http://www.elsapeters.com/mydiary/Blah.pl? http://www.eblah.com en http://www.elsapeters.com/mydiary/Blah.pl?m-1780340352/ http://www.elsapeters.com/mydiary/Blah.pl?m-1780340352/#num1 Monday 1st June

So after the hot spell of the last few days it's broken.  I've felt cold all day and tonight have resorted to putting on a fleece jacket just to sit around the house.  I was awake early, at seven thirty I was making my jungle juice and sat out in the conservatory with a sudoku keeping my hand in and my brain active.  I got bored with that so decided to strip my bed down, change the bedding and get it in the washing machine before the weekly help came for mine host and laid claim on the machine.  Having got the grass down in the back garden, I cleaned the washing line on the circular support, found a few pegs from the bag that's deteriorated with time and got my washing out before the help arrived.  

I heard the knock and let her in and we have built up a relationship since I asked for help to be put in place a year ago.  It was mainly for mine host to have at least someone helping in the house regularly and keeping watch on how he was doing.  In the olden days it was different, neighbours would look after neighbours but not these days.  I popped round to see one set of neighbours just after I arrived to let them know I was here, the comment was that that hadn't seen him around for over a year, there's little community spirit left, people are just too busy.  She got on with her tasks, I got on with mine, she only comes for an hour but seems to do an awful lot.  I made myself a sandwich of cheese and ham for breakfast on my white loaf from the village, sat at the table in the conservatory viewing the garden and contemplating having another effort on it but I just couldn't build up the enthusiasm for another surge.  Having just looked at the statistics on my Fitbit maybe I'm due for another couple of days, lots of steps, cardio above average, sleep targets are below and above so not sure what that's telling me but on the whole, my statistics for the last couple of days are rubbish.

The washing is dried, folded and put away, the other bedding is still out on the whirly gig and I should really go and get it in before the cold and damp get though to it.  I'm also thinking about finding something for supper, I've got the hungry bugs livening up.  LN....Not much achieved but no need, I'm on holiday....LN]]> Mon, 1 Jun 2026 19:59:12 Elsa Peters http://www.elsapeters.com/mydiary/Blah.pl?m-1777741459/ http://www.elsapeters.com/mydiary/Blah.pl?m-1777741459/#num1 Friday 1st May

Well it looks like it was operator error and looks like I am back to posting again.  I think I better write down where I found the button, I shall need it in another thirty one days.

Yesterday was a difficult day and as the days roll on, it becomes more of a challenge to do things that you would do automatically, it was all to do with the system being invaded by unwanted guests.....and 'experts' from hosting and security companies doing there best to confuse this old lady.]]> Sat, 2 May 2026 18:04:19 Elsa Peters http://www.elsapeters.com/mydiary/Blah.pl?m-1775065876/ http://www.elsapeters.com/mydiary/Blah.pl?m-1775065876/#num1 Wednesday 1st April

So no surprises on 1st April, I didn't read of any national April Fool newspaper articles but there again...I don't get British newspapers and don't think Bulgaria has this tradition.  I didn't wake up until seven this morning and it was a welcome change, my first job was to make my morning drink and it was four this afternoon when I had my first cup of coffee....now that's a first.  Again we had a damp start to the day and it never got any better.  There was no sittings of the mountains until late this afternoon and during that time we'd had rain but at last it was drying up.  According to the weather reports, this is supposed to be hanging around for another few days so there won't be any work for me in the garden.

I drove into Djebel at ten, parked up outside the garage shop, I needed to buy firelighters, I'd used the last one yesterday.  I settled for three packets hopping that I shan't need them as we approach the later months....but who can say.  I seem to recall that we had snow and heavy frosts that killed all the blossom on the fruit trees resulting in bad pickings for the locals.  Hopefully this year we seem like we might be avoiding it but the white blossom on the wild plum trees is well and truly out...very picturesque but I didn't have my camera with me.....next time.  I sat with my friend in the garage for a while, her husband appeared for their morning coffee and ciggie so I got on with other things I had to do.  I noticed that the flowers from her indoor garden on her desk were missing, the hyacinths I found out later she had planted at the garage.  First stop for me was coffee shop who sell a bargain pack of large bags strong enough to use as rubbish containers for the kitchen waste.  One hundred bags hang behind the kitchen door and are available as required and they were immediately put into service.  I popped in to see my flower lady but she was at college in Kardjali but I did buy a rose plant from the relative looking after the shop for my friend in the garage, her 'shop garden' needed restocking and this would do the trick.  It is a beautiful yellow rose, full of hope and fresh beginnings to cheer her up.  I delivered it to the shop, she wanted to pay for it, I bought my firelighters and then I left for the supermarket.  I needed bread and basics.

Drove home, unpacked my shopping, lit the fire, had a coffee and cheese and ham sandwiches for a late lunch and then I was asleep for a couple of hours on the sofa which will add to my overnight sleep score registered on the Fitbit.  I threw another log on the fire, turned on Netflix and continued watching 'The Mentalist' which is an enjoyable series and most episodes have and unusual twist.....I recommend it.  

Half eight my time, I had too much 'late lunch' and half a packet of biscuits so won't be needing any thing for supper.  LN.....The mountains came back late this afternoon but will probably be gone morning.....LN]]> Wed, 1 Apr 2026 18:51:16 Elsa Peters http://www.elsapeters.com/mydiary/Blah.pl?m-1772384029/ http://www.elsapeters.com/mydiary/Blah.pl?m-1772384029/#num1 Sunday 1st March

Chestit Baba Marta......Spring is officially here and it's been a very sunny day but the warmest place for me was by the fire.  I was tempted with getting out and weeding the beds but the urge wasn't that great so I've written up my 'House Guide' for my family, all the things that I do on automatic pilot like ordering the wood, knowing when to get the cars serviced etc. and insurance bought, it will help them greatly when they come over to look after me....that's a joke.  It was fun finding out what to do when but it would have helped and saved a lot of frustration if I'd have had a 'go to' guide.  And now they've got one...well almost.  It's handwritten at the moment but will be done properly when I've finished editing it.

It's been quite cathartic in a way, there are lots of documents that I probably should have filed not stuffed in folders out of the way, that's sorted now and my ancestry investigations are in individual folders and ready to be put into charts, especially mine.  It goes back to the sixteen hundreds up to the present day, lot of people in the chart and my hinge-pin that took me ages to find is my relative back to the seventeen hundreds.  It's rather like cracking a vey hard nut and when you've done it, it's probably the sweetest that you'll ever have. He also died in his forties and that was such a shame.  I also have been looking again through the wills that I was able to download and they're fascinating....such a lot of history and it's mine and theirs, without them I wouldn't have been here.  

I was intending to go into Djebel this morning to get money out of the cashpoint but lethargy set in and breakfast was half a can of baked beans but it's home made hamburgers for tonight with my local butchers minced meat.  I only hope it's good, I bought quite a lot of packs....oh dear....I'll let you know.  I did walk the garden and the biggest surprise for me was to see that the oleander pods had all popped so I should really be out tomorrow collecting them and planting a few out to see if they take.  The wisteria ones are still hanging just out of reach so tomorrow I might be up the ladder collecting a few.  I did manage to propagate one from seed last year so I might give a few more a go.  LN....The hunger bugs are beginning to bite, I have hamburgers to make from scratch......LN]]> Sun, 1 Mar 2026 16:53:49 Elsa Peters http://www.elsapeters.com/mydiary/Blah.pl?m-1769965195/ http://www.elsapeters.com/mydiary/Blah.pl?m-1769965195/#num1 Sunday 1st February

What a day, it started to snow last night but it was not very heavy, damp on the ground so nothing was sticking.  It was only just on freezing and when I got up this morning, it was more light very light rain but as the day went on it turned into definite snow and now the garden is covered over and it's still coming down now.

I'm back to my seven thirty starts and that suits me.  I did take the long water bottle to bed last night, not that the fleece sheets ever feel cold to get into and the fleece duvet cover completes the set.  I was a little early going to bed, put the light out once and put it back on again and read Oppenheimer for about twenty minutes until I thought it was about time that I settled again and I did and felt very rested when I woke up.  The fire was just hanging in there and it didn't take long to burst it into life again and the house was on its way to being comfortable.  I made spicy sausage and a couple of fried eggs for breakfast with fried bread, quite a lot of coffee and generally tidied round, I had the egg lady coming round this morning with a new supply and I thought I might have another couple of visitors who were interested to see how central heating worked with the woodburner.

I'd got enough wood in yesterday so thought there was no need to go out there and as I looked out on the garden I noticed that the cover that I put over the garage and the Beast was flapping in the breeze so I wrapped up warm, put gloves on and went out to secure the cover, the elastic had pinged but I managed to get the front of the Beast covered and the breeze blocks put back in place to secure it.  While I was out there I decided I might as well fill up another container of wood and I should be OK for a day or so.

My egg lady arrived, didn't want lev so went back and found euro and paid the lady.  She was trying to give me change which I'd written off so I suggested that she gave me an extra egg next time.  Second visitors came close on the heels of the first, they did the tour, I explained the workings of the central heating and suggested that they look at the maker's website to check what's on offer now, mine was installed around twelve or more years ago.  Another string to his bow is that he's an electrician so since he won't be able to get out of the village tomorrow, he's coming to installed my new under cupboard worktop strip lights and the new fitting for the downstairs toilet.....result.

Very pretty garden with the outside light on, snow still coming down, outside temperature minus one, inside nineteen, time to switch off the computer, close the stairwell curtain and hot up the house.....LN......Very relaxing day......LN]]> Sun, 1 Feb 2026 16:59:55 Elsa Peters