Friday 1st March

Chestita Baba Marta.....Welcome Grandmother Marta and as for those naked shepherds frolicking on the hillside in the morning dew, they'd have wanted their thermal fleeces around the delicate parts of their anatomy.  That romantic thought would have resulted in frost bite.  The hillside is shrouded over in mist, the ground covered with the silver glitter of a hoary frost and the moon was saying goodnight to the west when I was out this morning with my binoculars.  Obviously no game shepherds in my village or in the surrounding...my binoculars are very strong and my eyesight dam good.... ;) ;)

Going into Djebel on the bus....got my wrist bands to hand out to the people that matter and of course I am sending one to all of you....we love this day and this month....

Friday continued

Walked to the bus stop and met up with my Avatar and she told me that Tommy hadn't eaten for a couple of days.  She said that she'd tried him with milk this morning and looking into his eyes...the poor thing looked really down.  His little heart was beating like a goodun and I suggested that she got the doctor out but knowing that that would cost twenty leva that's before injections I offered to cough up for the poor thing.  

Onto the bus and my friends and neighbours were off to the Mosque since it's mosque day.  I think it's got a lot to do with meeting up with friends rather like the local pub in England on a Sunday lunchtime only in this case there is no alcohol involved...only the holy book and a few prayers.  Went to the supermarket, bought some more wrist bands for Baba Marta since they were thin on the ground and handed out and received the first one at my student's mum's shop and she fairly summed it up.  It is a national day that transcends all religions....Also got some cakes and on to Gouljan's school and made a surprise visit for this special day so all of the assistants got handed one and three of the students who happened to be in that morning.  We munched biscuits, had some of the Baba Marta children's songs on You-tube for the children and I bought an octopus made in red and white by the children.  All proceeds for these specials go to fund books for the unit.  I'm made very welcome there. :)

A few more handed out and received and back on the bus with my purchases.  Checked up on Tommy and he's been given an injection by the vet and I thought it as well to bypass the casserole that I certainly wasn't going to eat, and I heaved it over the hedge for the other cats and dogs...bit like a walk through.

Turned in to a beautiful day today and superb sunset but I really do have to find a few more themes.  Phoned the Librarian and she's coming over tomorrow to see the pc doctor (me).  I think she's having the same problems as I had with Facebook so I'll try my remedy.  Fire's going, beans and spicey sausage tonight and I think it's time to batten down the hatches...it's going to be another cold one tonight...LN...time I made a move...

Saturday 2nd March

Again a silly night.  I woke up at one and read until two thirty and when I went off I was in one of those dreams that just won't let you go.  Over and over the same thing and I was so pleased it was morning and six thirty.  Opened the curtains and we had thick fog but frost on the ground and both took a long time to shift.

Librarian arrived at about ten and I was just getting in the logs.  She didn't offer to help and is aware that I want to do things for myself.  Pushing my wrist every day is going to get it better sooner but the aches last night were so bad that I did take a painkiller.  I think I must have got it cold yesterday and it affected it.   She arrived with eggs as a Baba Marta gift and we exchanged wrist bands.  Such a nice festival.

Played computers and managed to get the Kindle application loaded on to her pc.  The system returned a message that I hadn't got enough privileged to load it so looked at the user file and there was an application loaded that neither of us understood so it got zapped and suddenly this dog's hind leg of a pc started to gain momentum...don't know what we did but doing it allowed me to load the application and so gave her access to some of the books that I have.  Her kindle arrives next week hopefully as a thank you for helping me out with hospital visits and the likes....

Lunch was beans and spicey sausage with crusty bread and fruit juice....not even a sniff of the brewed stuff at all.  She legged it at five thirty more or less, restarted the fire since I'd let it go down as it was twenty five in the hallway today and on the top landing.  So much so that I had doors and windows open to let fresh air into the place.  Going cold now.....no need for supper since lunch was very substantial....I think a little brandy and water might just make it all better tonight.  Battening down....book to get back to.....chilled internally but not externally...LN...

Sunday 3rd March

So after a bit of a disturbed night where I didn't know where to put my arm either to keep it warm or cold I eventually woke up at seven twenty which was a bonus.  Misty start which burnt off at about ten and it was eleven before I felt like breakfast.  Out with the frying pan, one remaining roll and one egg dutifully cracked and fried, lashed with brown sauce and demolished sitting in the sun reading.  

Collected the logs and cleared up the corridor in the little house armed with my sweeping brush and my trusty gardening clogs.  I swept up the wood chips from the log chopping and the dust from the cement floor and moved some metal bars.  Not sure it if was a wise move but I feel I need to do something physical and reckon that lack of exercise is the reason that I'm not getting in my statutory eight hours.

Stretched out this afternoon on my sofa in the hall when I heard some card doors slamming and realised that they were pretty close,  I heard a knock on the door, there was a mother and daughter standing on the threshold and I vaguely recognised the older lady but couldn't thing who she was.  I invited them into the lounge and it suddenly struck me that she was wearing a jacket out of the same material as the cover of the sofa that she was sitting on....and it clicked....she worked in the shop where the material had come from.  So the young girl explained that she had a job in Djebel and had to deal with the English customers on the telephone and wanted me to give her some English lessons.  I think she just needs more practice so next Sunday she is coming with her sister who is currently at university and we are going to try to sort out a programme.  I think she reads it OK but it's thinking on her feet to get the grammar right and the little words into the sentence that they don't use in Bulgarian.  Anyway,,,we'll see how it goes...I'll have to get my thinking cap on for this one.

Evening setting in and the hills are going misty....fire going..finished another of the books and have programmed in the eighth so ready to start....time to rub in another layer of gel on the wrist and hope for a better night.  LN,,fingers crossed for me... :-/ :-/

Monday 4th March

So another sleepless night and not in Seattle....I'm getting tired of this or tired because of this.  I put my right arm in, my right arm out and I did shake it all about at one point in sheer frustration....might have to go back on the tablets that were prescribed for my ribs, I didn't get any side effects from those not like the last lot where I seemed to suffer from tinnitus and a gluey ear.  

Saw the sunrise reflected in the windows overlooking my little house so shot out of bed and the sun was just over the mountain but it was before the mist started rising from the river....very clear it was.  Djebel...market day...yes...no and at eight I put down my kindle, washed, dressed, breakfasted and caught the bus going to its furthest most point all for two leva.  My neighbours were very surprised to see me already ensconced when we came back through our village.  So into the car shop and booked in the Librarian's car for Friday for a check on the brakes and break light that keeps coming on.  Picked up some seed trays, a new outside sink waste pipe since the winter had destroyed the last one, a brush for applying insect death fluid to a couple of untreated beams and a pair of work gloves so that I don;t end up the same colour as the beams.  Walked the market and bought nothing, back to the car shop, into the supermarket for a few things and decided to take a taxi instead of waiting for the bus since there was a cold wind even though the sun was out.
As the taxi approached my house, the boy that used to work in the garage was pulling up and there to collect my batteries and take them to the garage to have them checked out and re-charged.  That's the universe at it again...if I'd have come back by bus I would have missed him.

Tommy came round and lay on the patio this afternoon and I managed to find some ham that I wouldn't be eating for him.  He sat there so patiently while I took a photo before I fed him but I think it didn't even touch the sides.  The dogs only seem to get bread and stale bread at that...no wonder he likes coming here.  Changed the outside waste pipe, cooked hamburger things and onions and put them on crusty bread for lunch and settled down with my book and stretched out like a cat on the sofa in the hall I crashed out catching up with some of the sleep that I missed overnight.  Pretty fresh now...can't say that I need to think about food...I'm still pretty full from a late lunch.  Temperature has dropped again and is apparently into minuses tonight though not sure how many.  House is warm, fire ticking away nicely, wine box has just been opened and let's see if it does the trick tonight.

I'm off to the lower level to get set for the night...LN..I'm painting and gardening tomorrow if the weather holds...LN.. ;) ;)

Ah look at Socks! He's grown into such a cutey! I can't believe how big be his since we were there...

Is he still a big softie?

Tuesday 5th March

Quoted from MikeyB

Ah look at Socks! He's grown into such a cutey! I can't believe how big be his since we were there...

Is he still a big softie?

That is indeed Socks or Tommy to give him his given name....he's such a sweetie with a lovely nature....you can see it in his eyes.  Now going back to growing...I recall a little girl being very tiny and hidden when you came over here and look at her now...she's beautiful and takes after her...not for me to say... ;) ;)

Beautiful day today and I've dug out the bed under the wall and suffering for my art already.  I've moved the lavender so that it can be appreciated more than where it was sited and sorted out the seeds to see how tall they grow and to find out what they look like.  Some of them have got very fancy names.  Tools away now though...it's annoying but it has to be slowly, slowly on the gardening front...don't want to do any damage.  So back to my potting... :o

Wednesday 6th March

Absolutely knacked at seven last night after my day in the garden and a very lovely supper of chicken and  potatoes mixed with onions, dotted with butter and braised in the oven.  I thought I would get my head down for an hour or so but woke up at eleven full of the joys, read until two, head down until five, read until six and finally managed to get more sleep until seven.  This has got to stop...can hardly tell night from day.

Two loads of washing out on the line by nine, showered and hair washed and ready for the big city by ten.  The Librarian arrived and she opened her newly arrived from the UK Kindle and she was chuffed to bits.  Into Kardjali, got some boots, two cotton sweaters and a sweatshirt for my May visitor, a cotton jacket in a beautiful shade of green that was a toss up whether I bought it or not but I succumbed.  Managed to get the charging USB plug for the kindle from my friendly computer shop and it came with a iPod cable and a cigarette lighter connector so result.   Chicken lunch in the market, over to Lidl to top up with essentials and home James and don't spare the horses.  Loaded up some books for her on the kindle and she's good to go but we'll have to register it when we go to Djebel on Friday.  

Tommy came and sat on the terrace tonight and all that I had for him were a few bones....I have to remember that he's not my dog.  Received a phone call to say that my batteries were charged for the Beast and could they be fitted today....could they...what a question and they were and it goes and all's good with my world again...I am mobile.  I must remember to fit the new road tax to it before I take it out...don't want to get pulled by the fuzz so to speak.

So fires going, not feeling like food after a good lunch....I'm off downstairs and see if I can manage to stay awake until ten o'clock or thereabouts...want a better night....LN....

Thursday 7th March

Not a bad day today..saw the cabbage muncher rabbit head  for the the hillside with his white splodge ears marking its exit.  I would know him from a thousand paces....he's the bastard that has been demolishing my one cabbage and several leeks.   Where's my shotgun......

Seriously...I wouldn't use the shot gun...I don't like cabbage that much or leeks to carry out a vendetta..

It's been a very restful day.  I managed to get my siesta between twelve thirty and two so that the sleep doesn't want to descend until ten tonight..  Supper tonight was chicken with curried rice on top of the woodburner...It was delicious and washed down with a little of the red stuff. I think I might manage to sleep tonight.  I've been reading most of the day but I must admit my wrist has been more active than per normal...maybe something is getting better inside it...I'll hold my breath on that one for a while...

LN..short and sweet tonight.....LN..

Friday 8th March

Special day here...Women's day....Happy Holiday or Chestit Praznik.....as they say here.

My Librarian came round this morning and we took her jeep into the garage to be fixed...windscreen wipers, brake fluid, new rear light, cleaned and polished....thirty eight leva.  Can't really grumble at that ...and she didn't.  My student's mum's mum is out of hospital and staying above the shop and I was introduced to her as I gave over some flowers.  Everybody gives everybody flowers and I came back from Djebel with enough for my ladies and some.  Such a lovely month in Bulgaria.  It starts with Grandmother Marta on the first and then this on the eighth.  

Gouljan came round this evening and delivered a vase of paper flowers made my the team in the school she works in....they are in orange, reds and white and the vase is covered with brown paper with a little note from all of them....such a lovely thought.  So tonight....into the hot spot in town...Seaka's restaurant and let's see what's on the menu....and pictures will be posted tomorrow...

LN...time to get ready to party.....taxi in and out so we can have a little drinkie...LN

Saturday 9th March

Firstly an update on last night...Called the taxi and foolishly did not book one for the return trip and I'll know for next time.  The evening went with a zing....lots of lovely thirty somethings, my restaurant lady, the Librarian and myself nudging on a bit but I did take the floor for a bit of a spin.  Couldn't do much with the holding hands dance and moving round the room...the wrist wasn't up to it but when it came to dancing round the handbags.....but without a handbag in sight apart from the pink one that Baba Marta was as she added weight to the occasion and a manly growth.  She gave us all a wrist band and luck for the coming season.  Food was good but always is there....a couple of beers each to wash it down with, a tombola where I think at the end of the night we were the proud possessors of one tea strainer, a toilet block and a lollipop.  We left at eleven thirty and I phoned the taxi company who apologised saying that he had had a little too much to drink and couldn't take us home.  We walked to the taxi rank and not one in sight but noticed that the supermarket was closing down and joy of joy, the young lad that works there said that he would take us back home after he had finished closing down and locking up shop.  What a little angel...it was a little out of his way and we arrived home to the fire still chugging out the heat and laughing at the turn of events.

Today was pleasant enough in the sun but we had a pretty slow start trying to load a few photos to Facebook but the connection was fairly buggered today.  Some days good..others rubbish but I eventually managed it so that the Librarian's family have been able to comment and I hope they don't think that I am leading her astray.  We managed poached eggs on toast for breakfast and thought it was about time we got dressed and faced the world at about twelve.  Hamburgers and onions for lunch and off she toddled at just after two and I lay down with a book and promptly got a few zzzeds in.

Few conversations on facebook....emails sorted...fires going...no need for supper still full from lunch.....March the 8th Women's day was a success....LN..let's put a few pictures up..

Sunday 10th March

Slept in for me...six thirty....beautiful sunrise and rest of the day.  Received a polythene bag of rice and a soft drink and I'm not sure if anyone has expired or it's a memorial...Hacibar didn't have the time to tell me.  Planted out the flowers that I got in Kardjali and I'm hoping that tonight is not going to be too cold for them.  Three quarters dug over the rest of the frog garden until the wrist hurt and then retired 'injured until the next time...like tomorrow to finish it.  

My student arrived at ten by taxi with her sister and we sat down and decided what we should do.  I've got the measure of it now but she arrived with a book that teaches accountancy...that she had copied and that's going to help then....I don't understand accountancy let alone the manual.  Otherwise a good lesson...we decided on the book and the modus operandi and I think I can help her out.  She just wants to be able to speak it better.

Phone call this afternoon from my lovely Princess but the parcel has got lost in the post....as for my son I think he has gone AWOL again...Happy Mother's Day to both Princess and my daughter in law.  I also sent out kind thoughts to my own mother...gone but not forgotten.

Supper was chips and eggs with mayo and tomato sauce...not exactly gourmet but did the trick tonight.  I have lots of homework to do to prepare for my next six lessons with my student so I better get on....Sunday is no longer a day of rest.  LN..my fire is belting out for all it's worth..kitchen is fully washed up and tidied and I'm now going back to my book....LN...I've got a murder to solve...

Monday 11th March

Six thirty start and another beautiful sunrise but the winds were scudding clouds over from Greece so it didn't stay out for long.  Brief rain shower and then cleared up so I was out with the garden fork to finish off the frog garden and then moved down to the lower garden and was amazed at the length of the roots of the baby dandelions.  There were millions (maybe slight exaggeration there) and they were asking to be pulled out....a bit like Donkey in Shrek...pick me, pick me.  I was at one point getting them to the bonfire but then it became easier to lob them over the fence for the animals.

Worked in the garden until one and came in for crackers and sheep cheese and stretched out on the hall sofa with my book.  Didn't want to push the wrist too much.  What I was actually staving off was sitting down with my new student's book and trying to make sense of a stupidly written text book and accumulate about ten questions that we could do together.  Instead I went back to some old texts and have prepared some for the next few weeks.  Made a saucepan of leek and potato soup and that should be finished by the time I finish the update.  Got the packets of seeds down and the intention was to get a few seeds into containers to get some underway but have worked it out that our season here is long enough to get them in the ground in April and they still have time to grow.  

So back down to see if that fire is doing anything.  I have been on the computer too long today and the typing is fixing my wrist in the wrong position so I'm out of here.  LN.....Soup and toast calls with a little red wine I think tonight...LN

Tuesday 12th March

Again another sleepless night..read for a couple of hours and then managed to get off again until six thirty.  I think my wrist wakes me and I don't know where to put it.  Bandage off, bandage on, cream on, cream off.

Pottered this morning, showered, shampood and into the garden awaiting my golden carriage to take me for my final sign off with the hospital.  My Librarian arrived at nine forty five clutching a polythene bag stuffed with wild primroses.  She'd been off filling the needs of her village taxi-ing various people hither and thither and had found herself with time to spare so put it to good use.  They are the most beautiful pale lemon and tomorrow will be put into the garden.

So straight to the hospital and my lovely doctor was doing an operation so was not available until after lunch.  A shopping trip was called for to fill the gap so into a couple of flower shops and I have daffodils that were just going over, narcissus and several 'shrubs' that were last year's stock that she wasn't sure of the names of, one of which ended up as a present.  So into the second hand shop because it would be rude not to and came out with a pair of bracers that are made like measuring tapes and a cotton sweat shirt and the grand total was three leva.  Stopped off for pizza and the local yogurt drink and that set us back just over four leva....

Lunch over back to the hospital, my consultant was surrounded by his patients, he spotted me and called me over, checked out the wrist, pronounced me fit to go apart from advising me that I should go to the Polyclinic to set up some physio.  Having said that, that would be left for another day.  We had shopping to do.  Billa called for food top up and I signed up for a discount card.  Picked up a whole fillet of steak for ten leva and it was a rarity to see it on the cabinet.  My shopping basket included a bottle of vodka and a three litre wine, the steak, fruit juice, tonic water and lots of other bits and on to Lidl where I managed to find a binding machine that I hadn't managed to find the week before and a heavy metal vice for my workshop.

Back to Djebel and delivered the instructions for my student for Sunday's lesson, stopped off at the free wifi and managed to register the Librarian's Kindle, back home, unpacked the shopping and where had the day gone...five thirty already!!

Lit the fire, cooked the steak with mushrooms, onions, chippies and fried egg and served with mayo and tomato sauce....absolutely delicious and I have frozen half of the steak to provide for another day.  Just woken up in the chair and they say that a full stomach requires rest so I'm thinking that I'm in for another fitful night......so LN....good prognosis and on to the phone tomorrow to see if I can organise the Polyclinic...LN

Wednesday 13th March

Two lots of washing out on the line by eight thirty this morning and I sat munching toast with sour cherry jam in the sun with a coffee to hand....and that's the good one. the toast was in the other and balanced.  Another beautiful day until the clouds rolled over and now I have instant flowering garden...the ones that I bough yesterday and the 'nobbled' primroses are scattered in the flower beds.  Working and bending over with my trusty fork I realised that there was a draught crawling up my back so into the house and bought out a long sweater.  Don't want any more problems.  Dug over a couple more beds and some of the long garden but gave in to the pain and headed for the kitchen at about one thirty this afternoon.  Got the washing in first though...looked like a serious chance of rain but the wind got up and blew the clouds away.

Wrist stopped play.....I'd done well with it....It seems to stiffen up after exercise but I suppose it's to be expected.  Tuna mayo on toast with a cup of coffee and that seems to be enough for me for the rest of the day.  Got stuck into my book...thirteen of thirty six....and am up to 92% so should finish it this evening.  Strange using percentages and not page numbers to tell you how much is left.  Suddenly felt very tired, closed my eyes and woke up an hour later.

Toot toot outside my gate and my mother's day parcel from Princess had arrived...delivered by my sheep farmer who was playing postman for the day.  He said that I had a present and I told him that it was from my daughter....that will keep the village happy. Thank you so much.....

So let's knock off the remaining percentage.  Going down to the fire.  LN.....and tomorrow I promise that I will get some pics of the garden...LN

Thursday 14th March

Short and sweet update tonight.  The electricity has been up and down like a bride's nightie and I've given up trying to reset the clock radio.  It can wait until normal service is resumed.

Damp start but I decided to get out there and try to finish the flower bed to the left side of the garden.  Stuck on my woolly hat since the wind was whipping up a bit but after half an hour out there I thought I was off over the hillside and desparately in need of crampons...so came in and declared the garden and the wind to be the winners in this bout.  Eventually that wind brought a further rush of clouds that decided to tip it's load onto the newly planted shrubs so as they say, every cloud has a silver lining.

Settled down with my book and promptly fell asleep for a couple of hours making up for the lack of sleep overnight.  It's not that I'm wide awake at night but I know that I'm not asleep if that makes sense.    Had another helping of the leek and potato that had been hanging around in the fridge for a couple of days and settled into a packet of Lidl's Jaffa Cakes.  Rude not to as they say in my old neck of the woods.

Done well so far with the electricity.  Going to take a shower to try to clear these sinuses of mine.  I can hear myself speak but it's like I'm in an echo chamber so hence the hat this morning.  Got the water bottle out and I'll rest my weary head on that and if all else fails I'm off to the Abteka in the morning for a decongestant.  LN...now positioning the candles and the wind up lamps...it could be a long dark night...LN...and it's still raining.. :-/ :-/

Friday 15th March

And did it rain last night and the wind howled.  My bench from the left hand side of the lounge terrace was deposited on the garden and the poor honeysuckle was smashed to the ground.  The lupin and the lone sweet pea was missed so with my trusty hammer in my left hand I reassembled the bench and my poor flowers in the metal bucket had to rescued and deposited in the garden so make sure that they didn't drown.  Not a nice night.

This morning was cloudy and windy but not as bad as last night but there was a chill in the air.  Got in plenty of wood in case it kicked off again but the sun appeared and dried up the terraces and quite a pleasant day by lunchtime.

A couple of my neighbours came round this afternoon and it wasn't until then that I realised that this sinus has made me appear to be in an echo chamber still and I could only hear them as Darleks...'exterminate'.  I'll give it the weekend and it's Monday to the doctors if it's not cleared up by then.  I'm just going though it a bit I suppose at the moment and I'm not very good at being ill...or having things wrong with me.  Almost tempted to take to the hillside with a shovel or the shotgun today.  Lots of baby lambs jumping for joy and that pot at the end of the rainbow is always a temptation.

So finished the soup off for supper with buttered toast...a couple of ginger cake thingies to finalise and I'm sticking to the tonic water tonight.  Fire going, back to the book and a fairly early night...  LN....and it's just started to rain again...ggrrrr.. :-/ :-/

Saturday 16th March

White over this morning....well just a little but it is starting to come down now with a vengeance.  Temperature has dropped too but we should be climbing again tomorrow...just a temporary glitch.  Had a couple of hours reading in the night and I think it's all down to lack of alcohol and exercise.  You don't wear yourself out flicking over pages on a Kindle.  

Thank goodness this morning the ears are starting to respond and the sinus seems to be clearing.  I suppose I didn't realise how bad it was until my neighbours came round yesterday.  If you only talk to yourself in your head and not out loud...you never see the full picture or is that using mixed metaphors!!

Fire going...breakfasted and decided on a really hot curry tonight to give those sinuses another healthy boost so I'm down to the kitchen to set the ball rolling and I have a yearning for cream of onion soup for lunch....culinary day I reckon...catch you later...

Saturday continued

Snow flurries for most of the day, it's all gone now but remained cold.  Had a visit this afternoon from my neighbour across the way delivering me a pot of home made yogurt and bringing me the photos of he new month old twin grand=daughters.  She was proud as punch and the family is due over from Sweden in May.  Most from round here have to go where the work is...such a shame.

Made my onion soup for lunch and added sliced potatoes to the remains for this evening and put them into the oven with some honeyed chicken wings...didn't fancy curry when it came down to it.  Thinking of calling off my lesson in the morning....I'm still sounding like I'm living in a tin can with this sinus stuff.  Ended up adding bowls of water around the place in case the wood fire is aggravating it because the air is too dry.  See how I feel early on and make my decision then.  LN...I'll keep checking on the internet for advice...LN

Sunday 17th March

Six thirty start this morning and my ears are working again....sorry, what was that, pardon...they are working.  When I struck up my desktop this morning the Windows Welcome jingle was only slightly distorted.  White over again this morning and really cold but didn't light the fire, I was intending to go out.

Got ready for my student...my heart wasn't really in it...I didn't have confidence that the Beast would make it, it hasn't really been used since I left for Australia and true to form...it started, it ran, I left it running while I went in to collect my things and ...it had stopped.  I started it again...and it stopped so phoned up my student, apologised profusely and will leave my email address at her mother's shop tomorrow.  I'll point her to some websites that she can work on on her own.

Lit the fire since I was well and truly in for the day and got some more wood in.  Managed to pick up a log with the damaged wrist and every day one more step for womankind so to speak.  Despite the cold the sun was shining so with hat on decided to dig around a bit in the garden but I wavered somewhat from the original intention.  Got a bucket and mixed potting compost with some of the grit from my heap and some of the cow straw droppings from over the road and filled flower pots.  I've planted up some of the seeds that I ordered from England including Cape Gooseberries and that should be a novelty factor if they ever come up.  Lupins, snapdragons, lavender and others that I'd not heard of before are in, some in the house and others in the little house under glass.  Read some of the packets and I'm late with them for this year so they are up for September starting off and they can be out for next year.

Surprised to see the wild damson and cranberry tree in flower already.  Things are really happening in the garden...this is such a good month.

Djebel tomorrow on the bus again and into the garage to get one of them going.  Not sure I can manage the gears on Beauty yet but I suppose there is only one way to find out.  Sit in it and try.  Hope it's fine tomorrow, keep looking at the dandelions in the flower beds and it would be good to get them out before they get too deep rooted...but having said that, the ones that I got out of the grass today had tap roots of four to six inches long...bummer.

Time to switch off and get back to my book...this one's hotting up with only sixteen percent to go....really sucked into this series...they should make TV episodes out of them.  Lovely calm night but cold...likelihood of frost but all is safely gathered in...LN

Monday 18th March

Seven o'clock start and I opened the curtain and it definitely shone on the righteous....I notice the sunrise moving across the mountains from winter to summer and now it was shining and coming up dead in line with where my head should have been on the pillow...so upstairs for my camera and captured it....and that was all we saw of it all day.  There was a hard frost last night, the ground was white over and it remained cold all day with an icy wind.

Into Djebel on the bus, it was packed this morning and even the conductor had to stand.  Remsie one of my four Musketeers was taking her eight month pregnant relative to the doctors and sat by me and I got the gossip.  I noticed a lady who has a house at the end of the village, moves to Turkey for the winter, had returned.  Apparently she is another one who is husband-less according to my source.

Went to the car shop and no one home so on to my new student's mother's shop and handed over my email address so that we can start communication that way.  She went into the back and returned with the most beautiful white hyacinth and gave it to me as a present...they are all so thoughtful here...I didn't think I deserved it since I had let her down yesterday but she insisted.  It's downstairs and the aroma is wafting through the house...just so lovely.  Back to the car shop and caught up with the news of my student's mum who has had the heart operation.  Still suffering from depression but is starting to get around more in the house.  Just a long slow process.  Made a few purchases in the supermarket and decided that I would take a taxi home...no way was I waiting until one thirty for the bus.  Saw Remsier by the cash point and asked her if she was ready to go home.  At that she shouted to another man from the village that I recognised and suddenly there were two more which made it two leva each for the taxi, the same fare as the bus.  We all walked to the taxi rank and I came home with the boys for two leva...I've been accepted as a local.

So lit the fire when I got back and I have only just got warm.   I think we have been spoilt with the warm spell.  Lunch was a spicy sausage fried off with some onions and served on fresh crusty bread with lashings of tomato sauce.  So stuffed that I got my head down for an hour in front of the fire.  Seven my time now...time to move down stairs and back to the fire...I know it's going to be another cold one tonight.  LN...no need to cook ..I topped up at lunch time which in fact, is much better for me...LN

Hi Elsa Glad to hear you are doing ok...pity about your wrist still being painful...
All ok in OZ, still warm and muggy....thunderstorms and couple of cyclones have come and gone...lol
My Mum in hospital for few days but all good again.. she says Hello.

Your flower name is a RANUNCULI, I think..look like the ones I had a long time ago in pots.
Pics are good as usual...
Take care, Linda & Gang..xxxxx

Tuesday 19th March

Thanks Linda...those flowers are no longer nameless and pleased that you're all OK...give my love to your mum and you know without saying that it's on its way to you and yours. ;) ;)

Four until five reading again...what is it with me but head down until six thirty eventually.  Don't have to get up to go to the loo which is a common occurrence of ladies and gentlemen of my age...can't have been hunger, the amount that I put away at the late lunch would have done for the cavalry.

Got two lots of wood in, I slacked yesterday. watered the plants in the little house and moved them on to the window sill to catch the sun and also those on my window sills indoors.  Now I have a seed already showing its little head so it's either a weed or the Aquilegia was waiting to propagate...watch this space.  Went out and lit a bonfire which was a pretty stupid thing to do because despite the sun it was blowing a gale.  Two seconds later the metal cover on the burning pit was heading skywards but fortunately nothing else followed it.  Out with my trusty fork and turned over the rhubarb bed at the side of the house and dug up my leeks from last year.  They were pathetic...I might manage one bowl of soup out of them but it'll be a small one.  Wind has dropped now and it's settled into a pleasant evening.  Chicken roasting with roast vegetables to accompany it.  I have a little glass of the red stuff by my side as an aperitif before I go down and set to.  Another book bites the dust....skipping a few pages now as they get to the 'together' scenes.  I've read it before and they might be in love but there's an awful lot of lust going on it there too.

Now one for those that go off for stag nights and you know who you are....just to let you know that your offspring is being taken care of... ;)

Down to service the fire...it's been ticking over most of the day with a gentle heat...keeps the house warm for the evenings.  LN...I have a chicken to attack.

Cool!!! :)

Wednesday 20th March

Six thirty this morning  and it's getting better.  Didn't bother snapping it but I had the sun shining on the righteous again.  The sun broke for about ten minutes and then we were overcome in mist which eventually burnt of and gate us a high of seventeen today which turned into close to twenty eight in my hall.  

Usual chores this morning, breakfast was toast with freshly squeezed red grapefruit juice...tart or what.  It did cause me a few problems though,,,it's a right handed juicer so had to juggle with the handle but it worked...after a fashion.  Fortunately one grapefruit....lots of juice.  No fire this morning...it was a beautiful day when the mist had cleared and I settled for Kindle on the settee in the hallway.  At eleven the sun was gently getting through so I put my book down, closed my eyes with the door to the yard open and settled down for a little zizz.  I was awakened just before twelve by Remsier who had come to invite me to a coach trip to Fotinovo on Sunday.  I'm still not sure what it's in aid of but I'm assured that all of the women are going.  I'll see.

Lunch was picking the chicken and the bones went to Tommy and he was licking his lips as he saw me approaching...love him to bits.  The rest of the chicken was fried off with onion, mushrooms, the remains of the veg from last night with a touch of the red added.  All into the slow cooker and served with mashed potatoes fr supper.  Little touch of the red going on tonight...I reckon it makes me sleep better than all of the tablets that I keep getting prescribed. I have a touch of the deafness again today and I suppose I must do something about it.  

Tomorrow...off to Kardjali.  I got my phone from the bank reminding me that I was to present myself so that it doesn't get dumped into a non interest paying account.  My taxi is booked for tomorrow and then onto the bus...have to submit my annual company tax returns (I think) unless the rules have changed and pay the local tax on my car.  March is such a busy month.

Fire going now, supper complete, winebox holding out.....LN...I'm back to my book.....thirty percent yet to go....    

Thursday 21st March

Taxi was early this morning and Gouljan was already in it...and you got to be in it to win it so they say.  I was picking up the car documents when it turned up so I ran in, fortunately had got all the bits I needed to take ready so was heading to Djebel and alighting at eight thirty.  Walked to the car parts shop and had a chat before I went to the bus station for the nine o'clock to Kardjali.  I had specifics today that I wanted to complete.  Gouljan was insistent on paying towards the taxi....so I accepted what would have been the bus fare....fairs fare so they say. ;) ;)

Money tied up for another year despite my money wizard taking a couple of days off....There's another paragraph that has been added asking where the money has come from and my response was that they had had it for four years so they should know.  The magic word was 'Savings'.  Also heard that this sort of money is referred to as 'white' money for 'black' days.  I liked that.  Beast's car tax sorted and annual company returns submitted and receipted.  I went into the office and the kind lady that had filled in the form for me for the previous year was still working there fortunately.  The security guard asked which form I wanted, I looked towards the lady and she told him and I was handed the forms in Bulgarian.  I tried to get a handle on them and no way was I going to be able so I went back to the office and asked the security guard for a stand in line ticket and said that I really needed to see that specific lady.  She finalised her client, I got sent over despite the fact that my number was no where near to being called, she asked me to sign the papers, asked my address, I stamped with my company stamp where I'm supposed to stamp, she gave me a receipt and I'm done for another year.  I left the office with a smile, down to the market and bought a couple of pot plants and on to the supermarket for a box of chocolates, back to the office and deposited the cache.  Makes me feel better when somebody helps me from the heart than with an extended hand for payment.

Back on the twelve o'clock bus, had a word with my car shop and they collected the Beast and it's now in the garage being threatened with a new fuel filter.  I have the feeling that maybe the wrong one was fitted last time.  Went for the one thirty bus from Djebel to home to be told that it only runs on Monday and Friday and the next one would be three thirty and yes, I'm going to wait aren't I with the rain dripping around me.  So into a taxi...fire lit in quicksticks and then a cheese and onion...or rather two cheese and onion sandwiches on crusty bread.  Stuffed....

So my other favourite website is down and we're all wondering what has happened to it.  I'll await the outcome.  LN...I really feel I've achieved a lot today...it's good when you get the paperwork out of the way...and the formalities....LN..

Friday 22nd March

Welcome today...the first day of spring but nobody told the weather sender that.  Cold this morning and raining, brightened up somewhat and then the wind came followed by the cold.  Apparently tonight we are down to minus two again.  Horrible night....woke up at midnight and was really very awake so read until four this morning and then off again until just before seven.  Seems to me that I am working a shift system...so many on and so many off. :-/ :-/

Phone call at just after eleven and my Librarian is about to do damage to the laptop and the dongle so I suggested that she brought it over to see how it behaves itself sitting on the desk next to mine.  It's a pretty old laptop, well not that pretty but in fairness, the connection t the service provider was pretty naff today and even I had problems with maintaining the link.  We had pasta and spicy sausage for lunch followed by my neighbours yogurt but it was far too sharp for my palate and I don't normally have a problem with it.  Played around getting connected and by golly it was slow.  The ultimate was to remove Google Chrome and re-install and it seems to have done the trick.  It appears to have made it faster for her...we shall see when it is sitting on its lonely shelf without mine for company.

No supper tonight...lunch was filling.  Beautiful shades on the mountains as the sun was going down but the dark cloud were rolling in...It's supposed to be cold as I said but not sure if the cloud base will keep the temperature up.  Back down stairs now....back to my book and the fire...I sound pretty boring but it's a very quiet life.  My other favourite website is not up yet..but at least I managed to track down the site manager and tell him that he had problems.  LN...I'm away with the fairies.....

Saturday 23 rd March

Well the second day of Spring turned out to be worth waiting for.  Sunrise at six thirty this morning and turned all the white blossom a lovely shade of pink.  I'd kept the fire going all night so even my house had a lovely warm glow to it.

Breakfast this morning was spicy sausage fried with an egg and lashings of brown sauce...well it is 'le weekend' so to speak.  Cleaned the kitchen floor where the tar from the little woodburner had dripped on to the floor before I got my new pipes installed and generally felt that spring was in the air.

That sun came out and stayed out and so much so that I dragged out the bench from the bedroom, stuck it on the terrace and went out with my Kindle.  I'd found a pair of shorts out this morning but was wearing a pair of footless tights under them making not much of a fashion statement but as it got warmer, off came the socks, went the tights under the shorts and the legs got the first airing of the year.  Avatar appeared with her home make cheese and filo pastry special and yogurt so I had lunch catered for.

Had a little nap this afternoon.  I'd come round, was reading and heard the chatter of Turkish voices on my terrace and Avatar was out there with one of my other neighbours and my little garden was under scrutiny.  My forsythia is in full bloom and an offspring has been demanded.  I do have a little one already with roots on in the little house and I told her that she would have to wait until it got warmer.  No was was she tossing out one of my babies until I was sure that spring was really here unlike the weather in the UK.  Bit up and down there isn't it.

So chicken just finishing off.  Not really hungry but since it had sat in the fridge since Thursday I reckoned it ought to be cooked.  As for my connection today to the internet....it's been rated as poor so before I lose it again I'm going to say LN......I might just be tempted to grab a leg and a hunk of bread...LN

Sunday 24th March

Yes I know that I'm late...it's been 'go' all day.

Got suited and booted for the wedding this morning and the coach picked us up at eleven o'clock.  Over to Fotinovo and caught up with more friends from Samodiva that I'd met at a previous wedding.  Stranger still the wedding was being held in Ysat's restaurant and he is the man that I buy all my building supplies from so we had a cheery word with each other and I said that I would be using his services in a couple of weeks or so.

So on to the wedding breakfast.  There were about one hundred and fifty gathered and I confirmed that the one getting married is Remsier's grand-daughter.  She is standing there with bridegroom who happens to be the son of the tractor man from Samodiva and also a friend of KingDom so the wheel goes full circle.     Wheels within wheels so they say.  Lovely part of the ceremony, the bride and the groom both have white scarves put round their necks and people offer them money and it gets attached to the scarf...much better idea than having to think of a suitable wedding present.  Soup, hamburgers, salad, cake and fanta and back on the coach and home for two o'clock.  Took some good photos for Remsier...a very proud grandmother.

Got the fire going and settled down for a little nap and my visitors arrived at around six.  Tea was the order of the day...he said that he was gagging for the real thing so it's good when you can make the first but they know where the kettle is after that.  Into Djebel for supper, the hamburgers didn't resemble the ones on the pictures but told that they were OK after the first bite.  I settled for liver so wasn't disappointed.  Home for just before ten....going house viewing with them tomorrow so I'll await a telephone call in the morning.  Just about to get a glass of the red stuff underway and take to my virtuous couch....LN...it's been a busy old day.

Monday 25th March

So I thought I'd do a quick update on my blog and bugger...I got error messages to say that the site was down.  I could get into the diary page but it wouldn't go to the diary.  Contacted Fasthost and they were amazingly fast at answering my email and checked out the details for me.  Meanwhile back at the ranch I decided to run the error messages and they were identified as being Google related and then back to Malaware...our friendly chappie in the background and he found the problem straight away, quarantined it, deleted it, restarted the system and everything in the garden is rosy...well not really...not my favourite flowers.  So why do they do this, drop stuff on your system to cause you grief...there are some sad bast*rds out there....

Now waiting for the phone call to start viewing houses, schools and the likes....might settle for some toast and stuff first now that my immediate problems have been solved...catch you later....oh and my other favourite website is up and running again too...somewhere else to waste some of my precious time...  ;)

Monday continued

What a beautiful day day.  Noisy sheep this morning forced me to record it and put it on Facebook.  Alpacas were suggested but I think there is no way that Semile will change his animal husbandry for me... :-/ :-/  My guests arrived, and we set off to find the person that was selling the school.. I had been there before...they had tried to sell it to me about four years ago and I had forgotten all about it.  It was the bridge into the village that gave it away...I remembered the bridge but had forgotten why I'd been to the village.  OK...another time...same place but different time zones but we'' see how the impression went.  This time it wasn't me buying it.

Went round the school and it is so sad.  There are lots of momentos of what it used to be but the neighbour was so kind and provided us all with glasses of the local yogurt drink but not savoured by some.  I found my way into what would have been the science room and found some marvelous glass science equipment and managed to half inch the same and it's washed and spruced and sitting in my lounge.  There were three of them and one of the others was half inched by the person showing us around the house.  I know not what it is but it is beautiful....Now I don't feel guilty at all....

So off we went to find another set of people to show them houses and guess where we ended up...Dushinkovo...one of the little houses at the bottom of the village and no way was I allowing them to buy that...This is my village.  So back to mine...the bottle or red was opened and the white was demolished.  The male of the group stuck to tea but I think it had something ti do with the fact that there was a car outside and the distance between me and the hotel.

Cold chicken tonight washed down with a little of the red from the difficult to get into bottle.  Fire going...newly acquired possession pride of place in the lounge...it's been a good day...LN

Tuesday 26th March

And that's nearly another month gone. :-/  and I'd ask where.

Nine thirty bed last night and slept through until six when I was awakened by the ...pitter patter of raindrops.  Not so bad here but apparently in came down pretty hard in the villages further to the south leaving flood and pestilence behind.  Cleared up a little this afternoon and there was a glimmer of sun but not for long.  Unfortunately looking at the long term weather....not much sun about at all but the temperature is rising and not much lower than five overnight so my garden can get a bit of a start on.  No more frosts are scheduled so I can get some of the shrubs out.  Garden looks a little wet to dig over though and no way can I get my trusty lawn mower out to reduce the height of the clover etc.  Not that I would do it...I've lined up Emaula to do the deed.  He's eager for work and he's a good lad.  Just needs to dry up somewhat.  IO'd borrow some sheep or a cow but I think most of my flowers would go as well.

Fire going all day today at tick over speed.  Breakfast was toast, lunch cold chicken and supper is going to be chicken and mushroom soup.  Made it this afternoon and it's sitting on my woodburner stewing nicely....and ready when I am so to speak,  Tommy has got a good carcass to go at tomorrow,,,I didn't bother putting it in the slow cooker to extract all there is to extract from it....he can have a treat.

So quiet today after a busy two days....visitors flew home this lunchtime.  Sorting my car out tomorrow and getting it back.  It's time I practiced driving again...almost forgotten what to do though I must admit...taking the bus is no hardship.  Perhaps I'll leave my car until Friday..no rush... ;) ;)  LN...supper time...

Wednesday 27th March

Six thirty start and this time it was the fact that it was getting light.  Not that we've seen much of the sun today at all...a brief glimmer around lunchtime and that was it.  Went out to empty the ash can today and there was a letter in a brown envelope to tell me that my pension has been increased...not what I expected which was to tell me that my winter fuel payments were being paid.  I mentioned it to the pensions office about six to eight weeks ago and they assured me that they would look into it.  So I phoned this morning and there is no record of me having even instigated a claim or even of my phoning the office.  Now these people are supposed to work for me.  I help to pay their wages so does that not mean that they have a responsibility to me to give me their full attention when I spend more money phoning them to check up on the work they are purporting to do!!  Now after speaking to someone who had to go and see the supervisor in the next office...he promised that someone would phone me back....I should have got 'someone's' name and used it as ammunition the next time that I have to phone to be told that they is no record of my enquiry. ::) ::)

As for the rest of the day...had a chat to the Librarian, managed to respond to several emails, did a bit on Facebook and had a rather pleasant morning.  The soup from last night got recycled to this lunchtime and I delivered half of it to my Avatar and the bones to Tommy.  His tail was going ten to the dozen as he saw me walking along the road...very clever dog.  About three this afternoon Avatar is at my door with the same container that I had delivered the soup in and I could see that it was half full.  I looked at her kind of funny thinking that she hadn't liked it and brought it back.  Noooo.....she thought it was delicious, had it with bread and had brought some of her homemade yogurt as a thank you gift and that's in the fridge for later.  We laughed as I explained what was going through my head.

Got my head down for a short while this afternoon.  There was a glimmer of a rainbow but by the time that I'd got my camera and the shovel out it had gone.  Spent some of the afternoon deleting the spammers that want to sign up to the website so that they can advertise their crap.  I've contacted the guy who runs the blog site to see if there is any steps that can stop them getting through.  I have to cope with the American time differences but maybe we can get it sorted....it would make my life easier.  

Just revving up the hot water for a shower tonight, clean jams and bed and an early night.  Didn't bother sorting out the car today...there's always tomorrow.  I think yogurt will suffice tonight....LN ;) ;)

Thursday 28th March

Woke early, decided to put my head down again and woke really late for me...eight thirty.  Slow to get started....my wrist seems to be a bit of a problem in the mornings and it takes longer to wake up that the rest of me.  A couple of coffees did the trick, did emails, websites and Facebook, decided that I would light the fire after all since it was cold and damp.  Eventually it cleared up enough for me to get out my trusty fork and head for the garden to tackle the veggie bed.  Now there are five small sections to it and two and a half are cleared of mainly clover.  Much of it was lobbed over the fence and the sheep put pay to it this afternoon on their noisy trek back to the yard.  I know why they are noisy...the lambs keep losing the mothers and the mothers keep losing the lambs...careless lot.  I worked on the garden until my wrist told me it was time to pack up and rest it.

Surprise ...I got a phone call and my winter fuel allowance should be in my bank tomorrow....and this I didn't expect.  I queried last years and that is also being looked at....result.

Lunch today was tuna mayo on toast washed down with water of all things.  Sat down with my book after lunch, went and did a little more in the garden but enough was enough...don't egg the pudding as they say.

Seven my time....lunch is still filling the gap so I might even go without again...down to check the fire, back to my book and peace perfect peace...LN  I'll be posting pickies of the garden tomorrow and I've got a white azalea struggling hard against the elements....it's worth recording...LN

Friday 29th March

Good Friday...paahhhh.

Six thirty start and messed around on the internet until I realised it was eight ten and I had half an hour to get to the bus. Met all of my women waiting for the milk wagon to pick up the white stuff that they had expressed this morning and by golly was it cold this morning.  Poor Tommy was on the road and again, he just didn't look well but Hacibar said that she would see that he got back home safely.  Looks like another trip to the vet.

So off we went, not a full load this morning but one of the regular alcohol abusers decided to plonk his backside next to me and I was thanking goodness that I'd taken my Kindle with me so that I could look occupied.  He's lonely, about seventy but managed to talk to himself all the way to Djebel.

To the shop to find out about the biggie, walked down to the garage and they said that it had been fine for the last two days but this morning it didn't want to start so we decided that I would get a lift home, we would take the battery out of the biggie and start the little one with it which we did and I set sail for Djebel after having to double back because I had forgotten to display my road tax.  It was still in the house.  So down to the garage and the heater didn't appear to be working and the light to the radio wasn't displaying either and I wondered if that was where the electricity from my battery was going.  They played around when I said that it smelled a little warm and apparently the front fan wasn't cutting in.....that's now fixed.  Went back to the shop to sort out the insurance and they hadn't got any of the window display stickers to prove that you have insurance so panicked for a moment, went to see another friendly soul from my favourite restaurant and was pointed in the right direction...I am now insured and the gears....despite being a bit of an issue is only a major problem if I have to go into reverse.  Forward gears are fine.  Let's hope this starts tomorrow... :-/

Cold all day today and despite a roaring fire, I still feel cold.  I got the steak out for supper tonight but it's taken ages to thaw out so I settled for fish finger sandwiches with mayo and tomato sauce....Researching cold starts for Pajero and failing to keep going after ignition on the internet but my concentration has waned...the temperature has fallen so I'm off downstairs. LN....and no the camera didn't come out....by the time that I'd got back this afternoon and got the fire going there was very little light left.  LN....I can't say that I have fish to fry...I've done it's fingers already...LN

Saturday 30th March

Woke up to misty hillsides that cleared briefly and then came back again.  Eventually it all cleared and we have had a beautiful day but with a slight wind.  Sat and watched a little bird for some time as he fluttered around my from garden.  Looks like a wagtail but too black unless they have winter colours... ;)

I've had visitors galore this morning and not for a cup of sugar.  My avatar came round this morning while I was still in my jimjams wanting me to split a twenty leva note for her but I only had a ten so I gave her that and she said that she would bring me the five later as she gave me five in change.  The she proceeded to invite me to a food bash tomorrow night with the ladies of the village and so I said that the other five would pay my share towards the 'do' so she didn't owe me anything and that was that.  Blow me down, an hour later and there was Emaula asking me if I could split another twenty so the five that Avatar had given me was now handed over to someone else in the village...it's a money go round.

Remsier was my next visitor to collect the photos of the wedding that I had promised her but I'd unfortunately run out of photographic paper so I printed them up on card and told her that I would laminate them tomorrow for her.  And a while later she was back and brought me a Easter card from Linda...so thanks for the card.  You are so thoughtful....I forgot all about this festivity since no one really celebrates it in this neck of the woods.  And the finale...Avatar was back with the five leva that she thought was due to me from this morning and I explained that surely it was going to cost me five leva to go to the bash tomorrow night...I'm confused but eventually we got it all sorted so the final debt is Emaula at five leva....

Did a little bit in the garden this afternoon.  Potted out the daffodils and the hyacinth for the house that had gone over.  Got the work prepared for my student tomorrow and checked out that the clocks go back at silly o'clock in the middle of the night.  That steak that I got our last night and tried for breakfast was relegated to the slow cooker with chilli, honey, tomato paste, stock and rice and is ready as we speak.  Just didn't do it for me this morning.

That's about it....supposed to be a good day tomorrow...will put the clocks forward tonight so that I don't get caught short in the morning....LN...supper calls.

Sunday 31st March

Just to say Happy Easter to the believers, enjoy time with family and friends and eggs without feeling guilty....I shall miss my family but enjoy my friends....catch you later...

Happy Easter to you Elsa  :)
Jackie

I always enjoyed Easter as a kid more than any other holiday but as an adult and not being overly religious not so much.

But Happy Easter to Elsa and OPs :)

Happy Easter Elsa. Just had all the family and some  neighbours around for an enormous meal. We are going to miss this a lot when we get over there. Looking forward to some hot sun and a slower pace of life though. Hope you really have a lovely day and should get to meet you very soon. Take care. LN. Xxx

Happy Easter Elsa. xx    

Sunday continued

Thank you so much for your Easter wishes and I'm pleased that you appear to have had a special day in your own way.  Chins up Danuta...we're all batting for you. :-/ :-/

Had a lovely time with my new student this morning and was presented with coffee and biscuits and then entertained to lunch at just before twelve.  We covered quite a bit of ground and seem to be doing OK.  Popped in to see my restaurant lady on the way back and caught up with a girl who has now moved to Germany and has a seven month old little boy so that was good.  Picked up a little shopping, weather was good but there was a cold wind so got the fire going and settled in until my evening out with the ladies of the village.

Well in my Muslim community we hardly celebrate Easter but tonight turned out to be more or less the last supper.  Eighteen of us sitting round a round table on the floor in true Turkish fashion and the food just kept coming.  Such a shame though.  I have spent four years here learning Bulgarian and can normally understand most of the conversation and have enough words to add comments now and again but tonight I was completely out of my depth.  They all went into Turkish and yes, I have the odd phrase that I throw in for a party trick but on this occasion...not a snowball in hell's chance.  The other thing is, they have been weeding by hand and planting seeds and taking up a comfortable position on the floor is not great hardship to them  They bend their legs, pull the table cloth over themselves and 'eat, eat' or 'yash, yash'.  As for me...forty minutes sitting in a position that reminds me rather like sitting in a canoe is not for me but having said that...ten courses of food came out in lightening speed and after an hour it was cleared up and we were ready to come home.  We arrived at about seven thirty and I was back home for nine.  Now if you had given me a table and chair, I'd have spent at least a couple of hours over it and really enjoyed it...as it was I just 'enjoyed' it but the next time the party is at mine and I'll make sure that they all speak English. ;) ;)

Time for a little drinky....ten fifteen and time for bed me thinks.  Tomorrow could be an enterprising day...I'll see what comes out of tomorrow morning's phone calls...LN

Good evening. Today is beautiful day:)weather is wonderful . I am already member of your website :) My opinion is that your website is very interesting. Will be very interesting  for me to read your new life in Bulgaria.
  Yesterday was very lovely day for us, too.