Monday 1st February

So what a night....it was throwing it down last night, the wind was howling and it was still the same when I woke up at six this morning.  I knew the plan for today but really wasn't interested in an expedition to Kardjali and getting soaking wet in the process.  I waited until just before seven before I sent off a message asking for a stay of execution and calling the whole thing of.  The message didn't get answered straightway and the reason was that they were in the middle of a power cut, my electricity was shaken around, one brief down and then immediately up again but there was no way I was lighting the wood burner, I didn't want any more hassle.  So we agreed to cancel and the plan has moved to tomorrow so I went back to bed with the Kindle.  At eight I'd run out of lives so I headed upstairs and started to run the water for a bath.  I had nothing to do, nowhere to be and no one to be accountable to. I washed my hair and lingered in the really hot water until I'd 'poached' enough, dried off and got myself into really warm clothes.  Next job was to cube the steak, brown it with some flour, add onions to the mix and put it in the slow cooker.  I poured over a carton of passata, switched it on and let the slow cooker do what it does best....tenderise the tough meat.

I went out and picked up and put back everything that the wind had rearranged.  The bird table was on its side and with great effort I struggled to get it upright again.  The wedges that hold the top to the bottom had swollen so no chance of separating it to make my job easier.  Flower pots had been scattered, pots containing bulbs were still upright but completely flooded so the pots came out and I tipped the water away and the post are now in the conservatory to be washed and dried.  I settled myself at the computer on the landing and made a purchase, tried to pay for an English service with my Bulgarian card and payment was refused so I paid with my English one instead....it could all be due to Brexit.....strange  things are happening.  I decided to have an early supper so went down to the kitchen cooked pasta, served it up and carried it back to the computer and watched the end of Judge Rinder.....a programme I've not seen in a while.  I do like his sense of humour.

Around five the sun had broken through but there was no heat in it...there were sunlight patches on the hillside and around five the sun was heading off on its travels and was seriously lighting up the sky.  The grey clouds first tinged with pink and then became more impressive but the sunset itself was nothing to write home about.  The washing up is still waiting to be done and the rest of the casserole will go into the freezer to come out for another day.  
LN.....Fingers crossed for better weather tomorrow,,,,,LN




  

Tuesday 2nd February

Transponder TV was playing up last night and I got so frustrated reloading the pages that I gave up in the end and settled into a Netflix with a 'seven' rating, so it's alright for children and oldies.  Bed by twelve and woke up at seven so not a bad night for me.  Washed and dressed for town, didn't bother with breakfast since I was off to see the doctor and if any blood tests had to be taken I would be OK to have it done and not go back another day.  Well that was the plan but it slightly went awry.

I set off at nine and was amazed how many trees had come down in the storm the other night.  The council had obviously been out with chainsaws and cleared the road but the trunks were still visible.  I arrived early in Kardjali so went to the garage early and had the man test the Nipper to confirm that the battery was receiving the correct charge for the alternator.  I asked him if he wanted to sign over the guarantee from the Beast to the Nipper but the said not to worry, it wasn't necessary.  Another job off the list.  I drove to Kaufland car park and parked up next to my friends' car.  They weren't waiting but had obviously gone shopping filling in the time so I went into the hardware shop and bought a wooden storage box, went to Kaufland for a toilet stop and then back to the car and they must have followed me out of Kaufland.  In the one car we went back to the garage and the man tested out the battery and alternator and came to the conclusion that something was leaking the battery, the rest seemed sound....back to the drawing board Cecil.  We carried on to the hospital and joined our respective queues , theirs moved quicker than mine but I eventually saw my doctor, had my blood pressure taken which she said was high and I said I thought it was because I was seeing her and she didn't seem unduly concerned about the cholesterol like the other doctor was.  I did show her a patch on my arm that is swollen and angry looking and she want me to see the dermatologist at the main hospital and I have an appointment for Thursday.

So we left the hospital and headed for the electrical shop and we both bought new phones....they intend dragging me into the technological world to use my phone like a tablet....I didn't put up much resistance and apparently it has a good battery life which the one that it replaced hadn't.  Lidl for a shop and I seemed to come out with a lot of stuff only wanting eggs but that's par for the course and then back to mine after picking up the Nipper from Kaufland and we set off for mine...he had a phone to set up.  Job complete, off they went, I started to play with the phone and I couldn't find the back button...anywhere....so I phoned him and he didn't know either so I found the manual on the interned and had to change the settings from 'gesture' navigation to 'button' navigation and now everything in the garden seems much easier.

Nothing on the agenda so far for tomorrow.  If the weather is good which it's supposed to be, I shall be planting up two bags of bulbs that I've bought into large pots to give them a chance of life this year.  They can go into the ground in the autumn.  LN.....I did notice snowdrops out this morning...pickies tomorrow.....LN

Wednesday 3rd February

Happy, happy birthday to my beautiful daughter another birthday knocked off and February is the month for all of us,  My mother who is no longer with us has her birthday tomorrow, my grandmother would have also had her birthday this month, my son has his and so do I.  It's an expensive time but well worth it.  I spoke to my daughter and we joked about Santa stockings and how Santa always put the Channel No 5 in my stocking and the kids were amazed how Santa knew what I liked.  Since it was down to me to fill the things up...I bought what I wanted and liked.  Clever old Santa.

I had a restless night, I slept until one this morning and then played silly games until five when I went back off until seven thirty.  It was a foggy morning and you couldn't see a hand in front of you on the hillside but it soon cleared and it's been a lovely day.  I made breakfast of bacon and egg again, put the old bread out for the birds but nobody was interested and later this afternoon I picked it up and threw it over the wall.  The cats must have better pickings elsewhere.  I had a bonfire and sat on the wall just watching the countryside, the sights and sounds and my neighbours getting wood and organising animals.  I went back in the house and made more coffee and this time sat out on the bench looking the other way...a different view of my world.  I managed to get twenty five bulbs planted into three containers and have left them in the little house where it's warmer and they have two chances...either they will or they wont.  I've noticed that I've got bulbs coming up everywhere but until they flower, I haven't a clue what some of them are except for the daffs and tulips, I recognise those leaves.

Chicken went in the oven at four thirty and should be ready anytime now and I added potatoes and onions and I should really go check on them or they'll be burnt to a cinder.  Hospital tomorrow to see the dermatologist to see if we can find out what these red warm patches are.....my appointment is at nine thirty so I'll be having to get a wiggle on.  LN....The kitchen calls....LN

Thursday 4th February

Happy Birthday Mum.....I'll light a candle later tonight and remember some of the things we got up to...and we did.  She came out to stay with me when I lived in Gibraltar and I have happy memories of that time including a trip to Tangier and that was back in nineteen sixty nine.  How adventurous we were.

So I fell asleep on the sofa last night watching the Repair shop, felt that I'd been asleep for ages and the programme was just winding up..it was only one hour.  I immediately went to bed and got my head down and I was awake at six thirty this morning, made coffee and played games and it suddenly hit me that I had to get a wiggle on, my appointment at the hospital was for nine twenty.  I didn't bother with breakfast in case I had to have more tests, it's all instant here not like 'we'll let you now' in the UK and I set off around eight twenty.  The traffic was quite heavy and there was lots of fog around and I made it to the hospital parking for nine o'five.  I started to walk to the receptions, realised I'd forgotten my mask so backtracked, retrieved it and set off again getting to the 'cabinet' for nine fifteen.  There were three of us waiting and we all had numbered tickets which was useful but only if you have a consultant to hand.  We wat there, more arrived with later appointments and the queue just grew.  Eventually around ten thirty the consultant arrived and one or two pushed in or at least tried to and then we went in consecutively.  I have to carry a copy of my S1 so that my charges are picked up by the UK and this confuses some but this receptionist took it in her stride.  On examination I've got a form of dermatitis and apparently it's down to the fluctuating weather in Bulgaria...it doesn't like hot down to cold and then back to hot again and who am I to argue with someone who does this for a living.  So two lots of cream and tablets and then back to my GP who looked over the report, took my blood pressure again, said it was spot on and had I doubled up my dose of blood pressure tablets which I hadn't.  Her response was that I should be taking my blood pressure regularly so I suppose I ought to get a monitor.  Pharmacy and back into the car and homeward bound and I had to stop off at the chemist in Djebel to see if I could find the tablets that the other didn't have and this pharmacist told me to go to Kardjali and I replied that that was where I'd started my quest.

Posta had phoned me and so I stopped off on my way home and joy, oh joy, my Fitbit replacement strap had arrived so I no longer have to keep it strapped to my wrist with a hair tie.  There was also a Christmas card which I presume is late not early and a very important document from my bank in the UK sending me on a quest for a number so that they can get blood out of a stone in tax.  I live on a pension for goodness sake....interest from other sources has been decimated by the banks.  I'm now on a quest to once more find my tax reference code in BG....my advice would be...go chase villains and big companies.  I made chicken sandwiches when I got home and am so stuffed that there's no reason to even think about supper but I must go back to the kitchen and give it a tidy.  

As I said, beautiful day today and when I opened up shop on my return it was thirty four degrees in the stairwell and seventeen outside...and early summer day. It's dropped now though, I left the doors open while I filled up the log carriers and baskets, lit the fire just before five and have settled in for the night.  I have changed the automatic timer for the fairy lights in the porch, they're left over from Christmas and now will be coming on at six, not two in the afternoon....unless we have some miserable afternoons.  LN....My next visit hopefully will be for the Covid jab, had enough of doctors......LN

Friday 5th February

Silly night again last night.  I went to sleep on the sofa at nine missing a programme I'd lined up, went to bed and decided to go straight to sleep at eleven and again I woke up at one thirty and it seemed like I'd been asleep for hours.  Obviously no sleep in me so I was playing stupid games until three thirty and then back off until eight and I obviously got in the statutory eight hours, just in shifts.  Coffee and back to bed with the Kindle and eventually I started my day at nine and it was all go, but in a gentle sort of way.

I made a cooked breakfast, sorted out the tablets that seem to have accumulated into morning and evening doses and got them organised.  It's easy to forget to take them but by putting them into plastic daily divided containers it makes life easier and now that some have to be taken at night. I have clear plastic for mornings and blue for the night.....so done and dusted.  I had a bonfire and the woodburner has been a little smoky of late so at eleven I decided to take the pipes out and give everything a good clean and this time make sure that they were all put together properly and that no smoke can escape.  I had to use a substantial log to tap them apart and used the same log to make sure that they were together properly.  I wore gloves but inadvertently and par for the course, my nose started itching so I was no longer a member of the paleface gang.  Everything back together so I cleaned up the soot from the burner and put the cloth into the sink to soak along with the gloves, put everything in the washing machine along with my sweater that had developed black cuffs and it was such a beautiful day that I searched round and made up a load.  It had finished by two thirty so everything on the washing line and I brought it in at four and it's now on the airer in the bathroom just to finish off.  Meanwhile I decided that it was time the hoover came out, the ground floor is done along with the stairs, top landing and the bathroom and to top it all off I found a spray can of polish and it does look good.  I should really do it more often.  I also cleared out the porch and took the empty plastic bottles to the little house so even that looks tidier.  Spring cleaning and it's only February.

I'd just finished off my curry and rice and I had a phone call from Princess this evening thanking me for the birthday card...apparently it had become separated from the flowers, they arrived on time but the card is two days late so I've just contacted the company and we'll see what they have to say.  Not good.  Time to wash up and settle in for the night but no way do I go to sleep anywhere but in my bed tonight, I need an uninterrupted sleep.  LN....Fingers crossed I get one.....LN

Saturday 6th February

It wasn't as uninterrupted as I wanted but still a reasonable night's sleep. I joined the world at six thirty and it was beginning to get light and the moon was still out.  I've now had loaded on my new phone a program for looking at the night sky...I really must work out how to use it.  I love mornings like this. the dark clouds turn red and everything has an eerie look about it.  I checked my emails and there was one from the card company that I'd used and they have credited five pounds to my account....and shame that the card was late but they were very prompt in dealing with my complaint....and I shall be using it, February is a bad month for me for birthdays.  

I took several photos of the morning but then went back to bed until everything had warmed up somewhat and stayed there until eight thirty.  Breakfast of toast, I tidies the kitchen from last night and threw out the remains of the curry and rice for the wildlife and it's first come, first served.  I went down the bottom of the garden and had a bonfire, the last lot hadn't really burnt down so I was hoping that the new stuff would get rid of everything.  I moved some logs from the little house to the porch intending to move them into the house later, watered the plants in the little house and noticed that I was down to only one bottle from the spring so loaded six eleven litre bottles into the Nipper and set off.  On the way down the street Haciber was on the pavement and obviously wondered where I was going so I stopped and asked her if she wanted water from the spring which she did.  I took the bottle from her and carried on and was surprised to see that the spring wasn't flowing as well as usual but there was on one there so it really didn't matter how long it took...I wasn't working to a schedule.  One of the old men from the next village came to the spring and mentioned that it wasn't good when the water doesn't run swiftly....I carried on filling my bottles though, mine is just for the flowers over-wintering in the little house, I don't use it indoors.  As for Haciber, I gave her one of my new bottles in return, hers had the carrying strap broken but I think she expected two in return.  As a thank you she gave me a dish of sultanas and as I was walking away it suddenly struck me that she might have only wanted me to take a handful so I went back to the house and she said that I was to have them all.  I got back in the car and looked for a bag to put them in so that I didn't take the dish with but the only thing I found was a woolly hat and that served a purpose, I took the dish back so that I wouldn't have to make a journey later.

Today has been a potter day, the table in the stairwell is now tidy. I've brought in some flowers that were really looking the worse for wear and have perked up in the house, I noticed that the forsythia that's sheltered by the wall is flowering, the exposed ones aren't really showing any symptoms so far.  I watched the rugby until I got bored listening to the canned audience and lit the fire after remembering to close the windows that I'd opened to get some air through the place.  Barbecued ribs are going in for supper, I had cream cheese and biscuits around four so not that hungry so far.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far but the strimmer might come out if the weather is the same as it's been today.  LN...Beautiful skies this morning and evening.....LN

And more morning ones

The first ones I posted were blurred...so deleted and found more....

Sunday 7th February

A bathroom visit at six but I decided that it wasn't time for me to face the world so I got my head down again and it was eight twenty when I woke up....lovely.  Kindle and games until nine thirty, yet more coffee and made scrambled eggs on toast to set me up for the day...not that I intended doing much.  I collected the house rubbish and went down to have a bonfire armed with the garden fork and the fire lighter.  Before I started it I cleared out the cans that I always put to burn before I take them down to the container at the bottom of the village.  The accumulate so out they came and into the bucket with them and then down to the container.  There was absolutely no one around in the village, no one working in gardens or nattering but that wind was cold despite the sun.  

I decided to clear out the weeds from the containers that are in the yard but he mood soon left me.  I was working at a funny angle and my back didn't take too kindly to it so instead I found two plastic trugs, dug over the soil that remained in them and added more compost.  I found a packet of tall Zinnias and planted them in the trugs and moved them into the little house where they might have a start of life.  There's no bulbs breaking the surface in the pots from the other day but there again it's a bit early for them.  As I said that wind was cold so I came in, shut the windows that I'd opened earlier to let the fresh air in and at three I lit the fire.  I've started watching Outlander on Netflix, I've read all of the books but I'm enjoying it so far...it's bringing the books to life.  I watched three episodes, reckoned that was enough so turned over to Transponder and caught the end of Yentl and I'm only sorry I missed it.  I know it's a peculiar story but I do enjoy the music and it brings home my relationship with my father and yes....he'd be proud of me now.

No supper for me...I'm having a fast day.  I've only done four thousand steps today despite going up and down the garden several times and the road to the bin and back.  The strimmer didn't come out...too early for subjecting myself to aggravation when the chord breaks.  LN....More of the same tomorrow please....a lazy day.....LN

Monday 8th February

I'm posting early, it's blowing a gale out there and tipping it down so I'm anticipating that the electricity has the potential to go AWOL,  The bird table is over again despite the bricks that are supposed to be holding it secure and I keep checking the trees on the perimeter, the joys of living on an open hillside.

Five thirty start so I opened up the curtains even though it was dark and played games until the sun was expected to come up.....but it never did.  We had one brief glimpse of it but it soon went behind the clouds or the clouds came in front of it...let's blame the wind.  The clouds are scudding up from Greece and dropping the Mediterranean on Bulgaria and the swollen rivers must be close to bursting again. I was getting dressed at eight thirty, heard the bread van but managed with the few slices I have left since there were no green tinges on it.  The chicken that I'd put into the slow cooker to make stock was thrown over the hillside for the animals, I'd forgotten about it and it was time it went.  I turned my attention to breakfast and found three saveloy sausages lingering in the fridge so opened a tin of baked beans and that would do for this morning.  I sat at the table in the stairwell with breakfast and more coffee and at that point it wasn't raining but it soon set in, lightly but windy but then it changed around lunchtime.

There was nothing to do outside, I had enough wood in so I opened up the computer and started researching my sisters in laws and was doing well until I hit a bad patch.  I don't know much about them and so far have only got back to eighteen thirty one and that brick wall isn't helped by the fact that the father's name is not given, the mother's name is given but she's described as a 'single woman' so I'm unsure if she was a sister that had an illegitimate child or the father was just not named but she's used his name as her surname.  Just another brick wall to break down.  I also looked again at the form that my bank has sent me, completed most of it but I have to go back to the immigration department and request a new official card with the number that the bank require embossed on it.  It's on the card that's expired and on my new driving licence so still must be active but I just don't have the latest ten year residency with a photo and full details on it...back to the drawing board Cecil and face the burocracy.  I'm only heading to town though if the weather improves...I'm not getting drenched for anybody.

Again I'm not too bothered about supper at the moment, the breakfast is still sitting heavily....probably cheese and biscuits later.   The fire's going well and it's time to put another log on and the thunder and lightening have just arrived  LN....Fingers crossed that the electricity holds up.....LN

Tuesday 9th February

So after last night's storm it was a pretty calm morning.  The thunder and lightening was coming at us from all directions flashing over the mountains to the east and west and eventually came overhead.  We had both fork and sheet but fortunately the electricity stayed up and I closed it out with the curtain while I sat and watched my Monday night quiz programmes.  I turned over to watch Long lost families and unfortunately fell asleep so didn't see the end of it and woke up at two, the fire was still going gently and I didn't bother to check on the weather but made my way to the bedroom and got my head down.  I slept well until eight, opened the curtains and the windows to let some air through and sat in the stairwell just listening to the morning and watching the bamboozled birds who couldn't understand where the bird table had gone.  It's still down, the wind was still brisk and I didn't want it over again.

I didn't bother with breakfast, got ready but slowly and set off for Kardjali at ten thirty.  I stopped off at the car shop to have a few words with my student's mum and to see if she wanted anything from Kardjali even though she never does and then carried on and parked up in the centre pay car park.  I walked down to Immigration office and there was lots of people waiting and no seemed to be outside organising them but fortunately I spotted the woman that had helped me before and I approached her and explained why I was there.  She took the cards from me and went in and came out about five minutes later and told me that I had to pay eighteen leva at my bank or at an office on the walk back to the Nipper and return with a copy of my cards and my passport.  She advised me that there were very few people if you arrived early at the office so that's my plan for tomorrow...just to get it sorted.  Solution to hand I paid my dues at the office and walked back to the car, stopped at the department store to try and find a cover for my Kindle but without success and carried on to Lidl to pick up a few items.  Back into the Nipper again and my only stop was the supermarket in Djebel to get bread for the freezer, was tempted and succumbed to a giant box of After Eight and obviously only for visitors...yeah....and then I was homeward bound.  I put the shopping away and sat in the stairwell in the sun playing games and doing emails...it's been another lazy day again.  

By four I was getting cold so closed the windows and lit the fire, moved up to the computer to watch the rest of Countdown and photocopied the documents required for my visit to Immigration tomorrow.  Tonight I've no intentions of sleeping anywhere else apart from the bed, I need an early start in the morning.  Supper is over, I made a ham baguette, I've got a pot of yogurt to go and a giant bottle of water on the go.  I've put a large log on the fire and that should last for tonight, hopefully I shan't wake up to ashes.  LN.....Another day in the city.....LN