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

Wednesday 10th February

So my plan to get to bed to sleep went by the way and I woke up at twelve on the sofa, made my way to bed and tried to go to sleep again and didn't manage it.  I took to games and Sudoku and it was four before I put the light out and slept the sleep of the just until seven thirty.  I got moving pretty quickly, washed, dressed and in the Nipper by eight thirty and arrived at Kardjali just after nine.  With mask and documents I went to the Immigration Office, waited and the aggressive policeman from my visit a few months ago has obviously calmed down now that the Turkish invasion is over and told me to wait inside and to go in when the person came out, which I did.  I handed over the documents, was not encouraged to sit down and with a little help, my records were found on the computer and I was handed three forms to complete, in Bulgarian and entirely written in Bulgarian so I asked for a blue pen so that I could make a start.  I realised it was a hopeless case and fortunately I saw one of the girls from the courier company and asked if one of the staff could complete the form for me, she replied that they could so I went to the office round the corner from the Immigration Office.

They are very helpful in there and the form was more of less completed but the names of my mother, father, sister and their dates of birth seemed to be taking it a little far.  I did my best and it's silly really, all this information is held already on the computer and could be printed on the form if required.  Any way, it was done, I paid over ten leva which is cheap at half the price and I made my way back and the friendly policeman saw me waiting outside and told me to go into the foyer and he checked the rook and told me that it would be about five minutes.  In I went again, documents handed over, signatures obtained and then I was incited into the photographic studio next door for a new photograph and now they have two added features, finger prints of index fingers and an electronic signature.  I was told that it would take one month for the card to be processed and I looked as if 'why not sooner' and she said that if I had paid more it could have been processed straightaway.  Nobody told me this....you only learn afterwards.  Back to the carpark and the man who takes the money hadn't arrived so I had a free session this morning so that was one benefit of getting there early.

I popped to Kaufland for coffee sachet, picked p a few more items including two bottles of HP sauce reduced in price.  When I got the other side of the checkout I checked the bill and found that the bottles had been charged differently despite the forty percent discount label on both.  I went to reception and the receptionist pointed out that the items were charged correctly and I disagreed with her stating that identical bottles with the same content and both carrying forty percent discount tickets should not be charged at different prices.  She told me that I should have looked at the price labels, I'd obviously looked at the lower priced item and 'assumed' that they were both the same price....and I thought that was a pretty safe assumption.  She didn't want to refund the difference so I told her that I didn't want the higher priced item and in the UK you would have been able to take it to Trading Standards but this is Bulgaria.  The full price of the item was returned, I was tempted to run round again and get another at the cheap rate but I CBA.

Djebel and more coffee packets purely for guests from the supermarket and then home.  I put the shopping away, made a coffee, lay on the sofa and fell asleep for a couple of hours and felt much better for it...playing catch-up.  I lit the fire, a load of washing went into the machine and that's now drying in the bathroom, fried off a couple of beef burgers and slapped them between slices of bread with tomato sauce and that was supper over and done with.  I spent around an hour on ancestry and didn't really get very far forward, I'm chasing a marriage of William born in sixteen fifty six in his local area but have only managed to find a record for Norfolk so back to chasing the facts, Poirot.

Tomorrow I'm planting up seeds, I have lupin that I bought today and lots of other packets that need to be started off.  Lots of daffodils have come into bud in the garden, the jasmine in the porch has put out its first flower buds...everything is coming to life.  LN.....Fingers crossed for good weather and strength in the sun.....LN

Thursday 11th February

Not a bad night's sleep and it was seven thirty when I forced my eyes open.  Coffee and morning tablet and then out with the Kindle tablet and played games for an hour or so, waiting for the morning to warm up.  More coffee and then decided that a shower and hair wash would be the order of the day, it was cold getting out of the hot water so I didn't take long jumping into warm clothes and waiting for the sun to come out.  It did eventually but the wind was fairly keen again and nothing much was stirring outside, even the cats stayed hidden.  I cooked bacon and egg for breakfast enjoying a little of my cheap HP sauce, washed up and finished the kitchen and threw the crust of the loaf slathered with the fat for the cats, they have more chance of running it off than I do.

I didn't bother with breakfast tele and plumbed in to Netflix and had an hour of Outlander and was very disciplined to switch it off at the end of the episode and off it went completely.  One of the lemons that I grew from seed isn't looking very happy so I gently removed it from the pot and put it into a deeper container.  The roots looked good so fingers crossed it might now take off.  I brought in the pots from the window sill outside, the daffodils that have appeared are about to flower with very little stem on them so maybe it's going to be warmer for them inside.    This afternoon I took the container of everything to do with my ancestry investigations with the intention of making out a new chart but then decided move back up to the landing and try and confirm a few more facts.  I've got a last will and testament that is confusing everything....the grandchildren are correct but he mentions a daughter, Alice a spinster and I couldn't find her in the records.  I also states that his daughter Elizabeth marries a man who is different to the one that I'd linked her to.....maybe dementia had set in and he got it all wrong!!

The weather has really closed in tonight and according to Accuweather it's going down to minus three and there are going to be snow flurries but nothing is going to settle.  The last time it said that it took me half a day to dig me out.  I lit the fire at five and it was slow to start but has caught up and the air is circulating, the radiators are hot as. LN.....Spade at the ready for tomorrow.....LN

Friday 12th February

So I thought it was half six this morning when I woke up so made coffee and went back to bed and started playing games and when I went back for my second cup...it was only ten after six...doh....should wear spectacles when checking facts.  Washed, dressed and it was still only eight, started to tidy my desk off on the landing and found a glass paperweight that I'd been given back in 1994 by a well known supermarket company that I worked for so I photographed it and posted it on their Facebook sign and to date, thirty likes on it and one comment.  I asked the question as to how many have survived and currently the response is only one.  

The sun came out this morning, went back behind the clouds and so far no snow.  The wind was cold and it was a wintery sun that had established itself up there, food out for the birds and then it was my time.  Boiled eggs and buttered toast was served at the stairwell cafe, I cleared the kitchen and took a duck breast out of the freezer and that was my first step towards supper.  The rest would come later and it did.  I found the documents that I have to return to the bank when I was sorting the desk so I completed the forms and put it ready to take to the post office after one....they have long lunches.  I set off at twelve thirty thinking that I could get the letter done and could get to the dentist so that I could book an appointment for next week.  This tooth is now giving me real gyp...when I have anything hot or cold....it really aches.  So I walked to the dentist after the post office and I thought they started work after lunch at two but it was two thirty so I walked back to the Nipper and moved its location to the health centre and again set off for the dentist at twenty past two....and I waited and I waited and at two forty five I gave up and drove home.  I will make my appointment on Monday.

This afternoon was mine so I lit the fire at three, it wasn't cold in the house but it's the comfort factor.  I made coffee and stretched out on the sofa and switched on Netflix and Outlander.  Two episodes in I put it on pause to answer the telephone and I was on the call for about twenty minutes.  Back to my tele, and then spent the next twenty minutes sorting out supper popping backwards and forwards to keep up with the programme.  So duck breast in the oven, onion, orange peel and juice on the hob to simmer and carrots and potatoes peeled.  Potatoes on to boil and then into the oven to roast, the carrots followed the potatoes into the water and were drained and into their own dish in the oven, I removed the onion, orange peel from the boiling water and added Bisto to make the gravy.  Supper was served and I was half way through when the telephone went again so after ten minutes I apologised and said that I was back to my supper, supper finished off with Greek yogurt for dessert and as for my poor tooth...I wished I hadn't bothered.

The war zone that goes by the other name of 'kitchen' is waiting for my attention and I really must to it tonight, couldn't possibly face it in the morning.  Nothing so far for tomorrow, I need a bonfire and the container needs emptying so that's going to take me a while.  LN....Hoping for good weather.....LN

Saturday 13th February

Six start again, coffee and silly games.  It was very cold out so I stayed in and only put my nose out to give the rest of my breakfast to the birds, collect logs and take out the vegetable peelings  to the compost.  It's my son's birthday today and I remember it well....wasn't sure what was happening when I started to give birth but that's another story and forty eight years ago...such a long time but why don't I feel any older?

I was out of bed by seven thirty, dressed to face the day, scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast but unfortunately the butter has taken on the taste of local butter even though it's in date so I threw it away.  It had a vaguely cheesy flavour and the word that springs to mind is rancid so it had to go...and there's another one in the fridge with the 17th February as the sell by date so I'll check that out in the morning before I made the decision.  I lit the fire, the outside thermometer was a minus and it was only sixteen inside so it was stoked up well and it's been going all day.  Apart from loading up with wood, the only thing I've been up to was watching Outlander on Netflix, promising myself that I wasn't going to binge on it but it was too cold to get up to anything outside and very little to do inside without I started a project and I couldn't think of anything I really didn't want to get stuck in to.

I was settled on the sofa, switched off Netflix and got my head down for an hour or so and felt much better for it.  I brought in the daffs from the conservatory to the lounge to bring them into flower and gave everything a good watering.  More Netflix this afternoon and supper went in at five, chicken wings and roasted vegetables and I finished off with a baked banana that I served with yogurt.  Washing up done, fire still going well and plenty in stock to keep it going for the rest of the night and tomorrow if necessary.  Minus four and twenty to thirty centimetres of snow threatened over night....LN...I might have work to do if it does snow.....LN

Sunday 14th February

Well the prediction was correct and it was still coming down when I woke this morning, it's slowed down a little but that wind is blowing it everywhere.  The last lot of snow was very wet and heavy to handle. this one is very fine but it doesn't take long to cover the bits that have been cleared.

I didn't really have to go out, I had enough wood in and by the way that the wind was blowing my exit looked to be blocked and the snow was definitely gathering between me and the woodstore.  I had a very lazy morning, I made bacon and egg, lit the fire since it was minus five out and only fifteen in but it didn't feel cold.  I thought I'd make it a really lazy morning and had a bath which must have lasted for one and a half hours.  I took the Kindle with me and played games on it, I really had nothing else to do except for emails and FB.  I got the fire going really well, made more coffee, put the chicken leg into the slow cooker with orange peel and an onion and by accident I picked up the chili flakes instead of the salt so supper had a bit of a spicy touch to it.  Settled on the sofa and continued with Outlander, finished the section where they were in France and were about to move back to Scotland.  I was almost back to reading the book again but changed my mind...it's somehow easier on the screen.

Eventually I got round to thinking that I should really dig myself out, contingency measures on wood and get another log carrier in.  First step was to remove the fly screen which had somehow turned into a snow trap.  I opened the exit door, lifted the fly screen from its hinges and manoeuvred it into the conservatory shaking the snow off as I did.  Next step was to retrieve the little metal shovel that I keep for clearing the fireplace and take the snow from the door entrance and I threw it to the one side.  After that it was fairly easy with only one step into the deep snow I managed to get over the drift and with the keys to the little house in my hand I opened up and got the snow shovel.  I cleared round the door, removed the drift and then worked my way to the wood store clearing as I went,  It is very powdery snow but very light to move but unfortunately the wind was still blowing it everywhere including in my face.  I'd dress well for outside though but only put on rubber gardening gloves and my hands were soon cold so I didn't longer long.  I locked the show shovel in the little house and made my way to the woodstore, filled up the log carrier and pushed it down the path that I'd made and into the conservatory.  The fly screen is  standing in the conservatory, no need to put that back on, not many flies about only hungry robins so I went into the house, took a slice of bread and some current bread and lobbed both into a fairly clear area and Robin and Blackie were soon down and at it.

I went back to Netflix until I got bored and turned on to the rugby and when I got bored with that I went to finish off supper.  I put potatoes on to boil and at the end added peas and carrots.  I thickened the juices from the slow cooker with Bisto and supper was served while I finished watching the game.  Kitchen is finished and tomorrow the birds will have the remains of my evening endeavours and now it's fire topped up and a stretch on the sofa until bedtime.  It's supposed to go down to minus eight tonight with a real feel of minus fourteen so I'll be staying inside and no night owling for me.  No snow clearing today but I must be out there in the morning to make sure that it deposits its load further on from my drive way.  LN....I'll be listening out for it......LN

Monday, 15th February

Happy Birthday to my maternal grandmother today...I have fond memories of her and the things she let me get up to.  I remember my mother bring back some wax matches from Italy and I slice the heads off some of them and put them in a heap on a metal tray, put the stalks in a pattern around the heads and lit the outside and watched the matches burn and explode in the centre of the tray.  I could have only been about ten but it's a memory I have of her...she let me do 'things'.

It was a beautiful starry night at midnight and it was minus eight...so cold outside.  I'd kept the fire going well so no problems inside and the bed was warm to get in to.  I slept well until six and then went off again until seven thirty by which time the sun was up, the wind was blowing the lightweight snow around but it was a beautiful day and an improvement on yesterday when the sun never really showed its face.  I dressed in warm layers, I should go out at some point and clear the terraces and the outside balconies so that the damp didn't sink too far into the concrete over the conservatory but it would have to wait.  Bacon and egg for breakfast, the second packet of butter was sent to the bin since that tasted of cheese just like the one that I threw out the other day.  If it's not good, get rid.  I settled down on the sofa and put on Netflix and Outlander and watched a couple of episodes while I was waiting for it to warm up outside and inside was warming up considerably....the sun was doing its work.

Eventually I went out after wrapping up well and cleared part of the terraces, the balconies upstairs, the snow from the yard and up to the road so that I can get the Nipper out should I need to.  The remains of last night's supper went out for the cats, the black one was the first to have a go at it and just now the ginger one has given it a good going over.  It was interested in a slice of bread that was lying on about a foot of snow but thought better of it and off it went.  A black and white one has now taken up the chase.  The food container has blown off the step and this cat is scooping it up with his paw, eyeing up the bread but I think it really is beyond reach.  

Temperature is now down to minus one outside and I've lit the fire to try and reserve some of the afternoon heat when it went up to thirty plus inside.  Log baskets are brimming over, it doesn't do to be out at this time of year and it warms up when it's inside even though it's perfectly dried out.  No supper required tonight, I had an interlude with Outlander and bread sticks and cream cheese so not sure if I shall be needing to cook or not.  LN....Looks like it could be another raw one.....LN

Tuesday 16th February

I woke up at seven thirty and that white stuff was coming down again and it had covered the terraces and the path to the wood store that I'd cleared yesterday.  It was a cold old morning and I knew that I wouldn't be waiting until five this afternoon before I got the fire going.  I didn't hand around getting dressed in warm clothes and put everything I'd taken off into the washing machine and got it going.  Electricity can go off in a flash so it's necessary to keep on top of the essentials.  Bacon and egg for breakfast at the table in the stairwell, no sun, minus seven outside and only fifteen in so not really very good so I emptied the ashcan and got the fire going.

I settled on the sofa and watched another two episodes of Outlander and burst into life around twelve by collecting all of the household rubbish and deciding on a bonfire.  I found the snow shovel in the little house and put it into action clearing the path to the wood store and from the big terrace.  The snow was very wet underneath and still frozen n places so by taking the surface off the sun by this time had got some heat in it and started to melt the ice.  The snow scoop broke, the metal protector that I'd repaired once before had come adrift and unfortunately the hole in the plastic had sheered through so there was nothing for the metal to lock on to.  So into the workshop with it and with brute force and ignorance, I hammered it closed and it seems to have fixed it.  They are only six leva to buy so it's a new one when I next go into Kardjali.

I made my way down the garden and had my bonfire.  It was slow to get it started but I'd got lots of dry paper so once it got going it was OK. The black and white cat came down to keep me company and I reckon it was looking for goodies that were cooking in the bonfire but it didn't stop around long enough.  I sat out on the terrace for a while but came in when the wind got up and started to blow the snow around, as I came in I noticed the icicles hanging from the terrace over the conservatory and was amazed at the way that the windows reflected the view.  I just managed to save the fire and it's burning brightly and now that the temperature is dropping, that fire needs to be pumping it out tonight.

Just a few photographs from today.  I've had a lovely day, not done much but on top of all my chores.  The After Eights are no more, I munched my way through the remains of the box and when they've gone, they've gone.  LN....I have a pork chop t do something with.....LN

Wednesday 17th February

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me....another year knocked off and nobody to physically share it with but lots of phone calls and messages on FB and some from unexpected sources...brilliant.

Six thirty start and checked the weather station and it was lots of minus' outside and pretty cold in but I didn't bother with the fire, the sun was up and it didn't take long for the inside temperature to start climbing and the house started to warm up.  It's because I draw a very heavy curtain between the sofa and lounge and the stairwell to retain the heat so that it doesn't disappear through the windows and it is very effective.  I got dressed more or less straightaway and went down to cook my breakfast.  I took bacon from the freezer, added an egg and half a can of beans and while it was cooking, I put the rest of the beans in dish with some oats, sultanas and bread, covered it with the bacon fat and that went out for the birds.  I put it out on the wall but eventually moved it to the bird table, the birds seemed to settle longer there....I think they were expecting the cats.  I managed to take a few photos while it was on the wall and posted one to FB that's had lots of likes.  Breakfast sorted, some two day old chicken wings were put out for the cats so at least they had something.

So my daughter phoned and asked me if the card and present had arrived and to date nothing.  She checked her Amazon account and according to that it's supposed to arrive up until eight tonight so I might have to guide him in with a torch...but I think not....the delivery drivers really don't come out in the dark...this is Bulgaria for goodness sake.  As for the cards...not sure where that's got either and some have been on the road for around three weeks.  I'm thinking that the snow has something to do with it and I know that the cards have not made it to Rogosche, my next village, the lady would have let me know.  

As for the rest of the day, I spent time clearing to the road and broke up some of the ice that had accumulated on the terrace in the wet patches from yesterday.  At minus fourteen, everything tends to freeze.  I emptied the ash can, filled up the log carrier and I've got plenty available for tonight.  The rest of the afternoon I was thanking people for their well wishes.  Nothing on the cards for tomorrow, I might go into Djebel and buy a cake, bring it back and circulate it to the ladies of the village which is my normal routine.....I didn't risk the road today.  LN...Wish me luck tomorrow ......LN

Thursday 18th February

Well today has been an anti-climax after my birthday yesterday.  It's been a damp old day, the snow is still around and it's a slow thaw, the sun did briefly show itself this morning but it was short lived.  I woke at six and it's made it a long old day and I had a nap on the sofa around two this afternoon but despite the fire I woke up cold.  My loose tooth has also been giving me gip or gyp according to which dictionary you use and the pain has gone into upper and lower jaws.  

So washed and dressed very early and made a few enquiries as to who might be responsible for the onward travel of items ordered from Amazon.  Didn't get any firm answers from the website but my daughter came back to me that she's looked at the progress of the order and it's been delayed until the 25th so obviously something is holding them up.  As for the cards from Moonpig, both still lost in transit and not even anything so far from the normal overseas postage from the UK.  I made breakfast which at least was one success and took a chicken leg out of the freezer and that's now finishing off in the oven.

I did a walk of the garden to satisfy the demands of my Fitbit and checked the contents of the bonfire from my burn-up the other day and everything has gone and nothing for the cats to distribute over the rest of the garden.  I do need to empty out the ash, but today wasn't the day for doing it.  It's so wet I might have needed surgery after straining to remove it from where it sits.  While I was out I shuffled the remaining snow from the lounge terrace and that's now dried up.  I tried to tackle the conserbvatory terrace but that's really thick ice still underneath so the thaw can do its work first.  As for the rest of my day, I started reading book thirteen of 'The Last Kingdom' that I bought yesterday from Amazon.  It's the last book in the series and will finally put Uhtred to rest.  

Supper is almost ready, chicken with roasted vegetables and I've put the boiler on for a bath before bedtime.  It's been a funny old day and tomorrow I'm going in to Kardjali if the weather is good.  I need butter from one of the supermarkets, I've realised I can't live without it and just to top up a few more items so I suppose I should make a list.  LN....Soon be 'le weekend' and hopefully postal service will be resumed as soon as possible....LN

Friday 19th February

Seven start so I made coffee and went back to bed.  It was a cold damp morning, just on minus outside but the thaw was definitely on.  I lingered in bed playing games until nine and thought of myself as a sloth but the day was mine to do what I wanted with so I wasn't too bothered.  I didn't have that bath last night, I thought about it but I didn't fancy washing my hair at nine and then having to dry it so I remain uncleansed and my hair went under a hat today so no one really saw it.  I got dressed quickly, another coffee and my morning tablet and then straight into writing the shopping list making note that A1 were chasing me for the home phone payment.

I was in the Nipper for ten fifteen and headed to the dentist to make an appointment.  I got called into the surgery after explaining to the receptionist/nurse what the problem was and despite having one inspection three weeks ago he decided to take another x-ray to confirm that the other tooth hadn't shown and the old one was still there.  The problem is that I keep sticking my tongue underneath it, my tongue gets sore but it's a bit like picking a scab.  As I returned to the reception area the nurse was taking the blood pressure of a man and obviously he was being refused treatment because his blood pressure was high and he proceeded to phone his doctor,  The nurse decided to take mine since I'd mentioned that the doctor had put me on half a tablet a day, measured it on my left arm and said it was high, so tried it on my right and it had come down...so don't know what that means.  So now I have to be at the surgery by ten so that I can sit in the reception for half an hour before he does the extraction provided that the blood pressure is OK.  I can take my normal tablet but he reminded me that I shouldn't take aspirin which I don't anyway and not to have anything to eat.  So it's coming out hopefully.

Next step was the garage to ask them to check out the gas supply since I appear to be running on petrol and it's not changing over.  They checked it out and once again I'm at the beck and call of the expert from Plovdiv with the computer and he's supposed to be coming down this coming week so I shall expect a message from the garage owner's wife.  Last time the man was coming, then he wasn't, then he was and finally he didn't.  Hope we have more luck this time since the brother of the garage owner has a similar problem and needs the expert for his car.

I drove to Kardjali and stopped off at the leva shop and bought the tights that are such a good bargain and comfortable to wear that I'm going to throw out all my others.  Back in the car and paid my phone bill and then walked to the stationery shop and bought Tippex, a new stapler and more staples and a staple remover all for the costly sum of ten leva.  I carried on to Lidl, completed my list and a few more items, put the items back in the basket on wheels and took it to the car and got told off by the security man for taking it out of the store as I was taking it back.  No one's stopped me before but maybe he was being shirty or they've lost some of the new ones already.  Back to Djebel, bought bread for the freezer and another giant box of After Eights...rude not to.  Shopping unpacked, fire lit, coffee and a ham baguette and that might very well do me until morning.  LN.....A day of achievements......LN

Saturday 20th February

Seven start and what a miserable day it's been.  I did managed to get my bath and wash my hair so started off clean and lovely and my only other achievement was to drive into Djebel.  I lit the fire before I went in the bath and I could hear the water circulating through the central heating system and by golly did we need it.  I took my Kindle with me and settled into reading my new book and when the water got cold I topped it up, I switched the boiler on and could have stayed there all day but didn't obviously.  It lingered on freezing outside and inside was hovering around the sixteen mark but it soon crept up to a comfortable level but I've been sitting around for most of the day binging on Netflix and Outlander.

I made ham sandwiches for breakfast which was a mistake...a cooked breakfast makes you feel better for the whole day but I'll remember for tomorrow.  In front of the fire on the sofa was a good place to be, I'd layered up to make sure that I stayed warm.  At three I decided that I would go into Djebel to buy my birthday cake for the neighbours and I'll cut it up in the morning and take it round.  It's a little bit late but at least the cake is fresh.  I also went to the cash-point to make sure that I've got the cash for the dentist on Monday and filled up with petrol now that the gas is waiting for a service.  So back home for five, I filled up both the log basket and second log carrier, the wood has more chance of warming up before it's put in the burner.

Supper tonight was going to be hamburgers but not really sure that I'm going to bother cooking anything.  I just don't feel hungry at the moment and will probably end up with cheese and breadsticks.  I do have it on good authority that vaccinations have already started and I'm on my doctor's list already.  Not sure how she will contact me, they have my number but are sometimes unsure about communication even though she speaks relatively good English when I have an appointment.  Monday is out because of the extraction so I might go up on Tuesday and see if she is willing.  LN....Back to the fire, the curtain is drawn and it's warmer on the other side....LN

Sunday 21st February

Seven start so I snuggled down again and it was eight fifteen when next I opened my eyes.  I'd stopped up to watch the Voice on ITV and this year it seems better than last...the contestants are all singing their little hears out.  It was a good night's sleep and I felt refreshed but it was another cold start outside, just on the minus and inside was only fifteen and I was willing that sun to come out and despite Phoebe showing her little face a few times, there was no heat in it at all.

I set the fire and toyed with the idea of lighting it but left it for a while.  I dressed warmly again, I was off round the village later delivering cake to my neighbours.  Poached eggs on toast for breakfast and tidies the kitchen for the cake cutting ceremony and out it came from the fridge.  It's one of those that you buy frozen and it's probably best cut when it is but it had spent the night in the fridge so had thawed considerably.  I opened up the box and took out the knife that I thought would best suit the job, found the plastic packaging, serviettes and poly bags and went about my job.  It was a real job to cut through the hard chocolate on the top and as soon as you'd negotiated that the inside was soft as and then the outside broke off.  It didn't look pretty but by the end I had fourteen pieces wrapped and ready and a reasonable chunk left over for ME.  It's probably the best cake that you can buy in the area, not cheap but delicious.

Into the Nipper and first stop Beyser and Zelinger was with her, Haciber came out of her house to see what I wanted with Beyser and the jungle telegraph system was in full swing.  I drove down to my young neighbour on the square who comes to see her mother each weekend and handed over two, back to the Nipper and Haciber had informed Isher and she'd come out so I handed a piece to her.  Another package from the car and I found Beyser, the lady who has the garden next to my house and we had a few words with each other....she's not been in her garden and I have really seen her for a few weeks.  All of them seemed well, all seemed Covid free but as for having the jab....no one seems interested.  My young friend said that she's not going to bother so I mentioned that no way could be be going to Greece if she didn't have it since they might very well be insisting on Jab Passports so that might persuade her.  Back in the car and I went down to see Gulcan's mother and father and then home only stopping when I saw another neighbour that I know but don't know where she lives and having a spare cake in the car, I pulled up and shoved one in her pocket.  My work was now done, home James, fire lit and I settled down to my first coffee and cake.

Netflix this afternoon, a few games on the iPad and have made arrangements to go to Kardjali on Tuesday to investigate how and when I get my jab.  I closed up shop around five thirty which means for me to closed the curtains and bed in for the night.  One load of washing done and sitting on the airer in the bathroom, it will be ready to put away in the morning.  Dentist at ten tomorrow to.  LN...Wish me luck.....LN

Monday 22nd February

So today was the day that the tooth fairy was about to remove one.  I'd slept badly and didn't realise how much pain it was inflicting upon me.....and now it's gone.  I woke at seven and stuck to water with my morning tablet, no coffee or breakfast so I went back to bed with the Kindle and filled in an hour or so. It was a better morning than we've had for a while but the air was still pretty cold out there so I dressed up warm and was in the Nipper by nine fifteen and heading into Djebel.  I stopped off and had a few words with my student's mum in the shop and she gave me a belated birthday present...the first one thanks to the delivery service in Bulgaria.  I peeped in the bag and saw what it was and she told me that there was another little present within the first present so I left it until I got home.  

I arrived at the dentist early, parked up and sat in the corridor until ten reading my Kindle.  The nurse receptionist came out and called me in to the office and immediately took my blood pressure which was normal and well within the range for extraction.  I'd had no coffee and realise that I'm doing myself no favours by probably have two or three cups each morning.  Into the chair, I was given two tubes of aesthetic to warm up in my hand and I was slung back in the chair and at his mercy.  One needle went in, then the second and I was left to freeze for five minutes or so and then on with the work in hand.  My dentist is not a man of many words, he sort of fires them out in Bulgarian expecting me co-operate immediately and 'open' and 'close' when your not really concentrating with two fists more or less in your mouth.  It too a few minutes to get it out, it didn't bleed much and a wad of iodine was put in the hole that was the nesting place of my tooth.  I asked for and received the tooth wrapped in white gauze and put it in my back trouser pocket, was given my instructions, no aspirin, no hot drinks or food, paid my thirty leva and left.   I stopped off and bought the pain relief that was recommended and then home after buying leeks to make soup later.

First job was to phone my summer guest, it was his birthday today but there was no answer.  He phoned me back and so we spoke for about thirty minutes.  I'd left the wad in place but it came out clear enough and I ended the call that I was going out to do some gardening which never happened.  During the call I noticed that one of the ginger cats that seem to be colonising the village had jumped up onto the bird table so i grabbed the camera, didn't have tome to focus it properly but frightened it out...bastard being.  Instead of action I lit the fire, took up position on the sofa and promptly went to sleep languishing in the pain free feeling.

I slept until five, stoked up the fire yet still felt cold, maybe it's something to do with the injections and the relief of the day.  I haven't made any supper yet, keep poking the space that remains with my tongue and with it being the on the top I can't see in either.....perhaps best no to.  Tomorrow Kardjali for maybe another injections but this time for Covid or at least to find out when I can have my jab.  There's not going to be much take up by Bulgarians, they really don't trust anything going in to the body but I think I might have tempted a couple of them by saying that they might be refused entry into Greece if they don't have it.  Monday night quiz night for me and I should managed to stay awake for it all after my marathon session this afternoon on the sofa.  LN.....Healing process in process, do not disturb....LN

Tuesday 23rd February

I've just found out that my birthday is tomorrow....cards and presents have arrived in Rogosche post office so I'm having my celebration then.  Snow I think delayed the postal service and as for the parcels...not a clue.  I'd been advised that they could have been held up in customs since the UK post Brexit is a 'distant cousin' except for the fact that there are still lots of Bulgarians working in the UK.  We give them a social security number and leave them alone as long as we have no adverse reports.  In some cases we are treated as the third world incomer....despite having been here for quite a few years.  It only matters to me when it's a direct insult...the rest I skirt round.

So seven start and I had three ours to get my derriere into gear and was quite laid back about it until nine fifteen.  I washed and dressed quickly putting on the same outer clothes that I'd worn the day before....the sun was up but it was still only one degree outside.  My visitors arrived at nine forty five, fifteen minutes early and we decided to abstain from coffee and head into Kardjali.  I remembered to take my picture in that I need framing...it was either that or to tone down the pale yellow and I believe the frame will do it.  We had a list of things to do and managed to park up outside the Polyclinic.  We went to queue outside our respective surgeries and the message came back that the doctors had run out of vaccine but that they were doing it on the third floor.  We made the climb, found the office, secured the forms that had to be completed and managed it in Bulgarian and were trooped in one by one.  There wasn't a queue waiting and we were in an out including the waiting time in thirty minutes.  We have dates for out next appointment and everything went swimmingly.  So we walked to the picture framers and I selected a template and they make it within a week.  It was costed out and came to thirty lev, I offered to pay in advance and the offer was turned down.  Back to the car and we headed to Momchilgrad and I sat in the sun while business was completed and then back to Lidl for a quick shop.  Mine solely consisted of dark chocolate to help my cholesterol and something to cheer me up in case I have adverse effects tomorrow,,,,chocolate and Netflix.

Home to mine by four and I served the rest of the birthday cake and coffee on the terrace and we sat in the sun and even at this late hour there was still heat in it.  Off they went, I put a jacket potato in the oven and a belly pork seasoned slice and that was ready by five thirty so I ate it while watching Outlander.  I have the remains of the cake waiting for me when my supper has gone down a little...and what a good day it's been.  First vaccine out of the way, date fixed for the next, picture getting framed and the restaurants and coffee shops open on the 1st March.  LN....Bulgaria is opening up.....LN

Wednesday 24th February

Horrible night last night.  I went to bed at midnight and woke up at two with not an ounce of sleep in me.  Light on, Kindle open, played a few games, watched a documentary of Francis Bacon and an art program and read for a while.  At five I thought it was about time the light went out and I went off again until seven.  I'm not sure if it was the vaccination or the stress of having it but so far so good today....my arms a bit sore but that's it.

Beautiful sunrise this morning  and white over with a frost and it looks like it might be going that way again tonight.  I dressed for the outside temperature and this morning was my second birthday, I was off to the posta to see what she had for me.  Before I left I made leak and potato soup and put it in the slow cooker for later, tidied the kitchen and washed up and off I went at around ten thirty.  So what did I have....two letters from my bank in the UK, a thank you card from my grandchildren, one birthday card and a book from my Princess...or I should really say...BUK....which is our little joke.  I drove home and sat on the bench in the sun and opened them all up and when I saw the book my heart melted.  It it beautiful and written in script with fabulous pictures and I can't recommend it enough and in the carton was a private message dictated obviously by my Princess and typed out by Amazon and that's now cut out and stuck in the front of the book.  When I go on to other pastures it's so other people know the important people in my life.  I sent a text thanking my daughter but working it had to wait but I had a phone call from her tonight and thanked her for the BUK....

I had a bowl of the soup that I'd made for lunch and this afternoon I caught up on the sleep I missed overnight and feel much better for it.  A couple of messages from Mrs D of S currently in the UK regarding the virus and apologising for the lack of video from G the reason being that she's now become camera shy....it's a phase that she's going through I'm sure.  I've also had another one to let me know that the 'expert' from Plovdiv will be at the garage from nine in the morning and will stick his computer on the Nipper to check out the gas connections.  I think it's working OK now...they took everything apart and checked the relays last time I was in the garage, I flicked it over to gas, filled up the petrol to the top and it seems to be still registering full.  Anyway...I'll wait to hear from the expert tomorrow ...that's if he turns up.

Fire going before I went to sleep so the house is cosy and warm.  I'd opened the windows this morning to let the air through but after lighting the fire I'd shut up shop and wrmed it up for tonight.  Might have more soup for supper, I've still got a pot full or it's destined for the freezer.  Still more post expected and with Mother's day pending....come on Moonpig...get your act together.  LN....Time to relax......LN

Thursday 25th February

Another restless night and not really sure why unless those strange bugs floating around the system are making themselves familiar with the territory.  I woke up for the 'n'th' time around seven so read until eight and then began my day.  I had to be up and out by eight thirty more or less so washed, dressed, made coffee and toast and slathered it with my apricot jam and was still out for the allotted hour or half hour.  I remembered to take my present from Princess to show to my student's mum....she likes things meaningful and beautiful and that met both criteria.  Her husband was still in the shop and hadn't made it down to the garage so I sat down with her for a while and got an update on the man from Plovdiv and 'the gas man cometh' to quote an  old English phrase.  I went down to the garage and put the Nipper in for a clean...it was long overdue and I sat in the garage in the warmth reading my Kindle and watched as they brought the Nipper into the inspection bay and a man approached it with a computer so I stayed where I was and left it to the men.  My student came down to reclaim his car, he'd parked it in front of his father in the drive so the father had taken it and he'd brought his father's car down.  He asked me what I was reading, we talked Netflix and I suggested Bridgeton to him and he's earmarked it and off he went back home.

The men kept themselves busy and after about ten minutes I went out to see if they had discovered anything and apparently a sensor was duff, they'd replaced it and everything was now working perfectly according to his computer.  I asked how much I had to pay and was told that twenty lev would cover it...I baulked a bit and had expected more but there was a wink and I paid up, went to say thank you and pay for the carwash which was another six lev and then drove home.  I'd no more business to to in Djebel and was home by eleven more or less.

The rest of the day has been a very pleasant experience.  The day was sunny but not warm, it had been down to minus overnight and was slowly climbing outside but rapidly climbing in and we soon reached twenty four in the stairwell.  I lay on the sofa with my book, felt exceptionally tired and went to sleep for a couple of hours, catching up on lost sleep overnight.  I lit the fire at four, turned on to watch Countdown only to be faced by the cricket live from somewhere so turned on to ITV and watched Judge Rinder some very delightful crap.  Chicken leg in the oven with a potato at five and that's ready now, I suspect the leek soup will go over the wall tomorrow.  I'd made it with milk and don't risk putting it in the freezer.

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far, don't need shopping and no tasks to do except make a Baba Marta card for my friends in the UK....no chance of sending any with the post being what it is.  I've earmarked Saturday for a trip to Kaufland since they have some good offers on so will buy special wrist bands for friends for the 1st March, Baba Marta day.  Gentle sunset tonight and a full moon up there.  LN....Supper time....LN

Friday 26th February

Silly night again, I woke at three and played games until five and eventually back to sleep until seven thirty.....Beautiful morning but cold so I lingered in bed until just before nine.  I got washed and dressed, put the washing away and went down and made breakfast.  I had some frankfurters in the fridge so I took three, fried them off and made an omelette and added two cheese triangles and it went down well.  The soup went over the wall along with the chicken bones and the chicken skin and the black cat was the lucky winner.  None of the other cats came round this morning until much later.  

I cleared the kitchen and decided that it was a day for being inside, despite the sun it was pretty cold so I finished my emails, sent a few messages and went on to Find my Past to continue where I'd left off chasing the relatives of my brother in law.  He's no longer with us and neither is my sister but it's for my nieces and nephew.  I've managed to get back to eighteen sixty four with positives and back two more generations with 'possibles' but 'possibles' are not good enough but i found myself in a loop so I gave up at one thirty with the intention of heading outside and getting on with a few jobs.  I took the rubbish down to the bonfire and got that going, collected the saw and the hedge  clippers intent on taking out the tree that had come down in one of the storms.  It was covered in honeysuckle, I managed to unwind enough to put over the trees at the back of the bed, took the saw and left about a foot in the ground and took the rest down.  It took quite some time but I managed it, the original bonfire had now burnt itself out, I seemed to spend ages trying to get it going again but to no avail.  I did managed to clear the bed throwing some of the branches over the wall on the tall side so that I don't even have to look at them.  It was such a lovely day that I sat on the wall at the bottom of the garden just watching the hillside and listening to the cows in the far pastures and their bells.  Of course you still have the chainsaw and the barking dog but it was still a nice place to sit.

I came in about five, filled up the log carrier and locked up the little house after putting tools away, lit the fire, closed the windows and drew my bedroom curtains and the hot water boiler has just gone on.  I'm not used to this outside work yet so I'll have a Badedas bath and soothe the aches away.  I did collect one injury, a thorn from the berberis ended up in my ring finger on the right hand so it's been the devil's own job to get this typed.  Not sure about going to Kardjali tomorrow, I was only going in to Kaufland to buy an electronic heart monitor but perhaps it's best not to know.  Just had bred sticks on cream cheese for my attempt at supper...it will fill the gap.  LN...Now to soak my finger and out with the Germolene....LN

I

Saturday 27th February

Another night when I went to bed, no sleep in me and was playing games until three this morning.  It worked well though, when I got to sleep eventually, I slept well until seven thirty and have had a very good day.  The weather was beautiful, the clouds were hanging in the valley this morning and all was well in my little world.  I intended sorting the bonfire out and didn't manage it, I was going to weed one or two of the beds and move pots around on the terrace and I didn't manage that either.  Bovered....no.....I've had a very good day...different that I intended but the day was mine to waste...but was it wasted?...no.  I didn't even make it to Kardjali.

Toast for breakfast, washed and dressed by ten, fire ready for this evening and it was only ten thirty.  What I have done is go on to confirm the people and dates in my latest delve into ancestry and draw up the family tree.  I've gone back to seventeen ninety one and have printed out the supporting documents and I'm fairly sure that all the leads are correct.  I had a brief spell on the sofa with the Kindle and played a few games, intended going outside and starting but despite the sun, it was still fairly cool outside. I changed my sweater from the one that I'd put on this morning and stayed inside and went back to the computer.  

A brief moment of activity, I lit the fire, went round closing the windows that I'd opened up this morning, looked at the floor in the porch and got out the broom and swept it to make it more respectable.  It's still shedding dandruff where the snow on the balcony has soaked through and the cement has powdered but this year, the tiles are going down on both balconies and the underside/ceilings will be finished properly.  Spare ribs already in the oven for supper, just about t start watching England - Wales rugby game and it's 'The Voice' tonight so that's my evening sorted.  LN....Spring is definitely on its way....LN

Sunday 28th February

So I watched my program last night and realised that the songs the 'experts' had picked for the contestants were nothing I've ever heard of before....I must be getting old.  I don't really get rapping, it's normally people that don't have exceptional singing voices and make up for it by shouting whatever they want to complain about.  I might be doing them an injustice but I'm allowed to...I can have preferences.

Seven start, lingered in bed with a coffee but was washed and dressed by eight thirty.  Well I say dressed, I put my tights on and that was as far as it got on the bottom end but  I did have an extra thick sweater on.  I was trying to make my mind up if I was going into Djebel to buy enough Baba Marta bands for the ladies or have my old trousers on to tackle the bonfire but as it stands, I'm still in my tights and will stay that way until the PJ's go on.  I had bacon and egg for breakfast and laid the fire for later and decided to remove the top plates from the wood burner and see what caused the smoke yesterday.  It appears that now I've put the radiator between the flue pipes that it causes a clogging up of the through put and lots of soot had collected in the wood burner.  I've now removed it, got soot on my face in the process when my nose began to itch and lit it at five and it's going like a dream.

As for the rest of the day, I went out to throw food over for the cats and that's when I decided that I was going to nest in front of the fire.  I did have one sojourn into the wooden chest in my bedroom, found out some wool that I've promised to give to one of my neighbours to make some thing for me but that was as far as it got.  Everything back in the chest and back in place and I got the call for Netflix and watched one film about Henry the fifth and one about Elizabeth 1st and the Spanish Armada sinking by Raleigh.  Just thrown another log on the fire and it should do me for tonight and as for supper, I got a pork chop out of the freezer this morning but having said goodbye to half a box of After Eights and half a packet of peanuts, there a danger that that's all that's going to happen with regard to food today.  

Djebel tomorrow and then it Baba Marta bands for friend and for the ladies in the village.  It's a happy time for everyone.  LN....March 1st tomorrow, who'd have thought it.....LN