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Elsa Peters living a new life in Bulgaria    General Boards    My Diary by Elsa Peters  ›  MAY 2023
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Elsa Peters
May 1, 2023, 6:25pm Report to Moderator

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Monday 1st May

Another early start at my friends house, I played Angry Birds, was out of bed by seven making coffee.  My packing was done and eventually I settled down on my new computer to again try and master the set up....and one part of the code cracked.  We didn't bother with breakfast but set to on the final preparation to leave the house with all the safety procedures in place...water off, electricity off, gas bottles disconnected and cat and dog food taken to the neighbours house for the duration of my friends time away.  Eventually everything sorted we put the luggage in the Nipper and headed back to mine.

The weather started off misty, it changed to bright blue skies but as we headed towards my village over the hills and far away you could see the storm clouds gathering.  It got progressively worse and we ended up with rain yet again. The plan to get started on my returning neighbour's garden faded into the distance...the grass was once again far too wet to mow so I spent the afternoon trying to contact her in Germany.  Eventually I got to speak to her daughter and confirmed that they will be arriving at one o'clock tomorrow in Sofia so should be down here for around five tomorrow afternoon.  I should manage to be back from Plovdiv airport around two thirty so should be back before they arrive.

So tomorrow we shall leave around eight in the morning, not rush through the mountains since the roads will probably be very wet so I'll take it slowly.  Not much to do before hand, fill up with gas in Kardjali just to check how many kilometres we managed to do on one full tank of gas...just for the record.  ping away.  So no photos again....I've got some of our trip to Greece to resize, it's too late now as my friend has gone to bed and I don't want to keep tapping away,  NB......Welcome May...the year is cracking on.....LN
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Elsa Peters
May 2, 2023, 5:10pm Report to Moderator

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Tuesday 2nd May

Well another full on day. I was up at six thirty, washing in the machine and despite the fact that the hillside was hidden from view by overnight mist, it got hung out.  It had all day to dry.  I washed and dressed fairly quickly, I was taking my friend to Plovdiv airport for a one-ten flight to Stanstead and didn't want to miss the plane so to speak so got on with my chores.  I delivered coffee to the desk on the landing, I didn't want a bad review on Trip Advisor although it does stop people coming I suppose...much better at my age.  We'd set the time for departure at eight knowing this would slide a little and it did but we were there in plenty of time.  I had toast for breakfast but she didn't want anything just lots of coffee where I abstained after the first.....it was a two hour drive and pit-stops through the mountains were only situated behind trees.  We eventually set off just before nine, I drove down to the garage to get my tyre pressures checked, stopped for gas in Kardjali and then it was 'the open road for me Toad' and once we'd cleared Kardjali there was very little traffic.  I decided to take the mountain route, it's very bendy but I enjoy the drive and we were soon approaching my little café that I usually stop at on the journey but I thought it best that we carry on and I intended to stop on my way back from the airport.  

So deposited in good time and I didn't stop to say farewell, I dropped her off in the carpark at departures and she could now relax and contemplate what she has to do in England or her naval whichever suited her.  My journey back was magic....not much traffic, only a few to overtake and it took me back to the days when I would finish a long stint away from home and was driving home after the completion of a contract.  I was relaxed, my promise to a dear friend had been completed and now the time was my own until the next project.  My student's lesson had been cancelled, he was playing football in Stara Zagora so a quick stop at the supermarket in Djebel for a few items and I was home for just after one thirty.  I made some tuna sandwiches, ate a complete bar of white chocolate and settled on the sofa and went to sleep....and why not.

Washing in and put away along with the other from yesterday, I'm not really planning supper the tuna and chocolate combination is sitting heavily and at eight o'clock I'm sure I can manage until morning.  I've just spent time getting photos over from my phone and was quite pleased with myself....I used the download function, I wasn't able to connect the phone to the PC.  They're the ones from Sunday when we went to the market and beach in Greece.....a very pleasant and enjoyable day.  LN......Gardening tomorrow for Avatar I think.....she's supposed to come back today but I haven't seen her yet.  Also my Cinderella is returning from Germany for two weeks and has already contacted me for a day in Greece.....LN.......And off we go again....LN




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Elsa Peters
May 3, 2023, 3:52pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 3rd May

Well it looks like I've been misinformed.  I though Avatar was back from Germany yesterday but no sight nor sound and I'm now led to believe that its the thirteenth she's back.  If it dries up...and that's not a strong possibility looking looking at the clouds right now...I might be able to organise or do something towards cutting back her weeds.  Although, looking at my garden, I'm going to have my work cut out dealing with mine.  There was a full moon last night and I anticipated a sunny day....wrong...it was throwing it down this morning and it's been intermittent all day.

I was up early, stripped the upstairs bed and my downstairs bed, everything into the washing machine and I intend moving upstairs tonight....the first of the year.  I do like waking up to the view of the mountains and garden, curtains left open at night make it alright with the world.  It's even better when the sun comes up but looking at the weather forecast for the next few days....there looks to be April showers arriving late.  I dried most of the washing inside and it's now ready to be folded and put away including the quilt covers and l lit the fire about three this afternoon to keep the temperature up in the house.  It's ticking along now.  I did have to go out and chop some starter wood and that was a job and a half, most of the wood left over from the builders years ago have been used as shuttering so have a thin coat of cement on them that has hardened over time....poor axe.

TV this afternoon, I moved it back into the winter lounge and settled on the sofa and of course you can guess the outcome of that but with only me here....no worries.  Steak taken from the freezer this morning has thawed out so that's going to get griddled with onions and slapped on two slices of bread for supper and tonight I'm going to linger in a long bath before I get into a new clean bed.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far...just the way I like it.  LN......Back to being 'one in the bed and the little one said'......LN



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Elsa Peters
May 4, 2023, 6:34pm Report to Moderator

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Thursday 4th May

I woke up early this morning having spent the first night upstairs, I slept so well, the bed is so comfortable and I'm in to sheets and out of the 'nest'.  It's my bedroom but because it has the best views to wake up to I normally give it up for family and friends but I might not be doing that so much this year.  The other bedroom looking out on the same view has the balcony as well but only the door has the window in that direction but still views over the western mountains and the yard....you just can't see the eastern view without getting out of bed.  It's another rainy morning.....again last night we had a moon but with light cloud and I was surprised to see the terraces wet over and it didn't really clear up until late this afternoon and then only briefly.

I did my usual morning tidy round and went down to cook breakfast and remembered that I had steak from last night that I was too tired to make for myself so I used the skillet and fried off an egg to have with it between two slices of bread....nothing fancy....and again it was very tender.  I must remember to buy more from Lidl the next time I'm there.  I couldn't work outside so decided to play around with Ancestry and have printed off some of the history ready to hand write it onto a huge sheets of paper that's just waiting to be written on.  At around eleven thirty I ran a bath, stretched out in it and promptly went to sleep for an hour or so.  I know some people think it's dangerous but I've been doing it since I was a teenager so it's second nature to me now.  Clothes for the day was sweatshirt and leggings...  the rain had stopped so it was time to stroll round the garden mainly to keep my Fitbit happy and to check on the tortoise and I found Rosy first under the front wall in the grave garden, stretched out in the sun.  I carried on walking the short wall and was surprised to see Little Purple and I could only just make out the varnish on it's back so obviously I had a paint job to carry out.  Back into the house for nail varnish and the camera, Rosy got painted first, down for Little Purple and then I resumed my scouring of the garden for others.  I walked down to the bottom wall behind the last bed and came upon Cracked Shell and as I've said before.....no need for nail varnish....this one is recognised immediately.  It's the first time this year that I've seen it.....now all accounted for.

I've felt very tired today...I think I've stretched myself over the last few days so need to recharge my batteries and part of the process is achieved through sleep.  The television went on this afternoon and I took my horizontal position on the sofa and must have been out for an hour or so and felt much better for it.  I woke up cold though so lit the fire, was intending to put chicken wings on for supper tonight but didn't really feel hungry so they're back in the fridge for tomorrow but this time not for breakfast.  Nothing so far on the agenda for tomorrow, the fridge and freezer aren't really screaming out for anything, it's raining again and the forecast for tomorrow isn't good.  Probably another day on Ancestry to commit to paper the information held in the computer which makes if far easier to understand.....the lines and sizes of family makes it difficult to see gaps and where to go next.  LN.....it's almost time for bed......LN



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Elsa Peters
May 5, 2023, 7:01pm Report to Moderator

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Friday 5th May

Well it was another cloudy morning. the terraces still haven't dried out and again we had to wait until this afternoon for any sign of the sun.....and then it didn't last long.  I was having to fill my day under my own steam, I got logs in, tried to split a couple remembering to keep my legs wide apart as I swung the axe.  Fortunately there were no accidents and I didn't even have to light the fire tonight...the logs will keep for another day. I made toast for breakfast and walked the garden to check on the boys and girls.  I found Rosy and Blue in the grave garden, Little Purple was half way down the garden and Cracked Shell was down the bottom near the low wall.  I realised that Blue needed repainting so now they're all done and set up for the summer.

I then had a mare of a morning trying to place an order with the Penshop in Sofia for some Lamy and Parker cartridges.  I can get the Parker in Kardjali but they don't stock Lamy and I really wanted other colours.  I managed to put the order in to the system but then if got really complicated.  It was asking me which shop I wanted to pick the order up from but I didn't, I needed it to be delivered to the courier shop in Djebel.  I'd tried to sign in to the site but it didn't let me so in the end I made a phone call and the person on the other end spoke English reasonably well but didn't know his products.  It also complicated it because I was using a VPN pointing to England so when I entered my Bulgarian phone number it complained and when I followed his instructions to add my address I had to take the VPN off.  Eventually I sent him screen shots of the items, he phoned me back and I placed the order and it will be delivered to the Econt shop in Djebel....and I pay the courier company when it arrives,,,,,not a bad system.

The rest of the afternoon I was cleaning out fountain pens and nibs and also calligraphy pen sets.  Some of the cartridges were old so they've been given the heave-ho and will be replaced when the new ones arrive.  Curried chicken wings tonight courtesy of the slow cooker and I thickened it using a tablespoon of lentil soup powder,  It really did the trick and I wonder what the cats will think of the bones and rice in the morning......probably be there the day after tomorrow.  Lovely phone call with my daughter tonight, we do managed to make each other laugh and it was good to catch-up with the gossip.  We have a full moon tonight, a few clouds about but hopefully it will stay dry for tomorrow, my student has a football match in Momchilgrad and I might just go and stand on the side-lines to support him...weather permitting.  LN.....a little Netflix and than an early night....LN  
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Elsa Peters
May 6, 2023, 3:41pm Report to Moderator

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Saturday 6th May

Five thirty start this morning and my restful sleep had come to an end.  I did try to get back off but no go so the little Kindle came out for a few games of Sudoku and then the big one when the battery was running out on the little one.  I made coffee using the spare kettle on the landing and only ventured down to start up the cleaning process in the kitchen after the efforts of last night and was putting the remains of the curry and rice out for whatever wanted it at seven. I've just checked and a lot of it still appears to be there, guess nothing likes curry.  The taste was OK, I did burn the rice a little and this morning's task was to get the saucepan clean again and it did, almost like new thanks to Cif and an extra rough washing up thingy.

I messaged my DIL after finding out from my daughter that she'd had a knee operation after a skiing incident and was still incapacitated and on crutches and a wheelchair was mentioned.  I'm not sure how long this is going on for but I advised her to 'milk it'....her opportunity to sit back and let the young adults help out.  I also had a reply and confirmed that my student was playing football in Momchilgrad at eleven this morning so I arranged to meet up with his mother by ten-ish and either I would drive there or go with the family.  I also had a text message from Econt advising me that my parcel had arrived from the Penshop, only ordered yesterday so I went in to collect it from where I thought the shop was but it had moved and seeking directions from workmen along the way I eventually found the new place.  I'd parked up outside the car-shop and elected to walk to the couriers but it would have been quicker to have driven there instead.  Never mind...it keeps my Fitbit happy.  So back to the shop and unfortunately the garage was busy so we shut up the shop and only his mother and myself drove to the stadium.  The match was had started and we realised that our protégée was only to be brought on for the second half and was doing well playing mid-field until someone elbowed him on the nose but he came up again fighting.  Our team did win against Plovdiv, three nill so game over, we waited for him to emerge from the changing room, the three of us started walking towards the Nipper but a coffee and cake bar drew us in and I bough profiteroles for this evening.  We had another call to make at the courier company, my student's mum had ordered new trainers for the boy and they were ready to collect...and this time I knew where the shop was.

I dropped them off at the shop, called in to the little supermarket and bought fresh bread and a few other items, I've got chicken wings and jacket potato for supper tonight and it should be ready around seven thirty.  I settled down on the sofa and was looking for something on Netflix and came across Derry Girls...I'd heard of it but not seen it before and two episodes in I think I might like it.  The fire is lit and crackling well, it's not cold but comforting,  Dark clouds rolled in and rolled out again so I'm hoping that the rain stays away, my clover covered top of my grass is looking very verdant and getting longer as we speak so I really need to be out with the mower tomorrow at some point.....weather permitting.  If the mood really takes me...I could make a trip over the road to Avatar's house, she's not back until the thirteenth of this month so I have a few days but it really does depend on the weather.  So now back to the kitchen, oven, fire and sofa ...unfortunately the profiteroles took a hammering this afternoon so it looks like ice-cream for tonight.  LN.....I've had a very affable day......LN



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Elsa Peters
May 7, 2023, 5:09pm Report to Moderator

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Sunday 7th May

Slept through until seven and had a good night's sleep.  The sun was shining to welcome the day and I was ready to get started on the garden.....now all I needed was for the morning mist to dry off the grass,  I made toast for breakfast, put in a washing load, washed and dressed and it was only eight thirty and the grass still wasn't dry.  I played around with the small electric and put in a couple of screws to hold the handle in place....they were supplied but I'd run without them last time.  I also added a cable holder that I'd only seen when I'd finished the first assembly and now it's all set to go, everything back in place.  I pegged out the washing, fired up the big mower and started on the grass in front of the main house.  I could feel it clinging to the blade and the inside of the machine, I was using it without the grass box and it was flinging it everywhere.  I left the grave garden and concentrated on getting down to the mulberry and found Rosy sunning herself near to the short wall about a foot from the garden so I mowed round her.  I thought she'd move with the noise of the machine but no way, she was there for the long haul.

I called a halt to it, I was running out of steam and realised that by now the underneath of the machine was pretty clogged up so I switched it off, cleaned the underside and after half an hour or so started it up again and headed back to the grave garden and finished that off.  Back to the main grass, I continued until the fuel ran out so now I could really go for it and give it a good clean. I managed to avoid a small frog that seemed to be hopping further into the longish grass as I mowed the one row so I stopped the machine and ended up clapping my hands to move him towards the short was an garden and it eventually got the message.  So back to it.. I topped the machine up with petrol and used it with the grass box to complete the task, I've only got the very bottom to do and I'll used the small electric for that...but not today.  I'd had enough.  Tools away at give thirty, washing in, fire going eventually, it was really slow to start.  

The starlings haven't been very happy today.  Unfortunately they don't like it when I'm working outside or sitting on the bench on the terrace.  It's not as if I don't know where they're nesting and I always remember the film, The Starling, and I imagine them dive-bombing me to protect the nest.  Fortunately thy don't seem that aggressive.  I noticed that the parents had difficulty getting into the nest, youngster has taken to waiting near the hole in the log and is becoming so demanding that he won't be long before he's finding his own way in the world.  I had to take the pickies from inside the house and with the window in between....so not so clear as could be but still not bad. More gardening tomorrow if the weather remains as good as it's been today, it's time to get the electric strimmers out and do some running repairs.  The battery strimmer is neither use nor ornament...the battery is getting old and I get about thirty minutes from it.

Supper time but not really interested, I'm not hungry so will settle for more water to drink, a soak in a hot bath and then off to bed.  I've fond a new series on Netflix, another hospital drama but it's getting repetitive so back to the drawing board Cecil.  LN......Fingers crossed for a good day tomorrow.......LN



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Elsa Peters
May 8, 2023, 4:33pm Report to Moderator

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Monday 8th May

Five thirty start and I couldn't understand why it was light inside and dark out and then I realised I went to sleep with the light on...I must have been tired.  I felt quite awake so played a few games of Angry Birds and in the end just got up, washed and dressed and it was only eight o'clock...the whole day in front of me.  I'd taken a few pickies of the sunrise and it looked as if it was going to be a good day so I was going to carry on with the grass...sort of make hay while the sun shines but it wasn't to be.  It didn't last all day.

I made toast, cleared the kitchen, put my Timberlands on....I meant business.  I firstly mowed the yard, there wasn't much grass but what there was was pretty long.  I really should have put my safety glasses on before I started, the mower was picking up grit and flinging it mainly because I was using it without the grass catcher so I put the catcher on.  That done I went into the house and noticed that there was a packet of chocolates, a watering can and a couple more presents and I guessed immediately that they were from Guldjan from Germany and I though that she'd left them last night.  I gave her a quick call and apparently she'd come round at half past nine and that would have been when I'd moved to the back terrace and despite her calls, I'd not heard here.  So I've made arrangements, I'm seeing her tomorrow and unfortunately the chocolates have had a bit of a hammering.  I set about the workshop terrace grass, moved down to the flower bed and cleared that but was bugged by Green God and Cracked Shell.  I think GG has the hots for anything that moved and was chasing CC round and appearing in various spots near the wall making it impossible for me to strim the grass.  Eventually I gave up and moved to the other side of the garden and cleared the weeds from one of the beds.  Suddenly it all kicked off, the starling from the nest was going mental, chirping really loudly so I made my way over to see a scruffy brown cat up on the wall.  It jumped off when it saw me and I looked round but there was no sign of the baby in the area.  Mother/ father shot off, came back but without food and were still in a state of panic.  I couldn't see the chick so sat on the bench and eventually I heard a cheeping, one of the parents came back and out popped a little beak...it was OK.

So back to my weeding and I was doing well until I felt the first spot of rain so it was all tools away.  I came in at five just before the deluge and I really must get someone to  sort the gutters out, the rain was spilling over the top.  Just over twelve thousand steps today so I've done well.  I came in, stripped off and went for a bath and washed my hair, I'm going to Kardjali tomorrow so need to be presentable and my student in the afternoon.  I had tuna mayo for lunch so not too bothered about supper...probably settled for the rest of the chocolates.  Just noticed that the bee-eaters have returned and are sitting on the electricity wires.  Only two so far and not sitting near enough to get them in one frame at such magnification.  LN.....Time to relax....I've had a good day in the garden.......LN



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Elsa Peters
May 9, 2023, 6:31pm Report to Moderator

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Tuesday 9th May

Five thirty start and I woke up having had a very bad dream.  I've been recalling snatches of it all day and chose to forget most of it.  Miserable start to the day, raining, cold and it looked like we were back to February weather all over again,  one and a half days of sun and it's all over and we're waiting for the next.  I meandered around for the morning, made toast, watched the starlings, printed off the text for my student later today and was putting everything in the Nipper when a car pulled up outside.  I thought it was Guljan but instead was my postman from Rogosche with a letter for me that required a signature.  I thought it odd so I opened it in front of him and he said that it was 'a globa' which I knew to be a fine...I thanked him, he left and I took the letter inside to read.  Now it appears that last August I drove at sixty two miles per hour in a fifty zone in Sofia and the letter has only just got to me.  Nine months to deliver a letter, it only takes that long to deliver a baby.  The fine was for fifty leva but if I paid it within the next thirty days it was reduced to thirty five leva.

At this point my visitor appeared, her husband continued on to Kardjali with her mother who was due at the hospital and we set off in the Nipper.  I showed her the letter and she decided that I could pay at 'Easy Pay' in Kardjali but that was for later in the day.  We managed to park up near their new apartment, I was there to see it and maybe give them some ideas as to what they could do.  The structure is find, there is lots of furniture in the apartment that wants removing so that the dog can see the trees so to speak.  Their plan is long term, they're both working in Germany currently with good jobs and good pay so my advice was to carry on working, save money for specific things that need doing to the apartment and use holidays to come back while it's being done.  There's no rush...they have time on their side.  I came away with a large glass that they were about to throw out and a lampshade made out of glass, not sure where it will go but I couldn't bear for it to be thrown away.  I said goodbyes, not sure if I will see them again before they go back, we were anticipating a trip to Greece but that's entirely weather permitting....it's no fun in the rain.

I carried on to A1 my home phone provider and was assured that the phone would be working after I'd paid two bills.  I'm home and that's not the case, the phone isn't working and not sure why.  Maybe another trip into Kardjali tomorrow.  I carried on to Kaufland and did a little shopping and paid my fine for my speeding ticket then on to Lidl and was heading back to Djebel arriving at two this afternoon.  I parked up and went to my student's shop to sit with his mother until lesson time.  Lesson kicked off at three thirty after he'd been for a check-up on his teeth rail tracks as I call them and we carried on until just before five.  We did another chapter of Witches and he managed to tell the story back to me in front of his mother as we sat in the shop.  I left the shop at six thirty, drove home and firstly lit the fire, I'd been cold all day.  Secondly put the shopping away and thirdly cooked beans on toast...I was too lazy to do anything else and followed it with a chocolate pudding and half a packet of biscuits.  I settled in to Netflix for a couple of episodes of my new series and am about to think about getting in my PJ's and enjoy the rest of my evening.  LN.....Starling is still successfully feeding the little one......LN
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Elsa Peters
May 10, 2023, 4:30pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 10th May

So another damp and miserable morning and then I looked over to the log with the nesting birds and shock, horror, it was on its side and being held up by the metal plant support.  The starling was trying to get into it but the angle was wrong so in my PJ's I went out and put it upright again.  I'm not sure what could have heaved it over, may have been a pole cat since we do have them here and can't imagine a cat would have done it without it got all its mates to help it.  Any way, I waited to see what would happen.  The starling came back and went inside the log, came out again, went back in and then flew off.  I thought I saw movement through the hole but couldn't se sure but moments later one of the starlings came back and a beak appeared....everything in the garden looks lovely but I'm not holding out much hope for the little one.  It's making really loud chirping noises when it's waiting for food and drawing attention to the log but I suppose it would be the same in a nest except that this is accessible.  I must remember that nature is nature.

I made breakfast, bacon, egg and baked beans and sat at the table in the stairwell eating them and then remembered that I couldn't lay my hands on the folder I use when I go to my lesson with the boy.  I'd stopped off at the supermarket last night when I went to buy bread on the way back to the car and I don't remember putting it down but maybe I did.  They didn't have bread so came away with cake so in the end I drove into Djebel early afternoon to solve the mystery of the missing folder.  I asked in the shop and it wasn't there so went on to the supermarket and there on the shelf where customers are encouraged to leave bags before they shop was my folder.  I went over to the owner's daughter and told her that it was mine, she sad that she didn't know where it had come from and pleased that I'd claimed it.  I must have put it down on the checkout when I was finding the correct money and forgotten to pick it up.  Anyway...problem solved.

Back home by three, it looked like it might pick up weatherwise but it was still cold so there was no chance I was going out gardening today.  The rest of the afternoon was spent watching Netflix, sleeping through some of it and at six I lit the fire so that the house is now warm and toasty.  Barbecue ribs and jacket potato for supper tonight, a load of washing is whirling its way round the machine and will dry on the airer in the bathroom overnight.  I'm off, the kitchen needs my attention.  LN.....Let's see what happens to the nest overnight.....be prepared for an update......LN



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Elsa Peters
May 11, 2023, 7:17pm Report to Moderator

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Thursday 11th May

Another early morning, overcast but not raining and my bird's nest was still upright....we live to fight another day.  I put the washing away that had dried over night in the bathroom, cooked bacon and egg for breakfast and waited for the air temperature to climb before I went out and started gardening.  It was eleven before I was out there, I decided to finish off the grass, I'd been doing it in stages and some of the earlier sessions had resulted in uneven patches so today I intended doing the bits that had got missed and bringing it all together again into a manicured swathe.  And now I have.  I needed to be careful, Rosy, Blue and Green God were out and about and making it difficult especially near the longer grass areas....they should each have trackers on their shells so that I know exactly how to avoid them.

It's been a hard slog today....I ended up using the big mower and the electric both without the grass boxes and the hardest part was trying to clear down by the walnut.  The weeds were growing up the wall and it almost reminded me of the initial gardening that I did years ago...it was hard work trying to clear the weeds and this was no exception.  The area round the walnut is now cleared, there is now a path between the flower beds and the wall but I've left the bottom wall area uncut so that the tortoise have some shelter from the sun, should it ever shine again and the rain which is seems to be doing more of this year than before.  There's still plenty for them to eat near the wall until they become more adventurous as the fruit trees drop their goodies and that take to roaming around.

It was tools away at five and everything locked away, I lit the fire, put chicken wings in the oven and supper was ready for six.  I finished off with yogurt, put the TV on and promptly fell asleep, I'd managed to complete fifteen and a half thousand steps on the Fitbit today so now wonder I was worn out.  The washing up can wait, I'm just about to run a bath and linger for a while and hopefully I shall sleep well tonight.  Tomorrow I intend clearing the flower beds and look for wood to make more surrounds for the beds to replace the older ones.....I want to get back to 'maintenance' instead of 'hard slog' but to do that we need to move into summer and not monsoon where you can almost watch the grass grow.  LN......Now for my bath...and then bed and overnight recuperation....LN
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Elsa Peters
May 12, 2023, 5:11pm Report to Moderator

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Friday 12th May

So after a day in the garden last night I knew that I wanted a bath, I forgot to put the water heater on so settled for what was in the tank and it was enough to cover me...just.  I didn't get in the bath until just before eleven, stayed for half an hour, dried off, PJ's and I think I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.  I was awake at seven and felt refreshed, it was pretty damp out there but it was just overnight dew.  I made breakfast and decided to have two poached eggs on ham and as it happened I had three.  The second one in the water was a double yolker...why does it always have to be the second one that gets cracked.  So breakfast served and savoured, washing up done and kitchen cleared, washed and dressed and it was another day...same as yesterday....but somewhat easier.  I had a bonfire and checked out the tortoise and found three of them all sunning themselves....yes...it had broken through the clouds.....missing was Little Purple and Cracked Shell.  I'd somewhat disturbed their habitat yesterday by routing out some of the weeds under the walls but they'll soon adjust.  It also makes it easier to find food.

It was more tittivating this morning and removing 'sticky willy' as we used to call it from the rest of the shrubs and lilies. I hate the stuff, that clover and chickweed just thrive in this garden.  Anyway....I've only got about three more flowerbeds to weed, the strimmer will take care of the rest.  Avatar's garden has been worrying me, I did say that I would try to cut it back for her so that when she gets back from winter in Germany she won't have so much to do.  I didn't manage it, there was no one in the village would strim it for me even though I offered to pay them.  There were various excuses, machines in for repair etc and I have one of the large petrol ones but it's just too heavy for me to use.  The little battery on only does about thirty minutes and as I proved today, the grass is too long for my mower.  I did wheel it over the road, not only is it long but very wet underneath so I gave up and came home, walked back with the broom and swept the path going up to the front door and locked the gate.  I later found out that she's coming back with her son who's staying for a month...it only I'd have known that before!!

I spent half an hour sitting on the bench on the terrace enjoying the sun, pottered for a while and planted up the fuchsias, moved some tobacco from last year's pots and planted them up in the short wall garden.  I came in at four and found a good film on Netflix, realised that I have visitors tomorrow and no cake so drove into Djebel and topped up supplies.  Early start with the hoover tomorrow, flick the duster round the flat surfaces and make myself presentable for the world around eleven.  LN.....No supper for me.....I nibbled while watching the film.....LN  



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Elsa Peters
May 13, 2023, 3:50pm Report to Moderator

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Saturday 13th May

This day holds special memories.  Fifty one years ago today I was getting married and at eleven that morning I was in town paying an electricity bill for my parent and hadn't a care in the world.  The rest of the family were jumping through hoops, my sister making sure that the bridesmaids, my nieces looked the part, I did my own make-up and hair and pushed it under a white hat.  Having donned the dress, everyone else had gone, my brother in law was driving us to the registry office and was waiting in the car so I said to my father that I thought we should have a drink before we went.  We shared a tot of whisky and off we went.  I got married in the place that I had started work when I was sixteen years of age and the room used to be the Council chamber and low and behold, the registrar I used to work with and I think we were surprised to see each other. It all went well, signed sealed and delivered and we walked to the venue for the reception but unfortunately my father had forgotten that he was supposed to welcome the guests and had gone off for a quick on with his mates at the working men's club further along the road. He was sent for, arrived and we were straight into it, eating and drinking, speeches and telegrams in those days....and I remember it well.  The marriage lasted ten years, we were still friends until the dreaded Alzheimers took hold but he seems happier now that ever he did.   His bills are paid, the inheritance is diminishing rapidly both of the children are OK with it and he's getting really well looked after.

As for today...seven start and the hoovering was done and the house finished by nine thirty ready for my guests to arrive.  I wasn't sure how many, had bought cake for the five thousand and only my ex student, her father and the grand-daughter arrived.  We sat in the garden and drank water and home made fruit juice, they didn't want feeding, had brought biscuits but I was told not to open them, the little one wont settle until they're out of sight so better without.  We found the tortoise in the garden and the little one wanted to play with it...believe me they're no fun, I've tried.    She settled for walking up the steps onto the little house terrace with grandpa walking behind was fun and she was like the proverbial yoyo.  They left with one of the cakes I'd bought yesterday, no way do I want those calories on my lips and hips, and I went back to my gardening clearing more of the grass and clover.

I played Candy Crush this afternoon for a while, it's been ages since I've done that and at five thirty, I checked to see if Avatar had returned from Germany and she had.  She was lying down on what was probably the coldest room in the house, no sun all day and I suggested that she moved into her usual room which was getting evening sun.  She was cold so I found another quilt and put it on top of her original one and she seemed to perk up.  It's a long old day, the flight was OK but she said that the four hour car journey from Sofia virtually finished her off.  The son was tackling the lengthy grass with the lawnmower and was suffering the same fate as I did yesterday.  I said that I'd got a big strimmer if he wanted it and he said that he had one but no petrol so that was soon sorted.  I went home and gave him my container that I use for my mower.  It should have enough in there, he is more interested in getting his car out of the garage and onto the road.  I'll offer to give him a hand in the morning....my little electric strimmer is really good and with two working on it, it won't take too long to do the yard.  Seven my time, I'm about to start looking for something to eat, the grubs are nibbling.  LN.....It's good to have Avatar back....I've missed her.......LN



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Elsa Peters
May 14, 2023, 5:31pm Report to Moderator

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Sunday 14th May

I wok up this morning to the sun painting a red glow on the wardrobes in my bedroom....it didn't last long though it went behind the cloud and has played chicken ever since.  I took the remains of the ham out for the cat, made my usual clicking sound and there wasn't any response and no visiting moggie but when I checked later it had gone so there was one happy four legged friend roaming.  I spotted Rosy beneath one of the shrubs by the low wall, she was getting what she could of the morning patches of sun but when I spotted her later, her shell looked very damp.  Others spotted this morning, Blue was down the bottom of the garden and Green God was half way along the base of the low wall and the others were noted by there absence.  I made toast for breakfast and had it with apricot sauce....not a lot of apricots had gone into the making of it but it filled a gap but because the weather has turned cold again, I've been nibbling on things all day and even had a bowl of ice-cream which made no sense at all.

I heard the strimmer going in Avatar's garden and went to the gate.  They'd had visitors already and I spotted Avatar near a car parked on the road which was just leaving.  I headed towards her and she came up to me and she looked much better.  I told her that she needed more sun and that I had my 'gypsy' complexion on and I owe it all to gardening.  She'd got her spark back and gave me a big hug and I asked her if she wanted anything from Kardjali tomorrow.  I have to take the home phone back, the machine keeps telling me that the charging cable is unplugged when it's still in and despite trying all of the cables I possess, nothing works....so back it goes.  Avatar did say that as soon as her son and daughter in law return to Germany, she want to come into Kardjali with me and especially Kaufland to top up on supplies so I agreed, it's a deal.  She really does skip round when attached to the trolley...much faster than I like to go.  As I was leaving her son asked me to go with him to the garage for advice on the blade for the strimmer and because I'm such an expert on all things practical, he took my advice and we managed to fit the new blade and it works like a dream.  Unfortunately didn't help that it was raining.

My bird has flown.  I'm not sure if it was mine but there was a thud on the upper window and there was a starling sitting on the table by the outside sink and four blotches of bird poo on my upstairs window,  It was very stunned, sat with its beak open taking in air so I left it to see what it did next.  Eventually it closed it's beak, shook its feathers and flew off towards the lonesome pipe with an older one joining it.  If it is mine, I'm pleased that the outcome was successful and at least I wont get chirped at continually when I'm out and about on the terrace.  Next step is to clean the bird poo off the top of the wall and maybe put it in some of the pots on the terrace.  Supper was good tonight...I've had two jacket potatoes and two belly pork slices with spicy flavouring and there's very little for the cat....I'm still licking my lips.  So tomorrow Kardjali, I'm going to get another string of the solar lights that are now adorning the tree near the little house terrace and I might get a set for Avatar for the grape vine support.....a welcome home gift.  The phone will go back to the shop, a few goodies for the freezer etc, potting compost and home.  LN......Fire going and now back to Netflix,,,,,,LN
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Elsa Peters
May 15, 2023, 3:34pm Report to Moderator

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Monday 15th May

Very early start, grey as you like outside, I made coffee, put some washing in the machine and hand washed my Jack and Jones wool cardigan.  I was wearing it last night when I put a log on the fire and the soon from the top of the fire place smudged against the sleeve.  It brushed off but it made me realise that I hadn't washed the cardigan for a year or so, not that I wear it much but it still hangs around in wardrobes...so I did it.  I put it in the kitchen sink with some 'Sensitive' Persil detergent 'stuff' gave it two washes and yes...it was dirty...so into the drum with it and set the machine to a rinse and spin cycle and went about my business pegging out the other clothes from the machine.  The spin had taken most of the moisture out of the cardigan so not much weight on it when I pegged it out and it's turned out OK...done and dusted for another year.

I phoned the company about the Greek Island cruise and caught her before she got to the office and she phoned me back with a price, reduced because I didn't want to travel on a coach for roughly ten hours, two to Plovdiv, three to Sofia and then about five down to Thessaloniki, the departure port.  Kardjali to Thessaloniki is estimated at three and a half hours since it's all motorway and an empty one at that....no brainer really....I can drive down, stay the night in a hotel and leave the car in a hotel car-park and that was I can see Thessaloniki in all its glory......and in the end she understood why.

I made my mind up that I would go into Kardjali to replace or stop the phone.....I'd not made my mind up.  I collected a few plants together that I'd promised my student's mum, planted one weigela in my old vegetable garden and the second one was going to her.  It's in flower and looks really impressive and she was thrilled.  I also took her some marigold seedlings, a philadelphus that's just about to come into flower and some more ground cover plant, hypericom, that covers a multitude of sins and weeds.  Before I left for Kardjali I cleaned and renovated my Timberland boots that I've been using for gardening.....they look so much better that I'll have to look for some other work horses.

I dropped the plants off, carried on to Kardjali with the phone, parked up and went into the store and was asked to produce my identification card and low and behold it was still with my passport from the last time I'd been to Greece.  She couldn't process it so it was a complete waste of time, I didn't even stop at Lidl or Kaufland, I did fill up with gas just in case I go down to Fanari with Guldjan on Wednesday which has been suggested by her so like a good girl guide....I'm prepared,  Drove back to Djebel and parked up, went to the cash-point to top up and then to my favourite local restaurant for chicken leg with rice for the grand total of seven lev. Stopped off at the flower shop and Dari gave me snapdragon that was looking worst for wear....it will be planted tomorrow now that it's had a good watering.  So student tomorrow, might do the grass tomorrow morning if it's dry overnight....I don't want the clover to take hold again.  LN.....Don't need supper...just need an early night......LN



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Elsa Peters
May 16, 2023, 6:42pm Report to Moderator

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Tuesday 16th May

Another early start...I was out of bed by six, made coffee and went back to bed with Sudoku and Angry Birds  and eventually surfaced to get on with the rest of my day.  I meandered around for a while, was going to have a shower but instead prepared scrambled eggs for breakfast, tidied the kitchen and got the mower out and did the top half of the garden.  I didn't start that until eleven though so goodness knows where the other hour or so went.  I did do a tortoise hunt before the work started.  I found CS in the garden by the little house, walked down to the bottom and found Blue, Rosy and Green G all in front of the bottom wall sunning themselves and lo and behold Little Purple was holed up half way along the low wall.  Only thing to do was to mark the register and all present and correct.  It was good to know before I started the grass, I always worry that I'm going to run over one of them but I could go full steam ahead now that all were accounted for.

At one I was cleaning another pair of shoes that are coming into their own now that the weather looks to be improving.  I have to devise new fastenings for them, the Velcro has given up the ghost and has no staying power and needs replacing, either that or I have to find another way to keep the cross strap from levering apart when I'm walking at a pace....now on the drawing board Cecil.  I printed off the next chapter of my book for my lesson this afternoon and it was only four pages long.  It was a continuation of the previous chapter and again we have to rely on the next chapter to bring it to fruition.  Undeterred we read through the four pages, I explained some of the odd words and gave explanations for others including 'hole' and 'whole'.   We worked out that you can't eat a 'hole' but you can eat a 'whole' bar of chocolate and this sat well with him.  Almost like hooks to hang your hat on.  I dictated a couple of paragraphs and he wrote it down and we marked it together....his response was that he knew he could do better so we went through the process again and he did....and this is how the 'hole' against 'whole' episode came into being.  The lesson today took almost two hours, I went down to the shop and sat with his mother and since it's Djebel's fair or 'praznic', I'm meeting the family on Friday, weather permitting and well have a chicken and bread supper in the square.  I have the full programme of events sent over by my student and will see if there is anything else that I'd like to get involved with.

Home just before seven, fire lit and has made the house toasty since it's not very warm outside, I settled for the remains of the tuna mayo on toast for supper and have just watched the end of a series on Netflix and am now looking for something new to watch.  Fanari tomorrow wince Guldjan wants to go to Greece but the weather doesn't look too promising so I should really check it out.  Nothing like a really windy rain swept beach to make you go inside for comfort in a Greek 'euro' restaurant.  LN.....I really enjoyable time with my student and I think he has a new signature with a flourish...we were practising......LN



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Elsa Peters
May 17, 2023, 6:35pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 17th May

So another dull old morning and checking the weather it was going to be thunder with showers all day.  It didn't bode well for out trip to Greece and the beach but I was up and ready to pick up the fellow travellers and suggested that I pick them up at their house so that there car didn't sit outside my house all day.  The followed up my message if we cold leave it until ten which I agreed to and another follow up message asking if we could meet at ten thirty.  They've been working on their new apartment solidly and I had no problem rearranging. I was in the Nipper by ten twenty, drove down to the next village and they were soon ensconced in the Nipper and heading down to the border.  

We negotiated the border crossing without any problem, there were a few cars in front of us so they soon opened up another window and we were through in quicksticks.
I suggested that we went down to Porto Largos first and we had a walk and sat down to hot water and tea bags that she'd brought down with her, we had ice-cream on the quay and I said that it was much better on the Sunday market day.....now it was just a fishing village with not a lot happening.  We carried on to Fanari and they just fell in love with the place.  Unbeknown to me they'd never been down to Fanari before and I was amazed.  The sun was shining so we walked along the beach, they both paddled, I didn't but it was soon sweaters off.  We carried on to the end of the beach and to the entry to the fishing boat moorings and by this time it was getting on for three so we decided to go for a late lunch.  Only a few of the restaurants were open but we chose on or rather they chose us inviting us in and menus were delivered.  Salad, taramasalata, humus, cheesy chips and a selection of main courses.  Beer for the boy and water for the girls, lots and lots of food with home made bread and it was five before we paid up and left.  They also brought us a delightful pudding to share.

Thoroughly stuffed we headed home, more cars at the crossing than were there this morning and we cleared the formalities by six and I dropped them off about seven.  The sun shone all day in Greece but as soon as we came over the pass the heavens opened and according to the locals, it's rained all day in Bulgaria so thank goodness we didn't cancel the day out.  They drive back to Germany on Friday and to their jobs and I don't envy them the journey.  LN.....I've enjoyed my day too....beautiful weather which was a bonus and delightful meal........LN



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Elsa Peters
May 18, 2023, 4:06pm Report to Moderator

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Thursday 18th May

So after yesterday's day in the sun in Greece we are back to cold miserable weather with one heck of a wind blowing.  The line where I mowed up to on Tuesday is now very prominent and I would have done the remainder today but it's just too damp.  Will someone please send me more that one day of sun.

I had a very slow start, I was busy playing Sudoku and Angry Birds from my bed and I didn't really surface until eight thirty.  I did get work clothes on straight away and washed  then went down to make toast and jam for breakfast, put in a load of washing and by now it was chugging on for eleven.  I settled down on the sofa, there was no outside work for me today, and switched on Netflix.  I'd been watching a series last night and had slept through a couple of episodes so back tracked and watched those first to get in touch with the plot again.

Around one I was surprised by a knock on the door so went out and there were people standing there that I didn't know.  As it turned out there was the daughter of the man that used to live in this house, a relative from Djebel, her son and daughter and two grandchildren and they asked if they could look at what I'd done with the house.  She was very sweet and obviously had fond memories of the place so after looking from the terrace I asked if they would like to look inside....and they did.  We started off upstairs and the son was very taken with the computer on the landing and commented on the views.  We did the three bedrooms and the bathroom, discussed radiators and heating from the woodburner and then we moved downstairs to take in the full scenic tour.  The mother was obviously overwhelmed by the work that had been done and she remembered my downstairs bedroom as her bedroom and the kitchen for her parents.  As for the kitchen the son said that it was an 'American' kitchen so I had to put him right.  It was done to my design, built and installed by a local and it was all down to me and my ideas.  The conversations were unusual.  She had forgotten most of her Bulgarian and because she'd move to Bursa spoke Turkish along with the son, his wife and the boys who lived in Istanbul so obviously spoke Turkish.  The brother was from Djeble so we managed to communicate OK.  When they'd finished with the house they walked the garden and we came across the tortoise down the bottom and the children were fascinated especially with the nail varnish on their backs.  I said fond farewells as I walked them to the car and the mother gave me a big hug....I think she approved of what had happened to her family home, and they went on their way.

So back to my series, I went to get some logs in and ended up splitting a few for smaller starter logs so that I could get one big one on later.  The series has now finished, it's just after seven so I should really be thinking about doing something with a pork chop that I took from the freezer this morning.  Djebel fete starts tomorrow and I've yet to translate into English the programme of events and tomorrow night if the weather is OK, I'll go into Djebel and eat with my students' family.  LN.....A relaxing day after yesterday and only done three thousand steps so far....and I'm betting that I shan't do many more......LN
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Elsa Peters
May 19, 2023, 4:56pm Report to Moderator

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Friday 19th May

It's been another funny old day weather wise.  We've had a little bit of everything, it looked promising this morning but the grass was too wet to make it the first job on the agenda so I left it until later...much later.  I made breakfast, washed and dressed and then went out and pottered for around a couple of hours removing weeds, clearing out the pots and moving new seedlings.  I found around ten small petunias that would be better suited somewhere else and now that have a chance to shine somewhere other that with a geranium in a hollow log.  The sweet peas are now in a much lager bucket with more soil underneath so that they can put on more roots.  I'd started them off in an old floor washing bucket but never moved them on so let's see what they do now.  The wind was still very cold so I had wrapped up warm but out of the wind it was quite pleasant.  

I'd had enough exercise for the morning, I was still waiting for the grass to dry a little and somehow stumbled on a film while I was waiting so that took up another almost two hours of my morning.  I was in truth delaying getting the mower out, it was still very clogged underneath but there was too much petrol in it to tip it over onto its side and clean underneath which is what it really needed.  By now I was feeling hungry and made a couple of cheese and onion sandwiches remembering that I was out for supper in Djebel tonight so didn't want to overfill myself.  I was also delaying going outside but eventually I bit the bullet, struck up the machine and set about the remainder of the grass down to the wall.  It was as I suspected really hard going, I put the grass catcher on and was having to empty it every three or four runs and the grass was obviously clinging to the inside skirt of the underneath and the blade was having a hard time of it.  Unfortunately I'd finished it before the fuel ran out so cleaning it is a job for another day.

I came in at four, took to the sofa with the kindle and played sudoku for a while and fell asleep.  I woke up around five and by now the rain was coming down, the wind was gale force and I knew that I was about to change my plans, no eating out in the open for me so I sent a message to confirm that I wouldn't be going.  The return text was that the weather was just as bad in Djebel so plains were curtailed and I lit the fire to keep me company.  I've just run the bath that I was going to have last night and didn't, taken a shot of the garden in the dying rays of the sun and the wind has now blown itself out and it's rather a pleasant evening.....so maybe the evening out will be rescheduled for tomorrow.  LN.... Too late now though, I'm in for the night......LN



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Elsa Peters
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Saturday 20th May

Last night's early night meant that I was awake at three thirty for about half an hour and then I managed to get off again until six.  When I came to switch off the over-ride to the boiler last night, it wouldn't obey my command so I decided to remove the device that sits between the plug to the boiler and the wall socket and think about it this morning.  My intention was to go into Kardjali and purchase a replacement but I suddenly remembered that I had a spare that I'd bought for the light in the porch so that when I was out an about at night I could put the light on the timer and it would light my way to the key holes.  When I fitted the spare I couldn't hear the tick of the timer device so I let it run in the socket without an output and noticed that it kept time perfectly well so it's replaced the one in the bathroom and everything is as it should be,  Success.

I made a cheese omelette for breakfast, it was a fair start to the day, sun up at six and then hidden by the rising mist which eventually cleared.  I went out planting other seedlings that I found, moving others, was planning to do the rest of the grass but my heart wasn't in it so I didn't.  I moved indoors and found a film to watch, went out again when Avatar arrived in my garden and we sat in the sun enjoying the warmth.  She also brought round a bar of chocolate for me and when she got up to leave I went with her to her house.  She wanted to show me the lupins that I'd taken round last year, I wasn't having much success with them but this year they've done really well in her garden, they're approximately two foot tall with tall spikey flowers.  She loves them and has shown them off to the other ladies in the village...no one else has got them, even me.  I have another packet and next year, they'll be in my garden too.

I arrived home around six, lit the fire, ate the chocolate and found another series on Netflix that I've just switched off now so that I could do the update.  As predicted this morning to my student's mum, the rain set in around seven, she invited me to join them in the square but I declined adding that I felt it was going to be raining and I was going to stay at home.  They've changed Djebel so much, the new mayor has put in lots of effort but there are big signs everywhere that this is 'Djebel'.  Where is the quiet town that I came to live near?  Yes the roads are better, the facilities are showier and the idea is to bring in tourism.  Thank goodness I live in a village a drive away.  

It's still raining so mowing the grass looks to be out of the equation for tomorrow....what a shame.  Another day of taking it easy.  LN.....And now back to Netflix....I have a series to finish....LN
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Elsa Peters
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Sunday 21st May

So we had another dull day  and it's been pretty much the same, threatening rain and then not delivering.  I was awake at six but didn't leave my bed until eight, I played silly games, drank coffee and eventually washed and dressed and prepared for the day.  I wasn't in the mood for gardening but dressed for it just the same.  I made toasted cheese sandwiches for breakfast and settled on the sofa to continue with the second series of the one I watched last night but the plot seemed to go off at a tangent and I didn't want to waste the day.  Instead I looked for a film and found 'The Constant Gardner', watched part of it and fell asleep which might have something to do with not going to sleep last night until half one.  I woke up for the last fifteen minutes of it and might just have to watch it again.

Eventually I made a plan to have a bonfire and walk the garden to look for the tortoise.  While I was down at the fire container I noticed that the grass round it was pretty high, too wet to be a fire risk but definitely needed sorting.....and now it is along with lots more of the garden that's much tidier.  Bonfire got rid of the rubbish including the old damaged mop bucket that I'd used to start the sweet peas off in.  I went into the log store and came out with the extension cable on the reel, the electric mower and the strimmer so it looked like I'd sorted my day out.  I found all of the tortoise down the bottom of the garden up tight against the wall obviously sheltering from what might be on the agenda for later.  Rosy and Green God seemed to have a stand-off, I heard a clatter of shells but by the time I went to investigate only Rosy was still in the same place.  I eventually caught up with Green God near the little garden by the capped water outlet.  

The mower didn't come into play, the ground round the fire pit was strimmed first and then I carefully attacked the grass. nettles and stickly willy underneath the wall.  There's a lovely crop of cornflowers that I avoided and wall done I moved on to the shrub and flower beds and strimmed the wooden surrounds.  So moved gradually up the garden, all the bed surrounds are done. just got to clear out the clover from some of the ones that are really overgrown but that's for tomorrow. now.  Just as I was packing up I heard my garden neighbour snapping off branches and realised that the wisteria has really put on a lot of growth.  I grabbed the loppers from the wood store, went round and gave her a hand.  She grows lots of veg and the branches were shielding the ground from the morning sun and now it's all in order.  We stopped chatting for a while and she's one of the few in the village that actually speaks Bulgarian and not Turkish.  Back home, tools away, checked my Fitbit and I've managed to clock up just over then thousand steps so not a bad day.

I was thinking about Kardjali tomorrow but if the weather is good I might just carry on with the garden tomorrow.  The grass outside and in the ditch wants strimming or cleared with the little electric.  Supper is prepared, I've made a tuna salad with potatoes, onions, peas and carrots and obviously mayo, washing up is done and now I'm going back to my series before bedtime.  LN.....Very effective time spent in the garden.....LN    



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Elsa Peters
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Monday 22nd May

The sleep of the just last night and woke up at six thirty ready for an action packed day.  It didn't quite work out that way though...I was playing Sudoku and an old version of Angry Birds until the grass had dried from the overnight dew. Toast and cherry jam for breakfast, dressed and ready for the garden but inertia took over and I settled myself on the sofa with the rest of my Netflix series and finished watching it at eleven.  It was then a sudden burst of activity, little electric mower out, power attached and I mowed the grass outside of the front wall and the verge up to my garden neighbour's gate and she surprised me, I hadn't heard in working in there.  She watched me for a while, she's fascinated by the tools that I have and thanked me for doing it.  It means that she can get in and out of the gate more easily. Having done outside I did the yard and the grass between the house and the front wall, thought I'd finish off by strimming the outside of the front wall where the mower couldn't quite reach and then the cable on the strimmer was no more.  I haven't had to change it on this new one before and so I settled down on the bench and took it apart,  Normally you have to take the cover off the reel and wind the new chord on by this one was difficult to remove so I took a chance that you just wind it on, it sorts itself out and when I put it back together again and connected it up...it worked.....another string to my bow.  

I moved the tools into the woodstore I'd had enough for the time being, I was hungry and didn't know what to get for myself, I'm down to two slices of bread.  So I think I'm in for a tuna overload, I mixed it with onion and mayo, low fat may I add, put Netflix back on and thought I'd leave it a while before I started again.  I went outside again at three. got the petrol mower out. emptied out the little fuel that was in it, turned it over and gave it a very good clean removing the grass that had started to ferment on its undercarriage.  While it was in for maintenance I lowered the wheels, turned it up the right way and filled it up with petrol.  A few pulls on the starter chord and it sprung into life, next job to do is to clean the air filter sponge, the machine was coughing a little but sorted itself out.  This time I used it with the grass box and managed to do the grave garden and down to the mulberry tree, I was pretty whacked by the time that I'd finished but it does look good.  I'd timed it well, the clouds were starting to come over, a few spots and then the downpour.  It wont be tomorrow but I'll finish the rest of the little house grass after the next dry days.  I came in at seven, everything locked away and I've sat upstairs in the rocking chair for an hour or so playing games on the little Kindle...relaxed and recharged.  As for the tortoise today, Rosie and Green God were having a stand-off near the bottom wall, I came in to get the camera and she'd moved and was heading up the garden, Blue was near the old toilet patch and Cracked Shell was having breakfast down the middle centre.  Update on Rosie....last spotted on the terrace heading for the steps so I put my gloves on and lifted her on to the grass and off she went heading for the bottom of the garden.

I don't need supper after a late lunch, I'm contemplating a bath and should go and put the boiler on.  Student tomorrow and I may very well go into Kardjali and sort out the house phone...to get it done and dusted.  Looks like the rain has set in for the night....when will this weather sort itself out?  LN......I need Lidl to top up the goodie box.....LN  



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Elsa Peters
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Tuesday 23rd May

So silly four a.m. start and just didn't manage to get off to sleep again.  Serves me right for having an early night...I should know by now.  Games on the Kindle filled in the time, washed and dressed by seven, realised that the grass was so wet that it wouldn't be occupying me for the day and the afternoon with my student has been rearranged for tomorrow....he was playing football this afternoon.  Executive decision was made, my phone was going back to the shop, I had other work to do in Kardjali so I made may plan.  I stopped off in the car shop to confirm that the lesson was cancelled and to take place tomorrow, drove to Kardjali and parked up near the shop and the transaction was completed in minutes.  A new phone was handed over, entirely different model and all the instructions were in Bulgarian but I didn't know that until I got home.  I stopped off at a shop near the bus station to look at small laptops, went to Kaufland and bought very little except for a rosemary plant and am amazed how much the prices have gone up.  I carried on to Lidl and spent seventy leva on virtually nothing and continued to Djebel and to the flower shop.  By now it was pouring down with rain and had been ever since I left Kardjali and it was a perfect day for shopping for a lemon tree for my ex-student's family.....I was drenched.  We loaded it into the car and I set off for my ex-student's family home, I pulled up outside their house, managed to get the lemon and rosemary out of the car and was trying to support the lemon using one of my hair bands when the father came out of the house.  I'm not sure who was most surprised, my hair at this point was wet and hanging down over shoulders so he took over the care of the lemon and left him to it.

Back into the car and I stopped off firstly at the car shop to pick up some eggs from their chickens and then on to the supermarket to finish my shopping..  I was at the cash register when the man behind me recognised that I wasn't Bulgarian and asked me where I was from.  I said I was English and he was most surprised that I lived here and had done for the last eleven years, he said that he was over from Sweden on holiday and I dredged my brain and came out with a Swedish phrase and he was amazed and I said that I'd worked in the airport in Sweden for a while.  He asked me why I was here and it's difficult to sum it up in a few words, he replied that given the choice he would be out here, Sweden is so expensive and like most of Europe has declined.  I made no comment and said that I loved the fact that I have fresh air, a country style of living and peace and then we were like ships passing in the night but we both made a memory.

Shopping unpacked and I was making a sandwich when my friend from along the village arrived and she was my god send.  She managed to get the new phone into English for me allowing me the time to work out the rest.  We walked the garden, she wants 'bits' of everything and we agreed that we will go down to Greece once her son has left for wherever he works in Europe.  By now the early start had kicked in so I put the television on, settled on the sofa and woke up an hour and a half later.  I've been out and taken photos of the garden, the roses and very colourful flower beds.  I'm amazed this year how many are coming back year on year without any intervention on my part, ..just as gardens should be.  No supper for me, the ham sandwiches I scoffed down before I went to sleep provided ballast and I'll manage through until the morning.  Climbing clouds and reasonable sunset....if it's dry tomorrow I might be able to finish the grass on Thursday.  LN.....All go on the work front in BG......and where's my summer gone......LN  



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Elsa Peters
May 24, 2023, 6:13pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 24th May

Another six start and I've realised that the timer in the bathroom doesn't initiate the power at the correct time so tomorrow I'll e going into Kardjali to get a new one.  I'm also going to follow up on the small computer that I've got my eye on, check out it's ability to run Windows 11 and whether the size of the hardware is great enough or do I need to go for more!!  All questions to be asked and answered before the purchase is made.  I made poached eggs on ham for breakfast, sent a photo to my student's mum since she provided the eggs and a Whats App to my daughter to let her know that 'One egg wasn't 'un eouf' and she replied the my breakfast looked 'egg cellent'.....we share the same sense of humour fortunately,  Breakfast chores finished, I pegged out the washing.  I'd stripped the bed down to the mattress as soon as I'd got out of it, the sun was out and there was quite a breeze and hopefully, the weather wouldn't change.

I stayed in my PJ's until it was time to have a shower and wash my hair.  I'd filled the morning with lots of nothings but I did get down to trying to print off the screens to make up the chart for my nephew's partner...I'd promised to do it and it's been lingering for a while so time I got on with it.  I'd tried printing screen and putting it into an 'Open Office' document but I wasn't able to crop the screens sufficiently well so back to the drawing board Cecil.  Time for that shower, I'd over-ridden the timer device and I had lots of hot water to languish under,  Dried my hair, copied the chapter of the book I was using for my student, it was long and I was waiting to see his reaction but....I needn't have worried...it worked well.

Dressed and headed for Djebel for three and I started the lesson just before four, I'd been talking to his mother in the shop.  He looked at how long the text was and said that it was OK and as we worked through it we both started laughing,,,,it was so funny.  It's all about witches, written by Roald Dahl and I should really read the text before presenting it to a thirteen year old.  We finished the text in quicksticks and the he looked over it on his own and then I dictated it to him.  He made a few mistakes on some of the unusual words but second time around, he did really well and I told him how well he had done,  I'm not sure the students get praise from their teachers in mainstream school in Bulgaria and his face lit up.  He looked very surprised when I said that he'd really done well with the text, his expression when reading it and how he found it humorous.

Home for seven, belly pork and jacket potatoes in the oven, bed made up with aired washing, I'd brought it into the house before I went to Djebel and put it over the bannister in the sun.  Supper went down well and I finished off with a chocolate mousse, just found Outlander on Netflix and despite the fact that I've seen it before, I can watch it all over again.  Shopping and grass cutting tomorrow without nature changes my plans.  LN......Reasonable weather today but I've been caught out before........LN  
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Thursday 25th May

Really peculiar night....I woke up on the sofa after a pretty good night's sleep and missed out on getting into my fully washed bed linen that I managed to get round to preparing last night.  I did go up to bed, checked the boiler and the delay switch had kicked in, the over-ride was still lit and the boiler was off showing the set temperature had been reached.  So I thought about crossing it off my shopping list for today, but I left it on...always good to have one in reserve.  I tried to snuggle down, it wasn't working so I played a few games but was up and dressed by seven and having toast for breakfast, the washing was in and I was pegging it out shortly afterwards.  I went down to burn the rubbish from the house, Rosie, Cracked Shell and Green God were out and about but no sign of the others.....they were nowhere to be seen.

I popped over to check whether Avatar needed anything from Kardjali and she didn't, she'd been busy in her garden, her son cut down the grass but left it on the surface so she'd been collecting it up and wheelbarrowing it into the next field.  The son and his wife have gone off to a spa resort for a few days holiday and she's now getting back and settling in to her home alone mode.  I'd made the decision that I was going to buy the little computer, drove to Kardjali and was surprised when he said that he would have it ready for me in two hours.  I had time to kill and it was nice to be able to meander round some of the shops that I normally by-pass, I'd looked everywhere for hair grips and wasn't able to find them in Djebel so went into a little shop by the market and found two small packets, more hair clips and a green wooden ring all for the grand sum of three leva. While I was near the bus station I paid a visit to a five storey department store that has everything and found more hair-grips, a new pair of reading glasses, red and green laces for my boots and visited the dress department and found a beach cover up that I liked.  As I was choosing the colour a lady spoke to me and it's awful when you know who they are and can't place them.  She was shopping with her mother and eventually it came to me......she owned the electrical supply company that I'd bought all the cabling and lighting fixtures from, when I was building the house.  She was just out of place.

I went back to the shop and paid up for the computer, had a lovely compliment from one of the assistants saying that she loved my hair and I skipped back to my car carrying the booty.  I stopped at the shop next to Lidl and bought the new timer for the boiler, filled up with gas and headed home.  I made a sandwich sat on the sofa and nodded off catching up on my lack of sleep but the thunder woke me up.  The sky was pretty black and I suddenly remembered that I had washing out so ran out quickly and collected it from the line and it's finishing off on the airer in the bedroom.  The sky is still clouded over but it's not raining, I still have the grass to finish but not sure what the weather is going to be like tomorrow or if it will be left for another day.  LN.....It might be a day for sorting out computers......LN



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Friday 26th May

Five thirty start, boiler and over-ride behaving itself and tried hard to go back to sleep but my body was rebelling. I was out of bed by seven, dressed and washed for Kardjali in good time, the new computer had to go back to the shop. I'd tried to activate Windows yesterday and got a return message informing me that there was no go, the machine needed to be on a network to complete the task.  I'd worked out that this should have been done in the workshop before the computer was handed over so it looked like a trip to Kardjali was definitely on the cards.  I eventually found the telephone number from the website not from my receipt so tried to phone them and managed to get through to the person that handled the transaction.  I left just before ten and found a parking spot only a few meters from the shop and it was was a not found parking zone so I didn't have to pay for it...and that was a result in itself. The assistant approached me as I walked in the door, he took the laptop from me and as I explained what my problem was, he seemed to know that he'd slipped up by not completing the installation.  He took it into the back room and I waited and the manager asked me what the problem was, I explained and he went into the back room to see what was happening.  Five minutes later and it was done, I haven't tried it yet it's sitting waiting for my attention.....I had more important work to do.

I toyed with going into Lidl but why did I really want to offload money for food that I could well do without....I'd not had breakfast and was feeling hungry and that's a dangerous time to go into a food store.  I carried on to Djebel, thought about buying bread but there weren't any parking spaces so I carried on, parked up, dumped the laptop in the lounge and breakfast was calling.  I made a ham and cheese sandwich and my first coffee for the day, put Netflix on and watched an episode of the 'Good Cop'.  It was almost too tempting to ignore the grass, watch a little more television and play computers but instead I bit the bullet, changed my trousers and sweater and headed out in my fisherman's smock.....purchased years ago in Newhaven.  Two mowers at the ready and I started with the petrol biggie, it needed cleaning underneath but before that I had to use up the rest of the fuel.  After finishing the big grass and the top of the other side I left the machine running at the bottom of the garden while I went in for water and five minutes rest and after around five minutes it stopped.  First job was to clean it underneath, I'd done this morning's work without the grass catcher but the grass was so long on the other side that I'd have to use it.  Cleaned and refilled I moved to the other grass and with full vim and vigour. got going on the task in hand.  I was doing OK and remembered that I've got around eight root suckers from the Sumak tree so mowed round them and that a job for tomorrow, getting them in pots to grow on and be delivered as required.  They are quite pretty trees and don't grow too big so I'll see who wants them.  I also played around with the strimmer, despite my best efforts the chord wasn't running smoothly and somehow I managed to lose the spring from the chord holder as I removed it. I'm bound to have another one somewhere, so that's a job for tomorrow...they're mounting up already.

Tools away I saw Avatar sitting in her garden so went over to sit with her.  It's been the first evening when the air has been warm and it was really nice to sit in the sun.  We were joined by Beyser and Haciber, conversation was flowing round me in Turkish but I don't mind.  Avatar translates the necessaries for me I'm sure.  She'd also had a day in the garden on the wrong end of a lawn mower and was feeling in the same state as I was.  She was going in for a shower when the 'birds had flown' and I'm settling for a bath....much nicer to let the aches and pains wash away in Badedas or the likes.  The grass is looking a little patchy, I'd raised the wheels for the really long grass so might have to go over it again with the little electric once it dries out.  I used to do it all in one day but with this year's weather it been an almost impossible job to keep on top of it, mowing between the showers in some cases.  Fingers crossed it will be good tomorrow for potting up the root suckers, there are lots to be had and I can always put them somewhere or give them away.  Another job I have to do is steal back some of my lupins that I gave Avatar last year.  Hers have done really well and self set so I'm taking back the babies before anyone else can get to them.  They're new to the village...no one else has them.  Now to find something for supper, I'm not that hungry so maybe later.  LN...Fingers crossed that the computer is fixed and I can steam ahead setting it up.....LN
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Saturday 27th May

Six start which seems to be the norm now....games until seven.....washed and dressed and down for a breakfast of boiled eggs and toast.  It's really strange but it feels like a Sunday today, the grass was all finished yesterday so nothing really pressing, it was cold outside and the minute I decided to go on a tortoise hunt and arrived at the bottom of the garden, a freak cloud came over and drenched me.  To cap it all, not even a glimmer of a tortoise, they've got more sense and are nestled down somewhere under the shrubbery.  

I planned for supper early on and took out two turkey 'things' filled with cheese and left them to thaw in a pan on the worktop.  I thought about taking one out for Avatar and delivering supper but never having tried them before, I decided to road test them first.  The day was filled with possibilities, a whole day with nothing important to do and I did nothing.  I watched a couple of films from Netflix, almost went to sleep on the sofa and didn't quite manage it, recharged my Fitbit and then went for a garden walkabout.  I found all of the tortoise except for Rosie.  Green God was slammed against the short wall at an angle so that it's shell was at ninety degrees to the sun to get the maximum therms.  I think even they are beginning to wonder what's happened to summer.  I did a walk of the garden and both the wild and cultivated Philadelphus are flowering and both are very scented and difficult to choose between them.  I brought some of the wild ones into the house because the flowers are larger.

I put the turkey things in the oven at five, started a jacket off in the microwave and then it joined the rest in the oven.  On a score of ten, I'd give them around seven, they wouldn't become a firm favourite and as for the cheese on the inside, not a lot of flavour in it.  It did fill a gap though and I should manage until morning.  Half eight my time and I feel better than I did yesterday around this time.....that grass was a hard slog.  Strimmer mending tomorrow, my middle sized one wants sorting out and where was that manual I had.  LN.....If it's not one thing it's another......LN



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Elsa Peters
May 28, 2023, 6:41pm Report to Moderator

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Sunday 28th May

So I went to bed at midnight last night and there was an horrendous storm going on and it's stayed that way all day.  I've had another lazy day, I intended doing such a lot but my main train of thought was to light the fire and I made the decision to carry it out and then I noticed it was seven thirty so a waste of time...I put another sweater on.

Toast for breakfast, yogurt for lunch and tuna mayo for supper and I slept most of the afternoon.  The storm got so bad this evening that I thought about unplugging the internet, the lightning was rattling around and the claps of thunder very loud.  I checked the Fitbit for mileage and only came up with the number of steps so in a short break of the rain I did the walk round the garden and only found Green God close in to the low wall, very damp shell and obviously bound for shelter.  The others probably took the buffet close to the shelter...who'd really be out and about in weather like this.  I swear you can watch the grass grow before your eyes.

Tomorrow it's supposed to be twenty two degrees in the sun that if it ever comes out with sixty percent chance of thunderstorms.  Only a few days left of what has been a rotten month for weather and hard work on the grass cutting....let's hope it picks up for June.  LN.......Short and sweet tonight...and it's still raining......LN
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Elsa Peters
May 29, 2023, 5:36pm Report to Moderator

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Monday 29th May

Six start and the rain from last night was still pouring down this morning....another damp miserable day was in store.  I made coffee. put a load of washing in the machine and went back to bed choosing not to circulate in the world until the coffee had kicked in.  Not only was it raining but a cold wind was howling round and it's still wizzing around now and clouds are hurling over the sky although there is blue sky available now.  The sun made sporadic visits during the day but on the whole nothing to tempt me to get out and garden.

Activity was more intense in the kitchen.  I'd left potatoes from last night amd half an onion and an omelette was on the cards for breakfast.  I lightly fried the potatoes added the onions, scrambled three small eggs, swirled them round in the frying pan and when the contents had set, covered it with cheese, and that was breakfast sorted.  Only the rest of the task to complete, I washed up and tidied the kitchen, took the washing from the machine and put in on the airer in the guest room, no chance it would dry outside and potentially make it's way to Greece.

The rest of the day was spent setting up my new little laptop and trying to work out how to present my nephew's girlfriends family chart that I've spent a few months working on.  It looks like I might have to break it down into familyt groups, they allhad so many children that the page is full before I've added much detail so I think it's the next best option.  I't the same problem with mine, I start writing it up and then run out of space...I must really look into buying a program that takes the hard work out of it.  I just need to add names and dates and let the program do the work of spacing it allout so that it's easy to follow.  Once I can get it ready to print in anything, my friendly stationery shop will print it on any size paper that I request...it's just getting it to that stage.

I had a phone call from my local lady who organises trip to various places in Bulgaria and she's invited me to join them the weekend of the 17th and 18th to visit one of the local historic beauty spots and I said yes.  It's only two days by coach but I'm relly looking forward to it.  She phone to also ask me if I wanted a shared room or one to myself and I settled for the latter.  It's more expensive but the whole thing is only going to cost one hundred and thirty leva...bargain.  So now I better start polishing up my Bulgarian, get my guide books out so at least I know what the guide is talking about when the Bulgarian guide starts rattling on.

Not too bothered about supper, my breakfast is still sitting heavy and it obviously did the job.  Student tomorrow providing he doesn't have football coaching or a match but I'll know in the morning.  LN......Time to put computers to bed...I've had enough of them.......LN



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Elsa Peters
May 29, 2023, 5:43pm Report to Moderator

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Pickies from today



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Elsa Peters
May 30, 2023, 5:26pm Report to Moderator

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Tuesday 30th May

Back to early mornings since I didn't do much yesterday.  Four when I woke up, coffee, games, television at seven and finished watching what I slept through last night.  The joys of Netflix.  Washed dressed in gardening clothes just in case the mood took me and it didn't but I did managed to wander the garden for tortoise at nine and only managed to spot Blue and Green God catching what rays of sun were available...and that wasn't much.  Toast for breakfast, poor pickings in the house at the moment and I really think another trip to Lldl is on the cards.  The other morning I really fancied baked beans and after sorting though the tin bin, there weren't any left so they're on the list already.

The rest of the morning was taken up with continuing to set up the little laptop.  I tried to download the picture reducing programme, that part worked but I didn't manage to sign in to an ID that wold accept changes to the computer so back to the drawing board Cecil and I gave up on trying.  It's for another day...this one works very well on my deslk top.  I also started to go through the printouts for the two families that I've been working on  and I've decided that the quickest way to create an acceptable layout is to use magnets and attach the printouts to a metal sheet and I have one that I can use.  Just need to find a place to set it up.  I printed off today's lesson for my student and it worked very well,  the Witches is proving very popular and I'm impressed that he puts so much expression in it when reading the text and laughs finding it very funny.  Don't think that you get many youngsters reading Roal Dahl in BG.  

Down to the shop and sat with his mother for a while having a chat,  I told her that her son had shown me his PROM clothes that he was very proud of.  He'd put half towards his shoes himself,,,,and his final exams to see if he changes schools take place in two weeks time,  His brother changed schools at his age and travelled into Kardjali each day on the bus....not sure if it's going to work for the little one but he's a really bright boy and manages to hold a conversation in English at thirteen,

Supper is finished, turkey thingies again stuffed with cheese and spicy wedges so want to get this update posted.  Nipper is going in for a check-up tomorrow bright and early so I'll stop for bread on the way back and then I'll manage without Lidl unless we have a rainy day.  I've just taken the photos of the garden , I'm so pleased with the selection of plants this year.  I've let it go wild in places because of the tortoise but it still looks good.  LN.....Gardening day tomorrow when I get back from the garage.....LN



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Elsa Peters
May 31, 2023, 6:09pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 31st May

Well another month soon to be gone and le't hope the weather cheers up for next one.  I've just had the first clap of thunder of the day so won't be long on this update.  The evening full of promise has gone already.

Early start for me again, I wasn't too late to bed and I've had a very pleasant day.  I really should have mown the grass again looiking at the storm clouds gathering, I though the weather was beginning to settle.....but it appears, no chance.  Toast for breakfast, I came home from my student's lesson with ten more eggs so I should really be doing something with them, I've got three left from the last haul.  I washed and dressed for the garden but it just didn't happen, I was about to drive into town when I  spotted Zelinger in Avatar's garden and went over for a catch-up with them, nobody gave me a shopping list so I said fond farewells and headed off to the garage.  When I'd started the Nipper up yesterday I smelled gas so wanted the pipes checked out.  I didn't notice it this morning and when I got to the garage and opened up the bonnet, they couldn'd smell anything either and asked me if I'd recently filled up.  I said yes and they said that it was a common problem, there was nothing to worry about so I drove to the main square and went on a walk-about.  

First stop was the flower shop and found a gaia that needed love and attention and I got money knocked off it.  I also asked her if she could manage to get me a large bag of potting compost, I saw that she sold the twenty litre one and she said that she would ask the supplier.  A few more things from the leva shop, ten minutes with my student's mum in the shop and a few more giirlie giggles and then home to see Green God near the garage as I parked up.  I was eager to get the gate closed so he couldn't escape, didn't manage to spot him so forgot all about it,  Ten minutes later I went out on to the terrace and he was standing there so I picked him up and airlifted him back to the grass.  Next thing he was scrabling in the little garden between the steps so I left him to it.  About fifteen minutes later I spotted him back on the terrace....and somehow he must have managed the steps....no way could he have walked round so back he went onto the grass and last spotted heading down the garden,

I was home for one unpacked the shopping, made a coffee and a cheese and onion sandwich, sat down and put Netflix on.  I was looking for something new and fell upon a one off called Unbelievable and it was really good.  Brief interlude when Avatar came round with a bowl of strawberries that she'd been given so I traded two spicy sausages of the four that I'd bought earlier in Djebel.  I offered to cook supper for her but her son is still here so maybe she'd got something already planned.  I've just been out on a photo shoot, especially noticing that the moon was out...a very rare sight these days.  Those clouds I took a pickie of have thickened somewhat, moon has gone and it's looking very much like it might rain.  We've had two peels of thunder and rain may be on the agenda for tonight so maybe no gardening tomorrow....and still the grass grows longer.  Supper over and done with, spicy sausage, onions and potatoes with mayo and that should see me through until morning.  LN.....Welcome June and hopefully summer....if not more ancestry or Netflix......LN



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My Diary by Elsa Peters (only location)

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