Thursday 1st September

A bit of a disturbed sleep so I was out of bed at six fifteen, washing in and pegged out by seven and the grass mower was pushed down to the bottom of the garden to carry on where I'd left off yesterday.  I'd replaced the primer last night so was surprised when I tried to strike it up when it didn't do what it was supposed to so I wheeled it back up the garden and balanced it near the steps to the little house under storage.  I grabbed a screwdriver from the little house, removed the primer that I'd fitted yesterday and realised that there was a narrow pipe that was supposed to attach to the primer and it had missed it altogether.  I removed the filter cover, loads of dust came out of it from yesterday's efforts, fiddled around with the pipe and held it firm behind where the new primer was to be fitted, attached the pipe and replaced the primer and bingo.....all worked well.  I replaced the filter cover, took it down to the bottom of the garden and it was all systems go.  The sun had only just come up so I was working in the coolest part of the day and treading down the mole hills, I finished the main house garden, ran out of fuel so refilled it and started on the other side.  I'd finished everything by eleven, mower away, me in the shower since I was filthy dirty from the dust that had been picked up and thrown out, washed my hair and it's been a very pleasant day for the rest of it.

Breakfast was the remains of the boiled ham and Cheddar cheese while watching Netflix carrying on from where I'd left off last night.  The crisps and chocolates have taken a battering. I've felt very lazy, the preparation for the family coming and the driving I've done have all taken their toll and it really was an effort to tackle the grass but now it's done, it's ticked off the list.

Message today to say that the Nipper is finished and working OK so it's on the early village bus to pick it up to save phoning for a taxi.  It's anytime from eight onwards so I better set the alarm....it I miss it on it's way to the other two villages further along the road I can always get it on the way back to Djebel.  It sometimes gets crowded so to ensure a seat, much better on the upward journey.    Eight my time, I've just watered the pots, not really needing anything for supper, too much rubbish has been consumed.  LN.....I should sleep better tonight......LN

Friday 2nd September

Another disturbed night . three until five I was playing sudoku, back to sleep and woke up at seven thirty remembering that I was catching the bus this morning at around eight.  Quickly got washed and dressed, put a brush through my hair, didn't bother with coffee but was out of the gate and walking towards Avatar's house around five to eight.  She was in the garden with her son and DIL and they offered me a lift to Djebel which I refused.  I like to be seen on the bus occasionally, I meet more of the villagers and I take the bus up to the furthest village, it turns round and I get more of a trip out of my two lev fifty for the fare.  This is what I told her son anyway.  As the bus approached I checked my purse for change and realised that I had only got fifty lev notes in my purse and one fifty in change so I asked Avatar if she could let me borrow one leva towards the journey and I shouted that she could have it back with interest when I returned from Djebel after picking up the Nipper.

I got on the bus and on the way up we only picked up one person and on the way back my ex student got on and she sat by me.  We had a few words in Bulgarian, she's now working in the local supermarket and I didn't ask her how her English was coming along.  In the final visit before the main road seven men got on obviously on their way to the mosque since it was Friday and as I got off the bus one of them engaged me in conversation asking why I didn't speak Turkish and I explained that I preferred to use the language of the country and I think that went down like a lead balloon.  So over to the garage shop for a chat, cash point for money and stopped off at my flower shop and have made plans to visit the lakes of Rila with a few other likeminded people.  She also mentioned that one of her friends likes travelling and is looking for a travelling companion so I put myself forward.  Let's see what comes of it.  I bought a linen carpet from the curtain shop for seventy five lev, made my way to the garage and the owner insisted that I started the car.  I mentioned that it sounded different and he pointed to the old exhaust that had been replaced and didn't need to say any more and we both laughed.

I stopped off at the supermarket, drove home, parked outside and walked over to Avatar's house to pay back the one lev and added twenty stotinki interest.  I heard a noise from her garden but couldn't see her and as I approached she was sitting on the floor with a large water bottle between her legs and was filling it with a dried breakfast cereal that they make here.  Apparently it's going to Germany with the, on the plane.  I handed her the money which she said she didn't want and the interest and we laughed about it, in the conversation she told me that Zelinger had a problem with her back and no one could take her to the doctor so I suggested that we walked down to Zelinger's house and I could run her in this afternoon.  When we got there she told up that her son was going to take her that afternoon but was extremely grateful for my offer.  So back home, unpacked the shopping, some of it went in the freezer and I settled down to a late breakfast of cheese and biscuits battering the Brie.  The clouds gathered this afternoon, we had a thunderstorm and eventually it rained, not much but enough that I don't have to water anything tonight.  I've now got supper of Turkish kebabs to cook and chippies that will probably give me indigestion and have another sleepless night in Dushinkovo.  Nothing on the agenda so far for tomorrow but as you know things change rapidly.  I'd like to get one more swim in before they close for the season.  LN.....Please let it be a good day weatherwise.....LN

Saturday 3rd September

So that day to the pool didn't materialise.  It was quite a pleasant start to the day but as the day wore on the clouds gathered and eventually we had the thunder and rain.  I thought about going into Kardjali but really couldn't raise the energy and most of the day has been spent doing very little.  I started to move my clothes back upstairs then realised that it's September and normally I would be thinking about moving them downstairs in preparation for the departure nearer the petchka.

Food has played a big part in today.  Bacon sandwiches for a delayed breakfast and chicken wings and mayo for tonight.  Ms Cat will benefit in the morning. she was waiting this morning but all that I had on the menu was bread and she turned her nose up at that and obviously found pickings elsewhere.  The Voice starts tonight but doesn't start until ten my time so I might very well be watching it in bed.  Bad day for happenings and photos, nothing much to report in.  I was going to chop my starter wood and start putting the garden umbrellas and sun beds away.  I also have to put more support straps on the swinging sun lounger, that never got done before the family arrived and nobody made a move to use it anyway.  LN....Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow.....LN

Sunday 4th September

Five thirty start, too early for me so head down and managed to go through until seven thirty.....much better.  As for the rest of the day it's been another of very little activity and beating myself up about it yet doing nothing about it.  I spotted one of the tortoise heading for the walnut tree and checked on its travels and it was Green God sunning itself in the big buddlieh bed beyond the walnut.  I went back up to the house to collect the rubbish that needed burning and found Rosy near the bonfire container on the other side of the garden from Green God....staying well away from the amorous hard nut.  There was a breeze blowing so I added the lit to the container as soon as I got it established, despite the recent rain everywhere is still very dry.

Bacon sandwich for breakfast but it's been another picky day as far as food is concerned.  I finished off the Netflix series I was watching, thought about the pool but the sun was intermittent, too many clouds around and they might have even closed for the season with the weather changing, children going back to school and students heading back for university.  Also the exodus had more or less ended with families returning to Turkey or other seasonal employment.  Djebel is quite empty.

Looked at the grass today and there is a very rampant weed that despite cutting it back with the mower has sprung up so tomorrow I'm going to look for a gel weed killer that I know I have somewhere in the workshop to see if it will suppress or kill it.  I know it's got very deep roots so might have to end up digging it out and will probably have to put grass seed down to fill in the gaps.  I also noticed that the mole was very active half way down the garden so I might be having to buy some more of the mole smokes, the mole deterrent seems really ineffective maybe I'm supposed to dig them out and smack them over the head with it.  I know I should have read the instructions more thoroughly!!

Brie and digestives for supper and I'm still eating up the goodies that were bought when the family was over.  The house still seems really empty without them so time to make plans to go visit the UK in October for half term.   LN....Now where were those motivational tables or exercises that I need to start on....LN

Monday 5th September

Somehow I was still watching television late into the night but slept really well and not waking up until seven thirty this morning....and felt really good for it.  Washing went in, the sun was up, the mole had been very active and two tortoise spotted.  I didn't bother with breakfast until much later and settled for poached eggs on toast, the bacon from yesterday went out for Ms Cat and it's now responding to my 'clicking' noise with a 'meow' when I take food out for her.  Don't tell any one about my softer side regarding cats, it will ruin my reputation.

So washing pegged out and by now the wind was blowing quite strongly.  I put the clothes prop in place and it didn't take long for it to be blown to the floor and the peg bag with it so I left them both on the ground.  The clothes stayed on the line but were scrunched up by the wind but a good shake when I took them in sorted them out.  It was mainly cotton PJ's that were washed and t-shirts so nothing really to worry about.  I popped over to see Avatar this afternoon but the house was shut up and the garage was shut so I reckoned they were having an afternoon nap so I came home again and settled down with Netflix.  Again I didn't feel like doing very much, I thought about going into Kardjali, my butter cache is looking a little slim but it can wait until tomorrow and I really don't have a lot to go for.

I went back to see Avatar around five, noticed her nephew's van outside and the garage door open so let myself in to the garden and asked if it was OK to go into the garage where they were sitting.  She called me in and I moved one of the plastic chairs nearer to her and away from her nephew, was offered food from a plate but declined, there were too many flies about for me.  So she's off to Germany and has only one day left, she made a point of reminding me that I said that I would go and visit her but I reminded her that the only thing putting me off was that her grand-daughter said that she snores and we had a good laugh about it.  I might very well go, Gulcan also lives near them in Germany so I could kill two birds with one stone and not outstay my welcome in either venue.

I came home around seven, her son and daughter in law had arrived back from Djebel, her DIL had had her hair coloured to cover up the grey and it looked very good.  Here it cost fifty leva which is really good, it's so expensive to get it done in Germany and England.  Fortunately mine has got all colours in it, is natural so costs me nothing and I don't want to start doing things to it.  We started joking about my going over there and were laughing quite loudly and two of the neighbours came out to see what was going on.  Fortunately they only speak Turkish so didn't really understand what we were laughing about.  So eight thirty my time, I am having a visit from my friends in Varna and exact dates are yet to be arranged.  I emailed this morning to check on whether upstairs bedrooms would be accessible and I believe that the thought of a bath would encourage him to climb the stairs.....not many houses with baths in Bulgaria, mainly showers.  Tuna mayo for supper tonight with beetroot and I'm on my way once I've posted this.  Clouds around at sundown but it made for some reasonable shots tonight.  LN......It put a rosy glow on the hillside and terraces......LN

Tuesday 6th September

So last night I was taking photos of the sun going down and this morning of it coming back up again.  The rest of the day it was windy, cloudy and promised twenty degrees but I put a body warmer on.  It was OK in the car but not outside.

I walked the garden to get my step count up for the day but only managed just over four thousand for the entire day...pitiful.  The moles have been very active and I'll pop into the hardware shop this afternoon to by some mole smokes to get rid of the things.  It's not for the soil that they leave on the top, it's the depressions that they leave in the grass...pretty dangerous when walking the estate. I arranged to see my student this afternoon, the family were going away but hadn't fixed hotels and he was available.  I think sometime it seems like hard work to arrange things but once plans are in place, things go smoothly so I encouraged her to sort things out.  I logged online and sorted out a few text that I could use later on, a couple of them were too long but I found and printed out a smaller one about cruise ships, it had pictures, questions and texts that I thought he would find interesting.  I went to the shop and the ex-student's girlfriend was in the shop, at first I didn't recognise her but then things fell into place and the three of us had an interesting conversation.  My student was upstairs in the apartment waiting for me but instead his mother suggested that he go with his brother to take the girlfriend to catch the bus to Sofia and off they went.  I had an interesting phone call, my daughter is coming out again in April, they've been offered tickets at reduced rates and decided to take up the offer.  There was a flurry of phoned activity, she's sent me the dates, I managed to get her a couple of GIF that were appropriate and she was amazed that I'd managed it from her instructions yesterday.  'Mummy sent me a GIF!!'  It's a bit like 'Dobby got a sock' from Harry Potter.  My student returned but by this time  it was heading for five thirty so I made the decision that it was much too late to start so it's been postponed until next week.  They go back to school then so we'll fall back into the normal pattern.

I drove home, tomorrow is another day so I'll catch up on the things that I wanted to do.  I managed to find the documentation for the printer for the first time I took it back and made my complaint so it's back to the store tomorrow clutching printer and documents so let's see what we can manage to sort out.  This time I'm going got the manager.  Another phone call and this time it was from Germany, Gulcan was letting me know that she's going to Turkey in September and then last coming to Bulgaria to see her family.  She's making arrangements to have their apartment in Kardjali renovated, I said I'd give her a hand in the design so it looks like it might be busy end of September and October.  I popped over to see Avatar and her family to check what time they're leaving tomorrow and they're off at twelve heading for Plovdiv.  I was invited for supper, they'd cooked fish but not for me tonight...I ate too much cheese last night, giving my stomach a rest.

Kardjali tomorrow, I need a few things from the supermarket but not a lot of things to do and I'll leave it until Avatar and family have left.  LN...It's been a day of surprises, nice.....LN

Wednesday 7th September

Slow start to the day, the weather looked promising and was and the intention was to get a final swim in which didn't happen.  I settled on toast for breakfast, hoovered through with the chance that I would have guests later but that didn't happen and has been rescheduled after a chance meeting in Kardjali late this afternoon.  Avatar was leaving at twelve today so I hung around to say final goodbyes for the journey and in the end I missed it.  I'd popped over earlier to see if there was anything that she wanted me to do but she and the family had everything under control but all was safely gathered in.  The DIL did mention me going over to Germany to see them there and I didn't make any firm plans but it is possibly going to be in March and then I might bring Avatar back with me.....it's up in the air at the moment and that's next year.  

Before I left for Kardjali I did managed to do one little job,  The top hinge on the main small gate on the boundary needed attention.  One of the bolts insists on coming loose, the lower ones support it perfectly well and my repair from last time using toothpicks to fill out the drilled hole in the column hadn't lasted well so this called for serious action.  I removed the bolt, removed the packing for the hole and replaced it with another chunk of wood, a dowel and a rawl plug is a belt and bracers approach but this time it really worked.  I re-inserted the bolt and bingo, seems as solid as a rock so fingers crossed it's another job done and dusted.  I got ready for Kardjali, put the printer into the Nipper and off I went.  I parked up on Lidl car-park and decided that I would go into the electrical store and not to the repairs section.  Eventually I spotted my English speaking assistant, he carried the printer to a workstation and set about trying to identify the fault.  It took longer than expected and eventually the manager arrived and he took over the job and one black cartridge removed and replaced, one colour cartridge that wasn't empty was removed and replaced and the machine worked.  I asked why the colour cartridge that had ink in it wasn't working so it was put back in the machine and it transpired that it must have been a faulty cartridge so damaged one left in the machine, new one repackaged, I paid for the black one and the other was free of change.

I left the store and literally bumped into my buddy from Fotinovo who was heading for the cash-point.  I invited him for a coffee but he'd left his guests in Lidl but eventually we both had cokes in the small restaurant outside the store.  Eventually his phone rang, we both headed for Lidl car-park, I was introduced to his guests and arrangements have been made that they will come over tomorrow.  Off they went, I did my Lidl shopping, carried on to Kaufland where I managed to pick up four more tall solar lights that had been reduced for my garden.  Home for six thirty and doesn't time fly when you're having fun.  French stick with ham and potato salad from Lidl for supper, watched a little television and promptly fell asleep and then forgot completely about writing up the events of the day.  I know it's late but it's done and I feel better for doing it.  LN....And now to bed......LN

Thursday 8th September

Seven start and was up and at it from the word go, washing up done from last night, two cups of coffee and a ham roll for breakfast and the rest of the day was all mine to do what I wanted with it.  It was confirmed that I would have a visit this afternoon between four and five of the clock so I meandered through the morning, strimmed the yard and gave it a going over with the scarifier and got rid of the rubbish.  I also moved two plant pots so that they were against the house between the old logs and I set up two of the new solar lights so that they could charge up during the day.  I swept the terraces off and got rid of the leaves, spray painted the plant support that was near the grape vine in the yard and planted up a trumpet flowered climber that's been sitting in a pot since I bought it.  Fingers crossed it will do well where it is and brighten up a corner of the little house.  Joined the houses together and watered the shrubs that looked like they needed it, never got round to watering the pots, my guests arrived, we sat and had tea which was very civilised and I followed them to the restaurant in Djebel so that they didn't have to bring me back and then double back on themselves.

My favourite waitress wasn't working tonight but was sitting with friends when we arrived.  The one that took our order tried her best but got one of the pizzas wrong, substituted alcohol free beer with cider which didn't go down well but she tried her best.  I think the problem is that once they are faced with taking an order from an English person, they stop listening and panic ever so slightly and then it goes wrong.  We had two of the same pizza but generally it was a good evening.  We finished early and I was home just before nine and was surprised to see that the Queen had died.  We'd been following progress in the restaurant and understood that the announcement would be made at eight tomorrow morning but by the time I logged on it was all over the internet.  

Nothing on the agenda so far.  If the weather's as good as it's been today I'll be swimming at my favourite pool and getting that last swim in that I promised myself.  LN....Rest peacefully....a life of service well lived......LN

Friday 9th September

Funny old night...too much going on in my little brain and I ended up at two thirty playing sudoku for a couple of hours or so.  I went back to sleep and it was eight before I became compos mentis and had this feeling of loss and dread.  I'd also woken up with a swollen lower face, I'd obviously enjoyed something that I'd been allergic to and that was the result.  On waking I took one of the anti-histamine tablets that started to sort out the problem and took another one later that brought my face back to normal proportions.  It must have been something in pizza but it was such a mish-mash of peppers to sweetcorn and spicy meat that it could have been anything.  

I'd sort of grown up with the royals, remembered the coronation well, joined the police force in Gibraltar and had lots to do with the military during the disturbances with Spain in the early seventies.  The Queen was always there, I'm not a Royalist in the true sense of the word but admire the way that she stuck with the job until the very end......because that's what you have to do.  The television has been wall to wall and very sycophantic.  I don't do fawning well and the most amusing story to come out of the political ramblings was from Teresa May about dropping cheese on the floor at an official event.  The incident was spotted by the Queen who gave a wry smile and nodded so Teresa did the same and the incident was over with just an acknowledgement,  That's the fun side of the Queen that I'll like to remember....the finding humour in most situations which allows you to cope with the stress of the situation that you find yourselves in from time to time.  I so recognise the trait.

As for the rest of the day, I did a load of washing and the weather has been perfect for drying, a gentle breeze and wall to wall sunshine.  At around twelve I made a ham sandwich for a late breakfast, thought about going to the pool but just couldn't be bothered and felt flat as a pancake so took to the sofa and went back to sleep for a couple of hours to catch up on the missing sleep from last night.  Washing in at five thirty, lip completely back to normal so giving food a break tonight and if the weather is good, I'm definitely pool bound tomorrow....my tan is disappearing!!  Not even a hint of a breeze tonight, almost like the quiet before the storm, the garden was well watered at lunchtime so no need to be doing it again tonight.....washing in and my work is done.  LN......And relax...and fight off the urge to sink into a box of chocolates......LN

Saturday 10th September

Six thirty start and suddenly remembered that I'd promised to deliver five bottles of water from the spring to my neighbour down the way.  So still my night attire I opened up the little house and climbed the ladder and found five new empty bottles that had been slung up to the top storey and descended the ladder carefully holding on to said bottles.  Into the Nipper with them and at half eight I was getting the car out of the drive and heading down to the spring down by the lake to carry out said task.  I did say that I would do it yesterday but somehow it went to the back of my mind.  When I arrived at the spring, there was a woman and what I assumed to be her son using both spouts to fill their bottles and they had lots of them and had only just arrived before me and only three filled.  I said good morning to them in Bulgarian and received no reply so sat down with my five bottles and was surprised when they offered me one of the spouts so I put my first bottle under.  I thanked her, smiled at her and not a glimmer was received back so I asked her which village she was from and she told me Djebel and that was the end of our conversation...a lady of few words and the son had disappeared and was playing with a stray cat by the trees.  We carried on filling bottles and I was filling one for her two and eventually I'd finished, put mine in the Nipper and carried five of hers down to the son's car and did manage to get a thank you out of him.  

I drove back to the village and stopped outside my friends house, didn't see her in the yard so gave a should and she appeared from down the lane.  I carried the water bottles to her house and noticed two reels of masking tape in the bus shelter and eventually found out that we're due an election and the Cmet of the village was about to put up the posters.  My friend made me coffee, I asked for more water and if I'd have finished it I would have been bouncing off the ceiling for the rest of the day.  Job done I headed home, got into my swimsuit, I made the decision to go to my pool the other side of Kardjali, delivered empty coke bottles to the garage shop in Djebel where my ex student was holding the fort for his parents.  They've gone away for a few days taking my young student with them.  I carried on to the pool, no one home and no sign of any bathers so I turned round and headed back into Kardjali and headed for the cheapy shops and picked up three curtains with metal rings on them that I've got a use for and a t-shirt for a total of five leva.  I walked on to the next, bought a pair of jeans that don't fit and a top that does and they all went in the washing machine when I got home.  I was tempted to stop off at a pool in Momchilgrad but decided not to bother.....I might find another tomorrow...I need the exercise.

A little of BBC TWO this afternoon and it looks like it's wall to wall Queen on the rest of the channels, I also made friends with that box of chocolates that I was given and really shouldn't have done.  It's turned out very muggy, it had a few rumblings of thunder this afternoon which didn't come to much but we could really do with a good downpour...the garden needs it.  Not much into supper this evening partly due to the chocolates...it's eight so I might feel like something later.  LN.....Unfortunately the day didn't turn out as expected, maybe try again tomorrow.....LN

Sunday 11th September

I was late to bed again and not sure how it happened.  I found myself looking at my my family chart and noticed that one of the entries had double up and can only assume that I've followed a 'hint', updated the details and instead of over-riding the original entry it's added another.  I ended up deleting the entry and having to make sure that it had only deleted the one link and hadn't affected the other.  I suddenly looked at the clock and it was one thirty, well passed my bedtime so I put the computer to bed and headed down the stairs to find mine.  I woke at seven, it was a cloudy start to the day and wasn't able to work out if it was going to clear up and as the day wore on it was obvious, it wasn't.

I made coffee and went out to the terrace and sat watching the morning when suddenly my voice was being called from the gate to the road.  I acknowledged that I'd heard and went to see who it was and it was Gulcan's father.  I was surprised to see him there and he asked if I had any empty water bottles and I replied that I had.  Unfortunately they were on the upper storey of the little house so I got the key, climbed the ladder, he stopped downstairs and I threw five down to him.  We had a conversation about his daughter, my friend from Germany and he said that I knew more about her coming to visit than he did.  She'd phoned me and told me what her movements would be.  Off he went with his bottles and I went back to the terrace, mended the connector to the long garden hose that had sprung a leak, looked at the sky and decided that the cushions from the outside furniture would be better inside the storage box that risking the drenching they would probably get later...and I was right.

I made scrambled eggs for breakfast, washed up and cleared the kitchen and was amazed at my laziness for the rest of the morning.  I toyed with the idea of starting to cut up the starter wood and getting it ready for the winter and instead did nothing.  I did managed to catch up on lost sleep from last night, settled into reading a gardening book and then ended up flicking channels , watching part of the journey of the Queen to Edinburgh and generally shouting at the television by the comments passed by one of the guests following the screening.  If it hadn't been for the solemnity of the occasion, it's a wonder she wasn't told to take her opinions somewhere else!!

The thunder clouds starting building coming over from Greece and bringing rumblings with it but only the odd flash of lightning.  At around five it started to rain, it went really dark and a funny light came with it.  I watched the cows trudging home over the field, went back to my television and watched how croissants are made and I found it very interesting....the things that you don't know and only find out later in life!!  I cooked a pork steak for supper and had it with chippies from my air fryer and potato salad from Lidl.....a double helping of potatoes but it went down well.

Just after nine my time and not much on the agenda, if anything, for tomorrow.  I have to take the Nipper into the garage to get the gas injectors checked over.  The gas indicator light is flashing and usually only lights up showing that the gas in being fed in and how much is left in the tank.  I'm not sure if the garage owner will be back from his short break with the family, I might leave it until Tuesday.  LN.....It's going to be an early night for me....LN

Monday 12th September

So last night I tried hard to watch David Attenborough and his new series but stretched out on the sofa was just too comfortable for me and I was asleep and missed most of it.  It was another hour before I came too, switched off the TV, straight to be and slept though until seven thirty this morning so really must have needed sleep.  I think it's been so busy over the last month and it's taken me quite a while to get back to normal.  There's not so much to do, everything seems to be done but things will change.  I might be going on holiday, my guests hadn't supplied me with dates and when I asked them if they could avoid early October, it didn't fit in so they've cancelled.  So my next decision is 'do I really want to go on the sort of holiday I'm looking' at and I shall make my mind up tomorrow after I've slept on it.  

Toast for breakfast with jam, bed stripped and everything washed and it suddenly occurred to me as I was making it up that the quilt cover belonged to my son when he was at university so I'm going to ask if he wants it back for old time sake.  He did see it when he was over here and I never followed the thought process through that he might want it and so the offer will go out.  A funny old day weatherwise, we had the rumble of thunder this afternoon, it clouded over but blew over just as quickly.  I got the washing in at four thirty, made the bed up and tonight I shall make sure that that's my first port of call and not have a staging post in the lounge.

Not a clue as to what's on the menu for supper tonight.  As for the agenda from yesterday, I made the decision that there's more chance of getting the Nipper sorted tomorrow and market day wasn't very appealing to me and I've just remembered that my Internet is coming up for renewal so that will get paid tomorrow...that's if the cash machine has any money in it, when I went on Saturday it was as empty as Mother Hubbard's cupboard.  Student tomorrow afternoon.....I'll have to get my timings right.  LN....A very relaxing day.....LN

Tuesday 13th September

Another disturbed night. I was awake at three and playing silly games until five and eventually back to sleep until seven.  Another funny incident last night, Transponder TV was off air until nine this morning stating that it had to undertake maintenance and server upgrade to be able to continue providing service.  Apologies were offered and I ended up watching a Netflix short series that I finished off this morning and wondered why I'd bothered.

I was really slow off the mark, I hardboiled some eggs and had two of them chopped up in potato salad for a late brunch, four are waiting in the fridge for the next hunger pains.  I eventually had a shower, dressed and got ready to head into Djebel for my student's lesson should he want one.   I made my way to the cashpoint, took out money and checked my balance and carried on to the Internet shop to pay my yearly fee even though it wasn't due until next month.  I only have to give my name and village, the fee has remained the same for the last three years which in this day and age is the only remaining constant, I paid up and said that I'll see her in a years time.  I carried on down to the garage and had the workings of the gas fuel gauge explained to me.  I understood that it lit up when gas was being supplied to the engine and the number of lights lit indicated the amount of gas in the tank.  I didn't realise that it shows red when petrol is being used and my student's father explained it to me in really simple terms....I smiled sweetly and carried on to the shop to find out if the son wanted a lesson or not.  Decision made, I stayed in the shop and we had a lesson in conversational English and for a twelve year old he's doing really well and we filled in the gaps with Google translate if either of us was unsure of the word that we wanted to use.

I left the shop at five under protest that it was too early for me to leave, I clutched at ten eggs that I'd been given, stopped off at the shop and bought bread and apples and was home for five thirty.  Supper was a portion of frozen chips cooked in my air fryer, I made chip butties and ate them watching progress of the coffin to Edinburgh airport and the take off of the flight bringing the body back to Northolt.  It was at this point that I missed out on the arrival having failed to stay awake, I again was catching up on the lack of sleep last night.  Washing up is done and kitchen tidy for tomorrow morning, tomorrow I'm putting clothes back where they should be to tidy the place up again and the winter starter wood will be underway if I manage to work up to the task.  It's all go here so I've got my fingers crossed for a good night's sleep.  LN....Lessons will begin again when he goes back to school......LN

Wednesday 14th September

Seven thirty start and it's been a busy day.  Breakfast of hardboiled eggs, mayo and toast and that's been it for the day.  I decided to book the holiday, the documents went off, I had to supply other details since I'm using my GB passport and they sat on the enquiry for a few hours.  I filled my day with moving my clothes that I'd moved downstairs when I had guests and now they're all being moved back upstairs and I'm trying to sort out clothes that I'd like to take on my trip.

This afternoon I got sucked in to the moving of the coffin to its resting place and was surprised when I received an email from the travel company containing six PDF's, all in Bulgarian and one of them twelve pages long.  I scanned the first pages and noticed that my GB Passport expiry date had been entered incorrectly on two of the documents and despite using the camera on my phone to translate them I got really frustrated.  I messaged the company and realised that it was now almost six thirty so nothing doing tonight and hopefully they will contact me early tomorrow and supply new documents before I sign anything.  I have an email to confirm that I supplied the correct information so I hope they don't try that old chestnut and thank goodness I noticed.

I'm now feeling flat as a pancake, they aren't able to take the payment over the phone and want a bank transfer so that means a trip to Kardjali.  Not feeling very hungry so I'll diet until morning.  LN....It seemed like a good idea at the time....LN

Thursday 15th September

So the stress of last evening and the thought of getting the documents translated stayed with me but I was out of bed at seven thirty and planning my day.  I phoned the garage shop at eight thirty and asked my student's mum if she could spare me half an hour in between customers to look over the documents with me which she did and at least I got the gist of most of them.  We worked out the ones that had to be signed and sent back or scanned and emailed over to them, I decided that I would make the payment for the holiday by driving to Momchilgrad, they had more time to work it out than Kardjali which is normally quite busy.  I managed to park up easily near to the Bank and I was correct, there was no one in the bank and three people working there.  I explained what I wanted and since she didn't know me she was very cautious about doing such a transaction which is in fact a bank transfer, so much easier in the UK to pay for holidays than it is here.  I had to go back to the Nipper for one more piece of information, after that she plodded her way through it and eventually I had my receipt and the transaction was complete.  

I drove back to Djebel, went to my favourite rice and chicken restaurant but there was a big sign up indicating that it wasn't working.  Undeterred I headed for the Banitsa shop and bought a cheap pizza, went round to the garage shop and asked if she wanted to share it and she declined....all the more for me.  This afternoon I settled down, scanned the documents in and attached them to an e-mail so all done and dusted.  I've probably signed my life away but I did get a phone call from the tour company so I was able to ask a few questions about the procedure at the airport and the approximate time of departure.  It's only so that I can plan whether I drive up and park in Sofia or take the bus....I think that driving is more likely.  

I phoned Princess and like me she's been a little down and I reckon it's got something to do with the coverage of the Queen's funeral on the television and quite a few have been affected.  It's a somber mood that hits you when you're least expecting it.  That pizza is sitting heavy so it will be no supper for me for a while yet.....I might even go through until morning.  Easy day tomorrow, I didn't do the starter wood today, I just had too much on so maybe I can make a start tomorrow.  It's probably called starter wood because you never know when you're going to get round to doing it.  Another gentle evening, still a few roses out, the Jerusalem Artichokes are in full bloom and the brown patches in the lawn are turning to green.  LN.....And now slowly into Autumn......LN

Friday 16th September

Five thirty start again and I made coffee, played sudoku for about an hour then burst into action.  I started going through the remaining clothes left from the migration from down to upstairs and putting clothes that I wanted washing into the wash basket and the first load went in.  It was a beautiful morning, sunny with a breeze so out went the first load to be followed by another two leaving me with about an hour and a half of ironing, my least favourite task.  I had eggs mayo for breakfast to use up the hard boiled eggs while watching morning television and after that I also started looking though handbags.  Delving deep I and found a small tan leather one, some of the stitching had come undone so I settled down in the sun, watching the wishing blowing in the wind, and re-stitched it using some heavy duty cotton and what a good job I've made of it, even if I say so myself.  It's on the list to go on holiday with me.

By the time I'd finished that job it was one thirty so I went back to the sofa, settled down and promptly fell asleep for an hour or so.  The washing came in, it's sorted and anything that might be going on holiday is on the rail in my downstairs bedroom, the ironing is in a pile and not required is folded and put away.  I looked at the handbag again and applied some leather polish, left it in the conservatory with an egg box stuffed inside so that it fills out after being squashed down.  Next job was a bonfire to get rid of the rubbish, I put the hose on and attached it to the hose supplying water to the shrubs at the bottom of the garden.  It's handy if there are any problems with the fire and the shrubs really does need water.  I thought most of the sun had finished but I was wrong and tonight I had to water the pots that were looking really sorry for themselves.  Not bothered about supper again, I did attack the cream cheese with digestive biscuits while on the sofa this afternoon and that again should see me through until morning.  

Earlier in the day I came across a small white bottle that I knew wasn't mine, opened it, poured a little into the washbasin and it appeared to be lightweight oil.  I reckoned it was left behind with my daughter, put some from the washbasin onto my arm, it seemed soapy but then sank was my skin but I did notice that the hairs stood up.  Later in conversation with my daughter, it's baby hair shampoo so I should have a glossy coat and I might even develop a runny nose.  LN......Let's hope I don't start demanding Boneo biscuits......LN

Saturday 17th September

Another early start and I've done nothing really with my day.  I settled for toast for breakfast and ended up sorting out jewellery and likely things that I might like to take with me but sometimes it's good to look at old pieces and remember how and when you got them.  I came across a hand made pottery love heart probably made by one of the children but I can't remember which one and probably neither can they.  It seems such a long time ago but since I never seem to throw anything like that away somebody will find it one day and they will have their own memories.  It all started because I couldn't and still can't find my sunglasses.  I went through the rigmarole of searching handbags, old glass cases and both cars but I still can't lay my hands on them.  I seem to recall using them either when I was going to visit my student and was at that time wearing two pairs, one for driving and one for keeping the sun out so that's one avenue I haven't checked.  While I was on the internet I also checked out the currency conversion for Moroccan Dinars so that I don't get ripped off if and when I buy anything on my trip.  It's good to have some idea to work from.

I was also moving the final boxes upstairs as part of the migration and found a swim wrap that I bought ages ago and it's a black wrap with Union flags on it and I decided to attach it to the main gate to the road.  It's not too obvious but it's my mark of respect for the passing of the Queen.  I know the television is full of it, the coverage of the lying in state has been magnificent and don't we do Pomp and Ceremony well!!  I managed a nap this afternoon and have done very little else.  I did start watching Series three of the Crown but only managed a couple of episodes...it was covering Aberfan and that wasn't a happy time for the Queen.

Too late to water the pots but looking at the clouds I might be letting nature do it for me.   I think a lot of people are feeling 'down' since the Queen's death.  I would say hats off to David Beckham for doing a twelve hour stand in line and not take the easy approach like some of those linked to television.  LN.....Perhaps I might find some enthusiasm tomorrow for getting on with 'stuff'.......LN

Sunday 18th September

So the rain that I predicted last night came down in buckets along with a tremendous thunder and lightning storm that cut the power to the house.  First thought was to bring in the solar lights from the porch which gave the house a splendid glow.  At first there were lots of bangs and then it get quite eyrie,......there was sheet lighting over Kardjali lighting up the sky and the odd fork lightning but no sound.  The rain had stopped and the stars were out...very strange, the electricity was restored for five minutes and then it went off again so at this point, the solar lights went back into the porch and I went to bed and left the weather to it.

Strange sky before sun-up, I decided that I needed bacon and eggs for breakfast to get me going for the day and then I worked through until around twelve.  The umbrellas were opened up to dry off and then the new one I moved into the little house where it would spend the winter.  I sluiced the water from the cover of the swinging bench, washed it off and left it to dry off and that was also put in the little house and next job was to make handles for the wooden box on casters that I would be filling with winter starter wood.  The intention was good, I was going to get the chop saw going and reduce the planks to reasonable lengths to chop but a guest arrived so the work was put on hold.  We put the world to rights again, sank a couple of cups of coffee and off he went.  He also pointed out that I'd missed a major factor in the last episode of Marchella season three so the first thing I did after he left was to rewatch it and sure enough, I'd missed the final thread that's gong to carry the series into a fourth set.

The afternoon has been sorting out keys to padlocks, watching TV and doing very little else.  Supper is in the air fryer and I have chips and chicken filet....all cooked in the one pot and it should be ready any time now, I've just been down to give it its final shake and now ready to serve.  Nothing on the agenda so far for tomorrow, it's market day and I might just make the effort to go since there a few things that I want for my holiday.  LN.....Supper and relax.....LN

Monday 19th September

Chilly start to the morning at five when I woke up and I suddenly remembered that I'd opened the window last night so it was time to shut it again....and it's remained that way all day.  I did managed to snuggle down again though and it was seven thirty the next time that I opened my eyes. I used up the rest of the bacon for breakfast and fried a couple of eggs to go with it.....the eggs are free-range from my student's fathers garage,,,,very yellow yolks and tasty.  Washing up done, kitchen tidied, I had a funeral to watch today so nothing else on the agenda.  

And that's been the sum-total of my day.  I settled down on the sofa and found myself glued to the who pomp and ceremony interspersing it with trips to the kitchen to find something to nibble on.  One box of Turkish Delight demolished and several mini-chocolate peanut bars from the goody box.  My sympathies went out to the eight that were having to carry the coffin and no pun intended, but what a weight on their shoulders.  It seemed to get more intense when they were going up the steps into St George's Chapel in Windsor but thankfully they managed it with the help of the ninth man who knew when to add a little weight behind to level the load.  I think I'd have been tempted to superglue the items on the top down.  As for the crown, I didn't realise that removing the crown, orb and scepter from the coffin was to signify that the earthly body was now free of the responsibility she'd carried from the time of accession.  It was being handed on to Charles despite the fact that his coronation won't take place for a while. The rod was then broken and the colours of the regiment that had looked after her was put on the coffin and then it descended into the ground.  You learn something new every day.

No supper for me, I think I had a few more chocolate bars than I care to think about.  Back to normal now and time to get on with life.  My token has been removed from the gate and is now folded up in the porch...ready for the next or maybe I'll bury it in the garden in a box and find a few more things to go in it.  LN.....Shopping tomorrow and maybe get my eyes tested and new glasses...since I've spent part of the day searching for a pair that I put somewhere safe........LN

Tuesday 20th September

So not sure why last night but I was still on the computer at one thirty this morning and still wide awake...not asleep watching the screen through closed eyelids.  I made my way to the bedroom. snuggled down and woke up at eight and felt fine.  Washing went in the machine, I checked out the fridge and grated up the remains of a block of Cheddar, whisked up three eggs and made an omelette for breakfast and sat in the stairwell at my newly re-instated table in the sun.  Washing up done, washing pegged out, washed and dressed for the garden knowing that I would be getting ready later for my student.

My driving glasses appeared as if by magic, I'd searched for them yesterday even going down to the bottom of the garden to make sure that they hadn't dropped off my head, visited all the places they should have been and hey-ho...in a class case on the table in the stairwell.  I can only imagine that they had been behind the little computer on the table and goodness only knows how I missed them.  Having found the sun=glasses yesterday, I've put them in a storage box with the items that are going with me on my trip.  I sorted out the zinnia seeds stripping them off the stalks and labelling up the pot and shook the tobacco seed pots over a bowl and transferred them to another pot,  I looked at the other sunbed on the workshop terrace and dragged it round to the front of the little house and attempted to put it in the little house but no way was it going through the door and needed more of a swing to get it in.  Got it outside again and on to the little house terrace and easily got it in for the winter.  I'm early this year with my winter preparations maybe due to a lack of a September guest. Next job was to tackle the ironing from the other day.  It's not one of my favourite pastimes but I persevered and some of it is hung up and the rest is over the back of my computer chair and all I need now is a medium size suitcase to put it in to.  I might very well head into Kardjali tomorrow to get this item off the shopping list, maybe a new swimsuit so a trip to the new shopping centre may be the order of the day.  

Got changed at two to head off to Djebel for the student's lesson.  I had a lesson plan ready but when I arrived at the shop he was looking very serious with his mother and they were doing his school homework from that morning.  They were both looking very serious so i suggested to his mother that I leave it for another day but she said no so I went off down the road to make an appointment to have my hair cut.  I know the young lady well so she suggested that I went back in fifteen minutes and what a good job she's made of it....I might have more taken off later...it will have to be done in stages.  I've also made an appointment to have my nails done before I go away so preparations are going well.

A little bit of shopping before I came home. not ready for supper yet, maybe later.  LN....Getting back to normal, the endless television has affected quite a few people.....LN

Wednesday 21st September

I missed the end of the programme I was watching last night, the sofa was very comfortable so at eleven, straight to bed and woke at six thirty and was ready to face the day.  Buttered toast for breakfast, the jam was wearing a fur coat so that went out to anything that wanted it on the grass, Ms Cat turned her nose up at it but something may have fancied it.  I watched a little of morning television, put a final load of washing in of things that might go on my holiday with me and that ended up on the airer, it had the feel of rain about it and I didn't want to risk it.  

I was in the Nipper by ten, drove into Djebel and popped in to see my student's mum to see if she wanted anything from Kardjali but she didn't so I carried on and first port of call was Kaufland and they had a suitcase which was 'just right', the price was OK, the size was OK and it matched the hand luggage that I bought last year.  My other bargain was Argentinian steaks so I doubled back for some mushrooms and that's going to be my supper when I get round to cooking it.  I carried on to the phone company shop to pay for my home phone and used my mobile to pay for the parking.  Such a good system, you send a text and it goes on your mobile bill and I managed to get back to the parking bay with one minute to spare.  After paying my bill I walked down to the market area, bought a pair of trainers, tested make-up and bought nothing so headed back to the Nipper.  I drove to Lidl, felt sorry for a reduced to clear plant so adopted it, bought a few essentials like frozen chips, turkey dippers and tinned tuna that was on offer and finished off in Djebel for Coca Cola and more mayo for tonight.  

I arrived home at four thirty and had done most things on my list and managed to get a suitcase and trainers so all was good in my neck of the woods.  The frozen chips and dippers are portioned up and in the freezer ready for the air fryer, I managed to get half an hours sleep in missing the end of the program I was watching but no worries.  Seven thirty my time, it's gently raining, the wind has dropped and it looks like it might be set in for the night and it will do the garden good.  LN.....Final packing sorting tomorrow...organised or what.....LN

Thursday 22nd September

Sorry it's late....power has only just been restored to my hillside along with lots of other properties.  Thank goodness for solar lights in the porch, much safer than candles.

Silly night last night....I woke at two thirty and just couldn't manage to get back off to sleep again.  I read for a while, felt my eyes going but suddenly I was awake again so in the end I got up, made coffee at five thirty, watched some rubbish on the television and got on with a few chores.  Another task completed as part of the migration, underwear sorted along with the sock box and everything that I want to take with me from these two areas got washed and hung out to dry.  It was a line of lots of lightweight trainer socks and looked quite funny out there.   By now the mist had cleared and the sun was up so I took the rubbish that needed burning to the bottom of the garden and set fire to it in the container.  I conducted my tortoise check and was surprised to see Rosie under the little tree in the centre of the bottom of the garden and found Blue sunning itself in the bonfire garden,  Unfortunately by the time that I got the camera out Rosie had made a run for it and wasn't to be seen again.  I thing she's getting ready for winter, the nail varnish on her shell looked very dusty as if she's been getting out of the way of the rain, etc.  My phone was going so I answered it not recognising the number and it was my friend from the flower shop in Djebel and she had an invite for me from some of the Djebel ladies who are going to Turkey for three days on the 21st October and so I said yes.....and why not I thought.  It will be good to go with them, they've obviously been before so know the place.

I came in and made breakfast, l did manage to cook the steak last night and that's probably the reason I couldn't sleep, I ate too much so I used up more of the mushrooms and had them on toast with a fried egg on the top.  A full tummy requires rest so I worked it off in the garden and eventually settled on the sofa, got an hour's kip in and watched Eggheads, Countdown and then it was time to go into Tipping Point and prepare supper.  Tuna mayo tonight with potatoes, chopped onion and beetroot and the Coca Cola has taken a battering.  I finished off with The Chase and it was at that point that I came upstairs to write the blog and that's when the power went off.  All better now, the boiler is on for a bath so I shall be lingering for an hour or so, relaxing before I go to bed and hopefully get a better night's sleep.  LN.....Stars are all out and temperature dropping....winter's coming John Snow......LN

Djebel tomorrow to top up on the items that I need from the chemist to take with me namely Imodeum and mosquito tablets, I have the cream.  The market is on tomorrow so I'll have a quick trip round and then get some Euros, I can't image they'll have any Dirhams at the currency exchange.  

Friday 23rd September

Late bath last night, bed by twelve and slept through until seven so not a bad night.....making up for a lack of sleep from the last few nights.  Very red sky this morning but by the time I'd found the camera it had dissipated, the clouds had turned grey, it was a so-so morning but it didn't promise much.  I managed a cheese and potato omelette for breakfast using up the remains of the potatoes from last night and sat watching the news programmes slagging off the latest government announcements about the Health Service.  I do think it's bad though getting an appointment in the UK means a phone call at eight in the morning and probably joining a queuing system and you're probably twentieth in the queue already.  What has England come to!!.

Washing up done and kitchen tidied and I went out to open the gate to get the Nipper out of the drive and a cow was watching me and stood opposite the gate.  I went back to check that I'd locked the main door and as I started off the cow began to cross the road so I retraced my steps and sent it on its way.  Blasted things...any opportunity and eventually I was able to get the Nipper out.  I got out to close the gate and by the time that I'd got back one of my neighbours was standing by the Nipper and asked me if I was going into Djebel and two seconds later he was sitting in the back.  As I neared Djebel he offered me five leva which I obviously refused, inflation is definitely kicking in here.  I dropped him off, didn't manage to find a spot on the main car-park so drove to the back of town and got into a designated space, walked into town, joined the queue for the cash point and carried on to the money exchange place and got my euro for my holiday.  Went to see my friend in the flower shop to confirm where the holiday is going to in Turkey and it's off to Çanakkale, near to the battlefields in the Dardanelles and not a place I've been to.  She couldn't give me any more details but she shared with me an English text about Plato which is part of her Philosophy course at college and we had quite an interesting discussion about it until her next customer arrived.

Over to the garage shop to say hello, made my way back to the car and then back to the shop....I had bottles for them for lose oil and a couple of egg boxes.  I didn't stop long, by now the clouds had gathered and there was a rumble of thunder so I wanted to get home as quickly as possible.  I always dread driving though the forest when the lightning starts so said fond farewells, the rain had started coming down in buckets and I made it back in quicksticks, parked up in the drive and made lunch.  As quickly as the storm started it stopped, the clouds rolled away and the terraces dried up.  Compulsory nap this afternoon, quiz programmes are playing in the background and I've just chained the bed linen and put the fleece blanket and quilt cover on.  I just hate getting into a cold bed and until the chimney is swept, I'm not lighting the wood0burner.  Lunch was big so nothing required for tonight except water to keep washing it through.  LN.....It's been an enjoyable day.....LN

Saturday 24th September

What a day.  I woke up with a thumping headache, my voice was registering on the base clef and I ached all over so I took to the sofa in the lounge, I was freezing cold so wrapped up warm and promptly went back to sleep.  My phone went and I had an invite to Zlatograd for an antique market but had to refuse....today wasn't the day for e being sociable.

Two days ago I trodden on a very spiky dried twig in the garden and it had gone straight through my shoes.  I'd treated it with Germoline, there was no sign of redness but we have strange things here so I started looking up signs and symptoms of tetanus and now I was getting a little worried.  At two I drove to the hospital in Kardjali taking all my health documents with me, was directed to two young ladies, I explained the problem and no sooner had a mentioned tetanus, one of the young ladies came back with a phial and jabbed me in the upper arm.  I didn't have to sign any forms, stopped off at Lidl to buy more butter and got home for four.  By this time, the headache was still intense so back on the sofa, swathed myself in blanket and must have slept for about four hours.  The upside is that I shan't need to worry about Morocco, I've managed to get a tetanus jab in already.  My thinking might have been overkill but who's to say.  LN.....Eleven my time so I'm off to bed.....just hope I manage to sleep......LN

Sunday 25th September

Well I did manage to feel not too bad when I woke but it diminished during the day.  I did the washing from yesterday, went on the hunt for throat sweets and found a solitary five but I can get some more from Djebel tomorrow,  My heart monitor has packed up and my only activity was to manage a load of washing, get it pegged out and in again,  I haven't bothered with breakfast and not even managed a hot drink but I did note the beautiful sky and the washing blowing in the wind so my senses have not disappeared entirely.

On a hunt for batteries to replace those in the heart monitor I found a bottle of cough linctus and that's been in use.  Changed the batteries and it doesn't, I think I need to run through set up so that will have to wait for another day.  I really don't have the patience.  I watched Matilda on Netflix this afternoon and it reminded me of how I used to watch it with my grandson.....happy days.  More sleep this afternoon and with a poultice of Vick on my front and back and under my nose so that I could breathe.  Not sure what the doctor can prescribe, possibly antibiotics although Monday is not a good day to see her, the world and all her friends are sitting it out.  I just made honey in hot water with a touch of salt and that's going down well.  LN......She lives was the rallying cry.....LN

Monday 26th September

So this morning I managed to sleep through eventually until five thirty and prepared for my visit to the doctor.  If it was a cold I wanted antibiotics and if it was anything else I wanted to know.  I arrive at the check in desk just after eight, explained that I didn't have an appointment and that I wanted to see my doctor.  I said that I would wait if necessary, I must have looked ill, she gave me a ticket with nine-forty on it and I went off to join the queue.  I asked her how much and it was obviously going to take a lot of effort to enter me in the computer so she said nothing but waved me to the corridor.  Well it's not fourteen days is it!!  I was now fifth in the queue and took my turn like a true Brit, and the first question was how was I?  I croaked a reply which worked the trick and she asked me if I'd considered Covid.  I replied that I hadn't since I was fully vaccinated and she said that those dates had passed and that I wanted another booster.  Now that's news to me and I have a friend who diligently scans the local paper and if he hadn't gotten wind of it ....not in our backyard or we'd have done something about it.

So now I was considering Covid, she however was still considering a thumping great cold so diagnosed me accordingly and I cam out with antibiotic tablets for the throat and parrots-eat-em- all.  The throat tablets were homeopathic so I had to take them every ten minutes and let them dissolve on the back of the throat.  I tried the translated leaflet for the antibiotics and nowhere did I see whether that had to be taken before or after food so thought why not, not eaten for a few days so I'll soon find out and I did sooner than I anticipated.  I had that distinct feeling of nausea, stomach cramps and made it to the bathroom in time.  It was a short lived spectacle.  I then sat in the lounge and considered my options.  If I'd got it I knew not from whence it came, there's only one new friend in my circle so I'll watch that space but from afar.  My other option was to take a test with one of the tests that my daughter gave me to bring back on my return to the UK....which I did and low and behold 'Covid'.  I let my nearest a dearest know, I need to tell the travel company that I am unable to travel so Morocco is out of the frame.  Better finding out now that when I'd arrived in Sofia with my suitcase packed and nowhere to go.  My philosophical head kicked into play...maybe I wasn't destined to go so I'll ask the travel company if I can bump the payment on to another holiday in the portfolio.  They can only say no but worth a try of at least give me my money back....I have a valid reason for not being able to travel.  

By now I was fancying food and it's been the first time in a few days so I made marmite toast and it went down well.  Having read the leaflet for how to treat Covid, first was don't take antibiotics so that's the best news all day.  I only took one and it decided that outside was better so shan't be taking any more. I also had my first coffee since Friday but I will be light on the supper....don't want to get off on the wrong foot.  I've lost four kilograms over the last few days and that's got to be right.  I've yet to print out a 'No-Entry' sign for the gate, and fourteen days of isolation....so what's different.  And my signs which I chose to ignore were cold-sores erupting on my lip, a very dry throat, and a general feeling of not being able to keep warm hence the change of quilts on Friday, itchy skin and more of the blotches that I had when taking the blood pressure tablets.  So I stopped off in Djebel as I drove back and bought three loaves of bread. LN..... I'm sure I can feed myself for a week from what's in the fridge, freezer and canned goods..... LN
  

Tuesday 27th September

A good night's sleep, I felt much better this morning, the head was OK and nothing ached.  I settled for poached eggs on toast, the telephone went while I was cooking it so I went to answer it, removed the saucepan with the eggs from the gas ring and when I came back to the cooker the ring was on but no flame......my gas bottle has run out.  I knew it was getting low but fortunately I have electric, wood burners and an air fryer so no panic, it can wait.  The telephone call was from the travel company advising me that there was a fuel tax that had to be paid for the holiday of one hundred and sixty pounds and that put me in a quandary. I mentioned that I had tested positive for Covid and that I might have to cancel and got confirmation that the holiday was covered by insurance but had to pay the fuel tax to finalise the payment.  I don't do internet banking so couldn't pay it myself, couldn't leave the house on principle and spent the next hour trying to work out how to do it.  I worked out that I should go internet banking and spent the next few hours trying to get through to the help desk and sort out sign up issues......what a day...and still not finished.

I started to pack the suitcase just in case I was good to go at the next testing and decided to have a bath and wash my hair to make me feel better.  I had a message from my daughter wanting to check that I was OK since she'd had a funny dream that I had flu and she had to piggy bank me the the house.  I told her about Covid, shows how close we are, so we sent a few clever emoji and she reckons I'm getting better at them.  The holiday company phoned and the bad news was that they've cancelled the holiday offering a different route starting in Lisbon going out on the third instead of the fourth and did I want to join this tour.  Too close for comfort for me so I cancelled, the fuel tax doesn't have to be paid and I let them know details of where the money needs to be paid into tomorrow.  To top it all, my daughter phoned me for a real catch up this afternoon and we had a few giggles as all mothers and daughters should and sorted out the Christmas flight dates.

Just about to do supper....feeling hungry at last.  Just more admin to do tomorrow and I have another holiday to look forward to on the twenty-first so not all bad.  LN.....Must cancel my nail appointment....no one to see them until the next holiday.....LN

Wednesday 28th September

Sleep of the just last night, seven when I woke up and I felt that I was getting back to normal....whatever normal is.  Having said that Covid was horrible and I just hope that I've made enough antibodies to miss the 'opportunity' again.  I did my admin, sent details off the to the travel company confirming that I didn't want the holiday that was suggested as a replacement and that I would be willing to receive the payment back into my account.  That done I then set about organising holiday documents and putting them in a folder and found another folder for my printer guarantee and they're in the filing system where I stand a better chance of finding them.  I made another attempt at logging into my internet banking and still no joy and eventually I gave in and phoned the help desk but one of the operatives must have recognised the frustration in my voice and surprisingly, I got cut off.  So I phoned them back and this time I fell on a very genuine young lady who obviously wanted to sort me out and eventually did.  

So I then worked out that the house was tidy before I started off on this failed adventure so I set about putting it all back together again.  The guest room was easy. washing and ironing put away, ironing board folded away for another year or so and all the clothes removed to my upstairs bedroom cross the landing.  Next job was to empty the suitcase, I wasn't going anywhere in the next week or so and that was moved to the pile in the corner by the wardrobe.  So a new suitcase purchased, filled, emptied and been nowhere.  It now got serious....summer trousers sorted from winter ones, t-shirts folded and stacked in the unit space and then I dived into the chest at the bottom of the bed, out came the winter sweaters and in went summer trousers, t-shirts and the sweaters folded and stacked on the shelves.  Another load of washing went in, it was such a beautiful day that it would be dry in quicksticks.  

Supper went in the oven very early, two Turkish kebabs and a pork steak and two medium sized potatoes.  It was ready by five thirty and everything today has seemed very relaxed and I appear to be in a happy place.  Supper over, I couldn't quite manage the pork steak so Ms Cat will have a treat tomorrow....she enjoyed the turkey dippers from last night.....I certainly didn't, last time I buy those.  LN.....Time to put some lights on, the solar ones have just come on outside......LN

Thursday 29th September

A good night's sleep but I woke up before I should have done.  Didn't manage to get back off to sleep but it wasn't too early that I need to worry about it.  Cloudy start but that red sky in the morning proved a fallacy....we had wall to wall sunshine and at six tonight it was still twenty six degrees in and twenty out.  A stiff breeze did blow up late morning and early afternoon, a couple of the pots went sailing from the terrace onto the law but they were the bigger ones so no problem....nothing got broken.  Their demise was mainly because I hadn't watered them for a couple of days so they were very light.

I didn't do much this morning...I suppose I'm still recovering but feeling better than I did yesterday so on the up.  I managed to find The Last Kingdom on Netflix last night so why suffer the dross of morning television and people complaining that they're not sure how they'll pay bills while shaving the latest phones and internet connections....when we had the crisis in the late seventies and the mortgage rate went up to seventeen percent.....we somehow managed and I suppose we knew how to cook food.  So I finished series 1 and put an end to my viewing for the rest of the day.  I had a phone call from my flower shop friend introducing my new holiday buddy over the telephone who immediately phoned me back so that we could add each other as contacts.  I'd sorted the burning waste out earlier in the day, grabbed the igniter and headed down the garden to have a bonfire.  On the way down I spotted Cracked Shell under the giant pear tree, Rosie was a little further down taking the sun and I also noticed Blue in the bonfire garden.  I get the impression that they go underground at night ready for the 'big sleep' and come out when the weather's fine, I've noticed that the nail varnish on the shell is looking very scratched on all of them.  So with a spring in my step I came back up the garden leaving the bonfire with its lid on, it's still very dry in patches, toyed with curling up the hose pipes for the winter then but it back on the back burner.  After realising how dry the pots were I gave them all a good soaking and took off the dying geraniums neatening up the presentation and maybe it's time to take more cuttings, they do so well here.  The lavender is another job that hasn't been done this year but I don't think I shall bother drying it, I've still got a bucket full of seed that I've done nothing with.  I'll see how I feel when I've chopped it back.

I started supper at five but made a call to the UK to an old friend that I haven't spoken to for a while so I didn't get round to finishing it until eight. I'd taken mince out of the freezer this morning, chopped an onion and made homemade burgers, fried egg and air fried chips.... too much for one sitting so I have a hamburger for breakfast.  Just after nine my time so time to put computers to bed and go for a few more episodes of Last Kingdom.....I've watched all of the series but it only goes up to Bernard Cornwell's eighth book and the last four are coming out in a film next year.  LN..... Better read the books again....LN

Friday 30th September

Seven start, sun was up and it's been wall to wall sunshine all day.  Again the breeze picked up after lunch but I had the terrace door open and most of the downstairs windows by eight and I've only just shut up shop.  I went out with the food for the cat clicking to let her know that I had something for her but no sign of the beauty.  She was out and about again around ten minutes later when I went out on to the terrace to put bread sticks out for the birds and then I heard her plaintive little voice so I went inside to get the bowl, by this time she'd made it on to the terrace, then jumped off when I appeared and impatiently waited while I threw it on to the grass.  She grabbed a chunk of pork and shot away from the terrace so I went back inside and left her to it.  I didn't check but I bet there was nothing left.

The hamburger that I'd left from last night became my breakfast.  It was a quick microwave job and put between two slices of bread, only the washing up from last night to be done and my housework for the day was complete.  I'd fallen asleep last night watching Netflix and goodness knows how man of the series I'd missed so I was determined to get it back to where I was before the curtains came down on my eyelids....and I managed it.  Having got there I carried on watching it, two more sessions down and then I disciplined myself, I'm enjoying it so why shrink the enjoyable timespan.....meter oneself so I did.  I had one brief period of activity, I moved the clothes rail in the downstairs bedroom to the wall between the bedroom and the shower room and put the shelving unit back on the other wall.  It means that clothes are easier to get to, the shelving unit is currently empty so so I now have a new storage area for the winter.  We still appear to be between two seasons, we have summer outside but it's October tomorrow so time to gently slide into winter and time to think about winter schedules.  I've just remembered that it will be soon time for winter tyres, get my Covid test out of the way and then I can move on to the winter preparation list.

More sleep this afternoon, I'd moved on to the sofa in the winter lounge and suddenly one of my neighbours was at the door with a bag of food, somebody had had prayers for the departed said so I had a container of rice and meat, more rice than meat so I picked the meat out and the rest disposed of.  It came with a bottle of yogurt drink which I also disposed of, it's great when it's ice cold but warmed and then re-cooled isn't the same.  The two chocolate cake bars that came with it might be a snack later if the hunger bugs kick in.  Goodbye September, funny old month.....I finally make the plan to go away in October, struggle through the booking process and jump through the hoops and then it's taken away with a stupid virus but at least I didn't lose out financially and know now how to negotiate the system.  A similar holiday is being advertised currently by the same company going on towards the end of the month but once bitten.  LN.....I'll leave it for a while and concentrate on Turkey in three weeks time.......LN