Thursday 11th March

Lovely night's sleep and I was really surprised when I opened the curtains.  We had had a delivery of snow and it was still coming down.  It was the wet sloppy stuff and it started to dissolve around lunchtime but it's still there now.  Temperature was around minus one over night but has gone up to about two degrees plus but destined to go down again later tonight.  Lots of freezing fog around this morning and I'm pleased that I'd changed my original plans for today to visit one of the other markets in the area.  Not a day to go visiting or shopping.  I toyed with the idea of lighting the fire and when I checked it was still going from last night so it was a matter of sticking another log on it and it's been going all day.  

Mushrooms on toast for breakfast and I peeled the rest of the mushrooms intending to make soup for tonight and they're still sitting in the saucepan awaiting my attention.  I tidied the kitchen and collected up some washing and got that on the clothes airer in the bathroom, it will be dry ready  to put away in the morning.  As for the rest of the day, I've been a bit 'picky' on food, finished off a bag of jelly crocodiles, made a ham baguette for lunch and just finished off the cream cheese with the bread sticks.  I only ventured out of the house to top up the log basket from the good wood stored in the little house and the log carrier from the wood store just to make sure that I didn't run out later today.  I had to get out the snow shovel to clear a path to the wood store, for some reason the snow was deeper there and hadn't melted.  

More of the same tomorrow, I've started to clear out the filing to do with my ancestor records.  I've got five trees going at the moment, my father's family I've concentrated on the most, my mother's family on my grandfather's side is going OK but grandmother's family name was Jones and that's more difficult to sort out.  I've gone back two generations on my brother in law's family and I've reviewed some of the results from my seasonal guest's family from Scotland when more records were released.  There's an awful lot of filing to do and I certainly won't be venturing out.  LN.....A very restful day....LN

Friday 12th March

Another cold start but the temperature went up to about five degrees and we've had the thaw so it's been water dripping noisily down the drainpipes but at last everything has dried up.  I've just been out to put bread with the remains of the gravy that I made over the wall for the cats and didn't stay out there very long, the wind was still cold so I'm pleased that I've kept the fire going all day.  Admittedly the door to the conservatory was open as I took up a position on the sofa with my Kindle and it was just about right temperature wise.

I didn't have a good night, I was still reading at three this morning but eventually lights out and went to sleep.  I was still awake at seven though and managed to see the day out without shutting my eyes.  I had my first half tablet of the day before breakfast and the one that I've gone back on that the doctor recommended, after breakfast.  I read up on the dose and can double it from what was prescribed, it's a vitamin with extras.  The idea is that it supplies more blood to the brain and keeps you firing on all cylinders so I topped up with two months supply when I was in Kardjali on Wednesday.  They're expensive but if they work, worth it.  Two days in they must have done something, I made poached eggs on ham for breakfast and got a duck breast from the freezer this morning and roasted potatoes and red cabbage in a casserole in the oven and topped it all off with orange gravy...delicious.

Not a lot of activity today, I started to read 'The Book Thief' again and realised that I'd not read the author's preface so had missed out on a lot of scene setting.  Now I thin I shall understand the plot better and at eight percent in, I'm keen to continue.  LN...More of the same tomorrow....LN

Saturday 13th March

Cold overnight again and the central heating was slow to come up this morning but when it did, despite a cold wind, it's been beautiful in the sun.  I made coffee and went back to bed for a while but at eight thirty I was making an omelette of ham and cheese using up the last old eggs and by nine, the kitchen was tidy and I was looking for things to do.  I toyed with the idea of having a bath and lazing for a couple of hours but instead, washed and dressed and the bath is scheduled for later this evening.  I went on to the computer on the landing and started looking through some old photographs that I'd brought from the UK and realised that I hadn't got them on this computer so I retook photos of them and I'll load them later.  I've got some of me in a knitted swimsuit at the tender age of two and I really should put them into an album for my daughter and link them to the ancestry records that I've managed to work through.  

There was quite a lot of commotion in the lane outside the garden which is next to mine.  A tractor was attempting to get into the garden from the road and had difficulties negotiating the ditch and the fact that he was trying to get through only a gate's width.  He tried it front ways a few times and then realised that no way was he going to manage it so he ended up going in backwards which was much more sensible considering the size of the wheels.  I found out a jacket for her to work in that I'd put on one side for my friend in the village.  I locked up and started to make my way down to her house but noticed that there was a crowd of men in the square and I wasn't sure if they were having a service at the mosque or someone had died so I went back home and I was updated by my garden neighbour's husband.  Apparently there are elections due and the posses were out.  I went down a little later and six of my ladies were sitting on the benches and all clutching freeby hats with the logo on.  They asked me if I had one and I said that I supported the other party, their eyes shot up and I said that it was a joke and no I hadn't got one.  The neighbour was working in Kardjali, Haciber was curious to see what was in the bag but no way was I letting on.  

I went home and set to spraying the two oil containers that I'd bought but cleaned them first with spirit to get rid of the oil.  I'm very pleased with them but now they're in the little house until the weather gets better and the pots are flowering.  I moved my attention to the tyres near the little house terrace, cleaned out the area and removed the weeds.  I had a bonfire, move the outside cushions to the bench on the terrace, made a cup of coffee, demolished a packet of tea biscuits, planted sunflower seeds four to a pot and put the tools away.  Lots of the garden coming to life again despite the recent snow, one or two have suffered especially the japonica but most other things are fine.  Camera at the ready I moved round the garden and now at five twenty, it's time I lit the fire.  Not thinking about supper so far, the biscuits were a mistake so it will probably to cheese and biscuits.  LN.....Boiler going on......LN

Sunday 14th March

Happy Mothers' Day to all those out there and I'm fondly remembering my mother on this day.  I think I 'took the wings' that she wasn't able to by virtue of the fact that I was born thirty odd years after her and I have to thank her for lots.  I suppose she gave me the courage to go out there even though that little girl on the inside was concerned for the outcome of some of the things that I've done, but I tried and most of the time managed it.  I sorted out Mothers Day cards from my stash, thanks to Bulgarian post and Moonpig, despite assurances to my daughter that it would be delivered on time...the odds were against it.  I'll cancel the day until the card arrives as I did with my birthday.

Princess phoned very early for her to wish me a happy day.  I had a pretty slow start and it's been a pretty slow day.  I went out to carry on where I'd left off with the weeding and had every intention of getting the lawnmower fired up or more to the point to see if it would.  I started to dig it out of its winter home but gave up, despite the sun the wind was cold so I came in and settled myself on the sofa and into Netflix.  I've been watch a series that I wasn't sure if I was understanding or enjoying but by episode three I stuck it out and it got better and I binged watched it to the end.  So that was a few hours after the event.

Supper of local corned beef, baked beans and a sliced potato topping is in the oven.  There is a new programme of 'Grace' starting and I remember meeting the author of the books in Lewes Law Courts one Saturday morning at a book signing.  He did lots of his research in Brighton and Lewes and most of his books are based in and around Brighton.  I gave up on them, I had difficulty reading them in that I knew the places he was referring to and it spoiled the plot for me....I might watch the first and see how it goes.

Supper is ready so it's going to be short and sweet tonight.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far but things change.  LN....Back to my fire....LN

Monday 15th March

So no phone calls today so it looks like Mothers' Day is put off for another day.  There is only one card on its way...my son admitted last night on the phone that mine is still in the shop and I reminded him that one year I actually chose my own on the day before the day.  Good job I'm forgiving.

Six thirty start and it was very dark skies with a little touch of red over the mountains and it stayed dull until eight when the sun did break through.  I washed and dressed and found a pair of trousers that I'd forgotten I'd bought and managed to get into them so another pair to work in.  They've got pockets everywhere so a place for everything.  I didn't bother with breakfast or should I say I started work and it sort of went by the way.  I took the empty log carrier outside, filled it with the dry logs from the little house and filled up the log basket, back to the wood store and topped it and dragged it back into the conservatory.  I was ready for tonight, I laid the fire, emptied the ash can and took the depository for the ash and put it on the garden...it's wood ash after all.

It was then down to business.  I found the lawnmower and moved it into the workshop from the wood store, emptied out the old petrol so that I could turn it on its side and check that I'd put it away cleaned underneath and I had.  I removed the air filter and cleaned it out and it really needs a good wash but that could wait.  I checked the oil and topped it up, moved it on to the yard and half filled it with new petrol, pressed the bit at the front to get the petrol through and fire it up.  First time....no go...second time it burst into life so maybe it will do another year.  I need to get the blade sharpened, I did try it out on the grass in the yard and it's cutting but not that well.  I put it away, it was too wet to put it to use today and the clouds had come over again.  Next step was to check on the battery for the rechargeable strimmer and I realised that I'd got the electrics going through a timer so I had to move plugs round a bit so no fairy lights for now but at least the battery for the strimmer is charged and so is the hand held hedge trimmer.  I checked one of the units inside, five minutes later I tried to turn the kettle on and realised that the electricity to the house was no more and thought I'd messed it up.  The quickest way to check was to aske the ladies and found three pairs of little black shoes and sticks outside Beyser's house so I knocked and no, nobody had electricity so I was back in the hands of the provider....fortunately it didn't take long.  I tested the strimmer out by clearing the weeds on the front lawn which was growing high against the border surrounds. I watered the plants in the little house and noticed that there are lots of petunias that have survived the winter and so will be ready to go out when the weather settles down and winter goes.  

Tools away, it was spotting with rain and the wind was cold so I moved in to the sofa, lay down with my kindle and that was it until two thirty.  I moved up to the computer on the landing and settled in to Ancestry and devised a method of getting the tree printed out so spent the afternoon sticking and pasting  so that I can get it all on one sheet eventually so I might very well head into Kardjali tomorrow to buy some really large heavy duty paper to make the final version of the tree back to 1656 for definite until I've confirmed the rest.  I lit the fire at five thirty and put a rack of ribs with jacket potatoes in the oven at five thirty and went back up to the computer and that's when the heavens opened and the thunder and lightening started.  It was so close that I turned off both phones, toyed with turning the computer off but I kept at it and eventually it went over.  The outside temperature is eleven degrees, what a change from last week.

Supper over, fire going well, phones about to go on and it's quiz night tonight.  I've had my afternoon rest so I should manage to see the evening out.  LN....Kardjali if the weather is good,,..,I'll play it by ear.....LN

Tuesday 16th March

Silly five thirty start this morning and when I tried to go back to sleep, not an ounce of sleep in me so I took to the Kindle, tried to check emails and it couldn't access the server so I presumed that it had done an overnight update....and I was right.  I was out of bed by seven, finished clearing the kitchen and washing up the oven dishes from last night and made toast for breakfast.  It had rained overnight and appeared to be drying up but it wasn't the day to be walking around Kardjali with only a little shopping list so I made my mind up that I wouldn't bother.  I put a couple of slices of bread out for the sparrows and watched them on the bird house squabbling like naughty children.  I was tempted to take a photo and send it to my Avatar who's still in Germany where she's wintered with her son and daughter-in-law just to let her know that I was looking after the birds that she used to feed.  Unfortunately the camera was upstairs and I was comfortable at the table in the stairwell and it was just too much like hard work to go and get it.....another time, the sparrows will be there tomorrow.

I was playing Candy Crush on the Chuwi tablet and for some reason I was on a roll.  I managed to complete twelve challenges and my time never ran out so I ended up just shutting the lid on it...sitting still I was cold and needed to move into active mode so I did.  I washed and dressed, emptied the ash can and set the fire but chose not to set fire to it yet, the weather station was telling me that it wasn't cold but my body was telling me otherwise so another sweater went on.  I switched on the computer upstairs and next time I looked it was one thirty and my toast had been used up so I peeled two potatoes and made tuna mayo and sat at the computer on the landing and demolished the lot.  The ancestry company that I use send me lot of 'hints' but I really wish they would be more selective.  One of them pointed me in the direction of one of my great, great grandfather's sisters but in fact was nothing to do with this child but was the daughter of one of the brothers.  I'm not sure where they get their information from but resolving each hint take time and it's frustrating and so much so that I've stopped looking at them.

I lit the fire as the rain came down and the weather really set in.  I've not got to do a cooked supper tonight, lunch did what it had to and I've not used much energy on activity only keeping warm.  I've put the boiler on, I'm going to settle down for an hour in a hot bath with a book, I'm really getting stuck into the Book Thief.  LN.....Cheer up weather....LN

Wednesday 17th March

So another dull and miserable day.  I thought at one point it was going to clear up but no, at least it didn't rain...not that it would have made a difference to me, I've only put my nose out of the door twice, the second time to get some smaller logs to get the fire going.

I woke at seven, made coffee and moved to the stairwell and sat watching the world come to life.  Nothing much around, the birds made one visit to the feeding station and picked at the old bread and I intended to put some fresh out but I forgot but at least they had something.  The cats were pacing and even they had nothing over the wall, I'd had ribs last night and picked every bit of meat from them.  I played a few games, did my emails and checked out the postings on FB but there was nothing of interest on that.  The row rumbles on about Europe turning it's back on the vaccination and again it's probably all down to profit but with most of Europe shutting shop again, Sofia is locked down again and the rest of Europe is about to go into a panic mode.  

So ancestry again this afternoon....I've been trying to understand one of the wills that I've downloaded.  There's one mystery in it where he leaves the house and contents to his daughter Alice who is still a spinster but I can't find her birth anywhere but he could have possibly married again to an Alice Dale but I can't find the death of his first wife so I need to get my head round it.  I was doing OK until I got cold realising that it was now five so I lit the fire, put the chicken leg that I'd taken out of the freezer yesterday into the oven and went back to the document and magnifying glass.  I used the unburnt wood from last night at my attempt to get the fire going but had to resort to going to the wood store for some thin branches to give it the boost.  It didn't take long and the house was soon up to temperature, the chicken was cooked so I brought it up to the computer in the dish that I'd cooked it in and supper is over and done with...and only one dish to wash up and that can wait until tomorrow,

The garden is still waiting for attention and the grass still grows so I'm hoping that at least we get some dry weather before I have to resort to getting someone in with a giant strimmer because it's too long for the mower.  I've cut back the Bizzie Lizzie and got five new plants which I hope will root.....I'm intending to give them to my ladies for Easter.... whenever that is here...I know it's not the same as the UK.  Nothing on for tomorrow and it's been another lazy day...but it's not doing me much harm I'm sure.  LN....Time for another log......LN

Thursday 18th March

Seven thirty start and it looked like it could be a good morning.  I made toast for breakfast, heaped in the coffee, stripped the bed and managed to do three loads of washing and it was still only nine thirty.  I'd decided on a shower and hair wash, it was definitely in need of love and attention but unfortunately I'd never had a shower while the washing machine was going and what a nightmare that was.  The cold fill was seemingly affecting the water supply to the shower and it was up and down like a yoyo but I'll know for next time.  It settled down when the last load finished, I lingered enjoying the warmth knowing that it was going to be a little cool as I left the shower room.  I'd been out in my PJ's and pegged out the quilt cover and the bottom sheet, the rest was on the clothes airer in the bathroom upstairs so I got dressed, dried my hair, and went out to peg out the rest of the big stuff and ...it had started to rain so back to the drawing board.  Everything went back inside, the bedlinen was draped over the banister, I lit the fire so that at least the stuff on the airer would have a chance of drying and the heat from the fire would ensure that the bedlinen was dried ready for tonight.  The quilt and bottom sheet are fleece blankets so they don't take long to dry at all provided that you put them on the top spin program and I had.

As for the rest of the day, it's been pretty laid back again.  By twelve the fire was going well, the house was warm so I took to the sofa and trawled Netflix to see what I wanted a series to watch.  Now I've heard a lot about Peaky Blinders, hadn't watched any of it when it was on the TV so settled down to watch the first and yes, it's interesting so I did three episodes straight after each other and I could be hooked.  I made tuna mayo with toast for a late lunch and as the weather deteriorated rapidly I hunkered down, got the chocolates out and envisaged myself as the Lindor Chocolate eating lady with the long sleeved sweater that gets cosied up.  Too many years between us but I can dream.

I got mince out of the freezer this morning intending to do something with it but it's now in the fridge.  The tuna and toast will suffice for tonight and I'll blame it on the chocolate.  The bed's made up, the mattress turned and top to bottomed which was a bit of an effort but I managed it, I'm clean from my shower and shampoo so I'm looking forward to snuggling down in the nest tonight.  It really is throwing it down outside and appears to be set in for the night.  I hope it clears up for tomorrow, I'm going to clean out the woodburner tomorrow.  It's been a bit 'smoky' today which could be down to the weather but I've noticed that since I removed one of the long pipes and put in the radiator, there has been more soot than normal accumulating in the woodburner.  Tomorrow I'm removing the radiator, it's not as cold as it was and replacing the pipe so back to original design and see if that cures it.  

Almost nine my time so soon time to test out the nest....or settle down to another episode of PB.....I think I'm going to like it.  I've done some more on ancestry and filled in a few more gaps and now have over four hundred people in my tree.  LN....Time to investigate a stand alone program....LN

Friday 19th March

Well what a surprise this morning.  I hadn't bothered shutting the curtain between me and the stairwell outside world and it was snowing.  I checked the weather reports and it said that I was in for sun and clouds...I think they'd got it wrong.  Well it was where I was sitting.  It was melting as it fell on the terrace and the outside temperature was one degree but it started coming down in huge flakes so in next to no time it was white over, around ten centimetres in the yard and terraces white over.  I felt sorry for the daffodils, hyacinths and forsythia, everything was bent over with the weight of the snow.  I made toast for breakfast and sat eating it watching the snow fall, a bit like watching paint dry and considered what I'd set up for myself for the day.  Washed and dressed, put on my fisherman's smock as a coverall and found out my rubber gloves...I was tackling the radiator and the rest of the pipes of the woodburner.

I got dressed for the outing to the woodstore for brushes and tubs to put the pipes in as I dismantled them and found the pipes that were replacing the radiator.  It had to be done, the soot in the radiator was blocking the airways and smoke was escaping.  I brought the three rung step ladder in and removed the radiator pipes and this gave more space to take the others out.  I put them straight into the tub so that the soot went into it and then it was straightforward removal.  I appeared to be juggling pipes at one point and dropped one which scattered soot on the lounge carpet but there was soon a naked woodburner in front of me.  I cleaned the woodburner and to be honest there wasn't a lot of soot in it and the pipes were more or less clear,  The problem was obviously the radiator, I banged it a couple of times on the base of the tub and quite a lot was removed but it wasn't going back.  It was snowing outside and I wanted to get the fire going.  Pipes replaced and the fire lit at around eleven and no issues with smoke escaping....my job was done. I tidied up and put the tools away, got in more starter wood from the little house and filled up the log carrier with old and new wood.  I hoovered round to get up the spillages, made a cup of coffee and settled down on the sofa...Peaky Blinders.  Along with the coffee went a packet of biscuits and they are no more.  

The snow had slowed down and the temperature went up and it was melting as it was falling.  The terraces have cleared themselves which saved me the trouble and it should be gone by tomorrow providing the thermometer doesn't fall.  I moved to the kitchen and used the mince to make spaghetti bolognaise and there was plenty for tonight and the rest has gone into the fridge for tomorrow.  I was going to make cannelloni but couldn't be bothered to stuff the pasta so I shall be doing that tomorrow.  So supper over, washing up done and kitchen tidied and I felt a bit of a niggle in my back where I'd obviously stretched getting the pipes out so I've put the boiler on for a Badedas bath.  LN....An hour's relaxation....LN

Saturday 20th March

So I woke first time when it was dark, paid a trip to the little room and instead of grabbing the Kindle I snuggled down again and it was seven thirty when I woke for the second time....it's a habit I must get in to.  Coffee, I sat at the table in the stairwell and there wasn't a lot of activity in the garden, very few birds about, no cats and there appeared to be a few snow flakes but that's as far as it got.  The thaw was on.  I got dressed, it was down to sixteen degrees in the lounge and only one degree outside and again put on my Lindor chocolate sweater, it makes me feel cosy but unfortunately not a chocolate in sight....I'd finished them yesterday so instead I settled for scrambled eggs on toast which went down very well.  I'd had boiled eggs the other morning and felt queasy after them so I thought I'd cook them well today so no repercussions.

I lit the fire and decided that the rest of my day would probably be spent watching Netflix, Peaky Blinders was about to fill my day but someone else had a different plan.  I'd struck up the first episode of the day and there was a knock window and I had a visitor.  I hadn't opened up shop for the day so the outside door was still locked but I let him in, he put the kettle on while I turned off the TV and opened up the lounge...not space for two to sit comfortably now the TV has replace the visitor's chair.  Coffee made we settled down for a catch-up and I'm reliably informed that this weather is going to continue for another week or so and then we get back to late spring temperatures.  There's supposed to be more snow intermingled with sleet and rain so Peaky Blinders is going to come into its own or I'll have to find something else to do like sewing or being creative with material and a glue gun.  So two coffees down and off he went around one heading homewards and I settled down again but at three I felt the need to go into Djebel.  If snow was on the cards I needed more bread, mayo and potatoes so at three thirty I was in the Nipper and off to Djebel complete with a shopping list.  A few cars coming the other way on the lane and speed so I was really careful, the sides of the lane still had snow on it and of course we had some very bored cows on the road waiting for milking.  I didn't go any further than the first supermarket, managed to sneak into a space near the door and grabbed a trolley, they make life easier.  Onions and potatoes went in first, apricot juice and then I attacked the biscuits where they have small packets for about forty five stotinki and I never feel guilty about finishing the packet, they only contain around eight biscuits...just enough.

The same bored cows were still waiting on the road so I gingerly went round them, shopping unpacked and put away and I decided to walk the garden, and counted that I have fourteen forsythia bushes in flower, some very large patches of daffodils and the blossom on the apricot is a beautiful shade of pink.  I walked back to the house and picked up the rubbish and the lighter and went down and set fire to it in the burner.  I could have down with collecting everything that wanted burning but there'll be another day.  I made coffee and had one of the small packs of biscuits, headed for the kitchen and stuffed the cannelloni, with the remains of yesterday's bolognaise, made white sauce, poured it over the stuffed cannelloni and it should be ready anytime now.  Fire was reluctant when I got back from Djebel but I coaxed it into life again and it burning well now.  'The Voice' final tonight at ten thirty my time so I'll try to stay awake for it.  Nothing on for tomorrow now that I've topped up on supplies from Djebel, I should be OK until the snow clears.  LN....Supper calls....LN