Phew Preserving Season, Loving Living in Bulgaria,

I apologise for the lateness of catching up with my blogs, life sometimes has to be put on hold, just to catch up with oneself.

It is really hot here now, with beautiful days intermingled with huge storms.  The best is when the day is just gorgeous with a late storm but sadly this is not always the case. Hey no complaints from me as it is a huge relief buy the time the storm arrives as my head is normally about to explode from the pressure build up.
I somehow have lost my fear of being alone in a storm, but two of my dogs are petrified, this means I end up with dogs all over me for protection.
Monday morning just before 7am they were all awoken by a huge exploding thunder clap. WOW it was huge and shook the house along with everything in it. All 4 dogs and 2 puppies shot in the air and ran the length of the room wondering what happened. Yes I did laugh!
It was a real hoolie of a storm with a few more explosions some normal claps and lots of loud rolling thunder.

Bulgaria is very beautiful right now with amazing wild flowers that I have not seen before, a myriad of colours everywhere. What is tantalising are the greenery of what will be the majestic sun flowers, fields as far as the eye can see, soooo looking forward to that. With the amount of heat and rain we have had they should be the best for 4 years. The air smells heavenly from the perfume of the Linden trees, beautiful. So right now going out and about in Bulgaria is just wonderful, gush gush :-)

Talking of the weather, well I am English ;-)  I have a feeling we will have a normal harsh winter this year. About time as the last 4 have been amazing. This both fills me with dread and a joy. We have suffered less than great summers, these last couple of years. They have been very wet with major flooding and loss of life and home, we need to get back to what is balanced and that means a harsh winter with a fantastic spring, hot summer, warm autumn.
I dread it only for having to get the wood in as well as being able to buy enough, oh and not getting frozen pipes. Other than that I look forward to it.

I have been blessed with another baby granddaughter since last blogging. She is identical to her sister in looks, a real beautiful chunky girl. her name is Lillia, so I now have 5 gorgeous granddaughters, I feel so blessed but sad to not be with them. To know I am missing out on cuddling my two gorgeous babies is very emotional but I look forward very much to at least seeing soon.

So workaway-ers are booked in for July and August, there will be some help with the grounds and painting, looking forward to that! Love to socialise and it doesn't happen much now. My fault as I am just not into hosting lots of meals right now, I will get my Mojo back though.

Preserving season is upon me, I missed the strawberries sadly, but have managed to get plenty of cherry conserve and jams made this week, next is Apricots then I will be inundated with plums, the small kind. White and red, delicious. I am also reddening up some chillies to make sweet chilli sauce.
I miss not growing them this year, it is just too much with everything else sadly, so my garden is empty of produce this year, other than the fruit trees :-)

Financially I am overwhelmed with the worry of not being able to pay bills and getting services cut off, BUT I am plodding on and trying to sell items to help me get on top of things. SO much to worry about but I am in the right place and absolutely love this country. The dogs have food which is the most important and hopefully the pups will all be gone soon which will lighten the load, I do love them though and it has been a privilege to have them in my life

Summer is Almost Over, Autumn is Coming

Wow where did that time go? I feel like I missed the summer this year and it was a doozie. Sunshine tropical heat, some amazing storms and no pool to enjoy it. I would like you to see the face I pull over this but I don't think it's possible to convey.

I am going to attempt a catch up over these months, in all aspects of my life (I hear you groan) and then see if we can get back on track being a good blogger.

Well a lovely summer was had this year, the first proper behaving Spring/Summer for four years. I guess this means a proper winter too? Autumn is popping it's head out every now and then just to remind me of the bleakness ahead. To say I am dreading winter this year is an understatement but it has to be done. Plod through one day at a time.


I have managed to sell one of the cars I was given as part of the separation. Hardly anything as there is so much needs doing to it but enough (hopefully) to buy the wood needed and pay for chopping/stacking etc, all the stuff that goes along with buying wood. Let me explain.....
So off to the mayor I will go to order the wood and pay up front. This gets me a truck full of however many cubics I want, in tree form. This is then dumped outside my gates in the road so no one can get past, they then get annoyed and abusive! So if say I get 10 cubics of tree's I am then meant to be able to move this by myself to the barn. I am 5'tall 56 unfit and overweight, it just is not going to happen!
So I have to find people to move it for me, then someone to chainsaw it into smaller lumps then someone to chop it for the woodburner as well as stack it (hopefully).  All this costs money on top of the wood costs. I will need at least 10 cubic and have just been told this month it is now 60 lev per cube. So I thank God that after all this time I have a buyer for the Kia.

Oh for a man in winter! Getting the wood in every day is the single most soul destroying thing. Having a dodgy back it gets a lot of damage at this time of year. I was very fortunate last year as Marko (Venelin) brought my wood in for me and anyway the wood store was right next to the kitchen so it was not too far to carry it in.  This year I hope to get a load stacked outside my front door under cover of the balcony. This will be enough to last a while, then I would ask someone to bring the next lot up etc. This will save me breaking my back and also falling in the snow as the barn is a long way from the house.

The other worry as winter sneaks up is winterising the other house and getting some of the furniture out.  I am concerned about damp getting to the sofas as there will be no heating in there. I also need to get the Omega over here I really need to get this sold, Fingers crossed!!!!

I have just gone outside for a wee, my downstairs loo is just outside the kitchen, I have to pop outside to go into the toilet until I can get that part built in. Anyway I went out and it is dark, the solar lights are flashing and the garden is bathed in moon light. I just thought I can't believe I am doing this, I am living here all on my own and loving it still almost 7 years on. My life may not be what I wanted, I may miss my family too much BUT I am living in a beautiful house with 2000m2 land of peace and tranquillity and I am managing all on my own!  Sometimes you just have to take a step back and look at what life is, not what is was or what it should be, to appreciate all that there is to be thankful for.

So being the women we are my friend and I were working 6 - 8 hour days getting her kennels ready to open with a deadline looming. That was hard work in 40c heat out of the sun. By the afternoon we were in full sun! All good fun and it was ready for the deadline.

The day of the deadline was also in a week that we had to run around every day sourcing, buying and shopping for a wedding  reception. We had the whole reception to organise. Flowers, food, decorations for the buffet room as well as garden decorations and the drinks. We had a week to do the lot. I have to say it was really hard work as the temperatures were really high and cooking everything for the buffet was murder but we did it and I was really proud of fulfilling the remit. The reception was another matter and completely exhausting but all the guests came to congratulate us on the food and we had massive approval from the Bulgarians who said they had never had food anywhere near as fantastic, very proud moment!
Unfortunately we were too busy to take photos so only have 3 not very good ones.

 Two tables chocker block with food, both sides of the cake

I feel very accomplished this year, even if I have nothing to show for it, that is no matter the feeling of pride in what I have achieved, however small, is amazing especially when my confidence and whole being has taken a smashing. I feel like I am  starting to find me again

I had a order for a little girls birthday cake. It was for the cost of ingredients and to see if they can fix my pump. I love doing this it feels good to be able to get help for payment in kind. At the moment I am cooking a curry for a couple of guys who are going to clean my chimneys and chainsaw the wood I have in the barn. They are very kind to help out.

In August a friend, James,  who I had been talking to on messenger for 18 months, came to stay and helped me paint my kitchen along with the shelves. I absolutely love it! It is not finished as I have to paint the doors and decide what to do with the kitchen units. Do I paint them cream or pastel green to match the shelving???? I was ecstatic to find a satin wood paint in the green, so I may take the plunge Every time I look in Praktiker there seems to be more and more. When I first moved here there was almost nothing, even food was difficult. Now don't get me wrong I do not buy "English" food unless it is for things like Indian spices or baking ingredients. This is rare.
Right I digress, so the next step is to decorate the living area, I think I will wait though till after winter so it will be nice and fresh in spring. I will keep it the same colour-ish as I love the Asian feel of it

My lovely girl Lilly, who is as soft as a brush but very protective of her home and family kept getting out. She can be quite scary when she barks and I had a neighbour round threatening to shoot her. I had tried everything to stop her but the fence is compromised and without money I cannot fix it. I decided after trying every other way that until I can fix the fence she will have to be tethered while in the garden. Now I know a lot of people do this with their big dogs but I never have, so it was a big decission but one I had to take to keep her safe and stop Lilly from scaring the neighbours.  I am happy to report she is quite happy and in fact has no problem with it. She does not try to escape, will wait for me to put the chain on and is in and out as normal. She is a house dog but loves to be in the garden too. She has made a bed in one of the barrels, bless her. She tells me when she wants to go out, when she wants to come in etc. I am really happy with her. can't wait to get her off the chain though!

The little seating area outside the kitchen door has been my little oasis, prettied up with solar lights. Believe it or not I had some beautiful flowering tubs in the summer, that is until my pups and dogs destroyed them by digging them up or sitting in them. I gave up trying to save them in the end. My mantra for the garden every year seems to be "There is always next year" but then the next year never changes much. Now there is no help I despair of ever having a nice relaxing place. I will not let this upset me though as long as I have an area of tranquillity in the sunshine I will love it. Really would love a beautiful garden though!

This has also been a year of boot sales to raise the money to see me through after the bills are paid. It is most difficult trying to earn a living here, who knew that the business we set up and the jobs I got would end with me being left destitute while Nigel has more than plenty. Anyway enough of the negative nelly, I am constantly thinking about what to do, as is my friend. Baked goods seems to be pretty difficult unless I can get my dream Tea room one day. I get such compliments on everything but as we all know food treats and meals to take home are a luxury product and can work out expensive compared to the crap bought from shops. I shall continue with this when I get orders though.
The next project is in the crafty vein.

I have had some really funny times this year which has put laughter back in my soul. Still a bit up and down but lots of fun and dare I say it JOY. Lots of little adventures (that's when things go a bit wrong) hahaha.
Managed to get so terribly lost after a trip to Ruse, which is about an hour or so from me. Coming back took 6 HOURS we left at 9 arrived home 3.15 am! Don't even try asking where we went??????
Loved watching the night of the shooting stars. Oh my goodness the night sky here is amazing, mostly due to little or  no light pollution. So of to the village cheshma we went, (local spring, ice cold spring water constantly running, great for cooling feet off in as well as drinking it as it comes out of the rocks), as no light at all there just blackness in the countryside. It was fantastic, we just didn't know what direction to look they were all around us. Had frogs and other guests with us, which made us jump as well as smile. Oh I love it here sooooo much!
Another time we were great storm chasers. High up in the hills picking wild flowers we could see the storm coming. We picked a spot to stop and watch as the darkness descended, screaming as it hit, then realising that the hail stones hitting us were the least of our problems. We were parked right where the torrent of water was coursing down the hill bringing all the debris with it, washing away our footing and we were liable to be swept over the precipice we were on, yep it was funny but scary too.
Went to the best BBQ, such a laugh, such a good time.  I have a completely new circle of friends, which is really great!

We have had some amazing electrical storms  this year as well as the thunder and lightening kind, love it! If you don't live here yet you are in for a treat, I have never had such wild glorious storms in UK.

So to sum up the present. I am sort of looking forward to winter, not being snowed in for weeks though. Looking forward to the confinement, working on projects, being cosy with my girls, losing weight (yes back on the diet!) and the joy of getting out and about as the weather allows. I have come to like my own company, love being lazy, having time to organise stuff etc.
Fingers crossed it will all go well ;-)

Warming up Nicely, My little Piece of Heaven, Emotions Run Wild.

So as I sit in the sunshine sheltered from the spring breeze, it's hot. I am listening to the bees loud drone, watching them pollinate, marvelling at creation. The first flies of the season with their buzzing looking for what death? Hoping it's not dead rats in the house!
I am sitting looking at a completely dilapidated garden, one I used to work hard at in springs gone by, pruning the grape vines, pulling up the chick weed and the sticky strangulating bind weeds. Oh where to start???? I am looking and with the sun warming my face I am thanking God I am back home, my little piece of heaven, my love, my kushta my dom. This house is God given, meant to be mine (I thought ours), meant to be, No view here but solitude, privacy when I want, a secret garden with my girls. I am very blessed to be here whatever state it is in it is my garden of Eden.

I feel my love of Bulgaria again, it is a wonder, a blessing indeed to hear all the sounds of the countryside, know the people with their unharnessed friendship and support, stumble upon the wildlife. I know Bulgaria is not for everyone but I do wish those who don't like her would move to another country. It's not right to just live here because it is cheap, she should be loved and she will love you back.

The cleaning up is coming along, almost there. I am banking on it being 99% done by Monday with then just finishing touches like re painting, cleaning of chimneys etc the normal spring cleaning processes that a smoke damaged neglected winters will do to a place. I was upset to see the bedroom also needs re painting walls & ceiling but this can wait, as I love that room, it is so cosy. The downstairs is more important as the fire had leaked soot all over the Oak dining table, damaging it forever, I would hazard a guess that this means the chimney needs attention before winter comes again.

I am fortunate to have paint for the downstairs so this will be my project once the garden is under some kind of control.
It is a bit difficult to do gardening with collapsed grape vines, lumps of metal and wire inter tangled with overgrown weeds and rose thorn grown out of control, it is a mess and I need help and a great big bonfire!
I don't mind the work as it is a labour of love, I just wish it wasn't necessary.

I have had amazing answer to prayer meaning I have some little income for small jobs and my immediate future is OK, I think. Not sure about having to pay two lots of electric bills but we will see what happens.

I had a very lovely emotional event at the end of last week with the birth of a granddaughter. What a beauty she is with a shock of black hair. Absolutely gorgeous!!!!  Then a horrid fall into being an emotional wreck for a few days due to my situation, some of which I best not make public due to saving for the courts.

Having a "next stage" again I think. Horrid but I am at least recognising what they are, and it will be another layer of the sadness cleansed.
Good friends are vital when this happens as they pull me out of what could be a spiral. So due to that I am feeling stronger again today as I don't have to face this all on my own!  Last thing I want to do, last thing I want to cope with but unfortunately I have no other recourse to get my life sorted. Love, whatever happened to that????

Ending on a high note
I love walking around my village on sunny days with my Sophie. She wanders by my side or a little in front, exploring who has been before. She is my loyal devoted protector but I never feel threatened or worried about living here alone. I find Bulgaria to be safe, much safer than UK. I have lived in 3 villages other than this with no dogs, just me on my own and never felt worried.

Things are getting easier and my head is becoming freer.

Moving Day, Photo Blog

Well the day is finally here where I move back to my first love in Bulgaria, my original home. Don't get me wrong I love this house, I have put every penny I had into it, had to borrow some from family after I was flooded. I love what I have done with it and feel sad that I may never be able to finish it. BUT this house just isn't ME, I have never felt at home here the way I do when I open the gate in my HOME. It was one of those situations where we had come to the village and I fell in love with it as soon as I was welcomed through the gate I just knew this was my home, I hadn't even seen inside the house so had no idea as to it's condition.

 Cutting down my beloved vines, all destroyed, sooooo sad

 The garden reached 4' before I could afford to get it brushcut

 Living area sorted but needs a complete paint job

 Cooking a bit like camping

I have spent the last month or so trying to get it back into liveable condition and I am there. Still loads to do but I can live in it as it is being sorted out.
The worst now is the garden, no idea how on earth I will get it into a workable state but so much has already been done so it is a matter of plodding on weather permitting.
The vines that were grown up over metal pergolas were broken beyond repair. The metal was twisted and broken the vines sawn through (gutting) which killed off pretty much all of the vine.
The metal has been removed all the metal wire too has been cut free and the vines removed or pruned back where possible. I think there is only 2 vines saved from the two pergolas. I am so thankful to my friend Maureen doing the main work on this, she worked so hard on it. Marko came to move furniture for me and Maureen had brought her grinder round to saw through the thick metal posts but it was so heavy we think it would have been impossible for us to hold it up in the air to saw, there is just no replacement for men and their strength.
I do have another 50 vines to sort out but they are in rows and not overhead. Malko po malko (little by little).

Living On A Shoestring, Amazing Answer To Prayer, Come On Summer

Well my last post caused a little controversy.
First made me angry then tickled me, because some people just want to be nasty for the sake of it.
This is my story, I do not lie, I do not make things look better or worse. It is what it is, good bad and most of the time indifferent. I have many witnesses to what I say so it is not just my word!
It is a diary for me, a note book of how life can be in Bulgaria and especially for people to learn from my mistakes.
I am who I am, I change with time, for the good and sometimes for the bad but then back to the good, I hope. I am a good person with a good heart. I am giving and help others but normally keep this to myself as I see this philosophy as life and how it should be!!!!
For instance many people (thank you) have been praying for me and the situation. I have seen amazing answer to prayer. a couple of people have provided me with dog food, thank you so very much and I have struck a deal with someone to exchange a cake a week for a bag of dog food, so I am so much lighter in my step to know that my dogs are OK for food :-)  I feel so much better for being able to exchange something for something, like in the old days. I said I would not take money or borrow off people, but for my dogs help with the food has been such a blessing!!!!!
Life to me is about just that, doing things for your friends, family, neighbours. Helping each other out, what a wonderful way to live.  I will make sure I pay this forward to my village families and friends just as soon as I can.

It seems to me that some people think when life throws a curve ball that we are less as a person, that in poverty we are low life and they not being in that position are superior. Hmmmm I have always had a problem with people that think like that, heartless is just one word but ignorant is the best. Life is not always fair to any of us but for many more it is downright desperate. Education is to be grasped, if possible, for some though this is not to be. Having a good education does not make a person better than those that are uneducated just makes them privileged.
I wish I had grabbed my education with all I had but I hated school. I did though have a head on my shoulders and managed to get really good jobs. I then went to college when I was a mother of teenage kids. Meeting my second husband put a stop to me going to University as I moved to the Midlands to be with him. Now it is too late for me but just because I do not have a university degree does not make me stupid, far from it.

So I am intelligent enough too do my own detective work :-)

Funny thing, I have been included in a book on living on a shoestring. It is about what it says LOL, but for people living in Bulgaria etc.
I did try to get a link to put on here but I am not technically minded, as soon as I work it out I will do it. It is by a travel expert.  Funny because now I am really living on much less, but sunshine is around the corner.

Talking of sunshine, come on sun, where are you????? Get away from that normally wet and grey country we call England and get back here where you belong!
I am cold it has been wet, damp, grey and blooming miserable. I now have man flu, really just a bad head cold. Throat, head, eyes, neck, back etc. Only a few sneezes, a bit of coughing so I am in bed resting, hence these blogs. It seems to be doing the rounds so glad to get it out of the way so I can get stuck into all the mess that needs sorting and also catch a bit od vitamin D while having coffee breaks!  Oh let alone sorting seeds. Have to say I am a fair weather gardener so always late in this type of weather. Still there is still a lot to be planted and still time.

I have been having trouble with my Kamina/Fire. Just haven't any good wood left so it has been a struggle to get it going let alone keep it alight!  Marko popped in this morning saw my lack of wood and no fire with me in bed ill and told me off good and proper! I really thank God for him, such a good friend. He chopped wood and built me a roaring fire. I am now lovely and warm :-) :-) :-) Even the pup's are sleeping in front of it on the sheepskin, sweet

Mummy is on the bed with me, having a well earned rest

Living on Thin Air, Well 70 Stotinky = 25p

I think I can safety say this is going to be the most challenging part of my life, by far!

I had to gain entry to my house which is shared with my husband, due to him not allowing me access or a key for two years.
I still had my personal belongings there, along with some household items. It seemed that asking over and over and even arranging to collect a furniture item, fitting in with his timing, was not possible. After arranging a horse, cart and muscle he was not there.
After this I then found out he was not living there at all, he is living with his girlfriend, he just came to the house 2 nights a week to feed the 3 dogs, which were left out in all weathers. I knew then I needed to act
I tried to ask questions about the dogs etc but my emails would be ignored.  So I eventually had to take the bull by the horns and get into the property.  I checked it out with the Solicitor and yes I was within the law to do this.

What I found was just astonishing! Filth, rat infestation, damage, broken toilets, broken sinks, burst pipes, rubbish piled up, just astonishing and too much to list!  The dogs were starved not just of food but of socialisation and affection, Minishka hyperventilated when she saw I was going, so so so sad!

So I have taken over the house again and have found good homes for Minishka & Lidle as I felt I could not cope with feeding 6 dogs.
My punishment for (restricting his access, OMG really!!!!) is to stop my money and leave me with nothing and no way to feed the dogs, all 6 of them.
I am not completely destitute just yet as I have enough food for me for a week or so and some liver for the dogs for a few days. So my faith in God is that something will come along, as I know he is involved in my life.  I may lose the electric, and even be cut off from all communication but I have good friends who care about me so I am not completely alone.
Unfortunately my family are not in a position to help me and why should they, I am 56 years old and should not have to rely on family, mum or kids at my age!!!!!

Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing, but could I have ever seen this person inside the wonderful man I fell head over heels in love with? I don't think so! I put him on a pedestal as someone all men should aspire to be as did my mum, my family loved him and were so proud of who his was. I am still devastated but it is like layers now, like shedding skin,.I will have a bad week really cry and feel completely ripped apart, then I will be OK again, see him for who he is now, then another bad time but maybe just a day or two. So it goes on.
In my heart my husband has died and I am grieving losing him, I don't know this man that has taken his place.

I know there are people who know what I am feeling and have gone through it but others just can't understand. I loved my husband deep in my soul and trusted him completely, even when inside in my spirit I really knew he was having an affair, I guess I chose to ignored it, tried to pretend I was wrong, even though things were bad. The signs were classic, what an idiot love makes us!!!!

So I am in Bulgaria, in a little village high up in the hills no money, a bit of food, internet and phone for a month LOL  I have had offers from people to lend me money but I cannot accept as I have no idea if/when I can ever pay it back and to be honest once bitten twice shy!!!!
I will rely on God and see what happens, faith you know can move mountains!

Trying to stay positive. Good thing, that no one can take away, is summer is coming and it will soon be warm, I can sit in my garden and smile :-) I love living in Bulgaria, all I have to do now is sell this new house to live off the money while renovating the original house.

I have contacted a really great solicitor who is also a barrister so court it is, not what I wanted at all. Why is it when I have done nothing wrong and want to settle things amicably it is impossible? When does "Nothing is too good for my woman" become I will see her suffer and starve? I still just don/t understand. I suppose I will always love him, the man I loved, unless by the grace of God I meet my true soul mate (not holding my breath here, as I believed I had). Life can be so sad.

So the up side to life is, because there is always an upside if we look ;-)
The house I have been renovating is sort of finished, just some finishing and painting to do, I know I can't do this but I think if I price it and take this into account. Also rent to buy may make it sell quicker and give me a monthly income to live on, please God.
Lots of plans for business but again, no money means this may be on hold for a bit.
I can be and feel optimistic, as I am not sitting in the dark with no food, life, as I said, will be very interesting and very challenging.

Pups are almost 5 weeks old now and bloody beautiful. I will miss them when they go to their homes in a few weeks time.  I won't miss negotiating the wee wee that Lulu has missed, clearing it up or treading in it. They have a full mouth of teeth, run, jump, fight, play and love loads of cuddles, love them so much!
Lulu is a bit fed up now as they really have hurt her and her teats are so sore. She still feeds them a little a few times a day but they are on solid food now. I pour boiling water onto dried dog food and mash it down. I would post photos but the internet is having problems, not enough punch the last couple of days, soon I promise.

I would like to wish you all a happy Easter whether it has just gone or you like us are about to celebrate it this weekend. Never forget the true meaning even if your faith is different to mine it still represents love. Love one another, your neighbour, friends as well as your family, be they blood or chosen. Love you ex new or old and love yourself. If only we loved more, how much better would this world be to live in.

xxxxx

PS
Gizza job ;-)

Plan Z, Chillyness, Future Planning

Poor Marko ( Venelin) he is doing a sterling job on tiling the shower room, but doesn't get aesthetics! I have cream tiles with two panels of coffee coloured as an accent. The shower will run down the centre of one panel and the second is on the opposite wall. Unfortunately he laid them off centre, I tried to cope with it, but just can't.  So I will have to buy another box ( I am 3 tiles short) and we will add another tile to the panel, this I will be able to cope with.  Blame it on a house with no straight walls or edges. I am smiling as I type, as Marko says plan Z.
It is looking fabulous though, so much better than before and worth waiting a year for. Mind you, had I known I had female friends who could tile I would have given the job to them. People tell friends when you are good at something, we all need a little help here!

It is not finished yet but here are some interim photo's.

This was the shower when I moved in

I am looking forward to it being finished and feeling like mine.

The hallway and loo has stopped for a bit due to needing to change some pipes and add a stopcock. All done now so work will resume soon, I think he is also swapping around a bit to stop being bored as he is working alone again.

So in amongst all the work in the house, sleeping and living in one room, pregnant dog worries, and all that this entails I have a major concern for later in the year when I will literally be abandoned financially!
There is no work in Bulgaria and to be able to live, like in any country, I need a certain amount of money every month to pay bills and eat.
The plans I had for a business have gone out of the window due to needing finances to make this possible.
To say I am stressed is an understatement LOL. I am tired all the time tend to fall asleep early and wake at stupid o'morning (this is how stress affects me)
So what are my choices? Well seeing as I have no home in UK, no right to help financially or even to use NHS, no money for a deposit on a bedsit etc and no where I can live in the interim, my choice is here or nowhere.
Very worrying so I am on the look out for an online job. A real one not spamming sales, pyramid sales, etc. Not so easy. The competition is huge with so many people wanting to do this type of work. So if any of you know of internet based jobs please drop me a line! I need a minimum of £50 per week but preferably £100 a week so I can live a bit of life too, but as they say beggars can't be choosers!

This years winter weather is so far removed from normality it is amazing. We have had a couple of cold snaps but nothing Arctic as yet. I have not been cold at all in my winter living quarters, so all the earlier work was well worth the effort and money.
Preparation is the key here. This can be difficult when it is your first or second winter after moving here. If you are moving over, listen to what your neighbours and new friends tell you. Preparation of your house will make all the difference. It is romantic when you are here with a partner as you have each other but living on your todd, freezing half to death in a dreary, draughty, ice inside of your windows and no inside loo house is no fun! I was like that last year in this house, due to not realising it was in such bad repair, and my friend has it this year. Thank God she has a good wood burner. The worst bit for me now is having to go upstairs for a shower but using a electric heater heats the shower room up enough.

I do love photo's of snow though, so here is a reminder.

So the snow has just gone and we have beautiful sunshine, blue skies but pretty cold weather. Nice to see the sun though, doesn't it make us all feel so much better! Fingers and toes crossed for it to continue in this vein for the next few weeks then Spring will be here and all will be right with the world.

Today it is really warm in the sun. Happy, happy, happy. Today is also a scone baking day. White Chocolate scones, Sultana scones and Vanilla scones.

What a Difference!

I last posted photo's of the next stage of the renovations. So that day while I wrote my post, fiddled and faffed around Marko really got on with it. He was on his own for the first half of the day but then went off coming back an hour later with help. Here are photo's of the before and after, What a difference a little makes.....

 Waste water pipe from bathroom through the ceiling, along with all the other water pipes

 Gone

 Unsightly brick wall and electrical wiring.

 Gone

 Old wood window and waste pipe

 Gone. New double glazed small window installed

I am over the moon with the change even though there is still a lot to do.

The thing I am not looking forward to is all the painting that is ahead of me, especially all the doors. Walls no problem but woodwork and doors urghgrrr! Still I count myself very fortunate to have my own place and I am no longer wasting money on rentals.

Happy, happy