Lidl shredder. I bought one the last time they had them on offer. Returned it after a couple of days for a full refund. It kept jamming, even when only putting one sheet of paper in. The automatic switch in the centre of the paper feed was the problem. Maybe these are different, although they look the same. Good Luck with yours.

Friday 19th January

Thanks Trevor, I better find the receipt out just in case.  I did put one envelope through it to try it and some of the strands did stay in the machine...oh well...

Seven start and I was getting washed when I heard the bread van and this morning  I needed him.  I threw on jeans, my heavy zip up and my hat, grabbed some money and shot off down the road and made it.  There was no one there except Beyser...it was just too cold for anyone to be out.  He only had sliced bread so I just had the one and a cheesy bread for breakfast.  The mosques was going well as I legged it back up to the house and I got the feeling that someone from our village has popped his or her clogs so I'll have to check tomorrow.   The 'news' after the call to prayer is always in Turkish but I kept hearing 'Dushinkovo' mentioned...I'll speak to Haciber...she'll know.

I got a good bonfire going this morning and it had burnt out before I pegged out the washing.  It was such a beautiful start to the day.  I'd had the brilliant blues and pinks for starters and then the central heating had come over the hill and the temperature shot up to twenty three and it was only nine fifteen.  The fire was going but I let it out...it really wasn't necessary.  I lay in the sun today and the second book is better than the first and easier.  I'm now fully tied in with the characters, understanding the undercurrents and it's all good.  I'd put Sting on the ipod and he was  playing in the background...a very relaxed atmosphere in the house and I'd even opened the windows and the doors and flooded the house with fresh air.

Guests arrived at twelve thirty....Mrs D of S came bearing pizza and it went into the oven to add a few more therms.  The  little one had a wonderful time removing the fridge magnets and alphabet magnets from the freezer and had a roaming lunch.  We settle down for a coffee in the lounge and shut the door to the rest of the house so that the little one was trapped.  Mr's D of S's task today was to download a couple of series onto one of my external drives...it was slow but eventually I have about five outs of viewing.  They left around three thirty and I lit the fire again and took up my position on the sofa back with my book.  The washing is in, the washing up is still waiting and can wait until the morning.  The boiler is on...I'm going to luxuriate tonight.  Lovely crescent moon tonight but I didn't manage to get a good shot of it.  Maybe with the other camera later.  LN...The weekend has arrived....LN

Saturday 20th January

Seven thirty start and it's been a lazy day for most of it.  Toast and marmalade for breakfast and I got the bottom half dressed by ten and completed my morning ablutions by twelve thirty.  I was slow lighting the fire, it wasn't exactly cold but it's when you come to sit and read that the chill gets through.  I read until I didn't want to read any more and moved up to the computer and watched the first part of Outlander that Mrs D of S uploaded on to my external drive yesterday.  It's strange knowing the books so well and seeing the characters coming to life....not a bit how I imagined the characters but we'll see how it progresses.  The books were quite raunchy and the film seems to be following the book closely.  I watched the first two episodes and then I was up for something else so I decided to clear out the old filing that I have going back to 2011 and in some cases earlier...time it went...I'm running out of space.

Flicked on to TV Catch-up and watched the snooker this afternoon and Trump is out.  The person he played against came from five one down to win the match and what a turnaround.  I get more out of the commentaries...they twist and turn and suddenly they have to praise where they've been slagging off....eating humble pie and swallowing the crust carefully.  I've had supper....it was my old faithful chicken wings with roasted vegetables followed by yogurt and honey.  In fact the computer was off, the fire is roaring ad I'd just settled myself on the sofa with the Kindle when I heard the wind and rain outside so put on the outside light and goodness was it throwing it down.  If the temperature drops we might be snowed in by tomorrow.  I also remembered that I hadn't done my daily update so came back upstairs, put the computer on and done and dusted.  There are no pickies....you really don't want to see photos of full paper bins, empty filing boxes and an untidy desk....and neither do I but I can live with it until morning.  It's a bit like the kitchen...that can wait for morning too.  LN...I'm back to the fire....LN

Sunday 21st January

Well what a good night's sleep last night according to my Fitbit...I fell asleep at nine thirty on the sofa...spring back to life for an hour or so and slept through until six twenty five this morning.  The marvels of technology.  Unfortunately according to the apparatus I only had eight percent of deep sleep so not sure if that was enough but I've hardly pushed the boat out today in any shape or form.  Yesterday I sliced up some fresh ginger and put it in the tea pot to steep over night and with lemon,honey and salt added that was my first breakfast drink and it certainly started something moving.  I've been dipping in to it all day...very pleasant.

Washed and dressed and managed to go down the garden and clear away the debris deposited on the hillside from the burning pit and restart the fire. Dogs, cats, not sure but they certainly make a mess. Unfortunately the lashing winds last night complete with hail and the low temperatures made it difficult to start but I think I got rid of most of it.  So while I was out I got in two loads of wood, big and small and the fire's been going all day and ticking along very nicely.  You get days when it does and the others when the wind is in the wrong direction and it seems to smoulder all day.

After the effort I headed for the kitchen, found the remains of the roasted veg from last night, into the frying pan with them and turned them into a very respectable omelette.  The remaining chicken wings might made their debut tonight but not really in the mood for food.  It's been a picky day.  The ginger biscuits brought back from Sweden have been started and I've been rationing myself, a Christmas present from Germany has been opened and they've taken a bashing.  They were a box of After Eights but white and cream centred and I;ve never seen them before but there again I didn't look for them when I was in the UK.  I didn't know they existed.  

So Masters final tonight and I have my favourite and soon to go back to it. No pickies of the day...believe me it's been drab and cold and there wasn't even a hint of sun in that pesky sky.  I'll leave you with the pickies of the chocolates and you're lucky to get the shot of the innards...they probably will not last the evening.  LN....Hopefully better weather tomorrow...LN

Monday 22nd January

Silly night last night and I stopped up to watch the Masters but my favourite didn't win but I ended up reading until two this morning in front of the fire.  Bed called and I was snuggled until six thirty, I resuscitated the fire, back to bed with more fresh ginger infusion and at eight had a shower and washed my hair.  It was really in need....I sat on the sofa reading while some of the water soaked into the head towel and then it was out with the hairdryer.  Two loads of washing done, I stripped the bed, put the bed linen on the stair banister and it was dried and ready to go back on the bed by four this afternoon.

Breakfast was toast with marmalade and the remains of a pot of Greek yogurt and I was stuck in my book until one.  I'd originally planned to head into Kardjali today with the Librarian but Accuweather predicted rain and snow so I phoned and cancelled.  Perhaps we'll do it later in the week.  The filing is all finished and I have a load to burn but it's not the weather for it.  It's very damp out there and there's quite a brisk wind and I don't want stuff blown over the hillside especially if the animals get in to it.  

Lovely time on FB at the moment.  I've posted some old photographs of neighbours and school friends and they've created a lot of interest.  I'm speaking to some that I went to school with and their children and unfortunately some from the photos are not around any more.

The bed is made up for tonight, I think a jacket potato is going in for supper so I better get on with it.  LN....Fire and kitchen to attend to.....LN

Tuesday 23rd January

So last night I fell asleep on the sofa reading. woke up at ten thirty, straight to bed and went through until seven thirty this morning.  Result.....and it does make you feel good.  I didn't bother with the fire and came upstairs for something and noticed the red of sky and had to take just a few from the upstairs balcony.  It didn't last long though...a flash in the pan and then it was back to grey clouds and it didn't clear up and the sun break through until one this afternoon.

I'd left the ginger tea on the boiler all night so half filled a cup with it , topped it up with hot water, lemon juice, honey and salt and that was my first beverage of the day and it works.  It starts the digestive juices running and clears out the pipes so to speak. I had boiled eggs for breakfast with toast and I'm back on the coffee and took it upstairs with me.  I struck up the computer, checked emails and FB and decided to make birthday cards since I'; now in the silly birthday season. All for my Aquarian friends.  This took quite a time finding suitable pictures to put on the front...I do like them to be individual.  I decided to search for a case for my new phone since they didn't have one in Kardjali and it should be delivered early next week and I've had a purple one.....it seems to be my colour recently.

At one thirty this afternoon I headed into Djebel....I wanted to post the cards.  The Bank of Daughter will have to be topped up for presents although she will have one surprise.  I carried on to the main car par and stopped off at the car-shop to spend time with my student's mum and we make good company for each other.  We were discussing my morning drink and she said that you should really use 'English salt' not normal salt in the drink,  I said that I didn't know what it was so she looked it up on the internet and it turned out to be Magnesium sulphate and I suddenly remembered my mother taking Epsom's salts in hot water each morning.  It's the same thing and now I know and you know .  I don't know how but we came round to the discussion of vignettes and she reminded me that i needed to get a new one...I'd forgotten all about it so I legged it up to the garage and got a new one starting February first.  They've now changed the system....before they all used to start and end January to December and now you can buy a twelve month one from any month of the year.  I stopped off and bought a few things from the supermarket, headed home and was pulling into the drive just after five.

I was now on automatic pilot...Beast into the garage, wood in to the house from the container, lit the fire, topped up the container from the wood store, a couple of slices of buttered fruit loaf and a cup of coffee and down with the Kindle for a couple of chapters of my book.  Not sure about supper....I've got mince out so I might be making home-made hamburgers and a few chippies...but that will be later.  It's supposed to be down to minus ten tonight..I'll wait and see.  LN....Now for a relaxing evening....LN

Wednesday 24th January

So the sleep of the last few nights didn't go through to last night.  I think I had too much supper to digest.  Four slices of bread and three home-made hamburgers...delicious, very satisfying but really bad for the digestion.  At four thirty I was awake, I salvaged the fire since it was minus ten out there and the pump was soon blasting hot water round the system.  It only seems to take the chill off but that's enough.

I went back to bed with a coffee and read all the way through until seven thirty.  The book is really getting going and despite the fact that I have the series on the computer. I don't want to spoil it for myself.  Book then video.  I was ready for breakfast despite last night's feast and it was bacon and egg sandwiches sitting in the chair in the stairwell in the sun with my new found ginger drink made with fresh ginger unadulterated with the likes of lemon and honey.  It's the real thing.  The rest of the day has been spent reading, catching up on sleep and tending the few flowers that are in the porch.  I've noticed that I have two flowers starting on the freesias and the photos will follow.  Now I'm on a mission to get into the Beast and go off to my family for supper.  After demolishing several chocolates from a box that I had for a Christmas present...I'm hoping my hunger returns.

Just a few photos of the dawn...that sun actually came up red this morning and it's been a beautiful day all day.  The only draw back was a biting cold wind but there again it's January.  I think this time last year I was digging the cars out from three foot snow drifts.  What a difference a year makes.  So I'm off I have places to go and people to see.  LN...Promise more photos tomorrow....LN

Thursday 25th January

One of those silly nights when I woke up at one thirty thinking that I'd slept the night through only to dog doze the rest until....wait for it...eight o'clock.  I didn't bother with the fire since the sun was up already so it was toast for breakfast with my marmalade. coffee and on to the sofa with 'the book'.  The second book is finished and now on to the third...it's very enthralling.

I did break way to get a load of washing in and get it pegged out and to get the bonfire going but everything was so cold in the burning bucket that I didn't stay around long enough to see if it was burning or not...I put the lid on it to stop the animals digging about in it but it doesn't seem to stop them.  Nothing to see here or feed on...move along please...   I opened up the house today and it didn't take long before it was up to twenty seven .  I didn't have to leave the washing out long before the breeze had taken most of the moisture out of it and it's now finishing off in the bathroom on the clothes airier.  I emptied one of the log carriers into the log basket and filled it up from the wood store and then back to base...the sofa.  

I don't know what it is but I feel that winter is a disappointment this year....it's cold and sunny but there's no snow so I'm not really getting the exercise that I normally get.  As for my Fitbit it keeps informing me that I've got so many minutes to get so many step in and my rate has really dropped.  That ten thousand seems a very high target.  It's a pity it doesn't count the stairs as an incline...I seem to go up and down those very frequently.  I lit the fire at three thirty and it's ticking along nicely and I have hot radiators.  I've put a couple of chicken legs in the oven with a huge tray of vegetables to roast.  It includes sweet potato as well as normal, carrots, onions and beetroot.  The remainder I'll make into soup tomorrow..very tasty.  

So six twenty my time...supper should be ready about seven so time to stoke up the fire and get into PJ;s....shut up shop, draw the curtain between the stairs and the winter lounge and get everything cosy for tonight.   LN....A little TV Catch-up I'm thinking....LN

Friday 26th January

Another of those silly nights, I'd let the fire go out overnight but at five this morning I was lighting it.  It was really cold overnight around minus eight, fourteen in the stairwell and six in the porch when I went out to empty the ashes.  I put the new thermometer into the winter lounge and it son went up to eighteen so it wasn't cold inside but I was soon making a drink of hot lemon and orange, honey and salt and I was back to bed with my book.  The fire caught quickly and raised the temperature to twenty in the lounge and soon the sun was up, time to open the curtains and let in the free central heating.  I settled down on the sofa and got on with my book with another hot lemon and ginger drink and at nine I was making toast for breakfast, browning off pork with onion to put a curry in the slow cooker for tonight and the washing up is still waiting to be done.  

So as for the rest of the day.  I let the fire go out by eleven, I had enough wood in so didn't have much work to do at all.  I could have found plenty to do but I really wasn't in the mood.   I didn't seem to warm through at all...it only went up to two degrees outside despite the sun and the house being twenty nine but everywhere felt cold.  My dear old Fitbit has reminded me all day to get my finger out and take it for a walk...I managed to find the strength to ignore it and my resolve increases daily.

At five I got the fire going again but it was reluctant.  Some of the wood seems to be too hard to get going easily and unfortunately I'd put two of these little beauties on together.  It was out with the firelighters, a few lengths of kindling, three matches to get it to catch and off it went.  It's now ticking along beautifully, the curtains are all drawn, doors are all locked and I'm in for the night.  Tomorrow might hold a few possibilities....I'm tired of being in.  Supper was the remains of the chicken and roasted vegetables from last night and I switched off the slow cooker, the curry should improve with age.   No photos tonight...it's been sunny and cold like yesterday, the sky is full of stars tonight with a half moon and it's going to be another cold night,  LN.....Looking forward to tomorrow...a little exercise...LN

Friday 26th January

Another of those silly nights, I'd let the fire go out overnight but at five this morning I was lighting it.  It was really cold overnight around minus eight, fourteen in the stairwell and six in the porch when I went out to empty the ashes.  I put the new thermometer into the winter lounge and it son went up to eighteen so it wasn't cold inside but I was soon making a drink of hot lemon and orange, honey and salt and I was back to bed with my book.  The fire caught quickly and raised the temperature to twenty in the lounge and soon the sun was up, time to open the curtains and let in the free central heating.  I settled down on the sofa and got on with my book with another hot lemon and ginger drink and at nine I was making toast for breakfast, browning off pork with onion to put a curry in the slow cooker for tonight and the washing up is still waiting to be done.  

So as for the rest of the day.  I let the fire go out by eleven, I had enough wood in so didn't have much work to do at all.  I could have found plenty to do but I really wasn't in the mood.   I didn't seem to warm through at all...it only went up to two degrees outside despite the sun and the house being twenty nine but everywhere felt cold.  My dear old Fitbit has reminded me all day to get my finger out and take it for a walk...I managed to find the strength to ignore it and my resolve increases daily.

At five I got the fire going again but it was reluctant.  Some of the wood seems to be too hard to get going easily and unfortunately I'd put two of these little beauties on together.  It was out with the firelighters, a few lengths of kindling, three matches to get it to catch and off it went.  It's now ticking along beautifully, the curtains are all drawn, doors are all locked and I'm in for the night.  Tomorrow might hold a few possibilities....I'm tired of being in.  Supper was the remains of the chicken and roasted vegetables from last night and I switched off the slow cooker, the curry should improve with age.   No photos tonight...it's been sunny and cold like yesterday, the sky is full of stars tonight with a half moon and it's going to be another cold night,  LN.....Looking forward to tomorrow...a little exercise...LN