nine after a bacon and egg sandwich to set me up for the day and the Librarian arrived at just after nine thirty.  Picked up Gouldjan at ten and off we set for Kardjali.

I'd made my list...checked it when I got back and I have to go back there on Monday.  Not much was covered but I did come back with a few  goodies.  I went to my cheapie clothes shop and came out with a suede coat which looks very rural and expensive, two large pillow cases in a very bright green and a black fleece sweater and all for five leva fifty....and to use my daughter's words...it would've been rude not to.   Kaufland, Lidl, Gouldjan's guru managed to get the data off the memory stick so she was a happy bunny and we got home at about four so pizza in, Madeira cake for desert, fire topped up inside and bonfire lit and hopefully burnt out before the animals get to it.

No supper for me...the pizza will suffice until tomorrow.  Six thirty my time and almost time to get down to the fire.  I need to set the mosquito trap tonight...don't need any bites or alarms of the 'buzz' in the early hours....Looks like it will be another cold one tonight...very blue sky and no clouds tonight....I'll let you know...LN

Sunday 14th December

Seven start under my new duck down quilt from Kaufland but it was a bit nippy outside.  Minus six again and the fire was hanging in there and after the kiss of life it was going full pelt but there didn't seem enough oomph to get that pump into action and fill up the radiators.  White over and with it came the freezing fog so no sign of a sunrise this morning and it eventually broke through at about eleven and then went beyond all expectations.  Bacon, eggs and fried bread for breakfast and not really in the mood for anything else yet awhile.  

With sun on the windows I could allow the fire to go to virtually nothing and I didn't have to bring it back to life until around four thirty.  I'd stuck a really big log on and it just ticked but a little kindling under it did the trick and with a small amount of coal we were really back in business.  I haven't done an awful lot today.  I used Google translate to find out what was in the letter that Remsie brought me round yesterday and after translating it for her we arranged to go to Kardjali tomorrow morning but she changed her mind on that and now we are waiting for her son to be released from hospital before we have to do anything about it.  So Remsier left at about four and Gouldjan arrived at approximately four thirty bearing gifts.  I have some home made bread and mincemeat from the calf that they killed last weekend.  They are so generous with their gifts.  We sat and chatted for a while and then off she went to leg it back to her village even though I offered to get the car out and take her home.  

So decisions, decisions.  I need to go into Kardjali to finish my Christmas shopping.  It was too busy for me on Saturday and when there are three of you trying to keep in sync.....it doesn't work. I'll see how soon it takes for the fog to clear and it is market day in Djebel so I might take a stroll round there...I haven't done it for ages alternatively I might not bother and head out with the Librarian on Tuesday to her market.  I'll see how the mood takes me.  

So results day of Strictly...I watched it last night and appear to have got a little hooked after my initial slagging off of it.  Made the mistake of eating a rather large square of white chocolate and it seems to be sitting rather heavily so not really in the offing for food.  You know the feeling...you want rather a large burp and nothing seems to be moving.  

The end of an almost perfect day....I did managed to string the rope lights in the little house so that I can see them at night and felt like a cowboy slinging the rope over the beams to get them up...LN....warming up for Strictly and then an early night for me....LN

Monday 15th December

Seven start and again very cold and frosty.  The thermometer at just after seven was not ready so many below but there was a nip in the air so to speak.  Fire still going and with a little help and encouragement I soon had a blaze and with coffee in hand I worked out what I was going to do today.  

First off was bacon and egg sandwich and the bread crumbled that much that a knife and fork had to be brought into play followed by more coffee.  I decided not to go into Kardjali or Djebel, my list is made and I'll do it tomorrow stopping off to pay my last visit to the post office on the way with two late cards.  Wrapped my presents and it was an exercise to see what else I have to get.  Hopefully all will be accomplished tomorrow.  I went outside to throw away the remains of the soup.  It had stood for a couple of days and I'm not that good with left overs but as I walked to the fence, this poor bedraggled cat meowed and struck lucky. It took a while to get through it, potatoes, carrots and leeks and it was probably its best meal of the year.

Cooked spicy sausage with onions, tomato paste, cannelloni beans, chili and honey for late lunch and made enough to take some over to my Avatar.  Haciber was there and I did say that there was enough for the two of them to share if they got on the statutory half a loaf to have with it.  Mine was finished by four thirty so by five I was going round closing the curtains and the sun went down.  No point in the heat heading out immediately and settled down to read until it was time for Eggheads at eight my time.  I do like Filmon.....on demand as it happens...

So ready for downstairs.  The fire has been really well behaved all day.  I think it makes a difference which way the wind is blowing.  Back to my book...the television is for the important things....LN

Tuesday 16th December

Woke up at what I thought was half five....threw a log on the fire, read for a while, went upstairs and struck up the computer to check face book and looked at the clock and it was only five twenty so it must have been half four when life came to the mummy.  Closed the pc down at five thirty, back to bed and it was seven forty when I awoke for the second time.  Now that was much better.  

Poached eggs on toast for breakfast, got the wood in and set off in the Beast for Kardjali but realising when I got to Rogosch that I'd left my Christmas tree lights on so having read about houses burning down because of them went back home and unplugged them.  So back to Djebel, delivered my empty beer bottles that had accumulated to my student's mum's shop, over to the post office for the last of the letters and then on to the big smoke.

Short post tonight..presents, wrapping tarty stuff bought, over to Kaufland for a few foodstuffs and finally to Lidl.  Back to my village and saw my Three musketeers fixing the fence of Byser's garden.  In my absence she'd been visited by Semile's cows and they were carrying out reinforcements.  Unpacked the car, roused the fire back to life, coffee and a big fat chocolate eclaire that had caught my eye in the Djebel supermarket and sat down to read for a while....and I've just woken up.  No photos...I've been too busy for snapping today.  I'll do better tomorrow...promise....LN

Wednesday 17th December

Back to rain this morning...another dull day.  So what did my day hold?  Bacon and fried egg for breakfast, my Avatar came round and paid off her debts for the oranges I'd bought for her from Kardjali and despite my reluctance to take it, she was determined and commented that they were sweet and very large and she was really pleased with them.  Three kilograms for a pound so she did quite well.  My post lady arrived with three Christmas cards and my electricity bill so it's beginning to look like Christmas

Got my wood in, fire had been rescued from oblivion this morning and I was pretty chilled about the day.  I had nothing to do, I decided that the photos that I had of the family had to be redirected to the new frame that I'd got from my leva shop so this morning I was scanning and printing.   Work done and really pleased with the outcome.  Ran the hoover around upstairs and moved the rugs around, had a phone call from England and settled down with my Kindle until five this afternoon.  Cooked the rest of the spicy sausage so that it didn't dry out in the fridge and there's enough to freeze down for another meal.  Had supper, decided to watch Filmon and went to sleep in the chair in front of the PC and woke up at one thirty this morning so my plan to get this posted early all went to pot.....so apologies and now off to bed...LN

Thursday 18th December

So tonight I'm going to post before the internet goes off since it's had a little down time today and before I go to sleep in front of it again...

After last night's shortcomings I went to bed at two thirty, read until three thirty and woke up this morning full of beans at just before eight so had got in my eight hours but in shifts....  Slow start to the morning...there was a sunrise but by the time I'd managed to get the camera out the morning mist had taken over and it stayed like that until about eleven and then we had a spring day.  I didn't bother to light the fire, I opened the windows to let some fresh air into the place and even opened the door.  I played on the internet until about eleven and then decided that it was about time that I had a shower, washed my hair for no other reason than I wanted to...I had no where to go and no one to see today.

Walked the garden and it was so squidgy underfoot...the water table is very high but we've had lots of rain over the last month or so.  Had a bit of a bonfire to get rid of the rubbish bag from the kitchen and I've spent the a rest of the afternoon wrapping presents, making small envelopes for some small cards I'd made and it seemed such a waste to put them in normal size envelopes.  Had a conversation with the Librarian to see when she wanted to do the Christmas shop so that I could at least make a contribution but as she said...it's not as if we are going to gorge ourselves silly, bit too long in the tooth for that.  

Lit the fire at four this afternoon and it's warmed up nicely.  Supper is the remains of last nights reheated and there might be a little mastica on the go.  I'm going into Djebel tomorrow for the last of my presents and if I don't find what I want there...I'll carry on to Kardjali but only if the weather is good....Change of plan...I'm off to Kardjali at ten...Remsie has just come round and needs to pay a bill for hospital services so I'm taking her in.  So I'll bid you farewell and tonight, there are photos...LN

Friday 19th December

Silly night again...woke up at three fifteen, read until five, back to sleep and woke up at seven thirty.  It must be the excitement of Christmas!!

Over to pick up Remsie and decided to take the Beast for an outing.  She climbed aboard, made sure that I had the documents for the bank and that was out first port of call.  Now sometimes village locals from my neck of the woods aren't treated as they should be but I breezed into the bank, I knew who I wanted to speak to and I sailed through but there was a little challenge so I just said that she was with me and on we went.  I explained the problem to my buddy in the bank, we were seated at another desk, the forms were completed, the money paid over and it we were told that we had to go back in one hour to complete.  So we went down to the market so that I could buy the grapes that I didn't manage to get for my Avatar and I had a text message to my phone to confirm that the money had been allocated to my account and a second one ten minutes later to say that the money had been transferred.  Back to the bank, and I was handed the paperwork to confirm the transaction and now I have one happy bunny that no longer has the sword of Damocles hanging over her and her son who has just undergone a heart operation in Sofia.

On to Billa and got a few bottles as presents, back to Djebel stopping off at the supermarket for top ups and picked up two little waifs and strays in Rogoche that had been let out of school early.  One of them was Semile's son who is my potential chauffeur so I asked him if he wanted to drive and he declined...well he is only eleven despite the fact that he is a dab hand with his father's car.  I delivered the grapes and went home for tuna mayo on fresh bread followed by and eclair from the supermarket and sat with the doors open in the sun reading for the next hour or so until my Avatar came round with my cash.  I mentioned that I'd got some apples and oranges from Djebel and I was going back to get more wrapping paper for the rest of my presents and so she put in her order and I took the cash as a down payment and we had a real good chuckle about it.

Driving out of the village I saw some hay bales coming towards me in the middle of the road so I slowed down, and they moved over and as I drew level one of the local farmers had filled the wheelbarrow and couldn't see where he was heading so we gate affectionate nods and he carried on his way and me on mine.  Got everything I wanted from my lev shop, picked up the fruit for my Avatar, home by six and the fire was going well.  No supper for me...I'm still stuffed from lunch and tomorrow's task is to put to bed the rest of the presents.  Today's been good...two villager's happy with my contribution to the village...well three if you count the boys who got home early who thanked me for stopping...they don't take it for granted.

Nine fifteen my time...soon be my bedtime and only got a few percent of my book, the Poet by Michael Connelly left... nice twist and didn't see it coming.  LN....photos tomorrow...I've taken a couple with my new phone but I can't lay my hands on the cable to take them off...so I'll give it a whirl tomorrow...LN

Saturday 20th December

Surprised this morning when I looked out in the early light and saw the moon or a slither of it hanging where the sun normally comes up.  I grabbed the camera and managed to capture it.  Made some coffee and realised that the sky had changed again and this time it was red streaked but the sun really had a hard time of it....there were dark mist clouds scudding across the valleys and hiding the sun as it tried desperately to shine.  

Bacon and egg for breakfast, delivered the apples and oranges for my Avatar and she asked me why I'd knocked and waited for her to open the door and not walked straight in.   I joked with her that if she'd got a man in there I wanted to give her time to hide him.  Usual chores, fire was going all night so I got some wood in but brought back with me two big logs and that's all it's taken to keep the home fires burning today.  The sun eventually kept out long enough to dry a line of washing and I got stuck into the presents and they're all packed and a sort of bran tub of silly things for the other ladies of the village.  I did open a bottle of Cream Liqueur and it made the afternoon go with a bit of a zing and made the wrapping and packing easier to get through.

Eight o'clock my time...watching Pointless and waiting for the final of Strictly and shan't be too late tonight.  The top is screwed tightly on the bottle....driving to my student in the morning so finished early today.  LN....it's a tele night....