Friday 11th February

So I stopped up last night to watch 'Ronnie - the actual' get knocked out by the Australian that ponces round the table.....I should have gone to bed, I was waiting for the come-back that never came.  Straight to sleep and it was just before seven when I woke up, salvaged the fire since it was minus three outside and seventeen in so now really necessary but it's nice to look at.  I put a load of washing in the machine, it was such a beautiful day once the sun came up so it was a good opportunity to get it outside to dry.  Washed and dressed, made poached eggs on toast for breakfast and decided to rejig the kitchen shelves under the island workshop and move the saucepans up a level, I always asked myself why I put them on the lower shelf in the first place.  

The birds were pretty active this morning and so were the cats.  I think a couple have come into season so that means that we should have another lot of newbies.  I'm very tempted to have a word with the Kmet to see it he can organise a program where we have the vet come out and maybe put them on the pill....Id feed them each and every day if it would reduce the population.  I just don't thank that there's much education regarding cat breeding and how to stop it.  

So pegged the washing out and went down to the bottom of the garden with the waste paper for burning and had a burn up.  Fortunately the wind was blowing away from the washing and over the hillside and it missed me completely as I sat on the wall in the sun until my bottom got cold...the frost must have worked its way into the concrete.  I picked up the branches that had blown from the trees and put them onto the fire, pulled the tops of last years Jerusalem artichokes and slung them over the wall.  The log carriers were filled up, log basket sorted and the rest of the day was mine.  

This afternoon I sat at the table in the stairwell and suddenly decided that I was going to do an experiment with the netting that they put over the house insulation before they apply the finishing and a latch hook that was left over from an old knitting machine that I'd been given and it had never worked.  I cut a decent sized piece of the net, cut some wool up into short lengths and had to work out how to use the latch to knot the wool to the netting...and I did it.  I've now managed to work about a six inch square and have enjoyed doing it.  Knitting frustrates me and crocheting I always seem to get the wrong size hook and it's either too big or too small and I end up undoing it.

Made tuna and potato salad with carrots, onions and beetroot, washed up afterwards and I appear to have made enough for another meal tomorrow.  I was tempted to take it over for my Avatar but not sure it would have gone down well.  Same again with the weather please chaps, I might even head into Kardjali and have a walk round the shops or get stuck into my carpet making.  LN....A very relaxing day......LN

Saturday 12th February

It's been an exciting day.  I woke up just before six, tried to go back off again and no joy so started my day early.  It was cold out, freezing fog so I decided that I would have another uneventful day, not bother with going into Kardjali, I really didn't have much to buy.  I brought the fire back to life, put the Olympics on and carried on with my carpet kit remaining in my PJ's sitting in the stairwell with not a care in the world.  I made bacon and egg for breakfast, washed up, put the washing away and went back to my work for the day and at ten everything changed.  My other student from Djebel asked if she could come round with her sister and the baby for a visit this afternoon and I assumed that that meant around two o'clock.  I messaged back that it would be OK, that I'd just have to get the hoover out and was looking forward to seeing them.  

So hoover out, woodwork polished, went to borrow a packet of biscuits from my neighbour so I didn't have to go into Djebel to buy some, biscuits in hand I came back home and at twelve decided to have a shower and wash my hair and at twelve fifteen there was a knock on the conservatory door...they were early by my reckoning but I let them know that I knew they were there, told them to come in and find seats, I went back in the bathroom and put on the clothes that I'd just taken off, put a brush through my wet hair and tied it back.  By this time they'd settled in, my student, her sister and husband and the baby and realised that they'd brought me a cake and an orchid for a present.  I made drinks, blew the candle out on the cake, they sang happy birthday. I cut the cake and provided plates and forks and we settled down.  The baby was being cuddled and looked strangely at me since I don't really know her and then suddenly started screeching for attention as we started a conversation that didn't include her.  I've  come across this before so I let out a loud screech to match hers and she looked at me in surprise and then smiled.  I turned to her and said that it was her turn for another one and at eleven months old and I was speaking in English not Turkish so she didn't really understand but it stopped.  They weren't stopping long, they were off to make more visits so by one thirty they were on their way and I was tidying up the kitchen, drying my hair and about to settle down for the rugby and I had more visitors.

My friend from the neighbouring village had popped in for a catch-up so kettle on again, more plates and forks for more cake, we put the world to rights and discussed what we were doing for my birthday later this week.  We'd talked about going to Erdine in Turkey but I think we've settled for Greece, the Saturday market, a walk on the beach and a meal at out favourite restaurant if it's open and another if not.  Off they went around four so I took the packet of biscuits back so that I wasn't tempted to eat them and armed with four portions of the cake I delivered them to my neighbours.  I knew that it was just too much for me to manage.  I then realised that my other neighbour who has the next door garden was working  there so I wrapped her a portion up. shouted to her in the garden and told her what it was hanging it on the fence for when she was about to go home.

I eventually sorted the kitchen out, washed the towels, made me a coffee and had another piece of cake and there's only one slice left now which I'm sure I can manage after my tuna salad supper left over from last night.  What a lovely day I've had but I suddenly asked how old I was by one of my neighbours and I realise that three of them are babies....I'm older than three of my old ladies.  LN.....Now there's something to ponder on......LN

Sunday 13th February

Happy birthday to my number one son today...I don't like to think how old he is...where did all those years go?  I hope the card company that I was relying on delivered otherwise I shall be chasing them for a refund.  

I woke up at five thirty and fortunately I snuggled down again and it was eight when I forced myself into the day.  It was a cloudy start and has remained that way all day, it's been cold, windy and even though the thermometer showed four degrees, the wind chill went straight through you.  I washed and dressed in chunky gear, salvaged the fire and made bacon and egg for breakfast to set me up for the day.  I went over to see Avatar to check if she had any wool left that I'd off loaded on her and I was looking for the fawn colour and she had.  It's to work into the rug thingy that I'm making and this afternoon I've finished the first run of white and have now started on the fawn colour...all this while watching the curling.  Meanwhile, she was cooking her lunch which smelled very good and I came back with a small bowl of it and half a loaf of bread that she'd made and there was nothing for it but to have it as soon as I got back setting myself up for the afternoon.

Other than that it's been a matter of keeping the home fires burning but this afternoon I fancied something sweet.  I cored and sliced up a couple of apples, put them into a jug with water, brown sugar, sultanas and into the microwave with it for about eight minutes on high.  I removed the jug and added honey, back into the microwave for a little longer and had it with ice-cream.  The remainder of the apples I skinned and put them in one of the containers that I was due to return to Avatar, added ice-cream and headed back over the road with it with the remainder of the containers that I'd brought over earlier.  

Fire topped up when I got home, I checked the forecast for tonight and it's apparently going down to minus four again so we're back to normal for the time of year.  Shan't need supper, I've had enough food for today and I might not be moving far from the fire if the temperature is low tomorrow....I've got plenty of food in and don't have any need to subject myself to the elements.  LN.....Time to pull up the drawbridge....LN

Monday 14th February

So I suppose it's Happy Valentine's Day for those still interested, for the rest of us it's just another day on the calendar.  February for me is all about birthdays...just so many of them.

Silly early start but I managed to get off again until eight fifteen which made my morning OK except that my lower lip had swollen up again and I know not why.  I've also got a few red blotches on my arms again so I really think that I'm due another trip to the doctor to see if they can identify what is really causing it.  I did the normal morning chores and it was suddenly nine of the clock and thinking about it, I hadn't been out of bed that long.  It was another cold start, minus three and white over and the sun has been out and warmed inside but it was still pretty chill outside, the wind was cold.  I did managed to tidy up the under terrace garden, pulled up the gladioli stalks from last year and dead-headed the Michaelmas daisies.

I didn't do much today, the highlight of afternoon was a phone call from Princess as a catch up and her calls do cheer me up and we bring out the humour in each other.  She's on half term and I think she decided that she needed a break from housework hence the call.  I'm having a problem picking up hair from the landing carpet, the hoover creates so much static that the hair just sticks to the carpet.  We then both started brainstorming a solution and came up with sellotape and a pair of shoes...I'm working on it.  Enough of the fun, she went back to cleaning her cooker, I filled up the log basket, filled the log carriers and lit the fire at five.  

Out on the town tomorrow with a visitor to the region, we're meeting at ten thirty and let's see where we go from there.  We shall probably end up here since she hasn't seen the house.  I have mince in the fridge that I should be something with for supper so I suppose I better get it into gear.  LN.....Quiz night tonight on the television....LN

Tuesday 15th February

Happy birthday to my grandma who would have been really old today...one hundred and thirty five to be precise...that's what following find my past lets you find out.  I remember my grandma very well....she had a leather chaise longue in the living area and I used to pretend, at the age of seven may I add, that I knew how to swim and I used to demonstrate it.  Never tried it out in water at that point, my mother and father couldn't swim and I didn't manage it until we went to the local swimming baths for lessons when I was nine.  After that I was OK as long as I could touch the bottom of the pool and now at my grand old age, I swim like a fish but keeping my head complete out of the water.  I was never a natural.

I've had a lovely day today.  I picked up my guest for the day at ten thirty in Djebel and we came back home.  She'd seen the house around eight years ago and I think I've updated it a little since then.  We had coffee and a chat, a good catch-up,  Her circumstances have changed, she was visiting her son and they have a three year old daughter who's taking to the life here very well...local nursery school and learning some of the language.  Just before one we set off for Zlatograd, taking the road through Velikdenche which still had lots of ice and snow in the forest where the sun never shines and eventually made the main road to Zlatograd and then on to the old village.  Most of the tourist shops were shut so we couldn't see very much of the dinky doos so we made out way to the hotel and ordered lunch.  It was a nice day outside but fresh, we were going to eat outside but everyone was smoking so we chose inside instead.  The service was very good, the barman spoke English but I persevered with my Bulgarian and it was understood.  I ordered pizza for myself, salad, cheesy chips which I hadn't had for ages and something cooked in a pot was very well received.  Soft drinks for both and the whole meal only came to thirty five lev...try doing that in England.  Very pleasant conversation and I was invited back to her son's house for supper tonight but there was no room within....I was utterly stuffed after the pizza and we even left some chip on the plate....lightweights.

Back to where she was staying and I saw Bekir and his son working on flowerbeds/vegetable beds and I mentioned that I had one or two jobs for him to do that wouldn't take up much of his time namely the leaking outlet pipe to the downstairs toiled where the seal has gone.  I've bought the part but I think the toilet has to be removed to fit the new connector and he's the man to do it...after all, he fitted it in the first place.  I was invited to look over the work that had been done, I saw this property from the beginning and was interested in how they had developed it.

Home for six thirty, fire lit, don't need supper and I probably shan't want breakfast.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow unless Bekir finds a slot in his current work to fix my toilet....fingers crossed he will.  It's supposed to be the last but one of the winter moons and it's very bright tonight heralding another frost I fear.   LN.....Sunny days but chill.....LN

Wednesday 16th February

It's been a funny old day....very quiet for most of it and a rush to the finishing post and the race has been delayed until Sunday or Monday....and now I'll explain.

I was watching the television last night until pretty late and fell upon a play and when I looked up it was two thirty and really time that I went to bed.  I got into bed and tried to settle down and nothing happening so I started to play Sudoku until I fell sleepy and by now it was heading towards three thirty so I tried again and it was just before seven thirty when I woke up.  For the last few days I've had an enormous amount of energy...spring must be on its way.

I washed and dressed, made scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast, did a load of washing, pegged it out putting the pegs in firmly, it could have landed up in Greece if not.  The sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds but the washing was soon dry.  I watched the Olympics but got out my mini carpet and settled down to add more wool to the canvas.  I had good intentions of going into Djebel and buying a cake for the ladies for tomorrow but it just seemed too much like hard work.  I also thought about getting my head down but there was no need, I felt OK.  At three I got the washing in from the line and on to the airer and went back to my mini carpet and at four my phone rang and it was Bekir asking if it was OK to come round and sort out the leaking toilet which I welcomed with open arms.  I hate it when things just don't work as thy should do.  

He arrived with his son, attempted to sort out the leaking junction pipe from the toilet outlet to the pipe that takes it down the garden.  He suggested silicon and I said no to that idea, I didn't want something that was going to be a temporary measure, I wanted it to last.  He managed to get the old connector pipe out but with difficulty and unfortunately the one that I'd bought was the wrong size so we went into Djebel and bought the correct one.  Bekir had done the original installation but he'd forgotten how the pipes under the tiles went but once the connector was removed he realised that taking the back tiles off from the ledge at the back of the toiled would not solve the problem.  The other problem was that the toilet is set in concrete so the next solution was to remove the concrete from round the bottom of the toilet to release it from the floor so I checked the little house for any spare floor tiles just in case we had any accidents...and I had some.  After a while I suggested that they left if and came back for a full day.  It was obviously going to take longer, it was five thirty already and they'd worked a full day somewhere else before they came to me.  He's got work tomorrow somewhere else so he will phone me and come either Sunday or Monday and off they went.  I have the second toilet upstairs so no real problem.

Djebel in the morning to get a cake to distribute round the village and then I have my student in the afternoon and will take more birthday cake to friends in Djebel.  So now the moon is playing hide and seek with the clouds....the temperature should be better overnight.  LN.....Not so late to bed tonight.......LN

Thursday 17th February

Well it was another late night and I was still trying to go to sleep at two thirty this morning and it was seven when I woke  up and still managed too stay awake all day.  It's been a full on day, lots of cards and good thoughts coming my way, greetings from my ladies telling me that there's lots more years yet to get under my belt and wishing me lots of health to achieve it.  

It was a little cold outside so I stayed in except for emptying the remains of the bird seed onto the terrace and filling up the container with more seeds from the large water bottle where it was moved to when the vermin chewed through the plastic bag it came in.  I went to get my breakfast, realised that I had a few specks of green on the bread so that again went out to the birds or cats and didn't bother getting more bread from the freezer, I was going into Djebel in a short time to buy the cake for the village.  Breakfast went on to the back burner while I washed and dressed for town but then I got involved in answering messages, emails wishing me a happy birthday and organising my documents for the trip to Greece at the weekend.  Eventually into the Nipper at ten thirty, I parked up and went to my favourite cake shop and settled on the large on.  I also bought myself a bright yellow pot of lilies and was given a hyacinth in a pot.  I popped into the supermarket and bought eggs, bread, spicy sausages and a fruited brioche bread and headed for home ready for the delivery service of cake to the village.  I sliced it up, parcelled it up, walked round the village with it and confused the ladies, they had cake on Sunday so why two lots.  I explained and they got it.

Lovely cards and my daughter phoned and so did my son later in the day.  I delivered enough cake to my older students mum's shop for the family and took the rest with me to my student lesson and had a super present of a selection of perfumed oils from the family.  As for the lesson, my student had done lots of homework for me, we read through a text but he just wanted to practice conversational  English and that was OK with me.  It's all about confidence.

Home for six thirty, I lit the fire, cooked one of the spicy sausages with onions and had it with the crust of the new loaf. More telephone conversations and my niece broke the news on FB posting a photograph that must have been taken just over fifty years ago.  LN      Thanks to all my friends and family for making it a special day......LN

Friday 18th February

Seven thirty start and it was only one o'clock when I went to bed last night.  Tonight I have to set the alarm for tomorrow morning, I have to be at the departure lounge by seven thirty and with the lane being out of action, it's going to take me a little longer so early night for me.  I was a little slow off the mark, I was watching the Olympics and working on my magic carpet sitting in the sun.  The fire was worth salvaging, it wasn't too cold out but the wind was keen, I could have relied on the sun but thought I'd just be really settled for the day.

Facebook was pretty active, late birthday greetings coming in since I don't make my birthday common knowledge on FB but had been picked up by a few friends from other comments made and published.  It suddenly hit me that it was time I got into outside clothing and not wallowing around in PJ's so I washed and dressed and headed to the kitchen, realised that I had some left over spicy sausage and onions already to go so made an omelette with cheese in it.  That's kept me going all day and just as I was finishing up a couple of friends arrived with a late card and present....the card hand painted and that's already framed and the jar of marmite remains unopened at the moment.  I'd run out and forgotten to bring some back from the UK so it was a welcome surprise and purchased in Greece so can be replaced when finished.  We sat in the sun and had coffee on the terrace and off they went to Kardjali on a shopping expedition.  

Washing went into the machine, it was such a brilliant drying day but everything needed securing well or I was likely having to rescue it from Greece.  I felt an urge to have another attempt at finding the relatives that went out to Canada to live but hit so many brick walls that I abandoned the attempt and settled for the curling and how good was that.  It was a really long game, right to the wire and we knocked out Sweden in the semi-finals and have made it through to the finals as have the men.  At least we will have two medals, unsure of the colour at the moment but well done to the teams.

No need to eat anything else tonight, I finished the cake off this afternoon while I watched the curling, got the washing in and it's now sitting on airer especially with the fire going all day, the house is really cosy.  I've just put the boiler on for a soak in the bath....clothes will be put at the ready, market in Komatini tomorrow morning early and then we'll play it by ear...market garden and a restaurant and it depends on which ones are open as to which one we choose.  LN.....Bath-time calls.....LN

Saturday 19th February

At two thirty this morning I had a nagging feeling that I needed to take a Covid test before I went with my friends to Greece just in case I'd picked up the bug and it would be discovered at the test point at the Greek border crossing.  I tried to get back to sleep but couldn't so found a test pack and carried it out and it was all OK with the customary 'C' being indicated.  By the time I'd faffed around it was too late to get back off again, I'd set the alarm for six, we were having an early start to the crossing to beat the traffic that can build up, I was having to go via Velikdenche and I wasn't sure of the travel time so I set off at six fifty and arrived at their house at seven twenty five.  We were ready to leave at seven thirty and at the border crossing, there wasn't even a queue, passports checked. passenger locator forms checked and we were through the border and down to the virus check and we got the thumbs up...we were free to carry on.

First stop in Komitini was the market and some stall holders were only just setting up while others were in full voice.  Fresh fish, fresh vegetables and clothes lucky dips were all to be had and this time I controlled myself and bought nothing....I have too many clothes already.  It was cold out of the sun and once we'd finished at the market we headed into town and walked round for a while, bought steak from the indoor market and then back into the car and made a beeline for the villages along the coast and the sea.  By now the temperature had climbed and in the sun it was very pleasant.  We made our way back to Fanari which is my favourite spot on the coast, coffee sitting in the sun and then an early lunch which we lingered over in the fish restaurant which turned out to be very busy for February.  Homeward bound with a stop off at Lidl which is much bigger and better than the one in Djebel, back to the border crossing and we handed our passports over for stamping, the boot was checked and we were back in Bulgaria and only two cars in front of us so no time at all for the process to take place.

The idea was to have the steak at my friend's house but instead I brought it home with me, I'd had such a good lunch that I'd really not got any space for it so it's sitting in the fridge and will be kept for tomorrow.  Lovely day, it was good to be out and about and Greece is so near and needs visiting at least every two months or so....I must make entries in my diary and as long as you go early to the crossing before the Romanians get up and about.....it's no great effort.  I've taken lots of photos and have spend time trying to get the off the phone since I didn't take my camera and it will have to wait until tomorrow.  I fell asleep watching the television this evening and didn't wake up until eight thirty, catching up on the sleep I didn't have in the early hours.....and now to bed for more catch up.  LN......Steak supper tomorrow....along with photos of today....LN

Sunday 20th February

What a silly night last night and I'm so pleased that the Olympics have finished.  I'd watched most of the curling, the ups and downs and slides on the ice so it was inevitable that I would watch the GB final with Japan.  I somehow got into watching Saturday night TV, the BBC had announced that there would be a warm up before the even, I was also watching Notting Hill, an old film but I'd never seen it and before I knew it it was two so I decided to stay up.  It was very much GB's game, Japan played well but were no real competition for the women and by half time there it was on the cards that GB was going to take the gold but there's many a slip between cup and lip.

I lasted the course, I'd kept the fire in and went to bed at five thirty this morning and woke up at eight and have been going ever since.  I made toast for breakfast, fed the birds, left the washing up, brought the fire back to life, got dressed in work clothes and promptly sat down in the lounge and put on Netflix.  I hadn't got any series on the go so looked at the options available and thought I'd give 'Kurt Wallander' a go and watched the first episode.  At this point I would normally carry on and watch the second but I switched it off, collected the household rubbish, leather waistcoat on. work boots, firelighter and headed down to the bottom of the garden.  I took the lid from the burning barrel, cleared out the tin cans ready for the container in the village and noticed that there was a hefty branch of one of the trees in the bottom garden that had broken off.  I got the fire going first, fetched the saw from the little house and removed the branch, cut it up and that went in the bin too.  I put the lid back on so that nothing escaped and headed back up the garden and decided to mend the bird table that had got damaged in the storm.  I didn't make it and it was very difficult to take apart, I modified it slightly and made a temporary fix of the roof to the supports with nails and I'll get some rubber roof tiles to protect the roof form the weather.  My attention was drawn to the raised garden in front of the little house wall and the bottom rail had given way and soil was escaping and it just looked untidy.  I've now replaced the  bottom rail but I've yet to add the finishing old engine oil coat to protect it...time was marching on at this point.  Tools, screws and nails away, finally swept the little house terrace collecting up the rubbish that had collected over the winter and took the old wood removed from the repair and got rid of that on the bonfire that was still happily ticking away.

I decided to cook an early supper so the steak brought back from Greece was cooked on the griddle pan in butter and oil, towards the end of the cooking I added sliced onions to the pan to caramelise them and to finish it off fried an egg and all served on a slice of bread.  The steak was OK, a little on the big size but I managed it all and there's very little left for the dogs only the bone trimmings.  I'm feeling tired now  but will stretch it out until after Antiques Roadshow and then get my little  head down for some catch-up bedtime.  It's been a pleasant day temperature wise and I was into post winter tidying and felt that I'd achieved quite a lot.  I've managed to do my ten thousand Fitbit steps and tomorrow looks like being another spring day so I might get some flower seeds started off and I've got vegetable planters that just need compost, seeds and water.  It's the first time I've tried them so I'll e trying out beetroot, carrots and potatoes in three of them,  You actually use them to fully grow the vegetables, not transplant the seedlings to the garden.  Bekir is supposed to be coming tomorrow to fix the downstairs toiled but I haven't heard from him yet so still up in the air.  LN.....I've got plenty to get up to.....LN