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Elsa Peters
December 1, 2015, 5:49pm Report to Moderator

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Tuesday 1st December

Well I can now say count down to Christmas….this week I have to go out and spend. spend on the pressies for my ladies…time is marching on.  

Went to bed last night …in my bed but unfortunately I was asleep by ten so awake at silly o’clock.  One day my sleep pattern might adjust itself to…normal…well I can hope.  So I got up and made coffee, got my book out and read for an hour or so.  I tidied the kitchen and had breakfast at seven and was prepared for my painter at about eight thirty.  Now the job that he was coming to do was to remove the last of the putty from the little house porch and he reckoned that he could do it in an hour or so.  And some.  It ended up that we removed the polythene to make the job easier, I hacked back the grape vine and started a bonfire, the metal is all painted now, second coat goes on tomorrow and it gets glazed asap since there is no protection there at all now.  No rain forecast for the next week or so so we should be OK.

Off he went at lunchtime clutching the rosemary that I’d cut back so that I could get its winter jacket on.  This year I don’t want to lose it and I set to clearing out the flower beds and most of the weeds and eventually got my bonfire going.  

Came in at three thirty and lay on the sofa reading in the sun and food started entering my head.  Cheese on toast with brown sauce and then I wanted something sweet so I fried off an apple in butter, added lemon juice, brown sugar and honey and had it with cream and now I’ve finished for the night.

The bath that I was going to have last night didn’t materialise but I’ve just soaked for an hour taking care not to nod off as I read the Kindle.  I’m on book five of Goodhead and there is some appeal although I do flip over some of the pages.  He goes into a lot of descriptive detail.  

Seven thirty my time…beautifully relaxed after a day in the fresh air and the garden certainly looks better for a little effort as does the porch......LN….I think it’s time for a glass of the red stuff...Sunrises and sunsets tonight.....LN



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Buddy
December 2, 2015, 12:45pm Report to Moderator
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hi just to update you on my glasses  i have two pairers   one for driveing one for  reading.done the same day    call you later
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Elsa Peters
December 2, 2015, 3:26pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 2nd December

So more business for my optician....I should be on commission....

Seven start this morning and once again I had my painter call round to finish painting the little house porch.  We managed to find a sheet of glass and I have one pane cut...the other worker should be arriving tomorrow and then it's all systems go.  Despite the weather forecast...there appeared to be a few drops of the wet kind but the way the temperature has gone down it almost might have been the white stuff and really, I don't want it yet.  In a couple of days time it should be fine.  

So at eleven this morning my painter asked me if I was going into Djebel and he was about to walk the six kilometres so I decided to go in and get my tyre fixed just so that he didn't have to leg it there.  He's a very independent sort and made noises that he was quite happy to go on foot but I realised that we could get more paint to finish the door that is half done because we ran out, a proper lock for it instead of using chain and padlock, it wasn't the tyre but the valve so they fitted a new one and finally into the supermarket for a loaf of bread and home for twelve thirty.  

Out with the new bread and a tin of tuna and mayo and it was back to the old favourite.  I wasn't lighting the fire since I'm out tonight at my students home for supper but as I lay reading on the and my eyes shut for an hour or so I woke up really cold so it's now roaring away and I'm back to being comfortable.  

Taking Beauty tonight since it was the one with the puncture today and it was strange driving it again.  There were gears to think about but at least the battery is topped up again.  She took her time to burst into life this morning.  Not much of a sunrise this morning but again the sunset was spectacular......so just a couple for you and ....LN....it's almost time for the off.....  LN



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Elsa Peters
December 3, 2015, 7:00pm Report to Moderator

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Thursday 3rd December

Seven twenty start but it was a three a.m. wake up in the chair again and I'm not sure of at the point of awake and sleep.  Never mind...I sloped off to my bed and remained there until seven twenty so not a bad night's sleep overall.

I was working in the garden just before eight,  I emptied the toilet rubbish bins, kitchen waste and out to the garden with matches in hand.  I also emptied the wheelbarrow of the contents and distributed it over the garden.  The bonfire was cleared out before ignition and all went well and all my rubbish was incinerated.  So far so good today....

My painter arrived sat eight thirty and we had to play around with a couple of tins of paint of the black and brown variety to come out with something that resembled the one that we had used for the rest of the porch.  We reckoned that we needed the computer but we managed it anyway....

Porch finally painted, tomorrow if the second man doesn't arrive I am going into Djebel and find a man to cut the glass for us.  I work out the cost of labour...what is going to cost less....and I go with the result.  There was some paint left after the porch was completed and so I cleared the sand and gravel from the base of the fridge that's been turned into a fridge and it's been repainted for the spring...

Every finish by twelve thirty and I was out creating my winter shield for my broad beans.  Now broad beans don't mind the cold but they dislike the mush of snow so they are now protected.  I was reading this afternoon since my fire had been going all night and I'd kept it going so that the house was absolutely comfortable.  I lay in the sun reading until the eyes heading southwards and I was having a silly dream advising my son that he should be aware of the sea as he headed out in a small boat and woke up in a bit of a sweat.  All this without a drink...

Went out and finished my winter shield for the broad beans....and tomorrow if my other builder arrives I shall call up my painter and the porch will be finalised...If he doesn't arrive...I'm in to Djebel and finding out the cost of cut glass....I don't really like things to take up too much time.  Results have to be costed and financially viable.

Carried on with the reading and fire control and tonight is really comfortable in the house.  It's not cold outside but it is December....and heading that way.  Supper was chicken in the oven with roasted potatoes, red onions, sweet potato and beetroot and the result...delicious....and I'm stuffed.  Pointless and Eggheads...and now the Strictly recaps....and tomorrow decision day as to what to do and how much it will cost me.....LN....I've had a lovely day....LN



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Elsa Peters
December 4, 2015, 4:54pm Report to Moderator

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Friday 4th December

Another silly o'clock start and I just couldn't get off again until five and awake at six thirty.  I think I ate too much last night before I went to bed!!

So emptied the ash can and laid the fire ready for later, washed up and generally meandered around and started to read at eight thirty.  My painter came round at nine and brought me some red onions from his garden and said that he was off to sort out Hacibar's antenna for something...this man just gets all the jobs that no one else wants...he's a godsend or an Allah send to the old ladies...me included.  We still have no news about the other builder supposedly returning from Turkey but My painter said that I should give it another day or so and then get a quote if nothing is forthcoming from that direction.  I just like things done...

At nine fifteen the electricity went off so there was no chance of lighting the boiler because of the pump and with little or no activity on the building front I decided to go into Kardjali rather that get cold in the house.  I headed to Djebel and went round to my students to take a couple of gifts for the family, my student's sister tried to tempt me with tea or coffee or even chocolate but I said that I'd had enough coffee this morning and didn't want to spent all my time working out where the nearest loos were...   and then my phone went and it was the Librarian asking if I wanted to go into Kardjali and so we met up on Kaufland car park.  First stop pizza for breakfast. into the new Euro zone shop and I got most of my pressies, back to Kaufland where I got the rest.  My Christmas shopping is complete....

Home for three and still no electricity so at four thirty lit my backup petchka in the kitchen. read until the light was fading and just as I'd started lighting the tea lights on it came.  Big boiler lit, little one has now gone out and everything in the garden is rosy but sorry...no pickies today.  Cold chicken leg for tonight and an early night for me...but not too early so that I'm up well before the lark.  LN....a little drink I think and time to throw another log on ...LN
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Elsa Peters
December 5, 2015, 4:59pm Report to Moderator

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Saturday 5th December

As it happened it wasn't an early to bed.  The fire was chugging along nicely and at ninety percent of my latest book complete I decided to get to the end of it....I wanted to see how it ended so bedtime came at one thirty this morning but the upside was I woke up at six thirty after an undisturbed night.  Coffee, cleared out the fire, got in the logs, shower, shampoo, cars jiggled around and into Djebel and my student's parent's shop while waiting for Mrs D of S to arrive on the bus.  Birthday chocolate for breakfast but we headed into Kardjali for general top-ups.  I'd done most of mine yesterday so only a couple of things to get but fun all the same.

We hit the charity shops as is our want and I've ended up with a green sporty jacket for one leva and put onto Mrs D of S's bill.  I have my first pressie for the forthcoming celebration... I'm not allowed to refer to it as Christmas.  Over to the coffee shop for breakfast where the waitress like to practice her English and we encourage her to try.  Onwards and upwards trekking round shoe shops and I managed to get a pair of red boots for twenty eight leva and two sizes larger to accommodate my hand made knitted woollen socks...nothing like staying warm when it really hits.  

Belgium chocolate time in Lidl since they're on special offer and back to Djebel for the last few things that Lidl doesn't sell.  Off she went in her taxi back to her village and I made sure I put my foot down so that they didn't overtake me before my turn off...blow the diesel cost...it's the principle.  Home for two, fire sorted, shopping unloaded and the pressie wrapping has to wait for tomorrow.  Everything is purchased but I want a day of it...today was lie in the sun with the door open until the temperature dropped, door closed and snooze time.  

Lovely day today...very relaxed...fire is going like a dream and the house is really toasty which is just as well...it's threatening minus temperatures for tonight.  'Strictly' providing Filmon doesn't start playing up with a little beer for company....LN...Today's temperature this afternoon makes it difficult to believe it's December...LN



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Elsa Peters
December 6, 2015, 5:08pm Report to Moderator

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Sunday 6th December

Six thirty start and straight into it.  Kitchen tidied, old glass jars put ready to find their way into the workshop and breakfast of bacon and eggs with fried bread on the table by eight.  There was mist on the hillside. not even a hint of sun this morning and the threat of minus temperature for last night didn’t happen.  The terraces were damp and it was cold but not freezing.

I didn’t get dressed…and got settled on the sofa reading and enjoying my Sunday morning.  At ten thirty there was a neighbour at my door and asking if I could sell her a tin of Nescafe coffee since the travelling shop had only the ready sweetened packets and none of the ordinary stuff.  She clutched the eight leva in her hand expecting me to make a slight profit on the purchase price but I gave her the fifty stotinki change and told her to get herself a cup of coffee with it when she was out.  As a parting shot I asked her to not tell anyone else…I don’t want my ‘special buys’ to go and I end up paying ten leva fifty for it.  I apologised for being in my PJ’s and we laughed about it.  I settled back down again and then Hacibar arrived at my door clutching some of her home made bread for me and explaining that her house phone wasn’t working and could I help,  I sent her off home promising I’d be there when I was dressed and five minutes later I was at her house, I plugged the phone in and pressed the ‘On’ button and off it went.  Unfortunately she had lost the date and time settings but I’ll ask my painter to sort it tomorrow.  He will be able to find his way through the menus.

By this time the sun had broken through and as I left Hacibar’s house another of my neighbours was chasing four errant cows up the new asphalt road towards the village.  She explained that fifteen cows had spent the night in Remsier’s field and not at her request.  So this afternoon, the seasonal decorations came out and I’ve two sets of twinkly lights on the dried poppies from last year and a Christmas tree.  My festivities are beginning but I didn’t manage to wrap the presents.  I took to the sofa in front of a the fire and the eye lids headed southwards for a couple of hours….I appear to be catching up on the silly o’clock starts.  

Tomorrow if the second builder doesn’t arrive, I’m measuring up the glass and heading to the glazier and placing the order, there’s nothing else on the horizon.   LN…now to continue with a restful evening after a very restful day.  LN…..



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Elsa Peters
December 7, 2015, 4:50pm Report to Moderator

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Monday 7th December

One a.m. toilet break and read for about ten minutes and realised that it wasn’t what I wanted to do…head down and a seven o’clock start for me…result.  Decided that I have to keep on top of the washing so that I don’t leave anything when I go to the UK but looking at the freezing fog I thought I would be hard pressed to get it dried if it continued like that.  Sorted out the clothes from the third bedroom that I no longer wanted so those got washed as well and by the time they were all done…it was up on the clothes airer in the bathroom…it seemed the better option and as soon as they were up there…the sun broke through…ah well.

Breakfast was late but the scrambled eggs at ten were delicious but they sure do make a mess of a non-stick pan.  No workers turned up today so I measured the glass and tomorrow I’m off to Djebel come hell or high water.  The fire has been going all day to day and why not…I have enough wood cut and sitting this afternoon wrapping the presents in Santa’s little grotto was very pleasant.  I’ve realised I have a couple more to buy…and so they’ll be got tomorrow and then…complete…let Christmas begin.  Delivery is scheduled for next Sunday.  Only two things on the agenda…advise the post office to hold my fan mail until my return…and car to Djebel so that it’s there for when I get back.

Lovely sunset tonight yet again…don’t really want to bore you with them but feel that I must…LN….Just a little of the local whisky which tastes more like brandy with a little hot water…keeping colds at bay…LN



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Elsa Peters
December 8, 2015, 5:24pm Report to Moderator

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Tuesday 8th December

Six start and it was OK by me.  I read until seven, got up and made coffee, decided to get washed and dressed in case any builders arrived but I all I got was my usual man advising me to leave it one more day before I measured up and ordered the glass for the little house.  

Breakfast was only toast and blackcurrant jam and there was no need to light the fire as the sun was up and the house was warm.  I did lay the fire ready for the evening and emptied the ash can remembering that I had a nail stuck in the grating which I removed.

At twelve I decided to convert the three leeks into leek and potato soup and I put a couple of chicken legs into the oven to drop it into the soup at the last minute.  I also took a couple of flaky pastry slabs out of the freezer that I intended cooking separately to adorn the finished article.  It was a longer process than I thought but at three thirty two pies were done …one for Hacibar and one for me….She’s so good delivering home made bread and yogurt that it’s my way of saying thank you.  Pies were delicious and still have soup for tomorrow.

Got my knitting out today and added a few more rows to a pair of wrist warmers…..Countdown and now into Pointless….it’s been a lazy day.  Fire lit at five this afternoon and toasty inside…wine box opened.  Arranged for my painter to come round at nine in the morning and we are measuring three time and ordering once.  LN…the evening is still young…LN



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Elsa Peters
December 9, 2015, 4:27pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 9th December

Really drab start and no sunshine at all today.  The wind has been cold and I really must remember...it's December.  Breakfast of poached egg on toast that set me up for the day...I'd finished tidying the kitchen as my painter arrived and we confirmed the measurements for the glass for the little house porch.  I found out a pair of fingerless gloves for him as it was icy out there and we set off for Djebel to place the order by about nine thirty.  On the way in I emptied my old jars and bottles into the container and I saw him thinking about one of the empty bottles and he saw me look at him.  I wanted to get rid of not bring any back with me.

As we reached the first shop he took off the fingerless gloves.  I asked him why and he said that men don't wear red, that it's a colour for the ladies.  Now this is the first time that I'd heard this.  In the first shop they had stopped cutting glass and at the second the man was working in Kardjali and there was no one there to price the job.  I decided at that point that I would go into Momchilgrad and speak with the men that made all of my windows and they've agreed the cost and that it will be done by Friday....result.  It will be completed on Saturday or Sunday in time for me heading off.  We headed back to Djebel and my painter had picked up from the little house a five litre wine bottle and we headed over to the coffee shop for more supplies.  He took three litres and I bought one and it's not bad for three leva a litre.  I dropped him off at home and he insisted that I went to see his garden and I came home with beetroot, carrots, onions.  I'd taken a joint of pork out of the freezer yesterday and this got put in the oven with roast potatoes. turnips and beetroot.  The fire had been going all day and while it cooked I lay on the sofa with my book and the eyes headed southwards for an hour or so, woke up and sorted the late lunch/dinner making Bisto gravy to top it off.

Six fifteen my time and let the evening begin.  My book is hotting up at seventy percent, my wine is down to sixty percent and my contentment is around one hundred percent.....Lucky old me,  No pictures today...no sun rises or sets.  Well there probably were but not in my neck of the woods.  LN....another gentle day tomorrow me thinks...LN
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