Monday 21st October

So last night I set the alarm knowing that I had to be up and about to pick up my painter at seven fifteen but when I woke up at five, turned off the alarm and read until six thirty.  When I went out to he car he was waiting for me so we set off for the back lane and off to Kardjali.  The fog was very heavy and my painter was panicking a little but fortunately they've put a another layer of hardcore down so it was a fairly smooth run down.  Unfortunately the lorries going down to the main road have fairly knacked the concrete access to the road so you have to be very careful not to go off the edge and sink into the ditch.

We arrived at the hospital at seven forty and waited for the kiosk to open so that he could get a ticket for the cubical that he had to visit.  I love the system here, you arrive without an  appointment, get issued with a ticket and wait for the consultant.  If you need further investigation  you get sent to the next level up and if you need to be admitted, they tell you when.  It knocks the British system into a cocked hat.  We went from the first inspection to the optician outside of the hospital and back to the hospital with the results.  Back to the cubicle and he will hear within the next few days when they organise the operation on his eyes.

Back to the Nipper and some twit had parked on a second row and it had to have about six attempts to get out of a narrow gap with a man in the front telling me the gap in front and my painter behind telling me what the gap was...and it was inches.  My painter suggested that we went into Djebel and came back that way but I'd had enough.  I took the back lane and we were home for twelve....we'd been out for about five ours.  He set off for home, I did happen to drive him there but he wanted to walk.  I took to the sofa with a coffee and caught up a couple of hours of sleep, woke up and put chicken legs in the oven for supper and then got back to working on my family chart and ended up equally frustrated as I did at the earlier part of the year.  I just can't find my 1797's many great granddad's birth record so I'll keep trying.  Phone call from my friend Pin the UK and she's out next year at a date yet to be arranged with a sub-trip to Istanbul.

Chicken was ready for six thirty, I'd  put it on a slow heat and there's one left for tomorrow night so it looks like curry for me.  I might go to Kardjali tomorrow just on a gentle shopping day...I'll see how I feel or maybe phone Bekir to see if he fancies coming with me to buy the insulation and fit it for me tomorrow....just need to know his commitments.  LN...I've eared a day's work from my painter today....LN

Tuesday 22nd October

Lazy day today and stupidly got stuck into ancestry again and gave up surrounded by papers, notes, print outs and it's sitting on the table in the stairwell.  I still can't find my great, great but I've found two names that haven't cropped up before  and they've created new mysteries.

As for the rest of the day....noticed the cat on the bench this morning and managed to get a pickie of it but when I went out to get a better shot...it shot off.  Unfortunately I forgot to get the cushions in so I'll probably ave another visitor tonight.  Beans on toast for breakfast, kitchen tidied and back on to the sofa with my book and I appear to have got stuck into it again.  I've read it before but can't remember the bit that I'm re-reading.

I had my nap and it was at that point that I decided that I'd pick up where I'd left off yesterday and since I've paid up for a yearly subscription...I have to get my money's worth.  Cold chicken for supper...I hadn't got round to currying it or doing anything else with it but it was over and done with quite quickly but having heard that one way to improve gut well being, I found a packet of dates that I'd bought earlier in the year and that became desert.  I did manage to phone Bekir this morning to find out if he has work or can fit me in to get the loft insulation and lay it for me...and I'll wait for the response.  LN....Another potentially easy day tomorrow....LN

Wednesday 23rd October

Five start but I didn't venture downstairs until six thirty...there was no rush this morning.  I played silly games until eight, heard the bread van but didn't have to go there nut it put me in the mood for breakfast.  I had half a can of beans in the fridge so on with the toast and sat at the table in the stairwell in what there was of the sun and it wasn't much.  It took until eleven before the mist was burnt off and I could get my washing out.

I decided to sort through the 'Find my Past' printouts and get them in some sort of order but then put the computer on and started all over again.  One of the mysteries was solved but the main one remains a mystery to me.  I think I shall have to get on to the help line....there are so many with more or less the same dates of birth and the 'hints' that I get are  of no use at all.  They're as confused as I am and by now the time had moved on to twelve. I carried on making notes and looking up different sets of data until my eyes crossed and the power went off and put an end to my endeavours.

I moved up to the bedroom and took up position in the sun on the rocking chair and settled in to my book until I thought it was time I did something active.  I'd looked at the mole hills so headed down the garden armed with packets of moth balls, the trowel and a pair of scissors.  I attacked them all and dropped the contents of each packed into the individual holes.  Let's see how they like that.  War has been declared and I shall know if they're still out there.... they'll be raising more hillocks.  Next job was to take the old burnt cans and jam jars in the log carrier along to the container.  I had a word with Zelinger who was tidying up her garden and brought three decent sized stones back with me from one of the stone heaps that used to be somebody's house.  I was tempted to use the log carrier to get some topsoil from where it's been dumped on the old rubbish tip near the garden that's next to my house....but decided it could wait until tomorrow morning.  I shall have to make several trips, I want to full up a couple of new tubs..I've found more daffodil bulbs in the little house.  The cat hotel is not open tonight...the cushions are away and in the chest and the washing came in before the mist came down.

No supper for me tonight.  I've been eating the daters all day and I'm not in the least bit hungry.  Nails tomorrow and student later in the afternoon and no Pilates, my heads not up to it.  LN....Gently into the evening....LN

Thursday 24th October

Six start and a good night's sleep since I avoided getting my head down yesterday.  I was much too busy trying to sort out my relatives from olden times.  I was out with the camera this morning before the sun came up....and what a stunning morning it was.  Pink blue sky, mist in the valley, crescent moon and as the sun came atop the mountain the sky changed to red.  It's a beautiful part of the world.

Down to the kitchen for coffee, tidies away the washing up from last night and did the rest of the dishes and put those away.  I settled for toast and spread cheese and by this time it was only nine o'clock...I was on a roll.  I printed off a photo of the mother and child for my bread van man and put it into a frame and will deliver in the morning.  I set about preparing for my student and managed to find the lessons that I'd used for his brother and got together the printout that I wanted for this afternoon.  I also made him his own A-Z book so that we could write all the unknown words in the book in English and Bulgarian and he had something as a reference point.  It also means that I can test him regularly to see if we need to go over them again.  

As I was leaving to go to Djebel my phone went and it was the garage to let me know that the original owner of the Clio had been spotted and approached by the garage owner to ask him what he intended to do about it and that I'd been saddled with it for the last two years since I couldn't get the MOT done on it.  It's actually sat at the garage for the last tow years and it was suggested that the owner takes the documents to KAT, have it de-registered and then the garage can negotiate with the gypsies to buy it and take it away.  I handed the documents over, went down to get my nails sorted and smartened up and then back to the garage shop and waited for my student to come home from school.  Unfortunately he came home in a pretty bad mood and eventually we went up to the apartment and started the lesson.  It was OK....I had to push him a little and I think there was more life in the budgie.  He liked the dictionary and started to fill it in...result....not to keen on the new text but we got there eventually,  I went to the shop to discuss progress with his mother and then headed home after purchasing a rather snazzy steering wheel cover...black velvet with embroidered flowers.  We decided that the car would look female but is drives like a man...beware you non-believers.

Supper of hamburgers  and fried off potatoes, fire going tonight....the temperature has dropped...it was five degrees this morning and I fancied a cosy feel in the home tonight.  LN...Nothing on for tomorrow so far.....LN

Friday 25th October

I don't learn do I....I ended up watching Question Time again and I still don't know why.  They seem to dredge up the panel and the only one that seemed to raise the standard was the American who seemed to know a lot more about the state of the country with regard to industry than the politicians who always try to put the party line on any question asked.  As for Norman Lamont I think Norman Lament might have been more appropriate.  Eventually got to bed at one thirty, played Soda Crush for a while and then went into a reasonable sleep and woke up at six.  It left me a little jaded this morning, I managed to cook two poached eggs and I was eating them at eight thirty and kitchen cleared by nine....so what to do.  I ended up settling down on the rocker in the sun but it was so warm that I moved down to the sofa in the shade and got stuck into the book.  This didn't last too long and you've guessed it.  I soon went back to sleep and woke up at eleven thirty and then burst into action.

I attacked the space between the house and the front wall and cleared the old sunflowers, the seeds had all been removed by the birds so there was no point in leaving them there.  I moved along the wall and noticed that the ground honeysuckle had completely swamped the laurel so it had to go.  It was also attacking the juniper on the other side of it  so now they both have a better chance,  It didn't stop there...I trimmed up the honeysuckle and the Japonica kerria, used the rake to remove the debris and heaved it over the wall surprising a couple of cows that were grazing near the wall.  I'd started the bonfire earlier with the house waste so kept it going with the cuttings and cleared some of the damaged pots that really make it go well.  And more 'pruning'.  The oak has been cleared at the bottom, the side shoots taken off and hopefully it will not develop into a beautiful tree.  It will probably be long after I've left the planet but it will be there for someone else to appreciate.  The wild wild plums have all been trimmed and I'll try to establish a hedge between the bonfire pit and the garden.   I moved on to the workshop terrace and cleared some of the old pots from there keeping what I needed and burning the rest, the upright cold frame has suffered and needs taking apart and put back together with decent sized side supports and that might happen tomorrow but after the rugby...my my morning is booked.

Tools away and it was seven before I came in and I'd managed to knock up my ten thousand steps today but couldn't manage to transfer the steps over to the second Fitbit...I couldn't get the second one that had gone on charge to sync and that means that the achievement won't be noticed....I'll try it again later.  Normally there's not a problem...if I change watches because the battery is low on the one that I'm wearing, the data gets transferred...this time no go.  

Kitchen bound...supper rear its ugly head so I'm heading to see what I can find...I think an omelette might be on the cards or the table.  As I mentioned...rugby in the morning and then more of the same with the garden tomorrow.  LN....Getting it ready for winter......LN

Saturday 26th October

The fresh air must have got through last night.  I nodded off in front of the computer and woke up at eleven, made my way to bed and went through until five this morning.  I didn't feel tired so I went down for coffee, back to bed and Soda Crush, emails, FB and book and it was soon seven and time to get up and get going.  Beautiful morning again and it's lasted throughout the day.  Breakfasted on scrambled and had finished and everything tidied by nine and so the rest of the day was mine.

I moved the fir tree container from the terrace into the yard...I was painting it with old engine oil and I didn't want to mark the terrace.  I was aware of the time...the rugby was starting at ten thirty my time and before that I managed to half finish the container but then I had to settle down for the match....and what a match it was.  I think we were all doubting that the English team wouldn't achieve victory but they were in it from the start and wow...did they put the doubts away and the New Zealanders got pretty feisty towards the end.  So roll on tomorrow and Wales might even be in the final with England.

So feeling elated I went back to the garden, finished the tub, moved on to the frog and oiled it for the winter and replaced it on the concrete plinth and then turned my attention to the vegetable garden.  The garden is all dug over and the rest of the bulbs that I found in the little house are planted along with the broad beans.  I did intend bringing over the old shelving unit and turn it back into winter protection for the beans but it was too heavy without using the wheelbarrow but that's a job for tomorrow.  

I've been inundated with cats today.  More kittens have been born and are now lingering around the various houses and fighting for food.  I think I shall have to adopt a couple of the females and put them on the pill.  Tools away by six, supper ready for consumption by six thirty.  I settled on a couple of boiled potatoes, a tin of tuna, mayo, beetroot and sweetcorn and now thinking about a bath before Strictly starts.  Lovely sunset,clocks go back tonight so mustn't forget to change the clocks.  I shall try to stay up as late as I can so that I don't start at four...that's a bit too early for the Welsh game.  LN.....Boiler on.....LN

Sunday 27th October

So I worked out that if I stayed awake last night until silly o'clock then I would wake up later and miss the hour delay from kicking in.  I still woke up at five, nodded off again leaving the light on and  eventually surfaced at seven.  It's been uphill all day.

Bonfire and washing sorted. Marmite on toast for breakfast and now I'm out of bread and butter and was intending to go Kardjali tomorrow but now the best laid plans of mice and me...Phone call from Bekir and tomorrow I'm picking him and Sally up at eight thirty, heading into Fortinovo to buy the insulation and that's their task for tomorrow.  It's been another beautiful day and it's almost the end of October....it's not normal.  I've taken time out today to sit and watch my hillside and listen to the birds.  I saw my first robin today and then my second and they're obviously strutting their stuff for territory.  Despite the weather they know that winter is coming.

I had so many things on my list today but they can wait.....I think some jobs seem monumentally big until you come to do them and you realise that the anticipation makes things appear much bigger.  Washing in at three and headed into Djebel to get some fresh bread...there was a feint hint on green on the last two slices so it's out for the animals.  Having nothing to nibble at I headed into Djebel and my was it busy.   four and then settled down to read

Sunday 27th October

So I worked out that if I stayed awake last night until silly o'clock then I would wake up later and miss the hour delay from kicking in.  I still woke up at five, nodded off again leaving the light on and  eventually surfaced at seven.  It's been uphill all day.

Bonfire and washing sorted. Marmite on toast for breakfast and now I'm out of bread and butter and was intending to go Kardjali tomorrow but now the best laid plans of mice and me...Phone call from Bekir and tomorrow I'm picking him and Sally up at eight thirty, heading into Fortinovo to buy the insulation and that's their task for tomorrow.  It's been another beautiful day and it's almost the end of October....it's not normal.  I've taken time out today to sit and watch my hillside and listen to the birds.  I saw my first robin today and then my second and they're obviously strutting their stuff for territory.  Despite the weather they know that winter is coming.

I had so many things on my list today but they can wait.....I think some jobs seem monumentally big until you come to do them and you realise that the anticipation makes things appear much bigger.  Washing in at three and headed into Djebel to get some fresh bread...there was a feint hint on green on the last two slices so it's out for the animals.  Having nothing to nibble at I headed into Djebel and my was it busy.   four and then settled down to read

Sunday 27th October

So I worked out that if I stayed awake last night until silly o'clock then I would wake up later and miss the hour delay from kicking in.  I still woke up at five, nodded off again leaving the light on and  eventually surfaced at seven.  It's been uphill all day.

Bonfire and washing sorted. Marmite on toast for breakfast and now I'm out of bread and only have a knob of butter.  I was intending to go Kardjali tomorrow but now the best laid plans of mice and me...Phone call from Bekir and tomorrow I'm picking him and Sally up at eight thirty, heading into Fortinovo to buy the insulation and that's their task for tomorrow.  It's been another beautiful day and it's almost the end of October....it's not normal.  I've taken time out today to sit and watch my hillside and listen to the birds.  I saw my first robin today and then my second and they're obviously strutting their stuff for territory.  Despite the weather they know that winter is coming.

I had so many things on my list today but they can wait.....I think some jobs seem monumentally big until you come to do them and you realise that the anticipation makes things appear much bigger.  Washing in at three and headed into Djebel to get some fresh bread...there was a feint hint on green on the last two slices so it's out for the animals.  Having nothing to nibble at I headed into Djebel and my was it busy.   There were lots of cars parked outside the Kmet's office in my village, I'd forgotten it was election day and Djebel was heaving.  Over to the cash point to get more money out for tomorrow for the insulation, into the supermarket for a few items and home rather slowly...I was following a police car who parked up outside the Kmet's office.  Change of shift at the polling station.  

Washing in, fire lit and now I have a cosy house.  I've just finished watching Sister Act and I'd forgotten how good the film was.  No supper....I've snacked on fruit loaf and couldn't eat another thing.  LN....Time to throw another log on...LN

Monday 28th October

Six o'clock start so not bad considering the change of time.  Down for coffee and I lingered in bed until seven  and then out with a rush, tidied round a little knowing that the men would be all over the house like a rash and I didn't want to appear a complete lazy bones.  I'd already moved the cars around so it was into the Beast by eight and over for the men and arrived there around eight twenty and they were waiting.  It was a fairly slow drive over, there was heavy mist in patches and brilliant sunshine in others but there was a lot of traffic on the road.  It's all the Turkish people heading home after their holiday in Djebel for the elections.  Apparently they get money from one of the parties towards their fuel costs....but of course that's not considered an incentive to vote for them.

Bekir was holding a carrier bag and it reminded me that I wanted my chimney cleaned and it must have been the vibes heading over to his village, his bag contained the ball of steel that gets dropped down the chimney on a rope.  We carried on to Fotinovo to the materials yard and we found the insulation, I bought six rolls and I couldn't have got another in the Beast.  Poor Sally was hanging on to the end of the back seat with his head perched between two rolls.  Homeward bound, unpacked the Beast and out with the big ladder and the rolls were hoisted up on to the guest room balcony, Sally at ground level, Bekir on the ladder and me pivoting them over the balcony rail....what a team.    As the rolls were laid, we realised that we were about three short so I contacted R of Fotinovo and  pulled in a favour.  He went to the yard, picked up another four and we had ample putting another ten centimetres on top of the existing ten.   Mr and Mrs of Fotinovo stayed around and we sat in the sun drinking coffee and they left with a few things for their garden.  The house has it's winter coat. on...

Rest of the jobs achieved...I have a new concrete surround to my water meter chamber, the both balcony lights are working and I have a small patch in the lounge wall that needs repairing where a new length of electricity cable has been inserted, the chimneys have been cleaned and my radiators have been drained and the system back to working order.  The lounge is only going to take an hour or so so Bekir will give me a call the next time he's in Djebel and I'll pick him up and then take him home.  In the Nipper by five thirty and the men were back to their village by six and I was home by six thirty.  Fire lit, another load of logs in and I have a full download of Game of Thrones to get stuck into.  That comes with a technician being allowed on my computer while I sorted the men out.   Result.

Kardjali tomorrow....I really am out of a few provisions that I really can't live without.  LN.....Monday is my tele quiz night....LN