Tuesday 20th February

Woke up at six this morning and the whole morning seemed particularly long.  I lit the fire early and it's been going all day except when I headed out to my student for the lesson and carried on to the hospital for an appointment that turned out to be really complicated.

I did managed to sort out my little computer and put Image Resizer on it, the original access key which I managed to find from old emails proved to be ineffective, it had been used too many times but I had a reduced rate for a new one so that was really good.  I've got a few things that I need to work on on the little computer, tomorrow I'm going to install all my security company programs, most are for up to ten users and I'm using only about two of them.  The day was very pleasant, I made a bacon sandwich for breakfast, sat in the stairwell eating it despite the fact that the day was dull and miserable.  I've checked out the sweet pea seeds that I've put to germinate in damp kitchen roll in the porch and they're now ready to place on compost, roots go down and the cotyledons start heading upwards forming the first leaves.

Off to my student around two thirty, my appointment with the specialist was at five thirty so I had time for the lesson and then time to get into Kardjali avoiding the need to pay for parking since I haven't managed to sort that out yet.  It's on my list to phone the company in Sofia and she will explain to me exactly what I to do since they've really messed up the original system.  I parked up at the hospital car-park at five twenty five giving me five minutes to get to the laboratory where my consultation was taking place.  There were some people already waiting but I went in to see the receptionist and was told that she knew nothing about me.  I'd phoned the specialist yesterday, and he'd told me five thirty but told nobody else.  She said that he had a full list and that there weren't any spaces and that I should go home and she would phone me tomorrow with an appointment for next week.  I said it wasn't good enough, that I lived around forty kilometers away and I could have dropped that disk in at any time so she advised me to speak to the specialist when he arrived for his appointments.  When he did arrive he went through the reception area of the building like a tornado, he was running late already, the receptionist came out to ask me if I'd spoken to the specialist, I said no and told her that I was going to wait it out until he'd finished his surgery.  I waited and waited, thought the line was going down and then more came in and eventually the last one went in, I asked the receptionist if he would be seeing me and I got a yes.  

Check up over, nothing to declare, everything normal unlike the x-ray which had a few funny patches on it.  This was a gel ultrasound on to a monitor and he was very thorough.  I got dressed, he gave me photos and a report of his findings to take to my doctor, I paid over the one hundred lev which is cheap at half the price considering what it would cost in England outside the Health service and I was home for nine thirty.  It was a long wait but it's done and dusted and I have peace of mind.  Lit the fire again when I got in, found something for supper and suddenly remembered that I'd not checked in.  I did find a very large window poster for prosthetics so I took a photo of an artificial arm and leg and sent it off to my daughter quoting ' I hope this check up doesn't cost me an arm and a leg'.  LN....Photos to follow tomorrow, they're on the phone.....LN

Wednesday 21st February

Another seven start, I lit the fire, it looked to be another dull old day outside and by the time that I'd got it going it looked like the sun was going to break through...but it didn't.  Cat was sitting on the grass by the frog garden looking longingly in this direction and the only thing that I had was bread and it must have been hungry, it walked towards it and it looked like it was limping.  It ate a could of slices then sauntered off to check out the rest of the neighbourhood...and who can blame it.

At eight I was feeling a little hungry so made a couple of poached eggs and had them on toast.  I've been off them for a while, spring season and all that and that's when my father refused to eat them.  Strange thing though, since I've not had so many my red blotches seemed to have stopped but that also coincides with my taking off my Fitbit and doing without it.  I ought to check out if you can become allergic to any of the pulses that it gives off.  I cleared the kitchen, did a load of washing using the new sensitive wash liquid and the clothes are certainly softer but not sure if the product is cleaning as well as the others.  The new one is about a quarter of the price of the others that I was using so it might be the expensive one for the really soiled stuff and stick to the cheap ones for things that sit next to the skin...result.

So today I went through the loose papers that have gathered in various places and got rid of loads, some by filing them away and others into the trash to be burned.  Tomorrow's job is to go through everything that relates to my ancestry digging and filing it name related and in the case of my own, punched and filed in person/date order.  It's almost like a spring clean and later on it really felt that it was here.  I've planted up the sweet peas in a large container and they're now in the little house to carry on growing but this time in compost not in kitchen roll.  I've also cleared out a four drawer plastic unit so that if I need any for the printer, I know where to find it....organisation..it comes late to some.  Not sure what I want for supper, I had a packet of mixed nuts and raisins late this afternoon and they seem to have stuck on their way down...maybe something later.  LN.....Nothing very much to photograph today, the visiting jay took off just as I got it into focus......LN

Thursday 22nd February

Another house to mountain foggy morning, I couldn't even see the bottom of the garden.  It took a while to lift, at one point it looked like the sun would come our, eventually it did but it still remained cold mainly due to the wind.  I made coffee, got on with the morning routine and went back to bed for an hour or so to let the streets air as my mother would say, emerged again and made more coffee.  Two eggs were poached and had for breakfast, washed up and then looked around for things to do and settled on carrying on with the paperwork sort and now what's up is supposed to be and what's down is mainly to do with ancestry and needs sorting tomorrow.  Instead of getting on with sorting it today, I started going over the tree for the mid fifteen hundreds, the records are scarce, when you look at the original parish records they're either damaged or written in Latin so are difficult to confirm that the people belong to you.  It's very easy to go down the wrong rabbit hole.  I'd taken a joint of lamb from the freezer to thaw over night and into the slow cooker it went.  I brought it up to hot then turned it down to medium for the next few hours and hopefully it will be tender.

I had a brief interval after lunchtime, I went out to get more wood and ended up getting the axe out and splitting some of the larger ones so that they can perk up a dull fire. I must say though that when you have a good fire going with larger lots, it takes a lot less effort to keep it going but it does depend on the way that the chimney reacts to the wind blowing across it.  I brought the logs in and as I was walking back I saw the lady who has the garden next to my garage and wood store and she was off to do an afternoon's digging.  She commented on the jacket that I'd put on to keep warm and it was one that I bought from Brighton years ago but it's one that you throw in the washing machine and it comes out looking as good as new.  I must have had it about twenty years or more, it's a fleece jacket and well padded, the type that you can't buy any longer. Work done, I came inside, made more coffee and took the meat from the slow cooker and I'm not sure if I'll do anything with it or not...it didn't seem very tender and if not tomorrow, the cat will have a feast and can invite the neighbourhood or I'll mince it and make some lamb-burgers with it.

Telephone call with my ex today, it's his birthday, the card got there and also the present thanks to Moonpig.  Supper was the last of the potato salad from Lidl with a tin of tuna added, washing up done and now to take advantage of the warmth downstairs and the sofa.  LN......Again no photos....I got the camera out but failed to take any......LN

Friday 23rd February

Seven thirty start again, very pale sky and eventually very pale morning sunrise....Nothing really to write home about but it's been a pleasant day for the most part but that wind has been icy cold again.  I didn't venture out much except to feed some of the meat that I cooked yesterday to the cat who was waiting very still near to the wall sheltering from the wind.  It came towards the spot where I feed it, I put down the contents of the bowl and I'd mixed in some bread soaked in the juices from the meat and it was soon gone.  I tried to chew some of the meat, and typical of the meat that I'm given it was really tough, they just don't hang meat here, it's cut up that day and doesn't even have time to rest.  Looks like the cat is in for some treats over the next few days.

I settled for a yogurt for breakfast, didn't need to get wood in or struggle to do anything, I went up to the computer on the landing and did a little ancestry, thought I'd solved a puzzle but in fact I've added one more to the mix.  The relative that I thought went off to live in Canada in fact got married to a local lad, firmly shutting out that link and I'd not come across the name before.....it must have been a new record loaded.  It happens all the time.  I lost the initiative after that, closed down the computer and concentrated on the pile of papers that were left from my initial clear out and now the desk is clear.  I'm still left with the others on the desk downstairs, I did intend doing it today but instead I put on Netflix and slept through several episodes of House MD but felt much better for it.

The freesias should be flowering tomorrow and maybe the eventual bursting forth of the orchid will come to pass.  Te flower buds have been on it for ages, I didn't realise that they take so long.  As for the garden, I went out to check and there are lots of daffs about to come out, I also have crocuses and the tulips have put up leaves and so have the iris both the normal and variegated.  I'm just hoping that we get no real frost this late in the year...it will put everything back.  Not sure what's on the menu tonight...so far nothing is jumping out to the active part of my brain to go and do something about it.  Full moon is out tonight, the sky above is clear but there are dark clouds over both east and west mountain ranges so we'll see what we get tomorrow.  LN.....Photo gallery tonight of my walk round my garden......LN

Saturday 24th February

Seven ten start and I've had a very gentle day for the rest of it.  I fed the cat but it didn't come when called but maybe it was a little early for it to be around.  The foods all gone though so if it has been had by another, good luck to it.  I made my own breakfast, bacon and egg but unfortunately while I was finishing off the egg I frazzled the bacon somewhat so the cat had extra.  It's been a beautiful day but again that wind has been cold and even though the outside temperature has been recorded at fifteen I'd argue the point.  The outside temperature gauge is on the grape vine next to the little house and way out of the wind for it to make the gauge record the correct measurement.  

I concentrated on ancestry this afternoon, not to find out any more facts, I've got plenty to go at but to work out a filing system, get rid of duplicate print-outs and file the ones that I have into accessible and comprehendable order.  The first part is simple, it needs to be sorted into surname order and then into chronological order and that's going to be easier when I write out the charts.  I'm thinking that I'm going to have to invest in new versions of Powerpoint or Excel to work on my latest machines, the one that I did the last lot on in the spare bedroom on my really old machine is very clonky but knowing how much companies change programs, I'm guessing all will be a mystery to be solved.  The paperwork went away at around three this afternoon and I settled in to Netflix and House MD.  I did have a visit from Haciber clutching and offering a chocolate from a box, it was her grand-daughter's birthday.  I took one, apologised that I hadn't bought her her clementines yet, the ones in Djebel were rubbish so I'm waiting until I go into Kardjali.

So far nothing on the agenda for supper,  I'm going to have to delve into the freezer and find some chicken thingies that will go into the air-fryer.  I suppose if I'd have got organised I could have put chicken wings and a jacket in the oven....too much effort to switch House off.  Kitchen bound as we speak, the one freesia is still teasing me but should open tomorrow.  I thought it was going to be yellow but now it looks more like purple...I'll just have to wait and see.  LN....And now for that freezer......LN

Sunday 25th February

Another seven start despite waking up on the sofa at one thirty this morning.  I've managed to stay awake all day and got through an alarming amount of sorting out.  It's not quite spring but I'm having an early start on Spring cleaning.  I sorted out the small cupboard that stands in the stairwell between the table and the wall and it could be mistaken for a bedside cabinet.  I hadn't been in it for a few years and I found a surprising amount of treasure.  I had this thing that I was going to take up painting, always wanted to try it and did once when I live in Gibraltar at the tender age of twenty two.  Lots of water has gone under that bridge and was too busy having children, keeping finances afloat and forging a career that paid money to every get round to it.  Now having the time I thought it might happen so each time that Lidl have offers on paint brushes, chisel ended ones, straight ones, sketch pads I was there with boots blacked and having sorted out the cupboard I realise that I have the equipment and should do something about it.   They've all been put back in the cupboard but at least I know what it contains.....let's see what the summer brings!!

Bacon sandwich for breakfast followed by a yogurt, chicken wings and sliced potatoes into the slow cooker, all finished by eleven and a load of washing done into the bargain.  That's drying on the airer in the guestroom and will be ready to put away tomorrow morning.  The rest of the meat went out to the cat and it was waiting in the bushes under the wall for me to make an appearance.  I went out to fill the log carrier to bring into the porch and as I went to open the door to the little house there was a cheery 'hello' and a man that I haven't seen before had stopped in the road obviously out for a walk with another man.  He spoke in stilted English so obviously wasn't used to using  it so I asked him in Bulgarian where he was staying and where he lived.  He said that he was staying at a family house, that he was born in the village but was now living in Bursa which is in Turkey.  I got complimented on my Bulgarian and remarked that it wasn't much use in the village since all the older ladies speak Turkish and we laughed about it and off they went.  I carried on into the little house and watered the lemon and a few of the other plants, it's too early to put them out so I'm just keeping them going.

The freesia has finally flowered and the secondary buds are swelling up so shouldn't be long following it.  Supper was ready around five so I ate early tonight and I should really use the slow cooker more that I do.  I lit the fire although it was getting on for six o'clock but the radiators are warm so the wood burner is doing its stuff.  The boiler is on for a bath tonight and tomorrow morning I'll be making my way to Kardjali to hand the photos and letter from the specialist to the doctor and then probably sign up for a few more tests that are normally carried out annually such as an ECG, a blood and urine test.  Rude not to.  The washing up from today can wait, it's almost eight my time so the bath calls.  LN.....It's been a very chilled day and I've achieved a lot.....LN

Monday 26th February

Another silly night when I was playing games on the Kindle at three thirty this morning.  That said I didn't wake up until eight fifteen so my plans for today were scuppered.  I didn't want to get to the hospital while Kardjali and its friends were waiting to see my doctor, I could have gone later but the aftermath around lunchtime means that the other departments close down so nothing much would have been achieved.  Tomorrow is another day, there's really no rush now that I've seen the specialist and my mind is not worrying about what might be happening.  

The morning brought mist over the hillside which eventually cleared and the sun shone.  I suppose an outside temperature of ten degrees is brilliant for this time of year but the way the wind was blowing the few trees that I have left meant that there was no way I was going to get really active outside.  I thought about a bonfire but just added to the pile that needs burning by finishing sorting out the numerous notebooks that I have half scribbled in mainly for ancestry.  The rest of the afternoon I went through them, copied over the most relevant information to go into the individual family files and disposed of the originals.  At least now I know the dates that I need to confirm and I know that these are going to be the most challenging, I shall have to go through the original parish records entered around the fifteen hundreds, some in copperplate, others in old English and some even in Latin.  Now I did two years of Latin when I was twelve or so and a lot of it is similar to  Spanish following the same verb and noun endings so I'll be giving it a good go at some stage.  

Only toast for breakfast, I had the start of a lip allergy this morning which faded quite quickly and back to normal and the last time that I got this was three weeks ago when I cooked red potatoes in the slow cooker and what did I have yesterday, sliced red potatoes cooked with chicken in the slow cooker.  Red potatoes are now off the shopping list and off the menu..it might be a coincidence but once bitten, or twice bitten....The freesia has at last developed a perfume and the rest of the buds on the stem are swelling up and like to open in the next few days.  The orchid has also opened up and again, the others are showing signs.  I did manage one trip out to the little house for some more proper starter wood, I'm using the branches that I cut up when the men pollarded the trees and there appears still to be a lot of sap in them.

Fire lit and going well, that bath that I've been promising myself is about to happen tonight, the boiler is on bringing the water temperature up to peak performance, no supper tonight, not really in the mood and an early night and no up all hours watching Netflix.  Need to visit the other family tomorrow to collect my birthday plant that I forgot to bring home with me and then on to my student for the lesson.  LN......Another stress free restful day...what's not to like about being here......LN

Tuesday 27th February

So I was back to the seven start, washing up put away, washing folded and put away, and at eight I was eating toast and drinking my second cup of coffee.  It was a beautiful morning and it was fifteen degrees today outside which is great for mid-March but not for February.  A memory came up on FB today of six years ago with three feet of snow round the house showing I'd made a path to the wood store but this year nothing.  I fed the cat on the jelly from the chicken with bread and noticed that lots of the daffodils are flowering, crocus are out and the weeds are doing marvellously well.....I shall have to go out and sort them soon before they take over.

The flowers on the stairs are still looking beautiful and now one more flower is out the perfume from the freesias is getting stronger and while I was sitting in the stairwell admiring the flowers I notice lots of starling activity on the wall by the little house terrace.  Last year the log was used to raise a family and it looks like I'll be having another.  Several were checking it out and it might be a fight to the finishing post before residents are established and in place....I'll see how it pans out.  Several juveniles were in evidence, it is difficult to navigate to the hole in the log but it seems that a few managed it and the upturned pie dish on the top makes sure that it's watertight.

I didn't bother going into Kardjali and might do it tomorrow.  The fridge is looking remarkably bare so looks like I'll be starting my diet earlier, I bravely stood on the scales, I've only put a couple of pounds on the winter but if I can take them off so much the better.  At twelve I had nothing to do so put on Netflix and settled in to House and fortunately there aren't many episodes left to the habit will be broken.  I got up from the sofa and made lunch, Bulgarian corned beef sandwiches with brown sauce and pickles and I must of nodded off and woke up suddenly at two forty five, quick turnaround and I was in the Nipper just before three, I had my lesson with my student and I was late.  I managed to park up outside and was there for ten after three, sat with his mother for a while, she mentioned that they had visitors from Turkey but my student still wanted his lesson.  I went up to the apartment, we had ten minutes of football, settled in to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and we only have thirty pages left to read.  I was explaining that when my children were small they had a bookcase full of books especially the Ladybird ones and we seemed to add to it each week normally from charity shops...no internet in those days.  Lesson over at five thirty, I called round to see my ex-student to pick up my birthday flower and sat with the family for about thirty minutes and we talked holidays for April.  It's probably best that she comes here, we make a decision together and she makes the call and the booking in Bulgarian so that we don't miss anything.  She will also be able to help me with the documentation, they seem to want everything including inside leg measurements.

No supper required, lunch was very filling, the agenda for tomorrow is going to be fluid....I'll see what tomorrow brings.  LN....Another good day......and no fire required tonight so less work tomorrow......LN

Wednesday 28th February

Another seven start, coffee and back to bed for Sudoku and Freecell...what's not to like about my mornings here.  More coffee and not much to do so washed and dressed for town deciding to take my results to the surgery, didn't want to be too early, the world and all its friends would be there.  I'd put my make-up on and was ready to go but as I walked through the porch, the rubbish bin was beginning to smell somewhat so I put old shoes on and took the paper rubbish and house rubbish and headed down the garden.  A bonfire was on the cards.  It got going fairly quickly, where was still some in the bin that hadn't burnt last time round so I made sure that I started it off well and waited until was really burning before I added more to it.  I stood looking back at the house from the bottom of the garden and I'm still amazed at the place that I've created with only two local builders...the guys did well.  I have a framed copy of the derelict house once the roof had been removed, the starting point and sometimes looking back at the Blog brings it all back.  Nice memories.

So back to the house, city boots on, straight into the Nipper and off to town.  I stopped off at the car-parts shop to see if my student's mother wanted anything from town but she didn't.  Her guests had gone into Kardjali occupying themselves while they were working.  I parked up at the car-park behind the hospital and again I had problems with paying for the space.  First problem was that it was focusing on Sofia car-parking and it took ages to bring up a list of alternate cities.  Eventually I managed to select Kardjali, I added my car number details and then when I went to select the time required it would only show me nine hours which would have meant nine leva for parking when I only wanted to drop off the results from my specialist visit the other night.  Eventually I gave up, locked the Nipper and headed for the hospital.  There were only three people waiting all with slips of paper stating the time that they were supposed to be seen, which means very little in BG and I didn't even have one.  The doctor came out to call in the next patient, saw me there so I stood up and handed her the result saying that there was nothing more to be done, every thing was OK to which she asked me if I was sure.  So she opened the envelope with the scans and letter from the specialist, agreed that everything was good, she took in the next patient and I went back to the Nipper checking that wheel clamps hadn't been added.  I think the solution is to remove the original app and download the new one to see if that works or not....that appears to be the only solution.

Shopping at Kaufland and Lidl where the parking is free and then back home by three.  Shopping unloaded and put away, nothing much to do so lay on the sofa and promptly nodded off until four thirty when I realised that I was feeling chilled so lit the fire.  I then finished off watching the last episodes of House MD and enjoyed watching the last episode which was going through how the series was produced, how stunts were set up and documenting the eight years that it took to film the series.  What an achievement for all concerned and seeing the actors as people was quite enlightening.  No supper so far, I'm just about to head down to the kitchen to see what I can find in the fridge.  Tomorrow I'm making a pork curry, I bought the meat from Kaufland and there's going to be enough to add one portion to the freezer when it's made.  LN.....I'm beginning to feel hungry......LN