Sunday 1st October

Had a good night last night, woke up at seven and still felt full from last night's food so wasn't too eager to get breakfast.  I was out on the balcony at five after seven, clouds were on the horizon and the sun didn't really appear until seven thirty and the wind had a chill to it.  I soon came in and made coffee, didn't bother going out again so got washed and dressed, stripped the bed and got the sheets, pillow cases and duvet cover in the machine and was hanging it over the airer in the guest room and the quilt cover over the stair rail.  At nine I was ready for boiled eggs and toast setting myself up for a day of getting rid of the pile of logs on the workshop terrace but that didn't happen.  Definitely out of choice, I;ve got a few problems in the UK at the moment  and I needed to think about those to settle my little brain. I had a conversation with Princess, she was just making pancakes for breakfast and sent me a photo of them and she's under instructions that I want some of them the next time I'm home.  They looked delicious.

So eventually I found a short term solutions to the issue in the UK and the problem was resolved and then set to in the kitchen.  I washed up, sorted the meat that I'd bought yesterday from Kardjali, left one pork chop out for tonight and the rest went into the freezer.  That job is now on the list, it really needs to be defrosted and cleaned out and that definitely wasn't on my list for today.  At one I settled down and watch a Barbra Streisand film that I'd watched before but was gentle fodder for the brain with no thinking required.  Bed made up for tonight, pots water to give the poor things a chance in this very drying wind, bonfire at four, logs sorted into three piles of big, intermediate and shreddable.  There was no order when the son brought them on to the terrace, everything dumped on top of each other making it very difficult to get any momentum going so tomorrow, if the weather is good.....my day is full.

The pork chop and a jacket potato went in at six and the home-made barbecue sauce went on the chop around seven, supper should be ready soon and it smells delicious.  So time to get myself into gear, put the computer to sleep for the night, serve up my supper and settle myself down.  LN......I'm beginning to feel back to normal after those few hectic days.......LN

Monday 2nd October

Not much sun about today....there was hardly a sunrise and not much of a sun set.  I did sit out on the balcony but then came in, I was cold out there and I've just done the circuit and closed down the estate, doors and windows shut...winter draws on.  I managed to get down to the kitchen by eight, washed up from last night and made toast for breakfast and was ready to get going on my wood heap by about ten.  I'd already done a wash load, put it on the airer, one load off and one load on....I'm hoping the new washing powder will not aggravate the backs of my legs, I'm almost scratching holes in them.

I put in one of the new blades that I'd bought on Saturday from Lidl so that it should have made my life easier.  Well it did until it got bent so had to change it again this afternoon.  The first problem was that I didn't have an end wall to stack up to so I spent a while seeing how I could improvise and improvise I did.  I've got two very old step ladders that I was about to throw out but instead worked out a way to put the rungs upright and the support rail on the ground, obviously they're not parallel so it gives the appearance that the rows aren't level but they are, more or less.  I managed to drive three support sticks into first load of logs that I did the other day and now the ladder can't close on itself or open up and block the door to the terrace. I'm quite pleased with the result, it won't win any awards but it's very functional.  UNfortunately I kept looking at the heap so had a break, made a coffee and sat on the bench on the little house terrace with a bag of nuts and raisins until I'd worked up the energy to start again.  As I mentioned I changed the blade but I had trouble fitting this one properly so that it didn't wobble and it took me three attempts.  The older you get I think you're more safety conscious....no body to pick me up or notice if I have an accident.  

At five thirty I called it a day, I still have more to do by that's going to be tomorrows work.  The shredder wood is up against the wall and that's the easy bit....'feed me Seymour'.  The boiler is on and I'll be in the bath as soon as I've posted and I've just demolished half a tub of cream cheese with bread sticks so I'll not be cooking anything later....probably yogurt to finish off when I cosied up on the sofa.  LN.....It's been another good day and really quite successful......LN

Tuesday 3rd October

Early to bed and early to wake up but I managed to go off again and woke just after seven.  The rest of it has been a gentle day....I decided not to knock myself out with cutting and stacking logs.  I had my student this afternoon and I'd forgotten where we'd got up to reading The Witches by Roald Dahl so I photocopied where I thought we'd got up to last time but we;ve had holidays and rearranged football games since then.  Boiled eggs again for breakfast, I cleared up the kitchen, took a walk of the garden and noticed CD hiding in the bonfire garden catching a few rays of the sun but no signs of the others including Red...'the newby'. I checked out the heap of logs that is left to shred and saw and knew that I'd made the right decision about not doing anything with it today.

By now it was getting on for twelve and as I went across the yard there was a stream of cars moving very slowly and parking up on the verge.  A lady and man got out of one of them and I vaguely recognised them and asked them what had happened.  Sad to say that Beyser has died and it was still a shock even though she'd not been very well lately.  It's the first of the ladies that have passed that I've known for the last twelve years, she came to the house when my children came over and made herself known to them, one of the mainstays of the village.  She used to bring photos over that she wanted cleaning up, enlarging and framing, always asked how much but I never took anything from her.  I didn't go round to the house, I heard the hodja reciting his prayers over her and sent up a silent 'have a good journey' from me.  As I got my car out to drive to Djebel for my student, there was a crowd of men standing outside the house and I'm presuming that the women would be inside, I'm not really sure of the procedures but as I passed the graveyard in the village again, all men and no women.  I asked my student's mum what was the format and I guessed right but apparently no women are allowed in the graveyard.  A light will be left burning all night or maybe even longer and a glass of water will be available should the spirit return.

As for my student, we've not had a lesson for quite some weeks and he was keen to carry on with the book.  The pages that I'd photocopied were no use at all, I'd forgotten that we used the internet for the last lesson and he read the text from the screen.  Eventually we found our place and used the copy that I'd brought him back from England,  The Witches is now finished...next book Matilda.  A few passes of the ball, we have to play at least five minutes, maybe ten of football and then we moved back to the shop where I sat with his mother giving her an update of the lesson, discussing his football, homework and anything else that came to mind.  My student went to the local supermarket and came back with a pack of McVitie milk chocolate digestives, I mentioned that the dark chocolate were better, he said that they had them in stock so I went and bought a packet and we all agreed that the dark chocolate are better.  His mother had also had some leaks delivered, said that she had more that she needed and gave me one of the bunches so I think it's chicken and leak pie tomorrow and I might make one for them.  

Home and the cars have all gone and the village is quiet.  I'll go and find Zelinger tomorrow for an update and maybe put a few flowers on the grave.  LN......Now to find something for supper......LN

Wednesday 4th October

So last night I fell asleep watching a Netflix and woke up just as the last episode was winding up.  I was much too tired to watch it last night so went to bed and I was much too tired to go to sleep so ended up playing games until four this morning and eventually went off waking up at seven.  For some reason I decided to put my summer sleeveless t-shirts away, separate out the long sleeved ones and work clothes and sort out the shelving unit in my bedroom,  I also found some of my autumn jumpers out from my huge ottoman, they came out and the t-shirts went in.  I think it was a little early, we've had a beautiful day today, it was in the upper twenties and I was perspiring like a goodun as I worked on the wood on the woodstore terrace.  

I made poached eggs of toast for a late breakfast, sent an important email after a lengthy conversation with a doctor's surgery in UK and got a few ducks back into line.  I suppose I've got used to catching my doctor when she's having a cigarette outside the Polyclinic and getting an immediate appointment and then an instant referral to a specialist in the hospital if it's needed.  That's what I like about a third world country....   The washing up is still waiting to be done but it can wait until morning....it's putting nobody out.  I was delaying the inevitable, clearing one of the heaps of wood on the terrace so decided to watch the episode that I'd slept through last night and I think I need to go back another couple to get the full story.  It ended with so many things unresolved that I probably missed out on a few clues so back to the drawing board Cecil.

I ventured out at one and got set up with my reciprocating saw and set to work.  I eventually finished the heap at five o'clock, the shredder heap has grown and will be tackled tomorrow and the wood from the walnut I will do later.  Most of it is dead anyway since the men only cleaned the tree up so that will go straight for burning this year and won't have to dry out like the other.  Last job was to remove the remains of the shredder wood from the front drive, rake over the drive and get rid of the debris over the road.  That is now sitting in a log carrier and again that will be tackled tomorrow, looks like another busy day for me.  Had a lovely chat with my next door garden lady and her husband.  They'd arrived in the car with around tan bags of manure for the garden, he was lifting them out of the car, she was slinging them on her back and then going into the garden and spreading it out.  They offered to fill some bags up for me and since my other local benefactor is still thinking about it and has been for a couple of years, I might take her up on it.  If I take the Beast down, I can fill up a huge bag and back it into the drive.  

I came in at seven, supper was a couple of chicken burgers with potato croquettes and mayo and should see me through until morning.  The water heater is on and it's another bath time...it really does sort my back out after a day with the reciprocating saw, bending and stretching, lifting and stacking.  Mustn't grumble at my age...nobody to hear me anyway.  LN.....The work's getting done......LN

Thursday 5th October

Fell asleep in the bath last night, yet again, crawled into bed around midnight and didn't wake up until eight thirty this morning.  I've been trying to catch up with myself all day but still not managed it.  The inevitable pile of washing went into the machine and was on the clothes airer by nine fifteen, the last two eggs were boiled and served with mayo and toast, second cup of coffee was prepared and I checked emails and caught up with admin.  Had a conversation with a friend, he and his wife that used to come over and stay here and hopefully they will be in a position to have a visit next year....I've told them the bed is already made up.  He usually drives over and she flies and it's been a while since we visited the Communist 'spaceship' headquarters and found ourselves being interrogated in German by some police guy protecting a wind turbine....what an adventure!!

So by eleven I'd prepared myself for the remainder of the shredding, machine out on to the woodstore terrace, two log carriers full of sticks and let the work commence.  It was slow going....where the men had trimmed them with the axe they'd left nodules on the main branch and the machine didn't like them so I had to prepare them with the loppers.  I did get one stuck in the machine, it was a little fatter than I thought it was, well one end was OK, so I used a kitchen knife and the metal cutters to remove the node, obviously taking off the electricity first, waddled it about and it was clear.  Power on and it went through as did the next two hundred or so but as I said...finished for this year.  Next job is do weed the beds, apply the manure and then the mulch to suppress the weeds for next year.  Well that's the theory according to Monty Don.  All that's left to do with the reciprocating saw is a small pile of thicker branches and the dead walnut branches....that's my tomorrow sorted.

I came in at seven, got involved in driver updates with my security providers and am now thinking about supper.  I've got frozen pizza and it's very tempting to get one in the oven and it should be ready when I get out of the bath....better not go to sleep.  Gentle sunset tonight, the fly-catched was on the electricity cables and bombing backwards and forwards having a last snack before bedtime....we seem to have something in common.  LN......Better not nod off in the bath tonight.......LN

Friday 6th October

Early to bed and unfortunately it was early to rise.  I woke at five thirty, couldn't get back off to sleep so made coffee, did a few Sudoku, washed and dressed and was setting myself up for the day of clearing the wood from the terrace.  First to get sorted was the walnut, the branches were dead and very dry and it didn't take me long to have cleared the heap and then it was time to go for the smaller stuff from the log carrier.  I made life easier by putting the log carrier on its side and cutting them against each other, the few that were left I put on the bench and the ones that were undersized I used the long handled pruners.  By ten I'd finished the lot, everything tidied away so came in and made beans on toast for breakfast finishing off with a bowl of yogurt.  I put Netflix on and watched an episode of my latest 'find', drank more coffee and then went out again to find other things to do.

I tidied the woodpile in the garage and swept up the leaves, oiled the lock that was making turning the key difficult, cleared off the tall shelves, sorted out the car bits and the paint and brushes so I know where things are.  When you have workmen in things get put into different homes and I need to know where things are as I get older so I spent a good half hour moving them back.  I also removed the old rotten wood that was hanging around and had a bonfire and put the bottom of the old burning bin on top of the new so that no sparks could fly.  Everywhere is so dry that it's better to be safe than sorry and we had a fire engine out yesterday to the bottom village.  I didn't see any smoke or flames but they were blue lighting it through the village, I could see where it pulled up but nothing after that.  That might incur a fine for a false call out.  I was sitting on the benches out front that unfortunately suffered when the tree came down and was trying to work out a way to loosen the bolts and then it suddenly occurred to me that bolt cutters are so named to do the job....so I did.  It means that I can buy wood, drill holes and replace with new bolts saving time and effort.

Television this afternoon, I put a chorizo pizza in the oven for supper , it was very tasty but may be a little over cooked.  I'd had to use Goggle translate to work out the cooking instructions.  I'd just cleared away when my friend from the lower village came round to see how I am and I somehow have got an early start for myself.  She doesn't work Fridays but needs to get into Kardjali tomorrow morning so I said that I will pick her up at eight, drive her to her apartment and then I can pick up the potting compost that I need from T-Maxx in Kardjali do a little shopping in Kaufland and some in Lidl and be home at a very reasonable hour.  The bonfire is still going well, I've had a really good week and was about to light the fire since the temperature has dropped and couldn't remember the last time I'd cleaned the pipes so I could do that tomorrow afternoon....it only takes about thirty minutes.  The rain that was threatening didn't materialise, it was blown away when the wind got up but somebody had it.  LN.......Bath and bed, it's just after seven thirty, nine thousand three hundred on the Fitbit, I'll have to do a few circuits of the house to achieve my ten thousand today.  LN.......Better start walking Felix......LN

Saturday 7th October

So I had my late bath, went to bed fully relaxed at eleven thirty, not games, head in a good place and woke up thinking it was about five thirty....wrong....it was only one thirty and I had lots of sleep to find and enjoy.  It was a hard thing to do, I must have got back to sleep around two and managed until six and I realised that that was it.  Now it was into the world, email, games etc but it wasn't too much of a hardship, I was taking my friend home to Kardjali and picking her up at eight in the lower village.  I was on time and so was she, I stopped off at Djebel to hand over the brush cut blade for the strimmer that I'd found in the woodstore yesterday, it was no use to me since I'd given them the machine because it was too heavy for me to use.  They're under strict instructions that if I need them, the machine comes back but they're doing the work.  The traffic was light and I dropped her off at her apartment at eight thirty. she offered coffee but I wanted to get on with my day.

I drove into Kardjali centre and to Kaufland and there were very few people around.  I bought chicken wings and legs that were on special offer, fresh liver for a change and very little else.  My bill was light for a change and from there I went to T-Max next door to get the potting compost, it was a forty litre bag for about twelve lev a bag so I bought three of them.  I asked for help getting them on to a trolley, a very disgruntled man thought that he really shouldn't be helping by finding a flat bed trolley for me and when I asked for help getting them into the Nipper he just refused...'Not my job luv...'.  I managed to wheel the thing to the car, I'd parked right by the entrance to the store and succeeded on getting them on the back seat and I even returned the trolley though I was tempted to leave it where it was.  He'll be old one day.  Next stop was Lidl for a few things like large bottles of water, chocolate puddings, cheese triangles and Cheddar and I had fun at the checkout.  I unloaded my shopping on to the belt, left the bottle of water in the trolley with five of the chocolate puddings and put on e of them on the belt.  I would tell her how many I had to save her handling them.  It was going well until one of the bottles fell over, smashed into the puddings, one casualty all over the floor.   Red faced I told the cashier who got up from her chair, grabbed some tissues, mopped up the spillage and charged me for five, the damaged one ended up in the rubbish.  I apologised to the cashier who said that it was no problem and to the lady behind and they all took in in their stride.

Back to Djebel and stopped off at the car-shop to tell her that I couldn't stop, I'd got frozen food that needed putting away but she was so busy that I eventually got to chat to her.  The son's school day has been extended by two hours on two days, the football practice and match programme has been altered and she could see no way to have the English lesson next week as arranged.  I told her not to worry, I didn't want to add to the stress, he was more important and we'd see how it went for the following week.  The problem is that he really enjoys the lesson and now he's in the language school it is concentrating on German lessons and no English and she doesn't want him to lose it and neither do I.  He's so good for only thirteen years old and can hold a conversation easily.  Home for two, shopping away by two thirty, I walked the garden, made ham sandwiches for lunch, put the television on and slept for two hours...that was my Saturday in a nutshell.  Chicken leg with a jacket potato for supper in the oven....no need of a bath tonight...I'll be washing myself away.  I think it will be another gentle day tomorrow, maybe raking over the dried grass and removing grass form the flowerbeds and hopefully I'll get some manure delivered soon.  It the village fete tomorrow so I might be walking along to see what's happening, probably not a lot but one has to circulate.  LN....Lovely day and feel much better for my afternoon rest.....LN

Sunday 8th October

So much for my afternoon rest, it led to a very disturbed night sleepwise.  I was ready to fall asleep or so I thought at around eleven thirty but my little brain had a different idea, it went into overdrive so I put the light on again and played a few games and the next thing it was three thirty in the morning.  Eventually I put the light out and tried again and I woke up from a very unusual vivid dream that, for the life of me I've tried all day to recall, but without success.  I'm putting it down to stress, workmen, my own very busy workload last week and I need to settle my body down again.  The gentle exercise I promised myself for today didn't happen, it's been a very hot October day, too hot to be outside.

It was the village fete worse than death today and I really felt that I should put in an appearance.  I had a shower and washed my hair and made a ham and cheese sandwich for breakfast and was ready to face the hoards by ten thirty.  I drove up to the centre of the village and parked up, lots of Turkish people who moved to Turkey when they were forced out in the late eighties come back to visit graves of relatives and the graveyard was buzzing.  There was a troop of dancers which no one was orchestrating, Turkish music blaring out and a singer giving it everything and lots of people standing round.  In previous years it seemed more organised, the dancers were following set routines but these were much younger, some wanted to dance, others were dressed up and didn't and there was very little format.  I left the old school playground which now looked so sad with windows missing, the roof has holes in it and the chimneys need repair but now that most of the able bodied have moved to Europe for work and money, nothing will be done with the school.  I went back to the main street and there were random stalls, children's toys, clothes for the older women and the statutory trainers that all school children seem to want.  I did strike up a conversation with one stallholder, he asked me where I came from, it was obvious to him that I wasn't Bulgarian and I replied to him in Bulgarian and said that I lived in the village.  He was amazed that I spoke the language, I responded that it wasn't perfect but adequate and that it was probably more than most of the locals who tend to speak Turkish on a daily basis.  Even my Avatar, who's gone early this year to stay with family in Germany, admits that her Bulgarian is better that it used to be now that I force her into using it.  I'd had enough, there were rows of chicken on spits, lambs being roasted but it wasn't for me.

I drove down to Zelinger's house to see how she was now that her good friend Beyser had died earlier in the week.  It reminds us how fragile life is, here one day and gone the next.  I gave her a big hug, one of the other neighbours came to see what I wanted and some just have to get involved.  She mentioned that her back was not good and I said that I had cream that I could give her for it, Deep Heat and she was over the moon with the idea so I drove home to find what I had in my medicine chest.  I had two unopened tubes so I found a little pot, squeezed some into it and walked back telling her that she as to rub it in morning and night and to wash her hands thoroughly after she'd applied it and not to touch sensitive areas...it would sting.  The pot wasn't huge and she's under strict instructions to ask if she wants more...I can't buy it in Bulgaria so replay on replacing supplies when I go to the UK.

I walked home, decided to walk the garden and look for tortoises and only managed to find 'Red', the latest into gang.  She had found herself under the wisteria near to the woodstore terrace and somehow tumbled her way down onto the terrace and carried on her way.  Her shell was very dirty, there was very little left of the nail varnish and she was either digging her winter retreat or trying to find a way out.  I photographed and moved on and left her to it.  I went back in the house and settled on the sofa with my Monty Don gardening book and trying to work out my winter schedule.....and promptly fell asleep waking up at five.  I only hope that it doesn't interfere with my sleep pattern, not another sleepless night.  

Sun's gone down, no wind tonight, temperature is still twenty two out and twenty six in with doors and windows open, the same is forecast for tomorrow and I've very tempted to go down to Greece for the day and to the beach to top up my suntan.  LN.....I'll see how I feel in the morning.....or maybe that day of gentle gardening that I promised for today .....LN  

Monday 9th October

A two thirty awakening  but managed to get off quite quickly and it was seven when I opened my eyes for the next time.  I made coffee upstairs, took it out on to the balcony despite the fact that there was no sun, mountain to mountain clouds and it's been pretty dull for most of the day.  I made poached eggs on ham for breakfast, washed up and threw myself into removing the wood burner pipes, opening up the wood store and getting out the brushes for the job in hand.  The vacuum cleaner was on hand just in case the contents of the pipes flew everywhere but it wasn't so bad, the only hiccup was when I used the hoover to clean out the fire grate and the debris got stuck in the hoover pipe.

Pipes removed and taken outside in a bucket so that most of the debris was contained.  There wasn't a lot of soot in them, quite a bit above the grate but that was to be expected.  The boiler comes apart very easily and in around fifteen minutes I was moving outside to concentrate on cleaning out the pipes.  Again that didn't seem to take too long so I put them back in place, hoover out the shower room to pick up any stray lumps that dropped down when removing the pipes from the chimney and even that was minimal.  I hoovered behind the wood burner, I'd forgotten to empty the ash can and when I did I undid some of the hoovering so I rehoovered.  Unfortunately I blocked it so took it apart and had a real job on my hands, the dust had made it difficult  to lock the connections between the dust collector and the filter and in the end I washed out everything that wasn't electrical and managed to get it all back together again....better than it's worked in ages.  Next job was to chop some starter wood and that's now sitting in the conservatory....and then the sun came out.

Job finished I thought I'd have five minutes with a coffee and Netflix and all it threw up was a system message....it couldn't connect, I had no internet so I phoned the local number to see if it had problems, it didn't, I did, I'd forgotten to pay for the coming year.  The girl didn't speak English and no Bulgarian that I understood, she mentioned something about three days but I told her that I was on my pay to pay it.  I went to the cash-point to make sure I had enough for the yearly fee, move the car and parked up outside and there was a post-it note on the window, written in lowercase which is nothing like the Bulgarian I'm used to and a girl from the next shop translated it for me.  She'd closed at three even though the hours written on the notice are until six.  I changed car-parks yet again, saw a red-cabbage on a street display and bought one, went to the garage shop and had it explained to me that you can go on to the internet site and renew and have three days to pay.  Unfortunately you have to have a login and know the password supplied by them so it wouldn't have done me any good at all.  

I drove home, checked the internet and it's up and running so tomorrow I'll drive in and pay my dues.  I've had cheese and bread sticks for supper followed by a chocolate pudding, not very healthy but adequate, it's almost eight my time so time to switch off and relax.  Tomorrow I'm having a day of getting more starter wood together, cleaning out and filling up my log basket just in case and tidying the little house porch and moving over some of the medium sized logs to have them nearer the house.  LN......Another job in winter preparation fulfilled......LN

Tuesday 10th October

Well at last I had a good night's sleep....just a short interval at two thirty but more or less straight back off to sleep...or it seemed like it.  I was on the balcony at around seven ten and watched the sky change colours until the sun broke through and came above the mountains/  I didn't wait for it to come up completely, the light changes completely and you lose most of the colours from the dawn.  I was back inside, coffee and was working out priorities for the day.  I settled for toast without butter and just apricot jam, for some reason I'm going off dairy products and eggs...I've been having a lot of red blotches come up, allergic to something and really must get the tests done before the end of the year.

Washed and dressed for town, I wanted to pay my yearly internet and I'm pleased to say that the price has remained stable for three years now.  I managed to park up near the shop, she confirmed the price for me and I explained that I didn't know that you could go onto their website and get three days grace on payment so she gave me my log-on name and the password and hopefully I'll remember it if I forget to pay it next year.  From there I went to the garage shop, she was in the middle of accepting an order so I went to the chemist to buy some pain relief gel for the neighbour that I gave the Deep Heat to yesterday.  I went in to the flower shop next door, I hadn't really seen her for a while and we talked out languages, visiting sites near Asenovgrad and the tours that my other friend is organising.  From thee I went to the hardware shop to buy some more blades for the reciprocating saw so I'm set up to get on with the starter wood and may be that's a job for tomorrow.  I must admit I haven't done an awful lot today but at least I'm feeling very relaxed.  I was home for around two, went down to deliver the cream to my lady at the bottom of the village and stopped for a chat.  As I walked back I noticed that the outside light is still on at Beyser's house.  It's the custom here so that the soul can find home if they want to return before they move on to wherever we all go to.  It will be lit for forty days....almost back to the forty days and nights in the wilderness.

I put supper in at five, chicken wings with roasted potatoes and onions and in a separate dish I diced up red cabbage, added oil and salt to the dish and put that in the oven alongside the chicken and vegetables.  Supper was ready just after six, everything was cooked to perfection and I feel very full.  I haven't had red cabbage for a year or so and it really was tasty and I've still got two thirds of it left.    Late update tonight, nothing planned so far for tomorrow, I might get the mower out to pick up and cut the dead leaves to add to the mulch that I've got from the shredder.  LN......Almost time for an early-ish night....I missed my afternoon nap......LN

Wednesday 11th October

Good night's sleep again, although I did wake up early, nodded off again and no much sun to be seen. There was a slash of yellow over the mountains between very black skies and despite the fact that the sun came out, the wind had a autumn coolness about it.  I put on a fleece sweater. didn't want to catch a chill, toast for breakfast and emptied the household rubbish bags for a burn up later.  I set myself the task of clearing the leaves left over from the tree trimming, digging over the flower beds, replanting bulbs that had somehow come to the surface, getting rid of the debris over the wall, adding compost to the dug over gardens and covering it with the the wood that I'd shredded.  Result....the grave garden is completed and the two trees with stone surrounds have been compost and shredded wood toppings so the flowers should have more of a chance next year.  

I set the bonfire going this morning and it's still going now.  Some of the surrounds from the beds in the grave garden are really past their sell-by date so I've removed them, might replace them later but for now I'll just mow up to the base of the shrubs.  The wood was collected up and put into the burning bin and the leaves and bits of twigs are over the wall for the cows to sift through.  They make a pretty thorough job of it.  Tools away at six, nothing is cooking for supper so far so whatever is selected will go into the air fryer or a frying pan.....too tired after a day of activity to come up with a gourmet evening meal.  

More of the same tomorrow if the weather holds and the inclination comes to the surface.....the garden is so dry that we really do need a good downpour or two to liven up the shrubs.  No sight or sound of any of the tortoises today.....I suppose they're all busy setting up winter quarters somewhere under my garden.  LN.....Kitchen bound...I'll see what falls out of the freezer.......LN

Thursday 12th October

Fire thirty start but I did have a late bath that I kept topped up with hot water...a really good soak to take the aches and pains away.  I had a fairly active morning, the washing went in the machine at six thirty and was out on the airer by seven fifteen and it ready to be put away.  I found out my winter PJ's, my Bulgarian vests and my winter tights quite by accident,  I was looking for a place to put some of the summer things that I won't wear again this year.  I also found a bag of summer things in the same place that I didn't wear this year...I really need to start passing 'stuff' on.  I made a cheese omelette for breakfast and washing up done and kitchen tidied by eight thirty....and then came the relapse.

It took me a while to get going again and I  think I've built up a new lot of aches and pains for today  It's been full on with hammer and nails repairing the old vegetable garden surround, digging out the couch grass that seems to have roots going on forever, spreading compost and then the topping of the shredded trees.  I also raked round the borders to collect leaves and dried grass, a lot went over the wall for the cows, the remainder are against the low wall and hopefully will stop some of the grass and weeds coming up next year.....well one can always hope.  The bonfire has been going all day more or less....anything rotten is going to be burnt and most of the wood from the gate repairs has gone.  The wood ash will be spread on the garden near the bottom wall, the shrubs down there have been neglected with this drought....two good days of rain and all would be well again but there doesn't seem to be any forecast.

I came in for water and decided to have a break, Netflix went on and I watched a film that's supposed to be Number One in the new releases.  All I can say is that it was OK but I wouldn't watch it again.  I went out again about five, finished off the bed, put the remains of the old wood on the bonfire and relit it, gathered saw, hammer, nails and the rest of the equipment and put everything back where it lives. I do need more of the old engine oil from the garage for painting on the wood, it deters insects and protects it from damp.  Not feeling very hungry tonight so I might not even bother with supper, I'll see how I feel later. LN.....Housework tomorrow, I've got visitors this weekend ....eeks......LN

Friday 13th October

Early start again and I'd made the decision to go into Kardjali first thing to buy more bags of compost and wanted to do that before the roads and car parks got too busy.  I watched morning coming to life from my bed, it was a long time before the sun came up and by that time I'd put the washing away, washed and dressed, skipped breakfast, I would get something in Kardjali.  

In the Nipper by eight thirty, stopped off at the car shop to see if there was anything I could bring back for her but there was nothing.  I parked up at T-Max, picked up one of the low base trolleys and the compost was still on offer so I loaded four on to the trolley.  I didn't make the mistake of asking for help, none had been forthcoming the last time so I didn't want to be refused for a second.  I paid, put them on the backseat of the Nipper, went back in the shop and found more blades for my saw much cheaper that I'd got them in Djebel and was pleasantly surprised when the assistant at the shop spoke to me in English telling me to have a good day.  How much courage did that take on her part.  I walked to Kaufland which is next door, didn't have change for a trolley so went with one of the baskets on wheels.  I was only going to see if they had coffee on offer which they didn't.  I did pick up a cheesy filo thingy for breakfast, four pairs of gardening gloves which were reduced, ham from the cooked meat counter and that was about it.  I did use a new app that I have telling me the full composition of beauty products by scanning the barcode.  It reports whether it's good to use and colour codes the component parts and this had one 'dangerous' one listed so I put it back on the shelf thereby saving me eighteen leva.  Back to the car, drove back to Djebel, parked up near the shop and took one of the pairs of gardening gloves that was the wrong size for me and gave it to my student's mum.  She might even use them in the shop to protect her hands...who knows.

Home James, shopping unloaded and put away, two bags of compost into the wheelbarrow and two into the little house for its intended purpose.....to grow seedling.   I made ham and cheese sandwiches for a late lunch and the good intent afternoon slipped away while watch the end of a new series on Netflix.  I don't feel guilty...every day is mine to do what I want with.  At around six I went out to lock up the shop, wheel the barrow into the garage and looked at the roof line and there was my little owl that I'd heard often and not seen.  I went back inside for the camera thinking that by the time I got back it would have gone but it hadn't.  I went back into the yard and took a few, went round the back of the house and took more and eventually risked going inside again and out on to the guest room balcony and it was still there.  To top it all the sky and the setting sun on the clouds was really beautiful tonight, in fact the whole sky was tinged with pink.  LN......Red sky at night and all that....we should have a good day tomorrow.....LN

Saturday 14th October

Another silly night and I played games from two until four this morning.  I settled off eventually until seven thirty, washed and dressed by eight, hoover out and everything finished by nine which included cleaning out the hoover.  Looking at the amount of hair that the thing picks up it's a wonder I've got the flowing tresses that I have.  I didn't bother with breakfast and I went out gathering more seeds that I intended passing on to my visitors.  I managed to collect orange sun daisies, sweet william and a mixed envelope of white and yellow.  It will be pot luck when they come out.  I'm being more selective with mine and labelling them immediately....I have a colour palette to complete.

Visitors arrived just after ten, I made coffee, water for the little one who came in clutching her teddy and a plant in a small watering can that's now sitting in the porth.  It didn't take too long for her to find my Angry Bird soft toy that I picked up in a junk shop locally and the other soft toys that sit on the downstairs bedroom easy chair and they were all assembled on the sofa in the lounge.  She's a bundle of energy and didn't seem to stop for a minute.  I did manage to spot one of the tortoises so we headed down the garden to see which one it was and it was Blue and he's not been out for a while.  It was a beautiful day though, twenty five degrees and I noticed that the water containers were empty  so I headed up to the outside tap, filled up the watering can and then both lids that I use along the low wall.  It didn't take Blue too long to scurry off to the safety of the wall, to much noise and I thing the little one tried to give him a drink from a plastic cup....that'll work then.  We finished out coffee, talked about the things that we did when he used to stay here when he was buying his place and how his life has changed.  He's now got Bekir back and finishing off the latest project.  

Off they went around twelve to one of the local hotels for lunch with one of her little friends, I rearranged the soft toys, had the intention of getting 'stuff' done but it didn't amount to much.  I made ham and cheese sandwiches for a late breakfast and took a port chop from the freezer ready for supper and caught up on a few emails, sent a birthday card via the internet and transferred funds to my son for my granddaughter's birthday.  I only hope that he remembers to pass it on.

Cooked supper and it was ready for six.  The chop went into the frying pan, I added onions and tomato sauce and made a barbecue sauce to go over the chop.  Croquette potatoes went into the air fryer and it went down very well.  All that's left is the washing up and that might even wait until tomorrow morning.  LN.....I've had a very relaxing day and am starting to get over the hectic four days with my builders.....and preparing the garden for winter......LN

Sunday 15th October

So it was a six o'clock start, a few games and made coffee and took it out on to the balcony.  The sun had some heat in it already and I thought about a day topping up my tan on a Greek beach but then realised that yesterday I'd had visitors and I was ashamed of the windows that were in desperate need of attention.  It's such a huge job when I start mainly because I have such a lot of large windows and eight of them are almost impossible to reach inside and out.  We can but try.  I fist of all set myself up for the day with boiled eggs and toast, washed up and then started the task in hand.

First off I did my bedroom inside and out and that's one of the easy ones because of the balcony.  Next I moved into the guest room and again the balcony makes life easier and the small windows are no problem at all and the third bedroom the same but I have to be careful when I open the balcony door....no balcony to I hang on tightly.  Porch was next and that seems a lot of glass for such a small area but done and dusted, the door and outside to the lounge is finished and only inside to do, the stairwell downstairs is done inside and out and again I have to think about the inside upstairs that are very high and outside I managed but might need going over again.  Why do I start these jobs but this time it wasn't so painful..I used water with vinegar added, a cotton dish cloth and my trusty tool supplied by the garage that they use when cleaning cars.  So all put away for tonight and everything back to normal outside, just kitchen inside and out, downstairs bedroom and that will be it for another year....don't want these jobs to come round too often.

This morning's eggs are sitting heavily under a packet of chocolate biscuits that I devoured in an interlude with Netflix this afternoon.  LN.....Task will get completed tomorrow and then I have more gardening....all go here......LN

Monday 16th October

Another early start but spent the first light on the balcony watching the morning.  The sun put on a brilliant introduction to the day, the main act wasn't so good, rain drops just after I'd finished the windows and then it went very cold so it was boots and sweaters on for the rest of the day.  I made a cheese omelette for breakfast, the bread had a hint of green about it and was disposed of over the wall...sheep and cows aren't fussy...I am.  

I didn't prepare a text for my student, we'd finished the Witches and I'd bought three more Roald Dahl books back from England and he was about to choose which one we went forward with......did 'Eany, meany, miny, mo' over the three books and Matilda was selected.  At the language school in Kardjali that he's selected, English is not taught in the first year and both he and his mother wanted to continue with the lesson and it's fine by me.  The days change, he still had his football training and matches to fit in but he's doing just fine....he's a determined young man for a thirteen year old.  We had a good lesson, he reads with intonation and laughs which proves to me that he understands what he's reading.  I help him pronounce the super long words but so long as he gets the gist of what is happening that's all that matters.  The grammar can come later at school.

We finished the lesson around five, I went down to the shop to be with his mother.  His father and brother, my ex student, arrived at six when they shut the garage.  I overlapped for about ten minutes, left for home, called in at the supermarket at the bottom of town and bought spicy sausage that I could cook quickly tonight.  I did them with onions and opened a can of baked beans and it all went down well. I lit the fire as soon as I got home and fired up the wood burner, it's the first of the year for since lst winter, the pump kicked in, the radiators got hot and the house felt very cosy.  LN......Time to throw another log on......LN

Tuesday 17th October

Happy Birthday to my granddaughter who is eighteen today.  My son says that he can't believe it and I commented that I couldn't believe he was fifty this year and I wasn't teenager when I had him so that makes me very old, on paper but not in real life, fortunately.

Seven start this morning, lots of coffee and caught the sunrise from the balcony even though it was a little nippy.  I suppose we can expect it but it was four degrees overnight, nineteen in the house and that's thanks to the first fire of the season.  I was burning the dead walnut tree branches last night and I went through them very quickly so today after breakfast I decided to sort out the logs that were scattered and needed splitting and get a couple of boxes of starter wood sorted.  This weather isn't going to go away.  Yesterday my student's mum gave me three eggs from their chickens and we joke about them being 'home made'.  This morning I fried off half a sliced spicy sausage and fried one of the eggs, took a photo and sent it to her thanking her for the pressie and the response was that she thought it looked 'nice' and it certainly was tasty.

So fire cleaned out and laid ready for tonight, I filled up one of the log containers with wood from must be four years ago from the designated bathroom in the little house.  I remember stacking that wood and it filled the room almost to the corridor so it's done well.  That load is still in the little house, I decided to use up the walnut first before we start on the good stuff since it burns so quickly.  The weather was quite good but clouded over by four so I tidied up and came inside and lit the fire.  The radiators are still warm now even though the fire has burnt down so I might just have to put another couple of logs on so it lasts through until bedtime and that won't be too long.  

So cleaning the windows did the trick....it started raining around four thirty and it's still raining now but it's very light.  The plants will love it, natural water and I might have grass again soon instead of crispy brown stuff with just one or two patches of green where I've forgotten to turn the hose off.  The man came today to read the water meter, he didn't raise his eyebrows so I can't have used that much and it's really not expensive here.  I pay anything between, four and eight pounds a month so well within budget.

No supper so far, not really in the mood.  I was doing well with the tidying until I found myself juggling with a fairly large log that dropped from waist height on to my little toe and the next one to it.  It didn't really hut at the time but as the evening has gone on, it's beginning to throb a little.....that will teach me.  LN.....Not sure the sunrise will be magnificent tomorrow....time the chair came in from the balcony and the bench put in the little house for the winter.....LN

Wednesday 18th October

Seven start, very dark, raining and not a mountain in sight even when it got lighter.  Coffee, washing into the machine and I could have hung it outside around nine, the rain had stopped and it was drying up the terrace but instead, on to the trusty airer in the guest room and it can go into the bathroom now that the fire is lit.  I made beans on toast for breakfast forgetting that I was going to put them into the slow cooker with the spicy sausage for tonight's supper....I'll think about something later instead.  I got out my old Apple iPod, selected artists and had Michael Jackson playing at not quite full volume for about two hours.  He was so talented and the variety of music that he wrote is difficult to believe and the words were shere poetry.  The child that had no boundaries and never grew up.

I cleared out the log basket intending to fill it up removing one huge log left over from last year intending to split it into three.  I got the axe, had three or four swings at the log and I didn't even make an impression on it so that's now in the woodstore and I'll use the reciprocating saw on it when I'm desperate and all the other is used up.  I removed the carpet that sat under the log basket, took it outside and gave it a good bashing, cleaned the floor and put everything back.  The log basket is still empty, I found the log carrier with the remainder of the walnut that was already in a log carrier and wheeled that into the porch, topped up the starter wood and eventually lit the fire around six tonight.

The weather got better, hints of blue that didn't stay around long so I sat at the computer on the landing and played around with ancestry and confirming facts that could have gone either way.  It's one thing investigating but I've been a little undisciplined and now I have a chart that's difficult to sensibly write up on one page.  I need to separate it out into different strands but winter is coming and the afternoons and evenings get long so at least I have something to work on.  The fire is going well, the boiler is on and I'll be soon heading into the bath taking my Kindle with me.  I've resurrected a book that I started ages ago, 'The Other Boleyn Girl' by Philippa Gregory, I'm really enjoying it and it gave me an idea for writing up an ancestry chart.  I could list the Kings and Queens of England to the side of the chart and it gives more of an idea as to what was going at the time they were living.  I've gone back to early sixteen hundreds with some of my family and that's the time that the author is writing about.   LN...Sorry no photographs today, not really much to see. ...I'll try to do better tomorrow......LN

Thursday 19th October

So it was another funny night, I went to bed at midnight, woke up at two thirty, snuggled down again and eventually came to the surface just before seven.  Wall to wall mist first off and eventually it cleared, the sun climbing above the cloud bank but the Greek mountains were hidden for quite some time.  I didn't get up to much, I remembered that it was the day my father was born one hundred and ten years ago.....it all seems like yesterday since he was here and it is, I get flashbacks of the food mum prepared, he always got the biggest chop but mum always had the bone to nibble at....dad never would.  I have such fond memories of him in his latter years and the older I get, I realise I get more like him everyday....and he spurs me on when I have difficult jobs to do... 'just get on with it' until it's done.

So today wasn't a busy day, the usual happenings, coffee and more coffee, the washing got put away and I cooked breakfast.  I also put the rest of the spicy sausage into the slow cooker with diced potatoes and onions and a can of tomatoes, Worcester and tomato sauce and that was going to be supper.  I emptied the ashes and set the fire for the night and now the sun had come out, I settled down on the rocking chair in my bedroom with my electronic book and carried on with the story of Henry 8th and his conquests, wives, mistresses and court antics.  Supper had sorted itself out. I turned the slow cooker off at five thirty and served up a bowl full and I still have some left, probably for Mrs Cat in the morning.  She'll probably pick the meat out and leave the rest but something will have it and there's also the last of the ham...it's time that that went too.

Washing up done, I've got to find something reasonable to watch on Netflix.  I really do miss Transponder TV, haven't managed to sort out an alternative yet but haven't tried over the summer but now winter is on its way, it's worth investigating.  LN.......Time to close the PC and head downstairs to the fire...time to throw another log on.....LN

Friday 20th October

Another sleepless night and not in Seattle....played a few games and eventually got off again and didn't wake until eight...late for me.  Coffee, the sun was up and that front was still being held back by the Greek mountains but the wind was blowing a gale out there.  I didn't bother with breakfast and had a late brunch of toasted cheese sandwiches around eleven after I'd had a shower and washed my hair.  It was such a lovely day that I sat on the rocking chair in the bedroom and carried on with my book and was at peace with the world and all it's friends.  That's what I like about my hillside, not many neighbours call, not much traffic to make any noise and I can please myself if I get up to anything or nothing.  Today it was all about nothing and I was reading until one this afternoon.

Sitting at the computer I looked down the garden and thought I saw one of the tortoise so I grabbed the camera, unlocked my exit to the outside world and walked down the garden.  As I got nearer I noticed that in fact, it wasn't a tortoise at all but a clump of dried leaves from one of the trees so I inwardly smiled to myself and convinced myself that I should be wearing the appropriate glasses at all times of the day.  I carried on down to the wall, took up position on said wall and checked out the hillside watching the animals topping up for the day.  As I walked back I noticed that some of the bushes are now taking on winter colourings, the pots are still flowering especially the sun daisies and I should really be collecting more seeds from them, they make such a wonderful display all summer long.  

Phone call from Princess this evening for a catch-up, half-term starts today and she sounded as if she really needs it.  School isn't what it was when my children were small and definitely not the same as when I was.  Different sort of pressure these days.  Now to go back to the film that I was watching earlier.....I've decided that to watch films on Netflix is easier that getting into the rut of washing a series, you get drawn into it and binge watch, fall asleep, miss half the story so have to go back and work out at which point you nodded off.  I think I shall be sticking to my Kindle and reading now that the nights are drawing in and there's less to do outside.  LN....I detect another leisurely day is imminent.......LN

Saturday 21st October

Another silly two o'clock start but not too long awake and then off again until seven so not bad in total.  I'' check out the sleep pattern and view the analysis later on the Fitbit.  I'm never very good on the 'Deep' sleep and haven't really looked at working out averages....I should do that!!  Coffee, went to do toast and I had little green specs on it so that went out to the birds, they're not so fussy as I am.  It put me off my breakfast so I went into the little house to try to find something that I've put away safely, forgot all about it but on my way back to the house I happened to look down at the back tyre nearest the house and saw that it was flat.  My practical brain kicked it and i suddenly remembered that I'd bought a mini compressor that worked off the cigarette lighter point, never used it and now to track it down.  I found it in the boot of the Nipper, the instructions were in English so I followed them to the letter and the air went in and I turned it off when the tyre pressure reached twenty seven as suggested in the leaflet.  I screwed on the valve cap, grabbed my bag with purse and phones, I was already washed and dressed so headed for the garage.

I was there for around nine thirty and it was suggested that they would make the repair but at the same time change to winter tyres, most other people were doing the same and it was killing two birds with one stone.  The son offered to drive me to the shop to wait with his mother and at first I said that I'd walk up to the town, changed my mind again since I'd taken my Kindle with me so instead sat close to the summer house in the sun. The chickens were out and very active and within half an hour the winter tyres were on, I paid my dues and headed back to the shop to sit with his mother and have a catch up.  I left around half eleven, stopped off at the supermarket and bought a few items and then drove home.  What an exciting morning...I must have bought the compressor around five years ago, never used it but came in really handy.

Unpacked the shopping and most of it went in the 'goody' box.....I seem to be eating far more rubbish these days.  I had toast and apricot jam at around twelve thirty for a late breakfast, very late breakfast and then in the absence of anything more exciting to do I turned on Netflix and carried on with two episodes of my latest series.  I switched off and went outside and did a job that was on the list, the honeysuckle that's slowly been taking over the lounge terrace has now been cut back to size.  The bramble that was growing up the middle of it has now been removed and hopefully it will sent up new shoots from the bottom and produce more flowers.  Not a very productive year for it and now that I can see the underneath, I might even be more ruthless with it tomorrow.  All the debris went over the wall, hopefully the cows or sheep will find it.  Lots of flying things about today...the temperature reached twenty seven this afternoon and it's really confused all those things that were about to go into hiding for the winter.

I locked up and started supper, chicken on sticks with homemade barbecue sweet and sour sauce served with croquet potatoes from the air fryer.  It was tasty, I'm stuffed to the gills and probably won't want breakfast again in the morning.  The weather forecast for tomorrow is the same as it was for today so should be an outside day.  LN......Let me see how many more jobs I can knock off the list.......LN

Sunday 22nd October

Seven start, coffee, games, rubbish collection for bonfire later in the day, washing collection from the four corners, put the remains of the slow cooker out for the cat and some chicken bits from last night and then I settled down back in my bed with my Kindle.  I'd got through to eighty five percent and intended finishing it before lunchtime.  I checked the Kindle and found that I have two more of Philippa Gregory's books loaded so I have more to go at.

I put the load of washing in the machine and knew somehow that something was going to go wrong.  It was a large load, I put washing stuff in the machine in both one and two compartments thinking that I'd been doing it wrong all these years and pressed the 'start' button and it certainly did.  I went back to my book sitting at the table in the stairwell and after around fifteen minutes went to get more coffee and it was then that I noticed that there was an extraordinary lot of foam in the machine.  I let it run its course, opened the door when the machine finished and reckoned that I'd overloaded it and probably knacked it.  I took half of the clothes out and put them in the kitchen sink, put a very low dish that I have to catch the water and opened up the filter compartment at the bottom of the machine.  The water gushed out so I replaced the stopper and emptied the dish, opened it up again and carried on until there was no more water coming out.....and now the moment of truth.  I reset the machine for a full quick programme, didn't add any more detergent and hit the button with my fingers crossed and it ran like a dream.  I removed said washing, replaced it with the contents of the sink and set it to go again.....and another winner.  Both loads are now on the airers in the guest room and should be ready to put away tomorrow morning.  So I boiled a couple of eggs, made some toast and went back to my book finishing it at twelve thirty...panic over.

The rest of the day has been pretty leisurely.....I reboxed the compressor and put it back in the NIpper with the instructions just in case, had a bonfire and then resorted to Netflix and watched Pride and Prejudice.  I thought I'd seen it before but I hadn't seen this version.  Twice today I heard the thump, thump of the helicopters that are round and about,  My student's mum said that they'd been around for a few days and and maybe we are going to be declared a war-zone.  I better get the room under the little house cleared out, make myself a bunker and check the insurance on the house to confirm that it covers war damage. Seven thirty my time, the late breakfast  eggs are sitting very heavily so I doubt I shall be eating later tonight.  Checked my weight this morning and for my daughter, the conversion is ten and a half stone.....better get moving in the garden and stop the chocolate biscuits to achieve target weight.  LN.....Student tomorrow.....more of Matilda...the Witches is finished.....LN

Monday 23rd October

Seven start, coffee and more of the new book...the Boleyn Inheritance....it was difficult to get into at the start but I'm getting there. I made toast for breakfast with triangle cheese spread, cleared the kitchen, put the washing away and just got on with morning things.  I did emails, facebook and got rid of junk and what is it with these idiots....what do they hope to get out of it?  I had a bit of an issue with the cooker and I'm wondering what's next.  Puncture, washing machine and now the back gas ring is difficult to switch on and off and I suspect that there is a build up of grease under the knob.  I took the top off the cooker, removed the disk and the underneath paraphernalia and gave it all a good clean.  I then used a brush to get so grease cleaner at the back of the knob, took the knob off and gave that a good clean too.  I reassembled everything, the back ring lights but didn't stay lit but the front one was OK.  I waited a little longer and the back ring worked....I thought I'd fixed it until I went to use it tonight and back to the drawing board Cecil.

Bored with that, I took up position in the bedroom rocking chair and read for another hour or so, move to the bed and promptly went to sleep again for an hour and then got undressed, dressed again for the lesson this afternoon and set off around two thirty.  I remembered to take the two new rosemary cuttings with me, I'd hurriedly pooted up a money tree plant but thought I'd give that another week even though the roots looked strong and healthy,  We chatted for an hour or so and I went upstairs to the apartment and my student informed me that he had already watched the rest of Matilda, the book that we'd started to read so we changed tack and are now reading one of Roald Dahl's other books.  I've not read this one before, 'Danny, Champion of the World' and we're both enjoying it.  It strangely reminds me of my childhood and the things we got up to like making bows and arrows and making and flying kites, and we managed to get through twenty four pages together,  I know it's got a lot of drawings in the book but loads of fun to read.  We did have the statutory game of football but we don't do it so seriously....I did managed to score a few goals though.

Down to the shop after a lengthy lesson, I sat with his mother in the shop and we started to discuss supper.  I said that I had liver in the freezer and that I was having that for supper cooked with onions and Bisto gravy.  Of course she doesn't know what Bisto is, it's not available here, and she showed me on the internet how they serve theres up with fresh onions and potato croutons.....it sounded very good.  Instead I served mine with croquette potatoes from the air-fryer for speed.  I did take a photo and send it to her....her response was 'tasty'.  I bought leeks on the way back from Djebel and tomorrow I'm making potato and leek soup in the slow cooker and I might even put some chicken in it.  My Little Owl was on the roof as I pulled up outside the house but had gone when I grabbed the camera and got up to the guest room balcony.  At least it's still around.

Soon be time for bed, it's just after half nine and I feel a book at bedtime calling.  LN......I really enjoy my time with my student and I know he looks forward to the lesson too.....LN

Tuesday 24th October

It was another of those morning when I wake up early and dog-doze eventually fully awake at seven.  I made coffee and went back to bed with the Kindle and read for quite some time and finally pushing myself to get up, out and at it at nine.  I made more coffee, tidied the kitchen and then set about confirming that the gas ring was in fact fully functional which it was and made poached eggs on toast.  There was one minor calamity, I placed the 'home made' egg from my student's mum's chickens from the garage, turned my back to start the toast off and heard a 'plonk', the egg had rolled from the worktop on to the floor but fortunately I had others.  It had dropped just in front of the cooker so trying to walk round it was a problem so firstly cleared it up before I went any further and by this time the water was boiling away so in went the eggs.  By this time the toast was cooked so that was ready and the eggs weren't....everything was out of sync.....my little world normally works well and now it wasn't.  So that's now four days when things hadn't, wouldn't or couldn't work as they should....it must be the universe telling me to slow down a little so today I did.

After breakfast I cleared the kitchen, took up position on the rocking chair and carried on with my book after making the bed of course....standards must remain excellent at all times.  After a while I was uncomfortable with my feet on the little table so I settled myself in the lounge where I could stretch out and then spent the next couple of hours half asleep, reading, until more or less twelve.  It's a very muggy day....not much sun about but close, not much air despite having windows and door open...almost thundery.  Imade my way to the kitchen and took the roots off the leeks that I'd bought yesterday with the intention of making leek and potato soup and that was as far as that task went and I'm about to start it now.  I looked at the Fitbit and was appalled that I'm hardly done any steps at all, well you can't when reclining all afternoon on a sofa reading a book and I was very tempted to take my daughter;s advice and make an omelette.....it's our little joke.  I did have a burst of enthusiasm when I noticed that the geraniums were looking very sad and needed deadheading and the rest of the pots were very dry so everything got a good soaking including the mosquitoes that came out in abundance and I noticed that the two lemons on the new tree are almost big enough to start to turn yellow so fingers crossed.  Lots of little ones that will come to nothing but it's the first year so I've left it to its own devices.....next year I'll be removing some of them so giving the others more of a chance.  

I missed sunset tonight and caught the last rays of reddish pink cross the sky, I've heard my little owl a few times today but it wasn't on the roof when I went out to take photos of the night sky....probably out hunting.  LN.....Hoping for a more productive day tomorrow, I listened to my body for a change.....LN

Wednesday 25th October

Well my dog-dozing yesterday and an early night meant that I was awake at four thirty this morning and ready to start my day.  It was pitch black outside and it was seven twenty before there was a glimmer of morning...clock change this weekend should sort it out a little.  I got stuck into my current book, didn't make coffee until six thirty and didn't emerge from my bed until eight...that was early enough for what I wanted to do today.  There was nothing on the agenda, the day was full of possibilities.  The leek tops went over the wall for the cows or sheep and the remains of the liver went out to Cat who was waiting patiently for me to take the food to the food station.

I managed to get a load of washing in the machine, I'd cut up the four leeks last night ready for the slow cooker this morning, grabbed two large potatoes from under the kitchen sink, peeled them and took a chicken leg out of the freezer.  That was when the timings all went to pot.  The chicken leg went into the microwave to thaw, the leeks went into one of the large saucepans with butter and oil to brown and the potatoes went in to brown them off a little.  This all went into the slow cooker with water and milk and now I was still waiting for the chicken, I needed to brown that off before it went in with the other ingredients. Eventually all was assembled, the cooker was turned to high and my lunch/supper was underway.   Around seven thirty I saw that I'd received a message from my student's mum.  I'd bought her a slow cooker for Christmas a couple of years ago and she uses it but only at weekends....she doesn't like leaving it on in the apartment when she's not there.  After the lesson on Monday I was extolling the benefits and having something ready when the finish work around seven saves thinking about it.  The preparation is done and it cooks itself.  This morning there was a photo of tonight's supper that they are having, it was ready to go and at eleven thirty I reminded her that she might need to turn it down to the first setting so that it didn't get cremated before they got back tonight.  I'd done the same with mine and it was ready for about two so I took some of it from the cooker and blended it and made a very tasty thick soup and not sure I want anything else tonight.  The rest will go into the fridge and come out tomorrow.

After my late lunch I settled on the sofa and finished my book...I'm not sure I enjoyed it.  Each character told their own story, all except Henry 8th, and described the interactions of the different queens as they took their place in history and the comings and goings of the courts and family persuasions and intrigues.  I know he had six wives but never studied that period of history at school so it was an eye-opener for me.  I finished it at five more or less, went out look for my little own that I'd heard hooting around the house but didn't spot it and now it's too dark.  We seem to be galloping towards winter but so far so good, I've only had two fires so far and the temperature in the house is very comfortable without thanks to my big windows, inside and outside insulation and thick walls.

Time to switch off and settle in for the night.....Netflix or a new book......not sure yet.  LN.....Gardening or Kardjali tomorrow...it depends on the weather.....LN

Thursday 26th October

Seven thirty start this morning and it looks like I'm back to normal, there was a brightness to the sky which didn't last long.  I've worked out now how to make it rain...you clean the windows or you water the garden and within a couple of days it arrives.  The clouds blew the rain clouds in and blew them out again after only a couple of hours and yes, the wet the grass, it will be greener tomorrow but what we need is a few good downpours.

I put the washing away, made toast with triangle cheese again so that I cut down on the butter as part of my new regime to get down to nine and a half stone or just over sixty kilograms.  It's totally self inflicted, nobody told me that I had to or that it would be good for my health, I still have plenty of clothes that fit but it's a good fighting weight for me.  I do think that the recent weight loss was more due to the workload of logs and preparing for winter, I've read somewhere that it takes three weeks to come off and about the same amount of time to go on to that follows....the men left two weeks ago.  

Today hasn't been very productive at all.  I changed my plans when the weather was closing in...not much point to having to run from shop to shop getting wet in between.  My shopping list was very sparse, I only need onions, coffee and butter for the freezer, I've plenty of meat in the freezer and really need to run it down so that I can defrost it.  In fact that could have been one of today's jobs....throw out everything that's freezer burnt but instead I found a book, yes, a real paper book that my son bought me years ago and I'd never read it.  It's acclaimed according to the front cover, a romance which I don't normally read but I've managed to knock off a hundred or so pages and I'm quite enjoying it.  I started it when sitting at the table under the stairs with my feet on the table and then realised that I'd be more comfortable on the little sofa so changed my position.  By one my breakfast had long gone so I took the slow cooker from the fridge and back to the base and set it to high letting the potato, leek and chicken mixture get up to boiling point and to safety, I'm a bit funny about reheating food.  Half an hour later and I had a huge bowl of the thick soup with two slices of buttered toast.....and so much for today's eating plan!!  I went back to my book, stuffed to the gills I fell asleep and woke up at five, the rain has dried up and now the moon is out.

Funny old day....I have no plans for tomorrow so far but there's still time to make some, break some and then replan...it's what retirement is all about.  LN.....I'm still listening to my body and going with the flow.....LN

Friday 27th October

So I went to bed around midnight, had read most of the day yesterday and watched two episodes of my latest Netflix last night and it didn't take long before I was asleep.  The moon was bright last night and I woke up, felt that I'd had enough sleep, visited the little room, and popped the kettle on.  I decided to check the Fitbit...what a shock, it was ten to three.  I let the kettle switch itself off and decided to forego the coffee, I tried sleep again but nothing doing so I settled for Sudoku, I went downstairs to fetch my book and somehow I got the two stories muddled up in my little brain and it took me a reread of the last few pages to get it sorted.  One is a romance set in the America in the nineteen thirties and the other is a gangster, drug-baron money launderer thriller.  Well it was about three thirty in the morning.

I didn't manage to get to sleep but I did watch the most wonderful sunrise.  There were just so many colours in the sky as the morning evolved and then they dissipated just as quickly as they came.  I made my first coffee around six, was out of bed not long after and started my day.  I threw out some bread for the birds, cat had some chicken bones but there was no sign of it at all.  I dressed for town, didn't bother with breakfast and had about three changes of shirt/over jumper/heavier jumper before I was satisfied.  There was no obvious sun out, that had worked hard at getting up this morning and the wind was cold. Before I set off I wanted to add my card details to the parking payment system, went through the screens and was waiting for my card to be verified and the circle just kept spinning and in the end I phoned Sofia and she promised to get someone from the technical department to phone me back and I was quite surprised when someone did advising me that they were having issues with the system.  By this time I was in Djebel at the car shop, I was asking my student's mum how the supper was from the slow cooker and she said that it was just perfect and now she trusts it to be left in the flat and get on with supper without any interference from her.  We noticed that the market was selling leeks so I went over and bought enough for both of us and left them in the shop until I'd finished in Kardjali.

I paid my house phone bill, carried onto Kaufland and bought a few things and then on to Lidl, I filled up with gas on the way back to Djebel and my leeks, picked them up and carried on home arriving at around three thirty.  Shopping unpacked and started to read my book again and this time no problem remembering the plot, went to sleep, woke up at six and lit the fire, it's ticking along nicely and the house is feeling very cosy.  No supper for me, I've pigged out on cream cheese and breadsticks followed by mixed nuts and raisins...not very healthy but available.  Leaf collecting tomorrow unless the wind makes it impossible and does it for me.  LN.....I managed a few more steps on my Fitbit thank goodness...I was feeling a lazy bones.....LN

Saturday 28th October

So it was back to being a seven start but I didn't go to bed until three, I fell asleep on the sofa, crawled to bed and slept like a baby.  I made my coffee and rescued my book from downstairs where I'd left it last night, I only had a few pages to go and finished it.  I swapped over to the Kindle and settled for a few sudoku, checked emails and other rubbish and then was unsure what to do for the rest of the day.  The leek and chicken remains went out for the cat along with the bread that had developed little green specks and I never do green specks or the hint of them.  I made a ham and cheese omelette instead and sat at the table in the stairwell eating it.  I cleared the kitchen from yesterday and today, cleared out the wood burner and set it for tonight but I don't think there's much danger of lighting it.  I've had windows and doors open until six this evening, it's now all shut up for the night and the residual heat is going to see me through until morning I'm sure.

As for the rest of the day, I didn't do much.  I sorted out some of the folders on the shelving unit on the upstairs landing, found some telephone numbers that I need, one to find out if I can get insured if I decided to take the cruise in November,  I've used them before four years ago and let's see if they are still in business and can provide the same service.  I also found some photos of the year ahead of me in the primary school and there's a site i can post it to.  I remember some of the names and it might jog other memories for parents and teenagers now, photos of parents and grandparent are normally looked on fondly.  I also found out the laptop that I bought in error thinking it was smaller than the one I bought when I was in the UK, I need to sort it and getting it set-up so that it makes a good standby should anything happen to the other travelling one.  I started but didn't finish, it's a job for another day and I went on to play some old CD's with a view to transferring them over to the memory stick that I play in the cars....and decided I need a new memory stick so moved on.  The Fitbit bleeped at me so I walked the garden to get the steps up and sat on the wall, I really do like living here.

At five I nibbled on more breadsticks and finished the cheese, I guess it's going to be another day where I don't bother too much about supper only ten pounds to reach my target and it doesn't sound much if you say it quickly.  I went up stairs to prepare the blog and noticed the full moon just coming up over the mountains.  I grabbed the camera and went out onto the balcony and took a few, and then noticed that the sunset was making beautiful colours in the sky over the garage.  The sun had gone but it had left a short lived legacy,  Within five minutes the moon had been gobbled up by the clouds, move along, nothing to see here and how it's pitch black outside.  LN.....The boiler is going on tonight, I want to luxuriate in a hot bath with the Kindle......well not quite....I want it to stay dry.......LN

Sunday 29th October

Woke up at five which would have been six so not too bad and the first job was to go round and change those clocks that aren't controlled by somebody else, whoever they may be.  I did remember to change the timer control on the boiler, why pay for expensive electricity when I can get it at cheap rate overnight.  I made coffee and went back to bed and played games, watched the sun attempting to break through the cloud barrier and it was much later in the day when it managed it.  As it warmed up, the mist started to rise and I sat out on the balcony enjoying the sounds of the birds foraging for breakfast, I heard the owl but didn't see it and there were a couple of woodpeckers knocking seven bells out of the walnut but again they were hidden in the branches.  I made more coffee, washed and dressed and for some reason settled myself at the desk and went through my treasure and memory box and it suddenly occurred to me that the children needn't send any more mother's day and birthday cards, I have so many to choose from.  Why keep feeding Moonpigs coffers when the cards are late anyway if at all they arrive.  It's not Moonpigs fault, the Bulgarian postal service really is rubbish.  

At twelve I made it downstairs and decided to walk the garden and found Red near the workshop terrace.  Where she had come to a halt there was hardly any greenery so I found some dandelions, broke them off and put them down near her with a dish of water.  She had the greenery but then sauntered off down the garden, she's the only one out and about, I've not seen shell or nail varnish of the others for a month or so.  I had a bonfire, sat on the wall surveying the estate and the local villages and noticed that the building work on the first house in the next village is really underway.  There was lots of banging last week and it made me realise that my neighbours must have been really annoyed with me when my work was underway...I think they've forgotten it now though.  I came in, settled in front of the tv and put a film on and promptly went to sleep for a couple of hours catching up on the ones that I'd missed this morning and then had a burst of energy.  I went out to the little house, took the strimmer and fitted the battery and did the stray dry grass in the drive which took me all of a couple of minutes.  I went back in the little house taking with me some weigela cuttings that I've had soaking in water and potted them up using the new compost.  I've put seventeen in, let's see what grows, watered the seven rosemary that have taken and potted up two more that were in water with the others.  My propagation centre is in operation!!  I'd also noticed that the kerria and the  berberis have new shoots so I dug a couple of each up and now they're in compost for my student's mum for the garage, I've got more cuttings to take including the Choisya which I absolutely love...but enough for today.

Tools away and everything locked up, not sure what supper is going to be and I can't say that I'm really that bothered yet.  There were the last rays of the sun colouring the clouds to the east and three planes lit up with red trails as they headed south.  So now we're on our way to winter, the mornings are better but the evenings are longer, better get my rug making kit out or start concentrating on my family chart again.....I need to write it up properly thinning it down to families.  It's far easier to understand and get on one sheet of paper.  LN.....I'm kitchen bound, hunger grubs are nibbling.....LN

Monday 30th October

So my body had not adjusted to the change of clocks...I was awake at five this morning, coffee, back to bed, sudoku, washed and dressed and at seven I was clearing the kitchen.  At eight I was having a bonfire and sitting on the wall watching the sun on the mountains and the mountains through the mist.  I went back to the house and cleaned and trimmed the leeks that I'd bought on Friday, peeled a couple of potatoes which went into the slow cooker to make soup.  I took some chicken pieces from the freezer, thawed them out and that went into the slow cooker, cranked it up to full and that was ready by one and some of it became lunch with smelly blue cheese added.

At ten I was clearing the leaves from the workshop terrace and I suddenly remembered that the door to the room underneath the little house didn't open the last time I'd tried it.  I'd mentioned it to the men but nothing had happened, it's not that I want to store anything in it but a closed door becomes a challenge for me.  I fiddled with a piece of wire, oiled what I could see, realised that the door had dropped so by lifting it and giving it a good kick, success.  It had opened about a foot and there was lot of rubbish behind it.  I oiled what I could see of the lock, swept some of the rubbish out of the way, lifted it some more and eventually I was able to get inside and saw that the top hinge had come away from the door frame and that's what caused it to jam. As I said, I don't need to get in there but tomorrow I'll find some larger screws and see if I can fix it..  I locked up, nothing to do until the next time.  I went back to clearing the leaves and that continued until lunchtime, some leaves went behind the shrubs and should stifle the new weeds when they start to push through in spring until I eventually I decided that they were probably better over the wall for the animals.

Tools away, I blitzed part of the soup and had it with blue cheese and then had a shower and washed my hair, I had my student at three in Djebel.  I don't have to do any preparation now that we are reading books and I don't give him homework, he's learning German at his new school and he gets enough from that.  I arrived on time, we read three chapters of the book and went back down to the shop at around six.  He's got a football match on Wednesday and I might just drive over to watch him.  

The rest of the soup is warming up for tonight, seven thirty my time and it's been an action packed day.  I;ve managed my ten thousand steps, broken down the door and worked out how to fix that problem, cleared the leaves and hopefully will have a good day tomorrow with more of the same.  LN.....Thirty four degrees in the house and twenty four outside...not bad for the last day of October.......LN

Tuesday 31st October

As for the last couple of days I've spent more time speaking to people on the phone and on the computer that appear to be working to scripts and not reading or listening to what I'm telling them and apologising when I tell them so.  What is it with the American culture and invariably it ends up trying to sell you something more than what you've originally subscribed to. I'm tired, frustrated and am waiting for the feedback forms to come rolling in and I hope someone has the decency to phone and ask why.  I used to work on a system support desk and at least we listened to the problem, not tell them what we think it was and work onwards from there.  Rant over....

On a brighter note...we have had another beautiful day, sun shining, mist in the valleys, I've got on with stuff but there was one incident this morning.  I heard a thump on the window and birds are drawn to them thinking that they have a straight run and then don't.  I was sitting at the table in the stairwell, looked out and could see nothing on the ground but five minutes later I went out and there was a very dazed robin, on hit feet but only just.  It allowed me the photo opportunity, I poked it gently with a stick and off it flew.  Five minutes later it flew back and landed on the bench and then tried to go through the window again but this time much more gently.  I found a very shallow tray, filled it with water, slid it under it's chin and reckoned that if it's head fell forward it would wake it up at least.  I carried on with what I was doing, went outside after about five minutes and off it flew, it must have been very dazed.

I went into the little house to water the plants and suddenly had the urge to tidy it out.  I started with the summer umbrellas and chair covers and now they're neatly stacked and not needed until next year.  The wood is going up to the next level in the house along with the metal rods for the next stage on this house but that's for another day.  The problem is I have too much space and everything spreads.  The underside of the workbench is clear, the old wheelbarrow holds the three bags of compost with an old plastic sink slung between the handles to use as a rest when I'm filling pots.  The table covers the handles when I'm not potting and believe me...things could change.  Phase one...phases two, three and four coming up.  I went into the house to check emails and to see if any other backstud has sending me anything that I shouldn't be receiving but nothing today except a frightening email advising me of an issue that I had back in 2017 and I though it had started up again so hence the phone call to the company for answers and a deep clean of the system....I pay enough for it.  That phone call lasted about three hours, I was talked into taking out a new plan to put all my subscriptions with the same end date and not to pay anything until 2026 and that seemed OK to me.  Paying for the individually one loses track but unfortunately the payment for this service couldn't be processed, the new banking restrictions haven't been adhered to so my bank refused payment but nothing wrong with my card...just the way the company was trying to process the payment.  Anyway the deep clean happened, nothing wrong with my system....everything back to normal.  

At seven I remembered that the little house was still unlocked so I've just been out there and shut up shop for the night.  It's actually looking more untidy than it did but it's early days....just need a good day tomorrow.  Thank goodness the robin will be able to fly for another day and here's hoping it has a clear run text time or it will have a red head to go with its red breast.  LN.....More tidying tomorrow, never did get round to warming up yesterday's soup for today.....LN