Tuesday 11th April

Another cold miserable start to the day, it looked like the sun might break through but it was all a rouse....it didn't really get going.  My neighbour from down the lower square had promised to bring round fluffy pancakes for breakfast for all of us for ten, I woke at seven thirty, the rest of the house was round and about by nine and then the morning slipped by and it was a rush to the finishing post to get washed and dressed by the allotted hour and I didn't manage it.  I was still in my reindeer dressing cow and cow print pyjama bottoms when she arrived and behind her came Zelinger, my favourite other lady from the village.  The two ladies entered with hugs all round, the pancakes were taken into the kitchen and deposited in a dish, Zelinger sat on the sofa while I went to the kitchen to find some pine tip honey for the pancakes.  Two seconds later the door went again and Haciber had seen the two ladies walking towards my house and had followed on behind not to be outdone bringing with her a box of chocolates to my guest.  We had a few giggles trying to open the jar of syrup, my young friend was trying to prize the top off and hitting the lid on the worktop so I wrestled it from her and did my usual trick of hitting the lid with the handle of the knife to break the seal and it immediately released much to the amusement of my ladies.  They've obviously not used that trick before...works every time.  Off they went, we settled down so that my daughter could try the pancakes and they were a success.  She didn't go much for the pine tip honey but I really like it.

The rest of the morning was spent finishing off the packing, doing Sudoku and crosswords and they were ready at the pre-determined time of twelve to be in the car and heading for Sofia.  I waved them off, sad to see them go and it was at that point that I decided I really didn't want to head into Djebel and have the English lesson with my student.  I suddenly felt lost, the house was empty so I concentrated on the full washing basket and got that underway and onto the airer in the bathroom with it, the wind was cold, the air was damp and it was the best place for it.  I did manage to get out though and remove the restraining rope from the shrubs under the wall and twist the climbers back onto the railings.  I've finished most of the half bags of crisps from the goody box and the marshmallows took a hammering while I was watching 'The Gilmore Girls' on Netflix.  I'd lit the fire earlier so the house was comfortable and so much so that I got my head down for an hour or so and since the programme is all individual stories, I didn't miss anything.

It's eight thirty my time, I don't need supper I've filled up on rubbish, the fire needs another log and I shall have an early night.  My visitors will spend the night in Sofia and fly out tomorrow morning...they can have some time together before the flight and get back to being a couple.  LN.....It was really good to see them.......LN

Wednesday 12th April

I woke at eight this morning and found two hard boiled eggs in the fridge, made toast and had them with mayo.  A brown loaf went over the wall for the animals along with the heel of the white loaf, Cat was looking longingly but obviously not that hungry that it invested in the bread.  It sat on the grass for quite some time and then moved on to more lucrative pastures and not been spotted for the rest of the day.  I answered a few emails and messaged a few people then put the television on and did nothing for the next couple of hours or so...I'm still getting used to an  empty house so to speak with nothing pressing to do so I had to find something.  At twelve I stripped the bed in my upstairs bedroom and put the sheet and duvet cover in the machine, emptied the washing machine filter and gave it a good clean before I set it into motion, remembered to replace all the parts I'd removed and then pressed the button.  

I got dressed in warm clothes, that wind was still blowing a gale despite the fact that the sun was out with rolling clouds.  I found the strimmer and the apparently charged battery for it and set it into motion and it lasted all of twenty minutes before it had to go on charge again.  Having the bee in my bonnet that the grass had to be done, I brought out the petrol mower from the workshop, primed it and after a few attempts it came to life.  I did it in stages, firstly around the terrace to the big house, then the grave garden and eventually down to the mulberry tree.  I stopped for a chocolate bar and a bottle of water and forced myself to go back to it and managed to get down to the bottom of the garden, it was quite long in patches, the moles had had a field day down there so I was avoiding the lumps and bumps but hey...I did it.  At this point the clouds really came over and I thought we were in for a real storm so mower away under the balcony in the little house, everything locked away and I came in for something more substantial to eat settling for toasted bun loaf with butter.  The washing went on the airer in the bathroom, I lit the fire and settled down with tv and promptly went to sleep for an hour or so......the grass cutting had taken it out of me.

Not  a bad sunset tonight and in fact it didn't rain despite several warning signs.  Princess and SIL are home and nothing much on the agenda so far but things might change.  I've earmarked the Porto Largos market in Greece for Sunday if the weather is good and have a partner in crime ready lined up......I do like going there and so does she and we'll find a restaurant in Fanari further down the coast.  LN......Spring might have arrived.......LN

Thursday 13th April

Another seven start....it's getting to be the norm.  I was a little bit slow off the mark this morning, I knew what the challenge was, the rest of the grass, the weather was in my favour but the enthusiasm to get out there and get on with it was slow to surface.  I made boiled eggs for breakfast with ham, mayo amd toast and the cat got the trimmings.  It obviously wasn't enough, cat sat on the terrace looking in the window but eventually decided that there wasn't any more forthcoming so went scouring the village for more.  I managed to wash up the dishes from yesterday and today, wiped down the units, folded the washing from yesterday and lay on the sofa and put on Netflix.....it seemed like the right thing to do.  Just before twelve I switched it off and headed outside on a mission to finish the grass.

I finished half of it and again felt so tired that I came in at three when the petrol ran out, grabbed a bottle of water, again headed for the sofa and Netflix and didn't go out again until four thirty, finished the grass, cleaned the machine and put it away and I was back in the house by six thirty.  It's been a funny old day weatherwise, sunny with a very cold wind and putting out so much energy brought me out in a sweat and so a bath was the next thing on the menu.  I knew I had to switch on the boiler override and couldn't raise the effort to walk up the stairs so left it for thirty minutes, went up to the bathroom, changed the switch position and half filled the bath,  I found a Badedas shower and hair shampoo gel so in the absence of any other shampoo it did the job and I emerged about fifteen minutes ago.

It's nine fifteen my time, it wont be long before I'm heading for my bed and hopefully for a good night's sleep.  Tomorrow I shall be out with the strimmer to reach the parts that the lawn mower didn't and if the weather is good, some gentle weeding.  I did managed to empty the plants that have overwintered in the little house onto the terrace, they need trimming back, weeding and watering and should fill the terraces all summer.  I'm hoping that we've see the last of the frosts for this year.  LN......A good day despite the lack lustre start.......LN

Friday 14th April

Good news and bad news today on the bird front.  I heard my first cuckoos and I know there are two because I got a normal one and my one with the hiccups that comes back every year or at least one of its offsprings with the same affliction.  It was just a joy to listen to them.....the harbingers of spring.  My sad story is that I was in bed at seven thirty and I heard a thump on the window on the landing but from the outside so I got out of bed to see what was the damage and noticed a very pretty woodpecker that had obviously got full tilt into the glass and black cat was looking longingly at it.  I went out in my pyjamas, the cat shot off towards the wall, I checked the bird out and there was no life in it at all.  It looked like its neck was broken, its eyes were glazed over and not even a little twitch.  I used the shovel to pick it up and put it into a plastic crate and lifted it from the terrace to the top of the chest leaving it there to that the cat didn't get it and it was going to get its own little pyre once I'd gathered the household rubbish together.

It was a funny old morning...it looked like it should be raining but wasn't, there was some red in the sky but it didn't amount to much and the sun was up eventually and didn't last long.  So burning material sorted I headed down to the burning pit carrying the rubbish and the bird in the box, removed the old paint cans that I'd set fire to yesterday and put them ready for the container.  I lit the rubbish, the bird went on top and I set fire to it and the first thing that came into my mind was that such a lot of effort had gone into its birth and growth.  Such a shame but better the way it was going than being taken apart by a cat.    That job finished I moved on to the next.  I'd threatened to take the petchka pipes out and give them a clean and also give the petchka a good clean too.  I started around eleven and the job was finished by twelve fifteen so not a bad time to complete it in.  That also included sweeping and washing the floor over, putting everything back where it should be.

I had a few messenger conversations and have invited my friend from Fotinovo for a pizza tomorrow evening in Djebel and she can stay over if she wants to.  Family have left and an empty house can be difficult when you're not used to it.  I'd stripped down my upstairs bedroom yesterday and washed everything so today I did the second bedroom and washed the quilt cover.  The cover is brushed cotton and is warm to get in to and with a brushed cotton under sheet she should be very toasty....at least my daughter and SIL didn't have any complaints.  Unfortunately I was just going to peg out the quilt when the rain started so it went on the stair rail at the top of the landing and it's now dry.  I did light the fire, the sun came out but that's sod's law.  

Just after eight my time, I've picked at rubbishy food most of the afternoon so not really in the mood for anything sensible this evening.  LN......Perhaps need to put some bird stickers on the windows to stop them crashing into them.......LN  

Saturday 15th April

Lots of clouds around at seven this morning but they soon disappeared and we were left with a lovely day.  I had a boiled egg for breakfast with toast and mayo which seems to be an idea left over from Princess and Co. being out here, lots of coffee and then it was a very steady morning getting ready for my guest this evening.  I laid the fire, put a load of washing into the machine, washed up from breakfast, cleaned the bathroom, ran the hoover over, pegged out the washing and it was still only ten thirty. I was on a roll this morning.  The apples and bananas went over the wall and there was target practice with one egg that had a damages shell but i didn't hit the target.  Cat was no where to be seen and nothing much happening in the village.

I showered and washed my hair and realised that the dryer I prefer was downstairs but I managed with the newer one, dressed for tonight although it was early, watched Netflix for an hour or so and drifted into the afternoon.  I was in the Nipper by one thirty and heading for Djebel, I stopped at the supermarket and topped up on essentials and non-essentials like chocolate, some for my student's mum for Easter and some for me for the sheer hell of it.  I fetched the washing in from the line so that it didn't appear later in Greece, that wind was strong and was ready for my guest at four and she was right on time.  We drank coffee, chatted, didn't attack the chocolates but might later and set off for the restaurant at six thirty, pizza for both of us and we've just arrived home now at nine thirty.  

More coffee on the go and the chocolates are coming out for an airing, nothing on the agenda so far for tomorrow, we might have a lazy morning and then see what the rest of the day brings.  LN.......A very restful day.......LN

Sunday 16th April

So last nights sleep over went well and we stayed up watching the television until it was time for Cinderella to lose her slipper and it was guest room turned down and me snuggled up in my downstairs nest.  I woke up early. crept around for a while and went down to make coffee, threw some old spicy sausages that I'd forgotten about for the cat and subsequently I reckon that it did not have to eat for the rest of the day.  I made my clicking noises to wake it up and eventually it appeared but is still extremely tentative grabbing a piece of the sausage and taking it near the wall and turning its back on me....ungrateful being.  I checked out the weeks and made a mental note that that's what I should be doing for the rest of the day despite the fact that it was a dull old morning and really it didn't pick up all day.  I took the wisteria plants that I've grown from seed outside and investigated why one of them had failed miserably, the roots were there but not particularly robust but one of them had roots appearing outside the bottom of the pot so I found a larger pot and settled it inside,  Fingers crossed it succeeds.  At that point there was a tap on the window, my guest was circulating so time to wash, dress and make breakfast.

She got showered and we settled for toast and whatever for breakfast and she settled for Marmite that she'd brought over yesterday from her reserves.  You're not able to buy it from the shops here.  We chatted for a while, I suggested Haskovo and the plant shop but since it's Easter Sunday here, we thought that we might be out of luck,,,,,Kardjali internet was full of 'Christ is Risen' and with that comes that 'Everything is closed'.  She was on her way around twelve, I lit the fire around one, chopped a few logs to have smaller ones to get the fire going and settled on the sofa, ignoring the gnawing mind to get on with the weeding.  I settled down to watch TV, promptly went to sleep for an hour or so, woke up and turned to new episode of a series that I've been following earlier in the year.  

The cold is still lingering and the sore throat is beginning to develop along with an annoying cough.....I shall be on the honey and lemon drink soon with aspirin to soothe the troubled brow.  The chocolates have taken a hammering this afternoon so supper is not really at the top of the list and at eight twenty, it might not even be on the agenda, I'm still yawning so an early night is on the cards.  LN.....Boiler is on for a lengthy bath.......LN

Monday 17th April

Another damp and miserable day, not cold though so the fire hasn't been lit tonight.  I was awake at six thirty again, tried frantically all day to work up the enthusiasm to get on with the weeding and applying mole bombs to the garden but just couldn't get going.  My net achievement for today appears to be nothing except that I did cook an exceedingly good breakfast with amazing fried bread and washed up immediately the plate was cleared away.  I also managed a giant packet of crisps and so for supper, nothing so far and since it's nine my time, there'll be no further kitchen activity tonight.

I did have one lovely surprise thought.  When I was over just before Christmas I took a photograph for Yvonne, a girl friend I worked with over sixty years ago and she wanted the photo to go to one of her friends near Blackpool.  I suggested how we could achieve this my sending the friend my email address and then I could add the photo in the return mail.  I'd looked for the lady in the internet, thought I'd found her but decided that it would come better from her to me which it did....just over three months later.  So I received it today and responded to it immediately and she should now have it.  Job done and off the list and I've suggested that she send the photo to Yvonne in snail mail.

Nothing else to report, food did go out this morning for the cat and the birds and hopefully never the twain did meet.  Student tomorrow, this cold is still lingering so I'm getting the Vick out for tonight and liberally applying it to chest and back to see if I can break up the congestion, otherwise I might even cancel again.  He's still on holiday from school so it would be giving him another week of freedom.  LN......Almost time for me to snuggle up for the night.......LN

Tuesday 18th April

So another seven start, cold, wet and miserable.  It looked like it was going to clear up but no joy, we had more rain and this afternoon we even had thunder but I didn't see any flashes.  I had a very lazy start and didn't get dressed until twelve, watched more rubbish on Netflix and eventually went to get washed and dressed, printed off the text for today's lesson and the questions to go with the text.  I skipped around a bit, managed to find my driving glasses, put make-up on and extra warm clothing on before I set off at just after two.

The thunder was still rumbling around as I left the yard and as I pulled up outside the shop my student gave me a super big smile and a wave.  He was off to the local supermarket to by chip sticks for his mother and an afterthought for lunch.  It was at this point that I realised I'd left the folder with today's lesson on the desk in the stairwell.  Today would have to be an improvisation, we'd find something to work through, he carried on upstairs and I followed him to the apartment just before three for the lesson.  He was still lingering in the bathroom when I arrived so I left him to it, settled myself on the sofa and eventually he emerged and in the absence of anything else we found the BBC learning site and worked our way through a couple of online texts and then some quizzes around the use of certain words within sentences.  We got eight out of eight for the first two and as for the third, it was a toss-up as to which of two of them was correct....it was the same response phrased differently dependent on the question being asked.  We picked the wrong on, ruining our run of success but when we checked the answers, it mentioned that the response was in American English and where the heck did that come from.  That wasn't stated in the beginning.  At this point we lost interest and decided that football would be a good alternative to study, we'd done enough.

We exercised for around twenty minutes and now we've stopped recording the scores, it's the game that matters without the competitive edge.  At four fifteen I called a halt to the game and went downstairs to the shop and sat with his mother reporting on the lesson, talking plants and making lotions and potions from pork fat and dandelions using different techniques and tomorrow might well be the day for carrying them out.  I just have to find the dandelions, most of the ones in the garden appear to be bedraggled clock stalks and no flowers in sight.  Home for six thirty, fire lit, I made a ham sandwich to keep the bugs at bay and put chicken wings and a jacket potato into the oven for supper.  The potato was super, the wings were suffering from freezer burn so they go out for cat tomorrow morning.  The fire's going well and the house warmed up enough for watching Netflix so that's where I'm heading for, the TV is now back in the winter lounge until summer arrives.  LN.....Thank goodness for portable TV's and WiFi......LN

Wednesday 19th April

Silly night, I fell asleep watching Netflix, woke up and continued watching it until four this morning.....my sleep tank was full.  I went to bed and was still awake at seven ready to face the day.  I think the weather and the lack of activity is instigating inertia, please bring the sun back into my life.  I settled for toast and Marmite for breakfast, did the usual chores, the fire was set and the log basket was topped up for the evening but the washing up is still waiting for me in the kitchen.  The chicken wings went out for the cat, I made my clicking noise but no joy, it remained hidden so I put it under the wild plum tree and when I checked later the cat was head down and face stuffing.

The weather picked up around lunch time and I took tools out to make an impression on the weed population.  I also took out the remaining two wisteria that needed repotting and one is done but I didn't get round to the second one.  I attacked the shrubbery that used to hang on the railings and removed the restricting rope twining the plants back into the railings especially the honeysuckle.  The vicious juniper has been scooped up from the ground and tied back into the railings, there's lots of new growth on it and at least it looks happier vertical over horizontal.  Digging around the base of the wall by the Bridal Wreath shrub I spotted a tortoise shell and at last a little head but not much other movement.  I saw the remains of green nail varnish on its shell so Green God, who used to be Green Goddess until he became the terror of the neighbourhood chasing Rose and the other females.  He looks like the first to emerge or at least his hiding place has been uncovered.  I'm just hoping that the painter managed to avoid putting a very large foot on his shell but no sign of damage from the photo.

More clouds came over so it was tools away, little house locked up and I settled myself on the sofa with a ham sandwich and a bottle of water and left the outside world to its own devices.  I made a couple of phone calls to the UK and found that what I thought was a birthday tomorrow was in fact not until the twenty ninth so present and car arrived early and my friend confirmed that she had had other early cards.  I suggested that she check her birth certificate to ensure that she'd got it right and the rest of us wrong.  Obviously I fell asleep this afternoon catching up on the lack of zzzz's last night, and I've just realised that it's just after nine thirty my time and tonight I'm in bed early....no more binging on Netflix.  Back to the garden tomorrow if the weather looks anything like, I now have to carry out daily checks on Green God and be careful when I set sail with the strimmer tomorrow if it dries up.  LN.....I hear the washing up calling me from the kitchen.......LN

Thursday 20th April

A restful night's sleep, a seven start and the washing up that was in the kitchen didn't should loudly enough last night and was waiting for me this morning.....knocked off in quick sticks.  It threatened rain but hadn't started, you couldn't see the bottom of the garden for the mist and the mountains had disappeared.  I made coffee and settled down on the sofa, no chance of working outside it was too early and too cold so I put a load of washing in the machine.  The sun was up by now and so I pegged it out when it had finished, there was quite a stiff breeze but those clouds were gathering.  I went to warm up my coffee in the microwave and found another one lingering from yesterday so I switched the kettle on and made fresh.....no one likes reheated out of choice.  Toast and apricot jam for breakfast, fire set since I guessed that the washing would be in soon and the clothes would be put on the upstairs airer and I was right.  

I went out to check on my tortoise and found him in the same place.  I started to weed the top garden and do a little more repair work to the shrubs against the railings, my heart wasn't in the weeding so I didn't stay out there long.  Netflix went on and fortunately I've finished the series I was watching so now have to go on the hunt.  This cold seems to have taken purchase, my throat is sore and my head hurts and my blood pressure seems to be up slightly so I was on the hunt for the last lot of tablets that I was prescribed and found them.  I've not been needing them since before Christmas, I've probably been eating rubbish again so now really time to get that healthy diet underway.  I had a sleep which did me good, the headache has eased, not coughing so much but my throat is still sore.

So now to have a bath and then to bed, I need a good night's sleep again and to get my strength up.  I've noticed that the grass is growing really fast and I've worked out that the quickest was to cure the weeds is to strim them or mow up to the base of the wall between the shrubs.  LN.....Drastic measures need to be taken......LN