Wednesday 11th September

Terrible night last night.....Woke up and thought it was four, flicked on my watch and found that it was only two, read for a while and got my head down again at four and finally woke up at seven thirty.  Pahhhh.  Quick shower and ready to set off for Kardjali with my Fotinovo buddies to finish the documentation that we started about seven months ago....some things take longer in Bulgaria but we have to await the documents from England and that can be very slow...just saying.  Off we set and parked up, over to the office and with a little cajoling  and smiley faces the form was filled in by the young man behind the  counter, payment made and everything in the garden is rosy.  We have succeeded where several have failed and are still trying.  We went for a coffee, popped in to Kaufland to see its special offers that weren't offers and certainly not very special, back to Djebel for bread for me since I'd missed the van this morning.  I was dropped off at twelve twenty and had to be at the dentist in Fotinovo by one and it was all systems go.

Kettle on, frying pan on, bacon in, bread sliced, egg in, sandwich made and i was eating it by twelve thirty.  A fantastic in-box exercise.  I was doing really well and then as I ate my breakfast in the garden while watering one of the plants, my painter shouted over asking if I was OK and I reminded him that he was going to ask his brother who works in Denmark if he could be on the lookout for a small apartment for my student's sister who gets married this weekend. ...and time was now ticking.  In the Nipper for twelve forty five and managed to get to the dentist at four minutes after one and I apologised.  What a fantastic job he has done.....scraped and polished at a bargain rate and I've booked in for six months time for my next treatment.  Over to my buddies for coffee as they'd suggested when they dropped me off and home for three thirty.

I found out the material for the dress for the wedding and made a start on it...tomorrow I'll be getting the sewing machine up and running....I've decided how I want it to look and I'll make it tomorrow.  If it doesn't work out OK, I still have time to get to one of the bigger shopping towns and search for the one that hasn't yet been made....but I'll give it a try first.  I got the washing in, watered the pots and Avatar came round with one of the dishes that I'd taken over with food and I asked her if she had anything for tonight which she said she hadn't.  I'd got nothing in the pipeline so I went into the kitchen, thawed out some mince, fried off an onion, potatoes in the microwave, a can of beans open and I concocted enough for both of us and added beetroot just before I served it up.  I popped over with it, she told me I was a very bad woman which I know anyway and I came back and had mine.

Final challenge for today was to sent a egift card and I still don't know why they can't be purchased with an account balance and you have to pay for it again....The birthday girl will be able to have some fun and have books waiting for her when she arrives in the UK.   LN..... Now time to relax and hope for a better night tonight....LN

Thursday 12th September

Slow start and I needed it...I've had a few busy days.  I didn't need the bread van, watered the pots but it was a lovely cloudy day and there's not much light coming from the solar lights tonight.  It's around twenty tonight so the door to my bedroom terrace is closed and probably will remain so and an extra quilt might go on.  

I started the dress making and made good progress until I came to the crossroads of cutting the top material and I've still not done it.  The main is in two parts, skirt and strappy top and it's just the over layer that needs to be attached...when I've worked out how to do it but that's a job for tomorrow.  Again I've tried on my staple outfit for weddings and high days  and it still might be a contender for the wedding.  After about an hour of cutting and snipping I settled for beans on toast...my creative hunger had been overtaken by my physical hunger and it had to be satisfied.  I settled for the baked beans left over from last night on toast and it did me through until tonight when it was more toast with cheese triangles...not 'gastronomic' but it filled the gap and will see me through until tomorrow morning.

So at three I'd had enough and lay on the bed with Soda Crush, managed to finish a game that I've had to work to complete.....not nice.  Unfortunately I nodded off, woke up at four thirty and it took me ages to come round.  I had a message about Pilates tonight and I replied that I was having trouble coming round from my afternoon nap so I'd probably fall asleep on the mat.  It was much safer to stay home.  

Short and sweet tonight...I hear the ice-cream calling me from the freezer.  Tomorrow is a blank canvas....sewing to finish the outfit....and that's about it.  LN....Moon's up ....LN

Friday 13 and Saturday 14th September

I was surprised...I must have shut down last night without posting the day's happenings....I was very tired last night so it could well have been the case.  I remember looking at it and didn't check that it had posted...my fault...sorry.

Yesterday was a day of dressmaking, popping over the road so that Avatar could give it the once over and as far as she was concerned, there were a few minor changes which have been completed and all that was left was a little had stitching.  I did this last night so it's all set to go to a wedding but now I'm not sure if I want to go back to the original plan and wear the outfit I wore for my daughter's wedding....I'll see how I feel tomorrow, the day of the wedding

So at seven thirty this morning I had a message from my student that they were going to the wedding venue at ten thirty and was it possible that I could join them and get the blackboard tableaux sorted.  It was something that I wanted to get out of my brain and over and done with so I gathered everything into the  Nipper except for the smaller items and two bougainvillea and was then on time.  I suddenly remembered that I wanted my nails done with a gel coating...they've never looked so bad as they do now due to a summer of gardening and lack of care so she phoned her lady and made an appointment for me at one today.  We sat and had coffee waiting for the bridegroom to appear and at eleven we set off for the hotel in Kardjali and did what we had to do.  The result pleased the soon to be weds and the rest will be done tomorrow at five.  We drove back to Djebel, I had lunch with the family and was ready for  my nail lady, parked up in the town and walked to the shop;  What a find...she does hair, nails and massage, is a trained nurse and a lovely lady and I'll get her speaking English eventually.  Like most she did five years of English at school but has not used it since.  It took three hours and I'm so pleased and promised her I would wear gloves for the gardening from now on.

A little shopping in town and bought chicken wings for supper and I shared them with Avatar.  I came back with about ten small yukka shoots and they're now sitting in water to establish roots.  A lot's been achieved today, the wedding is not starting until three thirty at the house, five at the hotel and seven for the rest of the guests and on until goodness knows when...so my update for tomorrow might be a tad late.  LN....I'm watching the unveiling of the pyramids....LN

Sunday 15th September

It's very late I know...it's been a full on day and very successful it was too.  The flowers and blackboard and easel with the greeting was admired for being very original, the couple are wed, I have ninety six photographs to look through and there appears to be a few good ones amongst them but I had to run the gauntlet of professional photographers with arc lights and there were lots of them running around.  I've never seen it before at a wedding in Bulgaria but they were taking photographs of the guests as well as the event, framing them up and selling them.  I just hope they got a discount on the cost of the wedding photographs and that it was offset by the ones purchased by the guests...but I doubt it.

It was the first time that I've been invited to the house to see the 'secret' part of the ceremony.  The bride to be's family waited at their house with the relatives, the groom arrive accompanied by a clarinet band and his family, one of the men from the brides family escorted the groom to the foot of the stairs after throwing a flag down in the garden the significance of which I must ask about, the female members of the grooms family went up the stairs and into the house, they trooped out and then the groom was escorted up the stairs to the door which was closed, had to knock and money was demanded by the sister before he was allowed into the house.  The couple were in the house with some family members and after about five minutes they appeared at the top of the stairs for the waiting photographers.  Out on to the street where the band struck up and the bride and groom led the dancing with the family.  Just before five the bridal car arrived, I'd parked mine in the mayor's car park so made a quick exit via their back gate and beat them all to the venue in Kardjali.  By the time the family arrived, I'd finished the rest of the flowers and finalised the display....My work was done until tomorrow when I take it all down again.

So my student was insistent that she could fit it all in their car and I convinced her that a quart doesn't go into a pint pot so tomorrow I'm taking the Beast for my things and theirs.  It didn't pack up until midnight and driving back from Kardjali there were few cars and in the forest I only saw one deer and where was the camera...in my bag and it disappeared too soon to capture it.

Just a few pickies from the day.  LN....I'm off to my virtuous couch......LN

Monday 16th September

Straight through until eight this morning so checked to see if I'd had a message from my student to see what time I was expected for the chauffeuring to last night's venue to collect everything that hadn't been brought back last night.  I made toast for breakfast and walked the garden with my coffee and everything is really in need of a good soaking but looking at the weather...no rain for two weeks so it's due to get crispier.  One load of washing done and hung out and by eleven I'd heard nothing but did see on another page that she was heading to Greece so obviously nothing was happening today.  I was more concerned for the flowers needing water so I dressed for the pool, headed in to Kardjali but stopped off in Djebel to see her mother who had to work today and asked if my 'stuff' had been cleared out last night but it hadn't.  At this point father appeared and he was working and said that he couldn't help me but help wasn't what I needed ....I just needed to create a plan and get on with it which I did.  I drove to the hotel, picked up the key from the bar, dismantled the blackboard and easel, carried everything down to the Nipper and loaded it to the gunnels.  I'd got a couple of half empty bottles of water so I gave the most needed a drink and headed up to the swimming pool.

That was a waste of time.  The water looked very green so I saw the barman and asked if they'd finished for the year to which he replied that they hadn't and at this point I decided I had.  He blamed the weather, I blamed the fact that they'd probably economised on chemicals and electricity and declined his offer of a sunbed and headed down to the town centre to pay telephone bills that were not outstanding but due.  Over to Kaufland to pick up potatoes, carrots and a butternut squash and came out with toilet cleanser for the next two months or so because of their offers and reduced hamburgers, two of which I've cooked and just eaten and the other four are in the freezer.  I went to fill up with gas and the attendant noticed that one of my rear tyres was down in pressure and he offered to top it up for me.  I declined his offer and drove back to Djebel when an antique nail was removed and a puncture was repaired.  Ten minutes with  student's mum and she showed me photos she'd received from my ex-student who's finishing off his working vacation in New York...what an experience  for a twenty year old and now it will be back home and to university in Sofia.

Home and unpacked the shopping, then the plants, ice-cream in the freezer and the rest of the hardware into the little house.  I got the washing in, made a coffee and sat outside but noticed a few little flies hanging around and no way did I want any more bites....this year has been horrendous, everyone's complaining.  I moved in the house and the phone went with an update from home,  At this point Haciber came to the door and I gathered that there's going to be a baby party this weekend, I didn't know which day or time so I had to have a translation from Avatar when I'd finished the call.  It's Sunday at eleven thirty....mystery solved.

Favourite night on the tele tonight....but an early night is on the cards.  Tomorrow I'm heading into Djebel to order some wood and so tomorrow I'm probably stacking.....a little physical exercise.  LN....Wish me luck.....LN

Tuesday 17th September

Very silly night.  I woke up towards the end of one of my favourite programmes, caught University Challenge and went to bed.  I fell into a really deep sleep for three hours, two hours of Soda Crush and reading and back to sleep by five , leaving the door to the balcony open.  Weird dreams until seven thirty and felt like rubbish when I woke up and all that on a couple of hamburgers.  I went out to check the pots for water and rearrange everything that I'd dumped yesterday and started a desperate attempt on the garden shrubs that were obviously suffering from the lack of rain.  The long wall hydrangea was the first to benefit, I moved the hose to the potentilla, the new big pot with the unknown occupant was next finally finishing on the forsythia and the flowering shrubs under the Lonesome pine.  I'll have to check on the rest in the morning to find the next recipients.  It could be a long road to travel...no rain is scheduled for the next week or so.

Late breakfast of toast and fruit loaf followed by yet more coffee but it really did take me ages to wake up.  I think the stress of the last few days has to come out as my mother would say.  It makes me realise that flowers and getting them to flower at the right time is not an easy process.  The lavenders hung on and managed to display at the right time and I did cut late flowering ones from the big bushes in the garden to make a floral display.  That's now pride of place in the porch and the aroma is stunning and tomorrow I'm cutting the rest of the stalks so that I can hang them to dry.  I must also sort out last years that are obviously dry and seeds need to be separated from the stalk...and need to think of doing something withe them like lavender bags.

This afternoon I'd made the decision to buy three tons of logs despite not really knowing how a ton relates to the 'cubic' measurement that I normally go for.  I drove in to Djebel and went to see my student's mum and we investigated together.  There are such a lot of things to be considered, the density of the different types of wood, whether it;s dry and how long it's been cut and we managed to work out that there's probably about one point eight cubic to one ton, give or take , but at least it's ready to stack.  I got to the yard and they have wood at various stages of the processing but there wasn't anyone at the yard so I phoned the number on the gate and found out where the shop was and I knew the owner but not the lady on the end of the phone.  I went to the shop but the owner apparently is in Turkey and she wasn't able to take an order from me and suggested that I go in tomorrow morning early to catch the owner.  I'll see how i feel in the morning.  

I arrived home by four thirty, turned the hose off and settled down on the sofa with my book and yes....I woke up at six thirty and still feel jaded.  As for photographs, the camera will be out tomorrow at the wood yard and I do have blossom on the cherry in the garden that I kept threatening to photograph today and didn't get round to it.  Let's home tomorrow is a better day and I get my mojo back.  LN...No supper required....LN

Wednesday 18th September

Better night last night and I was up and at 'em ready to get into the wood yard for eight but the more I thought about it I decided to phone just in case the owner hadn't come back from Turkey.  There was no response to the phone call so I left it until after nine and still no reply so I headed in anyway.  I had my internet to pay, my year was up, so I had another reason to go to Djebel.  I went round to the shop and the lady from the supermarket came round to serve me and asked if I'd been down to the yard which I hadn't so I set off to see if anyone was there.  It looked deserted but eventually the owner appeared, we talked wood and he asked me what size I wanted and I pointed it out to the workers, we settled on the price since there were two prices on the gate and we went for the middle one and agreed the cost of the lorry would be fifteen lev.  I actually paid less than I'd calculated with the reduction in the price of the wood...result.  I moved to the main car-park and met up with Mr and Mrs D of S with the little one who had come to Djebel on a shopping expedition.  I carried on to the Internet shop and paid for the year, back to the supermarket for bread and I met the family coming out...but the little one was not very chatty this morning...may be wrong side of the bed.

So home and preparing for the delivery.  The wood store was done already but I moved the Beast to near the wall outside the gate facing out and the Nipper in front of it and I relaxed knowing that I'd got a whole load of work once the lorry arrived.  He tooted the horn and I went out, he asked where I wanted it dropping and I said that if he could get it in the yard it would really be appreciated and what a gem he way.  It was pretty tight but he reversed in and started dropping the wood on the concrete just outside the garage, a very calculated drop and he made his exit and I still have two gate posts intact.  It looked a very good load, some of the logs need splitting but nothing wrong with that....better that than matchsticks.

I started at twelve, came in for a rest at one thirty, went out again, came in at three, slept until four and out again and didn't stop until I'd finished.  I managed to stack three deep of up to middle size and the larger ones are stacked in the garage on one side and the back wall.  I shall see if my painter is able to give me a day or half day to get them split otherwise I'll do them as I need them.  The wood is very dry so they should split easily.

Jacket potato with cheese for supper tonight done in the microwave...and I'm now going to check on the ice-cream.    I hear it calling from the kitchen.  Knacked but that's a job well done and it looks as if the weather is about to change.  Ordered, paid for and put away before it got wet and went down in value...same price, less wood.  LN....Bath and bed.....LN

Thursday 19th September

So I had my bath last night and emerged from the tub at eleven, last visit to the loo, went to wash my hands and ...no water.  Someone must have been out late turning it off.  The digger was spotted going down the street today and it came back on at around one but there was loads of air and silt in it.

My sleep last night was nothing like it should have been.  I woke up at two and opened the door to the balcony..it was a warm night and at around three I thought I heard rain and I did. I went out and stood in it and it was so refreshing.  The terraces were damp this morning but it was nothing to write home about.  Eventually got my head down again at five and woke up at seven fifteen,  I was quickly out of bed, hot water from the kettle for my wash and teeth and it's amazing how many times you try the taps to get water out even though you know that there's none in the pipeline.

Today I'd offered to take Avatar to the cash point to take money out for her winter in Germany and I needed her with me...I'd had trouble removing my card with my new nails so I didn't want the bank asking where the owner of the card was if I'd have lost hers to the Bank.  I went over to her house by eight but she was waiting for a delivery of milk so I said I wasn't in any rush, so I suggested that she came over when she was ready which she did.  The lady with the milk hadn't arrived so she went over and got it from the lower village.  I removed the gas bottle from the kitchen cupboard, Avatar removed the valve from the top of the gas bottle since my hands don't work that well and we carried it together to the car.  The plan of campaign was gas bottle, bank card, water bottles from the supermarket with a few other items that we both wanted and we were home by ten thirty and she managed to get some credit on her telephone.  She's now ready to leave at the end of next week.  She replaced the valve on my gas bottle...I'm ready for winter cooking....and she headed home.

I settled in to reading and resting, yesterday and a sleepless night was taking its toll but at eleven there was a phone call from the post office saying that there was a letter for me but I didn't get to pick it up until one.  It was head down this afternoon and I feel much better for my afternoon of doing nothing.  I was just so lucky getting the wood in yesterday...it would have weighed more today and I would have had less....the angels smile.  Tuna mayo on toast for a late lunch and no need for supper tonight.  I did take a trip round the garden and I'm amazed at the colour despite the drought.  The Greek plants just keep giving and the yellow flowers will need to be culled at the end of the season...they take over but they're lovely to look at.  

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow or the weekend so I'll have to find something to do.  That shouldn't be too difficult.  LN.....And relax....LN

Friday 20th September

So I was awake at six thirty this morning and what a good night's rest.  It was raining quite hard and I was so pleased..the grass is coming to life again already and I have a mole hill...bastards are back.  Coffee, back to bed with the tablet until it was a reasonable time to face the day.  I had the feeling that it was Saturday and when I went into my emails I saw one that I receive every Friday and I realised that I had an extra day.  I stripped down the bed after my second cup of coffee and spent time sorting through the linen chest for some warmer bottom sheet.  The weather has changed.  I also found out a bigger and heavier quilt, if I want to sleep with the door open for the fresh air, I need more on top of me.  

By now the rain had stopped and it was beginning to dry up.  I walked over the road to take back a dish that had arrived via Avatar with foodstuff in it and I took over a pair of scissors.  She'd taken her old pair to one of the men in the village to get them repaired but it was a waste of time....they were much beyond economical repair so I checked my stock and found a pair she could have.   I sat down with her for a time and saw that she was sorting out her wardrobe and throwing stuff out.  She also showed me two boxes of bottled foodstuff that she is having taken by road to Germany while she takes the plane.  Habits are hard to break.  I came back with more breakfast and yogurt that she'd made yesterday and we'd spoken about machine oil that she needed for her sewing machine.  She'd asked my painter about it but apparently he kept forgetting so took the yogurt plate back and a small bottle of machine oil from again my stock.  

Two loads of washing done and dusted and out on the line and this afternoon I had a visit from R of F and after viewing my wood we headed into Djebel and ordered a load for him and it will be delivered tomorrow morning at around eight thirty.  No sooner the word than the blow.   Supper of chicken wings and roasted vegetables into the oven at five thirty and ready for seven.  Princess phoned on her way back from work and we had a catch-up and talked about December festive (too early to say the word)....and it looks like we all might be holidaying though not together.  I'm out tomorrow night at a goat roast and on Sunday I have a baby party....my social life knows no bounds.  LN....Long may it continue....LN