Monday 1st October

It's been a cold wet day all day...and I believe someone has stolen my mountains and it's time they brought them back.  I woke up at seven and it was as dark as you like or don't like and I remembered that Bekir was supposed to phone me to confirm that he was working today but the phone confirmed that he hadn't so I made the call at seven twenty and I think I woke him up.  We mumbled at or to each other and agreed that I'd pick him up tomorrow at the usual time.  And so it was back to bed with Soda Crush until I was ready to start my day for the second time.

No bread van today so no bread without I headed out to Djebel and it was too cold and damp to worry about it.  Washed and dressed and ready to face the day and I had nothing more to do than to play around on the computer, try and find more relatives and it got quite frustrating.  They seemed to have very few names and so many children...very prolific in those days and at least it kept me awake today.

Supper is in the oven.  Pork in spicy tomato sauce and pasta should finish it off superbly.  I lit the fire about half an hour ago and it's warming up nicely and I've just had a phone call from Bekir confirming that he's stair finishing tomorrow so one of my other plans has gone on hold but I'd rather be here while he's doing the stairs...advice may be needed.

And so down to the kitchen...supper needs finishing off...I'm hungry.  LN...I've work to do tomorrow...LN

Just in case you don't know about it, I have found this to be useful, https://www.freebmd.org.uk/

It finishes about 1983, but does go back till about 1837.

Tuesday 2nd October

So now I'm on the tablet.....my computer is out of bounds and yet again.....the top section is gone and repairs are in progress.  It should be done by tomorrow all being well and Sally has been busy with the whitening for the walls and the lounge is waiting for me to put it back together again but until the dust has come to an end....it can wait.

Out in good time this morning and down to the wood yard for one four metre plank and I was charged little money for it.  Bekir sliced it in half and it went into the Nipper sweet as and it was at that point that we realised that the man who trims and planes it wasn't there so Sally was phoned and I thought he could get on with the planing and then I came up with the other job for him.  Success on the end of a brush.

Lounge more or less back together again, I"m sleeping downstairs and negotiating the obstacle course to the kitchen and bathroom.  I took Gouljan and her hubby out for supper tonight and a good time was had by all.  Both men are working tomorrow and I'll fill in the gaps and Sally will be guided wherever the inclination takes me.  No pickies....having enough problems with this keyboard and I refuse to climb that ladder....LN....Patience is a virtue.....LN

Wednesday 3rd October

Today has been packed full of surprises and frustrations.  I didn't sleep well last night...I couldn't get comfortable and my head was buzzing with the events of the day.  Both there with their little rubber shoes blacked, and it was straight back home, Sally got to work on sanding down the handrails and then decided that since he had the wall whitening stuff ready mixed that it would be a shame not to use it so the hallway was striped of it's adornments, tables and books removed to various points in the establishment.  I sat in the garden with Marmite on toast and viewed the world from my perspective leaving the men to it.  They knew what they had to do.  I eventually got round to sweeping up and clearing leaves and just before lunch we headed in to Djebel for yet more wood.for the hand and top rails.  

Eventually we got the template for the stairs sorted, it all looked less persisted that in did before and it was full steam ahead.  I'd noticed that there were lots of walnuts that had fallen from the tree at the bottom of the garden so collected up a bucket and now they're skinned and drying in the little house.  I also filled up the second bucket and that's a job for tomorrow.  It was very pleasant sitting out in the sun cleaning up the walnuts and then thee was a request for more wood so at five tonight I headed in to Djebel yet again, was invited to share a plate of home grown tomatoes with the shop owner which I did and then it was home James and don't spare the horses....we were on a mission to get the stairs finished...and they are.

I dropped the men back a little later than usual and on the way back stopped off at Ms. D of S's and the car was there but no one at home.  Fortunately I'd been spotted in the village and they were up at the local bar...it was her birthday.  I got a hut from the little one and she was very busy working the bar and getting lots of attention and eventually she sat down for a few minutes and I had a bit of a cuddle but not for long...she is perpetual motion.  

Drove home to the upside down house...and I'll tackle it tomorrow.....I'm too tired tonight.  We got there with the stairs...a slow old process but they look good and sturdy.  No supper required...just too tired...shan't be long before I hit the sack.  LN...Just a few pickies of the day....LN

Thursday 4th October

Rotten night with cramp in the lower leg forcing me to hop about a bit.  I did manage to get back off again and awoke at seven and what a relief...nowhere to go this morning...no men...no shopping...no nothing except by self suggestion and putting the thoughts into action.  And now I'm completely knacked.  Lounge only needs the ornaments washing and replacing...and putting away those that need to be 'reviewed', the winter lounge is more or less done, the conservatory is cleared out and then I strayed to the yard.  The sawdust is now at the bottom of the garden and the weeds have been dug out, the old wooden step  'before the conservatory' has been dragged into the garage and the flowerpots tidied.

I ran out of steam at about ten thirty and settled for toast and strawberry jam and I ate it sitting out on the terrace in the sun.  The woodpecker flew to the lonely pine in my garden and had a really good time of it.  I noticed that there are lots of flying ants around so he should have done well.  In fact the starlings were having a field day on the hillside ...stocking up for winter.

The water heater is on for a bath tonight to soak out the aches and pains...lifting some of my wooden furniture to put it back where it came from has taken its toll.  I can't decide on what's for supper tonight...I might even settle for beans on toast...comfort food.  House finishing tomorrow.  I've got the lounge curtains to permanently turn up...the pins have to come out.  The old winter ones need to be replaced but maybe not this year.....a decision has to be made.

Had a lovely light bulb moment today.  At Christmas I bought a necklace for my grand-daughter from my favourite jewellers in Lewes.  I found the receipt about two months ago and for the life of me I couldn't remember what I'd bought.  Today I happened to be browsing through my box of goodies and I found a pair of earrings, the penny dropped and they are as beautiful as I thought they were at the time.  

And now I'm beginning to get hungry...I can hear the beans calling.   LN...Kitchen calls...LN

Friday 5th October

Six thirty start, that bath didn't happen last night despite the fact that the water was up to temperature but I fell asleep in front of the computer, woke up and went straight to bed.  I was shattered last night .  This morning was all go from the first cup of coffee.  It was a beautiful morning with the mist hanging in the valley and it's remained beautiful all day.  

The ornaments are all back in place, the curtain is up in the corridor and they're essential heading in to winter, the lounge curtains are washed and dried but not shortened and not hung bur the heavy curtain rail is in place,  Breakfast was the remains of the beans I opened last night with heavily buttered toast and I headed up with a cup of coffee to the computer and ended up on the bed playing Soda Crush and yes, you've guessed it I settled for a power nap and woke up just before midday.  Strange dream on waking up, I was helping a blind lady across the road and suddenly she started telling me things like a medium would and just as we started to go through a door she suddenly stopped and I wanted her to go on but she didn't.  It seemed so real...I woke up in a confused state.  Time for a coffee!!

I began sorted out the books to go by the telephone and the Librarian arrived quite out of the blue.  Apparently she's having trouble with her phones so decided that a home visit.  We had coffee and she told me what she'd got up to in the UK and I was pleased to know that everything was OK with the house.  I had tried to phone her to check but as I said ...nothing ringing out.

I suggested we went up to the soup kitchen for lunch...it's good and cheap and ti didn't disappoint today.  I did a little shopping in Djebel, I bought a bunch of leeks for two leva and there were enough for both of us...five each so I shall be making leek and potato soup tomorrow at some point and off she went.  I was out with the mole tablets and attacking the mole hills and ever hopeful for success ....but all they do is pop up in other places.  Washing in and put away, I wasn't really bothered about supper so to date haven't bothered and headed upstairs to watch the Eggheads that's now been rescheduled and messes up the end of one program and the beginning of the next on ITV.  Why don't they leave things as they are??

A visit tonight from Haciber advising me that there is a Mevlit tomorrow at the little mosque on the square and I've been invited.  Apparently the couple are from Turkey so I won't know them but the rest of the gathering comfortable with me being there and I love the peace that it brings, sitting quietly for an hour or so.  So tomorrow I'm determined to get the lounge curtains done....I might even turn them up by hand...that should keep me quiet for an hour or so.  LN...Bath time ....LN

Saturday 6th October

It's been a funny old day.  I washed and brushed up for the mosque this morning and had a load of washing in and out on the line before ten.  I set off for the venue and met Haciber on the way and we walked down together.  A lot of the women were sitting on stools outside the mosque and the hodja was singing his little heart out and I think he had another three helping him out.  There seemed some confusion about the juice that was being provided for the gathering.  It wasn't the normal but I saw them adding water and sugar and eventually they handed it round in the mosque and to the women sitting outside.  At about eleven I headed in to sit on the floor but there were lots of women that I didn't know, some of the looks appeared to be disapproving but the rest of the village accept me so I had no worries.  I know some of the words by now but never say them or mouth them...I use the space for my own meditations in a safe environment.  

It ended at approximately twelve and the meat and rice was served but unfortunately I ended up with lots of rice but very little meat.  I sat to a lady whose relatives used to live in the village and the house is now a pile of stone and not about to be renovated.  She's a teacher in Ismir in Turkey and has children living in Bursa so their lives are there.  Remsie was there and reminded me that tomorrow we have our local village 'prasnic' or celebration of the village so I'll probably head down there about eleven and see who's about.  I got the washing in around four but it was already going damp despite the sun so I draped it over the banister and it's now away.  Chicken wings in the oven and should be ready any time now so I'll be wrapping this up any minute now.  I've just watched the Chase team taking part in Tipping Point and Mark has just won twenty thousand for charity...interesting watching them on the other side of the questions.....and it was interspersed with watching the woodpecker line itself on the lonely pine and then headed down to the ground for easy pickings.

Supper is ready.  LN....I'm hungry....LN

Sunday 7th October

Nothing to see here...move along please... ;)  It's been a very lazy day, I didn't visit the village fete and I shall probably be asked why tomorrow but I didn't feel up to it.   There was nothing wrong, physically I felt fine, mentally I was on a down day and pleased myself what I did and what I got up to and believe me...it was very little.

I woke up at seven thirty after a great night's sleep, made my coffee, intended going out on the terrace to drink it but it was cloudy and cold so I sat on the chair in the stairwell.  A second cup was in order and I moved upstairs to the computer and logged on.  I checked emails and Facebook overnights and there was nothing I really wanted to comment on or add to so I switched over to Freecell and played a few games...it gets the brain moving.  I made breakfast of poached eggs on toast followed by toast and marmalade and felt thoroughly stuffed so went back to the computer and started to play around with finding my family.  It was at this point that I decided that my slovenly lifestyle shouldn't include not washing and brushing my hair so I headed for the bathroom but I didn't get further than that.  I'm still in my PJ's but they are the velour ones so are perfectly acceptable should anyone arrive at my door.

After scrambling my brain with the family pursuits I switched off and moved downstairs and went back to reading Game of Thrones book one and it's amazing how much detail you tend to overlook when you start a new series.  I'm also relating it to having see the videos and they are fantastic interpretation and stick very closely to the book.  Eyes southwards for an hour or so and I put film on on the little computer and switched it off again pretty speedily.  I forgot it was Sunday and very little to see so it was back to the book.

I'm heading in to Kardjali tomorrow via the garage to get my tyres changed over to winters as per the law of the land.  I'm taking my phone back to M=Tel, the power cable has open wires near the power in end so I want a new one.  I'll have to clean it up before it goes back...there's a fair amount of builders' dust on it.  I'll be doing trips to Kaufland and Lidl for basics and undoubtedly will be visiting my cheapy shop...just out of habit and you never know Norman....as the old TV add used to state.

No supper required...I had a fit of the munchies and demolished a pack of mini pretzels.  Beautiful day but you can only take so many pickies of the garden.  LN....Will do better tomorrow....LN

Monday 8th October

Again a brilliant night's sleep....long may it reign...and hopefully not on my parade.  I'm hoping that the weather stays this good when Princess and her oppo arrive next week.  Breakfast of toast and strawberry jam and there was a general tidy round and I decided to go down and visit Gouljan's mum who's recovering from an operation.  They were having an early lunch when I arrived and true to form I was invited to join them and declined gracefully...my jam was still lodged as it wended its way through the system.  She's looking a little better, Gouljan is looking more shattered each time I see her...Cinderella is having a bit of a rough time and doesn't know when she'll be able to head back to Germany since her beau drove home last week.  She's coming round tomorrow...she needs internet connection and a scanner and since I have both...she'll be my guest.

I carried on to Kardjali and into the hardware shop and bought a pot of teak stain.  I would like to put a stain on the staircase but I've got to be sure that it's not going to stand out like a sore thumb...I'll give it a try tomorrow on a spare piece of wood.  I carried on to M-Tel and managed to exchange the house phone but setting it up is a little difficult...it comes without instructions.  Cheapy shop and bought one more sweater suitable for autumn...on to Kaufland and finally Lidl and remembered to buy the fish fingers that Gouljan's mum asked me to get.  I stopped to top up on gas and put twenty five leva's worth in it..that should do me for a week or so.  Back to Djebel and stopped off at my student's mum's shop for a catch-up.  I've deserted her quite a bit later.  Home for six thirty and we had a spate of electricity on and off and so far so good...but I'm not going to take long to finish this one.

Only got one pickie today so I'll add it to tomorrow's offering.  Forgive me...it's  the threat of the electricity going down....so I'm posting now...  LN...Quit while you're ahead....LN

Tuesday 9th October

It was a beautiful morning and it's stayed that way all day, the pickie posted is from yesterday....There was no mist in the valley today,   The wind did get up around two this afternoon and sent a few things to places new and there was a cold edge to it but the inside of the house maintained thirty degrees plus.  Cosy....

I made it down to the bread van and came back with an uncut and it remains uncut.  I bought 'cooking' bacon yesterday from Lidl and I thought that all bacon was cooking bacon and when I opened up the packet I was pleasantly surprised.  I think they had been very generous with the 'just on the cusp' stuff and there were lots of 'good' rashers.   Three into the pan and halfway through cooking Princess phoned so it sat on the back burner for about twenty minutes and they I went back to the kitchen, back onto the heat with it and it was slapped into a third of a French stick and slathered with brown sauce.  Unfortunately I took it to the computer, did most of the usual admin and then got stuck into finding more relatives and I did.  Another family with eight plus children so I now have sixty names in the chart.  I seem to recall that I was always told that we were a small family but I've discovered it wasn't the case...we just had nothing to do with them.  

At two I decided that I'd done enough and went to have a bonfire and when I walked back towards the house I noticed Gouljan sitting on the terrace.  She'd tried the house, thought I was having forty winks and decided to sit it out and wait for me to wake.  She'd come to use the internet...her post from Germany was being photographed by her other half and sent via a text message...she connected her phone and the rest is history.  She wended her way back to home clutching the fish fingers that I'd got for her yesterday from Lidl and it's the same again tomorrow.

I'd put supper in the oven while she was here and it was ready by the time she left so I was serving up by six thirty but I did manage to light the fire first to maintain the house temperature.  Sweet and sour topping on pork chops and served with roast potato, onion, beetroot and leek....very healthy except that it was cooked in oil and served with mayo...so maybe not so healthy.  A little light television before bedtime...it's been a very pleasant day and tomorrow I must get my tyres done before the police deliver and fine in a road side check.  LN....Must stay legal....LN

Wednesday 10th October

Five thirty start and I settled in to play Soda Crush and I managed to complete the one that had been bugging me for two days.  I don't think that I did anything different but I refused to buy extra lives and it sort of gave up on me.  Having completed it I had three fairly easy ones to follow and now I'm back into the zone of 'bugger' and I kept hoping that it would give me the orange screen advising me that I had so many minutes to my next life and then I could get on with my day.  No such luck...at seven I was still playing so I shut down the tablet.  It was for later...

Down for coffee and then back upstairs and I decided to sort out the wardrobe section of my wardrobe to give hanging space to Princess and Co when they arrive.  It then stretched on to folding space and that work is complete but I have a tower of clothes that I have to put somewhere.  They do not belong on my bed.  The next challenge was to see if I could managed to get my king-sized duvet into my washing machine and with a little effort I did.  I then stood watching it for ten minutes expecting it to force it to stop but it didn't.  Out on tot he line with it while there was a breeze blowing and the sun was shining and then to get on with getting 'The Nipper' sorted for winter with tyres, antifreeze, brakes checked and all this was done for twenty leva....bargain.  I sat out in the sun and waited for my turn....lovely morning.  I stopped off at the car shop and had twenty or so minutes with my student's mum and she was over the moon that the son is returning from Sofia for the weekend.  He's just moved up to university.

Home and retrieved my duvet from the grass...that breeze was a little stronger than I gave it credit for.  It did managed to stay there with the help of about forty thousand pegs and now it's airing on the banister with the fire going to give it an extra boost,  I made a bacon sandwich since I'd foregone breakfast which went down well and Gouldjan phoned to say that she wouldn't be coming today but we agreed that tomorrow is another day and my internet interloper will be signing in after lunch.  

Eyes went southwards this afternoon while I was reading Game of Thrones book one and no supper for me...my bacon is resting well and will be topped up with peanuts later on.  Nothing on the agenda except for Gouljan but we work round each other so no effort.  The curtains were measured this morning but they're not turned up yet....,maybe tomorrow.  I few pickies...I was trying to catch a motor biker minus an exhaust pipe that insisted on revving up and down our quiet stretch of road....his days are numbered.  LN...Lovely sunset...LN

Hi Elsa, Have had to catch up on your blogs, but as usual great pics, and love the one of mist, and the wild life. All ok here. Mum is hanging in, so hope she reaches the big 90. You seem to have a busy life out there, so glad all is well with you. Take care and look after yourself. Much love to you from us here. Linda & all OZ.xxx

Thursday 11th October

Thanks Linda...fingers crossed that Rachel makes it beyond the 90....but it's a target.  Lots of love to all of you in OZ....and I'm thinking another visit might be on the cards....I would love that....

Silly night.  I had a bag of peanuts last night and they sat very heavily.  It started off well...I slept until three but from then on, I just couldn't settle again.  At five I was putting the first load of washing in and was hanging it out at seven.  I risked the washing machine one more time with a very large bed cover my machine lives to fight another day and despite the fact that it was a dull old day, the wind picked up at around one and by three I was bringing it in to aire.  I'd had visions that it would be in the same state as when it went out.  

I managed the curtains...they are up and I even made some tiebacks.  I had a brainstorm and polished the low lying tables that were made out of the original window shutters using brown shoe polish...and now I have some very shiny low tables.  Gouljan arrived at four to catch up on my internet connection and at five I had two more visitors for coffee and chats.  There is an offer on the table for Saturday or Sunday...they have markets in Greece so a visit to one of them is on...I want a few more plants to get in before winter sets in and just to have a mooch.  

At seven I was on my own again...and had an original supper.  I opened a tin of local beans and something which didn't look too appetising so I opened a tin of beans, chopped up some bacon and put it in the frying pan.  I chopped up bread and made croutons, put those in the frying pan with the bacon, another slice of bread into a deep bowl and everything was put on top of it.  It went down well and it should see me through until tomorrow morning and hoping that I don't have another three a.m start.  

So tomorrow I'm meeting Gouljan at ten thirty and we're heading into Momchilgrad so that she can deliver photos on a memory stick to the photographer from their wedding and they will make it into an album.  We've got a stop at the cobblers...I want some leather stitching on to the sheepskin uppers remaining from a pair of slippers.  The applied rubber sole had deteriorated and I'd pulled them apart last week so let's see what he can do with them.  LN...Kitchen tidying  in progress...LN

Friday 12th October

Six thirty start so much better...no midnight wanderings.  I played Soda Crush...found the bears, ate all the chocolates and popped the bottles...what more could a girl want of a morning.  Down for coffee, I cleaned out the fridge and lobbed things I didn't want due to expiry of 'sell by's' and things that I should have just eaten.  I know by now...it it goes in the fridge because I've cooked too much, it never gets eaten the next day so why do I put it in there in the first place.  I think I'm going to put a note on the fridge....do you really mean to?  Washed and dressed and ready for the day by eight thirty and settled for another cup of coffee and no breakfast.  I put the washing away, moved the soft toys from my bedroom side table, into a plastic tub and relegated to the top of the wardrobe until my next weeks guests leave.  When Princess comes over I always move out of my room and down to the winter bedroom...

Make up on and preparing to leave at ten fifteen to meet Gouldjan but decided to phone my home phone provider...the blasted thing hadn't worked since it was replaced.  I'd phoned them yesterday and was assured that someone would get back to me...and no one did...so another phone call and they provided me with a number to try and it appears to have worked.  I tried it when I got back from my day out.  Picked up Gouldjan, we headed to Momchilgrad and delivered the memory stick to the photographer so that he could print them off as part of the wedding package which was really expensive.  We headed up the high street and I settled for a banichka for breakfast and then to find a new fitted sheet for my bed.  The shop we tried didn't have any so we headed on foot to the factory and within one hour they'd made me one to order....brilliant service.  As we walked back we caught the scent of a cake shop so had to stop for cake and coffee.  Six eclairs in walnut chocolate sauce for me and coffee...tiramisu for Gouldjan....and the price...four leva for both...I almost fell over...just so cheap.  The eclairs were so good I bought a pack for my student's mum since my student is back from Sofia this weekend and I carried four of mine home...they were so rich and they're for later.

Back to Djebel to deliver said eclairs, over to the money changers for some euro, down for juice and bread from the supermarket and delivered Gouldjan to the drop off point.  I did take a couple of eclairs over for Haciber but she must have been on a visit so I brought them back and they are no more.  Fire lit, more wood in and settled in for the night.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow except final tidy...I'm off on Sunday to Greece to the market I've not tried yet...hence the euro and Monday is delivery day for easyJet.  LN....I'm getting excited....  LN

Saturday 13th October

What a mare of a morning.  Bed was stripped down and everything in the kitchen by the washing machine.  I'd loaded up the whites...the machine started...the water filled, the powder went down and it swirled around ...and then it stopped.  I left it for a while thinking that the electricity had gone off, checked it and the rest of the house had power.  I started it again and it responded for a while...and stopped...so I placed a shallow dish under the bottom deciding to clean out the outlet and I'm two leva twenty better off but don't report me for money laundering.  It was an accident your honour.  Of course the shallow dish did nothing to catch the torrent of water so I flooded the kitchen, dashed out for the mop and bucket and set to work but firstly I emptied the machine into a bowl and rinsed them in the outside sink and hung them out sopping.  I was still with a machine that wasn't working so I decided to see if the  inlet hose was blocked but thought I change the plug over to the next socket...and it worked.  Not sure what caused it but it's played the white man all day...everything OK, everything dried, bed remade and washing put away.

And that sums up my day...I'm on target but the fire was lit at around four.  That has been a cold wind today....it was really cutting.  Off to Greece tomorrow to inspect a market I've never visited before, bath tonight to ease out today's workout.  LN...Must remember passport.....LN

Sunday 14th October

What a beautiful day...such a lovely relaxing day with friends.  Showered, hair washed and in the car by just after seven thirty and cows on the road made me late by two minutes but I was totally forgiven.  One the road by eight ten and no one else at the border...quick show of the passports and straight through and heading for a market I'd never been to before.  We were there before some of the traders but I spotted a leg which seemed to be hiding something else in a plastic bag...intriguing.  We stopped for a coffee to kill a little time and then headed to the start of the market and did the first circuit.  Not much on the first pass but I did manage to catch the second leg but this time hiding behind a stall...yet more intriguing.

Lots of fruit and vegetables, very cheap clothes but not quite so cheap as my favourite shops in Kardjali so I didn't but anything.  I washed the unloading of a fishing boat and fish were bought straight off the boat.  A second one came in and it had very pointy fish and octopus and the fisherman theatrically held it up for me.  I asked permission and the lady with her spice haul and eggs thanked me for taking her photo.  I did go back to the fruit and veg and loaded up with grapes, pomegranates, clemantines and apples....and my pin is at the ready for a pomegranate and half of the grapes have gone.  

Market over we headed through some of the sandy lanes along the coast and found some more really deserted beaches that are worth noting for next season and along the salt flats we caught site of bushes covered with cobwebs and lots of midges flying around...food for the spiders.  Lots of wading birds on the salt flats so we made another stop and watched the flamingos and pelicans....so beautiful and the heather at this time of year was such a vivid red.  

Back to Bulgaria and this time at the border every car was pulled over and boots opened.  We weren't waiting for long....and headed back to a restaurant and topped up.  It was much cheaper to eat in Bulgaria than Greece.  Hope for just after six and fire lit, more grapes eaten and a few clemantines over the road for Haciber.  And now I have a final check list of things to do before my Princess arrives tomorrow and the excitement is mounting.  A quick shopping trip in the morning.  LN....I've had a special day.....LN

Monday 15th October

Very organised this morning....rest of the house finished, shopping by eleven thirty and home with lots of goodies by one.  I settled down to a spot of gardening, sweeping the leaves up to make the garden presentable, watched a little TV Catch-up, chicken and roasted vegetables in the oven and Princess and her hubbie arrived and another surprise...they brought my grandson with them..... :) :)

Grandson promptly wrapped himself in the duvet and took to the guest bedroom and looked rather like a sausage roll.  The three of us that remained compus mentis enjoyed supper and we've sat up until now chatting...  So fair so good and my daughter has made a point of going thought my wardrobe...I better check out the suitcase before it gets loaded into the car prior to departure.  LN...Short and sweet...a very relaxed evening...LN

Tuesday 16th October

Seven strt and the rest of the house was sleepy value....not a peep was to be heard.  I made myself comfy on the sofa and waited for things to start to happen.  Princess was the first to emerge and CJ eventually morphed from the duvey where he had slept all night.  He'd not managed to get himself properly into bed.  So we chatted for a while and eventually everybody was assembled in the kitchen and bacon and eggs was order of the day.  One slice of toast for me to finish, quick wash up job and then we were into the day propper.

All into the Nipper and we headed for Djebel and acquaintances were re-established with my student's mum at the shop and Yusti has messaged me to send CJ up so that he can show him the nightlife of Sofia.  Not much time to do it on this trip...maybe next.

Leva shop goodies, cheapy clothes shop and then over to a very nice restaurant for lunch.  Well stuffed with meat,s cheesy chips, beer for the non-drivers and then back to the car park.  Kaufland for a loo stop, Djebel for the few things that Kardjali didn't have except under a different trade name.  Hope for six and the boys promptly settled to for target practice with the air rifles and we all gravitated to the bench under the terrace when the light left.  I'd popped in to light the fire and it was going really well, the wind was northerly and it was soon in for a warm.  No supper to day but I believe it might be a cheese feast anytime now, CJ has settled down on one of the sofas in the lounge...and he's off again.  

Greece tomorrow if the weather holds...it's been beautiful today but that wind was quite cutting at times.  LN...Fingers crossed it's fine....LN

Wednesday 17th October

Lovely sleep of the just and it was seven ten when I first saw the light of day.  The sun was up, the temperature was rising and it looked like we were in for a good one.  The mist was hanging round the mountains and I tried to point out my little house in the mountains to my SIL but it was no use so we might be up for a trip in the Beast tomorrow so that they can see it.

Toast for breakfast and we were ready to roll at ten fifteen and we were on out way to Greece.  We managed the border very comfortably and the only thing in front of us was a white van.  After about four minutes the guard came out of his little hut and indicated to the driver of the van to do the same and asked him to open up the door of the van which was secured with a metal bar.  He opened up and inside were rolls of material which my current passengers commented that he could have all sorts hidden in the rolls and flat packed in the fabric.  The driver and the guard then made their was to the side of the van and obviously the guard had the same impression as my lot and he turned him round and headed him back to Bulgaria.  We stepped up, passports over on to the next cubicle and passports were returned...we were in Greece for the day.

I seem to stick to the same route...I was only there on Sunday but Princess and co have never been before so it was a pleasure to take them.  We walked the beach, Princess had a paddle in the sea, CJ took his t-shirt off but it soon went back on and we headed to the restaurant for coffees.  After a  ten euro bill we moved on to the fishing village so that I could show Princess the spider webs on the roadside and she has a thing about flamingos and was amazed to see them on the salt flats.  We had a walk along the quay and headed into a fish restaurant not realising that it was solely fish but found enough to fill us up.  Grilled prawns and squid for the girls, cheesy veg and halumi for the boys and we also went for a Greek salad that came with a real chunk of cheese and four dishes of chips.  Unfortunately they'd been sprinkled with oregano so didn't go down a bomb with the entourage but the rest of the food was really good and we all came away stuffed.  Back in the Nipper and over the border to Bulgaria getting questioned as to how many people were in the car despite the fact that he had four passports, he asked where I was going and who the passengers were and where they lived and I said that they were family over for a holiday and all this in Bulgarian.  Any way it must have been understood, he raised the barrier and off we toddled.

On the way back we stopped off at Ms D of S so they could meet up and were surprised when the newbies from F arrived after we'd been there for a while.  On our way after about half an hour....Nobody wants any supper...it will probably be a cheese board much later on.  LN.....Lovely day with lots of giggles......LN.  

Thursday, Friday, 18th and 19th October

Two into one...that can't be bad.  Last night was just too late, there was packing going on, eleven to bed and up for five and on their way by six and I suppose I was heading for a downer knowing that the house would be empty when they left for home.

Thursday turned into a bit of a mad day.  They wanted to see my little house in the mountains so we left at ten, headed down the rough road towards the village via Momchilgrad and we were there for about eleven.  I'd pointed out the cake shop on the way through and it was part of the itinerary to head back the same way and pick up some chocolate cake and anything else that anyone fancied.  We went for a walk up near the house, it's so beautifully quiet up there and the views are spectacular.  It's almost tempting to do something with it but there again it's pretty remote and would only be used in the summer.  So back into the Beast and with my grandson hanging on to the grab handles we were back on the main road and headed for Podkova and decided to stop for a coffee in a small restaurant that I know of.  Blow me down there were a couple of friends in there so we headed off on a jaunt to see another property that's being renovated.  The intention was to go to the oldest mosque in Bulgaria but those plans were shelved until we'd done the mountain hike but as we cam down the mountain and back on to the main road heading towards the  mosque, the call for the cake became stronger so a three point turn was executed and it was back following our noses to the cake shop,  It was about four when we got there, eclairs and chocolate cake for everyone and back home via the back lane.  As we drove back through the village we were flagged down by one of my ladies and we parked up and Princess and myself headed down to meet them.  We met up by Beyser's gate and they indicated that we should walk to the bottom of the village but by this time there was packing to do so we were about to offer regrets and the presents started coming out.  Poor Princess was overwhelmed....she filled up and overflowed a little and they were doing the same.  She came away with biscuits, Turkish delight and chocolates all wrapped in newspaper and was really touched by the hospitality.  I gave her a big hug as did the rest of them and we sniffed out way back home.

Panic set in...I'd lost the Nipper keys.  We'd sat outside until the sun went in and the temperature dropped and I'd come in to light the fire.  Silly me had put the keys on top of the lid of the fire lighters and put it back under the table and four of us looking and going over old ground and this time with torches it seemed hopeless until Princess got her cleaver head on and found them.  Task achieved, none of us got changed and off we headed to the meat restaurant in Kardjali, worked our was through the menu trying to decide what to have when we noticed a particularly large skewer of meat heading for the next table with cheese filled bread from the oven,  The decision was made.  An hour later we were all stuffed to bursting point since that wasn't the only thing we'd ordered, back into the car, I filled up with gas on the way home and we were back for ten thirty.  Lights out by eleven and alarms set ready for the morning call...they were leaving at six to head back to Sofia for London.  All went well, despite the misty morning they arrived in Sofia for nine thirty and boarded on time and should now be back in the UK and home.

As for me.  I've had a very lazy day and am still in my PJ lounge suit and spent the day realising how empty the house seems and finding more relatives on the ancestry site.  It's would have been my father's birthday today and I found out that despite his grand parents having several children, two boys and several daughters, neither my father or his brother managed to keep the family name going and of course it was lost when the daughters got married.  He was really disappointed when the two boys that he did produce both died and birth and what did he get next....yours truly.  I think he would be proud of me now though.

Beautiful calm, still autumn day once the mist had cleared away.  I made mushrooms on toast for brunch and finished off a packet of fruit cakes.  My diet can start tomorrow.  Haciber came round with chocolate croissants from a Mevlit that they had in the village for someone from Turkey....it's all go here.  TV- Catch up has now introduced a subscription and I have to decided whether or not to take it out.  They seem to get you all ways.  

Just had a call from Gouljan....she's been out collecting fir cones and her father hasn't come to collect them with the wheelbarrow so would I go down to the lake where she was waiting...another mercy mission....Found her at the road side, stashed them in the Nipper, delivered her and the fir cones home, stopped for coffee and biscuits and just got in.  I did come back with a giant pot of home made yogurt for my troubles so can't be bad.  Everything locked up for the night.  LN....Relax....LN

Transponder TV now says for me,

"You are on our limited free plan. Please subscribe if you'd like features such as recording, multi-screen viewing, HD channels and higher quality viewing."

To be honest it is no different. All that is missing is recording and playback etc, which I never used anyway. Did you?

Saturday 20th October

Only difference is Trev that they cut down on the channels you can view or so it seems and I don't like the reminder every forty minutes or so.  I'm going to take out the very basic which is fifty pounds or close to for a year.  I don't record anyway or play back....CBA.  If I miss it...tough.

And now this update is going to be a quickie...the thunder is rattling round and my electricity has gone off and just come back on again so I might not have any Strictly tonight.  The day started well, I collected up the towels and got them in the machine, stripped the beds with the intention of getting in another load but the acceptable morning turned into a cloudy lunchtime and by half twelve we had the first spots of rain so in came the washing.  The second load came out of the machine and now adorns the bathroom with the first load and the third is dry and waiting for attention and it can wait.

At twelve thirty  there was a knock on the door and one of my neighbours said that Remsie was killing a calf and that she was going to buy some of it and did I want some.  So never having been invited before I grabbed my purse and we headed up and it turned out that it was only a small one and there was nothing to buy so we headed home.  She came in for a while and she talked at me...she doesn't seem to slow it down much when she speaks and tends to slur her words a little so I end up nodding and putting in the occasional comment when I more or less get the gist but not the detail.  Anyway off she went and I went on to the computer and settled in ancestry hunting and at about two there was another gentle knock on the door and it was Remsie with some of the calf.  I offered to pay for it and she refused anything for it and again she sat down for twenty minutes or so and she's another one that mumbles a little  and at two thirty she make her escape...she had things to do.  I opened up the bag that she'd given me and trimmed up the meat and it's now in the fridge...it's too new to cook and needs to rest for a while.

So back to my computer and now I'm back to early seventeen hundreds and the sleep bug got me so I headed down in front of the fire on the sofa and got my head down for an hour or so.  I think it's the business of having people here and then nothing.  It's catch-up time.  No supper for me...I had a couple of giant ham sandwiches for a late lunch and I've pigged out on biscuits and coffee since I've come round from the land of nod.  I've got to sort out TV Catch-up tonight and make the subscription....it's not a lot to pay to save the hassle of finding the programme again.  As fore the family....they certainly timed it right.   LN....Quit while I've still got power....LN

Sunday 21st October

So I stopped up last night watching the television till silly o'clock but straight to sleep and it was eight thirty when I opened my eyes.  I meandered around putting the washing away and generally tidying a few things away, it was a dull old morning so I wasn't in too much of a hurry to get the rest of the washing done.  I got back into ancestry chasing...there's a bit of a problem with one of the names....I'm having trouble sorting out a 'Mary' / 'Maria' back in the turn of the eighteen hundreds with a 'several greats' grandfather.   I'll get top the bottom of it eventually and it amazes me how many of the cousins had the same name within families especially the boys.  

The hunger pains began so I found a couple of sausages that I'd bought when the family was here so they got cooked along with bacon and a couple of eggs...and that was breakfast done and done with and then back to the ancestry stuff.  I've worked out that I need some really large sheets of paper or a roll of plain wall paper so that I can visually see the relationships.  It's difficult on the screen and you can only print screen and hope when you print them up so tomorrow I'm off to my favourite stationery shop and we'll wee what they've got on offer.  They do industrial printing so my lady is bound to have something.

Eventually the weather cleared and two loads of washing done and dusted and now finishing off in the bathroom and over the banister.  Fascinating today watching the starlings.  Firstly they gathered on the electricity power cables and the pylons and then most of them came into the garden and were obviously finding something to eat in the grass.  They took off in dribs and drabs and suddenly they all moved to the next field, something obviously frightened them and up they went circling the next village.  Back they came again, circled again and back to the pylons and now they're in the poplar trees.  

No cooked supper for me.....I've got cheese left over from the visit so that will do me.  Kardjali tomorrow for the paper, cheapy shop that requires a visit and that's about it.  I'm still topped up with enough food to withstand a siege so will probably avoid the food shops. I did pay the yearly subscription for the television channels.....I wasn't going to but for a pound a week I felt I could stretch to the occasion.  It doesn't freeze any more and advert free...well worth it.  Bath and early bed tonight...I'l still catching up.  LN...Boiler on then.....LN  

Monday 22nd October

Silly night last night...I was watching t.v., got stuck in to ancestry and it was one before I knew it.  As for the bath it didn't happen so it was a shower and shampoo this morning to get ready for the big city.

I didn't have a lot to buy but intended heading into my stationery shop to get big sheets of paper for setting out the aunts, uncles and grandma's grandma and grandma's grandma's grandma along with their respective spouses.  I now have about ninety residents in my chart so hence the big sheets of paper to view them easily.  The screen is rubbish.  The Librarian arrived at around nine thirty, coffee and packeted croissants for breakfast and off we set at ten thirty.  On to the open road Toad in the Nipper, Kardjali was busy but we managed to park up in the central car-park and headed firstly for the cheapy shop.

My first purchase was a pair of snow boots for twelve leva that are on offer on ebay for loads of dosh....but there is no danger of selling them...winter is coming John Snow.  We headed down to the stationery shop and I managed to find very large sheets of paper, not the finest quality but adequate for rough work at twenty stotinki a sheet.  We went to the market chicken restaurant and had lunch and I still had the paper, headed for the Euro shop and I gave the paper to the lady on the cash desk so that I could check out other items, bought a couple of highlighters and promptly forgot to ask her for my paper and it was only when I got home that I missed it.  Guess where I'm going tomorrow....

Home for three thirty, it was time for a nap, I felt shattered and I'm still catching up I think,  I lit the fire, had peanuts for supper, a little more ancestry and managed to catch Egg heads at it's new positioning in the schedules.  Why don't they leave things as they were?  On the plus side though, Connect four is now before University challenge and that's got to be good.  

The moon was up tonight but then the clouds rolled before I could get a shot of it.  It's not full yet...we have a bit to go so I'll keep you in suspense.  LN....Kardjali tomorrow...again...LN

Tuesday 23rd October

So it was six this morning when I woke up and it was so dark I thought it was the middle of the night.  Back to bed with the kindle and Candy Crush for a while before I legged it downstairs for coffee.  While was down in the kitchen I took the meat that Remsie had give me from the fridge and carved some of it into cubes ready for the slow cooker and the rest went into the freezer to live for another day.  I looked down the garden and though I was seeing double,,,obviously two sister kittens were heading for the burning pit and it reminded me that I needed a bonfire but I left them to their fun and waited until they'd finished searching the contents...and there was zilch.  So down to the burning pit and got rid of the rubbish.  I walked back up the garden and was surprised by the odd patches of colour that were still showing,  The nasturtiums had been dug up once in error, replanted and had survived the ordeal and the petunias must have been on the third flowering.  

So dressed and into the Nipper for eleven thirty and heading for Kardjali.  The objective was to retrieve the paper sheets that I'd left in one of the shops but I stopped off at the Tuesday cheapy shop and managed to pick up a pair of curtains that reflect the colours of my lounge,  I'm not sure what I'll use them for yet,,,the material might be put to other uses but I loved the colours and for twelve lev...bargain.  I moved the Nipper to the bottom of town, my paper was there for me and I headed to Lidl for a large bottle of water and then over to the gas station for gas.....another thirteen leva worth.  Back via Djebel and I stopped off at the car shop and my student's mum and we chewed the cud for an hour or so until I realised that I was cold and needed to get home and get the fire lit.  I parked up and unpacked the goodies, filled up the starter wood bucket and got the fire going, switched the slow cooker on again for later and decided to have a back because I was tired and needed to chill.  I lay there for about an hour and a half, went to sleep, topped up the water again and eventually emerged for Eggheads, Kevin was knocked out and the contestants won.

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so I might spend part of the day cleaning up the garden and taking seeds from the plants that I'm removing.  Another on the 'to do' list is to chop more starter wood.  Could be a real work day.  LN...Supper to sort....LN

Wednesday 24th October

Silly night....after my super switch down with a hat bath at about seven last night I ruined it all by having cheese and biscuits around half ten last night.  It seemed to stick and at one this morning felt as if I'd slept for ages and I still had hours to go.  A few games of Soda Crush, a few pages of Game of Thrones on the Kindle and I was out for the count until seven thirty so every cloud has a silver lining.  At one the moon was full and it was just like daylight outside but at seven nothing to see at all.  The mountains had gone and even the birds weren't moving around very much...quietly spooky.  At eight I sent out to thrown out old bread for the birds and noticed that one of the cats was tucked up on the sofa.  It lazily opened one of its eyes and then shot off heading for the wall and freedom.  Tomorrow the covers will be taken off the outside furniture, the cushions are heading for the little house....despite the weather...November will soon be here.  The remnants of the fire from last night were soon brought back to life and I regretted it as soon as the sun broke through.

The fog eventually lifted and it turned into a beautiful day.  I had a general tidy round, made up the downstairs bed, washed up and found a pot of sheep's yogurt in the fridge and sat on the terrace eating it after I'd put a dollop of strawberry jam in it.  It was pleasant being outside but the mood to start sorting out the garden didn't kick in so spent most of the day between pottering ancestry finding another twenty to add to the tree.  I'm still looking for a 'John' who worked on the passenger liner Transylvania as a second cook and eventually became a naturalised America subject.  Fascinating and also frustrating.  

Sofa time this afternoon, more wood in, fire going for tonight and house is very comfortable and warm.  Beautiful full moon tonight so I better draw the curtains so that I don't get disturbed.  LN....Gardening tomorrow..... LN

Thursday 25th October

Seven fifteen start, reasonable time, coffee, washing in and was just about to go out to start on the garden but instead I got waylaid with moving the garden furniture cushions...the cat sleeping area was dismantled and the covers put in for a second load,  I washed up from the last couple of days and tidied the kitchen and was filling up the log basket and going back for another and I noticed Gouljan's father walking towards the upper village.  He said he was on his way to Djebel.  Now I know there is no bus until tomorrow and that he was walking it so I shouted that if he waited five minutes I would take him in.  I'd intended taking the Beast in for its winter check up so back he came, I pulled on boots and grabbed my purse and off we went .  I dropped him off at the centre of the town and I carried on to the garage and there were no other cars waiting so they started work straightaway.

Oil, fuel and air filters were all changed, oil leak was investigated and apparently it was on bolt that had worked loose and was not sorted, I'm good to go to minus forty more or less, oil changed and tyres checked.  Bring it on John Snow.  I thought about going to the soup kitchen for lunch then remembered I had food that needed finishing off from when the family were over.  Ham sandwiches for lunch and I finished the grapes off from my last trip to the Greek market and I was amazed that they were now almost two weeks old and seemed as fresh as the day they were bought.  

I spent the afternoon reading and generally chilling out,  I sat out for a while in the sun...it was too hot in the house and it got up to almost thirty degrees...and it's late October.  I also unpacked my new Dirt Devil and gave it a whirl round the conservatory....it was great on the tiles but almost sucked up my lightweight rugs in my winter lounge even with the air vent totally open.  Need a new carpet in the corridor.  Did a circuit or two of the garden and noticed that I had roses flowering on the little house terrace and yet more to come.  I also spotted that the mole has been very active...the tablets will be posted in the ground tomorrow....how very dare he.  

Peanuts for supper...not really in the mood for food and must admit that the Cadbury's chocolate has taken a bashing today...thank you Princess.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow......LN.....I'm sure I'll fill my day with something....LN

Friday 26th October

Seven thirty start this morning and I started playing stupid Candy Crush and it was half ten before I knew it.  I completed game after game and I kept getting more lives and bonus lives and in the end I had to put the thing to bed.  I had more fish to fry so to speak.  Fortunately I got dressed and ready for the world before my guests arrive and none was expected.

Kettle on and coffee cups out for R of F and his adoptive who is over for a holiday.  I'd tidied the house so wasn't too intolerant of visitors, there was only the kitchen to do and that still needs doing.  The Librarian popped in to deliver items that I'd left in her bag when we were out on Monday...she was up this way on a mercy mission for the villagers and it wasn't too far out of her way.  She didn't want coffee so that's one less cup making the kitchen untidy.  

So everyone left about one and the rest of the day was mine.  Now this ancestry has been concerning me....I was getting very confused about a Maria and a Mary that were both married to a Thomas and within a couple of years or each other.  The problem is now solved...the one is listed as Thomas and the other as Thos and I eventually tracked down the correct census record for each one and now my tree stems from a Robert and Alice and not a Thomas and Maria....and I'd lost a George within the time frames and now he is found. I've now put it to bed....I've had enough and at last satisfied that I can now allow the Maria to marry for the second time where before Thomas date of death meant that she would  have been an adulterous female but now I can allow her to move on and update the record.  I thought I'd found some scandal but everything in the garden is rosy again.

I lit the fire around six and it's been ticking over ever since. It's still twenty five degrees in here with no fire to speak of...very comfortable.  My neighbours arrived yesterday from Turkey and everything was out on the line airing or drying out....not quite sure which.  They're only here for five days so by the time that they get sorted they're off again.  So ten thirty my time...where has the time gone today.  Greece tomorrow for the market....I've got fifteen euro to spend...last of the big spenders...that's me.  LN...Camera battery is on charge.....LN

Saturday 27th October

Six thirty start and as I went down to make the coffee I noticed that the fire was still in....magnificent so I thew another log on it that promptly went out.  I did empty the ashcan so that might have been retaining the heat but anyway up...it was a good starter log for tonight.

Washed, dressed and ready for the off at eight thirty and over to the agreed meet up by nine.  I was off with R of F and his family to Greece yet again.....I'm getting spoilt.  No time for a coffee, we were off on the open road Toad and what a happy man there was at the border crossing.  He asked us to put the windows down so that he could see in, wanted to know everything, where we lived in Bulgaria etc. and it was out of sheer interest not in an official capacity without he was hiding it well.  Over to the Greek window and we just got out passports back and no one looked in the car at all.  So over to the market in Kometini and there were a few bargains to be had on the clothes stalls.  I managed to get me a purple knee length goose down coat with a bright pink lining for the princely sum of three euro.  I'm sure my Princess would have been snatching it from me if she was still here.  I bought grapes and that was about it on the fruit and veg front and I really thing the Sunday market is better but a good time was had by all.  We stopped off for coffee and cake on the way back to the car and were surprised that it was still there...I think it would have been towed away in the UK....but nobody adheres to the signs.

The decision was taken to head down to Fanari....K of F's son is over to we were doing the tourist trail and it included flamingos and spiders' webs but it has to be done.  This is where we live and the amenities.  There was one interesting observation...a man was going swimming and we did look out for the pile of clothes.  It was almost like a Reginald Perrin episode.  Last seen heading off the point but we didn't hand around long enough to see the outcome.  Back to Lidl...they have a few different items in there and we stopped off at a brilliant market garden.  I'd 'stolen' a cutting from a bush that none of us knew the name of and then they had them in the garden centre so I am now the proud owner of one about three fee tall and the lady guaranteed that it would withstand the cold.  We'll wait and see.  The same happy chappy was at the border post and wished us well on our way, back to the house for coffee and I have an admission to make....the batteries for the camera were charged but the camera stayed at home.  I remembered it half way to the meet this morning but had to rely on the visitor for the shots.  Thank you and you know who you are.

Lit the fire...the cuttings are sitting in water and will be planted tomorrow.  I have chicken wings in the oven which should be ready any time now and it's Strictly Halloween tonight. LN....Kitchen beckons.....LN  

Sunday 28th October

Early bed last night and had the sleep of the just until five so I put the clocks back and enjoyed my extra hour.  Seven when I got to face the world and the tablet was too handy by the bedside table so I was playing Candy Crush for an hour or so and I think it felt sorry for me having spent four days on one puzzle.  The next three came out first time, I was awarded lots of time and extra lives so I switched the thing off....what a wast of time when there are other things to do.

Lovely day and the temperature inside the house was twenty five...I threw out the stale bread along with a few brown bananas for the animals.  I attempted to clean the kitchen but got waylaid doing other things and decided to make scrambled eggs for breakfast.  I was just sitting down to it at the winter table in the stairwell when I heard the gate latch go but there was no one making an entrance to the yard.  I went out to investigate  and my next door neighbours were approaching the door.  I went out to meet them, we stood on the terrace for a while and I got the impression that the man wanted to see inside the house so I invited them in.  The breakfast sat on the table and after the conducted tour of up and down, they left and were off to Turkey at eleven thirty so I made my way back to my now cold breakfast.  I eventually finished the kitchen and everything is shipshape at long last.

I didn't stop there.....I went back out again and set to on cutting back the shrubs ready for winter.  I saved some of the trimmings, cut them back and put them into water.  I'll be potting them up tomorrow.  This afternoon I worked on my ancestry but didn't get very far forward or backwards with it.  They seem to have missed out the name of the spouse  on some of the marriage records.  The older ones give more information making them easier to track.

A little television, Strictly results tonight and then to bed. Gardening jobs tomorrow if the weather permits...need to take advantage of the exceptional weather.  And for supper...some more of the cheese and biscuits and a bunch of the grapes that I bought in Greece yesterday.  LN...Time to relax....LN

Monday 28th October

Really good sleep last night and woke up at six bright eyed and bushy tailed.  Lovely skies to wake up to so I went out on to my bedroom balcony but that wind was really cold.  I filled up the lungs, took a few paces round the balcony, noticed that the lemons were turning yellow and note to self...the lemon tree will probably spend the winter in the conservatory,,,we'll see.  I emptied the ash can, put yesterday's washing up away, made coffee and promptly went back to bed....it's a nice warm nest.  I played a few games of Soda Crush and it's back to normal...I have a difficult one and only about six lives before I get the orange screen and I refuse to buy lives...I'll wait until it feels sorry for me and gives in....I know it will happen.

Washed dressed and had visions of lots of gardening but I only really came to life at around two this afternoon.  Marmite on toast had added to the lethargy. that  extra hour that I'd filled up yesterday had taken its toll and I felt knacked today so by eleven thirty I was ready to rest my weary head...so I did...and felt much better for it.

So at three I was out there....I filled up the pots to take the cuttings but didn't manage to get them in.  The swinging bench is now inside and the cushions from all of the other outside furniture is adorning it.  I've planted up a couple of red tubular honeysuckle plants that I've been nurturing and this entailed attaching a plank to the old grapevine so that it's got some support so there was a little hammer banging going on.  The neighbours love me...not.  I've put the long bench in front of the conservatory window and the small bench is ready to go inside for the winter...it's tidy up time.  The flower fridge has been weeded and I've collected seeds from my tall white flowers that shall always be name 'tall white flowers'...I know no other.  Filled up the log basket from the carrier and then filled up the carrier but I shan't be needing it tonight.  It was twenty four degrees in the stairwell when I looked at seven tonight...it would be a waste of logs.  

Nothing fixed in stone for tomorrow apart from getting the cuttings in and clearing more of the terraces and cutting a few more shrubs back.  Winter is coming....but so far...no snow on them there hills but it won't be long.  LN...TV....relax...and bed....LN

Tuesday 30th October

Silly night last night...I got caught up in ancestry and didn't get to bed until two this morning.  Not so bad though...I slept all through and woke up at seven so five good hours...and no fatigue today.  The sun struggled this morning...it looked like it would be a pretty dramatic sky but it fizzled out and went into pastel shades so I thought I might as well start my day.  Coffee and then I went for the second option...I went back to bed.  The machinations of finding my grandparents on my mother's side and their families was proving a tad difficult.  It's not so bad when you have the eighteen hundred censa  (if that's the plural of census) or censuses...it makes like a tad easier but with very common names...it's a bummer.

Anyway I had a second attempt at starting my day, I settled for toast for breakfast with marmalade  and eventually got out to the garden for around one thirty.  I started  off with a bonfire that was very reluctant to go, left it to its  own devices and headed up the garden to finish trimming the lavender bushes under the terrace.  I'd half done one but now it's finished and I've got rid of the honeysuckle that's been bullying one of the lavenders into submission.  I think I've tamed it....I can see the lavender bush at long last but it has some recuperation to do.  I'll keep an eye on the honeysuckle next year.  The skimmia Japonica cuttings are potted and so are the buddleia and they're in the little  house to 'winter' along with the others.  Let's see what survives but they're in the best place.  Collected the big white thingy seeds ready for next year, trimmed back the tobacco and a few more bushes and most of the debris went over the wall.  At least the methane should smell sweeter if they managed to get through the lavender.

Second go at the fire and this time I managed it and go quite a head of steam up, put the toys away and locked up and was surprised to see that it was almost six...a good afternoon's work.Funny little birds around today...not seen them before but they have very orange under tails.  I also noticed a pair of wagtails on the little house roof cleaning it up for me....so the summer birds go and the rest arrive.  I think it's going to be tuna salad tonight just for a change...too lazy to cook.  Out tomorrow night at my student's for supper...it seems ages since I've seen them and I'm looking forward to it.  They've decided to forego the woodburner this year and rely on an heat exchanger...I await the results.  LN...Hunt for food is on....LN

Wednesday 31st October

Very restful day today....normal morning routine and went down for bread and a cheesy bun and then back to fry off bacon and egg and enjoy my breakfast.  The van man seems to have a different route and appeared from the bottom end of the village and surprised us all.  I headed down to Zelinger's house to have a few words with her and she was chopping small wood. She had a large pile of wood that was obviously from a house roof that needed chainsawing so I saw my painter working in Beyser's garden and  gave him the nod to go down and check out if he could do the job.  I like her...she's one with a really good heart.  

Breakfast over, I hung out the washing, thought about gardening and then put it to the back of my mind and a message from Mrs D of S put it even further to the back.  I did go out and return the cushions to the outside furniture and emptied the container that I usually keep them in to see if I had gathered any wildlife but none to write home about.  I intend bringing the chest into the downstairs bedroom and didn't want to bring anything in.

So Mrs D arrived with the little one and we had a very entertaining session, reading books, eating crackles and blowing bubbles and off they went after an hour or se,  I settled down with the kindle to have a read and yes, you've guessed it. promptly nodded off for an hour or so for my afternoon siesta, read for a little longer, an hour with my ancestors and then washed my hair, dried it and off to Djebel for supper with the family.  Food was good, company was exceptional and I enjoy the family dynamics.  Part Turkish, Bulgarian and English subtitles and the hours just fly by.  I've messaged them to let them know that I've arrived safe and sound but the internet was very slow to connect tonight...must be something going on somewhere in the world.  LN...Very restful day...LN