Sunday 1st March

Welcome Grandmother March.....Baba Marta...a special day for Bulgarians.  It's the name of a mythical figure who brings with her the end of the cold winter and the beginning of the spring. Her holiday of the same name is celebrated in Bulgaria on March 1 with the exchange and wearing of 'martenitsi'....wrist bands of red and white sold everywhere.  

I had a horrible night last night again.  I was awake at three this morning according to my Fitbit and I was reading,  At one I was heading to the kitchen and came back with three digestives and a chunk of English Cheddar and at one thirty I relived the experience but this time only two digestives and a smaller chunk of cheese.  I snuggled down and regained consciousness around six thirty . coffee and book and carried on with the life of Uhtred and his civilized  quarrels with Alfred the Great.  I'm on book five now so not long to go...and why am I rushing the journey along?  I'm not really sure.

I made a cheese omelette for breakfast and I was just about to sit down with it at around nine thirty when I my neighbour's daughter knocked on the door, thought that I was asleep so was heading to the window so I went out clutching my omelette so she apologised for disturbing me.  She'd come to invite me to a lunch get-together at Zelinger's house.  It had been nineteen years since her husband had died and she was recognising the event.  I realised that there would be lots of the ancients of the village and I knew I didn't have enough Baba Marta wrist bands so that everyone could have one so I got into the Nipper and went into Djebel to buy some.  I was there for ten thirty so I decided to go and visit my student and her family and hand them over bands as well.  Her mother was working in the garden with a headscarf to protect against the wind and she told me that my student was in the house and that I was to go in.  She appeared with a headscarf on covering her ear and told me that she had earache and had had it for a week and not gone to the doctors and will go tomorrow.  I sat and had cake with them and suggested that if she had to go and see a specialist tomorrow in Kardjali that she gives me a call and I will take her.  

At twelve I walked along the village and met up with the rest of the ladies at Zelinger's house.  I handed over a box of biscuits and got chastised for it but when I got the Baba Marta bands out, one for each of them, they all received them with pride...somebody cared about them and that's so important for me...I do care about them and realise that I am lucky to be here in this time and space.  When these ladies pass over, the life style and village will die.  I don't take my camera with me....it would be an intrusion.  We had crispy pancakes, cheese, yogurt, dried fruit and two types of pine tip syrup and a cake which was delicious that had been made by one of the daughter-in-laws.  I walked back home at two, my fire was still going from last night so I put a log on it, took to the sofa with my book and promptly went to sleep until five...catching up on last night.

I don't need supper....I ate enough at lunchtime and hope for a better night tonight.  Nothing on for tomorrow unless my student has to go into see the specialist.  I shall have to listen out for my phone.  LN....I've had a super day with my village ladies.....LN

Monday 2nd March

Much better night's sleep but I was awake at five thirty...serves me right for having a three hour sleep in the afternoon.  I read for a while and made coffee at six taking it back to bed and staying there until seven.  The fire was still going so I turned the log over onto its back so that I could use it again tonight ...and I have.  I made beans on toast for breakfast and sat in in the sun eating it and it suddenly hit me that I could be taking my student to the hospital so it was time that I got a wiggle on.  I sent her a message to see if she had any news but she'd decided that there were too many people waiting to see the doctor so she'd carried on to work and intended going back to the doctors in the afternoon.  Apparently there is no work tomorrow it's a national holiday so I should be catching up with her one way or another.

I put the bird food out and they seem to love muesli and ignore the other seeds.  I've seen no cats around today..maybe I've frightened them off.  There was an accumulation of rubbish in the bathroom and kitchen bins so I had a whip round and took it all to the bottom of the garden and had a bonfire. I've got out of the habit of throwing food out for the cats and have gone back to putting it in the bonfire and if they find it they can have it....I was just encouraging to many.  The seed pot that had stood on the stairwell table was starting to drop some seeds so I gave it a shake and it produced about thirty seeds so they're in an envelope and I'll try a few of them in a pot.

My neighbour came round with a dozen eggs today and said that she's come round yesterday after Zelinger's get together and saw me sleeping on the sofa.  She'd gone to her garden and done some work, called in on the way back home and I was still asleep.  I do lock the conservatory door though while I'm slumbering so she obviously took the eggs home again and brought them today.  Her advice was to only use them for omelettes or scrambled since they were very fresh and leave it for about a week before I did them any other way.  She was on her way to the garden, I asked her if she wanted anything and she asked for a glass of water and off she went.  We joked about her boot that were obviously about a size ten and she said that she had trouble chasing the cows in them.  I suddenly remembered that I had a pair of work boots that I no longer used so I found them out and took them to where she was working in the garden next door to the house.  I offered her the boots and said that if they were no use to her to put them in the skip or by the skip and someone else could have them.

I finished the fifth book and have started another set of three and this time about King Arthur.  I'm undecided what to do for supper tonight and think I shall be standing in front of the fridge or freezer and wait for divine inspiration to hit me.  Waiting for a message from my student to see if we're up to anything tomorrow.  LN....The kitchen is calling me....LN

Tuesday 3rd March

Another horrible night again.  I obviously dress for winter at night-time...it's winter and why not.  I've got two quilts on the bed but unfortunately the outside temperature has gone from a minus to a two figure plus and I seemed to spend the night trying to cool down...and it's only March.  Of course it could change the other way soon enough so 'n'ere cast a clout till May is out'.  Baba Marta seems to have chased the clouds away but I wish she'd take the wind away...gain it stopped me from going out in the garden.  The flower beds can wait.  Even the tits seemed to be making Kamikaze landings on the bird table and not even a cat in sight.  I topped it up quite early on with muesli and have just had to do it again. I notice that the currents seem to be left behind so I'm eating those and not putting them out.  I watched the sheep come over the hill today and it looks like the children are not at school today....the young boy was bringing them out with his father and not really sure if the dog was playing any part in it.

There was no word from my student so I didn't have to head into Kardjali today.  It's the Bulgarian holiday celebrating the anniversary of Bulgaria's liberation from the five century-long Ottoman rule so she's obviously with her family.  I did walk the garden and check up on the burning pit and it looks like that's not even been attacked by cats even though the remains of the chicken went in there.  I did put another plank over the hole in the lid and will set fire to it again tomorrow, there's far too much wind again today.  As for the rest of the activity.  I've had an email from DHL telling me that the Fitbit should arrive, all being well, bu the end of play tomorrow so I'll collect from the shop on Thursday....I'm taking my neighbour for her next appointment at the hospital and we've got an early start so I won't be here to have it delivered anyway.  I did light the fire since it was cool inside despite the outside temperature especially when I'm reading or sleeping and I did both.  The sleep was disturbed after about half an hour, a text message came through on the home phone to let me know that there's a phone bill waiting for payment so there's another job for Thursday.

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far but let's see what messenger comes up with.  Happy Birthday to my very good friend that I used to share a flat with in Gibraltar when I used to live out there.  LN.....We had some good times....LN

Wednesday 4th March

Lovely night last night...I kept the second quilt off and it worked.  I did wake up at four thirty and wondered if I would get off again and it did...it was six thirty, grey, wind gusting and it was a day for reading or finding something really interesting to do....and I ended up reading.  I washed and dressed and ended up poaching a couple of eggs and sat at the table in the stairwell looking at the rain.  I washed up and took some mince meat from the freezer and planned supper.  Unfortunately it was meat from one of my neighbours and there appeared to be more fat in it that I really needed so I planned to boil it in water, stick it in the fridge to remove the fat from it and then fry it off with onions.

The rest of my morning was taken up with DHL as was a lot of my evening last night regarding my expected package.  Their website might be in English but when you have to access the linked pages it reverts to Bulgarian and even though I know what information they need I didn't understand the final command button.  So this morning I received a couple of texts from them, emails and phone calls so I responded to the phone call.  I'd noticed that the shipping company had got my address totally wrong and the post-code was nothing like mine.  I asked the lady to change the details and said that I would not be at home tomorrow when they anticipated delivery and could I collect from Kardjali.  This was obviously too difficult for them and she said that I could go to Plovdiv and collect and I explained that Plovdiv was about two and a half hours from me so think again Bat Woman.  So we set it up, Friday was agreed upon and I settled down on the sofa with my book.  One hour later I had another text and email still quoting the old address and the rubbish post-code so I explained that I'd already spoken to someone this morning and the records should have been amended.  We confirmed delivery yet again...and I still had another email.  DHL are going to get a serious letter of complaint as is the Fitbit sending company in The Netherlands.  

Fire lit, the rain hasn't stopped all day and I'm going to make do with the logs that I have inside...I'm not going out in this and again the birds were having trouble landing but they were still out.  The fields are awash and the fishing lake looks very full.....and I keep checking that the trees are still standing.  Eight start in the morning, my neighbour is off to the hospital.  She did tell me at Sunday's get together that the tablets seem to have worked so maybe she won't need the injection in her knee.  LN...Doctors do know best....sometimes.....LN

Thursday 5th March

So I was worried about not waking up in time but at seven my consciousness returned and I was having my first cuppa, waking up gradually and dressing for taking my neighbour to the hospital to see the consultant.  I didn't bother with breakfast, the bread had little dots of green over it and I knew the bread man was coming this morning but it depended on what time he arrived...I guessed it might coincide with the departure to the hospital.  

I was into the car at just before eight. parked up outside my neighbour's house and knocked on her door.  She was still in her sleep wear, doesn't speak Bulgarian so couldn't ask her if she still wanted to go to the hospital.  She invited me in but decided to drive back to the house and left the car outside the house.  By this time the bread van arrived so I decided to buy bread just in case I wasn't on my way to Kardjali and while I was waiting for my turn she decided to walk down towards the bread van and talk to her grandson who is the driver of the van.  I walked home to put the bread in the house, grabbed my bag and went to wait in the car for her...we were on out way and it was now just after half eight.

I had trouble parking near to the hospital so I dropped her off near to the entrance and she decided to wait for me where I'd left her.  Five minutes later I met up with her and we walked to the third floor and joined the queue for registration.  She is the receptionist for three surgeries, she recognised me and after five minutes called us into one of the rooms and explained that there was no doctor.  Apparently our doctor had gone skiing to Italy, is now in quarantine in Cortina and will not be back for two weeks.  I certainly will not be taking her to the hospital next time....her knee can wait.  I loaded her into the car and stopped off at Lidl to do my shopping.  She fell asleep on the way back but roused herself up and said that she wanted to stop at the chemist so I turned round and parked up.  I turned round and set off back home and she promptly fell asleep again....my driving can't be that bad.

I rested for the afternoon, printed off a lesson for my student and set off at just before four but when I got there the light was on in the shop but the door was locked...nobody home.  I went back to sit in the Nipper to wait and see and at ten after four the family arrived complete with the little one.  Apparently his passport was about to expire and both parents have to be present to renew and that's now done and dusted.  We started our lesson straightaway and it turned into a totally different lesson than I'd planned.  It ended up with me writing and him answering the questions that I asked and I'll be using that strategy again.  He still finished the lesson asking if we could go to a restaurant for supper that evening...I told him that I was busy and he accepted that.  We'll go down to Greece when his new passport comes through.

Home for just before seven.  I'd stopped off at the supermarket and bought some spicy sausages and that was supper.  I fried a sausage off with onions and pickled beetroot and it was ready in twenty minutes.  Nothing on tomorrow except that I am expecting my Fitbit replacement so at the moment I shall be in all day.  It's not rained so much today as yesterday....my stream outside was running well this morning but has eased off tonight.....and no one to play poo sticks with.  LN....Not sure the locals would understand the rules......LN

Friday 6th March

It was a pretty slow morning but I made sure that my Bulgarian phone was charged so that the courier could tell me when he was getting near his destination.  At eight I was cooking beans on toast and sitting in the stairwell in the sun eating it and wondering what to get up to.  The wind appeared to have dropped, the temperature outside according to my outside thermometer was bearable and another day of inactivity wasn't acceptable.  I didn't have long to wait, the phone rang and the first words out of his mouth were virtually...'English ....I by the bus stop in the square' so in Bulgarian I asked him if he could see the school, we happen to have two squares and he replied that he could so I said that he should carry on for about one kilometer and I would be standing outside the gate.  After five minutes I was getting cold and he was nowhere to be seen but then I heard something big noisily heading my way and it was the courier,  He'g gone back on himself for the said kilometer, met nothing so had realised his mistake and made up ground pretty rapidly.  He handed over the box which was pretty big for such a small object and I signed his screen with my finger to confirm that it had been delivered....and off he went.  I took the box into the house and was amazed that there was no internal packing in the big box and this thing was only clad in a plastic sleeve so I wasn't expecting much.  Anyway...set it up and linked it to my account and everything in the garden looks OK for now...let's see how long this one lasts.

Playtime was over and I headed to the little house and took some of the plants that have overwintered in there and put them on the terrace.  I feel that some of the oleanders that were outside have fared better than the three big ones inside...Sunday's rain should clean away the dust and sort them out.  I potted up more tree seeds...I seem to have had success with the others so these will serve as a testimony when my clock ticks out.  I also moved the bench that had been supporting the plants and now that's ready for running repairs before it does another season.

Came in at four and had a shower and washed my hair.  I was out tonight with my student and her mother...we were off to the restaurant in Momchilgrad.  The father was there and I asked whether he had been invited or not and the reply was negative, he looked so sad at being left behind that I just couldn't do it...so he got his invitation.  He took his time but eventually said that he'd like to come even though it was an early 'Ladies' Day' and I told him that if he wants to come next year he has to wear a dress.  We were lucky to get a table since we hadn't booked, the meal was excellent and the live music was really good and I complemented them as we left.  I think they were surprised that they'd been noticed....Bulgarians don't go out of their way to offer praise.

I dropped the family off, picked up my Ladies' day potted flower and headed home remembering to send them the photos of the evening.  It's not very often that I go out in the evenings and it made a pleasant change.  LN.....Must do it more often......LN

Saturday 7th March

So I slept really well last night, cosy in bed and in a very pleasant dream until the sun streaming in through the window woke me up.  I had bananas for breakfast followed by two slices of fruit load and it was a bit of a lazy morning.  My student sent me the photographs from last night at the restaurant and I've realised that I have to go out with bigger people.  They are a dinky family and I'm taller and heavier than all of them and it did show up on the photograph...well to me it did.  I tidied around and got everything shipshape again..I do like a tidy house.  I few the birds on the bird table but no many of them out and about today perhaps they'd got better pickings elsewhere.  I did see my first stork today, it flew across the bottom of the garden but no change to get the camera but I'm obviously on the flight path so I'll keep looking out for it.

I phoned the Librarian...it's been a long time since I spoke to her,  she said that she would phone me but it didn't happen so I made the move.  She's coming over tomorrow and we'll do something.  So this gave me another thing to get on and do....it's March 8th tomorrow and I normally buy flowers for my village ladies so I decided to drive in to Djebel to get in a supply.  As I was getting in to the Nipper I noticed that the back tyre looked a little flat so I went down to the garage and lo and behold it was a puncture.  As the lad took the wheel off he thought that it was a nail in the tyre but instead it was a sheered off bolt...quite long and fat and goodness knows where I picked that up.  Anyway...all sorted for a minimal fee.  I parked up in Djebel and bought some pot plants for the ladies and then went over to the leva shop and picked up some cheap white bowls to put the pots in so they could have them in the house and put them in the garden later and they'll come back year after year.  

I got back and unpacked the car, decided to read for a while and then thought I'd print off some labels for the plants  and that's when the fun began.  The ink cartridges seemed to have dried up so I set the machine to clean mod, removed the cyan cartridge and the blasted printer didn't recognise that I'd replaced it and refused to print....another job on the list.  I decided to write the labels and now they're all ready for delivery tomorrow morning.  I lit the fire and and have settled in for the night and not too sure what's on the menu for tonight...probably only cheese and biscuits.  LN....TV and bed.....LN

Sunday 8th March

Chestit prasnik and happy Women's Day to the rest of us....Bulgaria is awash with flowers and my village was the same.  My women don't do much about it...it's a new found thing for the affluent and young but I was round the village at nine this morning delivering pretty dainty things to my loverlies.  Haciber was out first and told me that Beyser had gone visiting down the bottom of the village so I carried on and as I dropped off Zelinger's flowerbowl I was told that she was in Djebel so not much luck so far.  I found Beyser, she was visiting the last house in the village and the owner started shouting to me in German to go into her garden but I had other fish to fry so to speak so told her so.  Emula's mother was with Beyser so I handed over their pot plants, carried on to my little lady who also wasn't at home or hiding and I left hers on the doorstep and went to my other Beyser's house and she didn't respond to my yells and their dog is not worth arguing with so I didn't bother.  Hers was left at the gate post so all in all...not that successful but I felt good.

I went home and the Librarian arrived at nine thirty and we;d just settled down and I put the kettle on and my other friend from Fotinovo arrived for a coffee and a chat so from the kitchen we moved into the lounge where everyone could have a seat.  We caught up on the gossip and I only listened, I didn't have any and at ten thirty I suggested that we make a move, we were going into Haskovo to the market garden,  I pulled up outside the car shop and their son....'no longer student of mine' was down from university for the weekend so we had hugs and I handed over a pot plant for his mother and we wished each other a happy day.  I think his mother had gone shopping and he was holding the fort and I forgot to ask him if he is still Mr Ten Percent' when he comes back.   We carried on to Kardjali and I stopped off for gas for the car and then on to Haskovo and the market garden had its gates closed so what a wasted journey.  We popped in to the hard wear store but the only thing that caught my eye was a hanging sun longer that would be fantastic on my terrace but it wouldn't fit into the Nipper so I'll check it out the next time I go over in the Beast.  It might still be there.

Back to Kardjali and it was still only one o'clock.  We took a punt on the cheapy shop and sure enough it was open so the Librarian settled for a pair of leather boots and a sweater and I bought a pair of Timberland boots for gardening and a fleece jumper that will be good to cuddle into next winter...or this if we have a cold spell.  We walked to the restaurant and shared a pizza and salad and the young lady forgot to bring the cheesy chips and it was as well...I don't think we would have managed them.  Back home for three thirty and the weather was closing in so the Librarian left, I lit the fire, took a phone call from Gulcan from Germany wishing me happy birthday since she'd missed it in February and a happy women's day for today.  Lots of messages on FB....it's a big event here and lots of flowers are shared and lots of goodwill abounds.

No supper for me...the pizza will see me through until breakfast.  I might go into Kardjali tomorrow to start the end of year company documentation process unless they've change the system since last year.....Statistics, NAP and SUT and I haven't a clue what the initials stand for but let's see how far I get before I reach the inevitable brick wall and that's why I'm starting early.  I did manage to catch sight of my stork this morning but without camera in hand and guests filling up my lounge.  I'll look for it tomorrow with camera at the ready.  LN.....Pictures tomorrow...not a lot worth capturing today.  Far too busy....LN

Well may be one...

Tonight's full moon with scudding clouds.  LN

Monday 9th March

Silly night again...I woke up at four and played silly games until five and then went out again until seven and played catch-up all day.  I eventually got dressed around ten, cooked an omelette for breakfast, tidied round and decided that I wouldn't go into Kardjali, it looked like it might be a decent day to get out and do some gardening.  I read for a while until I got bored, I'd kept the fire going from last night so went out and got more wood in and found the charger out for the battery strimmer and it was still charged from last year.  I went into the wood store and found the strimmer out, had to search for the plastic blades but got the thing working so set to on trimming the garden edgings neatening things up.

There was a lot of noise going on on the hillside and my sheep farmer was out there with his sons using a much bigger strimmer than mine.  They were cutting down a very vicious shrub and stacking it around the electricity pylon and I can only guess that the cows and sheep are getting out and not keeping to their allotted areas.  At least they're not making their way into my garden.  I'd run out of battery power so sat down on the terrace with my book for a while gently swearing at the noisy bods on the hillside and suddenly it went quiet and intensified the mooing of a cow in the next village that was trying desperately to give birth.  I went into the house and made more coffee, sat down for a while outside and then realised that the sun had gone in and there was a chill in the air so I went in for a while but the sun drew me out again.

I unpacked the bird house and exposed its concrete base, cut down the shrub that's planted in the little house terrace because it had got too tall and it's only green and doesn't flower.  I did think about digging it out but the roots must now be well settled under the concrete and it would be quite a job.  The birds have used it all winter as a staging post to the bird table but now they'll have to sort themselves out....I've cut it back to the height of the wall.  It was getting on for four thirty by the time I'd cleared up the debris, getting cold so it was time to put the tools away and get the camera out and marvel at the coming to life in the garden.  The Japonica is flowering already before its leaves appear, the forsythias are about to blossom along with the Japonica Kerria.  I love spring.  

At five I was feeling peckish so I settled for cheese and biscuits and banked up the fire with a good size log.  I settled on the sofa and late as it was, I nodded off for an hour and woke up stiff as a board.  I should be breaking myself in a little more gradually than I had....strimming uses different muscles.  More of the same tomorrow if the weather is good...the flower beds need clearing of weeds.  LN.....Busy time of the year.....LN

Tuesday 10th March

Another silly night.    I watched my quiz night...yes all of it and didn't go go sleep in front of the screen until I'd finished watching Miriam whatever her second name is looking at the different approaches to how to counteract obesity.  She said that she hated her body and my only comment would be....at seventy plus if you don't like your body why go around in shorts....I've given mine away.  So there was the end of a  vampire programme showing when I woke up and so I ended up sending emails and looking at FB as you do when there's not much sleep in you.

At two thirty I took to my bed, read for a while and was awake at seven thirty this morning.  It was a bit of a dull old day, no need to rescue the fire so I moved the half burnt log to the back of the fire box, emptied the ash can and set the fire for tonight.  Coffee, back to bed with Soda Crush and the game that had eluded me came good and two others with it,  Poached eggs on toast for breakfast and I was intrigued by Piers Morgan interviewing the aspiring Labour leader about transgender in athletics and whether women's rights are being abused,  I should imagine that Twitter was fired up.

I dressed for gardening but didn't go out with much enthusiasm....I just hate weeding.  I potted up a new shrub that I got from Haskovo, had a bonfire and got stuck in to the under terrace bed, ran out of steam and came in for a coffee.  I went out again...it started to rain and...then it stopped so I carried on with the garden and now it looks good and I'm spurred on to get some more under my belt.  I also looked at the two pallets that I'd cadged together to cover up the builders' gravel heap and I'd thought about taking half of it off and reducing the height...so I got on and did it.  I started off with the hand saw, realised it was going to take me ages so got out the reciprocating saw and it was done in quick sticks and I'm pleased I got on with it.

I came in at five when the rain really started, demolished a packet of cheese biscuits, lit the fire and put the boiler on deciding that after bending and stretching in the garden I needed to relax in a Badedas bath and I emerged after an hour and a half....and a little sleep.  More gardening tomorrow if the weather clears up and maybe get some more seeds going and I can work in the little house to get that done.  LN.....It's been a good day.....LN

Wednesday 11th March

Reasonable night and I was pretty slow off the mark.  I skinned a spicy sausage and fried it with a slice of bread and popped in an egg and sat in the table by the stairwell and had just finished when I saw Beyser on the terrace.  I was still in reasonable PJ's so went out to the conservatory door to see what she wanted.  Now this lady is the one that I take to hospital when she needs it but my villagers know that I do 'emergencies' but not 'road trips' even for money.  I don't want to be a 'taxi' and end up where I might as well paint the Nipper yellow and buy a sign for the top of it.  Just my thing.  So seeing her there I anticipated the worst but she's the one that only speaks Turkish so I have real problems understanding her and her requirements....and I was in the same position this morning.  I got 'Kardjali', didn't understand the next word that she repeated several times so I suggested we found Haciber who at least has a stab at Bulgarian so we walked down the village together towards Haciber's house and she was walking towards up after visiting another neighbour.  

On the way down Beyser was pointing at the receiver dish on her house and repeating the word that I didn't understand and I was getting the picture that her dish wasn't working and she 'wasn't getting a picture' and I was thinking that she has relatives that could sort this out for her on the telephone.  I was becoming a commodity.  Haciber on the other hand wasn't taking prisoners and sort of dismissed her request and suggested that she spoke to her grandson who drives the bread van to the village so got him to sort it.  I was not involved now...it became a village issue, Haciber went towards her gate, Beyser went into hers and I walked home.  It was nothing to do with me now and I still don't know what it was all about.  I was tempted to phone a friend and find out what the word meant but I'll ask my student's mum tomorrow.

The rest of the day has been a lazy day.  The weather cheered up but I got the fire going and after getting washed and dressed took to the sofa for no other reason that I really wasn't feeling very good today.  I think I'd done too much yesterday and I think my age was just getting the better of me.  I've worked out to respect what my body is saying to me and don't feel guilty anymore about taking a day off.  I did manage to get a load of washing done and peg it out, pot up a few more seeds, hoover the conservatory but that was about the sum total of the day, the fire is still going and how cosy is the house.

Student's lesson tomorrow so I need to find a text that will interest him.  I gave him homework and let's see if he managed it despite the draw of games on his phone.  Let me see what I can find for supper...I think it's going to be something simple and probably cold...the the theme of the day continue.  LN....Soon be bedtime....LN

Thursday 12th March

Lovely night last night...slept through until six thirty this morning and felt refreshed and raring to go.  There was a little pink in the sunrise, grey clouds covered a lot of the sky and the mists were forming in the valleys as the sun heated up the ground.  I opened the door to my bedroom balcony, it was cool but was getting warmer and I do like fresh air through the house.  I washed and dressed for the garden, the sun was really getting up a head of steam, at nine I made two slices of toast and slathered a couple of cheese triangles on took them outside and walked the garden.  I needed bread but there was no horn calling all to purchase our needs so I made do.  I moved to the sofa with the Kindle and my second cup of coffee, read for a while and went out at nine thirty...it was such a beautiful morning with no wind.  I found the pot of old engine oil and decided to paint the stubs of wood that remained after I'd cut down the pallets and instead applied the mixture to the entire structure and what a difference it has made.  

I came in for another coffee and a few more pages and was surprised by my phone ringing and it was the Librarian asking if she could pop over.  I told her that I was not expecting to go out before three thirty...I had my young student at just after four....so I went back to the garden.  I found lots of nasturtium seeds in last year's pot so I cleared out the weeds and got it ready for this year.  It looks like I've lost the oleander from last years pots and fortunately I've grown another six from seed so I have replacements.

The Librarian arrived, we sat in the sun and off she went at mid-day.  I went back to the garden and worked on it until two, used the remains of the bread to make a corned beef and brown sauce sandwich, another coffee and then a quick wash and change and I set off at about four and headed into Djebel.  Had a lovely hour with my student, he'd done his homework that I set last week and at six fifteen I went down to the shop underneath the flat and sat with his mother and father leaving them at around seven.  I stopped off at the supermarket at the bottom of the town, bought fruit juice, bread, bottled water, peanuts and bought the last of there primulas left over from the 8th March.  No supper required, I've started on the peanuts and that will suffice until breakfast.  LN... Another week nearly over....LN

Friday 13th March

What a lovely moon it was last night...it's not full but it looked huge so I got the Canon out to get the detail and froze on my balcony...well worth it.  This morning was just as lovely in it's own way.  Gentle sun coming up and lots of mist in the valley..it was going to be a good day and there wasn't any wind.

Coffee. Soda Crush, boiled eggs for breakfast with toast, washed and dressed and I was ready to face...the sofa and the beginnings of a new book.  That day was going to last so there wasn't any rush.  I went out at twelve more or less and today was all about tidying and putting some of the newbies into bigger pots.  I also had trimmed back the fir that didn't look as if it was going to survive in the half barrel on the terrace and now it's been rejigged and new plants put into it.  It was a hard job getting the old one out.  It had put down good roots but maybe it was the very dry summer and the few really cold nights.  The oleander from seed is in a new home as is the fire bush.  The rest of the day was taken up cleaning up the old pots and the plants that still can't go out because it's too early for them and next week is supposed to be back to minus figures and down to minus six according to the long range.

I lit the fire at five, used up the rest of the corned beef with half a can of baked beans and put it in the oven, boiled three potatoes and mashed them and back into the oven and I now have a corned beef hash....and I'm half way through it.  I did try to sort the printer out this afternoon but I'm thinking I have to buy new cartridges tomorrow but at least, thanks to the net I know now where the sensor is.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow apart from buying cartridges so that means a trip to Kardjali.  LN....Maybe an early start.....LN

Saturday 14th March

This morning I woke up at four, read for an hour. slept again until six thirty and so my day started.  It was another beautiful start to the day and so I gently rolled into it, did my emails and on FB I found that Bulgaria was now in 'lock-down'.  Supermarkets, chemists were the only places that were officially recognised as being open...as to the rest of it, it will cause a shiver through the community and the point about BG is...whose going to police it?  I washed, dressed eventually, my Kindle needed to go on charge so I settled for boiled eggs again.  They are the ones that my friendly next door garden lady gave me in exchange for the leaf gatherer tool that I bought her as a gift.  Bulgarians don't like gifts, the mentality is that there has to be a gift in return and the eggs were very welcome.  I kept them for a week as instructed since they were so new and the yolks are so yellow and taste divine.  I finished the kitchen and took to the sofa again and read for a while....but my conscience got the better of me...the day was so good to waste.  My telephone went and the Librarian called off her visit for today which was fine by me and the second call was from my student's mum.  Her mother passed over around five weeks ago and a mevlit or prayers for the dead had been organised for tomorrow afternoon but with the 'lock-down', the hodja that was going to run the service had called off.  They had managed to find another one but this was having to be for family only and everyone had to be notified.  I was still invited so it's now happening at ten tomorrow morning in Kardjali at her mum's old house.

So I eased myself off the sofa and headed out to the garden.  A few more pots were sprayed blue which makes my terraces look very Mediterranean and having bought the pink pot I needed something to put in it and the Choisya with its beautiful bright green leaves would really show it off.  The second one has been put into a clay pot but this one is likely to go into the garden when it's settled down.  They've both come into the conservatory for the night though, the wind has got up and the roots need to really get established in the new compost.  I tidied up outside, back to the book now that the battery was charge.  The Kindle was OK, my battery was running down so it was head down for a while and I felt much better for it.  

Fire lit and windows and doors closed...I'm in for the night.  The clouds have come over and it looks like rain will arrive either tonight or tomorrow so my visit to Kardjali will be damp for the occasion.  Off to the kitchen, I have supper to think about.  LN...There's got to be something in the freezer.....LN


  

Sunday 15th March

Six thirty start and I didn't have to be anywhere until 10.00 today and so it was a lovely leisurely start to the day.  Woodie was out flitting between my three trees on the northern wall and it was very difficult to see it on the wild plum because of the blossom.  I also had a crow who obviously had something stuck to its beak or had got its beak stuck into something and he was on the walnut at the bottom of the garden really headbanging.  I meant to go down to the walnut and see if I could see what it was but time ran out this morning and it was much too wet to get down there when I eventually got back from Kardjali.

It had rained overnight. was starting to dry up but there was a lot to come later in the day and I noticed the rivers are really swollen as I drove into Kardjali.  I arrived at ten on the dot, I'd had instructions as to how to get to the apartment where the mevlit was to be carried out so I parked on  the car park next to Lidl and set about my quest.  I found the door but it was pitch black walking into the apartment block but I managed to find the stairs to the first floor and I was told to keep turning left.  I tried to open a door that was obviously locked and I made so much noise that a door opened and I was welcomed in,  I was in the right place.  The hojja had already started so I joined two other ladies in the 'ladies room', was presented with a clove pink drink that is usual, a serviette and a dash of hand freshener and I sat down and let the atmosphere flow.  I find these services very healing, very relaxing and come out of the session completely shattered and very calm.  A few more people that I knew arrived but because of the C virus, people were advised not to come.  Food had been prepared so at the end of the mevlit, we were served food but boxes were made up for delivery and it became a little like a production line.  It's a shame...a lot of people would have come.  The meat with the rice was superb and cooked by one of the chefs of Djebel and there was a delicious honey cake for afters.  The spinach filo filled banichka I can't comment on...there was 'green' in it and it's well known that I don't do green.  

I left with my goody bag around two in the afternoon and headed to Lidl but there was a queue of people waiting to go in.  They were restricting entry so I carried on to the electrical store but that's always empty anyway to no issues getting in there.  I found the printer cartridges that I needed and tomorrow I'll attempt to get the thing working again since it looks like the garden will be out of bounds....rain and low temperatures will stop play.  I eventually made it to Lidl and was allowed in but what a mess when I got there.  It's offer changeover day and they don't seem to worry about customers, they might be open but they all seem to be on a mission.  I got what I wanted but there wasn't any washing up liquid so on my way home I stopped off at Djebel and bought some and I didn't have to queue to get in.  Quick update....it is only the restaurants and bars that are closed for business, the shops can continue.

Home for three thirty, lit the fire and it's roaring away like a 'gud'n'.  I noticed that there is snow on the mountains toward Greece and the temperature has gone down to one degree at the moment so it was wise to bring the newly planted up from outside....that's a drop of fifteen degrees from yesterday to today.  Inside I'm still reading twenty one so it's more or less stayed the same.  I love my house.  Nothing for supper tonight, I'm still full from lunchtime and I'll save my goody bag until tomorrow.  LN....Very relaxing day....LN

Monday 16th March

Really dismal start the day.  There was a front which stretched along the mountains to the south east, the sun tried, struggled but eventually made it through.  It was minus two degrees outside and what a change from the last few days...winter was back.  There was snow on the mountains, ice on the terrace and that wind was brutal.  The fire was just in so I gave it the kiss of life and resuscitated it and it's been going all day and the house has maintained around twenty one degrees despite outside not having warmed up at all.

I got dressed eventually and made poached eggs for breakfast, forgot about the toast and had to trim it and as you can see from the photo. The plate looked messy but the food tasted delicious.  By this time the sun had come up so I put my body warmer on and headed down to the bottom of the garden to get rid of the household rubbish but forgot to put my hat on and that wind was cruel.  I even pulled the collar of the body warmer up as I walked back to the house.  I certainly wasn't doing much outside today...and I didn't.  I read, slept, played games, sorted out the printer and that now works so fairly productive on one front.  I did go out to fill up the starter wood container and get in some smaller logs....I seemed to have only really big ones in and looking at the wood store....I might have to get out the axe and split a few of the big ones...or find a man who will.

I got a chicken leg out of the freezer this morning with the intention of cooking it for supper tonight and unfortunately it's still sitting in the kitchen and nothing has happened to it....it's going in the fridge for tomorrow and I'll find something else.  Mother Hubbard's cupboard is not completely bare.  My night for quiz programmes on the television tonight and I think I've had enough rest today to manage to watch all of them and now wake up at the end of any of them.  LN....Kitchen bound and the fire needs attacking....LN

Tuesday 17th March

And so white over this morning , the outside thermometer registered minus four and the broad beans didn't take to kindly to it.  They are flat, came up a little today and maybe they will recover.  Summer last week, spring in the middle of the week and now we're back to winter.  I put breakfast television on to catch Piers Morgan and after ten minutes or so I didn't like the chariot he was driving though the morning.  He was on a mission, stirring the pot like a good one and obviously he knows better than the experts working on it.  Yes I see his point ...on the one hand with the schools being open there is the potential for it to be carried home but what are we all to do?  I think the more you hear about the symptoms, a lot of people living by themselves will be imagining all sort of things.....    

I made bacon, egg and fried bread for breakfast, took to the sofa afterwards since I wasn't feeling too well,  My chest felt tight and it's the remains of the cold I had three weeks ago...I really don't feel that I've managed to shake it off and reading FB....a lot of people feel the same way.  It was such a beautiful day  and from minus four up to eleven degrees outside in the blink of an eye more or less, I went out and walked the garden....I needed to get moving.  Back inside the house I went to open the window to get some air in and decided to strip the bed down to the mattress and get it all washed, dried weather permitting and back on for tonight.  It's done and I even ironed the pillow cases that had hung outside so that there was no danger of bringing in unwanted guest...the nibbly kind.  I was disturbed by a knock on the door and it was my 'next door garden' neighbour and bearing gifts.  She had bought round a saucepan of home made yogurt that she's made overnight, I transferred it my bowl, washed her pan out and thanked her.  I also mentioned that if she wants to sell any eggs, I would like to buy them.  The last lot were very tasty and I'm down to the last three.

More book, more sofa, ironing and I made the bed up ready for tonight and lit the fire.  Chicken into oven with carrots, potatoes and onions and that was ready at six thirty and served with mayonnaise and I'm feeling much better due to the activity and a sense of achievement today.  I also have a super clean bed to snuggle into tonight.  I have the feeling that I might be getting creative tomorrow.  LN...Fire poking time....LN
                          

Wednesday 18th March

Five thirty start this morning and I was up before the sun.  It was really good to get into a newly laundered bed so the work yesterday wasn't in vane.  I do remember last night watch Joanna Lumley in Cuba but I don't remember the end...so when I woke up I staggered straight to bed and didn't even stop to read my book....snuggle down into the nest until dawn.  It was another cold night, minus two and the hillside and gardens were white over, the beans had started to recover but had suffered again. I also noticed that one of the bare root new shrubs that I'd bought at Haskovo and potted up has wilted with the weather.  Hopefully it will come back.

So from the residue of the onions from last night's supper, a couple of rashers of bacon and one whisked up egg, I made an omelette for breakfast.  I would normally have used two or more eggs but I'm on an economy drive so that I don't have to go out.  I cleared the kitchen and washed up and settled down on the sofa when my phone went and it was Princess on her way to work.  She's been feeling a lot like me, hasn't managed to shake off a cold and one day fine and the next feeling flat as a pancake.  She's still working since she's the office manager and at the moment she's fine.  We had a catch-up and I told her not to bother with a mother's day card.  I can pick one from the ones that I've saved and put that up for the neighbours to see and just to remind me that I'm a lucky bunny to have such a beautiful caring daughter.  

So back to the sofa and suddenly there was a ring tone that I didn't recognise and it was Messenger video calling.  I've not really used it before , I don't like the 'video' bit of it but it was one of my guests from last year and again the topic of conversation was the virus and how we are coping with it.  We discussed family tracing, she's managed to get back to the fifteen hundreds and I mentioned that I've hit a block at a 'great' going back to late seventeen hundreds.  I need to have another go.

Logs in, more reading and I've finished the second in the series and about to start the third, eyes southwards, fire lit and now I've closed up for the night.  The created spurt didn't happen...maybe tomorrow.  I shan't be going to my student for the English lesson tomorrow....hopefully staying safe and protecting myself.  LN....Supper search now on....LN

Thursday 19th March

Up just before the sun again and it was another cold morning with a hint of frost on the garden,  The fire was very welcoming, there were flames coming from it and it was a toss up whether I fed it or starved it....and I fed it but it naturally went out when I shut the air-vents and I used it to get it going again tonight.  It was up to twenty five degrees in the house at around ten this morning and went from minus two to eleven outside in the same time-span.  

I;d taken a packet of ham out of the freezer yesterday so for breakfast I had toasted ham and cheese sandwiches. I heard the bread van driver tooting his horn so all is not lost in the village.  I was surprised that he's still doing the rounds and I'm more tempted to drive into Djebel than to risk the van.  Our supermarkets are very quiet anyway  so I can't see them queuing outside.  I certainly shan't be going into Kardjali.  I had a bonfire, took the garden fork down with me with the intention of weeding the flower garden at the bottom of the garden.  The sun was shining and it looked very tempting but that wind again was cold and I have warmer days to look forward to,  The last thing I want is a chill.  I loaded up the log carrier and dragged it into the conservatory and really must sort out some smaller logs.  

Book time and the third book Vagabond is underway, tried again with an extra hard game in my Soda Crush and it's still not out....I know it will only give up when it's ready to...it's not what I'm doing wrong.  I did emails and dropped one to Princess thanking her for her Mother's Day card that was received about four years ago....nothing like posting early I said and it brought a smile to her face I know.  I also attached a photograph so that she knew which one I'd chosen.  With the restrictions on travel and the airlines, a card probably wouldn't get here anyway.  I had my afternoon nap, back to the book again, phoned and cancelled my student's lesson for this afternoon explaining that I was so mean that if I had the virus, I wasn't going to share it with anyone and I didn't want it from anyone else either and she perfectly understood offering that if I needed anything to let her know.

Fire lit at around five thirty, supper tonight was tuna with beetroot, potatoes and mayo so I kept it light.  A little TV and bedtime....nothing very much on the agenda for the next couple of weeks.  LN.....In the lap of the gods.....LN

Friday 20th March

Lovely start to the day...woke up at five thirty, sun was just about getting the energy up to come over the mountains and there was no wind...a perfect day for gardening...well it looked that way.  I made breakfast of poached egg on ham and toast, I'm down to one egg and economising.  No need now...my lovely neighbour deliver ten while I was working on the computer upstairs and I've just come back from paying her and catching up on the gossip but at about three meters apart.

I tidied round and did little else and at ten I thought it was about time that I got out of my pyjamas so headed upstairs.  I had a wash when I heard the outside door open and someone come in so I shouted down to ask who was there and was very surprised when I found out it was the Librarian.  I made coffee, we sat either side of the lounge and I kept my distance.  I don't care if I insult people,,,I just don't want the virus,  She stayed for a couple of hours and discussed her upcoming plans, we talked tracing back families and she gave me one or two names that I promised to look up for her...and I did this afternoon.

I played a few games of Solitaire, Lit the fire, I managed to get dressed and suddenly realised that it was five o'clock....Where has the day gone and no gardening done.  It was then when I noticed the eggs just inside the door to the conservatory so locked the door and headed down to the bottom of the village clutching four leva in coins, saw my neighbour about to go and milk her cows and at a distance she told me that we'd had the police in the village.  As O walked back home Haciber came out to ask where I'd been so I updated her and noticed that she was wearing a cover over her mouth.  It seems that the word has got through.  I came back and took photographs of the different types of daffs in the garden and noticed that I had one tulip about to break cover.  The breakfast is still lingering so at the moment not bothered about supper...maybe I'll be hungry later.  LN....Gardening tomorrow if it's anything like today.....LN

Saturday 21st March

So the energy levels were up today.  Six start and by seven thirty, breakfast was cooked, fire laid for tonight and at eight I was looking for things to do and I found something,

I prepared the legs of the table that I want to make and decided that the easiest way to envisage the space and measure properly was to remove the big outside table that spends its winters inside and sometimes its summers, if I'm feeling lazy, or the weather isn't good.  I moved all of the accumulated 'bits' from the table and managed to get it into the conservatory, the rug went outside for a good shake and the table cloth went on the washing line and I promptly forgot about it.

The spider plant had a haircut, I hovered the floor and the bottom shelf of the stairs and suddenly decided that I really hadn't got the design straight in my head so I left everything where it was....I'll sleep on it.  I moved up to the landing and put the computer on and settled down to finding out if I could go even further back in my ancestry and I managed to find the name of my 'greats' father and mother and I'm now back to seventeen seventy.  And now the chase begins again,  I did find out that my 'greats' wife ran a pub near Maidstone Kent and it's still going...I found it.  This took me until five thirty and I suddenly realised that the rug was still out. unshaken and unstirred so I jumped to and sorted it out and put it down.  I rescued the table cloth and that's folded up ready to go away.

I lit the fire and realised how hungry I was so cooked a couple of hamburgers, chippies and fried an egg and demolished a half packet of biscuits.  Apparently everything is on lock down in Kardjali.  All traffic is being stopped and drivers being asked where they are going and why.  With only food shops and chemists are open, I think I'll stay at home.  LN....Table tomorrow.....LN

Sunday 22nd March

A very silly night last night,  I stopped up to watch 'The Voice' and I don't know why this year, there's nobody that I want to win,there's nobody that is excelling and I can't really tell one from the other.  The ones that stood out for me as being musically well versed have all gone.  Eventually I got to bed around two, I stopped up to watch the Michael Jackson story and another angled prosecution case with no justice handed out for the ones that leeched the money out of him.  Just my opinion.  I woke up at three, realised how silly it was and then settled down and it was seven before I lifted my head.  I made coffee and sat in the stairwell watching the garden come to life.  I'm fresh out of bird food and muesli so put out some toasted bread for them and five minutes later, I saw the black cat descending from the bird feeder....and that's another one I have to keep a look out for.  I sorted out the bits and pieces that have accumulated from the table, took one of my small tables from the lounge and that's now sitting under the stairs.  

Work finished, I wasn't ready for breakfast so I decided that I was destined for the bath this morning...a Badedas bath...the Christmas present from my son and somehow I managed to get it in the suitcase to bring it back with me.  Hair washed and dried and I headed for the kitchen and made a bacon and egg omelette and sat at the table in the kitchen now that the big table has gone.  Another job that needed doing has been complete...my toe nails wanted sorting and repainting.....I'm now wanting sun and a beach but goodness knows when that will happen again...we are definitely on lock-down but I shall have to go shopping at some point....I'm out of biscuits.

Lazy day again but I made a chicken curry and put it in the slow cooker so I wouldn't have to be thinking about food later.  My mother's day cards are up, my daughter phoned to wish me a happy day and my son emailed because he couldn't get through so I emailed him back, thanking home and telling him not to bother...it's only another day.  I played around again with ancestry until I'd got thoroughly confused, had my curry and now Antiques Roadshow.  I've not even taken photos today...as I said ...a real lazy day.  LN....And an early night....LN

Monday 23rd March

So no noticeable sunrise, there probably was one somewhere but definitely not here.  It was overcast, cold, raining and such a change from the last few days.  I think that's why my cold has been hanging on for so long.  I decided not to light the fire, it was nineteen degrees in the house and I thought that would be sufficient but at twelve I changed my mind.

Another omelette with bacon pieces for breakfast and that seemed sufficient unto the day but it's been a day of 'picking' and I think I'm more or less out of biscuits, the fruit bowl is still fairly full but when the weather is cold...fruit just doesn't do it.  It's been a coffee day too, the water bottle has sat near but the hot kettle and coffee jar had just more appeal.  As for the fire...I got it going but how slow was it to burst into life.  I poked it, prodded it and it took a couple of hours before the hot water was belting round the system so I put another thicker top on.

Another lazy day...too wet to do anything outside and too cold to go into the little house and get stuck into anything.  The remaining chicken in the slow cooker was put onto full power and at five I cooked pasta, not seen on the menu for a while, but I think it's going to become a firm favourite going forward.....and I have pasta and no potatoes.  I seem to be having potatoes that don't stay fresh and as for onions...the last two that I cut in half were rotten on the inside and looked perfectly normal on the outside.  

The house is now up to a comfortable temperature and I'll keep it going overnight to maintain the heat.  I might have to go shopping at the the allotted hour tomorrow...at least the locals adhere to it....communism feeds the mentality.  LN....I'll negotiate the road block.....LN

Tuesday 24th March

So my first waking was at five but I turned over and went back to sleep again.  When I went to the bathroom at seven I was amazed to see the garden white over and it was still sleeting.  It's March for goodness sake and not only that but it was cold, the temperature in the house was down to seventeen and outside it was minus one.  So it's been a cold old day, dull, miserable, the blossom has been blown from the trees and I seem to have spent the day stoking the fire.  I'd rescued it from last night's ashes but it's needed careful handling and luckily I'd filled the log carrier up yesterday so I didn't have to slog outside to get more in.  My only problem that I'm down to the larger logs now so I have to search down to the bottom of the stack.  I did try to split a few of them but the effort involved was too great and I haven't seen my painter for weeks now, perhaps he's avoiding me.

Two slices of toast from the freezer and into the toaster, one poached egg for the sake of economy and that was breakfast.  I wasn't tempted to go into Djebel, the lack of biscuits in the house must be working in my favour...I'll have a lot of kilograms to work off when the weather gets better so the fewer I add now the better.  I'll leave it until tomorrow and stock up then.  I did my usual things and it's been another day of 'nothing to report' but very relaxing.  I posted a couple of pictures of the morning to FB and spent time reading and writing comments and adding to others.  I don't post a lot, and when I do a lot of people that I used to know leave comments that lead to several conversations.

At one I made supper and put it into the slow cooker.  I'd bought a packet of two spicy sausages and one was enough for one night.  The second is in the fridge for tomorrow.  
I bit of a surprise, my phone rang and I saw that it was Bekir calling and wondered if he had a problem and instead he was checking that I was OK.  How nice of him.  I did remind him that he had the curtain rail supports to finish off but joked that there was lots of the year left.  I fried the sausage with onion and half a can of tomatoes, added a half can of beans and some chili flakes and into the slow cooker with it so that it would be ready when I was.  At five I was warming up for food so put some pasta on, I'd enjoyed it yesterday and decided I'd have it again and served it at just after six.  I'd thought there might be enough for tomorrow but instead, I went back for seconds before the kitchen closed for the night, washed up and now I'd relax and let my digestion get on with the job.

So tomorrow I might be heading into Djebel...it depends on the weather.  We're supposed to be having more snow overnight if the forecasters are correct.  LN...Better throw another log on....LN

Wednesday 25th March

Seven thirty start so not bad at all.  I'd taken photos last night around midnight, it was snowing but not exactly throwing it down but again it was white over this morning.  The fire was out so it was in need of resuscitation and unfortunately I'd run out of starter wood so that meant that I had to get to the little house and get another container containing the more.  I opened up the little house and yest...it was really cold out there...and fortunately the container was already waiting and like a good girl guide or boy scout...I was prepared.  So while I was out there I brought more logs into the conservatory, I reckoned it was going to be a day of stoking, there was not a chance of any central heating coming from that great ball that was hiding behind the mass of clouds.  I lit the fire and decided that breakfast would have to wait.  I was on a mission heading in to town to get my shopping,

I didn't get dressed from scratch, I put my jeans over my PJs and added another couple of layers on top.  Purple UGGs finished off the look and I made a mouth cover with one of my scarves in the absence of a manufactured one.  I did contemplate making on from one of my old bras but decided that I would have to get it technically perfect and I hadn't the time.  I had to make my allotted time for shopping.  The car was well and truly covered by frozen snow and it took me a while to clean it all down.  I'd made my shopping list and was expecting a road block which never materialised.  I parked up, got my face mask on, complete my list and there was only one time that one of the locals got nearer than two feet so I made a point of putting my basket down while I waited for my cheese to be cut and moved away from him.  I then discussed with the assistant that I know quite well that it's better to be two meters across than two meters down which she thought was quite clever and I should imagine that she's used it several times today.  Home James, and again no road block, shopping unpacked and breakfast of half of the spicy sausage, bacon and egg was soon underway.

Kitchen tidied, sofa with the Kindle and you've guessed the rest.  I did more on ancestry and I'm still not sure that I've solved the issue of my 'greats' father and mother....I need more investigation.  Supper was the other half of that sausage with onions, last night's pasta, picked beetroot and baked beans.  A bit of a mixture but it went down well and I've still go more left. ...that's tomorrow sorted.  LN.....Another lazy day if the weather continues like it is.....LN  

Thursday 26th March

So another dark, cold, miserable and damp day.  I did manage a sunny poached egg on toast for breakfast but that's been the highlight of the colour spectrum today. I had a good night's sleep, managed to stay awake all day but it was close at one point.  The only activity I've had has been to fill up the log container and get it in the house...I've been topping the fire up all day...either the house is not holding it well or my thermostat is up the shoot....there again I don't do cold and damp very well.

I had a bit of a frustrating morning...I've got subscriptions out on computer security programs and I wanted to transfer them over to my new computer.  Did I manage it...did I heck...I kept getting through to the payment screen even though I could see my account and wanted to update them from this screen.  In the end I gave up and will tackle it when my brain is in the right place...it wasn't today.  It just seemed so obvious to me, the company can see my account and that it's still valid but it didn't seem to work that way.  Bahhhh...humbug....I shall be cancelling and not renewing with them.

I played a few games and read my latest book but for some reason I couldn't settle today.  I made a curry this morning and put it in the slow cooker and now I've just turned it off...I'm not hungry so it will wait for tomorrow along with the remains of last night that's in the fridge.  Checking up on the long range weather forecast...this weather looks like it is going on for the next couple of weeks.  I shall have to start using the old wood from the little house to eek out what's in the log store.  LN....I'll cheer up for tomorrow....promise....LN

Friday 27th March

Slept really well and didn't wake up until ten to eight.  Sixteen degrees in the house, four degrees out, damp but the terraces were dry.  The fire was out so I reset it for later and emptied the ashes, made a cup of coffee and went back to bed with my Kindle and read until ten.  The morning was drifting along and I hadn't anything specific to do.  I had a surprise phone call from Princess last night asking about a recipe for biscuits that I used to make for the children when they were around five years of age...ah...no.... so I googled the recipe, copied and pasted it and emailed to her within minutes.  What a good mother am I.....

So eventually out of bed, washed and dressed and by this time it was getting on for eleven so a late breakfast of scrambled egg and yes, I only used one, on toast.  I tidied the kitchen, switched the slow cooker on to reheat last night's curry and settled down with the Kindle and my book.  Unfortunately I didn't settle for long, I felt cold so I lit the fire, it was reluctant but eventually life came to it and I refilled the log carrier to ensure that I had enough for the day.  I removed the eleven litre bottle from under the down pipe from the roof that usually connects to the two hundred litre water container that I set up last summer.  It's too early for it to go out yet but it seemed a shame to waste the rain water so I picked it up by the blue plastic carrier handle, it broke so I picked the bottle up or at least tried to, took another empty bottle that I had in the conservatory and filled it up from the other one, watered the pots in the conservatory and locked up for the night.  

I put rice on to cook and finished it off on the petchka. the curry was ready and I served it and took it upstairs to eat in front of the computer.  It went down really well and I'm going to add more meat to the rest of the sauce for tomorrow.  No need to go into Kardjali..I managed to pay my phone bill through the internet yesterday and only have my home phone to sort out now.  Kardjali is out of the question for the time being,  LN.....Where's that week gone?....LN

Saturday 28th March

The gods have smiled on me and the rest of Southern Bulgaria today.  It was a bit dull at eight but at ten that yellow ball came through and despite the wind, it's been a gardening and general messing around day.

The fire was just going this morning so I moved the log and used it to get the fire going tonight,  I settled for toast for breakfast, buttered it and spread it with two cheese triangles and that was going to set me up for the day.  I collected up the household waste ready for burning, put a load of washing in the machine and left the dishes in the sink and they're still there now.  I'll eventually get round to them.  I didn't managed to get anything into the remains of the curry sauce so as it stands, nothing ready for supper but there's still time.  I'm filling up at the moment with chocolate caramels that I managed to find in the supermarket when I went into Djebel and I'll have to remember them on my next trip.  

I had my bonfire and got it going really well and then I turned my attention to the lavender that has died in the middle, overgrown itself and has taken over the steps down to the garden.  I've cut it back on the right hand side, burnt the majority of it but managed to save enough to start a lavender bed in the vegetable patch and planted up two more under the wall near to the bonfire.  It looks a bit sad for itself, I'm hoping that it new shoots will appear but I'm not holding out much hope.  I shall probably end up digging it all out and putting in a new one.  It's got two choices.  

I loaded up the log carrier for tonight, noticed the old lawnmower up the corner so I wheeled it out and realised that it was in need to love and attention.  I cleaned it off, removed the air filter and gave it a wash, topped up the fuel and the oil, tried to fire it and....nothing.  I'm thinking it needs a new spark plug so I shall have to get the manual out...I've not a clue where that is.  The strimmer came out next and I used it until the battery was exhausted and that's now back on charge.

Fire going, boiler on so that I can have a bath tonight to ease out the muscles, I've clocked up almost thirteen thousand steps today and feel much better for going out in the fresh air and clearing out my sinus in the process.  Haciber came to the gate for a chat and is missing the weekly market and is obviously bored and my garden neighbour stopped and told me that she's been clearing the garden ready for planting. She works so hard.  The local 'bugle' told me that we have had one death in Momchilgrad and that's a bit close but otherwise, everyone in the village is as healthy as they were before the virus hit.

So bath night. live television is shelved because of the virus so we're down to 'the best of's'  Came across an interesting  programme last night about six celebrities taking the 'The Road To Istanbul', starting in Serbia and visiting the Rila Monastery so I shall be following the series....a Friday night regular.  Book finished this morning so I'm looking for another.     LN..... Now what do I fancy for supper.....LN

Sunday 29th March

So I had my bath last night.  I didn't run it until eleven which when I put the hour on the clock was pretty late and even later when I emerged from the depths, dried off and put on my PJ's and realised it was now two a.m.  I changed the clocks so that I wouldn't forget and land up in limbo land, read for a while, slept well and woke up at seven.  I thought that was reasonable but considering the time that I went to bed...not so good egh....

It rained overnight. the terraces were wet but it soon cleared up.  The sun broke through, the sheep scampered across the field heading for the watering holes and I didn't spot anyone with them this morning,  They obviously know the way.  I attacked the fridge and threw out the remains of the rice and the pasta from the other night and the curry sauce from the slow cooker...the cats had a field day but I didn't linger long to see which ones got the food.  The black and pink one was hanging around the bird feeder but shot off when I went out to the terrace.  I did notice though that the bread that I put out yesterday had disappeared overnight....I should really put a camera out.

I washed up the dishes from yesterday and used up the last of the bacon, fried some of the currant loaf for a change and fried an egg and that was my breakfast sorted.  As for the rest of the day, I've not really bothered with food.  I settled down to my book and suddenly realised that it was almost one.  My body clock hasn't adjusted yet and can't believe that it's almost nine now.  I've done very little all day, I lit the fire at four and it's chugging along nicely with one huge log burning away at the moment.  I slept this afternoon, catching up on the lack of sleep last night so despite the fact that I'd downloaded the 'destructions' for renewing the cable on the strimmer that was purchased last year.  I just couldn't raise the energy to get out there and I'm sure the mower will wait for another day to see if it will fire.  I found out the 'troubleshooting' manual for that and found out where the spark plug is located and again, that's for another day. Leaving it to rest might just do the trick.

I need eggs and that's about it so no real need to go into Djebel, the chocolate caramels have taken a beating today but if I don't get them, I'll probably doing myself a favour.  LN.....I need to start exercising.....LN

Monday 30th March

Eight o'clock start and I really didn't want to wake up this morning.  I'd been in and out of sleep from seven but eventually the call of the coffee took over.  The fire was out but hadn't burnt through so that was going to be my starter for tonight.  The sun was up, morning had definitely broken so after my coffee I settled for toast and cheese triangles again, I'm saving the remaining egg and I'll look out for my neighbour to see if the chicks have been laying and she has some to spare.

I read for a while and made a couple of phone calls and I was called an angel by my long time friend int he UK.  I phoned up to see how she was and she was grateful for the call and wanted to vent I think.  Her boiler had packed up and this is the friend that will not use technology and her second problem was that her garage was supposed to pick up her car this morning for a service and MOT so I updated her that the UK had extended MOT's for six months, according to the internet.  She asked me if it was true and I said that as far as I knew it was...and that's when she called me an angel and I made her promise yet again to get the internet going. So with her waiting on for two calls, one from the gas man and the second from the non-active garage, I made the call brief.

I headed out and my mission was to get the lawn mower out and see if it would fire...and it did...first time and then petered out.  I left if for ten minutes, tried it again and that was it, it was running...well.  I checked out the strimmers while I was waiting for the mower and the new one didn't need the chord changing and the old one turned on and I had to bang it to turn off.   So now the mower was going I got it down to the garden and managed to cut the grass down to the mulberry tree.  It was hard going, it was very damp still so I was emptying the catcher fairly frequently and then, the clouds rolled over and it started to rain so I had every excuse to pack my toys away for another day.  It stopped again so I managed to do another job, the old tree trunk nest that the tits had used last year I moved on top of the little terrace wall but put on old stainless dish on the bottom of it and another enamel dish on the top to stop the rain.  Let's see if we attract anything.  I took one of the benches from the little house, put it on the terrace and gave it a clean.  I've had quite an active day but it soon came to a halt, there was a squall, lashing rain and horrendous wind so I locked up outside and lit the fire and it's doing what it should...warming up the house.

I didn't make Djebel today, I only needed eggs since I didn't see my lady so it will be saved for another day.  LN....An angel...that's a first....LN

Tuesday 31st March

Well it's been a funny old day.  The weather looked like it might be good but there was a cloudiness to the air which made it dull even though the sun was shining and that wind was very cold and cutting.  I made coffee and poached my last egg, thought about going in to get some more but forgot the idea as quickly as it had come to light.  I cleaned the kitchen, made more coffee, started to watch morning TV and sort of got sucked in to the virus update and switched between that, emails and FB.  Normal routine, fire cleared out and laid for later and I'd taken out some beef yesterday so I put it into the slow cooker with paprika ready for supper.

I did make my way outside with the garden fork and cleared the bed under the main house terrace throwing the weeds over the wall for the sheep.  I also moved the huge garden cloche back onto the garden but it's still upside down, I've yet to get something into the vegetable garden that needs protecting.  I came in for more coffee to get warmed up again and decided to sort out the seed packets that were in the little house and also some that have found their way into the conservatory.  I've got seeds going back to 2017 and most of those have been thrown into a container and I'm going to throw them at the bottom of the garden and see what comes up.  There were lots of old zinnia but I do have a couple of packets that I bought last year with a 'sell-by-date' of 2021 so I've got time to get them in.  I brought the potting compost in and planted up some specialist tree seeds to see if I can manage to get them to germinate.  It's been a long old day and I've managed to stay awake so should have a good night tonight.

I lit the fire at four thirty and cooked the pasta at five thirty and so it was an early supper for me.  I didn't use all of the sauce so I added water and that going to be the basis for soup for tomorrow.  Fire going well and so well that the reflections on the glass of the fire and the garden made it look like the forsythia was on fire and it looked really strange.  Eight fifteen my time...book and bedtime.  LN....It's getting a bit boring though....LN