Friday 17th February

So up at seven and the Librarian was still catching a few zzz's so I crept down, washed up from my visitation last night...cups and cake plates and was creeping back upstairs with my coffee when she appeared.  I'd already got washed and dressed, I wanted to get down to the bread van and see if he had any cheesy bread loaded to go with the breakfast.  Unfortunately not so I ended up with another packet of coffee biscuits for Ron...'later on'.

I cooked breakfast, bacon, fried nardinitsa and egg and decided that my presents would wait until I'd cleared the kitchen and could sit down with a coffee and time to savour the moment.  The Librarian had given me a basket of assorted goodies, lots of chocolate and cookies and those might not be shared with anyone.  A little and often until they're devoured.  The present from my neighbour was a mug with a picture of a cow on it with a cow shaped handle...different and I don't think it has the same meaning as one delivered in the UK....we get on OK.  Cards came next and thank you for thinking about me...it means such a lot being out here and remembered and then it was time for the present from Princess.  I love her presents.  I opened a book first off and we both love the Hungry Caterpillar book and this one is a spoof on it...The Hungover Caterpillar...a splendid read, secondly I had a pottery interwoven heart that's now hanging on my memory wall, one bar of chocolate and I have four others that I'll eek out over the next few days.  Telephone calls from Germany from Gouldjan and later one from my daughter telling me not to get too excited about the unwrapped presents...we both do silly things sometimes.

So with the excitement over we headed into Djebel to the soup kitchen restaurant and it was about right after the huge breakfast.  We took two cars and parked up, and at four leva sixty for two chicken soups, bread, water and yogurt drink it was good value.  We got back into my car and headed for a new shopping outlet that's opened in Momchilgrad....we'd seen it but now made it there before.  The items are from Turkey and I think a little expensive but good quality.  Solid walnut topped tables and designer chairs and sofas.  Back to Djebel, the Librarian set off for home.  I bought two boxed of chocolates from the supermarket, into my student's mum's shop and got the chocolates out for the family, delivered a card and pressie for my birthday buddy, over to the petrol station,ordered the diesel and realised that I had to go to the cash point....and told him to wait but he insisted on filling me up first, then over to the cash point and back to the garage to pay.  Just like England egh....

Back home and Haciber came round with two photos that I have to print and frame, she went off with cake for her and Beyser and then I delivered cake to my next door neighbour.  Fire going and I'm in for the night....I've had such a happy day...it amazes me how caring people can be and the goodwill of the locals.  It's really quite touching.  No supper...too much cake and chocolates and there's a box of Belgium Specials should I get peckish later...you can afford to do it at my age.  So no pickies today....I might post them tomorrow.  LN...Thank you all you lovely people...LN

Sorry to be late, didn't forget, just got very busy today. Tell you more later.

Happy Birthday

Lets hope we have many, many more.

Trev xx

Saturday 18th February

Thank you Trevor...better late than never and I appreciate the sentiments....us oldies must remind the others that we still exist...

So today was a day of endless possibilities and what have I done?   Very little.  It was a beautiful spring day from inside the house but that wind was quite chill so I wasn't out there long.  The fire was still going so it was rescued, I had a bonfire to get rid of the kitchen rubbish, fried nardenitsa and egg for breakfast and then the rest of the spicy sausages with onion, the beans that Haciber delivered yesterday into the slow cooker and that will be my supper.  By the looks of the contents of the slow cooker, it could be my supper for the next three days.

I spent time this morning tidying up the large logs stacking them to the far side of the garage giving me access to some of the smaller stuff.  I'd started stacking the cut logs there first before I realised how many of the uncut I would have left and they got sort of buried.  A little bit of effort and I shall be able to clear the smaller ones, stack the big ones until my painter finds time to get himself over here with his axe.  I'd have a go at it myself with the lump hammer and wedge but having nobbled one of my ribs...I'm taking the easy route to the loot.  I've plenty to see me through.  The rest of early afternoon was trying to find a couple of photos that I know are somewhere on the pc but can I lay my hands on them...can I buggery!!  and I know I put them somewhere safe...

Long birthday call from the UK and then off for a bath this afternoon.  I drained the boiler but stuck the immersion on again and stayed there until there was another tank full and topped up the bath.  I must have been in there for an hour and a half reading.  My hair needs drying and I'll get round to it when I've posted....enjoying my second day of my new year.  I haven't managed to do Haciber's photos....I need to go into town to get two identical frames since they are of her brothers that are no longer here...can't have one better than the other.  So about to have my supper....down by the fire and then see if there is anything worth watching on Filmon...LN..Enjoy your evening everyone...LN

Sunday 19th February

So last night I was still searching for that elusive photograph of my old next door neighbour.  The intention was to print it off and frame it for his daughter's birthday on the 23rd of this month...and at twelve thirty last night I found it and printed it off before I lost it again.  Late to bed and read for a while so today felt a little lethargic and had a very lazy day.

I didn't bother with the fire...there was a little pink in the sky and I wasn't sure which way it would go.  I laid the fire ready, emptied the ashcan and waited to see what unfolded and I didn't have to wait long.  It started to rain so I got the matches out and I've kept it going all day.  Beans on toast for breakfast and with beans last night...I'm saying no more.  I framed the photo, made a birthday card for her and it's wrapped ready for delivery.

On to the sofa with the Kindle and it was head down after a few minutes and I think I was on catch up from last night.  Last night's supper was on for tonight as well, I warmed it though and it went on to the wood burner until I was ready.  The chocolates came out as the weather closed in and the television went on at about six and I didn't realise that Tipping Point was on at the weekend....it's nice easy watching and listening.  I've just finished the bean supper so I shall be on the move all day tomorrow.  Nothing on the agenda tomorrow so far....if it's still raining...it might be another day of mellow unfruitfulness.  LN..Hoping for better weather tomorrow....LN

Shame the beast doesn't run on Gas... You could be self sustainable at this rate!!  

Quoted from MikeyB

Shame the beast doesn't run on Gas... You could be self sustainable at this rate!!  

I larfed!!

Monday 20th February

Silly night again last night and before you boys kick off about methane on the hillside...I'm putting it down to too much coffee...

I was awake at three and felt like I'd been asleep for hours.  I settled back on the pillow, Kindle in hand with a hot chocolate drink courtesy of Princess.  It was one of the novelty items packed in my birthday goody bag.  I read for a couple of hours and settled back again eventually coming to at seven thirty.  No need to get to the bread van...I had enough from the last time.  The fire was going and I topped it up...looking out....it was a cold blowy day and as  I looked out of the window I noticed that the shutters were closed on my neighbour's house so I guessed she was going back to Turkey and to confirm it I heard the car engine start up. I managed to get outside in time and handed over the photo of her father and her birthday card and settled in and copied and printed off the photos that Haciber had asked me to do which are now ready for framing.  I also finished off my Baba Marta cards and managed to get them into envelopes.

By this time we were heading up to twelve so I played around on the PC for a while and set off at two intending to go to Kardjali.  My ladies were out for a walk, demanded to know where I was going and Beyser asked me to get her four kilos of oranges while I was out and about.  Instead of going to Kardjali I thought I'd give my Djebel leva shop a try to see if they had any suitable picture frames since that was my reason for going out.  Fortunately they did, I also bought some small gift bags, a set of mini wood carving chisels for the princely price of twelve lev.  Off to the post office and my seven letters are hopefully heading to the UK as we speak, I managed to get the oranges from the market, stopped off at the supermarket for a new crusty loaf and headed home.  I dropped off the oranges, parked up, sorted out the shopping and the fire and then had the urge to mend the lock on the under house room.  Using brute force and ignorance as suggested by my biannual house guest...I thumped it with a chunk of wood and it opened.  It now works.....with a nail on the inside to spot the latch sticking and it was out with the wood filling foam and jobs a goodun.  

Battened down for the night....cheese and onion crusty sandwiches followed by a choc ice and a huge log on the fire to counter the dropping temperature.  It's destined to be minus two tonight...I'll wait and see.  I'm picture framing tomorrow and then I have one more photo to do...my other neighbour sitting on top of the hay wagon.  LN....Time for Egghead...LN

Tuesday 21st February

Sleep of the just last night and I had trouble opening my eyes, I didn't want to wake up....ten after seven I popped out of bed and looked out.  I couldn't see anything...someone had stolen the mountains, the wall at the bottom of the garden and it was white over with frost.  Kettle on, fire topped up, emptied the ashes, coffee made and on to the sofa with the kindle.  I had very little to do today or so I thought.  I made fried egg and put it on the fresh bread that I'd bought yesterday for breakfast, topped up the coffee again and on to the PC to catch up on FB and Hotmail.  

I went out and checked that the under room door was still opening and swept the rubbish from the bottom of the steps dumping it in the fire pit but I didn't set fire to it.  I filled up the log carrier from the workshop supply ...they are much drier than the ones that I'd been burning and brought it into the house.  Back to the PC and Haciber is now the proud owner of two photos copied and framed of her brothers and when I delivered them I was shown another of of her daughter and son when they were at school so that one was just framed.  The first two were quite difficult to do....they were from old paintings so it was a matter of scanning them in but then the dimensions were wrong so they took some fiddling but in the end...everything was good.

Fire was topped up and I settled on the sofa with the Kindle to play a few games and Haciber was at the door with some home made fresh hot bread.  I've told her to stop giving me gifts...I do things for her because I want to but they do like to give things in return.  So two chunks of bread later with lashing of butter and indigestion is setting in....serves me right.

Fire going, in for the night....a little bit of wood sorting on the agenda for tomorrow and there's some wire hanging rails that they used to put the tobacco on that need to be removed.  I keep running in to them every time I go in there.  So Filmon, no supper....and again nothing on the agenda for tomorrow except to frame up the one of Hassan's wife sitting on top of the hay cart,  LN...Relax....LN

Wednesday 22nd February

Happy birthday to my b-annual house guest....another birthday and he's now one year older than me again.  Now I feel better...

Seven start, pegged out the washing done overnight at cheap rate and it was beautiful but cold.  I didn't stay out there long and was soon back in in the warmth of the house but didn't bother with the fire...it looked like it could be a good day today and I wasn't disappointed.  Breakfast was another fried egg on the two day old bread but it still went down well and I ate it walking round the garden and seeing which shrubs had buds lingering and again I was a happy bunny.  The winter flowering jasmine that only went in at the end of last year is still green and has forming buds and the forsythia look ready to go at anytime and I hope there isn't a heavy frost to knock them back again.  I'd forgotten about my snowdrops but I have a few in the frog garden that are flowering and the daffodils that made a valiant attempt before winter set in are now shoving up flower heads so daffodils inside and out.

So today I managed to print off and frame the lady on top of the hay wagon and the group photo and they're sitting on the hall table for delivery.  I also made a card for one of my long standing friends and that will get posted tomorrow.  I also created a sheet of address labels....I get fed up of searching for addresses in both of my address books.  I should get organised and have a cardex system....I used to have but haven't got round to it here.  I had a read problem with the printer today...not sure what happened but I think it was down to the fact that I tried to print a photo that was copied and stretched from another and the system just didn't like it.  I cleared the print queue, removed and replaced the data cable and eventually I got it going again.  Unfortunately I think the black cartridge is running out...it's managed on the ones that came when purchased so it's not done too badly.

So this afternoon has been finished my Dexter book, the fire was lit at four thirty and it's chugging along nicely.  I've got a packet of mince out to do something with and I'm not sure yet what...but I have the idea to make a couple of home-made hamburgers...there's a thought.  Not many photos today...just managed to catch the sunset...the sun was up this morning and I've been far too busy being creative.  LN...Hamburgers with chippies...LN