Sunday 11th May

Eleven through until six this morning and woke up tired.  I put the washing away, boiled the kettle and was drinking hot water since I'd been given advice that even black tea has lots of caffeine in it and is not good for the heart.  How can you go through life not knowing these things?  I emptied the ash can from last night, the fire had burnt well from four yesterday afternoon, the radiators were all toasty and I think it might be the same this evening.  I didn't make breakfast and went without but did take the chicken crown from the fridge, chop it into pieces, brown it with onions on the stove, put it to the slow cooker and added tomatoes, curry powder, salt and tomato ketchup and it would be ready when I was.  I went down to the bottom of the garden and had a bonfire and suddenly realised that the branches from the overhanging tree had grown and needed removing, they were too close to the bonfire....better safe than sorry.  I took the loppers from the workshop, cut off the offending branches, the tree looks a little lopsided but needs as needs must.

I brought everything back that had found it's way to the bottom of the garden, toyed with the idea of getting out the strimmer but my heart and head weren't in it.  It was now twelve more or less so I checked on the slow cooker contents and took out a small bowl and had an early lunch or late brunch.  I added more salt and it's on low until supper time, the beauty of a slow cooker.

I've had a catch-up on the phone with my daughter and it does cheer me up, so much so that after the call I was alive enought to think about getting the strimmer out but forutnately it started to rain, only a shower but enought to send me scurrying for the log bucket and get some starter wood incase I need to jump into action tonight.  I did move the unhomed petunia to the outside sink and give them a good drink until I sort out where they are going and also noticed a bowl with marigold selfsets that will be moved after another couple of weeks.  I think they'll find their way to the gaura garden since the gaura has died and it will need filling out with something and mix in with the zinnia.  I've only just noticed how many poppies there are this year.  Normally they seemd to come out in dribs and drabs and don't make a display but this year they've excelled themselves and most of them red.  I've also done a flower awareness on the yucca and I've found more that I thought I had....and hopefully they will flower twice like last year giving a beautiful display.

The rain has stopped and I'm beginning to think that the seasons this year have shifted gear.  April was a mixture of March and February and May is nothing like normal, cold last night and usually the pools open and I was swimming last year not getting wet in the garden.  Tools away and camera out.  LN.......A new week of physio to look forward to......LN

Monday 12th May

Really early start, four in the morning so I was reading for a while, head down again at five, awoke and up at six and it's seemed a really long day. I managed to find another pair of trousers that I could get above my knees to take the heat pads as part of my physio and the big boot was on offer again with the pummeling shoulder brace.  I really hate it but I was a little distracted when a man in the same treatment room told me about his operation on his knee and the metal pins and all this before breakfast.  

I was in the Nipper for nine twenty, parked up outside the car shop and had five minutes with the shop owner and I noticed that she'd already done her veg shopping at the market and she said that she'd not managed to find the man selling milk, she wanted to make yoghurt to save buying it from the supermarket.  She said that at least she knows what goes into it.  I set out to buy onions from the market but firstly I needed cash from the machine but unfortunately it was not working so I tried the one along the street and that wasn't working either.  I got as far as putting my card in but the transaction couldn't be finalised and according to the man from the bank, the internet was intermittent and it failed when sending the details of the transaction...it was up and down like a jack in the box.  I carried on to another banichka shop and bought a couple of cheesy breads for Avatar and myself, managed to find her some spinach seeds since hers had failed to germinate and on the way back to the shop found a man selling milk so I bought some for my garage friend.  She was surprised, she'd told me earlier that her man that she normally buys from was tall with grey hair and this man was so that's why I bought it.  She can now make her yoghurt and tarator....another local favourite.

I parked up at home, took the seeds and the cheesy bread over the road, had breakfast with them followed by ice-cream and handed over the spinach seeds to give Avatar more work.  I came back, realised that it was still only just after eleven o'clock, that's what comes of getting up early for physio.  Lay on the sofa with a book and promptly fell asleep for an hour or so but was cold so lit the fire and it's still going strong.  We had more rain and tonight again it's a dull old day but I've just had a visit from my garden lady with more plants for me.  She was determined that they would be planted but I'm not sure where I want to put them, firstly I should clear the weeds from the flower beds....if it's fine it will be tomorrow's job.  The slow cooker with the remains of yesterday's chicken is up to temperature so I shall be having supper soon and then relax with the latest Netflix I've found.  LN.......I shall soon be heading back to the sofa, but firstly supper.  The sofa is a good place to settle until I go to bed....and get ready for my big boot tomorrow morning.......LN

Tuesday 13th May

It suddenly occurred to me that today's date is significant.....I got married fifty three years ago.  I still remember the day, standing with my father when everyone else had left and we had a little drink together and then set off for the building that I'd spent my first years of working and one of the typists was now conducting ceremonies.  I can even remember her name and guests at the wedding had also worked there.  I was waiting for the Clerk to the Council to pop his head in but fortunately that didn't happen.  We drove down to a town near Gatwick, took a taxi the next day to the airport and my new husband put the camera on the shelf behind the seat and I suggested he didn't but never to be told, he forgot it.  Frantic calls to the taxi company and fortunately we got it back and flew out to Corfu.  It's marvelous the things you remember.

So today I was up and at it, drove into Djebel and at eight twenty I was ready for my physio session, tried the cash point and it still wasn't working so drove home, still without cash so none to spend.  Checking my feet after the 'pummelling' boot I have red very light bruises on the top of them, I'll side-step the boot tomorrow and give my feet a rest.  I tidied the kitchen after making poached eggs on toast and washed up the slow cooker insert tossing the remains of the sauce from the chicken over the wall.  I hadn't got much enthusiasm for anything this morning, it was a dull old day again and I went out, cleared a space in the yard garden and planted the plants that my next door garden neighbour had given me yesterda before they went to the glower graveyard in the ....whereever it is.  I'd forgotten what they were but thinking back I asked her for some last year and she had plenty growing in her veg garden and gave me some.  I'll check in the morning if last year's are coming up.

I lay on the sofa for an hour or so and noticed that the sun was out so meandered out to the wood-store and the next I knew I was taking out the reel of cable, the little old lawn-mower and the new and old little strimmer.  I connected it up, inserted one of the reels with the one point three square cable and I was doing well until it jammed, a little bit of encouragement and it worked for a little longer.  The last patch of tall grass in the lawn is now gone and with the little strimmer I managed to do most of the tall grass down the long wall.  The little mower came out and from the cherry tree down to the tile pile is more or less all done.  I packed away at half four, washed, dressed in decent clothes, I was having an early supper tonight at a new restaurant in Momchilgrad with a friend.  I arrived at six, checked out the restaurant and he wasn't there so phoned him to see if he'd changed his mind but so he told me he'd sent me a text and cone to the sister restaurant.  Apparently the chosen restaurant wasn't serving to the public, they had a private function on so he's moved to the new venue. I made my way there which only took a couple of minutes but he'd ordered and almost finished his meal thinking that I'd changed my mind so I ordered what he had had to make things easier and I more or less did it justice.  

Home for eight, got undressed into PJ's, the house is warm but I felt the chill outside.  Just made a drinking chocolate and it won't be long before I'm settling in for the night in my nest, another session tomorrow at the physio and after tomorrow only two more to go.  Having such an early appointment has made the days much longer and if the weather is good tomorrow I shall be clearing more flower beds, everything is late this year for me, almost three months out of action in the garden has slowed everything down so playing catch-up.  LN......Fingers crossed for good weather tomorrow......LN

Wedesday 14th May

Another miserable day to wake up to but was in the Nipper by eight and I was there even before the lady had opened up this morning. I tried the door, knocked and then she came bounding up the stairs, unlocked the door and I know my way around now, I went to my first treatment room, she plugged me into the mains and then went about her other duties.  The number of people has thinned out, there were only three of us there this morning maybe some arrived later.  I was out of there by nine fifteen, went to the cash point and only managed to get two hundred lov out of there, looks like they're fixing the machines for when the euro comes in.....the day that all the prices rise and lots of little shops won't be able to manage the changes.

I didn't stay long in Djebel and was soon heading back to my village.  Avatar and her daughter were sitting outside, I thought it was cold so made myself a late breakfast, I put a load of washing in, hung it on the airer when it had finished and then settled on the sofa and read for a while.  Not sure that I really like the book that I've started so might just have to start searching Amazon for another series.  It didn't take long before I nodded off and fell into a really deep sleep.  I woke up thnking it was morning and that I would be late for the physio, looked at the clock and it was one thirty and it was light which solved the problem for me.  By now it was almost three o'clock so I went over to see Avatar, we sat in the garden and it didn't take long for her next door neighbour to join us.  She kept going on about she wanted a photo of Avatar and I had to tell her that the photographic studio was out of action, my decent printer needs repair and with the road works in Kardjali there's no way I could carry it from where I'd have to park.  I'm not sure that she understood but we changed topic and it wasn't mentioned again and I came home just after five.

I sorted out a few things in the garden and did some weeding.  It was too late to get machines out but at least we had sunshine this afternoon and it's dried up the groung a little.  I found three of the tortoise, found some leaves for Rosy and she managed to wake up enought to eat a few of them and then toddled off to her resting place.  Blue and Cracked Shell were just enjoying the late sun.  Tomorrow I shall have a trip into Kardjali, buy some more of the approved line for the strimmer and then clear the rest of the clover, sticky willy and bindweed from round the rest of the walls and porviding the weather stays like this, I should be more or less there by the end of the week.

My grand-daughter has messaged me and we've more or less worked out when she's coming, how long whe's staying and where I'm going to drop her off in Greece.  She's quite a little traveller so I'm leaving all the planning to her.....she just needs to confirm where and when we'll be doing what, I'm looking forward to getting to know her.  LN... ...about four weeks to lift off......LN

Thursday 15th May

Horrible night, woke up at three, cat napped until four thirty and then that was the end of my night.  I'd forgotten to close the curtain between my downstairs bedroom and the lounge which gives full panorama of the hillside and tonight it was lit up by the moon and I was too lazy to get out of bed and fix the problem.  I picked up the phone and checked a few things and turned on to 'reels' and soon it was six thirty and no use trying to get back to sleep.  I stripped the bed and put the duvet cover, sheet and pillow cases in the machine, some went on the airer and the duvet cover went on the stair.  It was a beautiful morning and that sun was shining.  

I made a hot water for breakfast, prepared for my physio and was in the Nipper by eight, clear run into Djebel and underwent my session,  There was something else going on at the venue this morning, must have been a special clinic but my routine didn't change at all and by nine fifteen I was parked up close to the car shop, I popped in and saw the elder son who used to be my student and I asked if they wanted anything from Kardjali,  I'd decided to go in to buy strimmer cord. I went to the shop and found that they didn't stock the cord for the new strimmer that I'd bought from there, I asked for an assistant and eventually I found one and he confirmed that they didn't have the cord in stock and no one else did the same diameter that the manual recommends.  I ended up buying a smaller diameter and I'll give it a try and two casettes already loaded.  I thought I'd nip into Kaufland, left my car where it was and walked to the new building and what an experience.  I absolutely hate the new layout and managed three tins of baked beans and hair shampoo and conditioner that I can't get in Djebel and made a vow to myself that I would not be darkening thneir doorstep in the near future.  

I went the back way to the A1 phone shop and see if I could get anywhere near the phone shop to pay my outstanding accounds.  I managed to park outside only to be told that they had ceased to take payment in the store and I had to go to e-pay and I'm thinking that I might as well finish the contract next month.  I drove back to Dfjebel and stopped at my local supermarket and bought food for the week, drove home, unpacked, took to the sofa and promptly fell asleep catching up on the lack of night-time zzzz's.  Woke at five, loaded a strimmer with the new cable and had good intentions but instead sorted out the little terrace garden throwing the weeds over the wall.  My back was giving me a hard time so packed up and came back into the house around six thirty, am just about to cook supper and then it's got to be a hot bath, I'm creaking too much.  

Last day of physio tomorrow and then if the weather is good I'll have a day of gardening, mainly strimming and mowing.....I've been in hidden corners today and behind gardens near to the walls....enought. I'll do what I can until I reach the point of getting on my knees and praying for rain.  LN......It's seemed like a very long day...and now to get something for supper......LN

Friday 16th May

Really good sleep last night, went to bed early, woke at six twenty and felt really refreshed.  Dull old morning again, checked the time around seven, had a shower and washed my hair and dried it and prepared for my physio.  Ten to eight on the clock and reckoned I was OK for time and suddenly there was a time check on Beeb 2 stating six o'clock, two hours on for my time and suddenly there was a bit of a rush on, I thought the batteries were giving up, put the clock right and it's showing the correct time now.  I must have a ghost.

I was soon in the Nipper and heading for Djebel with my foot down on the pedal, got flashed by a driver as I was approaching Djebel so keep my eyes peeled and sure enough, where I turn off from the main road to the road to the clinic, the police were there.  They stopped the man in front, I indicated that I was turning at the junction and got waived on and parked up at eight twenty five so not late at all.  I was taken through the routine, had to sign the documents to confirm that I'd received treatment and was given a form for my doctor so that I can book the next session in about a months time.  Very efficient.

I parked up outside the car shop, popped in for a few minutes, left my car and walked to the shop and bought two portions of cheesy bread, one for Avatar and one for myself.  I didn't need anything else so was back in the Nipper and drove home, delivered Avatar's breakfast, went home and cooked bacon and egg and had it in cheesey bread and really enjoyed it.  I started to do one thing and ended up doing another and it was one of those morning.  I couldn't do anything outside, it had started to rain so I put Netflix on and finished watching the three part documentary of Fred West and his wife who had murdered and chopped up several women and it was so sensively handled using old police footage.  My next job was to clean the tiles in the downstairs bathroom, don't ask me why but it was a job well done, I stretched up as far as I could and used the floor mop to do the two rows that I couldn't.

My friend arrived at around three thirty and we chatted and had a catch up until around five thirty and covered lots of topics, she's just been through sorting out documents and had covered procedures which I or might children might need eventually so I need to document the processes for their sakes more than mine.  Off she went, I put another log on the fire, toasty in the house so now to relax for the evening.  LN.....And the rain is still coming down....last year the only time I got wet in May was at the pool....LN

Saturday 17th May

Out of bed at a reasonable time but it was eleven before I got dressed.  It was cloudy, it looked cold, I thought I would tackle the shelf that had come down in the guest room when I put too much weight on it, I'd bought the rawl plugs but I think it's a job for the boys.  It looks like they originally used wood to pad out the holes before they put the rawl plugs in and I don't want to make a mess of it.  Bekir and his son are working at a friend's property and could stop off here on the way there and it would only take them an hour or so....done and dusted.  I'll give him a call tomorrow.

I used up the last of the bacon and fried an egg and that was breakfast sorted.  I'd taken a spicy sausage from the freezer last night with one of the soup packs that was made for me in the early days of my 'forced bed rest' and put both in the slow cooker with a can of baked beans.  It's been cooking all day and I shall be dining after I've posted.  As I said I eventually got dressed around eleven, I played a few FreeCell to wake my brain up, listened to the radio, did a Sudoku which failed at the last few entries so I abandoned it, did some washing and eventually headed just to walk the garden, via the woodstore and it was at this point that I told myself that nobody else would be doing it so I better get a move on....and I did.  I put one of the new casettes into the new strimmer and it went like a rocket, it's just a pity that when you try to load the casette yourself, no luck whatsoever..  The little old grass mower came into play without a grass catcher and that did the top part or the little house grass.  Further down I ran into the grass that I'd taken down last week but it was mainly clover and very wet underneath so no go.  I did part of the bottom part of the grass with the old mower and then changed up to the newer one without the grass catcher and it went well but complained bitterly.  Back to the big strimmer and I managed to do the bank in between the two areas of grass and went over the clover infested patch and managed to take it down so the size of the grass on the rest of the grass so nearly there.  I strimmed  round the old toilet block footings and the shrubs behind it and that's needed a clean up but I was running out of steam so tools away, I went out at two and came in at seven so that's a fair stint and I've just rubbed an cream on my back, I felt a twinge so nip it in the bud. I'd like to say that I've broken the back of the little house grass but I think it intends  to have its revenge.

Supper time, it's a beautiful evening and everything is so green this year.  I was intending to cut back all the shrubs that have flowered and it some cases cut them back hard since they seem to be taking over especially the lilacs, the forsythia and the japonica in the frog garden.  It will save for another day, no physio next week so every day is mine to do as little or as much as I want to....back permitting.  LN.....The forecast is good for tomorrow so just a little bit more will do me no harm.....LN

Sunday 18th May

What a day of contrasts.....Beautiful start to the day, just when I was coming to the end of me wanting to be working in the garden, the gods smiled down on me and sent dark clouds, squally wind and rain and I just managed to pack up in time before it all started.  

This morning I was up and about around six thirty but another good night's sleep.  I'd gone to bed aching from the sheer effort of wielding a strimmer and the mower so I applied the Swiss cream to soothe my aches and pains in my spine and hip area but this morning I was fine when I got out of bed and I boiled the kettle and got a glass of hot water and decided to pop a black tea tea-bag into it and took it back to bed.  I tried to carry on with the book that I was reading but have never got properly into it so checked Amazon for any offers and found three books on offer, similar to The Last Kingdom set in around six fifty AD and with one click....easy isn't it ....it was delivered to my Kindle Library.  I read the introduction, tried to get my head round some of the Kingdoms, the Kings and territories, names of the characters and after reading to chapter four I'm confused alteady but I'm expecting it to sink in eventually.

I made poached eggs on toast for breakfast and had eaten it and washed up when Avatar's daughter appeared with some flurry pancakes that her mother had made for breakfast and now I had lunch ready and waiting.  I eventually got outside, took my book out and sat on the terrace sofa with cushions, staving off the day's workload, although it is self-inflicted with no timescales in place, my conscience kicked in and I opened up the woodstore and got my toys out to play.  Two lawn mowers, two strimmers and the will to keep them all going.  I wrongly decided to tackle the weeds at the base of the short wall, they would normally be removed around March time and had grown in strength and height and were a real pain.  The tortoise were out in force, I saw four of them out and about and there was a serious clacking of shells and squeaks coming from another one later in the day.  The lawn mower came into play, in fact both of them did but neither of them wanted to work as well as they had the other day and I've seriously considered getting a new petrol this week but self propelled.  My big one would go with a little love and attention but it's very heavy to push, at my age I'm looking for an easy life.  As I said, the sky looked ominent, I cleared away, the heavens opened and I could move inside and it was close to five so not so bad.

I put the boiler on and I've just emerged from a two hour bath and managed to read another few chapters, have a thirty minute sleep and managed to put the Kindle on the side of the wash stand table without getting it wet...result.  I dried off, applied more cream to the necessary area, got into pyjamas, thinking about supper and something that's quick and easy to prepare.  No physio tomorrow so no stress of oversleeping and will have a gentle day in the garden or at the gardening shop with my card in hand and at the ready.  LN.......Lovely evening but just a few dark grey clouds around...I'm feeling creative.....probably topiary tomorrow on the bushes that have already flowered....LN

Monday 19th May

So last night I luxuriated in a Badedas bath for two hours, topping up the water until it was dangerously near the overflow, I'd left the boiler on continuous reheat.  I emerged around ten, put on a warm and clean set of PJ.s and made my way downstairs and I was in bed for around ten.  I'd taken my book from the bathroom to the bedroom making sure that I didn't drop the Kindle in the water, only read for a short time and then snuggled down.

I woke at six and it seems to be getting to be the norm, it was a pretty fair morning and I went out onto the terrace to photo the sunrise when really I should have gone onto my upstairs bedroom balcony...just too lazy to climb the stairs.  As I sat down on the bench, the cat shot from underneath and stationed itself on the shelving between the balcony pillars and obviously went back to sleep before it started its daytime routine of scrounging food from houses in the village.  It has become very picky, turns its nose up at the cat pellets that it used to have and obviously finds better around the village.  I thought what I might get up to today around the garden, made plans regarding the grass, hedges, shrubs and weeds and did.....absolutely nothing.

I went over the road to see Avatar and her daughter was getting her brother's car out from the yard and on to the road.  It was a little reluctant to start, probably cold since it hasn't been used for about a month but she managed to keep it going and set off to Djebel.  It was the festive day in Djebel, they have one every year only this year there were lots of Turkish families over arriving by free coaches to the event from Turkey.  I normally go for a walk round but this year I wasn't really interested, I'll be hearing the fireworks later at the end of the event.  I came back and still wasn't interested in grass cutting so cleared out a few more pots, tidied up the geraniums and spread a few more pots around the terrace.  I also cut back the daffodil leaves from the wooden container on the terrace and cleared it to take sun daisies when I buy them tomorrow.  I do love them and they flower continuously for most of the season as long as they're deadheaded.

This afternoon I at last arranged for Bekir to come over to fix the shelf in the guest room.  I think I mentioned that I put too many clothes on it and forced it from the wall and now I want it reinstating before my grand-daughter arrives with her friend in June.  I've bought rawl plugs but I want to leave it to the expert so tomorrow I set off for his village and then deposit him in his usual place of work when my job is finished.  I will probably take him only an hour to fix it and I'll help where I can holding things in place when he needs me to.  Having done that I got my head down for an hour or so, read for a while, did Sudoku provided by my daughter in a mammoth set of emails, played around on my phone with the settings for calls between my two Sim cards and that's been the sum total of my day.  So tonight it will be more of my book, I had boiled eggs for breakfast and did two more so likely egg mayo sandwiches for supper.  LN......Must set the alarm for tomorrow morning just incase the body clock fails me.....I have places to be.....LN

Tuesday 20th May

So last night went to bed I set the alarm in time to get to Bekir's village so that the shelf would be reinstated instead of idling its life away in the little house.  My brain was working overtime, I just couldn't get off to sleeps for ages and I was wondering why I'd set the alarm.  Eventually I dropped off though, woke up at six ten prior to the alarm and was reading at seven, dressed by seven fifteen and in the Nipper just after and heading to our meeting place.  The road over to the main road has seriously deteriorated over the winter and I noticed that there were two huge mountains of crushed stone sitting near the junction and hopefully it was going to be put to good use.  The original road to the village that suffered a subsidence was blocked off with a metal barrier forcing me to take this other road and stopped villagers risking life and limb although they wouldn't agree that it was impassable.  Maybe the council will repair both roads....and maybe not.....tova e Bulgaria.  I was going to go up the old road but after the winter didn't know what I would find so instead took the long way round, missed the turning, carried on for a while until it was safe to turn to retrace my tyre tread, found the turning and arrived with one minute to spare and Bekir was waiting.  I popped into the shop to buy some 3 in 1 in case Bekir had time for coffee and she charged me as if I bought ten cups ready made in the cafe...twice the price but needs and needs must.

We arrived in good time, I showed Bekir the numerous rawl plugs I'd purchased for the job and instead he found a piece of wood form my cache, shaped them into inserts for the four holes hitting them home with a hammer.  He'd found electrical tools that he required from my supply in the workshop, moved to the bedroom with the shelf, I held the shelf in place while the first screw was inserted, I made sure that we carried the level to the bedroom to make sure that aesthetically it looked OK, in went the second screw and the third but the fourth was proving to be difficult so that went in with the hammer finishing it off with the screwdriver.  He didn't quite swing on it to confirm that it would stand up to the job but it was close.  That finished I asked him to look at the downstairs toiled so that it worked with the lid on the cistern, I'd tried several times and with the lid on it didn't work, take it of and it was perfect.  He worked out the problem, fixed it and now it's back to being normal.  Nothing else to do so we set off for the school that he was working at and his son was already there as per the arrangement.  I did a tour of the school with the owner and I'd known him for a long time, he used to stay here while the purchase was made and we did some of the groundwork together.  I'd finished the tour and was back in the Nipper, there was no charge for the work I'd had done so I asked for the same treatment next week and only got a look and as I drove away I met the lady who lived in the property next to the school and we hadn't really spoken for ten years or so but we were almost like sisters, checking up on family and filling in the gaps.  It gave me a good feeling.

I drove to Djebel arriving at twelve, realised how hungry I was so went to the local eatery and had chicken let and rice with yogurt drink, I was welcomed back I hadn't been for about six months and filled up I walked to the car part shop and had catch up with my student's mum.  I was home by two, fell asleep on the sofa and when I woke up I was cold, not sure of the time of day, realised it was the afternoon, lit the fire and then the heavens opened, rain downpour, it eased off so I brought more wood down from the woodstore, found some old seeds in the workshop and now they're in a large container and we'll see what happens, they have two chances.  

The sky is very ominous, dark clouds gathering again, what's wrong with the weather this year?  Another log has gone on the fire, it can do what it wants outside....bring it on.  LN.....Two jobs off the list ready for my guest's arrival, the beds are already made up and just need flight detals and other requirements.....LN