Thursday 1st January

Now this is more like it.....it's still chilly outside...but cosy in...so I'll stay in then...decision made...

Thursday continued

And it's remained beautiful for the rest of the day but really cold with a biting wind.  Hardly a cloud in sight now and the temperature is dropping drastically.  Both fires are going now.  I didn't light the little one until four but it just adds background heat to the kitchen and the kettle is always on and ready.  

Lots of interesting comments on FB today....it really is quite and impressive community for keeping in touch with friends.....Five thirty my time and time for a little drinkie I think.  I've just found a new someone to read...I'll share it with you tomorrow.  There are fifteen books in the series and it's light and I'm enjoying it so far.  LN...it's down the wooden hills I go...LN

Happy New Year second mummy!

We had a quiet one too with just a few friends over... (Jon Bunn (if you remember him) and his wife Anna and daughter Lara. I managed it to 03.30am before retiring, but my trouble and strike came to bed at 05.30am... You can take the girl out of Birmingham, but can't take Birmingham out of the girl!  

Friday 2nd January

MikeyB, that's the nicest thing you've ever said...and as for taking Birmingham out of the girl..just remember I was born only about twenty miles from there so there's not much hope for her....

Really cold overnight and it was minus sixteen more or less when I opened the curtains this morning.  The fire was out but soon rescued and I went back to bed with a coffee and my book until some of the warmth had belted round the house.  Suddenly the sun came up...my booster central heating system and it was uphill all the way after that but it never got about zero all day.

Beans on toast for breakfast to top up the reserves, got dressed for the great outdoors.  Made the bed, threw back the covers and opened the window to get rid of the flu germs that must be lingering after all this time.  Remembered it after about half an hour and it seemed to have done the trick.  Got the wood in and thought it was a good day for a bonfire since there wasn't any wind at all.  Bathroom and household rubbish all gone now and I spent time wandering the garden and generally looking at what's coming through and what's left after the cow incident.  Haciber came round with another present but this time it was Swedish Pepparkakor biscuits.  Her son has come over to check on her and he remembers every time that I like them.  I asked her if he liked Rakia or Mastica to give him a present for a change but she said that he doesn't drink....not so sure, I've seen him at a wedding, but I won't push the point.  Wood in and at last I seem to be getting the measure of the little cooker using up the wood from when my tree was trimmed so that Bekir and Sally could put the roof on the garage.  That really seems such a long time ago...

Lay on the sofa this afternoon and yes, the eyelids went southwards and it was four before I came to.  Topped up the fires since when the sun goes down the temperature plummets but it doesn't seem so bad tonight.  Made a spaghetti bolognaise sauce with the mince that Gouldjan delivered from when they killed the last calf.  I've had some of it tonight with pasta and tomorrow I shall make a couple of lasagne and freeze one down.  Only problem I found was that they are no so careful and I found a couple of bits of bone in the mince but there again...nice of the family to think about me.

Moon's up, a few more clouds around tonight so it shouldn't be as cold as last night.  Meeting the Librarian in Djebel tomorrow, her car is going in to have the brakes done or at least to identify the parts needed and we'll carry on to Kardjali.  I need to take my kettle back and was amazed when I found the box with receipt and guarantee in it.....it's going to make the exchange simple.  The auto switch off has failed and I have to stand there while it boils and I'm petrified of forgetting it and burning the place down.............so new one please...  

LN....I'm heading down and the only thing I'm coming back up for tonight is the Christmas University Challenge....unless I fall asleep which is a possibility...LN

Saturday 3rd January

Stunning views all day today...from sunrise to sunset and I think words might only get in the way.

Met the Librarian in the garage this morning...Her Hilux is going in for an overhaul but they have to order the parts so she is back ensconced at hers and they'll do the work on Monday.  They'll phone me when it's ready and I might be doing a taxi service...we'll wait and see.

Paid my phone bill so they won't be cutting me off, into our cheapy shop and I got a navy blue suede coat for two leva and one jumper for the same,  both designer labels...I've never felt so 'with it' on a budget. Took my kettle back and didn't have a replacement so gave me the money back, we shopped a bit in there even though we'd only gone in for the return and had parked in the other supermarket car park so we 'off roaded'  but did return it to the same place.  Found a bottle of white port in Billa and got another couple of bottles of the Pinotage to lay down...well may be.  Over to Lidl for the things I'd really gone in to get and stopped on the way back from Kardjali to take some of the icicles...Back to the garage, rescued her house keys and back to hers having stopped to take more pictures of ice flows.  Beautiful part of the world.  Unloaded and unpacked which is a job that I hate, fires started, wood in and supper cooked and eaten.  My Kindle has been returned...I'd forgotten it at Christmas so I need to update that with the new books and then down to the fire clutching the Lidl German lager at six 330ml bottles for three leva...it would have been rude not to.  So here goes with the pickies...enjoy....LN

Absolutely stunning photos, Elsa.  Lovely sunrise and sunset here too, but not as beautiful as yours.  Truly beautiful!

Hello Elsa happy new year. Been too busy to follow your blog at the moment but you have some beautiful photos up. Hope you are keeping well. We have a new roof all walls are now knocked down. Concrete floor and half a kitchen. Double glazing just trying to sort the petchka now. It's been a tad cold. When we are a bit more organised I will be in more contact. Big hugs. Xx

Sunday 4th January

Thank you both of you....the photographs are down to nature...I couldn't do it without her.  I reckon she's having a rest after yesterday...there was really nothing to take the camera out for today so I didn't.  It was cold this morning, cloudy and that's the way that it stayed until it started raining this afternoon.  I was surprised that it didn't turn into snow but it stopped just as quickly as it started.  We've been threatened with gale force winds overnight and tomorrow but so far nothing unusual.  

The pot of mince from yesterday I reheated, added some beans and chili powder and I'll bag it up for the freezer tomorrow.  I didn't fancy it for today and into my brain popped cheese, potato and onion pie and not sure where that came from.  I learnt to make this at a domestic science class when I was at school and I've probably only made it a dozen times since in all that time.  So boiled said potatoes, chopped the onion finely and grated some Cheddar from Lidl, put it all together and back into the oven with more cheese for the topping.  Not as good as I remember it though but potatoes have morphed since my day or maybe those rose tinted specks are failing me.....the potatoes didn't seem to have enough body in them.  Maybe I boiled them too much but if I hadn't have made it....I'd have always wondered.  

Fell asleep after supper and woke up about half an hour ago hence the late blog.  The fire was hanging in there but nothing a little encouragement with a poker wouldn't fix.  Noticed on my way upstairs to write this that the moon is up and not many clouds around and it felt cold as I came up the stairs.  With the big curtain between the winter lounge area and the stairwell closed, you don't realise how cold it is until you climb the stairs.  That curtain was an inspiration ...it certainly does the job.

Almost ten my time so I'm off to bed with a book.  Nothing planned so far for tomorrow.  It's supposed to be sunny over the next couple of days but very cold at night with minus fourteen on Wednesday but no more snow destined to fall until February..  It's always a wonder to me how the long-range changes day by day..but that's enough on that subject.  

I'm yawning despite having woken up after a couple of hours on the sofa...I'll keep you informed of the effect it has had on my overnight slumber.  I think this poor body of mine is still feeling the effects of the Christmas bug but as my mother would have said...I'm coughing better!!  I'm off to take my medicine of honey, hot water and freshly squeezed orange juice topped with a little brandy...purely for medicinal purposes you understand....LN  

Monday 5th January

So last night I caught the beginning of a film on ITV one and if I had seen the title I would have avoided it.....Hot Fuzz.  At first I thought it was a series and recognised some of the performers but then when the first adverts came on and it said that it was sponsored but a car group I decided to watch it till the end....which was pretty late or early putting a couple of hours on from UK time.  Perhaps having that nap in the afternoon meant that I could go for longer but when it came to bedtime, just before three this morning I read for a while and managed to go through until seven thirty this morning.  Got up and made coffee opened the curtains in the downstairs bedroom, picked up my book and the sun was just coming over the mountains so had to read with my knees up so that it didn't take out my vision.  

The fire wasn't going this morning but once the sun came up I didn't bother.  My phone went just before nine and it was Gouldjan asking if I was going into Kardjali and Djebel and she was looking for a lift.  I said I'd made no plans for either and was still coughing and hacking.  She'd come back from Bursa where she'd been for the holiday, the weather had been atrocious and she'd come back with the same thing that I'd got and needed to get into Kardjali to get a sick note organised.  There was a bus this morning and so I didn't feel too guilty about it...market day.

It seemed warmer this morning so poached egg on toast called me from the kitchen, a load of washing was put into the machine and I had a shower and washed my hair and got dressed.  Five minutes later there was a knocking on the door and when I opened it, my Avatar and Byser were standing there to check if I was OK.  There was no smoke from my chimney and it's nice to know that somebody cares.  I explained that it was much warmer and my house was warm as but I looked out and both of their fires were chugging away.  Small windows...no secondary heating.

Washing out and washing in and airing in the bathroom and shortly to be put away.  Good day for drying but I did think at one point that they were destined for Greece.  Sat for the afternoon reading until the sun went down and it was light fire time and get the little wood in for the kitchen woodburner.  The wind got up this afternoon and it was still as cold as this morning but according to the weather report, it's supposed to go down to minus thirteen tonight so curtains drawn. fires banked up and I'm in for the night.  The moon's just coming up and I've frozen two pairs of sock off going out onto the balcony from my upstairs bedroom...it's cold out there but worth it.

LN....no word from the garage today so I'll wait for an update tomorrow before I make any plans...Have a good evening....LN