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Elsa Peters living a new life in Bulgaria  /  My Diary by Elsa Peters  /  SEPTEMBER 2011
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 1, 2011, 4:50am
Thursday 1st September

New month, white rabbits, still don't know why they say that...must Google it and see what it comes up with.  Very noisy last night in that jungle out there....the crickets were going ten to the dozen when I went to bed at nine with my book and decided that my eyes had had it and I must have been asleep by ten.  Loo trip at about 2 and then sleep until five when I woke up feeling cold.  Only had the sheet over me when I went to bed but the duvet was rescued from the floor and the train woke me at six thirty.  

Coffeed, walked the estate, the plan is to remove the rest of the rubbish today from the field, fill in some of the gaps in the fence with decent wood that are looking sparse now that the old tree branches have been removed until it gets too warm to work.  Seven thirty my time.....must get on.

Just Googled it....it implies that you will get good luck for the duration of the month and Wiki has lots of information as to where it is commonly used....so now I know....and so do you...
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 1, 2011, 5:14pm; Reply: 1
Thursday continued

So who's been busy with the jam and stuff....peach and ginger, peach and cinnamon, tomatoes and chilli from the other day and tonight's supper....too hot to work outside today so settled in and made jam until lunchtime and then played on the pc making label after that....now can I recognise it without a label...

The rubbish is still in the field, the ten leva debt is still waiting to be paid.....but all's well with the world besides that.

I've had a good day..... ;)
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 2, 2011, 3:36pm; Reply: 2
Friday 2nd September

Seven thirty this morning....what's wrong with my clock and the sun was just coming up.  Beautiful start to the day.

My last lot of peach jam didn't seem to be setting properly so this mornings task was to reboil it with lemon juice added and a slightly decreased yield but much better consistency.  It's now back in its jars, downloaded images of the different fruits from the web, played around in Power Point and now have labelled jars.  Unfortunately I can't remember which was the standard plum or the plum with ginger so it'll be pot luck at that point.  As for the tomato chilli stuff cham / jutney not really sure but I have lots of little pots and the only difference is that some contain garlic and are very hot, the rest are more tomatoey....I think.  So on the label I'll have to think of something original.

Went out to set fire to my kitchen rubbish and unfortunately got hold of the garden fork.  It was in the heat of the moment in the heat of the day and probably shouldn't have been out there but now the paths are clear of weeds and the wayward broad beans that seem to be springing up everywhere have now been corralled into the bed by the tomatoes.  They were looking a little sad so they had a good soaking and while I was trimming the excess shoots off my plum tomatoes I found another cluster that couldn't be seen through the greenery.  Those two plants have produced a mega-harvest and are starting to turn red.  Thanks KD of S.

So waste of time me watering the garden....the heavens have just opened, short sharp burst though, but everything looks sort of wet and greener.....good job that I got those weeds out earlier. Also planted out three Tamarisk that have rooted in a jug of water so let's see how they do now they are standing on their own two, three, four little roots. Checking up on Wiki they seem to like saline soil so I'm not sure if I need to get the salt cellar out and sprinkle them (joke).

Photo-shoot time...just taken a stroll round now that the rain has stopped and the sun is out again....between the clouds that is...so here goes....
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 3, 2011, 11:26am; Reply: 3
Saturday 3rd September

Well considering I was in my bed very early last night my internal alarm went off at 5.20 so not bad.  Finished my strawberry picker book....nice little ending but the dog got killed which was a shame...he sounded the most fun of them all.

Coffee, estate, cooked breakfast of fried tomatoes on toast since they were looking not their best and there are more ripening, sat outside and then thought I would just put my tomato skins on the bonfire....another wrong move.  Ended up putting the plate down and picking up the fork so I dug over last years onion bed and potato bed getting rid of the weeds that are shooting up with one little downpour.  About one hour later came in remembering the plate and had another look at the peach and cinnamon jam and yes, I reboiled it.  The yield is slightly less but it does look more like jam than glue so I decided to do the same with the tomato and chilli and added it to the jar of peach syrup so it's not cham now, it's tomato, peach, chilli, raison and cinnamon jam.  So if you ever get out here and brave enough to try it....it's a big jar... ;) ;)  Everything is labelled up now and I only have one more batch to reboil but I've got to get more lemons first and replenish my gas.  Strange this morning....I was only thinking how the gas bottle at 60 leva has done all my cooking for almost a year and I can get it refilled in Djebel on Monday.

Went out to take pictures of the melon that I found this morning and it's 'ugly' gourd neighbour....well it's supposed to be but no sign of ugliness yet.  Walking back to the house and this time with camera in my hand I spotted a humming bee on one of the flowers in the frog garden.  The thing was really going for it and difficult to photo but you can definitely see the proboscis on a couple of them.  Didn't get much of the orange of his body...I did ask him, to turn round but obviously he's deaf.

So tonight it's party time....KD of S is having a spit roast LAMB...which he undoubtedly chose this morning from the field.  Annie missed the last one so I shall go armed with a flagon of red, some beer and a sleeping bag just in case.  I might even take the Beast since if push comes to shove, I have slept in that before and it's not bad.  Shower, wash hair, find mosquito repellent, long trousers, long sleeved shirt and something warm just in case we sit it out till dawn....

Posted by: KingDom, September 3, 2011, 1:12pm; Reply: 4
The lamb is in the oven (at Djebel Bakery) I will be picking it up at 6 so anytime after then, we are all meeting up the pub as we have only two chairs and a bench in our abode.

Annie didn't help with the butchering, but Ilyas did save its testees and head for her!
Posted by: KingDom, September 4, 2011, 9:39am; Reply: 5
So apart from making jam, what does Elsa do with her spare time? http://www.thegudlife.com/blog/2011/09/04/sheep-beer-party/ .
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 4, 2011, 3:07pm; Reply: 6
Sunday 4th September

Well if you've followed the link on the previous message you will have seen the evidence that a good time was had by all.  When I came back from the open air loo I was directed to move my chair away.  I look peculiarly at Dom and it was repeated and I reckoned that there had been a little plotting going on.  With a camera around I normally am very aware of where it is and where it's pointing but the last photograph was a close run thing as to whether it was going to be a camera that snapped or my neck. :-/

They can't get over the fact that there is no man in tow and when they mentioned ski-ing which is their euphemism for what KD of S and Annie get up to after several months apart I turned it round to the subject of Borovets in winter where in fact I have been ski-ing using two lengths of fibre glass and two poles covered with several layers of insulation.  Now I had to tell them that I prefer this type of ski-ing but with their schoolboy humour it did cause a giggle.  

The meat was delicious and infinitely better cooked than the last time when it was spit-roasted.  One to keep in mind for the future.  I think it's about time that I had one for the village in my garden only this time there will be more local women....not one in sight last night...they just don't get out to play.

Woke up at about four and realised that I was not at home having decided that if I had been stopped there was no way I could have blown into that bag and got away with it.  Up this morning at about seven, made myself a coffee, KD surfaced at about seven thirty and we are both early birds and enjoy the best part of the day.  Annie came to at about eight thirty and neither of us was sure if she was sleep walking since it not normally heard of for here to be up and about at that time.

Raided the garden for tomatoes, the book shelves for new additions, packed up my stuff and I was home for nine thirty.  Slept for a couple of hours this afternoon, into Spartacus, one hundred and twenty pages down and am about to go and fiddle in the garden.  I have found another melon about the same size on another plant so all is not lost on the melon front.  

Now do I have use for a man and his own tractor? ;)
Posted by: Neil, September 4, 2011, 3:44pm; Reply: 7
Quoted from Elsa Peters

Now do I have use for a man and his own tractor? ;)


Er... is that a euphemism?

Posted by: Old Holborn, September 4, 2011, 6:17pm; Reply: 8
I would be intrigued to see how a Lamb party would go at your place. I have a suspicion that more food would arrive than was taken, huge vats of yoghurt over the patio and wall to wall pancakes, and more headscarves than a blackpool magician.
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 4, 2011, 6:34pm; Reply: 9
Quoted from Old Holborn
I would be intrigued to see how a Lamb party would go at your place. I have a suspicion that more food would arrive than was taken, huge vats of yoghurt over the patio and wall to wall pancakes, and more headscarves than a blackpool magician.


Yes....but wouldn't it be fun ;)
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 5, 2011, 3:48pm; Reply: 10
Monday 5th September

Six -forty this morning....and felt really rested.  Got the bonfire going really early before many people were up to complain about it (not that anybody has) and then set to and dug down the side border getting rid of the weeds as I went..

Breakfast was boiled eggs but unfortunately I left them a little too long so those 'soldiers' that I prepared needed hob-nailed boots to break into the yolk so the remainder of the toast was covered in wild damson jam and was delicious.

Planted out some more tamarisk and the busy lizzies that had rooted in water are now in the old sink with the others and cleared out the weeds from the pots of plants round the terrace.  Took the gas bottle out after phoning KD of S for instructions on how to remove the valve........well ...I've never done it before ....and then drove to the gaz station for a refill costing 20 leva.  Got the thing back home, bloody canister seems to be leaking and not from the valve so need another one to test it on.  I spent good money on that connector and it even comes with a guarantee...but there again...it is a Bulgarian guarantee :-/

Very hot again today so got stuck in and finished the Spartacus book...didn't like the ending but maybe there is a sequel coming out or it go lost in translation.  Written by an Italian and translated by a lady with the same surname so I'm assuming family.  Perhaps she changed the ending and he doesn't even know about it. ;)

No supper tonight, I pigged out on tuna and mayo sandwiches.  That's the trouble when I go into Djebel I pick up fresh bread.  I scoff half a loaf, end up feeling as if I couldn't get another thing in even though I've got spare ribs of pork out of the freezer intending to do something with them....so it's pork spare ribs tomorrow then.

LN....I'm going to water my melons and then find another book....
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 6, 2011, 10:35am; Reply: 11
Tuesday 6th September

Six of the clock this morning...I'm back to the routine.  Usual coffee, garden and then decided to get rid of the rest of the heap behind the cherry tree.  I've shifted about ten barrow loads and they look like mini slag heaps at the bottom of the garden...a coal mining landscape in miniature... :-/

It's too hot to be out there now....I stuck it out until one twenty and that was enough.  Down tools...the remains of the tuna mayo as a taster for lunch and I'll do something a little later and just remembered....those spare ribs need attending to for tonight.  I might just have the barbecue out and yes...dinner for one please James... :-/
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 6, 2011, 6:18pm; Reply: 12
Tuesday continued

Brilliant day in the garden...the heap is no more, there are more little heaps at the bottom of the garden but they will soon be sorted with the rake.

Dug the underneath of the suckers, found five lengths of reinforcing rods in the shrubbery that might be useful later on, cleared several of the suckers that I just don't want where they are growing but now I've decided to cut them down and use them as a backdrop against the trees on the boundary.  That's the thing with this garden...it just happens but it's a slow process.  The ground is so hard seeing that it hasn't been dug for about twenty plus years but thank goodness for my English fork....the ones out here haven't got the strength.

Both of my honeydew melons are coming on a treat and one of the huge flat stones that I found when I was digging out the heap is now underneath one of the melon.  I'm so pleased.  Last year I was convinced that I was growing butter nut squashes and they turned out to be gourds....pretty but not edible.  This year...no gourds despite having planted them but two honeydews to date....

Martini night tonight....just about to get a shower and freshen up before bedtime...those spare ribs are still fridge bound...CBA...I'll check them out in the morning....

LN...I have things to do... ;)
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 7, 2011, 5:31pm; Reply: 13
Wednesday 7th September

Five after six...much better than six after five and out in the garden by about seven thirty.  Started the bonfire early and have got rid of most of the rubbish clearing as I went.  The cherry tree garden is taking shape and I've managed to surround part of it with chunks of stone but the rest of it was put on hold when a new tortoise that I haven't seen before (shell almost black) was trundling around in the shrubbery at the back of where I was working so I gave him the space.  Heard this rustle in the undergrowth and there he was.  

Phone call from Annie at about half past eleven saying could they come round for coffee and that they'd be here in about two minutes so thought I ought to have a wash, get dressed since my PJ's are multifunctional, and yes, they were about two minutes.  We sat out since it wasn't steaming hot today and my gas bottle and connector have made friends and apparently it was all because I didn't press the connector down hard enough when I introduced them hence the leakage.  So now I have a fully functioning cooker and I worked out that in fact it only cost me twenty-five leva for all my cooking from December to September which is approximately twelve pounds give or take a little.  Result.

They left at about one thirty and decided that I would go back out and face the weeds, keep that fire going and clear some more of the cherry tree garden and it's looking good.  No photographs today but tomorrow there will be some because this afternoon my Avatar came round to see how I was doing and to tell me that she has a new calf born at only seven months.  So we walked back to her house and the calf is a little beauty.  Very small but she was let out to take milk and while we were back in the garden she managed to escape from the pen and was running around with Socks in hot pursuit and they were about the same size.  I rushed to close the gate so that she couldn't escape and she was put back in the pen with mother.  We resumed our last of the evening sun having to drink cherry juice since the water is off (and we know not why) and I returned with a melon and half a dozen eggs which she refused to take any payment for threatening me with her stick should I darken her doorstep with money.

So home..continued in the garden only this time I was clearing the long hedge and had to boil up the kettle using bottled water and washed my feet outside.  Expensive alternative but they were so dirty after working in sweaty clogs all day....so beer opened and thanks to OH I am OK with having a little tipple every day since it is recommended that it's good for older women according to the BBC.  So until the results of the next survey come out and they tell me it's bad for me....I'm just going to enjoy it and not feel guilty.

LN....photo shoot of the calf tomorrow....and she wasn't tempted when I said that we could light the barbecue....  ;)
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 8, 2011, 5:33pm; Reply: 14
Thursday 8th September

Woke up at silly o'clock and spent a couple of hours reading.  There was a lot of noise last night... screech owl going ten to the dozen and I think I went off in a disturbed state so hence the three o'clock reveille. 'The Ides of March' is the latest release from the Samodiva library and it was a good anaesthetic last night.  So much so that my internal alarm didn't get going until seven and then I dog dozed which is more than the bloody dog down the valley did until seven forty five.  What is it with dogs....one starts they all start.  Now I'm not against them if they do their job and bark when necessary.  This bastard seems to bark whenever anyone walks by...it has no friends.  New name for him...Billy No Mates. :-/

As I said slow start but did get out there and finish the hedge line and there is no couch grass there until tomorrow and I've half stone edged the cherry tree garden rescuing some bloody big stones from the undergrowth.  It's looking good at least it will when I've finished and then I have lots of new baby shrubs to go in there as a nursery bed since it's pretty sheltered.

So into Djebel to get the tools to make the picture and that it tomorrows task now that I have the materials.  I explained to my lady in the hardware shop what I wanted the sheets of polystyrene for and she sort of scratched her head but I think she got the picture.  Back from Djebel, went round and got the pickies of the new calf and it was quite funny to watch my Avatar chasing the calf and Socks chasing both of them....and home...watered the garden since we were reconnected at about three thirty this afternoon.  It appears there was a problem in the lower or upper village according to how you look at it.  

Supper tonight out on the terrace ...spaghetti bolognaise from the freezer and a touch of the local beer just to help it down...really dark tonight at eight so all locked up for the night.  LN....it might be an early night for me...

Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 9, 2011, 4:56pm; Reply: 15
Friday 9th September

Late start...seven before I opened my eyes.  Went down made coffee, went out to watch the sun and realised that it was already up but struggling so back up stairs and took the photo from my bedroom balcony.  All change though, it managed to come out and I was outside until it got too hot to be there so came in.  I have made my material wall hanging that was destined for the lounge but now is going to re-sited in the hall.  Yet to be hung, that's the wall thing not me...and trying to work out the best method.  The wire is in the wreck and the pliers I've got to locate :-/

Lunch on the terrace, noticed that it had turned very humid, picked up my book and realised that there was no way my eyelids were going to make it.  Moved my frame into the lounge and true to form nodded off and suddenly came to and realised that it had started to rain so rushed out, dragged in the cushions and that was the end of my sojourn.  Only one heavy shower though...did nothing for the garden.

Heard a few guns going off as I was playing on the pc and went to investigate.  I could see the sheep in the next field and the sheep farmers two boys were herding them and they were moving quicker than I have ever seen them.  Two eight year olds with some sort of hardware with sixty sheep and one dog and not an adult in sight.  Responsible play...just like England eghhhh......I did take the picture and you can just see them....made me chuckle.

So in the middle of updating my diary....there was a certain amount of hilarity going on outside so I went to the second bedroom window to see one of my ladies in a wheelbarrow being pushed by one of the lads with my Avatar following on behind with Socks.....and again, too late with the camera. :-/

Eight o'clock here...and it looks like we might get some more rain. Early night for me and back to Julius heading for the Ides....I think it's about one o'clock on the 8th and I'm on page 68 already....LN....
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 10, 2011, 6:17am; Reply: 16
Saturday 10th September

Seven o'clock start again...coffee in the garden in my swinging chair under the cherry tree and I mused as to what should happen to the wreck....I need builders!!  They've spent too long on holiday and I've ideas just popping up and popping out and I need action.  I think I might have to make that phone call or start putting out feelers.....

Just spent some time looking at religions of the world after listening to a poem called 'What if I told you'.  As usual I always go to the comments and like to read the different interpretations.  My only comment is that if you look too closely at poetry it loses some of its appeal.  They don't write them like 'The Ancient Mariner' and 'The Lady of Shallot' any more but I suppose I was only led to them by an English literature teacher and the need for 'another certificate'.

PC off unless the Daily Mail Sudoko has been published and then I might have to spend a little time activating my numerical brain before I go out with the tape measure to do accurate drawings of the wreck.  I need something on paper if there are to be others 'assisting' with the renovations.  To horse!! ;)
  
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 10, 2011, 5:20pm; Reply: 17
Saturday continued

So my sheep farmer pulled up in his wagon and called to me so I went out to see what he wanted...and was I surprised...he was knocking seven bells out of a sheep in the back of his wagon.  Now I've seen one of them that obviously likes her independence and seems to detach herself from the rest of the flock...so he must have been alerted that she was off with the faeries and thought...fair enough...a good beating as opposed to a good bleating and all will be fine.   Wrong...she was on her own again in the adjacent field and I've got her number..... I did suggest ...juzz buzz (barbecue) but I am told she was 'with child' so it wasn't an option but obviously a good beating was. :-/

So I made tomato and chilli jam when it was too hot to work outside and it yielded only half a kilo from one kilo of fruit but tastes delicious.  Decided to give myself a pedicure which was of no use whatsoever when I decided to sort out the bottom of the garden.  So I had been burning the twigs / branches and realised it was a naff idea so started to accumulate them at the bottom of the garden to use as kindling for when I start the wood burner up...doh....but sorted now :-/

Freezer spaghetti for supper....must make another ton...slight overstatement but always handy to have....Annie went back today so the weather should be fine from now on...it's nice to know that the gods sent the parting shower but fortunately it was only a shower....rain....pahhhh.

Julius calls....it's the 11th and even though I know what happens on the 15th...it makes quite good reading...LN
Posted by: Old Holborn, September 10, 2011, 6:25pm; Reply: 18
Adopt the sheep that refuses to be a sheep. Very symbolic.
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 11, 2011, 5:43pm; Reply: 19
Sunday 11th September

Another beautiful day with wall to wall sunshine.  Up in the top twenties even in the shade and today I think I was out when I should have been in and vice versa....I decided that my cherry garden was in the shade most of the time because of the pear tree so I was working on it for a couple of hours and came in at approximately one thirty.

My wayward sheep was out there again and yes OH....I think I just might have to adopt...she obviously doesn't believe she is a sheep.  Likes her own company, stands apart from the crowd, doesn't follow the flock...we were meant for each other.... ;) ;)

Mid morning I found a bag of mushrooms in the bottom of the fridge that were drowning in their own perspiration so I cleaned them up, fried them off in butter and oil with the intention of making soup but in this weather...gave it a miss and got some minced beef out of the freezer to thaw and thaw it did.  Tonight's supper was a bit of a spaghetti bolognaise with mushrooms, honey, garlic, chilli but it did taste good.  I finished it off with the melon that my Avatar had given me the other day, with a hint of ginger and all this taking place on the terrace whilst supping a little of the Martini Rosso.

Went out again and did some more on my garden planting up a few shrubs and flowers that will last through the winter and was so pleased when the mosque started it's evening prayers.....I can come in now.  Lovely moon tonight...not quite full but getting there and so I'm going to say LN....I've a beer getting warm... ;)




Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 12, 2011, 3:54am; Reply: 20
Monday 12th September

Five thirty start and I know not why but I settled in to a few pages of Julius.  The mosque started up at six fifteen heralding in the dawn and what a beautiful morning it is.  I love the red glow of the sun before it softens into it's pink and blue haze and this morning it was a bonus....the moon was going down and managed to catch that as well.  

Washing done at cheap electricity rate and about to be hung out....coffee in the cup and all's good with the world.  What does my day hold?....how should I know....I've not had my second cup yet.  Oh and just for the record...it's the 14th March in Julius' land....
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 12, 2011, 5:44pm; Reply: 21
Monday continued

I'm knacked, knacked and thrice knacked.  I planted up the cherry tree garden, dug over the garlic bed, set to and started to dig out the right hand side border behind the cherry tree garden and ended up discovering yet another polythene mine...but this time it was serious stuff.  I'm sure the garden is going to be a foot lower when I've managed to dig it out but I bonfired lots of it but the wind got up.....and I chickened.  The garden is so dry that it would only take a spark.  Didn't hear the mosque tonight so I'm guessing that I was in the shower.  I just couldn't wait for his signal to stop...my body gave up.

So tomorrow I'm digging out the rest....I've cut back the sloe bush behind the wreck and the area is looking quite presentable.  I'm clearing it so that I can get the walkway clear between the wreck and the barn.  If the builders ever return, the first job is roofing the barn so that I can get my winter wood in there.  Hotfoot had about four tons delivered this morning and it makes it even more pressing to get mine underway....I'm thinking I might just have to phone the lads although it's still in the upper 20's and it is hot, hot, hot.....and not likely to get a full day in those temperatures.

Supper tonight....the remains of last nights spaghetti and mushroom thingy thrown into the slow cooker at fourish.  Delicious...sat out until I heard the first mosquito homing in and called it a day....update, emails and Julius calls....LN ;)
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 13, 2011, 11:52am; Reply: 22
Tuesday 13th September

Well it's the Ides of September today and quite appropriate...the Ides of March is now no more and it was a disappointing end....well...you sort of knew what was coming.  A visit to that Samodiva library seems to be on the cards....I understand that there is a good selection about the Burma campaign.  I'm getting hysterically, historically educated but I suppose I could always delve into the Chairman Mao that I haven't finished yet if I don't make Samodiva today, it ensures that the Chinese bot gives me the once over.

So what so far today?  Moved some more polythene, came in for a knife so that I could chop it away from the hedge line without bringing the hedge down and started on the PC.  Wrong....emails, one or two other favourite blogs.....wrote a reply to a contentious posting and then thought...what the hell....so I copied it and pasted it to Word with the intention of posting it when I get really peed off and it will happen.  Most times I'm on friendly blogs...I read postings, I make comments mostly funny but sometimes serious.  So I made one and did I rattle somebody's cage but then it was added to but with humour which seemed to compound the irateness if there is such a word.  Life's too short.  I worry about what I can change but if I can't then I don't worry....simple.

There I was minding my own business, looked up from my PC and bugger me.....one bastard bovine in the garden.  I went out, cow stick in hand but that bastard being couldn't remember where it had got in and of course, most of the garden is stock proof so it just stood there. I threw stones, it turned it's backside towards me, peed and dropped its load.  I chased it up the garden, down the garden to no avail so I heard the cowman's tractor coming along the road, flagged it down and three burly blokes got it over the terrace and on to the main road.  The fence is now fixed...two more planks down the right hand side of the garden and the barbed wire goes on when the sun has gone down....it's too hot to be out there now.  Twenty eight in the shade so I reckon I'll be staying in the shade for the next couple of hours or so.  One of the burly blokes said, 'It's hungry' and I couldn't quite manage in Bulgarian or Turkish, 'I don't give a flying whatsit, the farmer should feed the bastard'.

Catch you later....







Posted by: Neil, September 13, 2011, 5:20pm; Reply: 23
Have you ever thought of getting an electric fence?  They're not very expensive and they're a lot less work than all that wood and barbed wire.
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 13, 2011, 7:30pm; Reply: 24
Quoted from Neil
Have you ever thought of getting an electric fence?  They're not very expensive and they're a lot less work than all that wood and barbed wire.


This is Bulgaria...and it's much more fun this way....you get to talk to men on tractors that come to help a maiden in distress....well not quite maiden more one that has been bowled over by there compassion... ;)

No real update on today...went out when it was ok to do so...but the urge to eat overcame me and so as a quickie....fried egg and chips....not quite calorific concious,,,,but I reckon I'd worked it off in advance and was in credit...which is more than can be said for the rest of the UK...... I would say I'm in the 'black' but that would be so wrong... :-/ :-/

LN..I have my fan mail to answer ;)
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 14, 2011, 5:43pm; Reply: 25
Wednesday 14th September

Another hot one....a bit like yesterday I worked out in the garden until I could do no more so moved in and read for a while and planed the wreck...Looking at KD of S website and the  weather forecast for Kardjali, we're in for a few more days of the same.

Got on to the PC, moved into the lounge and thought about getting my head down but there was a man with a chain saw guaranteeing that there was not a chance.  I can't complain...he's the one that is going to get the old wreck roof beams into suitable lengths for burning through the winter so I couldn't very well leg it up the road and tell him to stop cutting hotfoot's wood and that the noise was upsetting me.  I'll get my own back on hotfoot when he does mine.... ;)

Headed into Djebel at about half past four just to get a few things namely beer and something for supper besides beer.  Got some paint to put on the lengths of ironwork that I dug out of the shrubbery...they will make good curtain poles when the rust is not showing through....Also bought an ironing board...why you might ask.  It's not that I've gone all smart like but if I am making curtains and there are a lot to do, I can iron the sewing line to make life a little less risky.  Straight seams...there's a first.

Just finishing off supper and decided to walk the garden and there is a ping from my phone.  My errant language teacher is stuck at the next village and is asking if I can go and fetch her....aren't I a softy.  Switched my supper off and headed the eight kilometres round trip.  I told her what a bad girl she was since I haven't seen hide not hair of her since the day she came round to escape the family.  She said that she was on holiday and did I fancy going down to Greece but the last two that I have seen since their return tell the story of multitudes of mosquitoes and they wear the badges of combat and not with pride.  So supper was spicy sausage with chilli, honey, pineapple and tomatoes served with rice.  Bit of good though I say it myself.

Nearly nine o'clock my end.  Can I just say to Danuta that I wish you a lovely time with our American friends.  Just make sure that they don't get too settled...they have lots of other friends to visit... ;) ;).

LN....and it's goodnight from me...  
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 15, 2011, 5:42pm; Reply: 26
Thursday 15th September

What a strange night.  I had one of those dreams that you want to come out of and can't and so vivid in the morning until you forget it and you get snippets raising their ugly heads throughout the day....maybe too much fruit cake...

So up and watched the dawn...it's the most beautiful time of day, tomatoes on toast for breakfast closely followed by peach and ginger jam on another slice of toast.  Got the munchies today but I'm working quite hard in high temperatures so working it off as I go...hopefully.  Not sure I'm working the beer off though but to date no increase in inches but I haven't been on the scales.  In one of the shop yesterday, a lady was trying to set up one of those bio-scales that calculate everything even your date of birth (I jest).   She was having great fun so I left them to it.  It looked really complicated and I didn't want to get involved.  As long as my clothes still fit I'll give the scales a miss.

Working in the garden and a visit from one of my neighbours confirmed who was cutting hotfoot's wood so I've commissioned him to start on mine when he's finished hers.  A man with a chainsaw is more useful than a man with a tractor... ;)  I've cleared my piles....of polythene, old grass and seeds and planted out a couple of honeysuckle but had to dig through very hard soil and fill it with decent stuff.  Just keeping my fingers crossed that they make it.  The rest of the cherry tree garden is looking healthy for a 'newby' and the marigolds that I planted out from one of the terrace pots are settling in.  The idea is that they will self seed for next year... well that's the plan but as a precaution I've taken off the seed heads and labelled them up ready for next year....

I've remade my wall hanging.  I kept looking at it and it wasn't long enough for where I've hung it so now it's about a meter and a half long and about 900 wide....I'll photograph it tomorrow in natural light...much better.

Eric Clapton on at full whack tonight.  No supper since I had a late lunch of oodles of tuna mayo and I think I'm full of bonfire smoke.  Need another shower and then early night...I have another dawn to catch tomorrow and I'm determined to finish clearing behind the barn...LN....hope it's sweet dreams tonight... :-/
Posted by: Neil, September 15, 2011, 6:51pm; Reply: 27
I had to look twice at your post tonight.  You talked about a man with a chainsaw and then 'I've cleared my piles...'  Ouch, that's one way of doing it, I suppose.  

I've been reading your diary for the last few weeks and I have been extremely envious of all the sun you're getting and the things you are able to grow.  I've spent loads of money on seeds, plants and gardening equipment and spent long painful hours digging and sowing and planting, and all I have to show for it is a few spuds and courgettes.  I've had two tomatoes so far and it's the middle of September.  The rest are out there on the vines, bright green and shiny, but they are so starved of sun and warmth that I'm not going to be able to eat them, except in a chutney perhaps.  Every day I promise myself that I will be moving to Bulgaria as soon as I can.  I've got at least another winter here in England to endure first, sadly.
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 15, 2011, 7:45pm; Reply: 28
Quoted from Neil
I had to look twice at your post tonight.  You talked about a man with a chainsaw and then 'I've cleared my piles...'  Ouch, that's one way of doing it, I suppose.  




No Neil...cleared them by having a bloody great bonfire.  Man with the chain saw is for the roof timbers that need to be made into sensible burning lengths for winter wood...tractor man was KD of S pal's plans to 'set me up'....

As for the veggies....quince coming to fruition, tomatoes still doing their stuff...peppers not much good but there again I'm not into peppers or courgettes. I'm pleased with my two melons though (steady..they are green and growing in the garden before any comments come winging back at me)....Last year I thought I was growing butter-nut squash but found out that they were ornamental gourds when the cows trampled half of them.  The remaining four are adorning my hall.  This year for me has been digging more of the garden.  I have no intention of having a garden of vegetables...I like my flowers and shrubs too much and since there is only me, not much use in growing for the troops but I do supply my neighbours with cuttings from shrubs that I brought out from England...and I make jam where my neighbours only put the fruit in syrup.  I've just made a tomato and chilli jam, peach and cinnamon and plum and ginger...now my neighbours don't do that....just need the gingham toppings for the lids to finish them off...
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 16, 2011, 5:40pm; Reply: 29
Friday 16th September

Yes I did catch the dawn...another superb beautiful day but I did miss a couple of hours of it this afternoon between three and five.  I decided to settle down with a book in the lounge and no, I don't have to finish the sentence do I.

The best laid plans...the intention was to clear the back of the barn which I partly did but my achievement for today was to get all of the old wood that served as a fence, before the barbed wire went up, from the bottom of the garden to the top and break it into suitable lengths for kindling for the winter.  Now you might ask why I am thinking about winter when it's 34 degrees and I'm asking myself the same question but when the men come back I shall be here and there getting supplies and days sort of go....hence the forward planning.  So now I am the proud possessor of a sand delivery bag of kindling, a pile of 'keeping it going if it needs a lift' stuff and the rest will be delivered as soon as I get storage sorted.  Before I get it into the barn there has to be a concrete floor laid and a new roof and the present storage in the wreck isn't large enough since I shall probably order three or four tons.  Last year I got caught out and stitched up on delivery costs not being able to estimate how much I wanted and it was easy for them to say that I'd only ordered one cubic and not one ton and still charge me the same delivery costs....not this year.....one delivery....one delivery cost.

So I've just come in....the bonfire is still burning getting rid of the leaves and twigs that aren't worth storing and I'm desperately in need of a shower smelling almost as bad as the bonfire.  I love them but don't you honk afterwards. Put my outside landing lights on to finish up outside and spotted three very ready plum tomatoes that I'd missed earlier. They're now sitting in the kitchen and I shall definitely be growing them next year.  Masses of fruit and delicious when cooked so I'll  be saving the seeds.

Short and sweet tonight. That shower is calling me and I think it's a little beer to wash away the soot....LN... ;)
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 17, 2011, 5:52pm; Reply: 30
Saturday 17th September

This morning I was already sitting out with my coffee when I noticed how red the sun was....and just had to snap it.  I had a very slow start today and it continued for the rest of the day.

I did achieve the five start Daily Mail online Sudoko instead of having to print it off and enter my answers or go to 'solve' in an extreme case.  Not a record time today but still fairly 'healthy'.  After wasting a couple of hours this morning on that and looking at a few other sites, I headed out for the pile of branches on the garden, got them to the drive and they are awaiting breaking up/ sawing when the mood comes over me.  At least working there is out of the sun because of the trees but decided that a late breakfast was the order of the day so toast with peach and ginger marmalade was good until a couple of wasps thought that it was a take away so headed indoors again.

By this time the sun was high in the sky and it was time to read that book and yes you've guessed it, I woke up at 6.00 pm and decided that I could put in a little effort and remove the ash from the bonfire now it was cold and wouldn't set fire to the hillside, rake over the humps of debris that I'd dumped at the bottom of the garden and restart the bonfire....what's a day without a 'burn-up', and finish clearing the garden.....Eight pm, put on the 'landing' lights and job complete....

As promised...pickie of my wall hanging...not into supper tonight, it's much too hot still.  I'll probably end up watching a couple of episode of 'In Treatment' that was recommended as part of Gouljan's employment development.  It's very American but with four to go in the series, it's at last getting interesting and I'm waiting for the fight to start....even if it's only throwing the rule books at each other.

So LN.....its nine pm my time and will soon be bedtime...down with the birds and up with the lark..... ;)
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 18, 2011, 4:58pm; Reply: 31
Sunday 18th September

Where has the day gone?   Shower and hair washed this morning and generally messed around. Did some washing, cleaned the windows since the spiders had taken to making their webs on the outside may I add, but it was getting to me.  Washed them town and used my super silicone removing tool to get rid of the water and it made quick work of it.  Twenty five minutes and all the downstairs done but the problem is now how to do the upstairs.  I need Mr Tickle arms....I'll put it on the back burner and see where we go from there.

The drive is cleared of the starter wood and it's all bagged up and ready for the winter....I attempted to clear some of the ground behind the barn but it was just to hot to be out there.  It must have been thirty five again today, it clouded over a little this afternoon, but failed to drop the temperature.  

So took to the the PC and was disturbed at about five this afternoon by my avatar and my other neighbour.  I did have a complaint...last night avatar's son, his wife and children were up partying until about one o'clock.  I heard the music and wondered where it was coming from so my complaint was that I wasn't invited.  I was very tempted to just go over there but there again....that's not really me...I don't gatecrash. I did tell her jokingly that the next time I am going to call the police because of the noise...but they would probably make more noise than was already underway..wrong move there then....they both left with a pot of plum and ginger marmalade since I gave one to hotfoot yesterday....they are the three musketeers...all for one and one for all... ;)

Supper on the terrace was gammon with tomatoes, honey, chilli and rice from the slow cooker.  Delicious and enough left for tomorrow....no books left so I have arranged with Samodiva library for a visit on Tuesday to refill the shelves...

A little light music tonight.....Sunday the day of rest so off to bed early....it's been along day.... ;)
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 19, 2011, 4:28pm; Reply: 32
Monday 19th September

There were clouds this morning and I thought we were in for a bad day.  Got out there fairly early and since the temperature was down decided to tackle the walkway between the wreck and the roofless barn so that the men have a clear run to do the barn first, roof it and lay a concrete floor so that I can get my wood away for the winter. Clearing it makes make sense in that it saves wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow going over the terrace when we start the next phase of the project.  After a day working on it, it makes no sense at all....I'm knacked, I've got blisters on my blisters and my back hurts....if only there was someone else here to talk reason to me occasionally... :-/...I think I need a sounding board.  Having said that, I did intersperse it with sessions on the hanging chair on the cherry tree so I didn't really slog my guts out all the time.  I did fill the wheelbarrow up quite full at one point and it took me down the garden and I was at a run...it's a bit like when the comment is made about the dog taking the owner for a walk....well my wheelbarrow took me.  Reminder to self...don't fill it so full next time... ;)

My sheep farmer has a new toy...a trials bike and he whizzed over the hillside leaving his sheep in the care of the two boys.  It was funny to watch...they're only about nine or ten years old and they were trying to get on to the back of the sheep for a ride.  They chattered away and the dogs that followed on were almost as big as they are.  

So tomorrow I am off to Kardjali with KD of S.  He is going to talk some sense into M-Tel, I'm going to ask then not to send me texts in Bulgarian...I think it was about none payment of bills but when I went in last time they said that there were none outstanding.  The main point of going is to go to my bank, set up standing orders for water and phone so that I can not have stupid texts.  The bank phoned me on Friday to remind me that I have to go in tomorrow so that I don't lose any interest....just like England egh....

Shower, I'm salty as hell.  I really worked at it today, I'm covered in a fine layer of dust and my feel are filthy....must think about supper and not just think about it but do something about it.  LN....I'll leave you with these shots of achievements for the day.  The final one of my neighbours...the standing joke is that where there are two women...you have a bazaar....how many bazaars do we have in the making.....LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 20, 2011, 6:02pm; Reply: 33
Tuesday 20th September

Cloudy start this morning but the sky was still pretty.....did some more of my digging before KD of S got here and was on to my toast and apricot jam when he arrived for his breakfast ...two ciggies and a couple of coffees.  His mission today should he choose to accept was to get his price plan changed with M-Tel and 'blow them up' for supposedly going over the plan and receiving a huge bill for his internet access for last month.  Price plans have come down here and I was able to change mine over to 'no boundaries' and cheap where he wasn't but today they 'rolled over' and was he disappointed.  I did my stuff at the bank...six months investment at an average of 6.5% so I'm a happy bunny.  

Popped in to the electrical shop and I got a hand blender and a webcam since my kiddiwinkles complain that I don't have one to speak to the grandchildren and stopped at Lidl and filled up with tuna and butter.  Back to Djebel and into a new restaurant over the supermarket for lunch...statutory half a loaf with beef soup for two...three leva...Also had a telephone call from the lady of my garage man asking me if I will give English lessons to her son.  Apparently he has been going to Kardjali with no improvement so I said that I would do it for free and if she felt it was worth it, they could start paying so I've got to get some teaching plans sorted.  He's a good boy and only eleven years of age but I think that in Bulgaria, they learn from the text book and they know more grammar that I do after five years in a Grammar School but they don't know how to speak it...perhaps a kiddies club would be on the cards...must sort myself out...

So got back home and did another tour of the garden since KD of S doesn't smoke in the house and he said that it was about time that I pulled up my solitary beetroot and when I did he was amazed and so was I.......it's huge....and we decided to cut one of the melons to ripen and left the other on the plant.  

Popped round to see my neighbour tonight and hotfoot gave me some......tomatoes so I think I'm jam making again tomorrow....She did offer me peppers but not my favourite fruit of the loom.

So today's pickies.....tomorrow I'm back on that chain gang and I'm determined to finish the gap between the two buildings or excuses for buildings...they'll look fine with a roof on and I've got my standby builders in the wings.....so I'll keep you informed.....

LN....I'm sleepy....
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 21, 2011, 6:55am; Reply: 34
Wednesday 21st September

Did I have a giggle this morning....I always read through the previous day's post just to see if it makes sense in the broad light of day...and this morning there was one bit I didn't understand.  So I hit the edit button and everything seemed to make sense...so I hit the post button and it didn't.  The inbuilt 'filth' detector had substituted 'rolled over like pu$$y cats' into 'rolled over like ladies private cats'.  So now I know to use substitute letters when I'm going to put in anything that might be suspect....

This morning's weather...it's dull and raining, bit of a gale blowing and the temperature is way down but there is a hint of it getting lighter over the mountains which is where the clouds are coming from.  I'll keep you informed but I must get on...breakfast calls and those tomatoes and beetroot need something doing with them.
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 21, 2011, 4:19pm; Reply: 35
Wednesday continued

The tomatoes are still waiting to be attended to.  My one beetroot is boiled, pickled and bottled and it make one jar.  The recipe did say take six medium sized beetroot but since I had only managed to grow one thumping great big one...it had to do and do it has.  It's now cooling and will be transferred to the fridge for a few days and then will be ready for the off.

Visitors today...people over from England called a day earlier than expected and caught me out on the housework front.  I'd looked at it this morning and decided that since it was persisting down that I would wait for another hot day so that the quarry tiles dried in quick sticks....ah well...they took me as they found me but they love the house.  It was quite sweet when he asked permission to sit in my PC chair on the landing and take in the view.  I'm not precious about things like that...it's nice to know that someone is as appreciative as I am.....and he did leave a book as a donation to the library.  Good bloke....

Lousy day and I had to put on my two layered army trousers and a fleece sweater...from thirty two to about fourteen isn't a joke...my body needs a little more time to grow accustomed to it.  Even my pink fluffy slippers were on at one point today but I'm back to being barefoot now.  

Spent the rest of the day looking for inspiration for the approaching English language lessons.  The thing is as I said yesterday...I'm having to learn all the different verb cases but I've found two good free sites with exercises and comprehension texts so I shall be getting some education as I give it...

Short and sweet tonight...think I might be lighting the wood burner...just for effect...it sort of makes you feel warmer.  LN....the winter quilt is going on and the door to the balcony staying firmly shut....
Posted by: Neil, September 22, 2011, 11:10am; Reply: 36
Good luck with the teaching.  I used to teach English as a foreign language in Hong Kong.  It was great fun.  Mind you, most of my students were young adults who wanted to improve their English rather than children.  You could do worse than getting some children's picture books from the library and using them for teaching vocabulary.  Vocabulary is very important in the early stages, because you need to have something to talk about, but try and establish correct grammar from the start as well.    

This site might be useful.
http://englishharmony.com/speak-fluent-english-with-limited-vocabulary/
It's aimed at relatively fluent learners but if you go to the links in that site you will find lists of words that make up 90% to 95% of every day English speech.  It's a great guide as to what you should be teaching.  You could become rich soon, teaching all the children for miles around.  :)  

I would love to be teaching again.  There aren't many jobs going for TEFL teachers where I live.  Have fun.
Posted by: Joanna, September 22, 2011, 6:00pm; Reply: 37
Quoted from Neil
I've had two tomatoes so far and it's the middle of September.  The rest are out there on the vines, bright green and shiny, but they are so starved of sun and warmth that I'm not going to be able to eat them, except in a chutney perhaps.


Fried green tomatoes are quite acceptable, as long as you don't expect them to taste of ripe tomatoes  :)

Just catching up with you Elas, as I have been a tad busy myself. Are you still going to England at Christmas time?
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 22, 2011, 8:08pm; Reply: 38
Thursday 22nd September

What a day... horrendous storms in the night and the rain and wind woke me up at silly o'clock so started a new book that I had been given...Street with no name....childhood and other misadventures in Bulgaria.  So with the weather still not behaving itself I settled into the book and managed to knock off two hundred or so pages, sitting outside when the weather picked up a bit but back inside pretty sharpish when the wind picked up.

As my lift arrived tonight my lovely lady with two sticks who is Avatar's sister was setting off for her home.  I went over for a chat and my male visitor decided that he would like a photograph of us together so I asked her for permission for him to take it.  She agreed and it will be published forthwith.  I admire that woman...she is bent over almost double after spending her time in the fields with tobacco and the likes and still manages to walk two hundred meters each way to visit her sister.  Disability allowance???...not even heard of here....attendance allowance....the same....but they maintain such high spirits despite everything.

Out for supper tonight with KD of S and the friends from England and we went to a fish restaurant that I hadn't been to before in a village that I had never visited so two 'firsts' for me.  Absolutely fantastic...carp cooked to perfection with chippies and a huge salad washed down with the local beer and what's more I wasn't driving... superb company and enlivened, even if at times challenging, conversation.  We ended up dropping KD of S off at his local just to top up, I popped in to say hello and goodbye abstaining from the offers of drinks....so the cost of an evening out for four with several beers and food...fifty leva....twenty four pounds roughly of anybodies money...try that in England.  

Back home now....the washing machine has just been set to go at cheap rate, there is a hot brandy and water by my side and the book is ready waiting for me by the bed.

As for the tomatoes Joanna there is still some heat in the sun, it just went away for a couple of days but the green tomato chutney recipe is waiting in the kitchen until it is deemed that there is no chance of the tomatoes taking on a rosy hue and as for the teaching Neil...not so much a formal session that's why there's no charge until we see if it's working....let's look on it as an experiment but thanks for the link...I'll give it a whirl.

My book is waiting so let's see what she gets up too in Bulgaria that I haven't thought of yet....LN...sixty pages to go....
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 23, 2011, 5:16pm; Reply: 39
Friday 23rd September

The book still waits and still sixty pages to go.  I fell asleep last night before I even got halfway down a page.  

It was a beautiful morning and too good to be indoors so I heard that passageway between the two buildings calling and I couldn't ignore it.  It is now complete.  I spent a couple of hours digging up the runners of old shrubs that had been left to their own devices and fortunately shallow rooted but ran for about a couple of meters.  So the roots coupled with half a ton of polythene (artistic licence) created a good bonfire this afternoon and it's still going now.

Had my shower already since I was covered in a very fine layer or dust and I'm just about to drive into Djebel to have chicken wings and cheesy chips since I'm not in the mood to be doing stuff in the kitchen tonight.  I haven't seen my restaurant lady for what seems like weeks so it will be good to catch up and have an alcohol free evening.  Locals don't bother but it's one of the rules that I stick to quite avidly.  

So short and sweet tonight unless something interesting happens down at the restaurant that I can't keep from you until the morning.... A man with a chain saw is definitely coming tomorrow to saw up the old roof timbers so that will be another job out of the way.  Really important now to get a roof on the barn and a concrete floor down so I can see what wood I have and decide how much I will need to order.....

LN....that restaurant calls.....
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 24, 2011, 4:52am; Reply: 40
Saturday 24th September

Knocked off only five pages of the book before I slept the sleep of the just ...or just worn out from shifting the stone and muck from the passage way yesterday.  Nothing to report from the restaurant last night...my lady had gone to a wedding so I gathered so son and wife were running the place but the food was good and the cost for the night out approximately three pounds for a super plate of cheesy chips, chicken wings and fruit juice...no alcohol...driving....

Just adding some of this mornings lovely start to the day....the thing I pictured going down last night is up again this morning....that beautiful sun is back again and we are back to September weather.  There's a nip in the air but still threatening a really hot day so out with the wheelbarrow early ....to horse....
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 24, 2011, 4:09pm; Reply: 41
Saturday continued

And my man with the chain saw arrived with his wife and did the deed.  She was very sweet...she even helped me stack it.  So the heap from by the barn is all gone as is the timbers from the cherry tree garden which is where I had dumped it when it came down from the roof.  It's all sawn into lengths for the wood burner and he just had enough benzine to finish the job that we thought we had.  We did find some more wood secreted away but there can always be a next time....total for the job...thirty leva....

Cleared up the yard and had a good bonfire and noticed that there were loads of butterflies around the flowers on the side garden.  Never seen so many all at once...there is obviously some food left in them for the butterflies.  Had to go and ask my neighbour for one man for five minutes just to help more the huge oak timbers that I didn't want cut up to the back of the barn.  It was the man who drove the digger machine when I had the toilet pit dug out and he hadn't seen the house with the terraces...liked it very much.

I've been invited over to my Avatar's house tonight for a little beer and something to eat...so wanting to update this before I go...not sure what time I'll be back....they were very noisy last time until about one and it's probably because I joked about the noise that I have the invite....some pickies of the butterflies and the wood store....LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 25, 2011, 5:10pm; Reply: 42
Sunday 25th September

Last night's party was a great success....well not so much a party but a family get together with my Avatar, her two sons, wives and grandchildren.  Now the youngest speaks really good English for a twelve year old and the rest of the family found it easier to converse in Turkish which left me a little bit confused.  I can't really follow a Turkish conversation but the boy was used as a 'translator' and 'question asking' medium by the son that I don't know very well.  They had a little bottle of whisky for one of the sons and the other's wife, a little bottle of rakia (plum brandy), a small bottle of mastika (ouzo) and  had got me a bottle of local beer in and insisted that I brought it home with me.  Supper was tomato and onion salad, chippies and barbecued chicken and beefburgers.  Unfortunately it looks like there is a cold doing the rounds and I'm just hoping that I don't go down with it.  Not much sign of the rest of the crew this morning.  My Avatar was out getting weeds for the cows at nine thirty this morning and she told me they were all still sleeping.  Just the old ones about then.... :-/

So what have I done today....pottered in the garden and decided to remove the old gate dumped in the lime pit and took it apart.  It was made up of old roof beams and a couple of pallets and it's now a long table/storage bench sitting under the kitchen window.  It's to put logs on outside the door to save legging it to the barn if it really gets bad.   It reminds me of Oates...'I may be some time"....but there's nobody to tell so maybe I should leave a recorded message.  I also put wood preservative on it and as I painted it on, the flaming bristles came out of the brush so it looks like a mohair bench....should keep it warm in the winter... ;)

Went into Djebel today and there were seven motorcycles all lined up outside the car parts shop and not a rider in sight.  I wonder if one of them was on the mobile complaining about the roads.  I know KD of S takes great care when he's out on his.  Apparently one bright spark is recovering in hospital after not believing that the sign for 'bend in road' actually meant that there was one.

Finished my book and quietly enjoyed it.  She did the tourist route, some of it I have already done, and she's made me  interested in visiting other areas.  She made her travels using the Lonely Planet guide book so maybe I need a copy.  

It's gone cold now that the sun's gone down but I suppose it's almost October.  Time for the remains of last night's beer and I'll have my own little party tonight.  LN...my job for tomorrow is to put wood preservative on the other two benches that I've made...makes them look a lot better..but need to buy some decent brushes first....China workmanship.... :-/
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 26, 2011, 5:00am; Reply: 43
Monday 26th September

New working week...new feel in the air....distinctly autumnal this morning.  Few clouds in the sky but might just disappear as the morning wears on.  Not many of the Greek mountains visible...perhaps they are under a cloud :-/

Sheep are out but there still isn't much grass on the hillside...it's only rained once, serious rain that is in the last three months.  They're sticking their heads through the barbed wire surrounding my garden and looking at it longingly but it's doing its job, they're on the outside and I'm on the inside.  Reminds me of the joke about woolly jumpers but at least they're growing theirs...I've got to dig mine out of my winter clothes.

Tasks for today....clearing the barn and putting wood preservative on the other two bench things ready for the winter.

Breakfast first...then I'll see....and obviously post the results later...
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 26, 2011, 3:19pm; Reply: 44
Monday continued

Well I promised to post the results and here you go......I'm absolutely knacked.  Bit between my teeth though and wanted to finish it and almost there.  I've left the corner bit since I believe it is holding up the outside wall so I thought I wait for a man 'what knows' before I remove it.  As for putting the wood preservative on the benches...that can wait for another day...far too busy :-/

Had a bonfire going all day and as I removed the rubbish I got rid of it....no polythene, no jam pot lids...what is this garden coming to ;)  Going to see what I can get for supper....spag bol I think...sounds like a plan....LN...I'm off to the kitchen....
Posted by: linda g, September 27, 2011, 3:56pm; Reply: 45
Hi Elsa, House and garden looks great. You seem to be making fantastic progress. I dont know how your doing it. I would probably look at it and think get a tradie in...hehehee. But I guess they are either scarse or slow moving and outragiously expensive. But you have done a great job. Your a better woman than I am Gungadin...... :-/ 8)
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 27, 2011, 4:11pm; Reply: 46
Tuesday 27th September

I'm full of anticipation today.  I have my English language student and I'm sure I'm more nervous than he is.  I wrote training material for years, created full induction programmes for new starters and managers but this somehow unnerves me...maybe being away from it for so long.  

My Avatar needed to get to Djebel.  Her daughter was taking her to Momchilgrad to visit the dentist and there are only two buses from the village at around that time....Monday (market day) and Friday (Holy day) so I offered to do the deed.  So off we went at 9.30 to the daughter's apartment and at 10.30 I was on pancakes, tomatoes, yoghurt, airan (yoghurt milk drink), jam and coffee....enough...their hospitality is overwhelming.....so now I was in a hurry to get prepared for the lesson and yes, you've guessed it, the printer jammed and I am now in a panic.  Out with the tweezers, the long needle and I managed to clear it.  My problem was that I didn't know what level the boy was at so I chose pot luck and printed off a few stories and exercises.  It went well.  I had to explain from the text 'tiptoes' so I showed him what it was.  I teach in pictures and by the end of the lesson I was worn out and he had a book of words from the script and the Bulgarian translation from the dictionary and in his own words. His mother phoned me to say that he enjoyed it and same again on Thursday.  I did tell her that he had homework so we'll see what he achieves.  Now I'm not too serious about the homework stuff but he'll have to go through the text again until he knows it by heart.  Believe me. ;)

So home via my restaurant and I found a thumping great something on my doorstep....not sure if it is edible or not...could be a butternut squash or a gourd but whatever...it's spectacular.   Not sure where it came from but I have an idea that it arrived courtesy of the lady whose husband chainsawed the roof timbers....I'll find out tomorrow.

Supper tonight...from the slow cooker.   I massacred last night's spaghetti bolognaise playing on the computer when I should have been attending to my supper....so this morning threw it in the slow cooker with the remains of the spaghetti, tomatoes, mushrooms, a dash more of red wine and it has slowly simmered all day and it now ready to serve with a chunk of bread and that half bottle is staring me in the face and it's crying out...drink me...drink me and I don't ignore a friend's request of that nature...  LN....I have things to do and a friend to attend to....
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 28, 2011, 4:15pm; Reply: 47
Quoted from linda g
Hi Elsa, House and garden looks great. You seem to be making fantastic progress. I dont know how your doing it. I would probably look at it and think get a tradie in...hehehee. But I guess they are either scarse or slow moving and outragiously expensive. But you have done a great job. Your a better woman than I am Gungadin...... :-/ 8)


Sheer will power Linda..remember dad was a miner and I suppose it's inbuilt...labour is available and cheap but I just need to do things for myself sometimes...it's so easy to 'pay'.

So what have I done today?  Very little.  I went over to visit KD of S to pick up the plants that he wants to be cared for over the winter since he is having a little sojourn in the UK...I promised to look after them with my life, for what it's worth, and they are in his soil so they should be OK....mine tends to go rock hard and they have a hard job to survive.  I have two lemon trees, one orange tree, several cacti, a couple of fuscias and lavender.  Let's see what makes it.  His theory is that if it does OK, if it doesn't...still OK but I'm thinking of each little plant's soul and so I promise to do my best... :-/ and I just hope it's good enough.  After all I've got loads of rooms that I can shelter them in.

When I got back from KD's I established pretty quickly that the water had been turned off when I went to give the plants a welcome glass of the local.  So up to my Avatars I went and they were having a party of sorts.  I confirmed that it was Remsie, my neighbour from the square that had delivered the pumpkin that I photographed yesterday and I suppose I now want instructions as to what to do with it.  As well as plants I came back with a Turkish phrase book and dictionary and I astounded them with words which up till now had remained unspoken only in Bulgarian and not in Turkish.   Hotfoot gave me a little Pomack 'gypsy Turk"' ballad and we discussed the uprising of the gypsies in Plovdiv and Sofia.  I advised my Avatar that there were gypsies in Benkovski which is a village not a million miles away and her guest said that she had gypsy neighbours in Momchilgrad... that again is over the river....six of us sat down for a natter...a little Turkish, Bulgarian and when I said 'Right, I'm off', this was immediately chorused so I think I might have another English class started.  Makes more sense....and saves me learning two languages where they only have to learn one and if I shout it should be easier for them.... ;) ;)

Tonight...rehashed hash with extra spaghetti added and I have already added beans to the slow cooker so baked beans for breakfast.  The water is still off so I might have to visit the shrine at the lower village and fill up my water bottles but I'll see who else wants it tomorrow if there is still no water flowing....LN....that's enough for tonight....I have some preparation to do for tomorrow's English lesson...with my neighbours...I'll make EU citizens of them yet....

Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 29, 2011, 6:45am; Reply: 48
Thursday 29th September

Still no water and I'm about to go to Studen Voda (Cold Water)...the water tap in the bottom village to fill up my water bottles.  There was a bit of a cuffuffle in the lane last night and from my bedroom window I saw Star Mush's well under attack...well cows have to be watered....about six of the ladies were around it. I suppose I could put my water pump down there but for the amount that I use...it's not worth unpacking it...still virgin and in the box supplied by Lidl UK about two years ago.  I'm still waiting for a small child/adult to sort my well out....apparently there was loads of rubbish put down there by my now absent neighbour, yes you've guessed it....Star Mush.

Off to the well......got to prepare for my session with my student this afternoon and I suppose I should really do something with those tomatoes before they're only good for composting... :-/
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 29, 2011, 5:31pm; Reply: 49
Thursday continued

Went to the spring and filled up two seven litre bottles and it is so peaceful up there.  It's at the end of the road and there is a lake and if you carry on further, on foot that is, you get down to the river where the 'lads' go swimming.  So as I was filling the bottles I suddenly remembered the camera...next time....my head was full of functional things like....no sodding water for two days.  I did see the water board lorry at the side of the road but no sign of anybody working but someone must have been, when I got back from Djebel normal service was resumed.

It's so natural here.....when I said to my man that walks his cows daily, that I had been down to Studen Voda he raved about the quality of the water and how sweet it is.  I don't notice the sweetness.  I suppose years of having chlorinated and fluorided stuff fed into me I just don't appreciate the difference....I shall have to set my mind to it and see if I can.  Must say though, I know why it is called 'Cold Water'....it really is.  Fair sets your teeth on edge.

My Avatar's sister with the two sticks was half way from her house when I set off for the water and she had just arrived at Avatars when I had driven a couple of kilometres down the road, filled up the bottles, driven back, parked up and we arrived at the door at the same time as I was making my delivery.  That woman is truly amazing.  Two sticks, bent double, hurts her to walk and they put it down 'to life'.  Almost resigned, always a smile when you meet and greet her and I must get her photo on here for you.  When you think of all of the people whizzing around on scooter things in the UK....and free cars....enough said. :-/

As I said...went to Djebel...delivered my second lesson and it was OK I think.  It's trying to pitch it at the right level and the way that they teach it here is that they can all read it fairly perfectly...there's just no understanding or speaking of the written word.  Did a little bit of shopping, home for four, watered my plants and the new ones from KD of S and my terrace is looking a bit like Kew Gardens.  Just keeping my fingers crossed that I manage to keep them going until he wants them back.  

Enough...supper was chilli bean thingy with a big chunk of fresh bread.  A glass of beer to wash it down (not force it down) and at eight thirty I'm about to get settled in for the night, close up shop since the doors are still open after a fabulous day, find a new book and relax...LN...
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 30, 2011, 4:29am; Reply: 50
Friday 30th September

Right on 'q', mosque strikes up. howling dog takes up the rendering and boy is it nippy out there.  My washing is dangling in the morning mist with not a hint of sun or breeze to drive away the moisture....so far....not so good but it's set to improve according to the three day BBC Kardjali reports.  Not sure what I want to do today...I could do curtains, the garden is in reasonable condition so I could start indoors or I could go with the Holy day here and have a holiday.....

So I mentioned yesterday my lovely lady, Avatar's sister who walks with great difficulty yet still manages to smile.  My last week's visitor from the UK took this one of her and I hope you can recognise which one is me or you'd better book in to Specsavers...she's the happy smiling one....so that should give you a clue :-/  I'm the happy crouched down one so that I didn't tower over her....

Catch you later when I work out what I've managed to achieve from that non-existent list.....and before I forget...it wasn't a butter nut squash that got left on my doorstep...it's a gourd.  I asked Avatar's daughter how to cook it and was given a strange look...and now I know why....
Posted by: Elsa Peters, September 30, 2011, 4:22pm; Reply: 51
Friday continued

Cleaned the house from top to bottom, balcony windows, inside and out.  Now I don't go much on this housework lark but my theory is if you tidy as you go there's not much to do but it was more the floors that wanted doing.  This house is so simple ....terracotta tiles throughout so within a couple of hours I had done windows, hoovered through, turfed the mats out and given them a good shake, washed the tiles, tidied those 'little bits' that accumulate in ashtrays and on table tops, burnt the empty beer and tonic bottle and was sitting in the sun at twelve thirty wondering what to do next.  Washing came in since there were a few spots of rain and why ever not, I'd just cleaned my windows....and the washing went upstairs onto the clothes airer to finish off.  

Decided to put the wood preservative on the other two bench things and this time I used the new brush that I'd got on Tuesday, paying more than I usually would, but the bristles stayed in and it went on like butter.  Another job done for the winter.  I might very well bring all the outside furniture in and create another lounge upstairs.

One other reason for cleaning through is that it's the village fete on Sunday and I might very well have a visit from the family that used to own the house....so like a good boy scout / girl guide, I'm prepared.  I decided to give the wood burner a first of the season fire up despite the fact that it is still eighteen outside...that short sharp shower wasn't even recognised as being one...as I said it's just because I cleaned my windows.

No supper for me...late lunch and not really hungry....it will probably be cheese on toast when I get the munchies about nine tonight....LN....I think I might do Kardjali tomorrow so I don't mess the house up... ;)
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