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Elsa Peters living a new life in Bulgaria  /  My Diary by Elsa Peters  /  MARCH 2023
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 1, 2023, 6:16pm
Wednesday 1st March

So welcome Baba Marta.....the first of March.  It's a day that's celebrated throughout Bulgaria and everyone give a wrist band that is simply woven red and white, knotted on the wrist and on before the second knot you have to make a wish....and I have made my wishes.  Normally I send a card and bands to my friends in the UK but with the postal service being what it is, there's just no chance of anything reaching the required destination so this is my greeting for my friends in the UK and in other counties of the world.

It was another cold and miserable morning when I woke up at six thirty so I made coffee and went back to bed snuggling down in my nest for another hour or so.  It had stopped raining and was drying up the terraces but the temperature was only three degrees outside and after the fifteen last week it's quite a shock to the system.  The plan today was to take the Nipper into the garage to see why the gear stick wasn't moving easily through the gears and if the weather was good I was going with his mother to watch my student play football for the school against another local town school.  I messaged her at eleven and said I was on my way, if she still wanted to go we would go and if not I would make my way to the garage.  As it happened we decided to go but that my car would go down to the garage in the afternoon and they'd look at it then.

We left the shop just before twelve, parked up at the stadium and the teams had already taken to the pitch.  We dried and cleaned off a couple of the seats on the stands and as we waited his father, my other ex-student and his girlfriend arrived and joined us to watch the game.  It was unfairly matched.  My local team had only four players that played football properly, the others had been selected from the school to make up the team where the other lads all played for Kardjali teams, they had a coach, professional kit where our lads played in whatever they could find that was blue but they did well.  Unfortunately they scored two home goals while trying to defend and the eventually score was only three - two to the away team.  Unfortunately my student got a little angry, he engineered one of the goals but the attack players didn't attack when they needed to and stayed in the middle of the field playing more of a defensive game.  I've suggested that my ex-student who enjoys football takes on the task of coaching the local team for his brothers sake if nothing else.

So back to the shop and the garage when it was over, the Nipper was taken down to the garage, they couldn't remove the drain cap from the gearbox, managed to remove the top cap so oiled the gears and put grease on the bits that mattered.  When it goes in next time and the weather is good, they'll made a new part for it and do a proper job on it.  Upside is, it's much easier to change gears now so I'm not complaining.  I asked for a bill, was told that there wasn't one so I've insisted she asks her husband, it's easier to ask them to look at it when it' doesn't appear that I'm asking for a favour.  That done, I received five wrist bands today, had left mine at home in the rush to get to Djebel so went to the supermarket and bought more, back to the shop and we all now have them.  It's a beautiful tradition and tomorrow I shall go round the village and make sure that my ladies have them and next week I shall be running round with flowers for them all...Ladies day on the 8th March.

I arrived home around four, the fire was just about hanging in there so I got it going again, I cooked supper early, spicy sausage, onions and baked beans with bread and that will suffice until the morning.  Just after eight my time, a little television and then bed and feeling very relaxed after a day in the fresh air watching the match and spent with such good company.  LN......I might go to Kardjali if it's not raining.....I'll have to wait and see what the gods bring.LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 2, 2023, 6:35pm; Reply: 1
Thursday 2nd March

Seven start this morning, I topped up the bird dish after throwing out the water from it...the birds were slow to come back but when I checked this evening, they'd had a real good go at it.  The bigger seeds are still there but the grass seeds are all gone. I lit the fire, I hadn't formulated a plan for today, the weather could have gone either way and it really didn't make its mind up so I chanced it and left at around eleven to go to the bank to get my credit card sorted out.  On the way I noticed one of the village young ladies walking and with a long way to the main road I stopped, she willing got in. I dropped her off in Djebel and she offered to pay me so I told her that she didn't have to, she was quite insistent so I smiled and told her to go and I carried on to Kardjali.

I eventually parked up in the bank car-park.  The spaces are limited, only five of them and some clown had parked over the line to the next making it impossible to get my little car in.  I didn't realise there was someone sitting in it until one of the bank employees walked towards it and spoke to someone so I waited until she walked away and as the man was leaving the car I indicated that he was taking up two spaces, he apologised, straightened up and I was able to park up.  He got back in his car and I thought he was waiting for me to go into the bank before he made his next move and as I was entering the bank I noticed that he was using the car park but not going to the bank.  I went passed the security guys mentioning the name of the deputy and I was signalled straight through to her desk.  She was working head down, looked up and invited me to sit down and my card was brought to the desk, I needed my identity card, she tied up the numbers and I have my new card but without a signature strip this time which is a first for me.  We exchanged Baba Marta bands and I left, got back into the car and drove to Kaufland.

The car-park was absolutely full of gypsies begging for money or trolleys to take back for the twenty stotinki and I absolutely refuse any of their advances.  If the parents only were begging that's one thing but all of the little children were out in force as well, what a way to bring them up.  It's not that they don't get money from the state, it's a lifestyle choice and even the man who moves the trolleys told them to clear off from the car park.  Anyway, I bought a few items including a new four USB charging point and one of them is a fast charge connection...it can sit on the table in the stairwell to save me chasing around for where I left things last.  I ran the gauntlet of gypsies once again when I'd emptied my trolley, this time it was a lady with a child in a pushchair and I still said no.  I locked the car up and took the trolley back to the station and they were all still collecting there....aarrrgghhh.  On to Lidl, bought potting compost, new gardening clogs and a joint of pork to curry tomorrow and the rest for the freezer, yogurt  and a few more sweet things and headed home, stopping at my little supermarket for bread for the freezer.  I unpacked the shopping and put it away and sat drinking coffee when there was a knock on the door and my neighbour from the bottom of the village was there with fluffy pancakes.  Zelinger had made them for the anniversary of her husband's death and she'd brought them round asking where I'd been all day.  She saw the petunias in the porch, said that she wanted them and I told her no, she can have some later from the little house.....much too cold to get them today.  Off she went, I put the television on and promptly went to sleep for a couple of hours, waking up at seven and it took a while to come round, I'd gone into a very deep sleep.  I rescued the fire, it's going well and before I came upstairs to write the blog I checked on my mini-greenhouse and the wisteria seeds and lo and behold, the two at the end have started to sprout and there could be more.  First time I've tried them, I'll leave them for another week or so and then pot them up...clever old me.  LN......I've had a good day, enjoyed an easy trip to Kardjali and achieved what I set out to do......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 3, 2023, 5:18pm; Reply: 2
Friday 3rd March

Damp, cold, miserable and sleet mid morning.  Two degrees out and only fourteen in initially which soon changed the inside when I lit the fire.  The highest outside temperature was four and a half degrees...it's not been one of my best days weather-wise...I much prefer snow.

So birthday greeting went winging their way to Gibraltar, my flat mate from about fifty years ago is celebrating today so I warned her off cake, alcohol etc.....it was what kept up going in the old days and fortunately no more.  We exchanged a few messages on FB and a promise to see each other at some stage this year....as I said, we go back a long way.  Fire going, omelette for breakfast using the last of the spicy sausages and it's kept me going until now.  I did plan on roasting the pork joint that I bought yesterday but now it's cubed and will go into the slow cooker with a sweet and sour sauce for tomorrow night and will be served with a jacket potato.  Nothing like planning ahead.  Washing from yesterday was put away from the airer in the bathroom where it sat overnight....that little room is a godsend in the winter.  Next job was to bring in enough logs for today, fill up the log basket and two log carriers in the porch so there's no chance of running out today or tomorrow if it comes to that.  

I walked the garden when the rain had stopped and took a few pictures of the flowers that are out but there are lots more daffodils on the cusp of opening,  Lots of hyacinths are pushing up the flower stalks and shrubs are budding but not breaking out yet.  They would have been out but this cold snap has but everything behind again.  I had another look at the wisteria and went back to the book to read about the cultivation and I'm thinking of abandoning the attempt after reading that it might take many years before they begin to flower.  I suppose I can always give them to the younger neighbours...I know my friend that's always begging for 'stuff' from the garden will welcome them.  As for doing anything else today, the sofa and television played a big part in my day.....the curtains are all drawn to keep the generated heat in, I'm really missing Transponder TV and thinking about finding another online streaming provider.  Any news from Transponder would be appreciated...a lot of people are very disappointed.  

Seven fifteen my time, I ought to head to the kitchen and search for something that's not going too take much time to prepare.  LN.....Hopefully better weather tomorrow, the pickies show the weeds are doing very well......  LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 4, 2023, 6:30pm; Reply: 3
Saturday 4th March

Silly night last night, I was watching 'The Fall' on Netflix and I just carried on with the episodes.  I had a vague feeling that I'd seen it before but had forgotten most of it, probably catching a few episodes in the UK when it was on TV there.  So it was two when I went to bed, seven thirty when I woke up, it was raining so it didn't seem likely that I would be out gardening today.  I laid the fire and emptied the ash can, two loads of logs in yesterday so I had enough for today. It was seventeen degrees in since I'd kept the fire going last night so having completed most of my chores, made toast.  I also decided to put the cubed pork into the slow cooker making sauce of onions. tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a dash of vinegar and a tin of tomatoes.  Easy to do and it would cook while I got on with other things like carrying on with my Netflix series.

My neighbour from the bottom square came round and brought me more fluffy pancakes in memory of her father's passing.  She has a habit of looking round the house and spotting new things that she's not noticed before and most of them I bought a long time ago. Her favourite phrase is 'I want one' which is very difficult when the shop has ceased trading and I have to explain it in Bulgarian.  I made her a coffee while she carried on looking round the room, by now it had stopped raining so we walked the garden.  She spotted the wallflowers and commented on how many I had and sure she could have a couple of them so I found the trowel and dug her up a few from the yard and I do have lots of them.  I also had another plant that she wanted, the tyres in the yard took a bashing....and now that's another job for me to do, dig out the grass and tidy up the rest of the plants in there.  Off she went, I found a bag for the booty, thanked her for the fluffy pancakes which I'm told were made with yogurt not milk and we confirmed that we're off to Kardjali on Monday.  I have to go to the post office to see if anything is hiding from me there and then I'll take it as it comes in Kardjali....I have nothing particularly to do there.

Back on the sofa this afternoon and the series is finished so it's an early night for me.  I'm just about to make pasta to have with the pork casserole and I might even have a bath since my eyes have probably taken on a square appearance.  The weather cheered up this afternoon, the moon is out but there are lots of clouds to the west at sunset.  LN......Let's see what tomorrow brings and what else I can pot up besides the four wisteria that I've started from seed from my plant on the workshop terrace......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 5, 2023, 5:36pm; Reply: 4
Sunday 5th March

A cold night. the temperature dropped to zero but the house was relatively warm and once the sun broke through the house temperature rose considerably. I went back to bed with the Kindle and managed to get a few good times registered with the Sudoku programme, put it away while the going was good and got on with my morning.  I make breakfast of poached eggs, load of washing in and then settled down and watch a film on Netflix, The Starling, I've watched it before and had vague recollections but forgot enough to enjoy it for a second time.  It even brought a tear to my eye, but only one of them.  The washing went on the airer in the bathroom, it could have gone out but the air was cold, next job was to get wood in and set myself up with potting compost, clean pots to get the four wisteria seeds into compost which I did.  They're now sitting on the windowsills in the stairwell and let's see how they progress!!

I phoned a friend in the UK and we chatted for about an hour or so....luckily it still comes off my allowance and costs nothing.  I was going to phone another friend but I have to really search for the number, it wasn't in my phone so I have to check address books.  It was only to thank her for the Christmas card that arrive last Tuesday...the joys of the BG postal service.  So down to the bottom of the garden for a bonfire to get rid of the household rubbish.  I got it going fairly easily and then climbed up and sat on the wall at the bottom of the garden checking the hillside.  The shepherd's two dogs were lying lifeless on the hillside, the sheep weren't out so they were having a day off and probably lay there until four this afternoon.  I had this horrible feeling that someone had poisoned them and they do terrorise the villagers but one of them got un and then the other and they sauntered home...no street patrols today.  I did spend time with my internet security people, there was a request out for a subscription that's about to expire in eight days but I noticed that I have a multicover for the same thing valid until the thirtieth of September.  I phoned them, explained the issue but apparently the company are not able to view subscriptions taken out by third party reseller.  I explained that I thought this was pretty bad policy, I was told that's the way that it is so the other one I'll let expire and will be able to make sure that the other one is activated with the other key that I have.  Problem solved.

By now the day was moving on, I lit the fire at five, set the slow cooker in action with the remains of yesterday's casserole, added curry powder and the rice is cooking as speak.  I'm now going down to check it before it burns to a cinder. I've had a productive day and now to try out the curry.  LN.....Kardjali tomorrow but post office in Rogosche first to see if they have anything hiding in the post office for me...fingers crossed......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 5, 2023, 5:53pm; Reply: 5
Late pickies for the 5th
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 6, 2023, 7:26pm; Reply: 6
Monday 6th March

Seven start so not so bad and didn't have to be anywhere until nine thirty so it was a very leisurely morning.  T threw the remains of the rice out for the birds along with the stale bread, two bananas for breakfast, plants watered and in the Nipper by nine twenty.  I opened some of the windows upstairs to let some air through, it was four degrees but the sun was breaking through so it shouldn't get too cold.

I picked up my neighbour and she had lots of luggage with her and it was obvious that we were off to her apartment in Kardjali.  The first stop was the post office in Rogosche and contrary to the information given, the post man wasn't there so I went back to the car and my neighbour went to the Library next door and left her telephone number to give to the post man when he turned up.  We carried on to the apartment, I didn't go in with her bur turned the car round and parked up, she came out once more laden with a the same bag obviously emptied and refilled with things going the other way.  I went to the bank and parked up and confirmed that my details for payment for services didn't need updating but if I want to use the card for internet payments I have to register it with the head office...strange way of working.  This probably accounts for the fact that I couldn't pay for my road tax on both vehicles around Christmas time from the UK and ended up paying with my English bank.  So parked up and we made our way down to my cheapy shop...I hadn't been there for a while, my neighbour had never been there and was like a kid in a sweetie shop.  I did manage to but a pair of leather shoes for when I can come out of boots and a long sleeved shirt for gardening in.  Back to the car and we went to Kaufland and I bought lots of flowers for my ladies for 8th March, some for me and very little else and we forgot about Lidl completely but I did stop for gas to top up the car.

Drove back towards Rogosche and we decided to have one more try at the post office and the man was there.  He'd already been told that I was looking for cards by my student's father who works in Djebel post office, nothing there for me but at least I have his telephone number and can phone and ask.  Drove my neighbour home and we arrived around three, she made coffee and then I headed home, unpacked my shopping, made another coffee and sat of the sofa recouping from the day.  My neighbour doesn't speak any English and communication is difficult because she speaks Bulgarian at me as if I understand everything and doesn't find easy words that I know...so it's not a light conversation.  Fire lit at five, plants in the little house and two yellow roses reduced for quick sale pruned and will find their way in a big tub with others that I bought last year.  It should make a pretty display.  I'm not wanting supper, I bought a banichka and I've grazed on it this afternoon while watching 'Peaky Blinders'.  LN....Half nine my time, almost time for bed, student tomorrow so another full day......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 7, 2023, 6:25pm; Reply: 7
Tuesday 7th March

Six thirty start this morning and somehow I meandered through carrying out the normal routines and finishing quite early.  Firstly though I caught the sunrise and it was amazing how many clouds were over the mountains to the south east and gathering or rather rising without coming over to the Bulgarian side.  I didn't look natural and it must be the wind that doing it.....they are layer on layer.  Poached eggs on ham on toast for breakfast using up the last of the shop bought eggs.  I'm now moving on to the village specials delivered last night by my neighbour and this could be part of the routine going forward.

Everything washed up and put away, bed made, fire laid and now the morning was mine.  I removed the flowers that I'd bought yesterday and put them on one of the dustbin lids and watered them.  The rose bushes got the old flower heads removed and one or two of the ailing buds, they were watered and spent the day in the porch on the window sill and looking much better than they did in the shop.  The porch was tidied, the petunias tied up before the flowers ended up on the floor, more pots tidied and then it was finish up outside, shower, hair washed, dried and I was filling my time until two and that was easily done.  I fired up my old computer and went down memory lane, I was looking for the copies of the CD's that were moved from my iPod ages ago so that I could put them on the memory stick that I use in the car.  I wiped the memory of the stick, copied one set over then found more so opened up the folders and moved more of them over.  The nice thing is, I've moved over playlists so they're not
by artist as they've been loaded, I get them mixed up so it's more enjoyable to listen to.  

Into the Nipper by two, and set off for town for my student's lesson.  I sat with his mother in the shop for a while and we could hear the boy playing football in the lounge and I said that it sounded like Morse Code telling me to hurry up so that we could get on with the game.  He proudly showed me his new running shoes for use on the treadmill and I asked him who was playing football in Kardjali yesterday, I saw the cars outside the stadium.  He said that he was at the match, was playing ball-boy and how he was talking to the players from the other team.....and in English because some of the other team's players were from Europe. We had the lesson, I went back to the shop and he came down with me and his brother had returned from Sofia where he'd had to go up to do more work on his Masters.  I left them all around five thirty, the weather was turning cold and I wanted to get back to light the fire and on my way I caught sight of the moon coming up so put my foot down and managed to get pictures of it before it got lost in the clouds that were forming.  Chicken drumsticks tonight with a jacket potato,,,,it's just finished cooking and time to serve.  LN.....More flowers from Djebel tomorrow morning and some for my student's mum and my ex-student's mum.....and then round the village ....LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 7, 2023, 6:25pm; Reply: 8
Tuesday 7th March

Six thirty start this morning and somehow I meandered through carrying out the normal routines and finishing quite early.  Firstly though I caught the sunrise and it was amazing how many clouds were over the mountains to the south east and gathering or rather rising without coming over to the Bulgarian side.  I didn't look natural and it must be the wind that doing it.....they are layer on layer.  Poached eggs on ham on toast for breakfast using up the last of the shop bought eggs.  I'm now moving on to the village specials delivered last night by my neighbour and this could be part of the routine going forward.

Everything washed up and put away, bed made, fire laid and now the morning was mine.  I removed the flowers that I'd bought yesterday and put them on one of the dustbin lids and watered them.  The rose bushes got the old flower heads removed and one or two of the ailing buds, they were watered and spent the day in the porch on the window sill and looking much better than they did in the shop.  The porch was tidied, the petunias tied up before the flowers ended up on the floor, more pots tidied and then it was finish up outside, shower, hair washed, dried and I was filling my time until two and that was easily done.  I fired up my old computer and went down memory lane, I was looking for the copies of the CD's that were moved from my iPod ages ago so that I could put them on the memory stick that I use in the car.  I wiped the memory of the stick, copied one set over then found more so opened up the folders and moved more of them over.  The nice thing is, I've moved over playlists so they're not
by artist as they've been loaded, I get them mixed up so it's more enjoyable to listen to.  

Into the Nipper by two, and set off for town for my student's lesson.  I sat with his mother in the shop for a while and we could hear the boy playing football in the lounge and I said that it sounded like Morse Code telling me to hurry up so that we could get on with the game.  He proudly showed me his new running shoes for use on the treadmill and I asked him who was playing football in Kardjali yesterday, I saw the cars outside the stadium.  He said that he was at the match, was playing ball-boy and how he was talking to the players from the other team.....and in English because some of the other team's players were from Europe. We had the lesson, I went back to the shop and he came down with me and his brother had returned from Sofia where he'd had to go up to do more work on his Masters.  I left them all around five thirty, the weather was turning cold and I wanted to get back to light the fire and on my way I caught sight of the moon coming up so put my foot down and managed to get pictures of it before it got lost in the clouds that were forming.  Chicken drumsticks tonight with a jacket potato,,,,it's just finished cooking and time to serve.  LN.....More flowers from Djebel tomorrow morning and some for my student's mum and my ex-student's mum.....and then round the village ....LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 8, 2023, 5:21pm; Reply: 9
Wednesday 8th March

Six thirty start then I rolled over and it was eight the next time I checked on my Fitbit.  Really good night, I'd fallen asleep on the sofa so with two hours there and the  rest of it, I think I obtained a better sleep score that I've had for ages.  The morning jogged along, I made toasted ham sandwich for breakfast, curry for supper into the slow cooker, decided that I would go into Djebel and buy more flowers for my friends and chocolate for my friend that keeps the flower shop.  I over dressed with clothes, the morning was cold but the sun got up and by the time that I arrived in Djebel I was beginning to get a little bit hot under the collar and was wishing I'd left one of the sweaters off.  I parked on the street near the cash point to get money and then thought about parking up on one of the numbered parking bays while I bought flowers, chocolates and gift bags which I did.  I went and delivered the chocolates and the lady was over the moon and almost in tears....she said that no one had given her anything, I said that no point in giving her flowers since she owns a flower shop so I'd bought her chocolates.  The shop was very busy so I went back to the car now in the parking bay and as I arrived, a man approached me and said that I'd have a parking fine for parking where I did.  I checked the national parking permit site and nothing was listed that it was a pay car park so I drove to the police station, the police man said not to worry and then I delivered some flowers to my ex student's mum, sat with her for a couple of minutes in the shop that she looks after and then drove to the town square car park and parked up.  Next delivery was to my student's mum in the car shop and then home.

I sorted out the rest of the flowers and delivered to the village ladies, went down to see my other friend's mum in the next village and sat with her and giving her a welcome break from digging the garden to plant up the vegetables. Home with one hyacinth as a present and a pack of mince meat for the freezer and now the rest of the afternoon and evening was mine....Lots of good will floating around on Ladies Day here...it's really celebrated.  Rive is cooked, supper is about to be served, back to watching my series backtracking after sleeping through a couple of episodes last night.  LN.....Another good day......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 9, 2023, 4:33pm; Reply: 10
Thursday 9th March

Funny night, asleep in front of the television again, woke up, went to bed and not an ounce of sleep in me so played Sudoku on the Kindle until three thirty.  Amazingly I've not felt sleepy all day, have achieved quite a lot inside and outside and feeling fine.  Maybe that's the secret, sleep less during the night.  Ham sandwiches for breakfast before it got to the point that the ham was unfit for human consumption and was a feast for the cat.  I did put out the remains of last night's supper but not sure if it really likes chicken curry and rice....not the normal food that the cats get to try.  Kitchen tidied, the rest of the sauce from the slow cooker will go on the belly pork slices removed from the freezer this morning and I've added some vinegar to it so that it's going to be more of a sweet and sour sauce...hopefully.  If not the cats will have a feast tomorrow.  Log basket topped up and fire laid and I've just set fire to it and it's doing well, the first flush to the radiators has just taken place, I heard the thermostat kick in.  I chopped some of the larger logs up so that I have more small stuff to get fires going...it was hard work though, I had to resort to the lump hammer to help the axe on it's way....I must be getting weak in my old age.  I was also surprised by three helicopters flying over mid morning and heading towards Greece.  I'll have to look at the local on-line paper to see what that was all about.

Update on the wisteria, two of the four planted have broken through the compost and are looking OK.  I've still got two more to go so they should be through tomorrow.  The container that I put last year's roses in that spent the winter in the little house has been cleaned out.  The compost was very wet and smelly and spread on the ground by the compost bin.  I turned the water on to the outside tap, removed the drain hose and will buy a new one tomorrow, they're only plastic and it didn't fare well in what we have called winter.  It's all unscrewed ready for me to attach the new one.  So I washed out the old rose container, punched some drain holes in it and that was the problem...no holes.  I smashed up some old roof tiles and filled the bottom of the container, scooped some of the soil that the moles keep digging up and topped it up with potting compost.  The two new roses are planted up and the old one from last year are with them. the container is sitting on the terrace near to the porch so that it's sheltered and fingers crossed they'll all settle in successfully.

I came upstairs to put something away and away went another couple of hours.  The contents of the draw pack by the side of the desk was all  taken out, examined, some of it has gone but a lot of it went back in until a decision can be made.....to bin or not to bin...that is the question.  Six thousand steps today so that's an improvement, I couldn.t have a garden fire there was just too much wind about...better safe than sorry.  Time to check on the port to see if it's time to adorn it with sauce, have supper and then go back to Peaky Blinders in the absence of anything else worth watching.  My daughter has been updating my 'next to watch' list so I'll see what she recommends later.  LN.....Quick trip into Djebel in the morning, pick up a few more flowers, they're might be cheap ones left over from Ladies day when everyone goes mad.  LN....Time for kitchen duties....LN  
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 10, 2023, 5:43pm; Reply: 11
Friday 10th March

Woke up at seven, the Fitbit didn't register my 'time slept on the sofa' and again I had to check out how much of Peaky Blinders I'd slept through.  I did get on with the things I needed to do before I settled down for the 'final on Netflix', apparently there is another series on iPlayer but 'unfortunately it is not available in your area'.  I'll have to check if my daughter can put it on a memory stick for me and bring it out when she comes.

I opened up the windows to let air through, got washed and dressed for town, didn't lay the fire and then settled down to finish off the series.  I hadn't slept though much last night so not much back tracking to do and was ready to get into the Nipper at eleven thirty.  As I was leaving I noticed that the outside intruder light was on so went back into the house and switched it off, I would sort it when I got home so that it could reset itself. As I drove through the village there were two old men standing by a car and as I passed they flagged me down.  Now buses are so infrequent that that's what you do so I pulled over and one of the men got in and two seconds later the door opened again and the other one got into the back with him.  Unfortunately they'd both been on the rakia, needed a change of clothes or at least a wash and I'll know for next time.  I dropped them off near the petrol station and parked up outside the chemist on the High street and went into the hardware shop to buy the sink drain and was surprised that it now comes with a plug that fits.  Normally the locals don't fit a plug to the sink drain, they wash in running water so it's true, we are getting more European.  I left that shop and heard my name called and it was the owner from the flower shop, I'd bought her chocolates for 8th March celebration where everyone buys flowers for everyone but I settled on chocolates for her.  We walked back to her shop and she insisted on giving me a small plant for my garden since she didn't give me anything on the day.  She had customers so I went down to the car shop and had five minutes with my student's mum, she had just had a delivery so I didn't linger long there and carried on to Kardjali.

I went up to the second hand furniture warehouse first but didn't find what I was looking for.....lots that I would like but nowhere to put it and the prices are sky high, almost on a par with Germany from whence most of the furniture came.  I know the lady quite well and she insisted on chaperoning me round, eventually another lady came into the warehouse and she must have thought that she was on to a better proposition so left me to meander.  I actually want a small table to replace the large one that currently sits in the stairwell since that will be moved out for the summer, but found nothing suitable.  I'll measure up the space and get my thinking cap on,  I went back to the Kardjali and parked up in the central car-park and went to pay my phone bill.  The trouble is, there are only two tills that process bill payments, both were being used and then one of the people in front of me heard the patter of 'how about our internet offers?' and she was off to another counter to discuss it and try to get his to sign up.  She obviously saw commission floating her way.  I waited in the queue, there were grumbles form others waiting in front of me and eventually she returned to carry on doing what she was supposed to do.  

I made my way back to the car, drove to Lidl and bought a few items that I needed, drove back to the supermarket in Djebel and bought a few more and was home for five this afternoon.  Shopping unpacked and put away, made a coffee and ate an éclair, turned on the intruder light when it got dark and it reset itself successfully.  It's just after seven thirty my time, the storm clouds have gathered and we might have rain after me bragging to a friend in Latvia, complaining about the snow, that we were experiencing spring.  Looks like it might have been and gone.  Not bothered too much about supper so far, most thing I bought have found their way into the freezer so it might be a yogurt or a flavoured rice pudding dessert.  LN.....Time for a hut in the fridge......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 11, 2023, 4:47pm; Reply: 12
Saturday 11th March

What a day....eight start and everything in my garden looked rosy.  It wasn't a bad start, the weather looked as if it might improve and I laid out plans, washing me, breakfast, washing that would go on the airer, temperature around ten, wind around five but still good enough and calm enough for a bonfire.  Everything was going to plan and on schedule, I watered the wisteria seeds that have now all shown their little heads and can now be referred to as plants, went out to cut a branch from the Acacia that's near the well, I'd noticed that one of the branches had broken off over the winter.  I didn't fare well with the long handled saw so instead used the loppers to cut most of the broken branch away, didn't fancy going up a ladder so close to the well...ding dong bell and all that!!  I dragged a couple of the overwintered pots outside and tidied them up, cleared the old bed in the yard and noticed that I have lots of little aquilegia plants starting, so I should have a good display later on.  The wallflowers are being to show signs of flowering, the spent daffs are now in the bed for next year, washing on the airer in the bedroom and it's just as well that it was.

The clouds started rolling in from all sides and the thundered came as well.  At around two we had the first drops of rain and the rest happened very quickly, hail showers. horrendous rain, overflowing gutters and that one more reason to get them sorted and I need a man for that. The yard was fairly flooded but it went over as quickly as it had started but we still have very dark skies and I think there's more rain to come.  In the absence of anything more interesting to do I put on the Netflix, watched a new episode of Blacklist and it appears that they are releasing them in ones and twos and nothing more forthcoming for a while.  I searched through the listings and came upon a film based in Ireland, a bit of a romantic drama and I spent two hours of pleasured viewing...no murders, no Vikings, no threatening gangsters, just gentle viewing that comes out alright in the end and we all love those.

Six o'clock I lit the fire and I'm down to big logs again so I'm having to treat it gently, I'll be having to chop some up tomorrow so that they wrap themselves round the biggies and attack from all angles.  It's been another day for biscuits and treats so not too much in the mood for food at the moment....maybe later.  LN....On the whole..not a bad day.....LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 12, 2023, 5:16pm; Reply: 13
Sunday 12th March

So I settled for an early night last night and my Fitbit recorded it as an eighty two percent sleep score.....not had one of those since I had Covid and slept days away.  I was awake at six though which was a little early but by seven thirty I was wondering what to do next.  Fire sorted ready for the night, curtains drawn and windows open, washing put away so I found something on Netflix and watched a film for an hour and a half.  Sunday after all is a day of rest.

I settled for a ham sandwich for breakfast, just one cup of coffee and it's been water for the rest of the day.  I went out at around eleven to chop logs and finished it around eleven thirty......too much like hard work for me so I might be getting in a man to do it.  The beauty of having a few smaller logs is that I can put a thumping great log on and put a smaller one to keep it going but the large one forms the backbone for the evening.  I've done it today, I lit the fire around three thirty, put a large one on and a smaller one behind it and at seven have just loaded it up for the evening,  The big ones burn slower and I'm not running backwards and forwards like a demented being.  I put the axe  and the sledge hammer away, locked up the woodstore and thought about servicing the lawnmower but decided to leave it for another day.  After all, I've got lots of them to fill.  Instead I took the secateurs down to the bottom of the garden, cut back the few brambles that are against the wall and one of the wild roses that is sited next to my stepping stone to get up to my perch on the stone wall.  I thought about sitting in the sun but that wind was keen so I made it back up the garden cutting back my favourite Greek pink shrubs that are starting to shoot from the bottom.  Spring is definitely coming to my hillside, the forsythia is at last beginning to turn yellow and noticed that there are just so many daffodils dotted around the garden.  I also noticed that my wild plum trees have started to flower and the cherry tree won't be far behind.

Inside by three, I got my head down for around a couple of hours after I'd lit the fire and felt much better for it.  It's been a running buffet for most of the day ending with a rice pudding dessert and I don't think I can manage anything else before the morning.  I've also hit the water and my head feels much better without the coffee.  Seven fifteen, the boiler is on and I'm thinking that a long soak will be just what the doctor ordered and another early night.  Nothing much on the agenda for tomorrow, maybe more logs and the lawnmower if the weather is warmer and much less wind.   LN.....I'll have a day of seeing how it works out......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 13, 2023, 4:40pm; Reply: 14
Monday 13th March

Beautiful morning to wake up to.  The rising sun was more dramatic because of the dark clouds surrounding it but the sharp wind blew them away as the day progressed.  My morning checklist was more or less complete by eight thirty, breakfast of spicy sausage, fried mushrooms and egg. fire laid, supper in the slow cooker and I was thinking about Netflix and decided against it.  I washed and dressed, put on a warm sweat shirt and fleecy hat and grabbed the tools....I had weeds to pull up.  I delayed on that though for a while, I hadn't worked up to tackling it so I moved more pots outside and the big wooden chest that I keep the outside pots in is in situ, near the seating area outside the porch.  It's a useful table top if I need a surface to work on.

So down to it, the little garden between the steps is now weed free and has more day lilies planted in it from another part of the garden.  It's looking a little bare so I'll be buying more plants tomorrow.  I also attacked the under terrace bed, the old forsythia is now longer struggling for life but there was a new plant growing beside it so that's been replanted.  The Festuca has been removed, spit up and some put back and the rest is under the low wall and it can do what it does best, spread and take over.  I really hate weeding but at least I've made a start and certain plants have really over wintered well since the temperatures haven't been so bad and will need planting up in the garden, they're too big for the pots.  Checked on the sweet-peas seeds that I put in a couple of weeks ago and I've got about twenty germinated in a big green bucket.  Not sure if I'm going to leave them where they are and put supports up so that they can climb....last years were a failure so fingers crossed for this year.

Tools away by four thirty, I'd had enough, it was getting colder and time to get the fire going for tonight.  I watched the film that I'd started last night about Eichmann and his capture from Argentina....I couldn't tell if it was going to end with him making it to Israel for a trial so I Googled it and was quite happy to watch to the end once I knew it.  Short interlude, I've got to go down and give the fire the kiss of life or rather put more air up the chimney, there appears to be a lull in proceedings.

All good, there are flames and it's just been fed, I'm about to be fed on spicy sausage, onions and kidney beans that have been cooking with passata all day.  I didn't get that bath this morning so I shall have it tonight to ease out the aches and pains that I know I shall have brought on by my exercise today.....Badedas works wonders.  LN......Student tomorrow ....must get a decent text to work through.......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 14, 2023, 5:36pm; Reply: 15
Tuesday 14th March

Another early start and again by eight most of the things on my morning list were crossed off or ticked as completed.  I was cooking the last of the spicy sausages for breakfast, originally it was going to be for a sandwich but I popped an egg into the pan at the last minute so it turned into a full breakfast.  I sat in the stairwell at the table enjoying the morning sun, the wind seemed to have dropped a little but the temperature gauge was showing as minus two outside so maybe I was a little premature with the few pot plants I put out.  Looking at the leaves there doesn't appear to be any damage apart from a couple of daffs that were looking bedraggled yesterday when I put the pots out.  I think it might be time to cut them and stick them in water so see if they will flower or not.

Breakfast over and washing up done. I was aware that I had my student this afternoon and hadn't yet found a text.  I was drawn to the upstairs computer and suddenly it struck me how many computers had become 'old' ones and I decided to boot up one of them to see what treasures it held.  First job was to try and log in to it which became rather a chore.  I thought I remembered the password so I tried it, and another, and another and not access was allowed so I tried the guest log in and that let me in but not to the Control panel.  Fortunately it seemed to get thoroughly confused, I control, alt. and deleted it, tried again, I was in and was able to change the password and I was hoping that that was the end of it.  Deciding to go 'belt and bracers' I set up another administrative account, remembered the password I'd set it up with so now everything is going to, hopefully, be OK.  When I checked on the files I found lots of photographs from my days in Cappadocia and others from Istanbul and I've now decided that it's time to start gathering up all of my photographs and putting them into years and possibly date order......the children might be interested at some point.

At one thirty I was racing around trying to find a text and came up with a Roald Daal book from the bookcase in the lounge.  I started reading the introduction and thought it would be interesting and different so took it with me.  It was all about witches so he read the introduction and I read it after him in a theatrical fashion and I really vamped it up.  Next stage was to get him to write it down as I read part of it to him and he'd absorbed a lot of it and was quoting the end of the sentences to me.  What a little star.  There were several mistakes and he counted them up and said that it would be better the more practice that we have so that's going to be the new formal.  I'll read it first, pick out the new words, write a few questions down and we'll have writing practice.  We had our statutory game of football, he won by twenty goals to eight and that doesn't bother me at all and I went down to sit with his mother.  He followed later and by this time I'd explained the book to his mother and told her about the lesson and she was quite surprised at the subject matter so I showed her the book, explained that he was a well known author so everything was OK.

Home for six thirty, fire lit, supper just needs warming, I made a hot chocolate so supper might not need warming after all.  More gardening tomorrow if the weather is good, apparently we can expect a few more cold nights this week and then we go back to how it was last week. LN......Supper or no supper....that is the question.....LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 15, 2023, 6:37pm; Reply: 16
Wednesday 15th March

So it was another early start and it was another day of going through the rituals and by eight most things were done.  I made the mistake of thinking that I could wash one of the quilts in the machine and after watching the drum in the machine struggle to go round I decided that it was time to switch it off, rinse it out in the bath and hang it out on the washing line to dry.  Not to waste the water in the machine, I threw in another load and it was all pegged out in a stiff breeze and back in the house by the afternoon before it got damp again. First part of the morning was taken up by taking photos of the dawn and it's amazing how the sunrise is reflected on the windows of both houses....quite impressive to see a sunrise panorama.

I put the rest of last night's supper out for the cats, they picked at the meat and left the rest so over the wall it went for any strays. I had my bonfire and found some more metal that I could cover the bin with to save any stray sparks shooting off anywhere and also to stop cats getting in and throwing the remains on the rest of the garden.  The rest of the day was a 'bitsa' day.  More pots are outside, the straggly daffodils are trying hard to stand perpendicular to the pot so I added supports to help them stand up for themselves.  The chest that houses the cushions I brought out onto the little house terrace having moved the pots from on top of it and then having second thoughts so brought it in through the other door to join the rest of the outside furniture in the little house.  I also cleared the debris from round the red-hot pokers and it looks like I have more individual plants that I can begin to transplant round the garden.  

I came in at around four since it was getting cold, the washing went on the airer and I lit the fire so that it would be completely dry ready to put away in the morning.  Chicken wings and vegetables went into the oven and supper was ready for six, eaten by six thirty and finished off with Greek yogurt.  I have had one visitor this evening, one f the village lads came round with a bag of meat as a gift from Zelinger's son, I shall go round and see her tomorrow and thank her.  I'm not sure what it is yet so it's in the fridge and will be in the freezer tomorrow or the slow cooker...I'll see when I open it up.  Just under six and a half thousand steps today according to the Fitbit and seven out of nine recorded for daily activity totals.  LN......The washing up can wait until tomorrow and overall...it's been a good day......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 16, 2023, 5:29pm; Reply: 17
Thursday 16th March

Last night was a silly night again, I slept through an episode of Suits, my latest timewaster, woke up at midnight and went to bed.  Unfortunately that dreamy state that I'd got myself into dissipated and I lay there for a while, succumbed to Sudoku and eventually got my head down around three.  I slept quite soundly but then hit a recurring dream so woke myself up at seven and started my day.    It was seven degrees outside, overcast and sixteen inside the house.  I'd got no plans for today but the way it looked outside with a wind blowing I knew I'd be spending the day inside so the fire was lit around eight and it's been going ever since.

I did the normal things like washing up from yesterday, peeled the mushrooms that were still OK and fried them in butter with a little oil and had them on toast.  The stale bread went out for the birds or whoever else wanted it, some old cheese went out over the wall and I topped up the log basket.  Around ten I settled on the sofa to watch Netflix and the mother of my friend from the bottom village was at my door.  Unfortunately she doesn't speak any Bulgarian, was jabbering away to me in Turkish and with my limited vocabulary I worked out that her daughter had  tried to phone me and as I saw her to the gate her daughter phoned her on her phone and I spoke to her.  Apparently I had three letter waiting for me at the post office and the man would be there to give them to me.  I got in the Nipper and headed down to the post office in the village on the main road, he was there and handed me one Moonpig card, an telephone bill and one for electricity.  Not what I'd expected at all.  I opened up the birthday card and it was from my daughter, posted around six weeks ago...better late than never I suppose which meant that there were still two outstanding birthday cards winging their way across Europe or holed up somewhere in Bulgaria.  

So I topped up the log basket and once again settled down on the sofa and around twelve thirty the phone went again and it was someone else from the post office, I had another two letter and the man was still there and would wait for me.  Again I got the car out of the drive, went to the post office and was handed the cards, the missing two had appeared but he said that they had only arrived later that morning after my first visit and never mind, there was nothing else that I was expecting.  I carried on to Zelinger's house before I put the car away to thank her for the meat that I received last night.  I'd put it in the fridge so when I got home I opened up the bag and it was middle ribs of lamb with a little bit of kidney in there and streaky belly .  I cut off the belly and put it in the slow cooker with a stock cube and I'll switch it off tonight, let it get cold and remove the meat from the fat like my mother used to do...and probably make a stew tomorrow.  The rest is gong into the freezer.

I got my head down this afternoon to catch up on the lack of sleep last night, I tried to phone my friend in England to than her for the card and after three no replies I'm about to email a friend to see where she might have got to....she's normally at home.  I managed to get through to another who's godmother had died to see if he was going to make it to the funeral but there wasn't going to be one...her body had been left for research.  Still very cold outside and the wind is still blowing, time I gave some attention to the fire.  LN.....I'm hoping for a better night tonight.......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 17, 2023, 5:00pm; Reply: 18
Friday 17th March

A restful night, early morning, the fire was lingering on from last night and it was soon burning well and I've kept it going most of the day. It turned out to be a lazy day....I had one fairly big success though, I'd taken a photo when I was visiting my friend in Staffordshire, not quite sure whether it was on the phones or camera and eventually I found it but it took ages to get it from the phone to the computer.  By now the clock was moving on so I phoned my friend, who's not really computer literate, told her that I'd found it and decided that the best way to do it was to get the email of the person that wanted it on the phone and give her my email address.  I'm now waiting for her to contact me, I can send it to her friend and then she can print it out and post it to my friend.  Jobs-a-guddun so they say.  

I settled for toast and apricot jam, sorted out the contents of the slow cooker and removed the meat from the fat and that is earmarked for supper.  I mixed the fat with the bird foot, left it in the dish and the next thing I knew was the black cat was trying to sort the wheat from the chaff and eating the bird food.  I'm not sure that the birds will ever touch it again so it might all go over the wall and it will be a fresh start for the birds.  I cleared the kitchen, washed up the slow cooker and the rest of the things from last night, it had rained overnight and was still damp and dreary so any project I had with the garden had hit a brick wall, television went on along with Netflix and that has been the format for most of the day.

I've put my birthday cards up, I'd let the kiddiwinkles know last night that they'd been safely delivered and I had messages back on WhatsApp whishing me another happy birthday.  The messages were very suitable with a Post Man Pat message from my daughter...very saucy.  Another episode of Suits, I slept though it and had a very peaceful afternoon and had to rewind to keep up with the story but they do seem to be dragging it out some what so this afternoon I looked at the films and found a modern day Shirley Valentine type plot but dubbed from the Turkish and set in Croatia.  Passed the time and now I'm down to the kitchen to think about supper even though a packet of crisps that I had this afternoon is sitting very heavily above my stomach.  I'll probably settle for lots of water and nothing else to eat tonight...give my tummy a rest.

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow, I'm hoping for sun and for the weather to get warmer, there's lot to do in the garden and looking at the grass it seems to have put a spurt on,,,the petrol mower is coming up to the top of the list to be serviced and the new electric needs to be set up, it's still in the box.  LN......I think it's boiler on and a long bath......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 18, 2023, 9:55pm; Reply: 19
Saturday 18th March

So my first wake up was at six thirty, I crawled back to be and snuggled down again and it was nine twenty when I came to for the second time.  Late for me but well received.  I had two options on my plate, there was a folk concert in the new cinema taking place to celebrate March 26th which is a national holiday and I could stay home and clear more of the garden.  As the day wore on, the temperature was still down so I decided to make my way to Djebel, go to the concert and at least catch first viewings of our new local cinema and I was really impressed by both.

I left home just before eleven, it officially started at eleven thirty but instead popped into the car shop for a chat with my student's mum for a catch up.  The town was empty, most people either stay home or go into Kardjali shopping or over to Greece for the day and at twelve I took the bull by the horns and went to the concert.  I'd timed it well, the speeches were still taking place and mementos were being exchanged and so the party hadn't really begun.  I stood at the back of the cinema for and then the dancers came on, and my only complaint was that as the dance troops changed, there wasn't enough room for the dancers behind the scenes so they came and sat down with the rest of us and it was up and down like yoyos.  Next time they should save the first three or so rows for the performers....so much less hassle.  I lasted until just before two and went to my local restaurant for rice and chicken leg and then round to my ex=student's house to deliver the grand-daughters birthday present.  It's strange that her name is made up of the same four letters of mine but just rearranged.

I stopped at the shop to get chocolates and an éclair to have with my coffee when I got home.  I arrived around four, lit the fire and settled down with my coffee and cake and Netflix.  The lamp joint went in the oven along with potatoes for roasting, the lamb was very fatty and the cats and whatever else is in the garden tomorrow with have a field day.  The update is late, Suits took over and I kept saying to myself that one more episode and I'd come up to the landing and write up my day.  It's late but I'm here and a new set of photos to boot.  LN.....I've had a really good day...gardening tomorrow if it warms up......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 19, 2023, 5:52pm; Reply: 20
Sunday 19th March

A Happy Mothers day to all mothers out there.  I'd forgotten all about it until my daughter phoned me and reminded me, we'd discussed it earlier, decided that Moonpig and it's delivery processes need revaluating so we've settled on a celebration and we'll celebrate when my daughter and co.  It wasn't a cold morning but by the time that I went out to work outside the wind had got up.  My first sojourn out was to take out the bones and fat left over from my last night's supper and my goodness was it fatty.  I ended up with three very short chops still left in a block because no way could I cut through the bone but I had managed to cook some very tasty small roasted potatoes.  Nothing wrong with the lamb, a little chewy but when I checked after about thirty minutes....not even the main bone was left only one lump of fat that even the cats couldn't manage.  I washed up the roasting trays and they went back in the cooker and drain cleaner followed the water down the sink...I didn't want any blockages.

As for the rest of the day, I managed to get outside around ten thirty and searched for some garden rods to make supports for my sweet peas that are rocketing in the little house.  I brought them out into the sun, used string, supports and twigs for them to climb up but we haven't reached the tendril stage yet.  I put them back in the little house at close of play, they're not very strong yet.  Second thing to come out was the garden bench.  I'd sanded it down last autumn, I found some old brown paint which turned out to work well with the pine and the bits that wouldn't sand off.  It looks very original and tonight it's in the garage and Ill find a space for it soon.  I toyed with the idea of letting down on a rope its counterpart which is currently in my upstairs bedroom and it does required a new overcoat.....another day and it will get done.  I really need someone on the terrace to catch it when I let it down from the balcony.

I came in at a four this afternoon, it was getting colder and I thought it was time to light the fire but firstly to get a load of logs in.  Fire going by five, I put Netflix on and carried on with Suits and suddenly remembered that I hadn't tidied up outside so I put the TV on hold and did what was required.  Another job was to uncover the cover from the Beast and remove the rug from the bonnet and strangely enough, everything was dry but I'll take the Beast in on Tuesday for a wash and brush up and give it a good run to charge the battery.  I might be needing it when my daughter and co are here.  No supper for me, last night's lamb is still sitting heavy, phone call from my daughter and text from my son for mother's day....and sun into the bargain.  LN......Feel I've had a day of achievements.....lawn mower service is the next on the list.....bring it on....LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 20, 2023, 4:24pm; Reply: 21
Monday 20th March

Seven thirty start and I noticed the sheep marauding across the hillside, some skipping, some hobbling and some stopping to munch and then rushing to find a new patch to munch on.  They made their way down to the lake, all stopped for a drink and then the dogs barked and they all made there way back towards where they'd come from, through the field next to my wall and to the main road.  After that they followed the road to the farmers field between mine and the next village under the watchful eyes of the dogs patrolling the main road and barking at every car that passed.  Noisy things...that's the sheep and the cars.

It was going to be a good day, the washing went in, food went out for the cat, I made toast and jam for me, washed and dressed for the garden ...it was going to be a good day.  The temperature outside must have been sixteen today, I was tempted to take off my sweat shirt but remembering that it was wrong to' cast a clout until May was out' but that can only apply to the UK....but I was wary today.  It was one of those days when I start a job, notice another on the way and do that one, remember what I was about and start something else.  Things get done but not necessarily in the right order.  I did manage to clear a path through the woodstore to the little terrace and took the mower outside, the bench that I'd painted yesterday was moved to the little house terrace and somehow the then found myself on the wrong end of a garden fork and I'd attacked the old bonfire garden.  I cleared most of that and planted up some poppies that were in the wrong place, went back to the mower with the petrol can and topped it up with fresh stuff, checked the oil and topped that up too and took the bull by the horns, primed the machine and first one, it tried to start up, second time it did.  Success on a plate and I could strike the job off the list.  I left it running for a couple of minutes, turned it off and left it in the sun to get used to being outside again.  Back to the gardening and finished clearing the bed I'd started, moved on to the old vegetable garden and cleared another two sections and by now I'd had enough so went in for coffee and cake.

Washing in at four thirty, tools away, mower back in the woodstore and I've just spent time going round the garden admiring the number of different types of daffodils that I have and realising the garden is coming to life.....I love spring.  I also realise that I have a lot of chickweed near to the walls so this year it might be a case of removing the old wooden garden surrounds that need replacing and mowing up to the wall...it makes more sense as I get older, it's more to keep on top of.  Having demolished a large lump of cheese I'm not even considering supper yet.  I'll see how I feel later.  LN.....Today has felt like a real spring day......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 21, 2023, 8:21pm; Reply: 22
Tuesday 21st March

Very early start this morning, I woke up, couldn't get back off so started my day early.  There was a red horizon but clouds obscuring anything that was going to happen and when the sun eventually broke through, it didn't do much to raise the temperature,  I did most of the chores, made a cheese omelette for breakfast and it was still only nine thirty so wasted about an hour on Sudoku and eventually turned to Netflix.  Main task this morning was to prepare for my student's lesson, I photocopied the first story in the book, typed up twelve questions about the text.  

I eventually got in the shower and washed my hair, I'd been meaning to do it for a couple of days and felt so much better when it was done. dressed ready for my lesson and was in the Nipper by two fifteen and heading into Djebel.  I managed to park outside the fishing shop, sat down with his mother for an hour or so and went up to the apartment to start the lesson.  We had around five minutes of football before we started and I was whacked....it's too much like hard work these days and the spring weather is making my knees sore and tender.  Eventually we sat down and he managed to read around eight pages of text and with feeling, he wasn't only reading the words he was reading the story...thank you Roald Dahl.  We completed the questions and his homework is to write up the answers to give him writing practice and at five we went down to the shop, he went off to get some food form the café over the road, came down from the apartment and tried to put his mother over a barrel to go out for food when his father and brother finished work at the garage.  We managed to avoid it, she had prepared supper already so I sat with them until six thirty and then headed home.  

I burst into action, fire lit, schnitzels out of the freezer and into the microwave. chips into the air-fryer, a tin of beans opened and  supper was on its way.  I'm now stuffed to the gills, the update is late because I sat on the sofa and nodded off after my early morning start and will soon be heading to bed for an early night.  I'm taking the Beast up for a wash and brush up tomorrow and then might head into Kardjali for a few things or do some more gardening if it's warm enough to be out there. LN....... It would be lovely if Monday's weather could be replicated.......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 22, 2023, 8:16pm; Reply: 23
Wednesday 22nd March

Sleep of the just last night and woke up very refreshed at seven thirty.....much much better.  Bad news was that all of the plans I had for getting the Beast spruced up went by the wayside...it was raining so what was the point of having it shampooed and hovered inside when I was going to tread mud throughout.  Instead I put washing in the machine and dried it on the airer in the upstairs bedroom and decided to catch the rainwater in the barrel which meant establishing the said barrel in the yard on the bricks and aiming the downpipe into the contraption that had been installed to filter the water from the roof.  It was easy putting the barrel in place, more difficult to aim the downpipe into position so I decided to undo the brace that hold it to the wall and with that the whole lot came crashing down.  So removed the bracket and the washer holding it in place so that I could position everything properly and then I dropped the nut and that meant a trip up to the upstairs of the little house to find another one from a new bracket.  So back down the ladder grabbing the  pincers as I came through the workshop and back to the job in hand.  Eventually the new nut was on the bracket, everything was back in place and the job had been more difficult, the falling rain was very cold and my finger had gone numb but success, the barrel was filling up and then the rain stopped.

Tools away and while I was in the little house I noticed that some of the pots were pretty dry so I moved them outside and watered them out there.  It's time the oleander went out anyway so I took the seed pods from them, neatened them up and out they went.  It's time I got some more seeds going anyway and they all need repotting, they've outgrown the ones that they were once babies in.  By now it was getting on for twelve so I went inside, checked emails and the likes and then took some of my ancestry papers that I wanted to review and that's when it all got complicated.  I signed up to Scottish People but I suppose I'm used to the programme that I use and I found this complicated.  It's not subscription based but you buy credits and then pay for certificates.  I confirmed and verified some of the information that I had previously but couldn't make head nor tail of some of the others and got really frustrated trying to work my way through it.  I also found out that some of the same records are on my ancestry programme so I was working out whether or not I need the other records....In the end I gage up since it was heading on for half four so I went out and locked up the little house, came in and lit the fire, put a belly pork chop in the oven, made a barbecue sauce from scratch, sliced up two potatoes into chunks and the pork and potatoes went in the oven  After half an hour the sauce went on the pork, I settled down to a few episodes of Netflix and one hour later, supper was ready, the washing up can wait until tomorrow.

I've just noticed the time...again I started looking at Trees on my ancestry site and nothing made sense any more and after an hour, switched it off, decided to do my update and sorry, no pictures, especially of a clean car....tomorrow is another day.  LN.....My fire needs attending to......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 23, 2023, 5:25pm; Reply: 24
Thursday 23rd March

So last night I went upstairs to put the washing away from the airer and somehow I found myself on the computer and adding more details to my own ancestry chart.  I had the bare bones of my ex husband's family and  I remembered names and stories of his side of the family so I decided to add dates and put them in order and add them to the chart.  At two this morning I closed down the computer, hadn't realised what time it was, slept really solidly and woke just before seven feeling full of the joys.  It had rained overnight, the terraces were wet and it was cold outside and it took until ten before there was a glimmer of sun and it really only was a glimmer.  I wasn't sure what to do with my day so I dressed reasonably and at eleven I'd started the engine of the Beast and decided that it was time that it got cleaned off for the summer.  I left it running for around twenty minutes to make sure the battery was charged enough to get me to the garage, drove straight there but left the lights off until I hit the town so it didn't drain the battery...it had been a long time without a good run.  The Beast scrubbed up nicely, not many people about so I got good service and I also mentioned the oil drum and they had put one ready for me.  He moved it over nearer to the garage and I asked him to cut it about two thirds / one third so I could have the big one for rubbish and the smaller one for flowers and no sooner the word than the blow.  We got them both in the back of the Beast, tied them in place so that they wouldn't fall over and I set off back to the town.  I went to the garage shop and I'd thought about getting a radio with a USB connector so bought one at the shop , took it down to the garage and they fitted it for me....much better for long journeys.  

A quick stop at the supermarket for essentials including a bag of caramel chocolates for nibble times, bread and a fruit loaf.  Of course I had to buy an éclair to have with my coffee when I got home, settled down on the sofa and promptly went to sleep.  I woke up at four, lit the fire since it was now getting cold and damp and threatening rain and we're still waiting for it.  I've just been out to take photos and heard a couple of local ladies taking a walk and was surprised, it was my neighbour from the bottom of the village with her cousin from Turkey and I've been invited for fluffy pancakes tomorrow mid morning.  Lovely crescent moon tonight and one of the planets close by.  I never know which one it is,,,I've got an app on my phone but don't have much success with it.  Not really in the mood for supper, the fruit loaf took a hammering while I was watching the end of Suits on Netflix...it is no more so have to find something else to watch.  LN.....I really must start getting the house sorted for visitors......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 24, 2023, 7:05pm; Reply: 25
Friday 24th March

What a day!!  I spent around three hours talking to my internet security provider and it cost me money to take out another subscription but this time for three devices so not so bad.  Tomorrow I shall be setting up my new computer and installing everything I need to.  Why are there such people in this world that try to scab off the backs of other to make a living.  Money is driving everything including junk mail and conning others out of money driven by getting one over on people by deceit.  Rant over.  I pay subscriptions so that it doesn't happen to me but the hoops we have to jump through to try to protect what is our own.

So afterwards I set to printing off old photographs for my neighbours that have been hanging around for too long.  I decided that scanning them wouldn't 'cut the mustard' so to speak and I ended up taking photos of photos,  printing them out and framing them and it worked a treat.  I tried to scan them but the photos were too damaged and too dark but at least I found the solution.  I'd arranged yesterday to visit my neighbour at the other end of the village and she was cooking the fluffy pancakes and I watched the whole process.  Normally they just get delivered.  As I walked down to her house the rest of the village ladies were bench sitting and they were taking the sun.  I'd got four photographs in frames for my breakfast meeting but didn't show the ladies what I had in the bag, too many other photographs would be taken out of drawers and delivered on my doorstep.  I can only provide so many picture frames...tell one and they'll all want one and the recipients were overjoyed.

We sat in the garden in the sunshine with the pancakes and two lots of syrup to dip them in.  My favourite is made from pine tips, the other was quince and I was surprised that it was red in colour....strange.  I set off for home around one, the ladies had gone back to their homes and I set about doing a few jobs that needed doing.  I had two little metal owls hooks for a birthday present, they needed putting up so I found some screws in the workshop and now they're attached to the oak beam over the outside of the kitchen window.  Temporarily there is a bunch of dried lavender hanging on one of them and more dried lavender in bags on the other.  I tidied out the porch, filled up one of  the log carriers and then filled up the log basket.  With the threat of my two ladies from this morning hanging over me, the hoover came out and I sorted out a few things that were in the wrong place and at four this afternoon I was sitting down with a coffee and trying to find a film on Netflix...series are too addictive.  I was just getting in to it when the ladies arrived so it was TV off, the one hadn't been in the house before so was given a guided tour by my other neighbour and she loved the house and was enamoured by the woodburner and the fact that it gave me central heating.  She lives in Turkey but it obviously hasn't caught on in her neck of the woods.  Now I have one more photo to print and frame of her grand-child, we used WhatsApp to get it to my phone and the rest will be done tomorrow.

A strange occurrence this afternoon, three helicopters came over in procession and I tried to photograph them around three weeks ago......I really mush find out what it's all about.  Supper is sitting on the kitchen work surface and I shall do something about it when I've posted.  More of the same weather tomorrow please...I've got wood to get in and starter wood to chop.  LN.....A woman's work is never done.....LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 25, 2023, 5:13pm; Reply: 26
Saturday 25th March

Half five start this morning and not really sure why.  I put the kettle on to make coffee and then made my way upstairs to the computer and spent the next hour or so trying to get the printer to print proper coloured photos instead of making the baby in the picture look as if jaundice had set in..  Eventually I gave up, this printer is good for black but its day had come, it's going to be relegated into the sewing come computer bedroom for printing off reports and records from my ancestry programme.  It will save me running backwards and forwards.

I never did get that coffee.....I spent more time on my security provider phone line and now all is good again.  My only beef is that it took fourteen minutes to get connected but at least it did tell me how long I would be waiting before an engineer was available.  Thank goodness for WiFi calls.  So now my problem was that I couldn't print the photo that I'd promised so I went down to the house at the other end of the village and told them that they wouldn't be getting the photo in the morning but I would do what I could to deliver. I was trying to remember if there was a photo studio in Djebel and I drove in and asked my student's mum and fortunately my ex-student knew where they should be operating and unfortunately, we found the shop but no one home.  I was now in a dilemma....drive to Kardjali and look for someone to print it off or to buy a new printer and do it myself hopefully before the recipients left for Turkey.  I went in the first shop and they had the product but no one came to help me in the sale so I walked out and on to the next shop.  The assistants were great, the manageress even tried to speak English to me but i think my Bulgarian was better, I made my choice, paid for it, went back to Lidl car park and job was a goodun so to speak.  I topped up with a few things from Lidl while I was there, drove home, set up the printer, printed the photo and delivered it around one fifteen so not bad.  They left for Turkey around two, called in to sat thank you again and invited me down to their home....and they live near the sea.

Despite the sun I wasn't tempted to go gardening, I put the TV on and slept for an hour or so waking up feeling chilled.  I'd opened the windows this morning, the wind had got up and the temperature in the house was dropping so I closed the windows, put a sweater on and made that coffee that I'd promised myself that morning.  I flicked through Netflix and got into the Musical section, stated to watch the new Matilda but wasn't enjoying it so a little more flicking and I found the new Annie, started watching it, put it on pause half way through, lit the fire and then went back to it.  Not at all like the original but really very enjoyable.  The fire is going well, I've got enough wood in for the night and now it's time to get some hamburgers on the go for supper.  It's been a good day but the clouds have rolled over now so not sure what tomorrow will bring.  LN.......So I shan't be wasting time trying to get the old printer working....frustration over......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 26, 2023, 4:43pm; Reply: 27
Sunday 26th March

So again I was on the sofa at two this morning watching nothing...Netflix had turned itself off.  The downside was that I'd already had three hours of disturbed sleep so there wasn't much sleep in me so I was playing games until three and eventually nodded off and unfortunately woke at seven thirty, or so I thought....I'd forgotten that the clock had sprung forward and thankfully my outdoor weather station had updated. A quick trip round the clocks and everything was as it should be.....the Nipper I will change later.

It was a little windy but I had a bonfire to get rid of the rubbish, the washing had finished and was pegged and I was looking around for things to do.  I trimmed back one of the later shrubs that hadn't started its summer effort and used the trimmings to fill up the old bucket with the newly germinated sweet peas so that they had even more to climb up.    My next effort was to cut back the rose and honeysuckle near the entrance gate and re-tie the rose to the railings on the wall and make it easier to grab the rope that holds back the gate when I'm getting cars in and out.  Working out the front of the house I saw people that normally I don't come into contact with going about their normal business.  Zelinger was out with her son and on their way to the graves in the village and I saw one of the young girls and the update on her grandfather is not good. He's the one that that used to help out the old ladies but now he's on his way tomorrow to the hospital in Plovdiv for treatment.....his lungs are not good.

So tools away and I was out this afternoon so had a shower and washed my hair and was in the Nipper for two thirty.  It was a sad day, my friend from Fotinovo went to England for treatment and never came back....today was a day for his Bulgarian friends to wish him well on his journey over the other side.  I miss him too and was made aware that I was the last person to speak to him before he died, I'd had a missed call at two thirty in the morning so phoned him back and we spoke for about half an hour.  He'd come to believe that death wasn't the end and promised to see me over the other side.  I did ask permission to leave it for a while....I still have things to do... ;)  It was good to meet his wife's family and to see our mutual friends again.  We sat in the garden, the sun was shining and when the temperature dropped we went inside and there was only a few of us left.  

I drove home and arrived at six thirty and it was all systems go.  The washing is in from the line, the chicken is in the oven and the fire is going and all that within half an hour of arriving,  It's been an emotional afternoon, some people are just 'missed'.  LN.....Hurry up chicken......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 27, 2023, 6:02pm; Reply: 28
Monday 27th March

It was five thirty when I woke this morning and it's the first early one since the clocks went forward,,  it was so dark I thought I'd mis-read the clock.  I thought about going back to bed until the usual sky woke up but instead I settled in the stairwell with the Kindle and played Sudoku managing to complete and 'Expert' level in record time.  I toyed with the idea of phoning and making arrangements for my Fotinovo visitors suggesting that we visit Zlatograd....it would be a new place for them to see and they go home tomorrow so last opportunity to do something.  I used the potatoes that I'd cooked last night and not eaten to make a potato omelette for breakfast and it went down well and the thought kept nagging me so I made the offer and my friend thought that it was a splendid idea and I made the arrangement for eleven more or less at the house. It was also a chance to take the Beast out for a real spin instead of just driving it to the garage for checkups and cleaning.

The weather looked promising, I was in the Beast just after ten thirty and arrived at the allotted hour, the baby seat was transferred to the Beast and we were all in and ready to leave around twelve.  I stayed within all the speed limits, I had a baby on board and the Beast is so comfortable and easy to drive.  You forget that when it doesn't come out very often,  We arrived and parked up on the hotel car-park, we took a table inside and to the back of the restaurant, everyone ordered and the food, in typical Bulgarian  fashion came in drips and drabs and we eventually go our individual plates.  There seemed an awful lot of food but by the end of it everything had been hoovered up and I offered to pay the bill since the last time my daughter came over, they picked up the bill.  Meal over we went around the old town and the improvement to the old properties continues.  The an that bought up most of the old town has made substantial renovations to most properties and despite the fact that the season hasn't started yet, some of the shops were open but my favourite potter and leather worker weren't operating but perhaps because it was Monday and market day in Zlatograd town.

I drove back to Fotinovo and stopped off for a coffee with the family and left around four thirty and home for five.  The Beast is back in the garage, I was tempted to light the fire but instead sat on the sofa, put the tv on and promptly fell asleep waking up at six so just a short nap and then set the fire going.  It was then that the squall started,  The sky turned black, clouds swept over the hillside, the wind got up, the rain lashed down and the thunder and lightening started....what a change in the weather.  It went on for about an hour, obviously the tv was turned off and then it all settled down again.  No supper for me, I'm stuffed from lunch and only managed a yogurt, that should see me through until morning.  Student tomorrow so I'll have to get my next chapter of Witches sorted for the lesson and a few questions ready that we can work through together.  LN.....It's become one of the highlights of his and my week.......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 28, 2023, 5:32pm; Reply: 29
Tuesday 28th March

Six thirty start and another cold, dark miserable morning.  It did start to dry up around ten but there wasn't much of a glimmer in the sky.  I settled for bun loaf for breakfast and I'm still trying to find the elusive cherries that are supposed to fill this purchased delight but to maintain the price, they've cut down on the dried fruit, cherries and anything else that supposed to be in it.  I almost felt like taking a photo at the various states of cutting it open, slice by slice and ask the manufacturers if it had been packaged incorrectly but it would probably make no difference whatever.  

When it came to topping up the woodburner I realised that all that was available was half log that were way too big to fit so the aim today was to get the axe and anything else to spit them to get the fire going.  I also needed starter wood and despite much effort I only managed to cut about ten logs in half to keep it going and others into thirds to get it started.  As for starter wood I've managed to fill one of the big containers so that should see the spring out and then we should me moving into summer.  It still feels along way away though.  Tools away and my next job was to get the book printed up for my student's lesson and some question sheets.  I was in the Nipper by two thirty, at one I could have willingly gone to sleep and forget the lesson but I was there with my boots blacked and it went well.  We had to have the statutory game of football but I'm getting much better at defending my goal but doubt if I'll be signed by anyone in the near future.

Back to the shop for just after five and spent time with his mother and we suddenly started to discuss perfume and the best Bulgarian sites to order from.  We checked out the price of one that I use but the toilet water not the perfume but with summer coming I probably need something lighter.  No sooner the word than the blow, she ordered it for me, it will be delivered to the shop, half the price of the UK and she'll pay when it arrives by courier so I left her the cash.  Home James and the smell of the curry that I'd put into the slow cooker before I left for the lesson reminded me that that was what I was having for supper.  I lit the fire and it was a goer first time, watched the rest of a film I'd started before I left for the lesson as I had supper.  Everything is in the kitchen and will remain there for the morning.  I've got nothing to do that's imperative, but I'm sure I'll find something,  I remembered to bring in the sweet peas, the temperature was definitely dropping as I came home and they're still very tender.  LN...Where's my Spring gone already.....LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 29, 2023, 6:21pm; Reply: 30
Wednesday 29th March

Silly five thirty start and it was cold outside with the outside thermometer reading on the zero.  I was up before the sun, made coffee, stripped my bed, put everything in the washing machine and decided to watch a film called the Accountant.  I had to draw the curtain between the stairwell and the winter lounge once the sun came up so that I could see the screen clearly.  It was too cold to work in the garden, I thought about it but pushed it to the back of my mind, instead I went into Djebel, delivered something to the garage and I was persuaded to change from my winter tyres back to summer.  I wondered if it was a little early and was told that once it get's warm, the winter tyres in summer deteriorate quickly so better the day, better the deed.  I walked over to the sun trap that they've built on the ground near to the garage, moved a chair into the sun, it was pleasant but I had to pull the collar of my bodywarmer up tight, that wind was really chill.  When they'd finished I asked why they hadn't put tie-wraps on the wheels then suddenly noticed that the summer tyres are on alloys...doh...so we all had a giggle at my expense.

I drove back to the town centre, did a little shopping in the high street supermarket and noticed that they'd just had a delivery of fresh bread and that was going to be my breakfast/ lunch.....tuna mayo sandwiches.  I popped in to see my student's mum and sat with her for a while and left around eleven, another stop at the supermarket leaving the town for a few more things and home for around twelve thirty.  The remains of the slow cooker went over the wall for the animals, I did yesterday's washing up, made my sandwiches and sat by the table in the stairwell enjoying the sun.  It was still only six degrees outside but inside it was around twenty four so I knew where I wanted to be.  I finished off with a sour cherry yogurt, made a coffee, settled on the sofa but didn't nod off and at around four I decided to carry on setting up my new Windows 11 computer but gave that up after a while, my mind wasn't in to it.  Instead I went on to the big machine and did emails and FB but there was nothing good going on to interest me so I put the machine to bed along with the other one.....my computer sessions had finished for the day.

Downstairs I lit the fire before it got cold, found a Richard Gere film on Netflix and I finished watching it now.  It was a court room drama and at the end I worked out that the guy was really guilty where all along he'd been playing innocent....a really convincing performance and well acted.  He'd managed to get the case dismissed and ws sent to a hospital for further tests and not much change of a retrial.  Some very good twists in the plot. Nine thirty my time, the temperature has fallen again and I hear that it's going to be minus three tomorrow night so some of the plants that I'd put out I might bring in again to the little house.....that's the problem we haven't really had a winter to speak of...they've had more snow in the UK.  LN.....And now a bath and then into clean sheets.......LN  
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 30, 2023, 3:36pm; Reply: 31
Thursday 30th March

After my late bath I went straight into my new laundered bed and slept straight through until seven this morning.  Unfortunately the Fitbit didn't record it...don't say that I've another one on the blink.  I came down to a clean kitchen, made coffee and sat in the stairwell and again we had a very cold start but at least we had a sun that looking to be planning to stay all day and it didn't disappoint.  Bacon sandwich for breakfast and instead of putting Netflix on I played around with my Apple iPod to see if it was  still possible to get new batteries for it and I believe it is.  At some stage I'll check it out before I go back to the UK, there is an Apple shop in the nearest town to me so might be worth a try.  What I did manage to do was to find the original charger, put it on charge and it appears to be able to run so I put new batteries in my old speakers, connected it up and it was all systems go.  It works, the playlist are still there and lots of old CD's that I'd forgotten about.  I didn't put Michael Jackson on at full volume but settled for Jacques Lousier while I caught up on emails and FB.  It was still early so I pumped up the volume and finished tidying my upstairs room for my visitors next week and I only have to make up the bed and hoover and it's ready.  Another problem was solved this morning...I have the keys to Avatar's house and put them away safely while I was in UK.  I virtually took the house apart, they normally hang on the back of the kitchen door but I suddenly remembered that I'd put them in a lidded jar in the goody box so now they're where then should be for when she arrives next month.

At ten I was pegging out another load of washing it was a beautiful day but the wind couldn't decide on the direction is was taking.  I collected up the rubbish for burning and went I lit the fire, the smoke was blowing over the hillside and sod's law states that.....it changes as soon as you think it's sorted.  I got the strimmer out and attacked the path between the house and the front wall and round the grave garden intending to carry on round the old vegetable garden but the battery ran out so on charge it went and I came in and made a coffee. Now I did settled down to Netflix and found the film 'Purple Heart' to watch, I'd not seen it before.  At four I went out again, carried on again where I left off with the strimmer, took the garden fork out and cleared more weeds from the old veg garden and painted the surrounds with old engine oil .  Still got more clearing to do, more painting and a few repairs to the wood work but it looks so much better.

Tools away at six, fire lit, new Obvious Ideas loaded .....now to settle in for the night.  Very calm evening, I haven't checked what the weather is going to do overnight....perhaps I'll have to bring in the japonica runners that I dug up earlier.  LN.....All go on my hillside today......LN
Posted by: Elsa Peters, March 31, 2023, 4:06pm; Reply: 32
Friday 31st March

At last my Fitbit is recording data and downloading it to my tablet.  Thursday was the best day for step, I managed to clock up almost nine thousand ....for the two previous days I was standing still all day.  I also didn't sleep for two nights, no wonder I've felt so shattered.  Thank you Fitbit....normal service is restored for the time being.

Lovely start to the day, nice sunrise, iffy around mid morning but settled down by the afternoon and it was seventeen degrees sitting on the bench outside with a friend.  Before that though I made my way into Djebel to deliver a shrub and some beeswax that I was handing on having received it from a friend years ago.  My student's mum is going to make hand and face cream with it and I'm sure I shall receive some samples.  I walked the market, lots of men around since it's Friday and mosque day.  I picked up my new perfume that had been delivered to the shop and I'm so pleased with it...it looks and smells authentic.  I bought some gardening gloves from my favourite stall and as I was walking by the flower shop I was dragged in from the pavement.  The lady was telling me that she's going to the UK for five days with her husband and son to visit friends near London.  She'd got new stock in and I bought a four foot tall lemon tree with flowers on it already and a petunia coloured purple and orange...really different.  The fun came getting it into the Nipper and out again and I put it in a tall container to protect it, added a stake and secured it and settled it out of the wind on the terrace.

My friend from Fotinovo came round and we had coffee in the sun on the bench but we had to move under the balcony, it was so warm.  She went on her way around three thirty, I settled down to Netflix now wanting too start any gardening, the sun was fine but the wind was cold.  I played around on the computer for a while and at six thirty there were two men and my friend from down the village at the door.  She'd managed to find me a man who is going to paint the railings on the front wall, side wall and balconies for me and tomorrow we are off to Kardjali at eight thirty to but the materials required along with sandpaper and rollers.  I'll be pleased when they're done, I keep looking at them but I know I shan't manage it  and apparently it's going to take him three days.....and it looks like I'm helping out by removing the shrubs.

Seven my time and I was thinking about supper.  LN.....Better go and see what's available.....LN
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