Tuesday 6th January

Fell asleep last night watching Filmon on the pc and goodness knows what that was all about.  Bleary eyed down to bed, straight to sleep so it was an early one this morning.  Rescued the fire at five thirty, didn't bother starting the little one and was waiting till there was a sign of my booster central heating coming over them there hills and....zilch.  Cloudy as you like, cold as you don't like so it was a couple of boiled eggs for breakfast with dippy soldiers and upstairs to get dressed and ready to fetch the Librarian if there was any news from the garage......and again a bit fat zilch.

Christmas tree decorations down but I've retained the sunflower seeds in the big earthenware pot.  I don't want to throw them out because the birds might be tempted and they've were spray painted gold for the festivity.  I really don't want lit up great tits it you'll pardon the expression.  The rest of the stuff is stashed away for next year and the lights from the little house are back to normal boring white.  Emptied my cache of wool from the chest in my bedroom just to see what's there.  I have a plan that since my Avatar likes knitting and has run out of things to do, I can let her have the wool and pay her for making me some socks....a girl can't have too many of those.  I've also got a pattern for a Beanie hat but it's in English.....I suppose I could try and translate it but goodness knows what it would turn out like.

Had some snow this morning but it was only in the wind.  Not much and it didn't stick.  I have a lasagne cooking.  I usually make the white sauce out of cornflower but it's not the same over here so I used normal flour, into a roux and then added the milk.  I had to put it through the sieve to get the biggies out....I thought I'd given up this specialised cooking but it has got a twist....it's got chili in the mince and baked beans so it sort of a chili con carne lasagne and it looks fine...I've just checked it and another five minutes and it should be done.

Nice sunset tonight as the sun eventually struggled out this afternoon and gave us a splendid farewell.  I was a bit worried about my tree...the wind was howling and strong winds have been forecast but there again snow wasn't and we got it...do these people really get paid?  So lasagne time and drinkie time and I might even make a start on my Beanie hat...LN

Wednesday 7th January

Last night a message from the garage so I was destined to go  over to the Librarians this morning  and fetch her into Djebel to get her car.  I woke up early and tripped to the loo and went back to read.  I glanced at the clock in the hall way and thought it was half five and thought I hadn't done badly.  Felt that I needed a little more sleep so thought a trip to the loo would be beneficial before I settled down again and looked at the clock and it was twenty past four so goodness knows what it was first time round.  Didn't understand it because I didn't feel tired at all but eventually settled back off again and woke up at seven thirty.  Opened the curtains and there was a covering of the white stuff and it was coming down but not much of it.  Made the phone call to the Librarian and arranged to pick her up at nine fifteen, took the biggie, into her main town to pick up a few things from her local supermarket and then into Djebel.

Down to the garage and the repairs were complete but by this time there was considerable more snow on the road and driving back to Djebel from the garage but the Librarian was a little snow,,,there was lots of ice under the snow.  Picked up some bread and eggs and they we decided that she would make her way back home since there was no sign of anyone spreading grit on the roads.

Back home, fires topped and had a bonfire in the garden, brought in the wood and by this time the sun was out and there was only a little snow falling but the temperature was still at minus six.  Watched the darts this afternoon and now I'm ready to batten down for the night.  Guessing it's going to be really cold tonight.  There's lasagne should I get a little hungry later but at the moment there's no need to rush to the kitchen but I think a little brandy and hot water might go down well tonight.  LN....I'm just going to put the kettle on...LN

Thursday 8th January

Sorry I couldn't post this last night....my internet provider was having a down day or rather a down afternoon and evening so no service.

Sausage and fried egg for breakfast yesterday... set me up for the day.  Early fire going which went out as soon as the sun came up.  There was no need for it.  Productive day yesterday....moved the beds around in the third bedroom so that I could get my sewing machine up and leave it up.  It was such a task to move everything from my desk before...Also sorted out my wool and found a half knitted sleeve of a jumper that I must have started last year.  I undid it back to the ribbing, worked out that it would fit round my head and now have a new beanie hat and it looks so good that I intent to make another one today with some airforce blue wool to go with the new addition to the winter wardrobe.  Fashion icon me!!

So my internet world went off so no chatting on the various sites, no chance of Filmon so read for a while, got out Angry Birds and played that.  I decided to have a bath and that was a wrong move.  The water in the boiler wasn't up to top temperature and I only got about four inches of warm in there.  I'd put the boiler switch to on but it didn't heat it up quick enough to make a difference so I was out quicker than I'd gone in.  Note to self...more preparation and pre-planning needed.

Retained any warmth that was in my body by heading into bed with a brandy and hot water.  Only read for a short while before the eyelids headed southwards and woke up still holding my book so got up and switched off the kitchen light and back to it until six fifteen this morning.  

Friday 9th January

Just as cold last night if not colder and I lingered in bed until the sun more or less was there.  Oh central heating at last.  I know I have the advantage of two wood burners but the one was out this morning and I played around lighting it and didn't give it the attention that it deserved and I suffered the consequences.  It took ages to belt water round the system.  Eventually got dressed at nine thirty, got a load of washing in since there was a stiff breeze and a sun up in that there sky, toyed with the idea of going into Kardjali and forgot it as soon as I'd thought about it.  Much too cold to be out and about.

Having had such a success with yesterday's beanie hat I decided to start the blue one.  I didn't have a pattern but I reckoned that if I used three strands of wool and big needles and put forty stitches on...it would do alright for the main body.  I completed about two inches and checked on the weather and it looked like there might be some snow so in with the washing and on to the airer in the bathroom and the smell of frosty washing into a warm atmosphere took me back to when the monday wash would be airing round the fire at home.....memory lane.

Back to my knitting interspersed with getting in wood, lighting the little one, Angry Birds and reading the next in the series.  I headed for the kitchen at three thirtyish and found some chicken in the freezer, scrubbed up a jacket potato and banged it all in the oven along with some apples stuffed with dried fruit, dark sugar and honey and it was enough to feed the five thousand should they descend.  Supper ready by five thirty, I took one of the apples over to my Avatar with a pot of cream...they don't seem to cook apples and she invited me to a lunchtime bash down at Semile's mother's place.  Apparently there are ten of us walking down there at eleven tomorrow morning so it's off with the girls for lunch.

My parcel has been collected from the UK and I've been able to track it already.....there is no scheduled delivery date but it does say between three and five days....let's see how they do.  A bottle of Pinotage has been opened to accompany the chicken so that's me sorted for tonight then.  I'm off downstairs...good day...good food and my hat looks like the dog's whatsits.....back of the net so to speak...LN

Saturday 10th January

Not much to report today except that I have had an exceptional day.  I got showered and hair washed knowing that I was out to lunch with my neighbours and it was imperative that I was out there with boots blacked...

Showered, shampooed and ready for eleven when my Avatar knocked on my door. Together with  ten of my neighbours we legged it picking up some on the way and walking though Semile's back garden and arriving at his mother's house down with the sheep and cows.  We were welcomed by Semile's mother, his mother in law and daughters in law and let the party begin.

Eighteen of us crowded into one room.  There was lots of Turkish spoken and so I was watching the body language and worked out some of the conversation but it was a bit of a mishmash.  Everyone was concerned that I was OK so I said in Bulgarian that I was and the rest went with a swing. The table cloths were laid on the floor, the table was unfolded and it was a super double sized, the first course of lamb with potatoes arrived and I unfortunately got the piece with the bone as did everyone else....the second course was turkey with rice and it was my first for this year...I think some of my neighbours got the right idea...make out you can't manage it to the floor and sit at another table and it gets delivered to you...I shall know for next time.  Next course ....stuffed vine leaves followed by macaroni with garlic and yoghurt that I gave a miss, home made banichka and baklava to finish.  The rest of the ladies were going to visit the mother in law's husband's grave....I decided to walk back with the ones that couldn't possibly have made it to the grave and back and home without seriously considered staying where they were.

Home for just after two and sleep beckoned.  My night hadn't been good so I made up for it waking at about four but frozen.  Bullied the fire into submission....and all's fine now.  Just watched the ladies darts tournament on Filmon...stupendous play.   Thinking about food but the lunchtime marathon although it was done at high speed has filled the cavities.  Tomorrow I'm off to my students...It's been a couple of weeks due to their commitments and my flu ...we'll see how it goes tomorrow.  No photos....not much of a sunrise or sunset...the son from the gathering took photos that I might purloin...LN....chilled day with my neighbours...LN

Sunday 11th January

Late start this morning and as I opened the curtains I realised that the sun was already coming up so straight for the camera and managed to get a shot.  Didn't feel too good this morning so cancelled my student....and today has been a very gentle day.  The temperature is up today and the sun warmed up the house brilliantly ...so much so that I didn't light the fire until four thirty this afternoon.  There was a severe wind warning for today and as it picked up it was a cold one.  I checked out the weather and it's supposed to be cold tonight and back to low temperatures tomorrow with snow and we're back to the minus levels again.  It's just not normal.....   Enough wood in for tomorrow and I'm ready for it.

Package arrived today delivered by my post mistress straight to the door....Thank you DS....what a lovely surprise and I'm thinking that your sunsets are a little too close to mine for comfort....Tonight I'm watching the darts final and it's definitely nail biting stuff.  I'm rooting for Martin Adams but they are both playing so well.  Tomorrow I'm housebound....I'm expecting a parcel from the UK and it should be delivered by close of play but they're pretty good here, they should be phoning me when it arrives at the office and will give me a delivery time....just like the UK...NOT.

Supper was a Lidl pizza and I promise myself never to buy one from there again...most of it is still in the kitchen and let's see what the animals make of it.  Gone into the break at the darts now so it's down to check the fire and tidy the kitchen...LN...I have things to do...and I think it's time for a little drink...LN

Monday 12th January

So lying in bed and heard a funny noise outside and it was rain.  Now the  forecast was for snow and a short while later I put on the terrace main light and it was coming down and white over.  It wasn't sticking on the terrace and only slightly covering the garden but it got heavier but by lunchtime it had stopped and the sun was forcing its way through.  

I was having to stay in today waiting for my parcel from the UK and watching the tracking on the internet.  Got the fire going but not hugely banked up, there was no need.  It wasn't cold now that the snow had arrived.  I finished the last of the sausage rolls leaving some of the pastry for the birds and along with the pizza I put it in a spot where I reckoned I could take some photographs but the magpies are very skitty.  The blue tits or whatever tits they were were dipping in encouragingly but eventually one of the cats arrived and demolished the lot.

The parcel didn't arrive but I checked the tracking number and it said that it had been delivered.  I went outside and no footsteps in the snow and despite and signature that it had been accepted by a guy called Mark...I'd not a clue.  I phone Kardjali and they had nothing in for delivery and I've just received an email telling me that I have a new tracking number....we are now tracking it over BG and it has only taken three days to get from the UK to here....let's see how long it takes to get here...

Not much happened this afternoon, a little tv, washing done and drying inside and an early supper was on the cards.  Chicken wings, roasted parsnips and potatoes with peas and Bisto gravy with a small glass of white port to savour while I was cooking.  Supper delicious...and now I'm waiting for Eggheads at eight.  LN...the initial small glass of port is now no more so I'm destined for a trip to the kitchen.  Temperature is supposed to go down to minus six overnight....we'll wait and see...LN

Tuesday 13th January

Just before six appears to be the starting point for the day so I was straight back to bed with the book.  The fire wasn't going but the house had held the temperature overnight but at seven I decided to light it...just to keep the heat up.  Minus six when I looked at the thermometer nestled in the conifer and as I went out in the dark to empty the ash can I realised that it was a little slippery under foot but I was in my socks and they held safe.

Soon went round to seven thirty so out with the old bread for the birds, thought about visiting the Librarian since it was her birthday today but phoned her instead to wish her a happy birthday.  So back to the saga of my parcel and it's been riding on all day.  I've now found out that the box is still in the UK so the 'In transit' didn't mean a thing and we've had stupid excuses from the transport companies.  I shan't name them yet but I'm sure I shall if I get more of the same tomorrow.

Cooked an omelet from the remains of last night's roasted vegetables and sliced up one of the spicy sausages into it.  Delicious and it's set me up for the day...not into anything tonight.  Watched the snooker this afternoon and I love Ronnie O'Sullivan to bits...he's the bad boy...on a par with Robbie Williams.  Had a visit this afternoon and my Avatar opened up her cardigan and gave me ten eggs.  She sort of hides them on her person so that the neighbours don't see her delivering them.  

Almost time for a little drink...fire relit and going well and it's not been an energetic day but there again, they don't have to be.  As I say, if I waste time, it's mine to waste so what the heck.  Now where was that bottle...LN

Wednesday 14th January

Five start this morning so threw a couple of logs on and it was toasty for when I eventually surfaced.  Watched the sun come up from the downstairs bedroom, forgot about the curtains in the lounge last night but they are already closed up for tonight.  It's going to be another corker.  Emptied the ash can, washed up from the last couple of days, threw out the old bread for the animals and an old bunloaf that had got as hard as bricks.  Well somebody might fancy it if they're really hungry.  I didn't have breakfast and I'm still not sure why but I showered, washed my hair and was unsure what I was going to do for the day.  I answered emails and did my Daily Mail sudoku and I'm still keeping my average and under ten minutes...cracking.

Sat reading in the stairwell in the sun and I was disturbed by a man and a boy.  The man was obviously begging and saying that his son needed an operation but they both looked OK to me.  This is a problem and I don't like it when I'm put in the spotlight to give...I did say that I didn't understand him, well he was speaking Turkish, but I got the drift.  Unfortunately I didn't have the time to take a raincheck on my neighbours...if they'd have felt it was a worthy cause I might have.  The local philosophy is it's wrong to ask and wrong to say no so if they don't ask you're in the clear....

Electricity went off at two so I decided that I would go into Djebel and spend time with my student's mum in the carshop to break up her day.  I firstly went to the post office and bought my two road taxes at the princely sum of 134 BGN which translated means around sixty five pounds for the year.  On top of that I have to pay the government tax of forty three leva but that is so much better than the UK.  Local supermarket and got a chicken that's now in the oven, apples, carrots and bread and that's me done.  Lit the fire and that was after I put the chicken in the oven and I rather view it as an inbox exercise and prioritise the tasks.  Working down the list, carrots, potatoes, onion and parsnips in to roast....supper should be good.

Not much on the agenda for tomorrow.  I have furniture I want to make and adjust...it depends on the weather.  If it's cold out and warm in...bit of a no brainer.  LN...the wine is open to go with the chicken and I'm hoping there'll be some left by the time I come to serve up...LN  

Thursday 15th January

So woke up last night in front of the computer at eleven and into bed for half an hour of the book and then down until five thirty this morning.  Morning has broken...well almost and I have the photos to prove it.

Seven thirty this morning removed my wood burner pipes and all cleaned and put back by eight fifteen.  There wasn't much rubbish out of them but at least I know that there's no issues lingering.  Decided to carry on with the good work and hovered the downstairs, got out the mop and bucket and did the deed.  There was a little disturbance in the middle...a blue something rattled into my window and ended up shell shocked on the terrace.  I watched it for a while outside and then poked it with my cow stick to encourage it to get a grip.  It fluttered eventually and then flew away.  I was a little worried about a cat thinking it was an easy takeaway...so I stood guard.

Phone call from the Librarian asking if I would swap the day from tomorrow for today for the Birthday lunch...no problem with me.  I was on the end of a mop and running out of enthusiasm and energy so got wash, dressed for the town, into the Beast and met her in Djebel...both into mine for Kardjali, gave the parking man two leva knowing that we were going to lunch in the cantina and this could be more than the usual one leva parking.  Super lunch, over to our cheapie shops, back to Djebel purchasing some water pipe insulation for her and off she went.  I chatted to my student and his mother outside the shop for a while, home for five thirty, fire started and going well and not into supper...I'm stuffed from a mousaka for lunch from the cantina.

So I checked up and O'Sullivan is through..and has claimed the record for the number of 100 plus breaks.  LN....I'm about to go for cold chicken and I might do chippies....what a lovely day....LN