Friday 1st October

Well I suppose it should be white rabbits but not seen any sort of rabbit on the hillside now that Harold Hare has gone to the great beyond...well I'm assuming he has, too many dogs around these days.  Seven start after a good night's sleep but apart from the start it's been a pretty poor day all round for exercise.  I had a brief flurry of activity this afternoon but nothing much to write home about.  The washing is still waiting to be put away and I've only just made my bed but I did manage to sort out the vegetable rack and had a brainwave to put the base from an old dish drainer underneath the sliding wire basket.  Every time I pulled it out the skins from the onions would fall on the kitchen floor and I would have to pick them up so now most of them will be caught on the tray as they fall...well that's the theory....it's an experiment at the moment.  

I made scrambled eggs for breakfast using up the last of the village free rangers and the order will be placed for more.  They've got so much more flavour than the shop bought and about the same price.  Washed up and tidied the kitchen and sat at the desk and played around with ancestry finding out more about my nocturnal visitors in one of our old houses,  I've tracked one of the grandparents back to late seventeen hundreds but I still can't solve the mystery of the lady of the house.  I seem to be having issues with connecting my Fitbit to the little computer and I'm not sure if it's the Fitbit or the computer program, it could be either and I'm getting to the point that it's time that I found another supplier.....the last one has been rubbish, I now have two that have no back light on the screens so are useless as watches and if they aren't now able to report collected data...pah...where's the hammer and would I recommend them to a friend?  Pah to that too.

I did bring in the large red pot from the terrace and it's now sitting in the lounge in front of the bookcase with it's wooden top that I made.  It was looking a little dull so I found the brown shoe polish and now it's sparkly and I did round the sides so that it looks pretty professional for a hand made one.  It's probably frost proof but it's safe inside with the way that the wind howls round here in the winter, benches have been known to be removed from the terrace to the grass.  The dogs were out when the sheep decided to feed in Haciber's field.  They were barking like fury and somebody or something and I made sure I didn't go out to investigate and four of them is overkill in my humble opinion and they're pretty frightening too.

Tele this afternoon and I managed to stay awake.  Supper went in the oven around five and I used the potatoes that I've been given and they're now sitting in a net in the porch so easy to get at and I must remember to put a paper sack over them to stop them going green.  I set the fire at four thirty and suddenly I had the urge to take the top of the wood burner and check out the top of the burner.  It didn't draw well last night and removing the lid made me realise why.  It's now cleared out, I put a match to it and I have a rosy glow with just enough heat coming from it.  Chicken and rosties for supper, done and dusted and the washing up done, I didn't have that bath last night but it's on the cards for tonight,  LN......Another relaxing day.....LN

Saturday 2nd October

So the evening just rolled on last night and it was just after one when I realised what time it was and that it was time that I put my pretty little head on the pillow upstairs.  I was straight to sleep and it was just before seven when I woke.  I eventually managed to put the washing away, found the king-size quite from the chest in the guest room and swapped out the single that's meant that my toes were not covered unless I slept curled up even thought the lightweight quilt was covering them.  I'll see how that works tonight.

It was a cold old morning, I had my shower and washed my hair and sat on the chair in the bedroom drying off in my bath towels but then decided that it was time to get dressed, I was cold.  I dried my hair, didn't bother with breakfast, settled for another cup of coffee and meandered through the morning vacillating between computer, kitchen, dressing the bed and ancestry....just one of those mornings.  I made my way over to Avatar's house and took over a new pair of tight and didn't realise until I got there that they were only heeled ones and didn't have the foot part on them.  She'd mentioned that she wanted some so I showed her the quality and next time I'm in Kardjali I'll get her a few pairs.  They normally wear long bloomers and tuck them into their socks so I'm bringing her up to speed.  I came back and tried hard to get my Fitbit to sync and I believe it has given up the ghost.  I've now gone back to the one that doesn't have a display that I used for swimming and hope that it's recording everything else otherwise I shall be getting a new one but now way is it going to be a Fitbit... :(

Eventually I got my act together and wrote my shopping list.  There wasn't much on it so I was only going as far as Djebel.  I really needed the cash machine, I'd been notified by the money transfer company that the money had arrived but I'd had not email or text from the bank confirming that it had arrived.  I withdrew money today and the balance shows that the money is in my account...relax....I can go spend now.  I carried on down to my friend in the flower shop and she was working away making bouquets.  I'm pleased to see that she is doing OK...it's such a risk starting a new business in Djebel but there is more money around than there used to be.  A little more is getting spent on the nicer things in life.  I went to the supermarket and bought a few items from my list, across to the little supermarket and bought carrots and a beetroot and finished off at the supermarket at the bottom of the village and finished my shopping finalising it with a bar of chocolate for me...all for me.  I had a 'picky' afternoon watching a new series that I'd started yesterday finishing off with a small choc-ice.

The sun came out this afternoon but the wind was cold.  I've just lit the fire and shut up shop for the night, Strictly tonight and fingers crossed that the internet television is not swamped and gives a good service.  It's the first of the knock-outs, I've not really come up with any favourites so far, much too early.  Not too sure about supper yet....I'm working on it.  LN....Could be another easy day tomorrow.....LN

Sunday 3rd October

So I watched Strictly last night and I can't predict the outcome of the 'who's going to leave' debate.  Normally it's a choice of two who are on their way home but no one stuck out for me so I shall have to find out tonight.  Straight to bed when it ended and off to sleep under my first night of the new quilt or old quilt revisited and it was straight through until seven this morning so what a result and a good move on my part.  I've done away with the top sheet too and settled for the quilt and its cover, back to normal.

I made coffee, put away the dishes that I'd washed up last night, sorted my tablets out for the week into my pill dispenser pot and logged on to the upstairs computer to check for anything overnight and needed a response and there was nothing.  I washed and dressed for the garden, decided that I had enough for a good bonfire when I'd collected it all together so headed for the bottom of the garden with the rubbish and the firelighter.  That done I took a packet of bacon from the freezer, fried off three rashers and made a bacon sandwich that kept me going until three this afternoon when I sat down and watched some of the London marathon and enjoyed a packet of mixed nuts.  I've missed out my morning activities though.  The terrace pots were looking a little dry and considering that the temperature was rising I gave them a good watering.  I've repotted the bougainvillea that remained on the terrace, the petunia is cut back and I've collected the seeds, it's a very smelly variety and has survived in the said pot for the last year and half.  It's soon to take up its winter abode in the porch but not quite ready yet, it's started to put on new growth so I'll leave it for a couple of weeks or so.

Checking on the new plants that I've put in I came across a root sucker from the Choisya so I've separated it from the parent and it's now in it's own pot and in the little house so it's not suffering cold nights and hot days.  I've put in some pine seeds, some from the bathroom plant and others that I found in an envelope that I'm not really sure what they are.  I've cleared out the weeds from some of the pot plants and feeling that I deserved five minutes, and maybe an extended break I came in for an episode of the Netflix that I have been watching and that's all that there was, one episode and up came the credits.  That's another one to be added to the list that I'm waiting on, the next season's arrival.

Back outside and I tidied up the terrace, filled up the log container, emptied the ash can and the fire's all ready to light but I think I'll give it a miss tonight.  Zelinger's son came round with a lump of meat this afternoon, they must have killed a beast and so half of it has been in the oven, the rest in the freezer, and it will be served shortly with roasted potatoes, carrots and beetroot and I might even make gravy if I remember how.

Another easy day tomorrow if the weather is good, the umbrella needs to come in and the outside sofa cushions really need to be inside and the quilt cover washed.  I was going to see the doctor in Kardjali but Monday is not a good day, I might have to wait for a while so Tuesday around eleven the rush should be over.  LN...Strictly results tonight....it will be a surprise whoever is selected.....LN

Stinky bug, don't they smell if you accidentally crush them. Brown marmorated stink bug, Aren't those sheep dogs lovely, soft old things if you get to know them. The Karakachan dog, is a breed that originated from Bulgaria. It is related to the livestock guardian dogs of the surrounding countries.

Monday 4th October

Thanks for the comments Trevor, I make a point of not stepping on the stink bugs and have stopped bringing plants into the house in winter, they hibernate in the soil and pop out when least expected.  I'm not really in sharing my place with anyone or anything especially bugs.  As for the dogs, while I agree that they do their jobs very efficiently, I reckon that four is overkill especially as they patrol the street terrorising the old ladies and keeping some of us within our boundaries.  I think a word to the kemet might be in order....I'm one of the old ladies now... ;) ;)

Last night was another of the 'I just couldn't get off to sleep' nights and it was two before I hit the pillow and seven when I eventually managed to keep my eyes open,  I went out on the balcony to take the photos but didn't stay out there long and checking the outside weather station reported inside, it went down to three degrees last night and I hadn't had a fire going yesterday.  The house held seventeen degrees which quickly went up as soon as the sun started to have some heat in it.  I washed and dressed with the intention of going in to Kardjali but changed my mind and stayed home alone.  I walked the garden, threw the remains of last night's supper out for the cat which wasn't to be seen but managed to spot Green Goddess along the short wall taking in some of the sunshine.  I pegged out the washing and coming back into the house I picked up the newly potted Bougainvillea and settled it on the windowsill in the porch and that's where it's staying for the winter.  It's just starting to put new leaves on and should be flowering shortly.

I made a bacon sandwich and sat in the stairwell in the sun catching up on emails and FB, realised that I really didn't have to do anything if I didn't want to so put the TV on with the intention of sorting out the problem with the 'you are accessing an insecure site' and really screwed it up.  Eventually I clicked on Netflix and everything seemed to be working OK but no sighting of English television so I settled in to a new series that supposed to be following the style of on that I've already watched and it kept me on the sofa for a couple of hours or so and eventually I decided to tackle the issues with the television and managed it and it's been working OK...so far so good and it hasn't bombed out on me once or stopping to catch up with itself.  I'm now a tele expert and that can go on my CV.

I went out to get the washing in and spotted the cat sitting on the terrace on a plant pot that currently has nothing in.  I use this type of container for the chopped off oil barrels, they fit the top perfectly and so now have a second calling as cat containers.  I suppose the peat was soft and warm after being on the terrace for the day, it looked extremely comfortable and I rewarded it with some meat that I couldn't get my teeth into...just too tough.  So washing in and put away and I turned my attention to supper and found some spicy sausages in the fridge, fried them off with onions, blitzed a tin of tomatoes, added salt and a dash of Worcester sauce, boiled some pasta and that was supper.  I took a portion over to Avatar and she invited me in to see the house now she's cleaned it thoroughly after the renovations...she's so proud of it.  We chatted for a while, caught up on the activities of the neighbours and made my way home to have my supper deciding that the washing up can wait until tomorrow.

So Djebel first thing to see the dentist to see if I have another wisdom tooth pushing out the last top tooth on the other side.  It's started to get wobbly as did the other and really hurts when I bite down on it and the solution is....don't bite down on it and believe me, I try not to.  Next stop Kardjali and the doctor and finally the opticians to find out the cost of bifocals.  I'm tired of always having to find the second pair when I'm doing anything.  LN.....Monday quiz night and hopefully I can stay awake for it......LN

Tuesday 5th October

So as I suspected I fell asleep in my very comfortable lounge watching television and woke up when it was time to go to bed....I've not a clue this year on University Challenge and who I'm rooting for.  As for Only Connect, another week without mental exercise,  I had a good night's sleep nut woke up at five thirty which was to be expected and I watched the sky turn from a beautiful pink and blue, more nondescript and then the sun came up and it's been out all day.  I was a cold morning though, I washed and dressed and the first job was to tidy the kitchen, get rid of the rest of the lamb and cook breakfast.  I threw the old bread out, took out the cubed up meat on a plastic lid out to the terrace, put it down and went inside to do something only to hear a caterwauling coming from the terrace.  Black cat had obviously found it, was settling down into it to be chased off by a huge white and ginger thing so I rushed out and frightened it off and saw Blackie hiding at the foot of the little house terrace.  I brought the meat inside until I could spot Blackie and white and ginger came back on to the terrace looking for the food so I gave it sharp shift and off it shot.  Eventually I spotted Blackie this time in the grave garden so I stood on the terrace and threw it out to it in individual pieces and soon it had all gone.  The white and ginger came around again as I came back from shopping but this time I just left it to its own devices.

No for breakfast I cooked the half sausage along with the one remaining rasher of bacon and tipped half a can of beans into the frying pan,  Bread went in the toaster and that was my breakfast sorted and I was all ready to get my makeup on and into the Nipper eventually for Kardjali but stopping at the dentist on the way to make an appointment.  I got there for ten, waited while he had his morning break, he saw me said for me to wait while he finished off his patient that so that the anaesthetic could take, she came out and then it was my turn in the chair before his next patient.  I explained the problem and he took X-rays and only said one word 'Out' which I suspected because it is wobbly.  I made the appointment for Thursday and we went through the rigmarole of not eating anything and not taking aspirin before the event and I set off for the garage to sort out if I needed any new winter tyres  but I later learned from his wife that they're OK, he'll balance them and they'll be ready for when I go down to the garage next.  I also noticed that he was holding his neck very stiffly and usually it gets fixed with my Deep Heat but I'm running short so I found another one in the chemist today and left that at the shop as I drove back home this afternoon.  He's to use what he needs and I'll have the rest as a standby.  

So the Lev shop for a plastic tray so that Avatar he can keep her winter shoes inside and the floor won't get damage.  Back in the Nipper and to the central carpark and there was a space just waiting for me,  I paid my phone bill, took two watches that I have down to the watch repair shop and he put new batteries in both, I carried on to Kaufland and picked up some stationery that was reduced, back to another carpark and found my opticians and made an appointment for next Monday.  I was nipping though the list very quickly.  On the final lap, I went to Lidl, topped up the fridge and was back in Djebel for four, a few words with my student's mum and my soon to be younger student 'the brother'  once I get the medical stuff out of the way.  Home for five, car unpacked and shopping away, plastic tray over to Avatar and she's over the moon with it, supper in the oven, lit the fire and I'll be eating soon...be it ever so gingerly until this tooth is sorted.  I've got jacket potato and barbecued spare ribs and I'm hoping the meat's not tough on my tooffff....

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so it will be a gardening day if the weather is good.  LN....Really enjoyed to day, it was good to be out in the sun......LN

Wednesday 6th October

So another sleep filled night on the sofa and a disturbed night in bed.  I was awake at five, played games for an hour or so and was up and dressed to face the day by seven thirty.  Another lovely start to the day and there's been a cool breeze but hot in the sun so my t-shirt with sleeves became a little too warm but I was too lazy to change.  I put the bones out for the cat and clicked to see if it was around but nothing so I gave up and put it in the plastic dish under the wild plum tree and when I looked again everything had gone including the bones.  I'm not sure which one had it but it really didn't matter, the dish was bare.  I cooked poached eggs on ham and toast for breakfast and that set me up for the day, played on the computer for a while, made a call to the UK and decided that it was such a good day that I ought to get something done.

I had another brief moment of activity, I opened up the terrace umbrella to see what was lurking and the wasps wee starting up quite a colony.  I know they have a right to life but not in my umbrella so I found the insect spray and used the witches broom to move they up and away.  At this point they decided to rest on the top of the umbrella so I shook it, closed it up and then tried to remember how I'd put it together in the first place.  Eventually I worked it out, removed it from the stand and lay it flat on the terrace, tied a bungy cord round it and wrestled it into the little house for the winter.  I removed the concrete cheeses from the base and stacked them and the base joined the umbrella in the little house.  Having finished that off I grabbed a bowl and was heading to Avatar's house to get the apples and I noticed that her curtains were drawn to I went in the house and settled down with Netflix and a pot of cream cheese and breadsticks and at three thirty Avatar was at my door with the money for the tray that I bought her yesterday and I made her put it back into the pocket of her cardigan....she's so independent but there again, so am I.  I picked up the bowl and we walked to her house, filled up the bowl with apples and noticed that the neighbour from over the way had heard us laughing and had come over to join in the fun.  I was surprised that Haciber had come out to join us but Zelinger was there with her daughter from Turkey so she had her own entertainment.

We were short of a chair so I went into the garage to get one out and the three of us sat in the sun enjoying the last rays.  Eventually Haciber came to join us when her guests had gone and I offered up my chair for her, didn't bother getting another one out so sat on the concrete base to the outside sink.  Unfortunately they really do fall into Turkish so next time I'm going to do language voice recognition on my phone and it will translate and speak to me in English.  That should really sort them out.  Of course if I do it the other way, I'll see how good their Turkish really is.  I came home at six and my neighbours that came over from Turkey for a break were standing outside the gate with lots of luggage and they said they were waiting for the car that was to take them home.  I commented on the number of luggage bags and joked that they were probably taking back meat, rakia and other spirits that are very expensive in Turkey and we laughed about it.  They have quite a journey ahead of them around seven hours.

I've just realised that I've got a whole chicken to cook so I better get it in the oven and I'll have something to go at when I finish with the dentist tomorrow. If I don't feel like doing anything when he's pulled me left, right and centre, I won't have to do anything.  I've shut up shop for the night and pulled up the drawbridge, the wind has dropped and so far it doesn't feel cold at all so I'm not going to bother with a fire.  LN....That chicken will not put itself in the oven......LN

Thursday 7th October

Seven start and no chance of having my morning coffee since I was under strict instructions from my dentist, nil by mouth.....no coffee, no food and my appointment wasn't until twelve fifteen so it was going to be a long morning.  Washed and dressed and at nine thirty was watching my series on Netflix, killing time.  I didn't want to get into a panic, I really don't like dentists and mine doesn't have a particularly good bedside manner so I stretched it out by heading for Djebel at eleven, spending time with  my student's mum in the shop and I was at the surgery for eleven forty-five and took my Kindle with me so that I could relax with a little reading before the event.  The receptionist saw me in the corridor and asked me into the surgery. my dentist wasn't there so I sat down to read and then she ushered me into the chair.  I was given the anaesthetic capsule to hold and warm up before the event, we discussed that my father-in-law was a dentist with a brilliant bedside manner and I think she must have shared this information with my dentist when he arrived.  She put his manner down to energy, I put it down to impatience but he uses the proper materials and does a very good job.

At five past twelve the two injections went in, by twelve ten the tooth was out and I had stitches and it felt like there was a war going in inside my mouth.  By twelve fifteen I was given my instructions that I was to have no hot or cold drinks. no aspirin and only a pain killer suggested by him and I'm to go back next Thursday at eleven to have my stitches out.  I didn't feel particularly 'frozen' this time, there was a gauze plug in place and fortunately the face mask covered some of the swelling but so far so good, no pain and no need to take anything.  I stopped off at the car shop, I was supposed to be going to get my winter tyres on as per the legal requirement but since her husband was working on his own and had two cars in before, I decided not to wait....it could have been a long one and I wanted to get home and get my head down.

I arrived home, parked outside and remembered that my Avatar want a container for her home made breakfast stuff and I had one in the little house that would be suitable.  I found it out, it needed cleaning but as I went to take it over to her house because I'd seen her working by the gate.  At that moment the sheep came down the road, the dogs came with them, she went inside the gate, I waited for the dogs and sheep to go and the streets were empty apart from sheep and dogs.  They really are dangerous beast.  I took it over when they'd gone and she said it would be perfect so I sent home, grabbed a bottle of water and downed it to take away the taste of the anaesthetic, put the  television and and got my head down to sleep it off.  I woke up hungry so had some of the chicken that I'd cooked last night eating on the good side but it's amazing how many times the tongue goes to investigate the gap that's left after an extraction.

More chicken for supper and I'm still amazed that I feel no pain and fingers crossed that it stays that way overnight.  I lit the fire, it's been cold today and a very low cloud base although it threatened rain. it never came. I made a chicken sandwich tonight and tomorrow there's enough left to do something with it, maybe a chicken pie with a potato topping with cheese grated and baked apples for pudding.  So tomorrow Avatar and myself will eat like queens.  LN.....Not so painful as I thought.......LN

Friday 8th October

Another silly start to the day....three a.m and just couldn't get off again.  I was out of bed by six, coffee which I really appreciated after yesterday. put a load of washing in and lit the fire.  There was no way it was going to dry outside, it was raining which has got to be good for the grass and the plant pots even if it's not good for me.  I was having breakfast of ham and poached eggs on toast by eight and the cat's breakfast was served up by eight fifteen and consisted of the remains of last night's supper and chicken skin which was gobbled up in a flash.  At least there wasn't any competition around to take the breakfast from the black cat even though I've been plagued the rest of the day by a ginger and white one who thought my bench under the balcony was fair game.  I put the washing on the clothes airer in the bathroom as soon as the machine had finished and it's almost ready to get put away but I'll leave it over night to make sure.

I played around with ancestry since there was nothing I could do outside.  I'm still stuck on my Canadian escapees despite trying all of the brothers and sisters in my grandfather's family.  I'm beginning to think that I've got to go back another generation and start exploring the possibilities and with twelve entries on that line, it could be anybody.  Unfortunately the leads that I've been given are only half remembered and I can't find any paper evidence to support the information given.  I heard a knock on the outside door at around one and Avatar was there with a couple of plastic bags.  Apparently there's been a Mevlit, prayers for the dead. by one of our neighbours so I had hot meat and rice, a pair of socks. a chocolate cake thingy, a carton of juice and more sweets that are sitting on the desk....the rest has gone.  I must admit I picked the meat out of the rice, had some of the rice and the rest went out on the hillside.  In the second bag were tins of foodstuff from the EU and I managed to identify the contents from the labels and I shared this information with my Avatar...she hadn't managed to work it out.

The TV went on this afternoon and I started on a new series on Netflix and I'm not sure yet if I'm enjoying it.  It's filmed in grey scale which I find annoying because if they go into a dark place you want to turn up the brightness but it doesn't work like that.  Eventually I nodded off for an hour or so catching up on some sleep and at four threw another log on and headed for the kitchen to think about supper.  I'd promised Avatar that I would bake some of her apples with currents, sultanas, brown sugar and honey and with the chicken that was left, I stripped the carcass and put it into two dishes, made a béchamel sauce from scratch and poured it over the chicken and topped it off with mashed potatoes.  Everything went into the oven, I cleared the kitchen and at six thirty I was walking over the road in the rain with my offerings, came back and had mine watching The Chase.  The fire is topped up for the evening, it's not cold but I hate the drab rain after we've had so much sun and it makes the house cosy.  I shan't be late tonight and I feel remarkably energetic, maybe the tooth was dragging me down more than I thought.  LN....Saturday and another day of rest for me.......LN

Saturday 9th October

Bit of a panic on this morning.  I was checking my emails and there was one for the company that host my website informing me that they couldn't take a payment so I checked the account and saw that there seemed nothing wrong with the expiry dates so I phone the company for assistance.  After waiting for about five minutes for someone at the other end to respond I was told that they could not help me with a Billing enquiry so my response was to ask why they couldn't put this on the help screen.  So my next method of attack was to process a payment automatically and this payment was refused so now I'm really wondering what the heck has gone wrong so my next call was to the bank who advised me that after a certain amount of time, automatic payments can be refused as a security measure and will be reinstated once another payment has been made with a different card.  Rules is rules...I suppose so I set about processing the payment again using the other card and low and behold, it was authorised.  Unfortunately I hit the wrong buttons on the phone and got one call to a friend in Germany, another to my daughter who phoned me back when I was on a call to England.  I agree it was early, I was wearing the wrong glasses and it's convinced me that the trip to the opticians on Monday will be worthwhile and varifocals are on the cards, I'm tired of being in the right place with the wrong glasses and vice-versa......aaarrrhhh

It was raining this morning and is  still raining, eight degrees outside and the fire has been going all day again.  I put the food out for the black cat and two others came around so I'm pleased that they only chased the black one away from one lot of food.  I'd put the rest of it in the conservatory and I've been plagued with cats all day and a couple of them look pregnant and about to drop.  Why don't people take responsibility for their animals?  The rest f my day has been taken up with ancestry, the rest of my Netflix series that I was watching and now it's time to find another series to watch.  Food has been a little on the sparse side today, toast for breakfast, nothing for lunch and cheese and breadsticks when I eventually settle down to watch TV at four this afternoon.  Avatar popped round to bring back the dishes that I took the food over in last night, ready washed for the next time.  She said that she'd finished the chicken one off for breakfast since there was so much chicken in it and I joked that there wasn't much in mine so I obviously gave her the wrong one....and we had a giggle about it.  

Strictly tonight and at last I'm beginning to warm to some of the characters but I still haven't found a favourite.  OK rain, you've done your stuff and at last the grass is showing green instead of brown and baked but, enough is enough.  LN.....Time to throw a log on......LN

Sunday 10th October

This is going to be brief...the internet has had a life of its own and it didn't involve me much in its journey.  It's up for now and I'm hoping it stays that way. at least until the Strictly results have been announced.

Horrible rainy day again, now we have mist and I can hardly see the bottom of the garden.  I managed to find the black cat around its lunchtime and took its brunch to the big tree halfway down the long wall and it seemed to eat it without any interruptions from the other roamers.  As I approach it gives out a strange meow and licks its mouth anticipating what it's about to have...and today it was chicken.  Again I spent time on a call to my bank and left them with a quandary.  The card I'd used yesterday had been refused today for my ancestry annual payment and they couldn't work out the reason why.  She came back initially saying that the card had been reported lost or stolen and I asked her to recheck and then it changed to the fact that I lived in Bulgaria and on the other paperwork I'd said that I was in the UK but a payment is a payment.  I originally thought about phoning the company but there opening hours are Monday to Friday...what sort of company offers support on weekdays only!!  I'll have to phone them in the morning.  I went back to sorting out winter and summer clothes and I've finished it.  The hanging rail is out of the guest room and down to my winter bedroom and the winter clothes hanging ready for use.  I've still got a lot of sorting to do but at least I've dug into the corners and know now what has to go to a new home.

So far so good and I want to get this posted quickly just in case it changes its mind again.  LN....Fire going well, boiler on, my evening is sorted...eye test tomorrow......LN

Monday 11th October

Seven thirty start and I really enjoyed my bath last night and soaked away the stress of the day.  The internet did go off again last night just before the results show of Strictly and stayed off for the rest of the night.  It was still off this morning so I phoned the company to see if anyone else was experiencing problem and the girl said not and she told me that she 'send someone out' and thy arrived around one hour later.  My modem was attached to his computer and he diagnosed that the problem lay with the dish on the side of the house. number two engineer was ordered to the balcony.  With one leg over the other side of the balcony rail he removed the core of the dish, said he thought it was damp because we've had so much rain but shook it and it rattled.  They had the new part to hand, inserted it and said that if I gave it ten minutes, all would be back to normal and off they went.  I gave it ten minutes...and it was.

A lot of the rest of the day was taken up with the issue with the subscription that I'm trying to renew and still no joy after time on to the bank and on to the company concerned.  We've now got into the email connection which is proving better.  At least I think I'm talking to a person, we're on first name terms already and we're working through the problem together.  Tomorrow it should come to a conclusion...hopefully.

So into the Nipper and off to Kardjali for my eye-test.  I sat in the waiting room, called into the surgery and my eyes haven't deteriorated over the last two years so no need for new glasses.  He did mention that there is a hint of a cataract but since he is the surgeon at the hospital, he would be doing the surgery and has said that there's no need to panic at the moment.  I mentioned that I wanted varifocals this time, I was taken to the cabinet to choose my frame and didn't like any of them.  The assistant came over, I asked how much they would cost and he said that they would be five hundred leva and I swallowed hard.  He countered it with they do make them for three hundred but that they're not really worth having.  I made a quick decision, I doubled up the order on the ones that I wear at the moment, he ordered the frames, they arrive tomorrow and he'll sort the lenses out later in the day and will phone me when I can collect.  Two pairs of glasses, eighty leva and free drops to make my eyes more comfortable.  

Kaufland and bought two shelving units for the back bedroom/sewing room, Lidl for a few items for me and Avatar, Djebel for some firelighters and back home, spotting one of my sheep farmers walking home so I stopped and gave him a lift which he was very grateful for.  A mile is a long way when you've been at it all day.  Goods over to Avatar, my shopping unpacked and put away, four cheese pizza cooked and eaten and now.....relax.  Tyre change tomorrow so at the garage for around ten and then a mission of mercy helping out on a transport issue.  LN.....At least three out of the four things outstanding have been sorted.....LN

Tuesday 12th October

So the mother of all thunderstorms during the night that blended beautifully into my dream until I realised it wasn't any part of the dream.  The rain was lashing on the windows, the full thrust of the storm came through at around four thirty and at six the lightening was going strong over Greece.  I was up out of bed by seven, had a shower and washed my hair, put a load of washing the machine, dried my hair, got dressed for the day and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast.  I found a cheese-filo pastry thingy that I bought yesterday from Kaufland so I warmed up half of it in the frying pan on the cooker, ate half of it and put the rest out for the cat and I think that the birds had most of it before the cat got to it.

I was in the Nipper for nine thirty and heading for the garage to get my winter tyres on as per regulations here.  My companion for the day arrived just after I did, my car was in and out in quicksticks and his was in for a much longer resuscitation programme...and the parts at that point hadn't arrived.  I suggested that we went to Momchilgrad since it was market day and the suggestion was accepted..   we were just filling in the four hours that it would take to get his car up and running.  We parked up in the new car-park by the council offices, walked through the park and though it was damp and dull, at this point it wasn't raining.  We headed for the market, I remembered that there was an upholsterer that I needed to find out more about so we went in, I had a conversation with them and saw some of the work they had done and the small sofa from the winter lounge and the chair is on the list for transportation to Momchilgrad.  We were both impressed with their work.  The sofa and chair were both freebies so any cost is just an investment.  I stopped to ask the price of some underwear and was told eighteen leva so I guess he realised that we were English so I told him in Bulgarian that it was too expensive and we moved on to the next.  At the next stall they were down to nine leva and so I bought two, will try them for size and go back for more next week.

We stopped for coffee once the rain started coming down, walked back to the car-park and I'd mentioned that his hair had really grown and we spotted a barber close to the car-park and since there was no rush on, we both went in and he was done.  Really good barber with a fantastic sense of humour and my phone rang and it was the opticians to tell me that my glasses were ready so we were filling a little more of the day.  I parked up near the shop and there'd been slight 'lost in translation' moment.  I'd asked for identical glasses to the last ones that I'd purchased but he thought that I wanted to use the same frames.  Eventually we both understood the requirement and that meant that I had to choose two more frames which I eventually did and this was going to take another thirty minutes to have them 'ready to go'.  I was feeling hungry so we found a 'cabinet' that sold rotisserie chicken so we had a quarter each, salad and chips, water and coke and the cost was only just over eight leva.  Back to the shop, glasses ready and a new bill that needed paying and then back to the garage and his wife was calling me to tell me as we pulled in.  I left and went to the shop for a chat, he stayed at the garage waiting for the wheels to be tracked and I got home just before six.  

I lit the fire, cream cheese and breadsticks while catching up with emails, finishing off with a chocolate pudding and there'll be no supper tonight...that was it.  Nothing on for tomorrow, I'm going to work on my own family chart getting it into Excel on my old computer and I was pleased to hear that because of the trouble I'm having renewing my subscription, my account has been reinstated until it's sorted.  LN     Time to put a log on.......to keep the fire going.......LN

Wednesday 13th October

Seven start this morning after a good night's sleep.  It was another grey morning, lots of clouds lingering over the mountains with the odd glimpse of brightness which soon faded.  It wasn't raining which was a plus but it was cold and damp, the rain over the last few days leaving water saturating the plants in pots that I'd put in containers that didn't let the water out.  Now I had to do it manually so it was on with the wellies.  I dressed for a day of gardening and that was the plan as long as the rain stayed off but it was a short lived thing.  I made a poached ham on toast for breakfast, gathered the household rubbish together and set off down the bottom of the garden to have a bonfire,  The container was very damp but the rubbish was dry to it soon burnt away and I was looking for other jobs that I could do.  I noticed that I had a self-set shrub, a winter flowering jasmine and it was putting out a flower which I thought was pretty early.  In front of it was a dip where I'd put a shrub which hadn't taken so using the garden fork I thought that with having so much rain it would be easy to dig out a lot of the shale and get some depth to the hole...and it was.  I'd found a home for one of my new shrubs that the leaves turn red in autumn and it would show up well against the stone wall.  I also found an old window frame in the little house and I used that to create a wooden surround for the hole and it means that it protects it when I use the strimmer and keeps some of the weeds at bay.  So it's in, I filled up the hole with the soil that the moles have left in heaps at the bottom of the garden and I didn't have to bother watering it in, nature did it for me.

I came in at one, lit the fire which was very slow to get started.  I think it was a very old log that was reluctant to be made into ash so I sent it to the back of the woodburner and the second one caught really quickly and eventually the reluctant one is no more.  I settled on the sofa and got my head down for a while, I'd had enough exercise for the day.  As inertia set in I watched nothing much on the television, spent a while trying to find the FB page for the upholsterer that I'd rediscovered in Momchilgrad but without a Bulgarian keyboard it was almost an impossible task.  Best course  of action is to take a photograph for an estimate of how much the work will cost to recover the winter sofa and I can do that any day since they're open six days a week. Much less frustrating but before I do I want to remove the cover that I made for it so they can see the original.

Chicken wings out of the freezer ready for tonight but as to yet they are still sitting on the worktop and haven't made it into the oven.  The problem is that I tend to get picky when I'm feeling cold so fill up on peanuts and rubbish food.  The mist has rolled in again, it's still raining and looks like it's set in for the night but at least there's no thunder and lightening.  Dentist tomorrow to have the stiches out.  LN.....Fire and kitchen activity required.......LN

Thursday 14th October

Silly early start, four thirty, I tried to go back to sleep but nothing happening so I played a few Sudoku and eventually went off about six thirty but only for forty five minutes.  I think I'm going to start closing the curtains, not that the light woke me up, dark, dismal, cold and raining.  Pretty normal for the last few days.  I got up and made a coffee, stayed in my PJ's and set about erecting my new metal shelving and opening the pack there were so many little bolts, brackets and I thought I'd bitten off more that I could chew and it was pretty slow going.  I did have the instruction but in Bulgarian and decided that I wouldn't do the screws up to tightly to start off to make sure that everything was in the right place,  

My attention was drawn to the yard and my Avatar was there so I went to let her in not that she ever comes in.  She handed me a pink plastic bag with two cheesy breads in and chocolate drinks so I handed her back the drinks, it's a local thing but not to my liking and went back to my shelf building,  I was doing OK, the screws were fiddly but I was getting there but at ten it was tools down, I had an appointment at the dentists for eleven to have the stitches out and it felt like they were half hanging out already.  I was in the chair for eleven and out of it for one minute past...a quick snip of the scissors, caught one of the loose ends with the tweezers and it was out.  I decided not to linger in Djebel or go to Kardjali, it was such a horrible day that my home was very tempting and I had work to do, the shelf wouldn't put itself up,  I did stop at the supermarket though and bought a super looking cauliflower obviously local grown, a pack of cheese, a few packs of biscuits, more eggs and a very large bag of Juicy sweets.  Total spend twenty four leva, around twelve pounds and back into the car and home.  The fire was out but it had been going most of the night so it felt very cosy inside.  I finished the shelving, tightened up the screws and now it's sitting in the downstairs bedroom and I'm trying to decide what to do with it.  

Computer this afternoon catching up on emails and FB and still trying to update my ancestry subscription.  I received a message from the company asking me to try it again because they thought they knew what was wrong, so I tried it and it failed.  I was asked to try it again, so I did and it failed again....and now I'm beginning to get a little angry...no one seems to be owning the problem.  I checked with my bank and the card is still OK and my bank advised me that despite the fact that I'm updating the card details, they're not being used.  Good news is that my subscription has been extended yet again, at this rate I might not even have to pay for the year!!

At four I washed the cauliflower, made the cheese sauce and grated enough for the topping, I'd already put chicken wings in and I was walking over the road with it for my Avatar at five thirty.  I didn't know the Bulgarian for cauliflower so I showed her the finished dish, she spotted the cheese so I explained that it was done in a cheese sauce with a topping and finished in the oven.  She took it straight into the lounge with the woodburner, she asked me to sit down but I told her that I wanted mine so I was off and it was delicious.  Nothing to do tomorrow, I might even put up the other shelving unit now that I've got the measure of how to do it.  The other job that I might turn my hand to is to take off the cover that I put on the sofa, take a photo and head into Momchilgrad and get that upholstery underway.  I should have taken a picture of the cauliflower cheese, I forgot and it's much too late now...licked clean.  LN......Log time and the washing up can wait until tomorrow......LN

Friday 15th October

Well not a bad night's sleep.....the first part at the computer at around ten until eleven thirty and the rest in bed until six forty five this morning.  I thought I was getting out of this habit and I really don't want to get back into it.  I stayed in bed with my coffee, it was pouring down with rain yet again, the hillsides were awash and all the containers that I emptied yesterday are full to the brim again so I'll sort it in the morning.  Black cat was around, the had some stale cheesy bread, the rest of the cauliflower cheese and some chicken wings and seemed to it all justice.  I settled for the cheese bread from yesterday with yet more coffee, washed and dressed with a warm sweater on and didn't bother lighting the fire until eleven.  

I had visitors about half past eleven and an invite to a painting private viewing next Wednesday in Kardjali.  It's an evening event so it is sure to be coupled with a meal in town.  Off they went around twelve, it was a fleeting visit to settle the debts from the garage the other day.  I think he was concerned that I'd sent the boys round.... ;)  Popped out on to the lounge terrace and spotted a honeysuckle flower on the bush near the terrace.  I though it was time that they'd finished flowering but I suppose the drought and the floods have confused it slightly.  I was going to pick it and bring it into the house but decided against it...it is pretty where it is.

The saga with the subscription update continues.  They've now decided that the card is going though OK but it's being stopped by the IP address for Bulgaria not been accepted which says to me that the system is rubbish. I'm getting very close to complaining to the payment system company who handles the subscription collections.  It really is very silly when they advertise as being 'world friendly'....for all your needs.  I've been asked to provide my IP address and we'll set a time for the transaction...and because of this I did some investigation on how IP addresses are allocated and they can change according to what you are doing.  Good luck with that then, it's only been a week since started this quest to pay a subscription.

Next job was to move my old computer from the sewing room to the table in the stairwell.  It has Excel running on it and I've managed to put my family chart on it and can now see the final records that I need to chase down.  There was a lot of scribbling on the original prototype so now I can check the records on the little computer and then update the records on a version of Excel that I understand.   It's also nearer the woodburner so when I come to sit doing nothing energetic except plonking down on a few keys, I'm in the warmest place and when the sun comes out...even warmer.  Apparently next week we're back to nineteen degrees and sunshine so the danger of me developing webbed feet seems to have temporarily come to a halt.

Supper was a simple affair of a chicken cutlet on two slices of bread with mayo....not gourmet but enough to satisfy a need.  Nothing on for tomorrow apart from emptying pots again, getting some wood in and keeping the home fires burning.  I reckon it might be another day of ancestry, it's very therapeutic and with my subscription extended for free while they sort out the issues...,,,it feels even better.  LN.....A little television and an early night.....LN

Saturday 16th October

So that promise of a day without rain just didn't happen. I woke at six thirty, the weather was dull as ditch water and I was very tempted to stay where I was and not face the day.  I shall add now that I've not even unlocked the back door today, not been out at all and yet found lots to do inside.  I was about to throw the ham out to the cat but put my nose to it and it was good to go...as breakfast for me...not for the cat.  I made more coffee, scrambled a couple of eggs, two slices of bread into the toaster and sat in the lounge eating it from my lap, the table in the stairwell was covered in ancestry papers that was the centre off attention as soon as I'd finished my breakfast. Washing up was done, washing in the machine and chugging away, no way of getting it outside though so I lit the fire so that the washing could go into the bathroom on the airer.

I settled at the table and cleared the space.  The folder that I'm filing in to I've already put the names and dates on the different sections so this was going to make my job really easy today...even though there was a lot to sort.  There was no rush, I was even sorting dates and trawling though notes that I'd made on lots of the documents and I sort of make friends with my old family all over again.  When I was originally researching it, I couldn't find my fourth or fifth great grandfather, there had been a mix up on dates registered especially on his birth date and his name had been mis-transposed from the original record.  It took about a year to get there but when I did...there was a fair level of elation.  As his children appeared and their children appeared, I've now around five hundred and sixty associated to this account.  

I've kept the fire going all day and perked it up around five  As the night fell the temperature dropped, I had a few hunger pains starting so hit the fruit and nuts, nibbled on some chicken wings from the other night and finished off with two choc-ices.  I wasn't in the mood for cooking and now there's no need. I've just checked the washing and it will all be put away tomorrow as long as I keep the home fires burning.  Strictly tonight and I just hope that the reception on internet tv is acceptable but at least I have internet.  This time last week is was on it's way out and I never did see the result program.  LN.....Time to change channels and chance my luck......LN.  And as a post script....it's chucking it down again.....

Sunday 19th October

Strictly was probably very good last night but the internet tv provider was on the stop start and I was very tempted to stop it all together but I persevered.  Close to midnight when it finished here so was soon tucked up under another quilt, I swapped them over yesterday from the guest room so hopefully no guests.  Had a brilliant sleep, awake at seven fifteen, coffee, played a few games and then settled in to clearing out the for sliding drawers in the bathroom taking out the summer stuff and putting in the winter,  I have more winter tights than the local leva shop so no need to buy any for the next ten years or so and no danger of out living them.  The towelling pyjamas have gone away, they take too long to dry anyway now the rain has come so now on to the fleece ones that dry so much quicker.  By now it was getting on for nine so I went downstairs and headed for the kitchen to make breakfast.  I sliced up a spicy sausage and fried it with an egg and the cat had the trimmings.  Washing up done, upstairs to get dressed, put the washing away and then down to the television and Netflix.  It was still pretty dull outside and the temperature had not gone up by much, too much water needs to evaporate or drain away.  

Eventually I made it outside, the sun was more out than in and I set about tidying the terrace and emptying the water from the containers.  I'd put on my workboots and needed them and first job was to have a bonfire and get rid of the ancestry stuff that I'd sorted yesterday.  When I was down there I found twelve broad bean seeds that had started to sprout so I picked them up and they're now planted in the 'once was' veg garden but is now slowly being taken over by shrubs.  All have to do now is to repair the cloche that I had, they don't mind cold but they hate mush when the snow comes.  Two more shrubs have gone into the bed, the rest of it has been dug over and the beetroot never did come to anything so I've left them where they are.  Spotted Green Goddess and Blue sun bathing within yards of each other and haven't seen any of them for a couple of weeks.  I thought that they would be digging holes but I suppose everyone wants a day off...it is Sunday.

Pottered in the little house, the wild bird seed is now in a couple of large plastic containers, I'm not sure if the plastic sack that it came in was damage in transit or beasties have been at it already.  It wont be vermin proof until the concrete floors have been laid and that depends on availability of a workforce...or when Bekir and Sally are free. I heard a commotion in the road so went to investigate and my three nearest neighbours were about to take a walk.  I'd got the camera with me so snapped them and then Beyser replaced her headscarf anticipating more photos and I really like how she ties her headscarf.  Avatar was trying to copy it and so I asked Beyser to do it for her and now this photo is heading to her son in Germany but in a private message....we're very particular where we post out pickies.

So everything locked up, I haven't lit the fire since it's eight o'clock now and I didn't come in until seven.  I think it's gong to be tuna mayo for supper since it's quick and easy to prepare,  That might be in a sandwich or with toast...decisions, decisions.  LN.....Strange sight....the moon is up.....LN

The little house is ready for the 'big move' of the rest of the pots but the weather is supposed to be good this week so I'll leave them where they are for now.  

Monday 18th October

So I managed the results final for Strictly, went in the bath at eleven or there about and emerged at roughly twelve thirty after managing to nod off but feeling exceptionally clean.  Soaked to perfection and it's at times like this that I'd got a larger tank instead of the eighty litres.  Next time.  It had been such a good day yesterday that I hadn't bothered to light the fire coming in from the garden just before seven but wishing that I had lit the fire.  Dried off and into fleece PJ's, under my double duvet, snuggled down and straight through until eight this morning.  Coffee, back to bed with the Kindle and now I realised that time was marching on, there wasn't anything I had to do but the sun was up and I felt invigorated to start something, so I made cheese on toast and sat at the table in the stairwell and watched a little morning television.

Washed and dressed and started around four jobs and kept going back to them to finish them.  I tidied off my desk yet again, took the potatoes stored in a net bag in the conservatory to take out the damaged ones and I threw them over the hillside.  The cats from the neighbourhood anticipate that it's food that you're throwing, it could be a brick but they still come back to check.  One sniff at the potatoes and they realised it wasn't food.  I found myself sorting more pots out on the terrace, washing up some of the bigger ones, went into the little house, moved a few things round and generally tidied the floor space up for getting the plants inside.  With this turn of weather though, it appears they'll be staying out for a little longer, I've been down to a sweatshirt today without a body warmer...it was hot out there.  I also ventured up to the second level in the little house, moved some metal bars so they no longer cover the hatch area the loft space and moved the insulation boards into another part of the roof.  I even started planning which work I could do like putting wood preservative on the roof timbers and adding the insulation ready for the plaster board.  They're jobs that builders could do in rough weather....it's super dry in there.

I came in around four and made tuna mayo and had it with toast, demolished two of the smaller choc ices and the rest of the crystallised ginger.  I lit the fire and after several attempts it's very reluctant to burn properly, some logs do and some just don't and this one is either very old put with two firelighters and lots of kindling....maybe this is the time.  Don't need supper, the toast and mayo will do me through until morning with fruit and nuts to top me up when I start getting peckish.

So tomorrow afternoon I have my first lesson of the year with my student's brother that I started coaching around eighteen months ago until Covid got in the way.  I now have to get back into practice finding texts that we can go though that still appear interesting for a almost eleven year old.  I find the best way to teach youngsters is to speak English so they start thinking in the language, just like my French teacher used too teach us and I still can speak it now.  His brother has done OK so one down and one to go.  

The saga with my ancestry company still continues and now they want to 'whitelist' my IP address so that the payment can go though.  Amazing I have no problems with anyone else and I shall be contacting the company that organises the payment on behalf of the ancestry lot and really go to town on them.  Watch this space.

Tuesday 19th October

So last night I missed University Challenge again...and yes you've guessed it I nodded off...in Just Connect, my favourite night of TV and I screwed it yet again.  Managed to wake up in time to get to bed at a reasonable hour.  Seven thirty start this morning and the rest of the day is worth recording for posterity.  Washed and dressed for the garden and pottering knowing that later I had my student for an English lesson and now to get back into the routine of preparing a lesson.  I made toast, went out to the garage and heard some banging coming from the corner of my Avatar's garden and she was trying to sort out the fence round her garden.  I went over to see if she wanted help, it hadn't fallen down and she was trying to put in a support so that she could tie the corner post to it.  She hadn't got wood so I offered her a concrete post that's been lingering in my garden for years, she came over with the wheelbarrow.  I managed to drag it from behind the little house to my main terrace, we put it on the wheelbarrow but to me it seemed unstable so I suggested that between us we could carry it nearer to the Nipper and we did.  By this time she was flagging so I managed to drag it across the road and into the field. together we put it on the wheelbarrow and I took it to the corner of the garden.  

I had to go home, I had to prepare for my student this afternoon and we agreed that we would do it tomorrow.  I got myself ready and at two I went out to the garden and noticed that she was out there and the post was standing so I went over again.  She'd mixed the cement, somehow managed to get the post up, put rocks round the bottom and as she dropped the cement into the hole I made sure that it was upright and we put more stone round it to keep it so until it's dried out.  I skipped off and left her to it....let's hope no cows get in the field and knock it over tonight.  

I drove to Djebel, parked up and had time with my student's mum before the lesson commenced.  The last lessons were not that great, he preferred playing games on his computer but now he is almost eleven and what a success it was.  He paid attention, we went through the text several times, I even got him to translate into Bulgarian and even acting out some of the words.  He was good and I told him so, he has homework to do and I'm sure he'll do it.  It went on for over the allotted time, I went down to report to his mother on how it went and I said that I was amazed how good he has been and she asked me if I went to the right apartment.  I said I thought I had and we laughed.  Lovely moon driving back, the sky was pink and it was a very pale gold but the camera was at home and I was driving.

Home for just before seven, fire lit, pan fried a couple of schnitzels and that was supper organised.  The fire kicked in straightaway and it didn't take too long before the hot water was racing around the system.  I've had another email from my ancestry company telling me that they'd fixed the problem and bow my payment should go straight through.  If I hadn't invested four years in the company, I would move on and find another but my family tree is on there and they do have the best selection of records to find out the history.  LN.....Nine my time, time I logged off.....LN

Wednesday 20th October

Wonderful seven thirty start this morning and it was wall to wall fog and I could only see down to the mulberry.  I made coffee and played games and eventually headed down with the washing  for the machine and the household rubbish for the bonfire.  I got partly dressed, it was only three degrees outside so on with the extra sweater over the PJ's  and set off for the bottom of the garden with rubber gloves on and the garden fork at the ready. I was burning mainly paper so it was quick to start and quick to finish and it wasn't too long before the sun was through the mist and burning it off.  By this time the washing had finished so I pegged it out and blow me down the mist settled again and it was another hour before the sun really got going,

I cleared up the pile of wood that I've been looking at for a while on the back terrace to the little house and must make another protector for the broad bean seeds when they come through.  It's got to be done by the time that I go to England unless snow is forecast before then...who can tell.  Having tidied the area I swept up the leaves and collected them in the log carrier and took them down the bottom of the garden.  The rest of the wood I've put into the garage and most of it is going to become starter wood but at least it's dry there and out of the weather.  I swept the big terrace but before doing that I coiled up the three hosepipes that had lain on the terrace since the last time I'd mown the grass.  That again was swept off, just the branches from the cherry tree to saw up and put ready for burning.

I suddenly realised that I'd not had breakfast so I made corned beef sandwiches out of the Bulgarian equivalent of corned beef and lashed it with brown sauce.  I ate lunch watching Netflix series that I've sort of got in to...not brilliant but adequate for lunchtime and the resto of the meat went out for the cat.  A choc ice chased it down the food pipe and then I went back to clearing and tidying, went over and had a word with Avatar who'd decided to winter dig her vegetable garden so that winter and the frost would break it down ready for spring planting.  She's made her mind up that she wants to grow potatoes, peppers and garlic and that's going to be it.  No phosphates, no shite, all natural...much better than shop bought.

Washing in, time was marching on and I had to be ready for four thirty I was off to an art exhibition in Kardjali.  Shower, hair washed, dressed for town, makeup,  decent shoes not boots and leather coat with everything stuffed in the pockets including money....I wanted to be able to pay my way at the restaurant.  The exhibition was good with lots of new artists as well as the usual artists demonstrating their abilities.  My friend had three on display and we met up with other friends and caught up on various Covid sagas. It began to thin out so we got in the car and set off for the Turkish restaurant  which we enjoy and it was doing a roaring trade.  We managed to get a table and found things that we liked on the menu despite the fact that it was difficult to read and I was going between both my glasses.  Eventually my friend was able to read it and order using my re ding glasses which were 'just right' said Goldilocks.  Meal over we set off for my village and I was amazed to find that it was still only nine thirty when I got dropped off....it seemed much later.  

Nothing to do tomorrow so I'm going to catch up on the things that I should probably done today.  New rules have come in for open spaces and restaurants as from tomorrow, You have to produce your Covid certificate of an electronic copy and a very big fine will be levied if you are unable to and a five year jail sentence and in Bulgaria it will appear much longer.  They don't do anything my halves here and we're still wearing masks.  LN.......Too late to light the fire so I might as well go to bed.......LN

Thursday 21st October

So today has been very leisurely, I didn't have anywhere to go and lots that I could do or put aside and it was all choice.  I made the mistake of signing on and trying to pay my subscription being told that everything should be fine....and it wasn't.  I got the same error message that I've been getting for the last two weeks so I/m thinking that I shall have to remind them that they need to extend my free period.  I tried to find and email address so that I could have time to compose a decent complaint and while checking the internet I came across several reasons for me to checkout Trust pilot and I worked out that the person who is assured of a job for life is the one who is answering the complaints with the standard response.  I thought the best ones were those who had given the company one for effectiveness and competence and said that they would have given a zero but it wasn't an option.  Harsh words.  It took the company until late this afternoon to let me know that they were dong something... 'I am sorry to learn you are still having these issues' and I responded with that they weren't as sorry as I was.  I reminded them that I have other things to do with my day than try to pay for a subscription for a service.  

I made two boiled eggs and toast for breakfast and sat in the stairwell in the sun.  Black cat was around waiting for food so I found an old spicy sausage that had past its sell by date but fine for a cat.  I've learnt not to put it out there and leave it for hell to break out between the roaming felines so I cut it up and fed it to it piece by piece.  It; still very wary...takes a piece and moves away from me and waits for me to throw the next.  One day it might be more trusting.  Standing there feeding the cat I realised how warm the sun was, we had two degrees over night and it took until lunchtime before it warmed up.  I went in and brought out the electric trimmers and attacked the lavender, moved to the bottom of the garden and trimmed back the bushes that are concealing the young yucca.

The rest of my day was to go on to my ancestry company and search the records for a few dates that were missing against some the old records and I hit upon two children that were born here and died in New Zealand so I need to investigate if they had children and what they're doing now.  I just hope thy weren't convicts and taken there.  I suddenly realised that I was cold so at six thirty I lit the fire and it soon started sending the hot water trough the system.  I quickly made beans on toast for supper, I wasn't in the mood for lingering over a hot stove.  More of the same again tomorrow, I like these down days.  LN.....Saturday shopping to fill-up the store cupboard.....LN

Friday 22nd October

So at two this morning I was still watching the television and QI and suddenly decided that it was time I went to bed.  I did manage to answer and email from another insomniac and suggested that we both made tracks and got our heads down and obviously not together since there's about two thousand miles between us.  It didn't take long for me too start my nocturnal journey and I managed to stay asleep until seven thirty and I've been at a leisurely pace for the rest of the day.  I made coffee, got a load of washing in and went on the computer to compose an email to this ancestry company that's really winding me up.  The problem is that I'm in the middle of something that I can do nothing about and in the middle of the email I decided to try the card again as suggested by the last email I received from them.  So I filled in the details, sent them off and ...it failed so I let them know....and their response was that I'd changed my IP address.  In the same email I'd confirmed that I was going to use the same card, on the same machine, at the same location but obviously it was too difficult for them to work out.  I decided that I would explain that IP addresses are allocated and can change at any time....I'm supposed to be interacting with people that understand these things.    

I pegged out the washing, realising that I was going to get nowhere worrying about the issues I was having.  It was a beautiful morning, the sun was climbing, there was a chill in the air but perfectly acceptable.  I logged that I had to get some smaller logs in for lighting the fire later and made poached eggs on toast for breakfast to set me up for the day.  I was very tempted to take a photograph of my plate where some of the egg yolk had fallen on to it and send it to my son quoting that the pirates were on their way....a silly thing that we used to say, mainly because the egg yolk was difficult to remove from the plate when it came time to wash up.  I made more coffee, I did the washing up without difficulty, tidied the kitchen and went on the the computer to continue researching the hints that I'd found yesterday.....and the time just flew.  I suddenly realised that it was six o'clock so I got the washing in first, logs came second, barbecue ribs in the oven for supper, lit the fire and then put the old computer on the table in the stairwell to bed.  

I served supper in the oven dish that I'd cooked it in, with the remains of a tub of mayo.  I carried it on a tray to the computer on the landing and settled down to watch the rest of Tipping Point and The Chase and I'm thoroughly stuffed and not about to do anything energetic tonight.  So all I'm waiting for now is for my subscription to be blocked so that I can't access the records and where's that fan that something is going to hit.  It's not that I'll lose any of the information, it's that I can't access records or change any details...I can only view them.  And now, it's eight thirty my time, shopping tomorrow for a few basics.    LN.....Hope the weather is as good tomorrow.....LN

Saturday 23rd October

Sleep of the just last night and woke up feeling fresh as a daisy but it soon wore off.  Not really.....I made coffee, put the washing away, back to bed for the time it takes to do two Sudoku and then started my day for real.  I dressed for Kardjali but never go there and just think of the money that I've saved.  I toyed with the idea of Djebel but never made it there either.  I didn't even bother with breakfast, I ate so much last night that I think it's blocked up the system...not much room for any more but I did enjoy it.  A whole rack of barbecued ribs and potato wedges and a pot of mayo that really needed finishing before it ended up for the bonfire or the cats.  Stuffed to the gills.

I set about my ancestry project and noticed that I had a highlighted red tab asking me to subscribe.  Now this is rather like red rag to a bull and since there is no support over the weekend I'm expecting my service to be cut as from tomorrow so I wanted to finish what I was working on and I have.  I did find though using an available free access to another site gives me different information and by combining the old with the new...I've done a good job although I say it myself.  I'm pleased with the results except for one thing...my printer decided that a plain blue back ground on a square would look much better if it were striped and the cleaning program takes a long time so I removed the colour from the boxes on the 'tree' and they can go back when I've cleaned the printer.  The ink's OK, it's just the head.

So almost seven my time and I'm wondering where the day has gone.  I did take time out to watch the birds, the woodpecker decided that it would get better pickings from the lawn that from the Lonesome pine after standing still and listening for a while, it decided to fly down and see what was there.  Magpies have been flitting around and my early robin was sitting on the bedroom balcony railing and at least it's safe from the cat if it's up high.  As for the black cat it's been round for most of the day and I have haven't found anything for it today but there's lots of pickings around the village.  I also managed to catch the end of Yentle, I think the plot is not so good but I love the music and the song 'Papa watch me fly' sums up my relationship with my father.  He's love it out here and so would my mother but maybe not at the same time.

Strictly tonight and fingers crossed the internet holds up for it.  I've got a couple of hamburger things out so I'm heading to the kitchen shortly.  I love the end of a project...yes you can always add more and with ancestry, there are so many leads you can go down, but that's for another time.  LN....Time to get creative in the kitchen....LN

Sunday 24th October

So I didn't wake up until eight fifteen this morning and there was no sunny start to the day...it was raining and I was going to say, where did that come from but we all know.  Such a beautiful day yesterday, I didn't even need a fire last night but I lit it at three this afternoon,.,,it was cold.  I got washed and dressed straightaway, the day was moving on quickly after my late start.  I was out of bread so settled for a cheese omelette and in the process of sorting out the fridge I found some cheese that was due to be hiked to the cat and so I took off the blue mould, cut it up and more or less hand fed it except that it takes it and disappears into a private place in the garden...and then comes back for more.  

I've felt very down today.  My subscription for my ancestry site has been marked as expired despite my request for it to be extended due to their incompetence in not being to able to process my card payment.  I checked the parent company to see how far I could go up the hierarchy to tender a complaint, found a telephone number to leave a message and the message system was full...what a shower.   To add insult to injury I've received tow emails today telling me how to renew my subscription and even had two emails with hints telling me that if I renewed, I would be able to see the hints.  No support desk today...c'est le weekend.  They did say that the telephones were open and to leave a message and I did on the other line, but no one phoned me back.  I have managed to obtain the email address of the CEO of the company and tomorrow might be the day if I don't get a phone call from them.

Had a lovely afternoon watching the television.  This afternoon the coverage from BBC2 was of the World track cycling championships and now we have the gymnastics,  Some of the main personalities from both are not competing due to the Olympics and the amount of time they had to spend away but congratulations to the female cyclists, they were brilliant.  My avatar has just arrived with some fresh bread that she's baked and so that might be a cheese and onion sandwich for supper since I'm not in the mood to cook much more even though I've just remembered that I took a chicken leg out of the freezer last night to thaw for today.  LN.....It will keep until tomorrow...LN

Monday 25th October

Five thirty start, the sky was dark and we had the pink blue colouring and then the clouds started gathering on the mountains and it was a cold start.  Apparently the temperature did drop overnight to one degree but by the time I checked it out it was three. The house had held twenty degrees overnight so it wasn't cold in but when I went out to fill up the log carrier and bring in more starter wood from the little house, it was a little on the chill side.  

Dressed early on, thought about Kardjali but put it to the back of my mind.  I searched again for the missing memory stick that must have jumped out of the folder with the ancestry documents in or I've got a poltergeist.  I'd put the file on the stick to take it over this morning so that I could hand over the documents with an electronic copy.  I wanted to hand the file over out of the way, you can keep checking and finding more information, but I'd done enough on it.  So at just before eleven I contacted the ancestry company and unfortunately for the person that answered the phone, I recognised the voice, gave over my email address and said that it was me again, and my issue had not been resolved.  My complaint was controlled but direct but I did manage to mention that I'd seen his picture on the CEO's website extolling the virtues of the support desk and my subscription was immediately restored.  There are time that you have to say the clever thing in a non-threatening way...and it worked.  He said that he would raise it again with the 'teckies' yet again and we agreed that he would email me at two this afternoon to confirm what was happening next.  Now this is four my time and I'm still waiting.  He did spot my message sent on Friday at the crack of but said that they never got round to them, they had too many support calls that day.

Any way, in the Nipper and over to visit my friends and deliver the docs and it was well received.  I explained how I'd laid it out and it will take time for him to go through it and follow the chart.  We walked the vegetable garden and they have so much growing there and the flower beds are still vibrant.  I'll have to go round there with the trowel and dig a few up but firstly I think I shall have to follow up why my manure hasn't been delivered yet.....another ruck to be had.  I stayed for lunch and then into the car and as I said back for four for the ancestry meet but instead I started researching his wife's family and it was soon too late for them to contact me so we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Avatar has just been round and delivered more bread, my chicken leg is cooked and so it looks like I shall just make a big sandwich.  My night for quiz games tonight and let's see if I can stay awake for all of them.  LN....Bad start but a good finish to the day.... LN

Tuesday 26th October

Four thirty start and goodness knows why.  I read for a while and played Sudoku, tried to get back off again but at seven I was out of bed, getting washed and dressed, lots of coffee, woodburner cleaned out and set ready for tonight. Funny old sky this morning, dark clouds and lots of mist over the river in the valley with just a hint of sky well away from where it normally comes up.  I made toast for breakfast, fed the remains of last night's chicken let to the cat and I love how it licks his lips as it approaches me when I have something in a bowl or in my hand.  There's bit of a scrap kicking off as I type and I guess one of the others has tried to make the terrace its own and my black one is having none of it.

I dropped a note to Find my Past and I'm now going to name them which I haven't before because I just let them know that I'd waited yesterday afternoon for a call back and update and could they let me know what stage we were at. I let them know that I was out all day but would appreciate an up date.  I prepared my lessons for my student and set off at around three with no call from Find my Past to meet my student.  I parked up and went to the shop and my student was waiting for me.  We went up to the apartment, I checked over his homework and I was amazed that he just hadn't answered the questions, he had made full sentences with very few mistakes.  He is a little chatterbox and I'm amazed how well we are getting on, we talk about all sorts of things as well as getting a full lesson in.  We worked through the text, and between us we did the homework but he has a very fertile imagination and the one part of the homework he has to imagine a scenario and then write a story about it.  We were working at it for about two hours, I went down to the shop and told his mother what a good lesson we'd had and she still can't believe it.

Stopped off at the supermarket and only then did I notice what time it was, chicken wings, mayo and bread and then home.  I got the fire going, the temperature was falling rapidly and with a frost last night, I wanted to get some heat into the house.  I checked my emails and FMP had let me know that there was nothing wrong with their system and that my bank had refused the transaction and I should speak to my bank....so I did.  The FMP are still using the old card details and of course it's not going to work and the processes that I update the FMP system with the new card details and fails to update before it polls my bank.  I am assured that there is nothing wrong with my card.

I picked up the phone and was met with a message that the phone lines were closed and to leave a message even though they had another thirty minutes before support closed...so I did.  So I finished it off with 'Back to you',  and we'll see what happens next.  The fire is burning brightly and the radiators piping hot.  I used a chicken cutlet to make sandwiches for supper, ate them watching television and now settling in for the night.  LN.....Pots in from the terrace tomorrow. Nights are getting colder.....LN

Wednesday 27th October

Another early start and it was pitch black outside which lightened up to reveal a splash of dark pink just like the other morning.  Bring on the daylight saving hour...it should be anytime soon and I've just googled it,,,this weekend.  I put a load of washing in at six, hopefully using cheap electricity, emptied the machine when it had finished, folded it and waited for morning to break enough to find out if it was raining, it wasn't so I pegged it out.  There was quite a stiff breeze but when I brought it in at four, it was still damp so on to the airer with it and it should be ready to put away tomorrow morning.

I had a rather lazy morning, I made boiled eggs for breakfast, washed everything up and toyed with the idea of going out and sorting the pots but it had been seven degrees overnight so there appears to be no rush.  Find my Past has been playing on my mind so I composed a superb email and it was ready to send by twelve of the clock.   I'd spent quite a lot of time on the composition and was pleased with the result and I'd managed to glean the email address from various sources and off it went.  Two seconds later  it was pinged back to me as unknown recipient and I was thoroughly deflated so I cheered myself up by getting the Beast out and taking it to the garage to confirm that the anti=freeze was up to spec.,the oil was OK and that the tyres were the correct pressure.  It really needed a clean but it was cold and damp and I decided that the layer of dirt over it would protect the paintwork.  The owner's son said that he would do it for me and I said that it was OK, we'd tackle it in the spring.  I asked for a bill and wasn't given one and the son said to have it on the house which we laughed about and my mood was already back to positive.  I stopped off at the shop to ask if she'd had any adverse comments about the lesson but apparently he was full of it and I'm thinking of pushing it up to twice a week because he's so keen.

I drove home and parked the Beast back in the garage in one fell swoop settling it in for the winter and the Nipper will go in tomorrow although it should be OK.  The last time it was in there he topped up the water with anti-freeze as if in preparation.  First job was to light the fire, second was to get more wood in and thirdly I checked my emails and there was another one from Find my Past telling me that she didn't realise that the issue had not been resolved.  It appears she was answering a previous email not the one that I sent last night so I followed it up with a reply including a copy of last night's email to Liam.  Nothing came back from them so I telephone them once again and poor fellow. Liam answered, I recognised his voice and I asked him why this had been passed over to another agent and it appears that whoever picks it up deals with the response.  What a company...so I asked him for the name of the person to whom I have to escalate this problem because of the response that I am getting and was told to use the support email and it would be addressed there.

I filled up the log basket from the log carrier and filled that up from the wood store.  It was still light at five thirty so I grabbed the burnable waste and had a bonfire to get rid of it.  I dug out a few weeds from the garden while I was at it, checked on the yucca flower and it's still doing OK and a cutting from the pretty pink floaty flower from the old burning pit has put two little roots on and is doing it's best to survive.  I put it in fresh water and dropped some fertilizer in the water, let's see how it likes that.  Chicken wings and roasted veg are in the oven for supper and there's enough for Avatar so I'll take it over later.  It's getting a little late though so I might just fill myself up.

Gardening day tomorrow if the weather is good and I might be putting bangers down the mole holes so see if that slows them down a little...they seem to be having, literally, a field day out there.  Shopping on Friday or Saturday, I've got plenty of stock in.  LN.....Kitchen calls.....LN

Thursday 28th October

Six start again, coffee, Sudoku, washed and dressed by eight and set to printing off a photograph that had been sent to me yesterday by my Avatar's grand-daughter.  She's had a baby in Germany and asked if I could show the photos to her grandmother and I thought it best to print it off, framing and take it over to her which I did.  She was over the moon, almost in tears, she misses her family in Germany but is stubborn enough to want to stay here this year.  She's spent the last two winters over there but dug her little heels in this year and will probably be digging herself out of the snow this year.

She bought the dishes back that I'd taken supper over last night in and again she thanked me.  I'd dug her out of bed and shouted that it was me at the door and handed over chicken wings, roasted vegetables and mayo at around seven.  She said that she'd eaten at five and hadn't bothered much after that but when she caught the aroma of the chicken said that it brought the hunger to the fore and wolfed it down.  I must admit it was very tasty last night and the chicken wings very tender.  Mine was a bit of a let down, I'd run out of mini choc-ices so I really need to go shopping tomorrow.  Beans on toast for breakfast and I more or less started work after I'd washed up and tidied the kitchen.

I cleaned the fire out and set it for tonight, the house had held nineteen degrees overnight so not really essential at the moment but pleasant to look at and keep the house temperature up.  So I looked at the metal shelving unit that I'd bought a couple of weeks ago and decided to put it together.  I wasn't sure where it was going but I would make a decision when it was up.  It too quite a while, it's not the strongest on the market but as long as you really tighten the nuts up they don't wobble so I did.  I took a little time out and played around with ancestry but didn't manage to track down my grandfather's sister who died near Falmouth after running a pub in Birmingham or her daughter that is supposed to be my link into Canada.  It's as elusive as ever.

The shelving went up the stairs and I put myself between it and the windows and hung on to the handrail very tightly.  It's now in the third bedroom that I'm using as a sewing room and the overflow of material is now ensconced.  It's now forced me into clearing the room up, I've made a good start on it and tomorrow I shall be moving the debris down to the bonfire, the wool over to Avatar's and lots of winter hats and gloves that I'd forgotten all about.  Time for some of the old back in and some of the new donated to charity.

Supper is going to be the remains of the chicken wings from last night and probably topped up with a jacket potato from the microwave.  It's been a super weather day and I suppose I should have worked outside but there again....as long as you achieve it doesn't really matter what you get done.  LN......Contented feeling.....LN

Friday 29th October

Another early start, I made coffee and had no luck with Sudoku so gave up and stripped the bed.  First load in the machine at seven, second in at seven forty five and all pegged out by nine.  It was quite a breezy day and most of it stayed on the line except for one of the sheets which was hanging on by a peg.  It was rescued early afternoon and aired on the banister rail, folded and put away by four thirty.  

I made beans on toast for breakfast, black cat was bleating so I made bread with a stock cube and the remains of the chicken wings and veg.  She sort of looked at me, she ate most of it, left it for a while and went off for better pickings round the village and came back to it this afternoon.  Fussy little madam or sir...I've not looked that closely but it does seem to be putting on weight.

I got really involved in Find my Past again and trying to get my subscription sorted.  Fortunately my friendly fellow on the Support desk updated me at five thirty, after the Support desk had closed and he's hoping to be able to get this resolved next week.  He's also extended my subscription until it gets sorted.  The morning did seem to drift by, I did a bit more reorganising of shelving and felt happy with the result and booked my ticket to England for Christmas.  Had a lovely catch-up with my daughter and we're both looking forward to getting together again...it's been too long.

I made tuna salad with boiled potatoes and mayo and shan't be needing anything tonight.  Fire was lit around five but it's taken a while to get established...some days it's like that.  Found a big buggly when I was getting the washing in so photographed it and I must found out what it is.  Clean bed tonight and looking forward to getting in there and tomorrow I'm out visiting my other student and then we're off to see her sister and the new baby.  LN....Kardjali will have to wait until Monday.....LN

Saturday 30th October

Just before eight start and the day has just moved along swiftly but lots packed into it.  I did get washed and dressed early on and it was just as well since my Avatar came round with large notes that she wanted changing into smaller ones....no one, not even the mobile bread wagon had change for a fifty note so she came to the recently established band of Dushinkovo and she went away a happy bunny and can now pay off her debts.  I made cheese on toast for breakfast, washed up from last night and cleared the kitchen and then went back to tidying those spaces that haven't been visited for a while and I'm sure we all have them,

I had a little computer problem yesterday after I'd done a bit of a re-shuffle and my computer was seeing my external drive but wasn't able to open any files.  I phoned UK so see if he could help me with it and we went through the screens and the outcome was that to all intents and purposes, there was nothing wrong with the drive but 'repair' didn't fix it and we both assumed it was stuffed and lost forever.  I put the phone down and unplugged the device, plugged it back in again and lo and behold there was a blue flashing light which there wasn't yesterday so I tried it out.....and it worked so another quick phone call to the UK and I could hear the relief over the phone line, he thought he'd set it up as a back-up and restore but he hadn't.  Not to worry...it's still working.

More pottering this afternoon and sorting and at three I lit the fire so that the house was warm when I had my shower and washed my hair ready for tonight.  At four I was surprised to hear my telephone ring and it was my son who I haven't heard from for a while.  They.ve al had Covid at one time and another and had to cancel a holiday to Rhodes but fortunately got the money back....unlike some who had to fight for it.  We discussed lots of things and he asked if it would be OK for the family to come out next summer and I thought it would be a good idea....so he's on a promise.  It will be his first time and it will be good for him to see where I am and why I would be so reluctant to go back to live in the UK  By not time was marching on so I was in the Nipper for five and heading for my student family home and we sat down to eat at just after five thirty.  Soup, salad and meat and rice and mother parcelled the rest up and we set off to Kardjali to visit the sister and the eight month old baby.  Lovely evening and such a bright little thing, she's already walking around the furniture, I was impressed.

I dropped them off at nine ten in Djebel and carried on towards the main road and was stopped in a document check but the local boys in blue.  They wanted driving licence and residency card, flashed the light on the insurance on the windscreen and that was it and I was on my way.  Managed to get home for half of Strictly and will have to wait until tomorrow to see who goes....silly system, they should just give the results.  Nothing on the cards for tomorrow so far....but everyday is a mystery until it reveals itself.  LN....I'm just going to gain and hour and put the clocks back....LN

"plugged it back in again and lo and behold there was a blue flashing light ", as an IT person, years ago, that was usually my first comment when anyone complained that their computer was not working! Saved a lot of fussing around.

Sunday 31st October

I take your point Trevor.  I would have done it but wasn't sure how it had been set up hence the call.  Like you I worked in IT and did support but I had to be more careful, I was dealing with cash systems and figures have to be secured at all cost otherwise they'd have had a field day.

What a long day it's been.  I checked the clock, I thought I'd put it back two hours.  I had a bit of a lazy morning, everything was 'early' and I was over at my Avatar's house with half of a real role that I was handed last night...with roasted seeds on the top of it but it didn't stop there.  I mentioned to her that I hadn't got eggs but that I would go down and see the mobile breadman but she beat me to it.  She came over with freshly made yogurt and three eggs and later this afternoon she came round with some bread roles that she'd made and I said no way was I going to buy her any new rubber shoes when she'd worn them out continually paying me visits.  Then the penny dropped and she started to laugh.  I thought about doing something with the eggs but I was still stuffed from last night's epic meal with my student's family.  I'd actually topped it off with almost a box of truffles but I blame the meal.

I found things to 'play around with', unpicked a handbag to get the embellishment off it and it was very cleverly put together.  The studs on the bottom to protect it were screwed in and I had to use a screw driver to start them off.  I think it's probably a very good handbag but not my style and only one lev from my favourite shop so I shall use part of it but not the whole thing.  I've got a leather coat that I shall never wear and again this came from the cheapy shop and intend making that into a bag and use the bits from this handbag.  I'll let my creative side come to the surface.

Around three thirty this afternoon I got a burst of energy, had a bonfire and cleared up the cans from the burning pit and started to clear the leaves from the terrace.  Suddenly I heard a wailing and probably followed by a gnashing of teeth but I couldn't hear from where I was so I decided to take the old cans down to the skip so that I could investigate further.  As I was walking down the road pulling the log carrier with the rubbish, Haciber was coming from Beyser's sons garden and it was his wife making the noise.  Apparently she had just received news that her sister in law, married to one of Beyser's sons has died in Turkey and it was way before the time she should have done.  I have no further details but on my way back from the container, my Avatar called me in, I didn't hear why she'd died, she wanted me to try on the sock that she's knitting for me with the wool that I gave her.  I was tempted to tell her that I wanted them for tomorrow but you can't joke....she'd probably stay up all night to make sure that they were ready.

I went back to my leave collecting and managed to fill up the compost bin and the rest went over the wall for the cows.  Not bothered too much about supper, I've picked most of the day and drunk a lot of coffee.  More leaf collecting tomorrow but knowing my luck, we'll have a thumping frost and the rest will be down.  LN....Another good day....LN