Thursday 10th December

Five hours undisturbed sleep last night...midnight through till five of the clock and for me....cracking.  Got my book out and from eighty five percent to the finishing post by eight thirty.  As I've said before, this particular author seems to slam it into the last fifteen percent to get the story untangled but you know what it's like...when you're into a series you just go with it until the last book.  Fire lit and wood in which seems the backbone of life in Bulgaria....as long as you're warm...the rest can wait.

I phoned the Librarian to see if she wanted to come out to play today.  I was intending to go over to hers and pick up the suitcase and straight to her local shopping centre for the last of my presents....three more and finished, finished, definitely finished....Unfortunately she had other plans but said that she would be over later this afternoon.  I settled in and finished wrapping the presents and put my usual personal touches to the greeting cards and when she arrived, the leek and potato soup was turned into roasted beetroot. leek and potato soup and it went down a treat.  On the negative side....she forgot the suitcase and on the plus side she sampled the local coffee shop wine and we have another convert.  

We chewed the fat and dragged one or two over the mill and she left at just before five but she forgot to take the rest of the bottle of wine with her....such a shame.  There was a toot outside and my local postie had letters for me from the UK which was rather nice.  She's going to hang on to any mail that I have until I return to these fair shores.  

No need for supper, the soup is still filling the gap but there is enough cold pork left for a sandwich later on should the mood arise.  Now to find the next book in the series....LN....the night is young...LN

Friday 11th December

Seven start and read until eight thirty and then up to the computer and got to watching a video of Edgar Casey and his futuristic predictions.  I'd forgotten all about him and it was very interesting .  Back to my book for a while and then it was time to light the fire...the wind was really cold this morning and it's been going all day.  

Time to defrost the fridge,,,I'm switching both the fridge and the freezer off while I'm not here...the last thing that I want to come back to is a kitchen awash with food if we have a power cut like last year.  So there I was with my head virtually in the fridge and I heard the door rattle and there was the Librarian holding the suitcase that she'd forgotten yesterday and a bottle of wine as an extra present since she was so pleased with her from me.  We'd seen a large picture in Kardjali the last time we shopped there and I headed off the next day to get it as a surprise for her...and she was really surprised.

We sat and had coffee and I suggested that we headed off to Djebel for lunch as the soup kitchen.  Over to the coffee shop for more wine to see her over the Christmas period and some in reserve for me when I get back.  Home for three and off she went, I finished off the fridge that had a huge build up of ice in the ice box finally bringing into play...the hair-dryer.

Supper was cheese, potato and onion pie just to use up the left over cheese and I put in a strudel that I found in the freezer and used up the last of the cream.  So packing in the morning.....I've started making a list of the chargers that I need to take with me....and I'm only taking hand luggage so no that much thinking to do.  Down to tend to the fire....the temperature's dropping so it might be going all night tonight.  LN...the machine is about to go into action...LN

Saturday 12th December

Silly three thirty start this morning and I had to resort to reading.  I tried to go back to the land of nod but it wasn't going to happen.  I made coffee and tidied the kitchen at five this morning, the fire was still going so I topped it up with a couple of logs and everything in the garden was rosy so to speak...apart from the fact that I was sleep deprived.

Two loads of washing finished by eight this morning and I was setting fire to my toilet rubbish and kitchen sling-outs when I noticed that my painter was at the gate and he'd brought a selection of old locks so that he could work out which sort I wanted for the little house porch ....and we did it.  Into Djebel and the shop sold them so we bought one and we had all the other bits to make it work and happen.  I now have a lockable door to my little house porch but ....no glass...yet.  This was supposed to be cut today and we could pick it up but we received no phone calls so I'm really not sure what's happening.  I'm hoping that we can pick it up tomorrow so that my painter can putty it in but I'm not sure if they'll be anyone there...I'll check it out first thing.

Lazy afternoon until I realised that I had to get in everything outside in and that included wheelbarrows and barbed wire and all is safely gathered in.  Suitcase is packed, clothes washed and just the odd things to do like switch off the water to the outside sink and drain the pipes.  I spent about an hour sorting keys and padlocks and they're now all in the right place...how many keys and spares does a girl want...

Fish fingers for a late lunch, back to my book for a while, back to the suitcase for a while and then over to Strictly.  I think it's Anton's time to go....they just didn't shine.  Really cold night tonight but I looked up and saw two reflections of the sun in houses on the opposite hillside and then there were pink vapour trails at sunset.  It's been a beautiful day today despite the fact that the wind was cold and my two loads of washing are now put away but the nest has made its way on to the bed....the fleece sheets are out and they're also on the lounge sofa-bed for Mrs D of S since she's spending the night here before we leave for Sofia.

Just after ten thirty my time...almost time to get my head down to see how long I manage tonight.  There's suppose to be a meteor show tonight so I'm about to go and check it out....Tomorrow I need my glass or it's polythene it on Monday....and what a shame after we've worked so hard to achieve.  LN....I'll keep you up to date and there will be pictures if we succeed...LN

Sunday 13th December

Well it was another silly o'clock start but my mind was chewing over the fact that I didn't get a phone call about the glass for the little house porch.  Read for most of the morning and poached egg for breakfast and my painter arrived with the good news that the glass might be outside the workshop in Momchilgrad.  He tried to phone the boss but to no avail...we reckoned that there might have been a little too much mastika knocking around last night so I decided to head into Momchilgrad which turned out to be the right move.  I'd dismantled my gas bottle to get it topped up before the winter and so we stopped off at my painters to pick up his two gas bottles and we headed down the 'rough' road to the factory and the gas station.  On our arrival at the factory, the telephone rang and the message was...ten minutes and the boss would be there...result.

Back to Djebel and we headed back with the glass and started to assemble the porch.  Some worked ...some didn't.  The metal window frames were put together by domestic not masters so some of it isn't square so we knew that we had out work cut out.  Another into the mix was that the guy who had sold me the putty had not realised that it was months out of date so it didn't really want to gel.  Back to Djebel and I bought  
three packets of good putty and as we got to working on the glass insertion...three wasn't sufficient and so I went back to Djebel to by what they had left in the shop.  Unfortunately the metal in the windows wasn't square so we've done the best we can...As for this year we will make a proper job of it when the house gets done.

Hacibar came round with some stuffed vine leaves so it was out with the forks and the wine and we did what we could.  The guy that sold me the out of date putty came round and asked if he could take a look because he is the 'maester'.  Off you go...we did what we could do with the 'unsquare windows' and the fact that we ran out of putty.

Tomorrow I'm delivering my frozen the Librarian, picking up putty from the hardware shop in Benkovsi and picking up Mr's D of S on the way through....Bath boiler on and I'm going to wallow tonight but after I've seen Strictly....LN...the meteors are out there again tonight,,,I might be out on the balcony shrouded in a blanket...LN

Monday 14th December

Found out that Kindles don't work when you float them in the bath...I should have known better that to take it in there with me but it's currently drying out and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  Thank goodness I've bought a spare...

Five start and couldn't manage to get off again so emptied the freezer and was in the car at eight fifteen heading over to the Librarians with the freezer contents...I didn't want to come back to a smelly house if the electricity went off as it did last year.  Minus four this morning and looks like being another cold night with a sky full of stars.  I kept to the timetable and picked up Mrs D of S and she's had a very lazy day reading while I've ticked off the things on my list and I'm pleased to say that all's quiet on the western front.  I think my biggest issue has been with keys...I have so many and now it's down to three to go....and that should see me through.  Padlock for the gate, house and car key....

Managed to cook spag bol for supper and it's pleasant having company in the evening.  I still have a bowl of it left so if Hacibar is about she can have it in the morning or if not, the dogs and cats are in for a treat.

Sorry...no pickies tonight....I didn't put it on the list so it didn't get done....LN....early night for us both....early start tomorrow...LN

Safe trip home tomorrow Mrs P!

How long are you home for this time?

hi you two have a good  holiday  happy new yearxxxxxx

Tuesday 15th December

Sitting in the hotel on a free WiFi....now what can I download?

On the bus for nine this morning. Sofia and hotel by one thirty and beer and toasted sandwiches by two.  Let Christmas commence.  Slept the afternoon away and topped up the beer quota this evening....and now settled in my room and not catching the shuttle until ten.  Unfortunately Mrs D of S is out at five SO .....we've said fond farewells and plan to meet up at the bus station when it's all over.

And now time for bed said Zeberdde. LN...Eight per cent of my Kindle to go....LN...

Wednesday 16th December

So as Mr's D of S was stetting off for the airport I was tempted to wave her goodbye at five this morning...yes I was awake and didn't managed to get off again.  There was a bit of an enigma this morning int he hotel.  There was a kettle for preparing the morning life support system...ie...coffee but the cable to connect the base of the kettle wasn't long enough to reach the electrical socket and the table that the kettle sat on was too high so that the kettle was supposed to be suspended in mid air.  My practical solution was to move my suitcase under the socket, balance the said base and kettle on said suitcase and insert the plug.  Solved and result and the problem was now that there wasn't a sachet of coffee in the container and I could have settled for chamomile tea but believe me...it's never worked yet.  I eventually caught the room maid and she delivered the required object so back with the kettle on the suitcase and everything in the garden was rosy,

Caught the nine thirty shuttle to the airport and straight through security having been relieved of belt, boots, jewellery, and almost standing naked was subjected to the wand....which I passed with flying colours.  On to the flight for eleven thirty and Gatwick for just after one fifteen and the train down to Brighton for two thirty and as for he weather....raining and dull and looking at Acuweather I think it will be like this for the rest of the holiday.  Off to Lidls and bought a bottle of port and on to the wine shop and a couple of bottles of organic red jumped up at me.Managed to find a card shop and my task for tomorrow should I chose to accept it is to get them address and posted....I'll see how tomorrow goes.  Telephone calls from number one son and number one daughter tonight...it's good to talk.....and tomorrow there is nothing on the agenda so far...first day of my hols.  There was a request from my son that I make a trifle to take up for Christmas day....he obviously wants everyone to be asleep before the Queen's speech.

Chicken Dansak take away this evening but not as good as I remembered it....and I think I'm heading for bedibys soon...I'm knacked.  LN...there will be pictures tomorrow....I need to take a walk down by the sea just to check it's still there....LN

Thursday 17th December

So it was a UK five start for me which equates very badly with BG time but since I fell asleep in front of the TV...went to bed at ten it was nothing more than I deserved...  

So I read for a while. went down and couldn't find the coffee so thought my life was at an end but there it was...lingering.  Back to bed, back to the book and eventually at seven I roused myself and headed on to emails and the world in general and started my day.  I ended up with toast and black current jam since the butter in the fridge was next to the garlic and the Clover nestling in was not to my liking...it's a spread for goodness sake.  My task should I choose to accept it was to get my Christmas cards done and posted today.  I had a couple of overseas ones that I hadn't managed to do before I left and now they are winging their way to the designated drop-offs. It was around two before I'd finished my cards using post-code checker to check on both addresses and recipients but sixteen away in record time....

This afternoon I was looking through old photos until my Princess arrived having finished her year at the local school and we hugged and caught up with the last year.  I love her to bits and she knows it and she reminds me so much of myself at her age....so what's not to like.  At four she was heading to get the meal for her boys....I went down to the village with her and posted my cards, stopped off at the local co-op for bread and new butter and walked it back home just at the point the heavens decided to open and it's still going now.

I did take some lovely photos of the morning wake-up but I can't manage to open image resizer so that they get accepted onto this software....tomorrow I'll investigate it further...someone's PC is always more difficult than your own.  Tomorrow it's saying goodbye to Princess as they head of for Australia for Christmas....but fortunately they will be back before I'm catching my flight back...and that will be the time that we shop till we drop and catch up on late pressies.....

Tomorrow out for lunch at my Princess' house at one....it will be lovely to see my CJ and my SIL.  Pictures will follow as soon as I sort out the software,,,,LN...Technology is a bummer...LN