Friday 20th February

I managed to keep the home fires burning overnight and I was making breakfast for my son and grandson at seven.  They were flying home after my birthday bash and the flight was leaving from Plovdiv around lunchtime.  He's not really spent much time here and it was good for both of us.  He's seen that this is now my home, my reasons for being here and the friendships that I have in the village and in Djebel.  After a working life in the UK and travelling a lot abroad, I didn't build up much of a network in the UK and over the last fifteen years this definitely seems like home.  I spend more time viewing nature than I ever did before taking so many photos of the birds, animals, not so much of people, I respect their privacy.  I had four jays in the garden this morning looking for food, they're very nervous birds but managed to get some good shots of them attacking the remains of toast and birthday cake....I think they preferred the toast.

I managed to do four loads of washing after they had left, the beds are stripped down and the last load is still drying.  My mission today was to obtain my cash point card from my bank and that went slightly sideways,  I still don't have the card.  I drove into town, thought I was really lucky to obtain a parking space outside the bank but in the end it turned out to be very unlucky.  In the olden days, there were around seven spaces outside of the bank for customers which had now turned into a Blue Parking Zone where apparently you have to prepay for your parking, even the national parking scheme doesn't allow you to register and park in these zones.  I was waiting to see a 'consultant' for about half an hour despite there only being one client with the customer ticket before me.  The service is dreadful and as for helping me ....she didn't know the meaning of the words of 'customer' or 'service'.  She was antagonistic from the start which caused my hackles to rise...after all what is a bank, someone who looks after my money, it's not the banks, it's mine and she is working for me when I go there....

I handed over my passport, my residency permit and my customer number and she was immediately sighing.  I asked what the problem was and she said that she couldn't understand my Bulgarian and that I should have attended with a translator which I really object to.  She said that my Bulgarian wasn't good enough and that I had to complete a form and I asked if there wasn't anyone in the branch that spoke English and when eventually someone arrived, I explained in Bulgarian that I really didn't understand why she was having such a bad time with me and the new person got it.  It was because all my documents were new, the passport and the residency card and the system hadn't carried them over and details on my bank profile had to be changed.  I think it was too much work for the one that I'd been allotted, it was after lunch and she didn't really want to be helpful and was determined not to be.  The four page form was issued to me and I sat at one of the other desks to complete it and my tax number I didn't have with me.  It's due to new banking regulations, I had this in the UK and all they did was send me a simple for to complete but due to the postal service in Bulgaria I'd missed the deadline for returning it but a phone call later and everything was satisfactory in the UK... but this was going to take more time.  I said that I would take the form home with me, all I need is a bank card to allow me to take my money from the bank.

I went out to the car, noticed a slip of official looking paper on the windscreen, walked round to the drivers door and noticed a yellow wheel clamp on the tyre...something else to contend with.  I phone the number, I explained where I was parked, gave her the car number and  the lady advised me, in English, that someone would be out with me if I waited by the car.  Sure enough. five minutes later three men appeared to take a wheel clamp from another vehicle, finished that job and removed mine and I paid the fine with my card and I was on the road again.  Perhaps the people that sort out parking could work at the bank, very helpful, spoke English and polite with it.

I drove home, opened one of my birthday chocolate bars and consoled myself.  I shall fill out the form in my own time, have all the information to hand and will not feel that I'm intruding into any ones day job that they are paid to do.  I put on a series that I'd been watching after getting the fire going again, related to my daughter the events of the day in a text message and asked her if she thinks that's how 'War and Peace started and ended up being such a large book.  The update tonight is that I must have fallen asleep and was solidly out for the count and didn't wake up until eleven my time, the fire is out but the house isn't cold but it's still chucking it down outside.  It's eight degrees outside, eighteen inside so it doesn't look like the predicted snow is going to happen....just wet, soggy ground underfoot.  LN..... I found out that the manager from the Momchilgrad Branch that closed, is now overseeing the tellers....I shall look her out next time....she helped me last time I needed money to pay for my holiday.....LN

Saturday 21st February

Well today has been a 'tidy round' day, washing has been put away, clothes put away on hangers, catch up emails and phone calls and generally I didn't do too much at all.  It wasn't worth venturing out until I had to late this afternoon, the logs in the conservatory were extra large so I went out to get some smaller stuff to get the home fires burning to get the house really warm again.  It was down to two degrees this morning and really heavy rain, I did venture out to take food out for the birds but there weren't many takers today.  The jays were still circling and finding bits where they could but they didn't stay long, even the slightest movement and they were off.

I printed off the Sudoku that my daughter had sent via email and had five to go at,  Three I've completed but the other two and 'rub out' and start again.  I find it very difficult when you start to make changes and it seems to run through the whole workings out...it you change one and then the next one follows on and in the end you don't know which numbers are in the right place and which are wrong.  Much easier to start from scratch with a blank canvas so to speak.

I had a visit from my lady that wants bits of everything from my garden, she came round with a pretty vase and some artificial flowers in it.  She was eyeing up the freesias and trying to get me to dig up a bulb for her but since they've only just stopped flowering it's not really the time and underneath I've got sun daisies that take over and live in the same pot.  Each plant has it's season and she's not disturbing either.  Somehow she was having a tour of the house, I'd gone upstairs to make sure that the intruder light looking towards the main road as turned off otherwise every car that goes by trips it.  It was off but she was taken by how warm it was upstairs so we did the tour and when we went into the room where I've got ski stuff and coats stored I saw the pink down coat that I bought ages ago, never worn because I don't like pink particularly so I offered it to her.  I must have had it ten years or so and only aid a few lev for it and at least it's eventually gone to a good home.  As she was leaving she put the new coat on first and put her jacket over it and complete with umbrella, she set off in the rain.

It's down to zero tonight and that rain has turned to snow and a hefty wind is blowing it everywhere.  We should have quite a few inches overnight so tomorrow it's another home day for me.  I've sorted out the documents that I need to complete the form for the bank, I might tackle it tomorrow  but the quieter day to get things done is probably Friday after lunch especially now that I know to park away from the bank....I don't want any more fines for parking in the wrong zones.  No photos of the jays today, same crew as yesterday and the wind was such that not many birds were taking shelter somewhere else.  LN......No photos today, I'll do better tomorrow if the snow settles overnight....LN  

Sunday 22nd February

It started to snow hard last night but the ground was wet and it didn't appear to be sticking.  The roofs were covered but as the temperature climbed, the water butt that I'd put out again had filled up due to the snow and the rain so I reinstated the hose drain to the drainage channel by the side of the road so that the yard didn't become too waterlogged.  Another bright idea that I had that turned out to be successful....where do they all spring from.

This morning's job was to carry on from yesterday where I'm putting things back to how they were before I had my family over.  The quilt from inside the 'nest' that was on my bed has been reinstated and I have just the single layer large bedcover over me.  The nest cover had been turned up the other way so that I had the length width ways on the bed but there was nothing round my neck with any weight on it and it didn't feel cosy.  I shall sleep well tonight although I've just taken the edge off it by having a bath and I've managed forty winks in there already.

As for the rest of the day, I put the sofa up on it's edge and cleaned underneath it and it wasn't as bad as I'd expected.  It also meant that I could push the foam filling back where it should be, the whole thing is either destined for replacement or to Momchilgrad and to be properly upholstered.  It came from someone's house, I've put a temporary cover on it that's lasted ten years more or less so it's really time that I did what I set out to do.  I'll wait for the spring and can put it in the back of the Beast to take it over to the man to save pick up and delivery costs and even provide the material that I want it recovered in.  He or his wife only have to do the work.

I split a few logs to help some of the larger ones to stay lit sooner and longer and should have plenty to manage for the next month or so and maybe even longer.  I only ordered two tons this year, last year I had three with some left over so I suppose if you even it out, I will have used two and a half each year.  I made a phone call to the UK to wish someone a happy birthday and check that Moonpig had delivered and it had and after that, tuna sandwiches that are now sitting heavy, I was piggy and ate the whole contents of the tin.  I've had a lovely long bath, clean pyjamas and clean bed to get in to, nine my time and I shan't be too long before I shuffle off to the bedroom with my Kindle.  Nothing on the agenda so far for tomorrow, I'm still recuperating and coming down from the excitement of having a big birthday with the family over.  LN...On to the next decade.....lots of paperwork to sort out this year......LN

Monday 23rd February

Very lazy day, fed the birds this morning, it was a cold dull morning and I thought they needed it but most of them were quite inactive.  Eventually most of the smaller birds made use of the heap of brown seeded bread and they did it fair justice.  I did put my nose out to go to the woodstore to fill up one of the containers but even so I didn't spend long over that.  I  did manage to chop some of the larger logs into wood that would catch quickly, some of them are so dense that they seem to take ages to get going and end up smouldering, which is no use at all when you want it to catch and warm the house via the radiators.    I also chopped some of the builders offcuts that I found in a box, it's very dry, very effective and useful when the fire just won't go.

I settled on the sofa late morning and put on Prime and settled down to watch a series.  It was a new one to me, I watched a few episodes, left to make lunch and Prime decided that there was no one watching it and I'd missed the reminder since I was in the kitchen.  I tried to find it again and unlike Netflix, Prime doesn't automatically go back to the program you were just watching, I searched for it but could only remember half of the name so the end of that one will remain a mystery to me...but I did find another one and watched all of it so that there's no danger of me missing the end.

I made beans on toast around two three this afternoon and that will see me through until tomorrow.  It's been a 'picky' day, Toblerone this morning and biscuits this afternoon and I'll not be needing anything sensible, maybe a few more biscuits with a hot drink before bedtime.  Not much to photograph today either, house to mountain fog for most of the day, a lack of birds because of the weather and I was too lazy to go out searching.  LN.....Fingers crossed for better weather tomorrow, if it's colder let's have snow, cold and grim I don't do......LN

Tuesday 24th February

Last night I just couldn't get the house warm, the fire wouldn't get any whoomph into it, the flames were none existent and I was cold so this morning it was drastic measures.  At seven thirty I was taking the woodburner pipes out, putting them outside and cleaning them, cleaning the woodburner itself, removing the ash from the inside of anywhere that ash would collect and had fun putting them back again. Eventually it was assembled, I tidied up outside, was just hoovering up inside when there was a knock on one of the stairwell windows and so I turned off the hoover and went to the door.  

It was almost like an assault, there were four vans belonging to my internet company outside the gate, lot of men hanging around, they had arrived to give me cable so I was no longer reliant on the antenna and we were working out the best way to do it.  The pick up point for the old system was attached to the outside of my bedroom and I thought they would have to have access to the roof space and the main man that did the original installation was looking for access to the loft.  I realised that that the best option was to route the cable along the side of the house, under the eaves of the balcony in the guest room and down the wall at floor level just one hole.  Firstly he tried to get the drill through at the top but it was impossible and after my suggestion, it was a piece of cake.  I replaced the wooden ceiling slats, there was so much insulation up there that he gave up on that so I finished the job with my trusty Bulgarian hammer and I suddenly remembered that I had a loft ladder stored up there that had never been installed.  May be it's time that it was, another phone call to Bekir is on the cards I reckon.  Off they went on to the next location, I offered keys to Avatar's house if they wanted to do that one but I was advised that they'd stopped payment while they were in Germany and once they were over here and paying, the men would come back and make the connection.

I lit the fire to see if it was any better and it was.  There was an awful lot of rain came down but now it seems to have dried the chimney out again and the radiators are hot and heat has been restored.  I made my way to the woodstore and chopped a few more logs to keep in reserve for when the fire needs that boost, padding round the bigger logs keeps the home fire burning.  I'd not managed breakfast for myself, I'd fed the birds and the cat so now I was on the look-out and realised that I'd given the last of the bread to the birds so settled for two jacket potatoes, had half a can of beans and that was served up as a late brunch and kept me going until I attacked the Toblerone that was sitting on the back of the sofa....it was just too handy.  I didn't manage it all but I put some effort into it.

As for the rest of the afternoon, I searched Prime and came up with the Handmaid's tale, I'd read the book ages ago and forgotten the story and it's not as I remember it.  I thought it took place in sixteen hundreds but perhaps it's been moved on a couple of centuries to make it more modern.  I've just put another log on and the pump has kicked it and flames are showing in the burner where last night there was nothing, only dull embers....today's work was not in vain.

It's been dry today, the temperature in the house is up to twenty degrees and outside up to nearly nine degrees and it's February.  I think we are in for a pretty poor March, so far this year we have had no real snow to speak of or frosts, no minus seventeen's as in previous years. LN.......Looks like I might have to go the the UK to get my winter according to the Internet threats.......LN

Wednesday 25th February

Slept well, woke up at five after a realistic dream and thought I wouldn't get back to sleep again but I did until seven thirty.  I lit the fire from last night's ashes and kept it ticking over for most of the day, it's been another cold one with very strong winds.  I haven't been very proactive today at all, I chased off the ginger and white cat, black cat was sitting on the bench but put it's nose in the air and ignored the food that I'd put out for it so I threw it on the grass, something would see it off.  

I did the normal chores, no visitors today and thank goodness, I haven't felt very much like entertaining and being entertained so the television went on around twelve and I'm now wondering why I'm still watching Handmaiden's Tale.  It was a long drawn out start to it and now it seems like a long slow summing up and there appears to be lots more series and episodes.  I don't thing that I shall be following it for long....it's so different from the book and it should be advertised as 'loosely' following the book by the author.

I'd put the pork into the slow cooker last night and added curry powder, left it cooking for a couple of hours or so, into the fridge overnight and back up to temperature this morning and that was a late lunch, early afternoon curry special but unfortunately the pork didn't soften up at all.  It's probably going for the cat tomorrow.  I need to go shopping, the bread is finished. eggs are almost out and so is the mayo so a trip into Djebel is on the cards for tomorrow.  Firstly though a trip to the cash point and then on Friday back to the bank to satisfy its needs on paperwork but this time I shall be going in to see the bank manager who used to work in Momchilgrad and has replaced the one that has been seeing to my account for over ten years.

Bath and early bedtime, not more viewing, it would be too much like hard work to find something else to watch.  Tomorrow I shall sort out with my ex-student why my access to our Netflix accoundt isn't working.  LN....I hear the back calling me....LN

Thursday 26th February

It's been a funny old day.  Sun on the mountains this morning heading towards a very thick cloud slick and then the sun was gone and it was this afternoon before it dodged the clouds and became obvious in the blue sky.  The temperature did get up to four degrees but there was no heat in the sun.  As for me I was trying to search for a piece of paper this morning, I'd put it somewhere safe and for the life of me I still haven't managed to find it.  I did intend going in to Djebel, I'm still without bread but that plan didn't materialise and I do need to get to the cash point but it would be better with my Bulgarian card so today I carried on filling in the form, trying to dot the 'i's and cross the 't's.  Not an easy task when there are so many options.  I did managed to find the business card of the ex-manager of UBB in Momchilgrad so I'm going to make an effort to see her and see if she can facilitate the transaction...at least she has a basic command of English, intelligence and a need to help people.  Some of the other tellers don't have those attributes.  I'm also going to try to contact the tax office tomorrow to see if a Tin Number is really essential since there are no outside transactions going through my account will UBB, I only use it for paying bills, it's savings and nothing is going into it only out.

I've kept the home-fires burning well today and the house is repaying me in maintaining a comfortable temperature now that evening has turned into night.  The fairy lights in the yard must have found some solar energy, they're really bright tonight and do make the place very homely and welcoming.  Supper was two giant fish fingers cooked in the air fryer and desert was biscuits that I managed to find in the 'goodie' box and that's certainly not as stocked as it was when my daughter and SIL were here.  That's something else to go on the list for tomorrow.  LN......Sunrise and sunset were the main focus of the day....fingers crossed for good weather tomorrow if I'm out and about.....LN

Friday 27th February

Thank goodness we're almost to the end of February.  For me it's been a very busy month, lots of birthdays, a big one for me and it's left me feeling in the doldrums.  Winter has been a let down with very little snow to speak of, lots of rain, some of the old people having houses collapse around them because they have had no protection on the outside of the buildings.  Perhaps winter will come in March, just when the daffodils appear in the garden along with the hyacinths.  Snowdrops have come and mostly gone, winter flowering jasmine has been exquisite this year and mine is still going strong.  I checked out the garden this morning and I have lots of different weeds showing probably because I had 'manure' delivered and spread it around the flowerbeds very thickly, I shall suffer for that, there will be lots to clear before I start spring planting for the summer.

It's been a 'crisp' day, temperatures overnight at minus one degree getting up to around three during the day and the fire has been going all day.  It's up to twenty one degrees in the stairwell this evening after a combination of sun and fire and the windows in the stairwell magnify the sun's rays to get the house up to this temperature.  I haven't done a lot today.  I must have eaten something last night that caused my lips to swell up again and so I was taking anti-histamine/ allergic reaction tablets and they were very slow to kick in and get me back to normal again.  I couldn't go anywhere because of what I call my trout-pout and it's very reminiscent of the poster girls after too much Botox. Mine is free but just an inconvenience for a day or so.

I could really have done with a trip to the woodstore but I haven't really put my nose outside the door except to throw some food out for the birds and anything else that wanted it.  I really need to go to the cashpoint for euros and the supermarket but that can wait until tomorrow....there's nothing too pressing and I shan't starve. LN.... Now back to the fire and Prime....it's kept me company for most of the day....LN

Saturday 28th February

Last legs of the month and it's really been digging it's heels in.....cold all day, bleak wind and when I went out to get the wood in, my fingers were really cold and I had hot aches when I went back inside.  It took me back to when I was a girl and would come in from the cold and I never really understood why grownups called it 'hot aches' in your fingers when the cold caused it.  I suppose I've never thought much about it until this morning....I really should find out the correct name for it.

I didn't bother with breakfast and probably should have done.  I got the fire going and today has been a day of writing up the instruction manual for when I move over and let my children have the house.  There's so much to think about, the original documents have to be photocopied for a second record, there are utility companies that need to be included, banks both here and in the UK.  So much of the last eighteen years has been of my doing and it's trying to get everything in order so that they know where to find things, pay things, stop some services, like hosting, internet and phone contracts.  This is beginning to sound glum....maybe it's the cold that's got through to my brain.

The sun did eventually find it's way out but it didn't really heat things up.  I had a visit today from my egg lady with my friend who 'wants bits of everything from the garden' to grown in hers.  She knocked on the window as I was coming down the stairs, I went to the door and unlocked it and was surprised when the egg lady was with her and hadn't ordered any from her and she gave me two eggs.  I must have looked surprised too, she said that she owed them to me since she hadn't given me any change when I'd bought the last lot from her.  I had forgotten all about it, obviously she hadn't so I thanked her, I was on a call to the UK at the time so couldn't invite them in but must phone her tomorrow.  Now it's back to the sofa, the fire and the television and a hot bath before bedtime.  LN....I'm finding out that old bones feel the cold more than young ones do......LN