Tuesday 1st February

White rabbits.....So February is here....January has seemed very long, really low temperatures but in the main, pleasant, if not cold days.  Now I enter into the month of birthdays and the dawning of Aquarius along with the year of the tiger.  It's coming at me from all fronts.  Seven thirty start and I stayed in my pyjamas until the 'get a grip' phrase entered my head but it didn't extend to the kitchen, and I added to it with a bowl from the breakfast cornflakes.  The washing up from yesterday didn't get done until this afternoon...I was busy.  The fire from last night just needed a few sticks to get it going this morning, it started to rain from very heavy clouds so I knew it was in for the day.  I remembered that I my lesson with my student this afternoon and just as I thought about it, his mother messaged me to say that he had the dentist at four so could we bring it forward.  In fact I've put it back until Friday at ten thirty, he's on holiday from school, snow is threatened for the next two days so one day to clear and Friday I should be able to get into Djebel without any hiccups.

Avatar rang her control for my doorbell and she'd come to invite me to a fluffy pancake gathering at eleven thirty with the ladies from the village and it would have been rude not to.  She'd just left when my friend from Fotinovo appeared with a Cornish pasty that he'd made and a pork pie also attributed to his skills and he's come the back way and apparently come through forests where the sun just doesn't shine....ditch to ditch ice so decided to take the long way home for safety.  Off he went with two tins of out of date sweetcorn for fish bait, I just had time to get my coat, hat and fingerless gloves on and skip down the road to Zelinger's house for our lunchtime session.  Avatar was cookin the fluffy pancakes, nobody sat on the floor as per usual, so lunch was served on a low table and we had it on our knees. I managed two of the pancakes with fir tree syrup which I love, the home made yogurt was super but I wasn't sure of everyone dipping their spoon in, eating it and going for a second lot.  Covid has made me far more careful.  My fingerless gloves caused some mirth and I explained it was so I could leave them on when I went shopping and it came time to pay and they got the picture...now they all want some.

I came home, topped the fire up, washed up, filled the log carriers and the log basket to prepare for what might be six to twelve centimeters of snow according to the weather reports.  I settled in to Netflix for a while but at four put some chicken wings in the oven with vegetables to roast in another pan and made sure that there was enough for Avatar.  It was ready by five fifteen, I took hers over to her in a bowl with a side dish of mayo, she was surprised but extremely grateful, she invited me in but no way...I was wanting my supper too.  

I've just checked and the snow has started to fall and the temperature with it.  The garden is white over again so let's see how deep it is tomorrow morning.  I made a good call on my student's lesson.  LN......Now to stoke the fire and settle in for the night......LN

Wednesday 2nd February

Well that snow that I thought would fizzle out overnight didn't.  It was white over this morning and again I thought it would turn to rain but somehow the temperature remained at zero, the flakes got bigger and it hasn't stopped all day.  I was up at six, the fire was still going so I rescued it and got it dishing out heat and started to get on with my day.  I tackled the kitchen first at seven I was feeding the birds, the snow had covered up what I'd put out yesterday and they were soon having breakfast.  I didn't so much get dressed but put clothes over the top of my fleece pyjamas, it wasn't that I was going anywhere today and I'll have a bath later tonight and go to bed in fresh nightwear and smelling sweetly.  

I made bacon and egg for for breakfast and sat in the stairwell watching the birds fighting for what I'd put out there,  The jay appeared and they are such pretty birds, chaffinches were out and about along with the robins, tits and sparrows.  I again tidied up the kitchen and found a 'reduced to clear' pack of spicy sausages in the fridge so fried them off with onions and put them in the slow cooker along with pasata, cannelloni beans and some chili flakes...well it is cold.  Having everything under control or so I thought, I dressed for the outside and set about clearing the path to the woodstore and out to the road, The tractor had been round and cleared the road earlier and as per normal had moved the snow from the road across the drive making it much worse that it should have been.  I cleared out to the road and hoped the next time the tractor came round the driver might notice that I'd been active and he did but the third time he didn't so I had to clear it again.  At twelve I was stoking up the fire, got the biggest log I've managed to get in the burner this year and the electricity went off.  I didn't react and decided to leave it for a while, I have two hours of electricity in the UPS and fortunately it came on about half an hour later....and then went off again.  I left it again and five minutes later it was back and it's stayed up all day.

When I'd made the casserole I noticed that the sausages had a spice in them that I'm not that fond of so I put half of the casserole in a metal dish and legged it over the road for Avatar and she'd been out knocking the snow off the fruit trees.  The snow was very wet and had bent down several of the branches and I'd done that with the oak tree at the bottom of the garden, it had retained leaves when everything else had lost them for the winter.  I had my casserole and s for the rest of the day, I managed a sleep this afternoon and again went out and cleared to the woodstore and brought more wood down and cleared the main house terrace aware that the temperature tonight is supposed to be down to minus six.  Not a bad day, just over nine thousand steps and lots of exercise.  LN.... I should sleep well tonight.....LN

Thursday 3rd February

So the first of the birthdays for this month has arrived....I phoned Princess this morning and there was no reply and eventually she phoned me back and using one of our old jokes said that she was waiting for Redimix to arrive....to get her face job done now that she is getting on a little,  I said that he is due here at eleven so shouldn't be long and we had our usual laughs.  I love that girl of mine.  By now she should have received the flowers and card and it's much simpler to arrange it from the Internet and know that it's going to be delivered...it's just so slow from here thanks to Brexit....and even slower the other way.

The snow had stopped falling, it was just on zero degrees but overnight we'd had about three centimeters and the terraces were white over again as was the yard.  I made bacon and egg for breakfast, washed up and tidied the kitchen and around nine I went out and cleared the terraces and the yard, fed the birds, chased off the cats.  By now the clouds had cleared and there was a hint of sun up there so I carried on and set about outside the gate and up to the road.  Having done that I went over to Avatar's house and cleared her path and outside her gate where the snowplough had left a little heap, she came out and invited me in and I noticed that she had more little pairs of black slip-on shoes outside the door....Haciber and Beyser were inside and so when I finished I went in to join them.  They'd set up a look out point where it was warm, dry and comfortable watching out for the free food to arrive from the local council.  At twelve thirty they were still waiting so off they went...it was late and they were furious.  Avatar doesn't get it so I suggested that we went to see the council but she refused...only likes food parcels from me.

I went home and carried on clearing the snow from the Nipper to the gate and now my exit is clear should I wish to go.  I have made arrangements to give my student a lesson tomorrow so I might give it a try, it's supposed to be minus eight degrees overnight, the sky is fairly clear overhead but with looming clouds over Smolyan and a very thin crescent moon.   I settled down to watch Netflix this afternoon to finish watching the program that I'd fallen asleep in the other night and suddenly there was someone at my door shouting my name.  I went out and it was Haciber with two fluffy pancakes made by Beyser, I said thank you and had them with some pine tip syrup/  I'd no sooner settled down again and she was there again only this time had a bottle of syrup, not sure what it is so again I said thank you and off she went.  This time I did settle again and promptly fell asleep until five fifteen...it's been a hard day.

As for supper I don't think I need any after the pancakes this afternoon....I'll see how I feel later and I'll see how the weather is overnight before I make the decision as whether to go into Djebel or not tomorrow.  LN....Candle lighting tomorrow...it would have been my mother's birthday....LN

Friday 4th February

Happy birthday mum...and I've just checked and you would have been one hundred and six today.....quite a thought and that means that you were thirty when you had me.  I know that I'm doing the family chart but it never fails to amaze me what you actually miss...they are just dates that you put on paper or into a computer but it's only when you start adding and subtracting that it falls in to place.  The boy that dad wanted never lived on earth and he got saddled with me, in fact two boys died before me and he really wanted to keep the family name going and he didn't.  I didn't find out about the boys until a few years ago...no one spoke of those things then and mother had already died when I found out. My sister thirteen years older than me didn't believe it at first until my father confirmed it and he only mentioned the one, not the other.  

Only down to minus six this morning and I'd left the curtain open between the windows and the woodburner and it was sixteen this morning.  It wasn't long before the sun came up flooding the garden and the house with colour and warmth.  The water on the terraces had iced over, there was food out already from yesterday so I left the birds to it.  I phoned my student's mum and said that I wanted to change the time to this afternoon, I'd dug my car out but with last night's low temperature I though through the forest could be hairy and she suggested that I stayed safe and we moved it to next week which seemed very sensible.  So breakfast called and I made a cheese omelette and that's seen me through until now when I'm trying to think of something interesting to cook.  I had a call from my daughter telling me that the card had not arrived and that I should cause a ruck and get a credit for it...so I did.

I lit the fire although it didn't really need it but it's ticked over and kept the water in the radiators warm in preparation for tonight.  I walked the garden and found some really strange tracks in the snow and I'm none the wiser what had made them....I better Google them later.  Haciber came round this afternoon and brought me another pot of pine tip syrup, she must have load of the stuff and I remember my Avatar making it last year.  I wonder if Avatar knows that Haciber is giving it to me.  I settled in to watch Netflix this afternoon and it was a documentary that I'd heard about from breakfast television.  It was regarding a con-man that sort to take control and divest them of money and the tactics he used to do it.  The latest victims two children and her ex-husband are trying to get her away from him but it's almost an impossible task...she loves him.....and he's still getting money out of other women.  

Lovely sunset tonight but pretty swift and it was all over by five forty.  I've just thrown a big log on and I've decided that supper is going to be hot tuna and potato salad so I better get down to the kitchen.  LN....Another day of rest tomorrow.....LN

Saturday 5th February

Another beautiful day, the sun was up around the same time that I surfaced, I went out and put more seeds out for the birds and just sat watching them.  The sparrows were collecting on the japonica in the frog garden and not one made a moved to the heap of seeds until one suddenly got up the courage and left for the stone.  At that the rest followed. there was jockeying for positions, squabbling between themselves, they were spooked by something and off they went back to the japonica.  Two seconds later one left and they all followed and it began all over again.  Eventually the jay disturbed them all until he got spooked and left for the wild plum.

I laid the fire but didn't light it, there wasn't any need but it would be ready for when the sun went down. I popped over the road to Avatar's house to let her know not to cook anything for tonight, I'd got enough mince out to make enough for lasagne for both of us.  I knocked on the door since the key wasn't in the lock, she didn't appear so I started to walk home and then she opened the door and explained that she was slow off the mark this morning but that I should go in.  She hadn't even lit the fire so she set about doing it proudly using the firelighters that I'd introduced her to but only using about a quarter of one section saying that it was enough. She laid her fire very carefully and yes, it went first time so for her, frugality pays.

I went home, I'd had cornflakes before I'd set off for Avatars so go on with filling up the log basket and making my way to the woodstore and filling up the log carrier.  I was aware that it was very icy near the garage because it doesn't get much sun so I found the salt pot and liberally sprinkled it around and hacked away with the garden hoe and removed some of it.  I went out of the back door of the woodstore on to the little house terrace and remembered that the fly screen was only attached by one hinge, the top one has seized up and snapped so that became my task for the morning.  I found the screwdriver that fitted, started looking round for replacement hinges to fit the frame in the workshop but didn't find the bits that attach to the screen itself so went up to the second level of the workshop and removed two from other screens.  I started to remove the original hinges and realised that my fingers were really cold, went inside to find my fingerless gloves and then couldn't find the screwdriver...Tt was one of those days so phoned a friend for an update and spent around forty minutes on the phone by which time my finger had warmed up and so had the temperature and managed to get the old screws out, replace the hinges and all's good.  Tools away and by now it was heading for one, took to the sofa in the lounge, watched a little of the Winter Olympics and promptly fell asleep and missed most of the curling.  

At three I realised that I hadn't started the lasagne so headed for the kitchen, everything done and it was in the oven for four fifteen and out and five and over the road for five minutes past.   I noticed that there were two pairs of little shoes outside her door and thinking that she had visitors, I let myself in, knocked on the inner door holding the food away from the door and was about to tell her that I was going to put the stuff in the kitchen.  She looked surprised, the spare pair of shoes were hers and there was nobody there so change of plan.  I took the food in, put it on the table on the table mat and she said that she was going to eat it straight away so I left her to it with the usual phrase.' if you don't like it give it to the cats'.

I came home and sat in the lounge with mine on the tray and although I say it myself, it was delicious, I'd soaked the tubes first so that they were soft.  Kitchen tidied and I suddenly remembered that the light bulb in the kitchen had blown so I found out the step ladder from the conservatory, fetched a new bulb and set about removing the three screw that hold the shade in position taking care not to drop the glass that protects the bulb.  I managed to drop one of the screws but brought everything down safely and eventually managed to replace everything by putting in one screw to hold the frame in place, sliding the glass into position and then putting in the other screws.  Another job done.  Fire is going well, twenty degrees in the house and three degrees outside and only dropping to zero tonight.  It looks lime we're in for a good day again tomorrow. The only hiccup appears to be that snow is expected next Tuesday...the day of my student's lesson and the evening that I've been invited to supper with my other student's family.  LN.....I might have to have a rethink.....LN

Sunday 6th February

Funny night last night, I watch the Masked Singer, fell asleep when the next programme came on, undressed and went to bed and played silly sudoku until one thirty.  I didn't sleep well and woke at five thirty, tried to get back off but couldn't so out of bed and doing 'stuff' at seven.  Fire cleaned out, logs in and carrier topped up, bird food topped up and by now the sun was showing its little face so no fire needed until late this afternoon.  The usual birds were active but there was competition between two jays and the late comer to the morning session was aggressively attacked by the early bird that not only wanted the worm but all the bird seeds.  It's not that there was a shortage of it but it was pretty determined that the second one didn't feel at home.  Quite a lot of tits and sparrows were feeding but didn't see any of the finches this morning.

I made toast and apricot jam for breakfast, didn't feel on top of the world and have only just come to life so to speak.  It was such a lovely day that I sorted out a load of washing and pegged it out and fetched it in at three, it's now aired and can be put away.  I've had another of those blotches come up on my right elbow and it itches like crazy.  The last lot were due to the doctor prescribing tablets that I was allergic to and I'm wondering if I've now become allergic to the new ones.  The last time I just gave them up altogether and it went away in quicksticks...time to diet, give up mayo and all the goodies and let nature take its course.

The inside temperature went up to thirty five in the stairwell today and the rest of the house around early twenties.  I went out and sat down the bottom of the garden on the wall and sometimes it really hits me how beautiful this place is.  It's the space that makes it so, I don't ever feel 'crowded in' unlike in the UK.  Even when you go shopping you don't feel swamped.  I watched the Winter Olympics today and zoned in on the curling, UK were up against it but managed to pull back and beat China but were beaten by Norway this afternoon.  I also watched the ski jumping...not for the faint hearted.

Settled down with FB today and noticed that Gregory Porter is giving a concert at Plovdiv in July...looks like I might be getting tickets, he's a class act.  It's a bit pricy for Bulgaria but what else is money for....it would be more expensive to see him in the UK.  I made pasta bake with the remains of the bolognaise from last night and used a packet of Béchamel sauce to top it off and it didn't taste as good as my own sauce from yesterday so no more cutting corners for me.  I also baked an apple stuffed with raisins and sultanas, honey and brown sugar...so much for my diet.

Rugby is playing to itself downstairs so it's time I put the boiler on and thought about a relaxing bath.  I'll check out the arm tomorrow...it might mean a trip to the doctor or just stop tablets again and see what happens.  There's something not right and it would be good to know what it is.  LN.....Otherwise, a good day......LN

Monday 7th February

Five thirty start so I gave the fire the kiss of life, emptied the ashes, put a decent size log on and went back to bed with a coffee.  Did my brain exercises with sudoku until I got tired of doing it and couldn't beat my previous records so was out of bed at seven.  I went upstairs and washed and dressed, came down and tidied the kitchen and topped up my coffee and put the Olympics on to check the overnight happenings.  I eventually made a toasted cheese sandwich for breakfast and put half of yesterdays pasta bake in the freezer and the other half in the fridge to have later.

I put food out for the birds and they were soon gathering on the terrace.  I spotted the jay earlier in the walnut at the bottom of the garden but it didn't take it long to spot the activity and head up to claim his and everybody else's share....well he is a big bird.  I started to tidy the cushions in the lounge and stripped off an orange one intending to wash it by hand but instead went to the bedroom and took the quilt cover and bottom sheet from the bed and it all went into the machine.  It was a reasonable day, not much sun but I thought it better to dry the clothes inside and the nest and bottom sheet dry very quickly because they are man made fibre.  I put them on the banister rail but the upstairs desk and they were soon ready to put back on the bed. I also tidied up the heap of kitchen cleaning clothes on the shelf under the sink and measured up the kitchen table benches to make cushions for them.  It's been on my mind for a while and I've never got round to it but I seem to have more time this winter so need to fill it.  This also prompted me to find out what material I have in the upstairs chest in the sewing room and I've got plenty to do the proposed exercise.  I managed to get to the bottom of the chest and put it back in some sort of order and I found material that I'd brought over from the UK with me and done nothing with.....yet....watch this space.  

I made another coffee, heated up the pasta bake and had it watching Countdown...a little more mental exercise.  I cleared away and made the bed up ready for tonight so that's another job done, I checked emails and I've been getting lots from a carpet manufacturer since I started checking out offers on a certain website.....I want to replace the carpet in my bedroom.  It might also entail a trip to Haskovo on the next good day we have, that's where I bought the last ones from.  

I'm with my student tomorrow afternoon and supposedly going to my other student's parents for supper but I'm going to have to wait to see what the weather does overnight.  We're supposed to have snow starting tonight and going on until tomorrow morning and then again tomorrow afternoon so the last thing I want to do it to be coming back through the forest tomorrow night.  Time to think about supper for tonight....it might even be beans on toast.  LN.....Tomorrow is all in the lap of the gods.....LN

Tuesday 8th February

Six thirty start and first job was to check how much snow had fallen in the night.  It was snowing last night when I went to bed but the terraces were so wet that nothing was sticking and it was the same this morning.  The only difference was that there was a very strong wind and fortunately it was to the front of the property coming from the road side.  I made coffee, opened the curtains, brought the fire back to life and put the laptop on the stairwell desk on and the Olympics.  I watched the curling during various sessions in the day and was disappointed when Britain didn't bring back the bronze.

Washed and dressed, it was a cold morning, the snow was building at this point and I made the decision that I wouldn't be going to my student's for supper tonight, the last thing I wanted was to get stuck in the snow if it did start to settle or the wrong side of a tree if it came down as I travelled back late at night.  Call me chicken!!  I messaged her and told her the bad news and she understood, I kept the student lesson this afternoon on the back burner, I wanted to see if the snow stopped falling and I did need a few items from Djebel.  I meandered around for the morning between emails, taking photos of the birds, more tidying of the fabric chest and then it was time to make a decision and I was ready to leave at two.  I got the Nipper out, put on my long padded coat that I'd bought from Greece a few years back, popped over to Avatar's house to see if she wanted anything from Djebel and set off.

There were still patches of ice on the road but no new snow had settled.  I parked up on the main car-park and joined my student's mother in the shop and we had a catch-up....it was good to be out and about again.  My student arrived back from school at around three fifteen and I gave him ten minutes to sort himself out and we had a fairly lively session with the budgerigar joining in as well which made us both laugh.  First job though was to relight the fire, his mother had told him to put a log on, he'd forgotten so it was back to the drawing board Cecil.  Lesson over by five fifteen, down to the shop for a quick goodbye, supermarket for fruit, onions and carrots, bread and now it could snow all it wants.  Home for six thirty, chicken and veg in the oven for supper, lit the fire and now everything is working as it should and supper should be ready any time soon.

The temperature has really dropped again tonight and it's very cloudy so it might very well snow and stick or it might be too cold for snow which should make my daughter laugh, it normally does when I use that phrase.  And now to check supper and the fire, it might be time to throw another log on...it's all go at this house.  LN....It was really good to be out and about today.....LN....Log on and chicken turned over....LN

Wednesday 9th February

It was so light outside that I thought we'd had snow overnight but no...I was just late waking up.  I was into one of these recurring dreams that you can't seem to exit and I really felt sluggish when I got out of bed, very little spring in my step.  First thing was that I noticed the casualty of the bird house that the wind had brought down.  I was tempted to get the hammer and nails out but it needs more than that and since the wind was still blowing, I left it where it was until later in the day....and it's still waiting.

I washed, dressed, walked over to Avatar's house with the clementine that I'd bought for her yesterday and she offered me a ten leva note and she said that she wouldn't release it until she got her seven leva change and we laughed about it.  She mentioned that she hadn't quite got enough blue wool to finish the second sock she was knitting me and I said that I thought I might have more at home.  She also had a problem with her overhead light, one of the bulbs had gone so I suggested that we checked what type it was and I'd get her a replacement the next time I went into Kardjali from my light shop.  She said it was OK and one bulb of the fixture still worked so that was enough for her and I reiterated that I'd get a replacement, if the other one went she wouldn't have any light at all and she now thought it was a good idea.  I went home and realised that I didn't have any more blue but could supply red or cream which she refused, I also took one of my halogen bulbs over but it was the wrong size and handed her seven leva and received the ten note.   Transactions complete.

I returned home and  carried on sorting out the chest in my downstairs bedroom and moved the clothes that my guest leaves here into the wooden chest so that everything was together and put it all in a travel bag that I found in the upstairs sewing room in a much larger bag.  Having moved the clothes out I managed to get to the bottom of the other chest and found enough material to make my cushions for the kitchen and I now know what's in there.  Surprising what you forget.  This afternoon has been a 'more sort out day' and I think it might be a sewing day tomorrow especially now I've decided which material to use.  Lit the fire at five tonight and it's got a pleasant warmth to it, it started the day at minus three, climbed during the day but I think it might be on its way down again but at least the wind has dropped.

Not sure what I'm having for supper so need to check out not so much availability as to what I effort I want to put in.  LN.....Time to go see....LN

Thursday 10th February

Late start this morning and I woke up sluggish and not too interested in the day.  I didn't bother with breakfast or coffee and settled for water, no morning television....I didn't want to shout at it and no Olympics.  Instead I got dressed, checked emails on the upstairs computer and at nine thirty my doorbell rang, or rather my neighbour was there with the wireless control and was wanting my attention.  I opened the door and put down the drawbridge, she didn't want to come in but had my new socks that she'd finished in her hand.  She'd decided to finish them off with beige wool and it wasn't too far away from the one that I'd suggested.  The only difference was that she'd undone the top of the one that she'd already finished and they were both the same....such a perfectionist and they're super.  I'd asked her to make these longer than the first pair she'd made and she had.

I carried on with the tidying in the sewing room, the material is now all back in the chest and I have a bag of clothes that I've got to find where I can take them to a charity collection point.  I've not finished yet though, I've got the chest of summer clothes in my bedroom to go through...it's a slow old process.  I'm not very good at letting go of stuff but it's not a solution to keep buying chests to store it in.  I've also emptied four ski bags and now they're stored in the biggest one...so much space.

I did watch some of the curling this afternoon, Steph's Packed Lunch and Countdown and suddenly felt hungry so I opened a tin of tuna, added beetroot and baked beans and it was an interesting mixture and I'd do it again.  This seemed to revive my mood and energy so I went down and washed up from yesterday and today, lit the fire, filled the log basket and the log carrier, emptied the peelings into the compost bin, the remains of the slow cooker over the wall for the animals.  The fire was slow to start but at last it's sending water round the radiators.  Now to settle in for the night....it's been a beautiful day, the temperature is dropping now so time to cosy up.  LN.....The bonfire has to wait for tomorrow......LN