Monday 1st January

What a busy evening and day answering all the emails, facebook and WhatsApp messages from friends and family.  It's amazing how many friends we accumulate along the way and it's good to remember them as we head into a new year.  Now that he years are ticking on I realise how long I've been acquainted with some of them, either through work or play, we share memories of lives and hopefully we shall be able to make more.

Toast for breakfast, it looked like it could have been a reasonable day today and I thought about walking down to the village but then thought better of it when the clouds came over.  Since then it's been a steady deterioration and we have lashing rain and high winds once more....not my sort of weather at all. I did get one load of washing done, 'better the day, better the deed' as my mother would say and now it's drying on coathangers over the radiator in my bedroom.  As for the rest of the day, I've taken to the sofa and binge watched Pride and Prejudice, the original series with Colin Firth, for the last four hours or so and it was just as good as the first time around.  I must admit the adverts get in the way but the adverts get into everything now.....time to look at going advert free where possible.

So tomorrow I have to start putting plans into action, I have to phone the hospital for two appointments for my host and then organise support services for when I go back to BG.  It's going to be a difficult time but somebody has to do it. Not a very exciting day today except that I did eat a whole packed to jelly eggs that Santa left in my stocking and I still have a box of flamingos to get through.  Better not tackle them tonight in case my digestive system comes to a halt.  LN.....Last thing I want is a blocked gut to have to get sorted out....LN

Tuesday 2nd January

Well after a very disturbed night I woke up cold, went down to watch television, came back to bed at seven and overrode the boiler for the upstairs heating but back to the lounge at eight thirty, water and more television.  I'm out of routine and I don't like the feeling.  I'm also not getting the exercise that I need, again we had horrendous rains last night, this morning looked promising but it didn't last for long, no rain at first but very strong winds and no way did I want to end up in France and have to risk it on a blow up boat.  One thing I would not have in common, I wouldn't have to be throwing documentation over the side, I'd have none with me...

At nine fifteen I was phoning the hospital for an appointment for mine host to get blood extracted and that was managed very successfully and takes place at three fifteen tomorrow afternoon.  The x-rays on knee and ankle are to be taken at the same place and can be done before.  I also managed to phone one of our friends and he's going to pick us up at 12.30 tomorrow, we shall be early for appointments but he has to be at another hospital by one thirty and beggars can't be choosers.  It makes me realise that the Health Care in BG which is so much simpler.  I registered with one of eight doctors in consulting rooms along one corridor, if I need to see a specialist the appointment is booked on the system and am given the paper confirmation, I go to the relevant department if it is in the same building or head over the road for the main hospital.   I'm normally seen for any examinations, x-rays or treatment immediately as long as the specialist is working that day or told when he or she will be there and an appointment is made.  Maybe it's because there are fewer patients or more doctors and consultants...all I know is that it works.  We have to pay for our prescriptions which means that people are more observant of taking them unlike the UK.....if there is a cost, people appreciate them more.

Rant over.....The Christmas cake was finished today and I'm pleased that it is.  It was very fruity, very heavy and sat for a while and I almost started a few start jumps to set it on its way.  My daughter had an inset day today and the pupils start tomorrow, it seemed very early to me but apparently they finished school last year earlier.  She was looking forward to being there, had made cakes for the rest of the crew and had written thank you cards for the pupils that landed her with lot of chocolates and goodies as they said goodbye before Christmas.  

So tomorrow I'll see how the National Health Service really works.  I'm hoping there's a café where we can rest out weary bones between appointments otherwise I shall be booking a bed.  LN.....I'll let you know my findings.....LN

Wednesday 3rd December

Just to mention that the birds were back in the tree in the back garden facing into the wind and there was a strange unidentified object in the sky that I just had to take a photo of.  I seem to recall it from home, it was a common sight, but not since I've been in the UK....the sun.  

Bath, hair wash this morning and striving to get mine host out of his bed so that the 'taxi' I'd arranged with his friend was not kept waiting.  He eventually woke up at nine and out of bed by nine thirty, Alan was here by twelve thirty as arranged and we were at the hospital by one.  The appointment for the blood test wasn't until three fifteen and we were asked why we were so early and I said that it had to fit in with an appointment at the other hospital in Brighton which our chauffeur had to attend.  I explained that we also had x-rays that needed to be taken before our other appointment so we joined the queue, I registered and it was confirmed what the x-rays were for and the details were held on the hospital computer hence the reason no documentation was needed  We sat waiting to be called which didn't take too long, no gown required for his knee x-rays, his long rain coat was sufficient to cover up the knee to floor area.....cute look.  That procedure was over by one forty five, dressed and back to another waiting area after I logged him in with the correct documentation.  This department obviously wasn't under such pressure as the x-ray department and I was invited in to the blood letting ceremony.  We were called in earlier than the appointment time-slot and were out by half two and I was free-phoning for a taxi and home by three.  I had planned to be dropped off in the village and do some food shopping while the taxi dropped him off at home but we came the top road home so decided that there was enough food to keep us going, nothing was really important....it will keep for another day especially if the sun shines,  It was shining this morning but very short lived and raining when we set off, blue sky and grey clouds on the way back in the taxi hence the change of mind on the walk down the village.

It's been an afternoon of coffee and biscuits, television and tomorrow's job is trying to organise home support for maybe two hours a week, an 'at home' eye test, a gardener, just to name a few...my time is running out here...I go next wednesday.  I'm now thinking of adding a hold bag to my homeward journey.....Can you get stopped at security for carrying Cadbury chocolate?  What's the average haul?  I did jump on the bathroom scales this morning to see if I'd put weight on while I've been over here but fortunately the scales were reading stones and pounds.  I now understand my weight loss and gain much better in kilos.  I'm pretending I'm the same until I get home...and then the work and daily exercise can begin.  LN......Time to get back downstairs to the warmth.....LN

Thursday 4th January

Another horrible night, my brain was spinning over and I must have woken up at two thirty and no sleep after that.  I checked my blood pressure and it was time to start on the tablets again to bring myself in check.  At seven I went downstairs, the house was quiet and I put some programme on while I had my first cup of coffee, I know it would have been better with water but there was a need.  It was eleven before the rest of the house started to stir and at eleven I decided to go for a walk down to the village, I needed a few things from the shop, the weather was good so why not.  I put my duffle coat on but really didn't need it but the weather changes so rapidly and at least it's got a hood.  As I walked down the village I noticed how many properties are being renovated especially the older ones in the centre.  A lot of them are flint stone construction and one man was up on the roof and I asked one of the other builders if they had fitted a new weather vane which brought a chuckle to his throat and a smile to his face.....and then I carried on my way down to the sea.  I stopped off at Tesco and brought the items that I wanted including a pork pie, I'd had no breakfast so found a bench on the undercliff walk and fought off the seagulls and the dogs being walked and had it all to myself.   There were lots of people down there and so many dogs off leads, it seems that it's become part of the culture and should I blame lock down and Covid?

I sat for about half an hour watching children playing in the rock pools and fortunately today, the waves weren't crashing but creating gentle waves.  Dogs were chasing balls slung by the owners and on the beach it was fine, on the undercliffe dogs were running amok and chasing each other.  I was intrigued by a couple of seagulls that were landing on the walkway and dropping mussel shells on the concrete and breaking them open to take out the contents.  Unfortunately they were too quick for the camera but I'll get them now I know what I'm looking for.

I set off for home around twelve and stopped off at a shop in the high street that offers help in the home and I've arranged an appointment for tomorrow around noon to discuss if they will be of help to my host.  It might work, it might not but only he can decide.  I walked back through Kipling Gardens, a lovely stopping off place for locals, with benches scattered around the cared-for gardens.  I carried on home, unpacked my shopping, took to the sofa this afternoon and caught up on some sleep that I'd missed waking up at five and felt much better for it.  I've had a message from my grandson, unfortunately I go back two weeks before he arrives back in the country, I shall miss him but we'll catch up I know.  Now to find something for supper, there's a freezer full but it's what do I fancy cooking.  LN....Decisions, decisions.....LN

Friday 5th January

At last a good night's sleep.  I went to bed at midnight and woke at seven thirty, went downstairs and made coffee and made beans on toast for breakfast to set myself up for the day.  It's the first time for ages that I've had Heinz beans and I suppose my palate has got used to 'other brands' and I I was disappointed....they must have changed the recipe.  I meandered through the morning, turned out a couple of drawers to see what I'd put away a few years back and found gloves with elve fingers on them that I just couldn't give away when Christmas came.  I've now reclaimed them as mine.  I also came across a reversable jacket that I made for my daughter when she was small....flowers on the one side and plain navy on the other with a red 'G' on it.  It certainly has stood the test of time.....made about forty eight years ago.  Christmas cards are down, decorations never went up so nothing to put away, and now my thought are on getting my packing sorted for my flight home on the tenth.

The appointment that I made yesterday didn't materialise.  My host was not feeling too good this morning so the best laid plans of mouse and men went to the wall.  It's planned to be rescheduled for Monday....we might get it done.  There's not a lot to write about today......I didn't go for a walk, we have enough food in and tomorrow my daughter is picking me up to spend the day with her, maybe out for supper and a sleep over until Sunday.  I haven't managed to see my son this year,  my grandson is still away serving King and country so will miss him by a couple of weeks but we do keep in touch thanks to WhatsApp so that's good.  Looking through my treasure box I was reading some of the poetry that I wrote and found one from the day that he was born.....and various ones that I came out with and illustrated when he was small.  It all brings back treasured memories and these mean such a lot as I grow older.  

Now to go and find something for supper......chicken wings and roasted veg might be on the cards for tonight.       LN....I'm going to raid the freezer.......LN

Saturday 6th January

Funny old day....I was awake at seven thirty, downstairs and made coffee and toast and took it upstairs to the bathroom.  I was going to stay with my daughter and SIL for a couple of days, decided to have a bath and wash my hair first and then do my packing for one night which then turned into sorting out my packing for home on Wednesday.  I've just got a few things to sort out before I go and certain clothes will stay here, things need sorting and I might be back and forward a few more times that I originally thought.

I missed the message from my daughter so it really didn't matter that she was ten minutes later than she said that she would be.  I've moved the sim card from my English phone into my Bulgarian phone and I'm not really sure how it works and I must get my 'ting' back.  It might have 'tinged' when the message came through but since it was on WhatsApp.....I'll have to check the settings.  Off we set, unloaded my bags and certain things are taking up long-term residence while I'm away.  We had crumpets for a late breakfast and I had chocolate spread on mine and for certain, I'll be dieting when I get home.  My consumption of Cadbury Dairy Milk has hit new heights....it will be curbed when I get back, I'm not able to buy it in Bulgaria.  We had a little more shopping to do so set off for the Co-op that's really in a sorry state.  The centre is being knocked down with plans for a new shopping centre and new shops with more parking but I'm still not sure that it will serve the neighborhood well....let's see how it goes.  Shopping unpacked I was left with the television control to flick through channels while supper was being prepared and I fell upon Les Mis. stage version and it was really superb.....all the old favourites playing the parts that they'd played in the past and I spotted Matt Lucas taking the part of the 'Master of the House' and I didn't even realise he could sing.  Supper was served, I'm stuffed to the gills, we sat around the table chatting away until I realised that I hadn't done my blog so now, bag is unpacked, a little more television and I shan't be too late to bed tonight.....I'm feeling relaxed and nicely tired.

Out for lunch tomorrow and the table is booked.  I've spent far more time with my daughter this year than in the summer and we've really enjoyed each other.  LN......I'm going to really miss her and the SIL of course.....LN

Sunday 7th January

So a late one last night talking with my daughter and SIL.....should have gone to be earlier but interesting topics.  I woke up at goodness knows what time.  I tapped my Fitbit to find out the time and nothing happened, heard noises downstairs and thought I'd investigate and my daughter was making vegetable and chilli soup for lunches for work for the next week.  I 'm thinking that the soup would be a good idea, the temperature has dropped in the UK but is dropping even further looking at the forecast for BG for next week.  I anticipate the house being cold when I get back so I shall be keeping myself warm by keeping the home files burning.  We didn't bother with breakfast, we had booked a carvery lunch at one of the local pubs and intended getting there before the rush while the meat was plenty and the vegetables freshly cooked.  There were a few tables taken, we were shown to our table and the drinks were ordered in minutes and delivered and the tickets to go to the carvery were handed to us to use at our own pace.

There was a choice of meats and I settled for some of everything and there seemed very little space on the plate to load up with vegetables but I managed it.  We were the early feeders but as the lunchtime got underway the 'joint' was heaving.
Lots of older couples and 'ladies lunching' and most having the carvery and to be honest, it's much cheaper for most to eat out, cooking it at home would entail having the oven going for approximately two or three hours and then there's the time taken up by shopping for the vegetables and all the trimmings.  We all emptied our plates, I was surprised that I'd managed it and I wasn't too long after the pair of them.  The beef, turkey, pork and ham were all cooked to perfection, Yorkshire pudding was well risen and the vegetables all tasted like they should....beans, peas, red cabbage, cauliflower cheese, carrots, beautifully roasted potatoes and mashed potatoes...who normally goes to so much trouble?...certainly not me.

I arrived home at three more or less and off they went to relax for the afternoon and prepare for the new week.  They both work and SIL is out of the house most mornings and on the bus into Brighton by six thirty.  He likes to get into the office early to get ahead of the game and goes to the gym most days after work. Gemski works with challenging children but loves every minute of it at the local school, most morning walks to work and when it's re3ally throwing it down will wear the Barbour long jacket that she bought for me around twenty years ago and never wore.  I gave it to her to sell on Vinted or one of the other sites but said if she wanted it, it was hers and she loves the fact that she arrives dry to work in any weather.  At home I suddenly found myself involved in changing a pull light switch in the bathroom but as the light went, it was impossible to action the exchange since I couldn't see what I was doing.  The wires were put together so that the electricity could be put back on but it's a job for tomorrow, my time is running out, I leave early on Wednesday morning.  Time to move downstairs to the warmth of the heating, upstairs is on a timer and not on at the moment.  Light snow is forecast for tomorrow and my daughter is quite excited about it.  She's planning that it will happen just before nine and the children will be really excited....and I hope it comes to pass but disappears in time for my taxi on Wednesday.  LN......Final sorting and packing tomorrow, I want very little to do on Tuesday.......LN  

Monday 8th January

Nice early start, down for coffee and then set about collecting things to go into the suitcase, puy travelling clothes on a coat-hanger ready to climb into at around four thirty on the morning of the tenth.  The taxi is booked for five, airport for six and flight at eight.  It's two hours after its normal departure time but since they've rescheduled the bus service from Sofia down to Kardjali it works in my favour but just makes getting back to Djebel later.  I made toast for breakfast and watched morning television while eating it and there wasn't a lot of movement from my host until I went in to wake him up reminding him that we had a consultation at one to sort out care in the home for him.  It took a while for him to agree with it but it needs someone who's not really involved and can walk in and walk out.  The company is based in out village and the owner is very pleasantly professional and has useful tips regarding negotiating the system.  She also went through getting tests for dementia and how to go about it.  Her company also works very closely with GP's and all the workers have business insurance so that they are able to escort patients to the surgery for blood test ect which does save on taxi fees....result.  We've initially signed up for two hours a week and once the house is sorted it might go down to one or two one week and one the next.....we'll see how it goes.

Unfortunately this afternoon I found myself up a ladder attempting to sort out the pull cord in the upstairs bathroom and I was unhappy doing it.  I could sort out the pull cord and the contacts but the rose connecting it to the ceiling was held in with screws that seemed to come into contact with the electrical wiring and I drew back at that.  Tomorrow I will phone someone to sort it....it needs more expertise than I'm able to give it and my host is not so good on a ladder as he was.  The job will have to be paid for.  In despair I opened a  Chocolate orange and sat in front of the television and ate the lot so no supper for me.....Not fussed about television now, will finish off the rest of my packing, I'm nearly there, just manoeuvring things from the hand luggage to the overhead bag for the plane and the things that need to be presented at check-in I like in one bag to make it easier for me.  The computer is also going into the underseat bag, lifting it up to the overheads is likely to turn into a disaster if my shoulder gives way.  I've also noticed that at least I have an aisle seat on the way back so no arms with newspaper on one side and a long legged companion next to the window on the other to spoil my flight.

We had snow this afternoon so I WhatsApp -ed my daughter and said that I was having trouble finding a carrot for my snowman's nose and it was a funny...we'd only had a dusting.  I got a roll on floor laughing face from her, a snowman and few kisses...we do like our little jokes.  My son has just phoned for a post Christmas catch-up.....I think my daughter has given him earache about not phoning earlier or coming down to see me.....anyway I've had an invitation for the summer, fly into Stanstead and they will pick me up.  Time to sort out supper although the chocolate orange is filling up more of a gap than it should.  LN......Maybe just water and some dry crackers......LN

Tuesday 9th January

What a day....trying to sort out other peoples' affairs is hard work and very frustrating.  I was up quite early and intent on getting my packing sorted early but one thing led to another and I have only just finished.  It's somehow easier when you have things like charging points that you always use, simple process becomes more difficult when you move from two to three points and nothing ties together.

So now I'm going to bed...I've set my alarm on the phone for four thirty and am wondering why I'm going to bed at all...it would be easier to sleep at the airport someone would be sure to wake you up to get the flight.  Tomorrow's update won't be until late.  It a bit like boats and roads and planes but substitute the boats for buses and that about sums it up...I'm going to be knacked but no worry, at least I shall wake up in my own bed, hopefully as long as the pilot and anyone manoeuvring anything motorised is in complete control.  LN......See you on the other side......LN

Wednesday 10th January

Remind me to never book another Wednesday flight when there are stag four day breaks in the offing.  I got to the airport and went to the gate and saw a fellow in a flowing dress with a ski jacket on and thought I hope he's not on my flight.  The group got bigger and I was fearing the worst but as I took my seat on row 2D, who should be sitting on 2B, yes you've guessed it.....dress clad youth who was due to get married at some point in the near future.  Row 1 A, B and C were not occupied officially, the request was made to see if some of the party could move up and the hostie advised them that the seats were more expensive and that they would remain empty.  So three of them from the back of the plane would decide to go to the toilet and instead of waiting in the corridor would take up the seats that they weren't allowed in kneeling up and having quite a party with the three behind in row two.  The noise level grew so I turned to them and asked them to 'keep the noise down boys' some of us are trying to sleep.  The Chief hostie must have heard me and asked them to do the same thing but didn't move them out of the seats and by this time I was getting a little bit....'why isn't she moving them?'  I know that for them is a jolly, fifteen young men on a stag do and in the end I asked the hostie to sort them out and it fell on deaf ears.  They had particularly loud voices and laughs and the language was quite blue, my head had started to ache and was offered paracetamol by the hostie but she had to take my name and address for her records.  The finale was when row one was taken by three of them and another had to move into my leg space so that someone could get to the toilet so I pushed back and I think they got the message.  Eventually the dress clad youth got the message, apologised and offered me a drink...at nine in the morning.....I said that I didn't drink but we struck up a conversation.  I can party with my family, I know the type of language that they use and unfortunately, some words have become second nature without a thought for anyone else.  He did ask me how I thought the dress would go down in Bulgaria and I said that I thought, not very well but he is going to a ski resort so anything might go!!  I think that I was more annoyed that the hostie didn't do anything about moving them or the volume they created until I mentioned it to them.  I shall be giving feedback when asked to do so.

Off the plane, through immigration and on to the bus by two thirty which arrived in Kardjali by six ten.  My next bus to Djebel was waiting in the next bay and that arrived in Djebel at seven, the Nipper was outside the carshop, I rang the bell and my student's mum gave me a big hug, handed me the keys and my jewellery that she had kept safe for me and I was on my way.  I stopped at the supermarket for bread and suddenly, the tiredness disappeared, I was driving and back to normal.  I turned the water on at the stop cock, lit the woodburner, the temperature outside was minus six and inside the house temperature was eight degrees but with the woodburner going I've pushed it up to twelve already.  I'll keep the fire going all night, the emersion heater is on and that's gong back on timer now.  Chargers sorted out and plugs all reconnected and wifi linked where necessary.  We have a covering of snow and the road through the forest was icy but managed it safely.  LN.......I'm home and pleased to be here and I've just filled up my hotwater bottle from my daughter and about to get settled on the sofa.....LN

Thursday 11th January

The brain was very active last night, it had been a hard day for travelling, an early start and it was an even later 'off to bed'.  I'd added more layers to sleep in, because it was minus nine there was no real warming up the house despite the roaring fire,,,the building itself has to warm up and that will take time.  I went to bed around two in the morning, I got stuck into a series on Netflix and woke up at seven thirty.  I'd broken the back of the getting things going last night so today I got the fire going, finished the unpacking, started the fridge, did the washing, had a shower and washed my hair and managed to confirm that the BG road tax purchased in the UK that had comeback as incomplete was in fact complete and had been finalised.  I confirmed this by phoning my bank in the UK, I'd not had a one time passcode to finish the transaction and was told that it was probably due to the value of the transaction and that it wasn't necessary.  The road tax for the Beast went through OK so now, all documents printed and laminated.

Breakfast was a coffee and a chocolate bar and it really was a late breakfast, the day seemed to be getting away from me but the sun was out, the temperature in the house went up to twenty two while outside remained at minus three.  A few more days lime this with the fire going at night and the inside to the house will normalise.  I brought more logs into the porch from the woodstore and filled up more log containers and left them at the ready.  Lunch was a couple of turkey burgers on bread with tomato sauce, not very inventive but filled a gap and this afternoon I loaded up the fire and promptly fell asleep while starting to watch the new series of Downton Abbey.  This will now have to be watched al over again but with my eyes open and my brain  in action.  

The sunset wasn't dramatic but the air is so clear as you can see from the pickies.  I think I might go into Kardjali tomorrow to do a shop, I thought I had butter in the freezer but must have given it away before I left and like Mother Hubbard, the cupboard is bare.  LN.....It' s going to be another cold one and I shan't be out until the streets are aired.....LN

Friday 12th January

I went to bed at eleven, had slept through the new series of Downton Abbey - The New Era so had to catch up with that tonight while I was having supper.  The fire was still going this morning, the sun was up but we had more clouds in the sky and my camera is playing up so I really need to get down and sort it.  I've still got the big one but it's too big to pop in a handbag, more for travelling and touring.  My first rome around the house was at three thirty this morning and I noticed that the boiler to heat the water wasn't on and thought that I'd upset the timing clock so I removed it from the electric socket, advanced it by fifteen minutes, put it back in the socket and lo and behold, the boiler light came on.  There was nothing wrong with it, I was trying to jump the gun with it.....sorted.

I didn't have breakfast and went through until supper time before food passed my lips.  I had a very leisurely morning, sorted my desk out, keep finding Christmas decorations and gradually the house is getting back to normal.  The temperature outside is now down to minus five again and inside I'm up to eighteen and the thermometer is on desk on the wrong side of the curtain in the stairwell,  I closer it to stop the heat disappearing from the woodburner in the lounge to upstairs and the large windows, the bedroom doors are shut and the curtains and I think I'm winning.  Next week day and nighttime temperatures are improving so fingers crossed I should be fine.

I set off for Djebel and it was the first time that I'd done the journey in the daylight and the road through the forest is still covered in ice.  Driving back the first night I'd not given it a thought, braked and the Nipper twitched slightly and now I know the reason why.....gently does it from now on.  I stopped off at the shop and my student was there and was very pleased to tell me that he's got five 'excellents' for his German work and one for another subject.  He went up to the apartments with instructions to keep the home fires burning and then his brother appeared telling me that he's off to London for a week in February.  His mother was busy in the shop with lots of customers that didn't really know what they wanted.....lots of people over from Turkey and trying to keep old cars going,  Just after three I decided to go into Kardjali because there was more choice there than in the local shops and I headed for Lidl.  I'd got some sort of shopping list but obviously not enough, I topped up on everything so I really don't need to go again for two or three weeks.  Unpacked the shopping, meat into the freezer, puddings into the fridge and chicken into the oven and I had half of it with bread for supper and the rest will go into the slow cooker for soup for tomorrow....and it's going to be a gentle day.....I want to make a pillow case out of the same zebra fleece fabric so that it's warm when I put my face against it.  The quilt cover and bottom sheet are fine....this will be the icing on the cake so I might even make two.  

I'm up to date with my sleep and and back to BG time and for my daughter's sake, I'm going to remind her that I'm two hours ahead.  LN....Time to throw another log on and enjoy the warmth and whatever Netflix I can find......LN

Saturday 13th January

Well another good day.  The house is warming up nicely, outside it didn't go above zero but inside we achieved twenty degrees and thanks to the sun.  I was out of bed by seven thirty, I did a bit of a tour and threw another log on at four this morning but apart from that, I slept well.  I was eating a breakfast of bacon and fried egg at eight, thought about following it with a chocolate pudding but thought better of it.......they do need to last more that a couple of days.  

I filled up the log basket from the ones stored in the porch and went out and filled up the carriers and now two outside and one basket inside and averaging it out, about one and a half baskets each day.  This afternoon it was really very low and no need to have it roaring away...I was economising....it's only January.  I read for a while, managed to get a load of washing done and on the airer and went back to The Last Kingdom and more or less got through the first book.  This brought me round to watching the series again. I watched one episode and thought I better get on with something else, it was such a lovely day.  I sorted out my big camera and went outside with it and took a few of the garden and the hillside.  I'd forgotten how good the photos are so I think the old little one might be put to rest.  I made my way into the little house searching for supports for the freesia growing in the pot in the conservatory, found some and now they have support for the leaves instead of flopping everywhere.  While I was there I took some of the seed casings from the red oleander, emptied out the seeds and put them on some compost, watered them and they have two chances...either they will or they won't.  I did the same for some seeds from the orange sun daisies and the same rule applies.

I came in at four realising how cold it was in the little house, locked up, made a coffee and settled down to continue with The Last Kingdom munching away on a chicken sandwich that I'd made before I took to the sofa.  I think that was supper sorted, I'm not in the least bit hungry but maybe a snack later.  I've just checked the washing, it's more or less ready to put away but I'll leave it in the bathroom by the radiator overnight to make sure.  Settling in well and tomorrow I might even plant out some more seeds and see if they germinate.  LN.......It's good to be back......LN

Sunday 14th January

A bit of a sleepless night.  I woke up at four on the prowl for a chocolate drink, stoked up the fire, it was a cold old morning, put Netflix on and settled into my series, fell asleep on the sofa and never went back to bed.  It's easily done but I must break the habit before it really becomes one.  I made bacon sandwiches around eight o'clock and used HP sauce as a topping....for some reason I didn't want an egg this morning and I follow what my body wants.  I topped up the bird feeding station with seeds and a slice of bread but there wasn't a lot of activity this morning.  I spotted one of the predatory birds on the pear tree over the garage but by the time I'd got the camera it had flown away...next time...I might have found its perching spot.

I had a burst of activity mid morning, I think I mentioned that I had two zebra fleece nests, one for upstairs and one for down and I'd search before I left for the UK and only managed to find the one which I put to use upstairs.  I was determined to find the other this morning to make up the bed downstairs and eventually, I went to the bottom of the chest in the downstairs bedroom and there it was along with two other zebra fleece sheets.  The bed is now made up and if I decided that the stairs are too much like hard work, I can roll into bed from the lounge and the bedroom is next to the woodburner so makes sense really.  That done I started to go through my ski clothes and found a long down coat that I bought in Greece at the market for little euros so moved it downstairs for when the snow starts to fall and I need the length for protection....especially when moving snow from the yard.  It's as well to be prepared!!

Back to Netflix and head down for an hour or so still catching up on last night sleep or lack of it.  Two lots of wood brought in but I let the fire go out late morning and didn't light it until four this afternoon.  I used the chicken and used mushrooms that I'd bought from Lidl to make to make soup for tonight, the bones went into the slow cooker and cat will benefit from the carcass tomorrow morning.  The fire was reluctant to start but eventually it got there and now and I can see it from my desk on the landing...very comforting.  I have to take into consideration that the house if fairly open due to the stairwell so the routine is to close the curtains at around five keeping the cold out and the warmth in and the curtain at the bottom of the stairs shuts the winter lounge off from the stairwell to maintain the temperature.

The sun was out today but quite a lot of cloud around, the skies tonight started off quite mellow at sunset but changed to a yellow canvas and eventually to a red sky at night.  Tonight's crescent moon is sporting a halo so I reckon we're in for another really cold night, time to close down and get down to the woodburner for the eventing...it might be time to throw another log on it.  LN....And I have the chicken and mushroom soup in the other slow cooker that's now ready......LN

Monday 15th January

Peaceful night in the downstairs bedroom and slept like a log...very near to the pechka or woodburner in our language.  Seven start, coffee, fire in that order, it wasn't so cold outside as it has been I'm pleased to say, the fire went out and I didn't light it again until four thirty this afternoon.  Breakfast had to wait...I've been bugged by emails making out that they're coming from 'my organisation' from advertising companies so I set my security provider on to them and it was one before the call was finished.  It was explained to me that the company has received several phone calls from other people with the same issues but that they are not able to do anything about it.  Names are put on and emails sent to put the wind up people to try and get them to make the wrong decisions by falling for the scams.....I know what they are looking for and hopefully have avoided the pitfalls.  The duty of the security expert is to sell you as much of their products that they can frighten you into and again, I've not fallen for the patter.

As for the rest of the day, I put the rest of the vegetables into the slow cooker, strained the stock out of it when it was cooked, thickened it with mushroom soup packet mix and added curry powder to it.....and that was supper.  The carcass bones were all removed from the slow cooker and the cat will have a field day in the morning.  They were very meagre pickings this morning only bread.  Once lit I kept the home fires burning and fortunately had brought in enough wood yesterday so no need to make the long walk to the woodstore trundling a log carrier behind.  Once my admin. was all complete and the fire was going, I settled down to my series and watched the whole of series four getting up only to serve up the soup and throw the occasional log on the woodburner.  

I contacted my ex-student and she mentioned that she has 'flu' so that's one I shan't be visiting for a while until she's clear of bugs.  I think I have a lesson with my young student tomorrow afternoon and I'm going to forego the football, I kicked a stone that I use to keep the bathroom door open and have got a very painful toe....any excuse will do.  LN......Time to head downstairs and back to the warmth.....LN

Tuesday 16th January

So the overnight temperature has gone up from minus seven to plus seven so my additions of extra quilts really messed up my sleep last night.  I was shedding layers at three thirty this morning just to get back off to sleep again.  I was up at seven, back to bed with a coffee for a short while then morning chores then took to the bath and washed my hair, I had my student's lesson this afternoon.  So with wet hair, I moved to the bedroom to dry it, turned on the dryer and nothing, the electricity was off so I went down and cooked bacon sandwiches for breakfast using the gas....the advantage of a mixed input cooker.  Two electric plates and oven and two gas ones....useful in a crisis and it was.  Four slices of bread, lots of bacon reduced for quick sale with brown sauce and I sat at the table in the stairwell enjoying my morning.

There wasn't a lot to do, I had enough wood in, no preparation for my student since we are still reading Roald Dahl and I have two new books for him.  The electricity came back on and I realised that the noise coming from upstairs was the hairdryer...I'd obviously turned it on but not off again so I raced up the stairs and got on with the job.  Hair dry and presentable to the world I set off for Djebel getting there just before two, parked up outside the shop and was greeted bat the door by his mother.  I sat in the shop and we started to chat and at three he still hadn't returned from school and I then found out that he'd taken his football boots to school with him at silly o'clock this morning for football practice after school.  He returned about four, thought his lesson was on Monday and I'd forgotten it so a 'discussion' pursued and we decided that we would abandon a lesson for today and wrote in the diary that the next will be at three next Tuesday.  No worry....he's learning German at school and doesn't start English at school until next year and it was his mother's idea to keep the lessons up so that he doesn't get out of practice speaking it.

He left  the shop at four thirty after I coaxed him to go up and light the fire in the apartment so that it would be warm for when his parents finished work, I left the shop at five calling in at the supermarket for a few items and home by six.  My fire was out and it's been a mare of a job getting it going tonight.  I think the wind is in the wrong direction and it took me until seven thirty to see and feel any warmth from it.  Curtains are all drawn to keep the heat in, it's only supposed to go down to minus two tonight so not bad, plus eight during the day tomorrow and then we start going down to minus eight at night over the weekend.  

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far,  I do need to have a bonfire so I'll wrap up warm.  It's supposed to be cloudy and sometimes that's worse than when there's a frost, it seems to get into your bones more...well it dowa at my age.  Eight fifteen my time, back to the fire to see if it's still going, the house is warm enough but I do love to see the flames and feel the warmth.  LN......Must check on the seeds that I've put in and pot up some of the ones that developed roots while I was in England.....LN

Wednesday 17th January

I was pretty late going to bed last night and at four a.m. I heard a strange ringing noise, it was my alarm from last week, I'd forgotten to switch it off.  I eventually found it by the noise, turned it off and instead of going back to bed I made a drinking chocolate, played a few games of Sudoku and must have got back to sleep around five.  It worked well though, it was seven thirty when I awoke and felt full of the joys of spring despite my disturbed night.  It was a beautiful morning, rosy pink sky to start with, the temperature inside the house got up to twenty five without the woodburner and eighteen outside.  It was so pleasant out of the wind that I sat on the terrace and just enjoyed being here.

I messaged my daughter to see what time was showing on Big Ben so she sent me a picture of the said clock.  For the life of me I couldn't get it into my head which time zone I was in, in the UK, I couldn't work out the logistics.  I was also very stressed when I was there so I won't put it down to senile decay just yet.  I wished her a good day and said that I was going to have a bonfire, she wished me good bonfire and it's just nice to keep in touch with stupid messages.  I had my bonfire and got rid of the rubbish, checked on the plants and was amazed that the forsythia is putting out leaves, the winter flowering japonica has flowers near the house and buds at the bottom of the garden and the buddliea has new shoots on it already.  Lots of bulbs coming through outside and my freesias have taken to the new supports and are looking really healthy.

I fried off the last of the mushrooms with bacon and added an egg and fried some bread and that was breakfast and it sort of sets me up for the day.  I went out with the intention of cutting more starter wood but found another container of it so no need to bust a gut doing it.  I filled up the log carriers and generally tidied and swept the woodstore and underneath the Beast where the leaves had collected and opened up the doorway to the back terrace moving the grass mower to a new spot in the wood store.  A woman's work is never done.  I found a container of fingerless gloves in the porch with some winter hats and scarfs so they all went in the washing machine except one.  Avatar had made me a hat but I like mine to be close fitting and it sort of went to a point so I unpicked it, shortened the top by about two inches, gathered up the stitches and redid the top and now it fits perfectly...another job done.

The temperature is dropping now and only a few clouds in the sky so we are probably in for a frost.  I've just lit the fire, will be closing the curtains around five thirty to keep the heat in, pork chop that I have to do something with and then relax.  We're supposed to have rain tomorrow and snow on Saturday with weekend temperatures not getting about freezing.  I must remember that it's winter, today gives you a different impression.  LN.....Must find my snowboots out ready......LN

Thursday 18th January

So as predicted I woke up to rain. eight degrees plus and fully clouded over.  I made coffee and went back to bed, I didn't bother setting and lighting the fire, I wasn't going to need it until much later in the day.  I cooked breakfast at nine, another bacon, egg and fried bread treat and I shall have to be watching the scales, I'm not really doing anything to burn off those calories at the moment, no terraces to sweep snow off but maybe this weekend.  It's predicted this weekend but who knows, the weather itself is so  unpredictable and the weathermen I think just stick a finger up into the air....they don't have much luck either.  

Cat had the remains of my pork chop and potato wedges that I didn't manage to finish and today was another tidying day.  I moved my laptop downstairs to the table with a view to loading it up with my security company products but I didn't even turn it on.  I empty my purse out occasionally to remove the loose change and now it's counted and ready to deliver back to the supermarket from whence it came.  I'm a little bit lazy sometimes and if the queues are particularly long I pay with notes, put the change into plastic bags and deliver it and have notes instead.  It saves them buying change and I shall relieve them of twenty five leva's worth of notes tomorrow or when I next go into the supermarket.  I've also sorted through my teaching stuff from when I started with my first student when he was thirteen and he's now twenty four.  The majority of it I can used in the printer instead of using the good stuff...I can recycle it myself.  Anther job was to go through the storage boxes on top of my wardrobe and the contents are back where they started out...it's easy just to pop it into a box and have it out of sight and now it's sorted and out of mind too.

Not many opportunities today for photo-shoots, wall to wall grey skies apart from a hint of colour at sunset which I managed to capture.  Tomorrow I shall definitely be doing the computer.....I also have birthday cards to order, February is a very busy month for me.  LN......More of the same tomorrow.....I might even be tackling the spare room commonly called the dumping ground......LN

Friday 19th January

Beautiful start to the day but the woodburner was a little suspect yesterday and I'm not sure if it is down to old wood so it was going to have an early spring clean to see if I could resolve it.  I stayed in my PJ's intending to have a shower after the job was done but instead of that, the boiler is on and I'll have a bath before I go to bed.  The pipes all seemed to be fairly clean but I gave them a good going over with the wire brush to make sure.  I was tempted to drive into Djebel and replace a couple of them but let's see how it goes tonight and tomorrow.  Everything was back in place by twelve, I did find an opening that I've never discovered before in the woodburner so I gave it a good clean and maybe that was the problem.  It goes above the water container that supplies the central heating and I found it by putting my hand in to clean the top of it.  I thought it was just a metal top to the fire box but obviously not and it's now been put on the schedule for regular inspection and cleaning.  Live and leanr don't we.

The hoover came out to clear the stuff that had fallen behind the woodburner when I took the pipes out and while the hoover was out the ground floor and the porch had a once over.  Tools away and it was such a beautiful day that I sat out on the terrace enjoying the sun, the wind had a bite to it but it was obviously sheltered.  I'd still got my PJ's on so I rolled up the bottoms and sat one of the old wooden chairs that have been here as long as I have, decided that I would stay longer so fetched one of hte chair cushions to make it more comfortable.  It was now getting on for two so the morning shower was out of the question so up to the bathroom for a wash and brush up, down for a cheese and onion sandwich and then started up the laptop on the table in the stairwell to catch up on emails.  That done I ended up logging in to myancestry programme and continued searching records for one of my old girl friends.  I'd hit a stumbling block and it was worthy of investigation and I belive that the surname of her grandfather was wrongly transcribed and the more I looked at it I knew I was correct and confirmed it when I logged on to the upstairs computer on that machine the record was correct.  Not sure what the problem was, I tried to get into the parish records but couldn't but all sorted now.

Next problem was that I received an email from my security company advising me that the auto renewal had been switched off, my subscription would reamin active until April and then I would have to renew manually....and now I was thoroughly confused.  I'd already renewed this and it should have remained active until 2025 and the new 'salesperson' worked out that the previous guy hadn't processed the transaction correct and that's been resolved.  All sorted now.....my subsctiptions have been merged and I do not have anything to pay until 2026... .I just have to live that long otherwise what a waste of money.  The boiler is on, the fire is going, the bath calls and it's seven my time.  I might even go into Kardjali tomorrow and meander round the shops if the weather is good and a quick call into Lidl to see what's on offer.  LN.....I should sleep well tonight....LN

Saturday 20th January

At seven thirty this morning the outside temperature was plus seven degrees and it's steadily fallen through the day and now we're down to minus eight.  We're in for a cold night.  It was raining gently this morning which at twelve turned into light snow, it started to stick on the grass but the terraces remained wet due to yesterday's residual heat.  Strange, one day I'm topping up my tan on the terrace and the next I'll be shovelling snow from it.  I got on with my usual chores, opening the curtains, setting the fire to light later and emptying the ashes, I breakfasted on poached eggs on toast and topped myself up for the day.

I did a general tidy up, put the washing away from yesterday, washed up and turned my attention to ancestry for about a couple of hours.  I made the mistake of following a new line which is always a problem...you run out of space on even an A3 sheet of paper so I gave up until I felt in the mood again...and that's how it goes.  I'd hit the same snag as yesterday.  I was using the system without a mouse and something I was doing on the mouse pad increased the size of the font to monumental proportions and nothing that I did got it back to normal.  I put a mouse on it to see if it would make a difference and I still couldn't work it out so I gave up.  I've yet to turn it on again and give it another go, going through all the motions on the mouse pad, maybe I'll just switch it off and continue with the mouse...technology egh....

At twelve it started to come down with a vengeance, very light but it was soon covering the garden and it continued like that all afternoon.  If the temperature continues to fall overnight and it keeps snowing, I should be busy in the morning and hopefully the snow plough will avoid leaving me a large deposit outside my gate and access to the road.  Not sure what's for supper tonight....I did stave off hunger pains this afternoon while i was watching a film on Netflix with cream cheese and breadsticks which did the job as a temporary measure.  I've kept the log basket full and I have another log carrier full in the porch...it's good to be prepared.  LN......I'll let you know how much we get overnight.....LN

Sunday 21st January

Early morning start, the sky was getting lighter but there were quite a few clouds around.  It had stopped snowing late last night but there was a high wind making brilliant cloud formations as I waited for the sun to come up.  There were some really heavy clouds hanging over the mountains and it took ages for the sun to appear but when it did it's been working hard all day.  I rescored the fire from last night's embers and got it going really well, I got on with the normal chores, filled up the log basket to warm up the logs for the day and decided that I needed a bonfire so dressed in warm clothes, found some really chunky snow boots that again I'd bought from my cheapy shop several years ago and they did the job keeping my feet really cosy.  The wind was icy, the sun hadn't got much warmth in it but the inside temperature shot up as the day wore on.  Next job was to get the snow shovel out and clear the terrace and the path to the woodstore and I didn't stop there.  I cleared to the road but the sun's finished what I started and melted it to the road, only maybe a little dodgy going through the forest.

I came in and made beans on toast for breakfast to set me up for the day, did some ancestry until I lost the thread while investigating the name 'Smith' so gave it up as a bad job for the time being.  I settled down on the sofa, I'd had an early start so got my head down for an hour or so for a catch-up and suddenly noticed that the fire needed attention and at three I'd gpt neighbours knocking on the window...I had guests.  My lady that wants to keep takings bits of my houseplants had brought her sister round who comes from a place near Ankara and I think the main object of the exercise was to have a photograph taken with her and so I obliged.  It was obvious that she wanted copies of it, her sister leaves tomorrow so after they left I printed out two copies, found a couple of frames and delivered it to her mother's house when they were staying by four.  We sat in the lounge, her aunt came visiting, her brother's daughter turned up with her three year old and by now it was beginning to get hectic for me since they were all speaking Turkish.  The one daughter started to make pancakes, the table cloth was laid on the floor with the low table and I was having none of it so I said that I had to go, she insisted I brought a couple of pancakes home with me and some baclava.  As I walked home I saw the Emula had a 'new to him' car and he explained that it gave him more freedom to work where he wanted and I have to agree with him...transport here is pretty useless....two buses a week, Monday and Friday.

So I settled down with my pancakes and opened up ajar of pine-tip syrup, poured some into a metal container and dipped as I went.  The baclava I found very dry and sweet so I managed about a quarter of it and it's back on the worktop.  I shan't need supper tonight, the spare rib rack that I'd got out of the freezer will live to fight another day.  Seven thirty my time, the temperature is dropping and the moon is out, it's going to be another cold one.  Nothing to do tomorrow, another day to myself.  LN.....Logs, woodburner and maybe solve my ancestry enigma.....LN

Monday 22nd January

Well last night I woke up at one on the sofa with the Netflix playing to itself.  It was one in the morning, the fire was still in, I was tempted to put a log on but left it to its own devices.  I took myself off to bed, head down straightway and woke up at six thirty full of the joys.  I rescued the fire, checked the outside thermometer and it was showing minus six outside and eighteen degrees in so I stayed where I was warmest.  I made coffee, remembered to take my tablet, went back to bed for half an hour or so and then faced the day.  I watched the sun come up, put bread out for the birds, cooked bacon and egg with fried bread for breakfast and by eight thirty I was looking for things to do.  The terrace had dried off since I removed the snow and ice yesterday, I sat and watched the birds feeding from the stone slab but they get really spooked when there's any movement from the house and take off immediately.  The jay comes but is so difficult to photograph and no sign of the woodpeckers for a few days, probably frightened of bending their beaks.

At seven I moved upstairs on to the computer and carried on looking for records on my latest family search.  I was having trouble linking two searches and eventually I cracked it.  A couple had got married and after nine children she'd moved off to pastures new taking her children with them so they have a mention as step children and it was in this confusion that I'd missed one of the names, and it was the one person who married into the other link.  All good now though and I'm back to the early eighteen hundreds with it already....and with documentation to substantiate it.  I toyed with the idea of a bonfire but thought better of it.  It was so warm inside and so cold out, I decided to stay in.  I prepared supper, the rack of spare ribs went into the slow cooker with shredded red cabbage and I switched it off at four, my breakfast had moved down the tract so I served it up, the ribs were fine, the cabbage not so good so I drained the juice from the cooker and I'll use it as a base for soup tomorrow.  The residue will go out to the cats tomorrow morning.  Fitbit buzzed and reminded me that I'd done little activity so I put my boots on and did a circuit of the garden which equates to around three hundred steps, filled up the log container from the wood store and wheeled it to the porch so I have a log basket that is full and reserves ready for tomorrow.  I'm settling into the routine of winter.

Six thirty my time, tomorrow I'm off to Djebel to meet a friend for coffee for an hour or so, I might contact another friend to see if she wants to go into Kardjali to do some shopping and then back to Djebel for my student at three tomorrow afternoon.  The roads are clear so I should have no problem getting around and the streets should be aired by the time I have to be anywhere.  So relaxed this evening, I finished The Last Kingdom last night so I'm now looking for another series to keep me occupied but I've started watching films instead....good if you nod off during the screening.  LN.....Now to finalise arrangements for tomorrow and make sure that I'm where I should be when I'm supposed to be.......LN

Tuesday 24th January

Out of bed at six thirty this morning, another beautiful but cold night but inside had held the temperature well while I waited for the added therms arriving from over the hillside when that ball of fire rose up.  And then it came.  My day was mapped out for me but that all went to the wall when my morning coffee partner called it off, she had health problems and now I was left with a dilemma.  I wished her good health soon, I could have still gone into Kardjali and done my shop in Kaufland and Lidl but my heart wasn't in it so I decided to have a very leisurely morning, have a shower and wash my hair and write a shopping list for when I worked up the enthusiasm to head into town.

I used up the rest of the bacon and the can of beans from the fridge to make breakfast and threw an egg and fried bread into the frying pan at the last minute and ate in style.  Tis managed to keep me going until tonight when I finished off the fruit loaf slathered with butter.  As for the rest of the day, I went into Djebel for one and to my ex-students home as arranged and we had a catch-up, I'd not seen her since before I went to England.  Her mother is now in hospital for rest and recuperation, she has a slipped disc and suffers from it really badly and the doctors suggested that she was admitted for rest.  They also wanted to monitor her, an operation has been suggested but at the moment she doesn't have any interest in it.  She's there until Thursday or Friday, they're not exactly sure yet what would be the next step for her.  

I stayed chatting for an hour or so and suddenly realised that I should have been at the car shop by three and it was just after so I bid farewell, got in the Nipper and was only about twelve minutes late.  Mum was just texting me as I walked in the shop, we chatted for a couple of minutes and I carried on to the apartment and the football was already being bounced around in preparation.  He's changing rapidly, he's not a boy any more but a young man.  We eventually the lesson and we had almost got to the end of the book before I left for England.  We calculated what we thought was the end/starting point but as the story progressed we realised we somehow had missed the chapter that the next few hinged on.  We back tracked, I read the  chapter that we'd missed out loud, we got the gist of it and went back to where we were.  There was one really peculiar part of the book where the police sergeant thinks he's upper class but leaves the letter 'h' off the words that should have one and put one on all words that shouldn't.  That took some explaining away and in the end we were pretending to do it in conversation when we'd finished the book.  I wasn't too sure whether he wanted to carry on with English lessons now that we'd finished the book but the boy says that he does so we will....it also keeps up my football skills....I'm a sofa goal keeper.

Down to the shop by five and the father and son had closed up the garage early....it was really cold and no one about with cars requiring attention.  Father went up to the apartment, I sat in the shop with my elder ex-student and his mum until around six but then offered fond farewells, I was heading home via the supermarked to get potatoes.  Those on offer had obviously seen better days and many of them so I left without buying anything, I took it slowly through the forest, there's still lots of ice around.  The temperature outside had dropped to minus one so I got to work straight away and lit the fire, it had still maintained nineteen degrees while I was out but I do like to look at the wood burner.  I got into my PJ's, found the Vikings on Netflix, watched one episode and disciplined myself to do the update before I get settled for the rest of the evening.  I've had a peaceful day, only one hiccup, my English friend with the new phone called me and all I could hear was the radio in the background so I cancelled the call, left it for a minute and called her back.  She answered, apologised for the wrong call but I explained that all I heard was the radio and wanted to make sure that she wasn't lying on the floor and in trouble.  She thanked me, said that she was fine but should use her mobile more to make sure she knew how to use it.....at eighty I told her she was doing just fine.  LN.....Now to the warmth of the fire and Ragnar......LN

Wednesday 24th January

Still awake at three this morning but it was probably because I nodded off watching Vikings on Netflix and had as much sleep as I wanted.  Eventually I must have gone off because I woke at six thirty, the usual time, the fire was still in so I rescued it and put another log on.  It was fifteen degrees the other side of the curtain and eighteen woodburner side, outside it was minus seven.  The sky promised another sunny day and soon it was coming up over the mountains and the temperature in the house was climbing with it.  I got on with a few jobs, fed the birds, filled up the log basket which didn't take much doing.  I'm not burning anything during the day and letting the fire go out and relighting late afternoon.  It's surprising how much you save.....I'm down to one log carrier every two days not one and a half each day.

I was undecided what to do today and it was such a beautiful day, cold but the sun was shining so I made my mind up to go into Kardjali to get a few things.  I didn't need much, I stopped off at the car shop to see if there was anything that she wanted but there wasn't so I carried out and first stop was to pay my house phone bill.  I didn't manage to park near it and was nearer to my mobile phone shop and that came in pretty handy.  I tried to use the mobile app. for parking and when it came to send the text message I had a message to say that the Vivacom sim wasn't working.  I went into the shop, spoke to one of the very unhelpful assistants who couldn't work it out at all,  She checked the number and said that the Sim was OK, I went back to the Nipper, tried again and so gave up and drove to Kaufland carpark.  I think I worked it out, the other Sim, my English phone was trying to dial out and giving me an error message but I didn't see the option to change the Sim but on Kaufland carpark, parking was free so no issues.  There didn't seem to be many people about but there was still the normal checkout queues but eventually I got served and did manage to find potatoes but only red ones and they were on offer.  Moved on to Lidl and again not many people about, bought a couple of jasmine that were reduced and narcissus that have gone over but have pretty pots,paid and left the store and went into the electrical shop next door.  I'd been looking at dishwashers on the internet, I can't really decide whether I want one or not and haven't managed to formulate a new plan for the kitchen if I get one.....I'll wait and see what dreams come in.

Last stop was the local supermarket for bread, chocolate, rice and squash and I;m amazed how little the bill is from there.  I was home for about four, unpacked the Nipper, filled up the log carrier, made some tuna mayo sandwiches, it had been a long time since breakfast and finished off with a chocolate mousse.  I put a load of washing in the machine and that's now drying on the airer and the radiator in the bathroom and will be ready to put away in the morning.  It's going to be another cold night but looking at the long-term weather we seem to have sunny days and really cold nights for the next tweek or so.  LN..... If this is winter, long may it last......LN

25th January 2024

So I was half way through writing the blog at five thirty and for some reason I got into the programming screen, it deleted what I'd already prepared so I decided to go downstairs, move the chicken leg and potatoes from the slow cooker into a dish, make a gravy out of the juices and some chicken soup mix and I'd like to report, it was delicious.....and now to tell you what the rest of the day held.

A funny night last night, I woke up in front of the television, switched it off, made my way to bed and more or less fell straight to sleep.  Unfortunately I woke up at one thirty, off again, awake at three thirty, and back again and eventually started my day at six and I've been awake ever since.  Not sure if it was because of overheating or overeating but I've taken it slowly today,one breakfast, one supper as I've explained above and shan't be snacking.  Morning chores underway, ashes out, wood in, fire going but not really necessary as the sun was up and doing it's stuff.  There were a few clouds around that built up during the day and by mid afternoon, the outside temperature was up to twelve degrees and the ice that I'd been jabbing at on the little house terrace had most melted so no hazards currently detected around the property.  I had a bonfire, it went really well and I spent around thirty minutes digging out the metal cans and putting them to oneside to take down to the village container for the men to take away.  It wants emptying but that's a job for another day, it was much more important to sit on the wall and take stock of the countryside and I noticed that several of the turkeys had been spared slaughter over the festive season and were making themselves heard.  I made it back to the main house terrace and parked my backside on the armchair for around thirty minutes topping up the facial tan...saves money on make-up.

Had an afternoon trying to tackle technology...my Kindle Fire is refusing to connect to Hotmail and according to the internet several others are having the same problem.  I gave up in the end, I've other devices it was just a convenient way of checking it out if I was doing other things on the Kindle.  I also managed to make an order with Moonpig for birthday cards and I find it a most difficult website to negotiate.  Nothing seems easy and I'm still waiting for birthday cards from two years ago....and I hope compensation was paid accordingly to the senders. Hopefully these cards will get through.  The rest of the day has been pretty peaceful, I found a Sudoku book and have been using that instead of my Kindle and it's better because it find I don't try to beat the clock like I do with the Kindle.  It seems less stressful and I can make more notes at the sides of the columns.

It's now more or less seven my time, I've got to go down and check the fire, I've been round and closed the curtains to retain the heat and locked up shop for the night.  I'm thinking that I need a trip to the bank tomorrow to get money transferred from my deposit account to my current account before my card gets refused due to lack of money.  It really did confuse the lady last time in Momchilgrad so I'll go back to her, she might remember how to do it.  LN......The clouds have gathered so it shouldn't be so cold overnight.....LN

Friday 26th January

All in all, despite going to bed early  ended OK.....I woke up at five, minus one outside, nineteen in which wasn't bad considering that the fire was out so made coffee, snuggled down and played silly games for an hour or so until it was a sensible time to get up and get started.  Fire lit, more coffee, checked emails and got rid of junk, more games and then on to toasted ham sandwiches for breakfast.  The birds were fed, cat fed, I made bolognaise sauce for tonight's supper, washing up done and the rest of the day was all mine.  In truth I've done nothing with it.  It was a 'cudda / shudda' day, I was going to the bank in Momchilgrad but I received an email from my own bank so I'll make my way there on Monday to sort it out with my usual bank under manager.

I checked on the seedlings in the little house and the sun daisies are coming up fast and furiously....time to put another lot in ready for March time when I normally buy for my ladies.  This year I'll have plenty to give for free.  I also set about some of my filing that seems to be taking up quite a bit of space on the landing shelving and sorted out some of the old manuals and receipts for tools that I've bought.  Those are ready for the next bonfire.  I filled up the log basket, the logs that I had in the house were all too big so wanted something smaller and tomorrow I'm thinking that I shall be out there with the axe and sledge hammer to spit some of the larger ones.  I could burn some of the ones from the pollarded trees but not sure how much moisture is in them, probably better to leave them until next year.  I watched a couple of Netflix films this afternoon, too cold to be out and I needed to sit quietly and rest and fortunately I didn't nod off despite the early start.

Just about to do the pasta for tonight, the rest of the sauce I'm going to freeze, there seems enough to feed the neighbourhood but I'm not sure they'll like the fact that the mince is not beef mince....but mixed with another.  I did read the label but it was too late to do anything about it.  LN.....Kitchen calls, supper time......LN

Saturday 27th January

Brilliant night's sleep, woke up at seven, caught a hint of red against the darkness and it turned into a very enjoyable picture show.  It was minus three outside and warm enough inside and was slow off the mark to light the fire, too busy taking photos to worry about my comfort.  I love to watch the light as it changes from dark red to a very yellowy orange and then the clouds pick up on the red and then it all fades.  The lonesome pine was chief subject this morning, it's so dramatic and I looked back on an early photograph of it and it certainly has put on a lot of top growth.  The story goes that they used to use it to store the hay against it for the animal feed for the winter and that's why the lower branches were cut off.  Considering the house was empty for quite a while and the owners had moved to Turkey, the tradition was kept up by Stara Mush, the old man who used to sleep firstly in the house and then in the barn until yours truly came along and bought both of them.  

So back to this morning...every minute changing and then back to grey skies, cold winds, dark clouds.  I thought at one point that we might have more snow but it didn't happen and then this afternoon it cheered up again when I went out to chop us some of the larger logs.  So usual chores and bacon and egg for breakfast which really did set me up for the day.  I lit the fire and got quite a blaze gong but for some reason, the water seemed to be boiling in the wood burner but the pup didn't kick in for a shile. Eventually it did and it's been fine all day.  I fired up the new laptop with a view to putting anti-virus protection on it now that I've amalgamated my subscriptions and it's now multi-use and nothing to pay until 2026 which waves me worrying about missing a payment.  So first I needed small starter wood and that didn't take long to do and then I set about with the axe and the lump hammer to split some of the larger ones that seem to go dead as you put them in the wood burner.  I've now got two log carrier os sensible logs and was surprised that it didn't take too long but I only had one that went through the log in one swipe...all the others took effort.  I switched the computer off and settled down to watch Netflix.  At five I prepared a bean and corned beef base, covered it with mashed potatoes and a cheese topping and into the oven it went and was ready bu six.  Washing into the machine and that's now drying and I'll be putting it away tomorrow morning.

Lovely sky late afternoon, the sun on the eastern mountains showed them up very starkly against the backdrop and I've never seen them quite like that before.  My pointy volcano looking one looked magnificent and reminded me of a pyramid...maybe it is.  Eight my time and I'm in my PJ's for bed mainly because I washed everything else.  LN....More log chopping tomorrow and starter wood but this time I'll use the reciprocating saw for the little stuff.....LN

Sunday 28th January

I woke at five thirty. stayed in my bed until seven, half asleep, half awake and then started my day.  The fire was teetering on the brink of disaster so I coaxed it back to life. it was a cold morning, no sunrise to speak of and nothing worth taking photographs of...I've been spoilt over the last few mornings.  I made bacon sandwiches for breakfast, threw out the ham that was looking stale for the cat and it was sitting on the wall waiting for me to deliver the goods...and I didn't disappoint.  I checked later and it had all disappeared including most of the bread that I'd put out, it must have been very hungry or poor pickings elsewhere.

I stripped the bed and got the duvet 'nest' into the washing machine with the bottom sheet and a few other things that I found around.  I also moved the summer/ autumn pj's from the bathroom to the bedroom chest to make room for the winter ones.  For some reason there seem to be a lot of them around and I've washed most of them at the same time so needed a convenient place to store them and the bathroom storage drawers seemed a good place.  I somehow got into clearing and cleaning out corners that have been neglected since I've been back from the UK, watering pot plants and just being busy.  The mood soon passed.....the television went on and I carried on with the Vikings until I got fed up of it and walked the garden, checked on the washing that was drying on the banister, moved it around a bit and now it's back on the bed.  I've removed hamburgers from the freezer for tonight and a chicken leg for tomorrow which will go into the slow cooker on a bed of potatoes.  I've been asked to bring the lesson with my student forward a day so tomorrow I'll be in Djebel and may very well call in and see my student's mum who hopefully has returned from hospital.  I did have one visitor this afternoon....it was the granddaughter of Remsie and her husband who I've just learnt passed away around Christmas time.  None of the neighbours had mentioned it, which I was surprised about and she appeared with a huge tray of fluffy pancake thingies that they make forty days after the passing.  He was a man who used to do odd jobs for lots of the ladies in the village, a general handyman and he will be missed.

No photographs of the sunset either tonight, it didn't seem very dramatic. The afternoon clouded over and the temperature is dropping so time to throw another log on the fire and I'm about to put the boiler on and linger in a hot bath tonight. Showers are all very well but nothing can beat a luxurious soak.  LN...... A decision...hamburgers before or after the bath......LN

Monday 29th January

Freezing cold this morning, there was ice of the the terrace where before there was none and I'm only guessing that we had some rain last night and it froze as the temperature dropped.  There was also icy raindrops on the grass as I went out to feed the cat and I only noticed it as I was halfway there and realised that I had my slippers on.  Usually I change them in the porch before heading out....I was obviously in too much of a hurry....and so was the cat.  I'd delivered the rest of the hamburgers that I cooked last night and really don't know why I buy that particular make.  There's a flavouring that I don't really like and I should know better by now....but cat likes it.

I lit the fire this morning because it was so cold outside and there was a gale blowing but by nine the sun had broken through and I was OK in the house.  I'd got enough wood in for the day so didn't have to venture out to the wood store, at nine thirty I'd done everything I needed to do so made bacon sandwich for breakfast, washed up and the day was all mine.  I  didn't have my bath last night so put the boiler on again and was running the bath at ten and stayed in there for an hour or so while the rest of the house got up to temperature, dried off, dressed for the cold, I had my student this afternoon and was thinking of popping in to see my other student's mum to make sure that she hadn't gone into work today after spending five or so days in hospital.  I logged on to the computer and ran a VPN check and it said that I had an active 'cookie' and did I want to buy a subscription even though I've just spent money making sure that all my anti-virus is up to date.  I rang the helpline, some very american american lady was straight on to it, me being a valued customer and all that and offered to remote in to my system and check out and apparently she gets lots of calls about this problem, dialled in and it was a tick box that points people without the company VPN's to take out a subscription.  Now why didn't they tell me that before!!

Had conversations on messenger and my old student told me that her mother had gone into the shop since it's month end to tidy a few things up so I drove to the shop and she wasn't there so I carried on to the house and the mother was just leaving and instead joined us back in the house.  It's such a happy house despite illness, father was in the garden making a concrete path to the new garage that he's put up and my ex-student straight away jumped up to make coffee for me and brought out the fudge squares....that was my lunch sorted.  Mother went to the shop around two and we discussed holidays, I'm trying to persuade her to come on a cruise with me but as she says, she can't swim and said that she would be terrified all of the time.   I did mention that I would save her but that even I would be relying on the most handsome member of crew and acting really terrified.  I said fond farewells, she's coming over later in the week to transfer her mothers medical file from a CD on to a memory stick so that they can trawl the hospitals in Turkey to see if they can get better that a fifty percent success rate over there.

Student lesson and we've just started Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and even though I love the film the book has so much more detail.  He reads it to me, when he stumbles over words or it doesn't make sense, I read it with him so that we make sense of it.  There was obviously the twenty minutes of football time thrown into the mix and it just makes things easier and it doesn't seem like a chore to read English to an oldie like me.  Home for six, I stopped off and bought bread and a chocolate éclair to have with coffee while I'm waiting for supper to cook.  Today I have chicken on a bed of potatoes cooked in a little water, I've covered it with foil at the moment but will take it off towards the end of the cooking time.  LN.....It's certainly smelling good.....time I went out to the kitchen to check on it......LN

Tuesday 30th January

Early start for me, five thirty and it's seemed such a long day today.  It wasn't so cold outside, only minus two but that wind was bitter when I went out to fill up the log carriers.    Breakfast was the rest of the can of beans from the other night and I had them with well buttered toast, I'd got the fire going as soon as I got up more or less and it was good to feel the warmth on the inside as well as the outside.  I went out to fee the cat with the remains of last night's chicken, I put the crust of the loaf with it, hot water on it and the juices from the cooking dish....and checking later, everything had gone.  I didn't see the cat and it didn't respond to my usual call but it was probably nestled down somewhere warmer than where I was standing making noises to attract a cat.

I washed up and sorted out emails and the likes and got dressed on an oversized pair of combat trousers over my PJ's, added socks and another jumper as a top layer and suddenly remembered my old snow boots that were somewhere in the spare bedroom.  The beauty of them is that they are much too large for me so will go over any socks without effort and come off just as easily and now they're in the porch but the snow flurries came to nothing, not even a covering.  I did do a little culinary delight today, I'd bought a packet of chocolate pudding mix so used Google translate to work out what I was supposed to do with it and now I have six pots in the fridge and cream to put on them.  I did have to quality control one and they're not bad, I'll have to work out if it's cheaper to buy the ones from Lidl or make my own...cost analysis.  The tits were active along with a solitary robin and since there wasn't much to go at, the wind had scattered the food stashes, I crushed up some cornflakes and put some in the bird table and the rest on the stone and both proved popular for a time until the wind got up.  Another log on the fire and then, just as it was going well the power went off so I was finding the t-lights out and getting them going.  The UPS for the wood-burner kicked in so I started timing it, and if there was no chance of the power coming on again, I was going to have to remove everything from the little wood burner in the kitchen and transfer the embers.  Fortunately it came on again after about thirty minutes so no further action required.

Nine o'clock and I'm late this evening and I'll blame the powercut and the pull of Netflix.  I really hope we have some snow....it seems warmer when it's covering the ground.  LN....And now back to the fire.....LN

Wednesday 31st January

Having a mare of an evening trying to write this tonight.  I've just got through most of it and suddenly lost it and it's something to do with the mouse.  It wouldn't let me select the photos in mass, I had to do them individually so I was getting a little fractious at having to start again  So here we go for the second time.  Five thirty start and it was dull, very windy and icy cold, there was just a hint of morning on the mountains so it was into the kitchen, made a coffee and went back to bed and hoping that the work I'd put in on the fire would bring it back to life.  Wrong...so at seven I started it again and this time, success.  I fed the birds early since it was so cold and the earth frozen, more cornflakes and bread with a chocolate nut bar thrown into the mix and it seemed to go down OK early on but I think most of the birds have been retaining energy levels and not bothered about topping up.....all about sitting in a barn and keeping themselves warm.  I'm thinking I shall have to do something for cat, I know it's not mine but it seems to be a little dependent on me so I'll have to get something from Lidl when I'm next in there.

I made my breakfast and photographed the birds having theirs which proved to be successful.  The jays are very nervous and I was lucky to get the pickies that I did.  I wrapped up warm and went out to have a bonfire and the sun had made it out but it was still icy cold out there.  I chopped up some more of the larger lots, filled the log carrier up and brought one into the porch and a second one I filled up the log basket but used some of the wood that had come down in the storm and that's burning pretty well.  I also brought in some of the small stuff that was from the pollarded trees, if winter is long it will make the bought wood go further.  I checked the seeds in the little house and more have come through and watered some of the other plants that are being stored there, came back into the house, topped up the fire and let it tick along, the sun was out so it was pretty warm inside.  A little Netflix after my morning effort, checked my messenger and my older student asked to come done so that we can copy a disk onto a flash drive but when I replied, she changed it to tomorrow morning...all that after I'd tidied round to expect visitors.

I had a sleep this afternoon to catch up on my early morning start, nothing on the agenda for tomorrow apart from my student visiting but I shan't be going anywhere...much to cold and raw to be out.  Supper is in the oven and tonight I have barbecue ribs and chocolate pudding that I made yesterday.  LN.....Ribs are ready for me and I for them....and back to the fire.....LN