Tuesday 21st February

Silly five start so quick trip to the bathroom and back to bed waking up at seven thirty....much more sensible.  The sun was up, a few clouds in the sky and I spent the next ten minutes over a coffee and the weather station.  The blasted thing had reset itself to standard Germain time after it had been in contact with the receiver and now I had to reset it to one hour difference which is always a bind.  The five buttons are on the back. the display on the front and I always seem to forget which is the one to identify which one does which and which sequence they go in.  Eventually I managed it enough for today....I will play around with it when I'm in the mood to set the time zone to one hour on from the time in Germany.  

I had a shower and washed my hair, I had my student this afternoon.  I let my hair dry naturally, I only use shampoo these days and no conditioner, I'm trying to identify the culprit for the red blotches.  Another load of washing done today using the sensitive wash liquid and so far so good.  I used it last time and the skin has been much better and less itchy.  Washing pegged out and what a beautiful day it was and I came in and made poached egg on ham on toast for a late breakfast which saw me through until this evening.  I tidied the kitchen and then set about trying to find a text for my lesson this afternoon and eventually ended up finding an old one, much more difficult that usual but I knew we cold manage it.  I arrived at the shop at three, the boy was still at school but playing football and he was dripping with perspiration when he arrived.  He went up to the apartment before me, washed or showered and put some smelly stuff on, almost too much but I sat well away so that I wasn't overcome with the fumes.

As I said the text was hard with difficult words in it but we managed it and turned it into a game.  There were some really long words in it and we managed to find the equivalent Bulgarian words in a round about way and used pictures to describe what other words meant.  We had good question and answer sheets and managed to get nine out of eleven questions right between us.....not bad and the prize was one chocolate bar for him and an eclair for me to have when I got home.  I was in the car for six and heading home only stopping at the supermarket for bread and a few other items.  Fire lit and house warmed through but with the temperature going up to twenty eight inside today it didn't take much to raise it to a comfortable level.  So supper of chicken wings and bread and I am late with the update, the film 'The Scent of a Woman' was presented on Netflix and I started and finished it all in one session...and why wouldn't you.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far, the day is mine all mine and depending on the weather, it could take place outside if the weather is fine.  LN.....Greece is calling me.....I feel the sand between my toes already......LN

Wednesday 22nd February

So the search is on now...the post office have to answer questions, three birthday cards have gone AWOL, two refunds from Moonpig probably on the way and I don't know why they accept orders that they aren't able to fulfill.  My daughter follows it up now with an email version and I print it out,,,,thank goodness I can still order and get mine delvered,  One today to my ex was delivered yesterday with chocolates and he gave me my birthday card when I left after Christmas...nothing like being early for the event.

Another silly night...I woke up at four and just didn't bother going back to sleep,  I messed around on the Kindle, managed to get the weather station clock sorted and hopefully I've got the right time zone sorted so that it will show me the correct time tomorrow mornng after it's gone to its radio base overnight.  Curtains open to welcome the day, sun was shining, birds were distributing the bowl of seeds onto the terrace, the chicken bones went out for the black cat yet despite my clicking for it it never appeared but the bones did.  I had toast for breakfast with Marmite since I wasn't really in the mood to cook, the old bread went out for any one that wanted it and several large hooded corws appeared along with magpies ad the starlings are back and one is actually eyeing up the log on the wall as a nest.  It was used last year and maybe the same two are back.

I have more flowers out in the conservatory and I checked out the little house where I store the pots over winter and they are looking good.  February this year has been like spring, I thought about moving one of the benches outside to the terrace and then I remembered that we had snow and minus five temperatures in March only a few years ago so maybe a little premature....I'll hang in there.  Cheese and onion sandwich for lunch and I settled in to a Netflix this afternoon and caught up on my sleep.  Logs in and fire lit for five, house toasty and warm and there's a pork chop in the oven and I've already made the barbecue sauce to put on the top of it when I turn it over.  I was going to do roasted veg but that went by the way as well.....it will be chippies in the air-fryer or a jacket in the microwave.....decisions, decisions.

On the whole a very relaxing day...I almost bought a new phone from the internet to replace the one that I have for my English phone.  It was good in its day but needs to go, the screen is very small and so is the font.  I'll have a look at the add tomorrow and make a decision, my daughter can bring it out for me when then come over in April.  LN.....My chop needs turning and I have to decide what to have with it......LN

Thursday 23rd February

Where is this month going?  I suppose I have the landmark birthdays starting with the third, fourth, thirteenth, mine and the yesterday and only a few more days to go.  It's been a bit of a let down as winter but brilliant as spring and I hope it suddenly doesn't disappear as March approaches.  It would be a shame, I'm just getting used to it.  Fried mushrooms, egg and hot dog sausage for breakfast but the sausage was not to my liking so went out to the black cat along with the bones from last night's pork and the chicken stock and bones from the night before.  Black cat wasn't about so I made my clicking noise and it was slow but eventually appeared from over the wall, I think it's made a home for itself over there where it's protected between my wall and the hedge on the neighbouring property.

I hadn't very much to do today, I walked the garden, sat on the wall listening to the cow bells as they grazed the hillside and decided that despite my omen yesterday of spring disappearing fast as it came, I opened up the little house and moved one of the benches onto the terrace in front of the stairwell windows.  I took a cushion outside with me, my glasses and little Kindle and found one of the Last Kingdom books that I have and started to read it.  I was hoping to dip into it to follow the series that I'm watching on Netflix but couldn't find the book sequence so will have to do it on line and list it.  I'm really not sure how close the series follows the books.  The sun was very hot, I'd found out one of the collapsible folding chairs from the little house, opened it up and settled down comfortably.  I went in to put sunscreen on my face, no point in ending up looking like a tomato at the end of the day,  I also made coffee and grabbed a packet of plain biscuits, that was lunch and not sure if I want any supper.  The wind got up a little so I came in at around four o'clock, watched an episode of Last Kingdom, paused it and tidied up outside putting the chair away, leaving the bench out.  I also filled up one of the log carriers and brought it into the conservatory, came in and lit the fire that I'd set earlier in the day.

Seven my time, the house is comfortably warm, it's been another restful day but I must get round to doing stuff tomorrow.  It's very easy to fall into the pattern of doing nothing so nothing gained and not really my style.  I need to start some seeds off, I've got lots flowering in the little house, the winter has been kind to them but I need lots more underway.  LN.....Tomorrow might be just the day for tobacco seeds and sun daisies......LN

Friday 24th February

Another early start and I must admit it left me jaded all day.  I made breakfast of bacon and egg sandwich, cleared the kitchen, set the fire, reset the clock after it had sync'd again with its base station, did a load of washing and pegged it out.....and all that by nine thirty this morning.  Mornings move on in my house.  I then switch on and switched off by watching another couple of episodes of The Last Kingdom...bring back Transponder.....and the series is becoming obsessive.  

The sun eventually broke through after a dull start, I walked the garden and that's when I noticed the crocuses hiding in the border under the little house terrace.  Not only did I clear round them but I carried on with the rest of the little garden and found the daffs that are doing well and lots more pushing their heads through.  The forsythia are getting close to breaking out and putting patches of yellow throughout the garden...it really does brighten the beds up. I checked the flowers in the little house and watered a few of them that needed it.  I've got new tobacco plants starting and the old ones are flowering.....self sets are great.  I know I said that I was going to get more seeds in today...it didn't happen, I just couldn't get up the enthusiasm to get new ones going but I did noticed that the three winter flowering jasmine that potted up a week or so ago are really getting established and putting on new leaves.

The washing came in around three this afternoon and I lit the fire early to warm up the bathroom to air the clothes.  I felt cold today, I've been spoilt over the last week or so and ended up putting my heavy knitted cardigan on, just taken it off now but it was really necessary.  I put supper in around six, fancied chicken wings and roasted veg and that's what I'm having.  I was a little disappointed with the parsnips that I bought, they were expensive, very woody when I came to cut them up for roasting and let's see if they're still the same after they've been in the oven.  Food ready and I've just put the boiler on for a good soak in the bath tonight, otherwise I'll only be watching Netflix again.....I'll take the little Kindle with me making sure that it doesn't end up floating like the last one.  LN......I think I'll continue with clearing the flower beds if the weather is good tomorrow.....it doesn't happen by itself....LN

Saturday 25th February

Not such a bad start this morning, six twenty considering I went to bed at one after loosing myself in The Last Kingdom.  I remembered to switch the boiler off at around ten, there was no way I was having a bath at that time of night, it's been done before but I have been known to wake up in a cold bath and then feel cold getting into bed.  Not such a good day, it was cloudy when I opened the curtains, it burnt off and the sun managed to come out eventually, enough for me to go and play outside.

Before that though I had my normal routine, fire set, logs into the log basket, filled up the log carrier as a back up and then made toast that sat heavily for most of the morning.  I did venture outside earlier and feel the black cat that appeared on my calling from over the wall giving me a plaintive meow....as if 'what time do you call this?'  The chicken bones and roasted vegetables didn't last long and not much was left for other visitors.  I went back inside and cleared the kitchen and washed up the baking tins from last night, made a coffee and sat down to another episode of my Netflix.....it's just so compulsive although it's the third time I've watched the series. The last time was during my Covid episode when I binge watched it, sleeping through a lot of it but took my mind off my high temperature and sore throat.

Eventually I made it outside putting on a fleece hat and my oversized leather jerkin to keep out the cold wind that had suddenly struck up and it's blowing a gale out there at the moment.  It all started when I decided to clear the garden under the terrace, clear away the dead leaves and uncover the bulbs that were shooting through.  I'd made a start on it yesterday but finished the job today and also cleared the little under terrace bed of leaves and old flower pots.  It didn't stop there!!  I'd looked at the wooden garden surrounds and several of them needed replacing so instead decided to patch where I could.  I made some more supports from timber that was available, found a few short planks that would do the job and set about replacements.   I grabbed the heavy bolster hammer from the woodstore, the saw, nails and ordinary hammer from the workshop, replaced three sections and tomorrow if the mood takes me I'll start with the old engine oil and cover them well.  It stops the bugs and immediate rotting and well worth doing.  So old leaves and rubbish from the gardens, I'd cleared the lavender bed under the main terrace, were lobbed over the wall and the cows soon found them and most of it is no more.  

I came in at around three thirty, the sun was still out but that wind had really developed into something that you want to get out of, lit the fire, closed the door, put on the tv and promptly went to sleep for an hour or so.  On waking I remembered that I'd put most of the tools away but the garden rake, shears and log carrier were still waiting to go back to their respective homes so out I went, did the deeds and locked up outside, came in and locked up inside.  My day was done.  I came upstairs to write my blog and suddenly got very involved in hints and tips from ancestry and spent over and hour checking out the validity of most of them.....got half way through the blog and realised I'd forgotten the fire so have been giving it the kiss of life and now it's going to be find when I take up my evening viewing,  Supper is only a chunk of cheese and a few Petit-Beurre biscuits that I've just found in the kitchen, I eyed up a packet of crisps and put them back and have just gone and retrieved them.  LN.....My diet can start tomorrow.....LN

Sunday 26th February

I was awakened this morning by the sound of the wind, grey skies from the one mountain range to the other and not a glimmer of anything resembling the sun.  It was only eleven degrees outside so that was my first job, lighting the fire and feeding it would be my task for the day.  I heard the cat outside give a pitiful call so I found out the sausages that I'd not really liked, two left, one for the cat and the other for me made into an omelette.  I took the one out to the cat, a few clicking noises and it didn't come out from where it had secreted itself so the food is still in the porch. I did try another couple of times but still no joy, it really is horrible out there.

I washed and dressed, realised that I would be inside for the day not outside, the renovations to the garden surrounds would not be painted today.  We had the first of many rain showers that didn't last long, it appears that we've got March weather for the wind and April showers mixed into one....June and July came at the beginning of this month and goodness knows what will follow it.  This year is so topsy-turvy.  The washing up from this morning is still sitting in the kitchen waiting to be done, I turned on the computer and spent a couple of hours chasing people and updating the chart and have now got back too the mid seventeen hundreds with one family.  It all started since I was trying to track several families from one generation moved to America and I'm trying to identify which families went.  There were around ten children born to the same parents so I've got lots to work through, I know where they were buried but not found the dates that they left and the ships they left on so I might just have to conclude that they were the families.

I cleared out the pots of daffodils that were on the windowsills and noticed that there was just one flower still to make its appearance.  I cut the others off, and brought the pot back into the house, its one change at showing off, out shone already but its neighbours so I though it should have its opportunity.  I topped it up with water and it should be out by Tuesday.  Around five the television went on and the sofa was as good a place as any to catch up with lost sleep from last night.  I shall probably have to watch one or two of the episodes again to catch up with the plot and I've just remembered that a further series of The Blacklist is about to, or has already started so that's going to be the next on my agenda.  So I've yet to decide on supper for tonight, it's almost seven my time, it's still blowing a gale outside, I've managed to batten down the hatches and everything that was about to fly away has gone, all I can hear is the whoosh of the wind....and the internet shows an orange warning for wind and snow later in the week.  Perhaps January and February weather will appear just before February disappears later this week.  LN.....Computer off and kitchen oven on...time to get creative in the kitchen.....LN

Monday 27th February

So the Last Kingdom is finished...I hear that there is a plan to wrap up the rest of the books with one final film...not quite the same but needs to be done.  It's funny watching it for the third time, it's amazing what you miss first time round and the third time is another eye opener.  I must check back though....when a man lost an eye for an immoral act inflicted on one of his daughters.  When the boy becomes a man and re-enters the plot, I felt the wrong eye was covered.  May be that's something to keep for the next time I watch it and watch it I'm sure I will.

Six thirty start this morning, the rain had stopped and the wind had dropped slightly and had changed direction.  It was no longer coming from Greece but heading back that way.  I used up the last of the bacon and made a sandwich, cleaned up the kitchen from yesterday and by nine thirty I was looking for things to do.  I lit the fire, it was still cold and miserable outside and I'm not using an awful lot of wood so one good blast and then when the sun came out I let the fire go out and it stayed that way until five this afternoon.

I cleaned out the porch, took the rug up and put it on the line, the doormats went out to the terrace and the mop came inside to wash the floor over when I'd swept it.  The window sill was cleaned off, everything put back after the rug had had a good beating and it looks much better for the effort.  I took the secateurs outside and took some branches from the Japonica.....the pink buds that have sat on the plant for a couple of weeks have started to open and now they're sitting in the lounge with a couple of daffs that are ready to open.  The garden is coming to life.  The forsythia at the bottom of the garden has one flower open already and the one under the lonesome pine is about to burst into bloom.  I have about eight forsythias around the garden so just waiting for the onslaught.  I put the garden gatherings into water, went into the woodstore and filled up one of the log carriers to make sure that there's enough in for the night, went into the little house and dug the box of seeds out to sort through them.  I found sweet peas seeds from two years ago, so thought I'd check my 'gardening bible' and it looks like they should have been planted much earlier but they're in and they have my usual two choices...either they will or they won't amount to anything.  I've planted them up in empty toilet tubes buried into compost and let's see.  I had a bonfire to get rid of the rubbish, I waited until the wind had dropped and left it when the fire had burnt down....safety first.

The initial plan to go to Kardjali today came to nothing, I was only going in to get my new bank card but since this has another month to go, there's no rush.  I had a message from my other old student yesterday. the family were unable to join us for my birthday bash so hopefully we are going out tomorrow night for supper at the same restaurant.  I enjoyed the last meal there and the service was impeccable....so let's give her an even better tip this time.   Other student tomorrow and more football practice for me....and from there to the other family and then on to the restaurant...saves driving in and out and in and out again.  Good day today, I've started to get things done and coming out of winter along with the spring flowering shrubs.  LN......Now which one would I be?......LN

Tuesday 28th February

Another month bites the dust already, mad March awaits us tomorrow.  This month is ending on a very wet note....almost down to vest and pants in the middle of the month and now it's long johns, sweater and a cardigan just to make sure along with a ski hat.  Wall to wall rain from two onwards and it's still chucking it down now.

I woke up at six this morning, drank a large glass of warm water from the kettle, got my little head down again and the second rising was at nine and I felt much better for it.  Unfortunately I had a reaction to my late night meal and I was beginning to show the signs of a botox-ed bottom lip so took an 'allergia' capsule and hoped that it would go down before it was time for my lesson with my student.  Fortunately it did.  I lingered in the bath for a couple of hours, washed my hair and emerged at around twelve with nothing to do except dry my hair, get ready, prepare a text for my student and be on my proverbial bike by two thirty and I achieved all the objectives I'd set for myself.

I arrived just before three and unbeknown to be my student was already upstairs.  He normally rushes into the shop, declares that he needs thirty minutes in the toilet and I go up to get on with the lesson.  Talking to his mother I didn't realise what time it was and it was almost four, she told me that he was upstairs so picked up my bag and he met me at the door with football in hand....soon to be laced on his foot and away we went.  Five minutes play time and then we settled down to sixty minutes of text about London red buses, the history and the regulations and how they continue to be recognised round the world.  We worked through the questions together, I left him with some homework, we had another fifteen minutes for football and he reckons I'm getting better.  He also told me that he has a match tomorrow at the stadium and if it isn't raining I'll phone his mother and we'll go up to watch him play.  It's his school against another from the region but I shall be wrapping up warm...that air has got distinctly colder.

I left just before six, went down to the local supermarket for cake and éclairs to take round to my ex-student's parents house...I'd been invited for supper.  I always have a special time there, they are lovely people, we all speak a mixture of Bulgarian, English and Turkish and with the television in the background on one of the Turkish serials, my student and myself get on with our evening and the parents get on with theirs.  We settled on the cake and éclairs for afters and at ten I realised how late it was so made font farewells and into the Nipper for the drive home.  Nothing on the road except for a few frogs that I tried to avoid but not sure if I did or not and lots of really big puddles.  LN......I hear this weather is in for all next week.....welcome March.....LN