Tuesday 20th November

Lovely bath last night and in bed by eleven and straight through until seven...the best sleep in ages.  I love the nest and I'm still upstairs not down but not much to see, I opened the curtains and it was damp and yet again and not much chance of seeing the views that I rave about.  The mountains returned about one this afternoon and there was a very watery sun with no heat in it whatsoever.  Winter is here John.

I went down to the bread van to get bread and eggs.  Putting my boots on to go down I'd dropped some money into one of them so at the bread van I took off my boot to retrieve my coins and was dutifully told off by the ladies for not wearing any sock.  I did explain that my boots were well insulated but they weren't having any of it.  Home and I used the last of my spicy sausages to fry off.  I added an egg and that was me done for the day until five this afternoon when I opened a tin of tuna, mixed it with tuna and had it with slices of buttered toast.  

It's been a lazy day again and my only real activity was to have a collection of the rubbish and have a bonfire.  While was down there with the garden fork I collected up some of the leaves round the walnut and cleared out the grass from the beds at the bottom of the garden.  I moved up and dug round the big lilac and pottered for an hour or so and then came back in and settled down with the kindle for a while.  I've just headed upstairs to make the card for Gouljan's mum's birthday and yes...I could have done it sooner but didn't.  I've also brought up a couple of Christmas cards that I bought from one of the shops in town and intent to scan them in to make the ones for my ladies.  Cheapskate I know but cards are expensive here not like in the UK.  Djebel in the morning and I have to pick up my sheepskin slippers from the cobblers.  The uppers were good the bottoms had fallen apart so new leather soles on them and they should do me for the winter but I was told that they are only 'house' slippers and definitely not for going out to the garden.  LN....Card studio in action....LN  

Wednesday 21st November

So boy didn't it rain last night....it threw it down and was still going strong this morning.  I did see the mountains but they were shrouded in clouds and the sheep trails were running down the hillsides and it was also collecting in the yard.  I didn't go out to fix it until I was ready to leave and the rain had more or less stopped.  So washing in and onto the clothes airer...no way was it going out on the line today.  I washed and dressed for Djebel, I had a cake to buy and the rest of the presents from Gouljan to her mother.  Beans on toast for breakfast so filled up with warm food...it looked pretty cold out there as well as being damp and miserable.

I was ready to hit the Nipper by ten thirty but firstly I had to clean out the two pipes that take the water from the yard to the other side of the front gate.  The leaves collect there but five minutes later and the water had all gone.  As for the insulation in the water clock box it was floating well and the clock was fully submerged...it should go down by tomorrow and I'm just hoping that there isn't a frost over night.  So off to Djebel and remembered to call into the cobblers who was putting the new sole on my sheepskin slippers, they were ready and I'm really pleased with the results.  So over to the cake shop and I was really surprised at the choice.  I picked out a small chocolate one that only cost nine leva and it came in a box and I later found out that it tasted delicious.  They're made by my favourite shop in Momchilgrad.  I went to the supermarket and bought another box of chocolates for her, two packet of biscuits and a bottle of rose water and it made up a good selection for her birthday treat.  I'd made the card last night and my box of chocolates had survived and were still intact...and that was a surprise.  I popped into the garage shop to say hello and caught up with the gossip and then set off for home after I'd popped into the chemist to buy Voltaren gel and tablets to take away the arthritic pain from my fingers.  It's the cold weather...

Down to the next village and delivered the goodies.  She was really surprised when I arrived and handed over the cake and she opened my gift and I had to open the card for her.  No one sends cards here so she wasn't sure what it was.  I explained that Gouljan had left the money for her pressies and cake and she burst into tears and said how hard it was now that Gouljan had gone back to Germany.  I told her to stop crying, Gouljan had been here for two months and that that was where her life was now with her husband but it's still hard for her.  So we cut the cake, she insisted that I also had some home made banitsa that she'd made and eventually I left at one thirty and headed home.  I messaged Gouljan to let her know that all was good, she phoned me immediately and thanked me and we closed the call and five minutes later she was on the phone again.  Mother had phoned in tears but everyone was happy at the end of the day.

I lit the fire since it was cold, went out to photograph the water meter box and the roses that are hiding on the back wall of the little house.  I almost cut them and brought them in but it seems such a shame so I left them there where they'll live longer.  In for the night with the fire going.   No supper for me, my lunchtime fill up is still lingering..I might get creative later.  LN...Home bird tomorrow....LN

Thursday 22nd November

One of those mornings when you don't want to see what time it is because you think it's too early but I was pleasantly surprised when I clicked the Fitbit and found that it was just before seven.  The house wasn't cold but the bathroom floor was really warm from the heat from last night's fire and the washing was dry enough to put away.  I went down and made coffee and then back to bed with the Kindle playing several games of Soda Crush until one defeated me and I've been trying it on and off all day.  I hate it when that happens.  At eight thirty I thought it was about time that I faced the day so washed, dressed and was just warming up the remains of a can of beans for breakfast when the telephone went and it was Princess.  I bet she really hates the work ethic that I lumbered her with...she was getting a head start on the rest of the office.  I do like hearing from her and she updated me with my grandson's new career choice exploits...can I just say that it's not the weather for sleeping out in the open....and not...she's not thrown him out and he's living on the streets...   So back to my beans closely followed by a slice of cake and yes...it's the weather for it.

I've read for most of the day.  The house is tidy, there's very little to do except get in wood and make sure that the house stays warm and toasty.  I had an interesting visit from two ladies mid morning that asked if I spoke Turkish!!  Their Bulgarian was even more limited than mine and I can only assume that their parents were brought up in the village and they were looking for people and places.  Of all the house in the village...they picked mine but I did direct them to Haciber's house...she would know who, what and where....and what for.

Back to my book until the eyes went southwards and I had a very pleasant forty winks in front of the fire.  It would have been better in the sun but it wasn't to be.  I did toy with the idea of finding out some wool from my wool stash and start to do something creative but I've just started taking some tablets for the arthritis in my finger that's been troubling me for the last week or so and thought better of it.  It's also due to the damp, cold weather so it's gloves when I go out and Voltaren gel rubbed in overnight.  That should sort it out.

I've just had Brie and biscuits for supper and there's a chocolate cake that's calling me from the kitchen shouting eat me, eat me and I think I might succumb.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow but I might just get an attack of cabin fever and surprise myself.  LN...All depends on how well I sleep....LN

Friday 24th November

Seven twenty start this morning and straight through...without a hitch,,,,same again tonight please.  Those tablet have really kicked and doing their stuff.  Back to bed with a coffee and the Kindle and that was me sorted until I ran out of lives on Soda Crush but I did manage to do the one that had been bugging me and the next one at the first attempt.  It's back to normal now though...another super difficult one.

Washed, dressed out to feed the birds with the trimmings from last night's Brie fest, the remains of a chicken leg, a few cracker biscuits that had little snap, crackle and certainly no pop left but I'm sure the wildlife be in airborne or ground based enjoy it.  There was certainly nothing left when I peered over the wall later on.  Poached eggs on toast for me for breakfast and I thought twice about light the fire and on the second pass I was out with the matches, firelighters and sticks and I soon had a blaze going and it's ticked along nicely all day.

Visors this afternoon and we got to discussing televisions and I mentioned that the next time they were heading into Kardjali I'd like to meet them there to get a second opinion on the one to get.  I only want to watch Transponder TV which is the replacement for TV Catchup and don't want to be delving into Turkish or Bulgarian soaps and the like and only need to make sure that the set has WiFi.  They confirmed that they were on the way to Lidl so suggested that I tag along since the TV that they'd recommended was on offer plus the Black Friday ten percent extra, we looked at it but I was warned that the controls are fiddly and they recommended that I had a try with theirs to confirm that I can be bothered to fiddle before I buy so I'm off tomorrow to their to have a trial run.  I did a mini-shop in Lidl, we got back for just after four thirty, a quick coffee and they were on their way.

So out tomorrow and I shall probably get in touch with Mrs D of S and pop in to see them and the little one after I've finished tele fiddling.  The weather looks to have picked up a little...the terraces have dried off more or less and there was a glimmer of sun today but only a glimmer.  I was quite surprised tonight, the moon was up for a while and I though we were in for a real stinker of a cold night but it seems to have gone behind the clouds so that should keep the temperature above freezing.  Just after nine my time...the trouble is that UK television is two hours behind BG time and bedtime soon comes round after I've watched my programmes.  LN....Almost time for technology and me to sign off....LN

Saturday 24th November

There was a hint of sun this morning,  The mountains were clear, a patch of blue and a grey band of cloud that turned into a dramatic speckled read just before the sun came up.  It was a cold start...the temperature on the thermometer outside showed minus three and the windscreen of the Nipper was covered in frost and inside the house was showing sixteen and a half degrees.  I'd settled in last night watching the television on the computer and had closed the curtain between the lounge and the stairs and and forgotten to open it as I went to bed.  Once I'd opened it it went up to eighteen but it was pretty raw outside as I threw out the odds and ends for the birds.  Eventually there was a glimmer of sun and it was fine until it went up into the dark band of cloud but eventually it burnt it away and ti turned out to be very pleasant except that it was still pretty cold and settled for about thirteen outside.

Ham baguette for breakfast and cleaned up the baking tins that probably should have been cleaned up sooner.  I settled for a very hot shower and washed my hair and sitting at my desk in the sun with the towels round me was very pleasant...nothing and nobody on the hillside to worry about...only the woodie that settled on the fir tree and the magpies strutting round the garden searching for their breakfasts.  At one point I though that woodpecker had got its beak stuck in the bark of the tree.  It seemed to take ages to have a look round as they normally do but it waited a while and then shot off towards the other side of the road.  Dressed, hair washed and dried and I sett off for my initiation ceremony into television programming and arrived around twelve thirty.  We sat around with coffee and I was shown the improvements to the house since the last time I was there and eventually we decided to head to a new local restaurant to grab some lunch.  We were the only ones in there and settled for beef in tomato green bean stew with a hint of paprika and out only complaint was that it needed to be served warmer but that's a common complaint in BG.  Back to their house for more coffee, tele fiddling and I found that it was very logical to work my way round but it was using a different browser and didn't seem to work well with Transponder TV so back to the drawing board Cecil.

I left at four and headed for Mr and Mrs D of S forgoing the proffered coffee or other beverages.  The little bundle gets bigger every time I see her ...a real poppet and I managed to get a hug and kiss out of her...this little non-stop automaton....she never seems to rest.  I said my fond farewells at six and headed home and was aware that the temperature was dropping and I hadn't had a fire going all day.  I shouldn't have bothered...the thermometer was showing twenty degrees...the sun had obviously done its stuff while I was gallivanting.  Straight into action, fire lit, logs in, curtains drawn, laptop fired up and log basket filled from the log carrier in the porch.  Only need of a sandwich tonight since lunch was very filling and tomorrow is going to be a very gentle day...it was pretty busy today but enjoyable.  Catching up with people normally is.  Strictly tonight and I shall be watching it downstairs in the comfort of the winter lounge....with a roaring fire to keep me company.  LN....Big computer off....LN

Sunday 25th November

Just before seven start, opened the curtains and someone had stolen my mountains.  Wall to wall mist and eventually we had a hint of the sun but it was really quite a lot later.  I got dressed more or less straight away, checked the thermometers and decided that the fire needed lighting, it was only a faint glimmer.  I emptied the ash can, put a firelighter under the log that was unburnt overnight and it caught more or less straight away and it's been chugging on all day even though it didn't really need it once the sun broke through and the clouds rolled away.  I went out to wait for the bread van but it was a no show and I think that there were several ladies disappointed.  Fortunately I had bread that was OK for toast so I settled for that with Marmite.

I did a circuit of the garden and worked out my plan for the day.  Bread for the birds, yesterday's washing up could wait and then I settled down with the Kindle and it wasn't long before I was back in the land of nod and I woke up at eleven.  I thought I'd slept OK but obviously I needed it....so by twelve I was out sorting out the wood that needed chopping that was stashed in the little house and desperately searching for my little chopper...and there it was...on the wall where it should be.  So now I have four large containers of starter wood, all eight of my fingers, two thumbs and one blister on my little finger.  I've now made a pledge to myself to clear the little house of all the wood that's been hanging around for a while, a very long while before I get stuck into the wood in the wood store.  All swept up and cleared away by five and I headed to the kitchen to sort out supper.

In Lidl I'd bought packets of 'cooking' bacon although I'm not sure what else you'd do with it, took a couple of gammon steaks from it and put the rest in the freezer and they went into the oven with some of the juice from a tin of pineapple.  I scrubbed up a potato and put that in the oven...along with a baked apple filled with dried fruit and honey,,,supper was in.  Everything was ready for six thirty and delicious, time to sort out the fire and throw another log on and then settle in for the evening.  Strictly results tonight and let's see who gets their marching order tonight.  LN....I've had a productive day...LN

Monday 26th November

Funny night last night....it was cold to start off and then I was removing the bedclothes and sticking legs out of the bed as thermostats.  I did managed to get off to sleep again and it was seven by the time that I came round for the second time.  It was raining yet again, very damp and the clouds were hanging in the valleys so I lit the fire, got the washing on, the sun seemed to be breaking though and I toyed with the idea of pegging out the washing but decided against it.  Just as well, the sun went back behind the clouds, it got darker but a day on the airer and the washing is ready to get put away.  I've had the fire going all day.

I've not got up to much.  I wrote out my first Christmas card and it's ready for posting but that was the end of the enthusiasm for all things Christmas.  I played a few games until I decided I had to do something which required a little exercise so I filled up the log basket from the carrier and then filled up the carrier in the log store.  The plan to only use old wood went by the way so that idea didn't last too long....ah well...tomorrow is another day.  I cleared up the kitchen and washed up from the last couple of days, cleaned down the work surfaces thoroughly and tidied the rest of the house and then took to the sofa with the Kindle.  Sleep overtook me as per normal and then it was log duties, toast and tuna with mayo, more coffee and that was the sum total of the day's activities or lack of.

The boiler is on to have a leisurely bath tonight and going to Haskovo tomorrow.  Nothing much on the 'must haves' we'll see what takes my fancy.  Connect and Mastermind tonight...I do like my quizzes.  Keeps the brain box active.  LN....Bath time...LN

Tuesday 27th November

I didn't manage the bath last night...I was too busy watching quiz programmes and by the time those had finished it was heading for eleven my end...much too late to wallow.  Seven start this morning and there was only a glimmer of sun behind the mulberry which did open up to provide a very unusual sky which was obviously captured.

Washed dressed, toast for breakfast and I was ready for my visit to Haskovo and my taxi arrived promptly.  I go along sometimes as translator and in some cases to just get things done.  We stopped off at Djebel so that I could collect the documents for my house insurance and sign for them....I'd received the message that they'd been delivered yesterday.  There were lots of police checks on the way into Kardjali...Christmas and winter is coming John Snow.

We went to the big hardware shop in Haskovo and I picked up a few things that I wanted and had a fun time explaining that I wanted another timer switch...I've decided to put one on the fairy lights for the conservatory that will go up this weekend.  I also picked up a lacy climbing hydrangea plant that will go in in the spring but will get potted up and stored in the little house over the winter.  We had lunch in the restaurant over the store which was very good and very reasonable, the weather had turned so there was no walk round the town and we headed back to Kardjali.  I went to pay my outstanding telephone bill and unfortunately I got the operator who didn't speak English so I couldn't exactly 'speak my mind' and it's probably as well.  Home for five thirty, fire lit, new curtain rings that I'd bought from Haskovo and now in place and swish along the pole instead of getting stuck half way.  

I decided to phone England and the service was still suspended and there was no way that you could find the option to speak to an operator.  I eventually managed to get through to an operator over the internet and it appears that she has managed to get me up and running although I've yet to test it.  I know they're under new management but I still don't understand why the service was suspended...and was advised to go through the telephone help lone instead...if that's working.  

No supper required...I'm still stuffed to the gills from lunch.  The fire needs attention so I'm heading downstairs to sort it out.  LN.....I've work to do.....LN

Wednesday 28th November

Dark, damp and no way could I have told what time it was before I put on the landing light.  I lit the fire, the house temperature was eighteen but it soon went up to twenty and it was comfortable.  I didn't so much as get dressed but put my camouflage trousers over my PJ's with a warm polo neck, I was expecting the bread van but no show.  That's two days in a row so maybe he's having a holiday...I feel sure I would have heard him.  

So at nine I got the bacon out and fried off a couple of rasher and had to use the old bread.  An egg joined it in the pan and it started the morning off well.  I'd also found the two pork chops that I'd taken out of the freezer on Monday so they joined the pineapple in the slow cooker along with an onion and a small can of tomatoes and that was going to be supper.  I needed to do something constructive today so I fetched my bedroom curtains down and have made minor adjustments and put on header tape which I'd not bothered with before.  I had a fun time trying to take them down.  It's about a four meter length of old water pipe supported at either end and I was worried that it was pretty close to the bedroom windows but anyway I succeeded.  I managed to put twenty new curtain rings on the pole and manoeuvred the pole back into the supports and the new curtain hooks I made out of wire ...they're stronger than the plastic ones that you get here and the curtains don't pop off the hooks.  One back up, one ready to go up and now I have to make another ten hooks and the metal and pliers are at the ready.

I had a bit of a surprise when I went out to get the log carrier in and the wire for the second set of hooks...it was snowing and I didn't think that it was that cold.  The clouds had been in evidence all day and there was a tremendous long clap of thunder this afternoon but the last thing I expected was snow.  I'm not sure it will stick though...it is very wet under foot.  I've just had supper....I served it with rice that I finished off on the petchka and there is enough for tomorrow.  I'm early tonight...it's fifteen after six and now I have work to do.  LN...I have hooks to make....LN

Thursday 29th November

Six thirty start, dark out, white over and the fire still going so it was brought back to full steam to get the place warmed up.  It wasn't that cold but it just needed an injection and then I was drinking coffee in bed until everything got toasty.  Out of bed by eight, washed and dressed in sweater with over sweater and my camouflage trousers again....I must see if they have another pair in Djebel.  These are now nine years old so they've cost me very little over the years.

I heard the bread van this morning and headed down to get fresh bread.  On the way down my Avatars nephew was stopped on the grass verge with his bonnet up and he explained that it had started but that it was very cold on the open land where he parks the van.  I reckon that the diesel had gotten a little waxy.  I carried on down to the van and bought a sliced for the freezer and a crusty, a cheesy bread and six eggs more as a standby than anything else.  I still had four but if more snow comes down I might not be able to get out and he might not be able to get in.  The ladies were there and no one was wearing a coat explaining that they had lots of cardigans on.  I was wearing my cheapy sailing coat, three times too big but it hides a multitude of sins.  On the way back I stopped to speak to Avatar's nephew and he said that he had no jump leads and was waiting for a friend.  I was unsure if the friend had leads so I left the shopping in the conservatory. picked up the leads from the woodstore, walked back to find that his friend was about to connect the two vehicles to get him mobile again.  He thanked me, I headed back, decided to top up the wood while I was out and about, get the bonfire going to get rid of the rubbish and clear the snow from the terrace.  

Outside tasks completed I made bacon and egg on cheesy bread, made more coffee and having noticed that there was egg yolk on the place I took a photo and emailed my son to tell him that if he received a ransom note from the pirates to ignore it...I was fine.  Today has been the day for keeping the fire going and keeping warm.  The outside thermometer was showing minus six and it never went above zero all day.  Winter has arrived.  I got settled on the sofa with the kindle and had my over lunch siesta, made more coffee and switched on the pork and pineapple in the slow cooker but added more water and curry powder.  I settled in and watched a film on  five this afternoon which was a lovely old fashioned love story which whiled away the  afternoon, supper filled up the gap and now it's in to evening.

It's going to be another cold one tonight.  The wind has dropped and there's no snow falling at present and I would tell my daughter, it's too cold for snow.  LN....Jack Frost is making his presence felt....LN