Vines, Voda & Voice

And so my health returns…..well, mostly.  Still a wee bit breathless if I get my ambitions mixed up with my capabilities, but definitely improving by the hour.  And I’ve got my voice back.  Even deeper than before, so now everyone will think I’m a bloke, but at least it’s back.  And now that I’m not being soused in Rakia every night, I’ve been able to get some clean linen on my bed and wash all the alcohol soaked clothing.  I’m convinced the reason I was sleeping so long and deep after my alcohol rubs was because I was absorbing so much through my skin…..I was probably pissed every night  🙂

Christina has been keeping a very close eye on me and if she springs me without my house socky things on and warm enough clothes on my body, she’s giving me a right dressing down.  Yesterday I was cleaning the house for my guests and was absolutely boiling hot, so had removed my fleece and put sandals on. Well, Christina popped over to check on me, noted what I had on and proceeded to give me a thorough ticking off.  I explained that I was working hard…showed her the mop and the vacumn cleaner…showed her my sweaty brow….and that I was very hot indeed and promised to re-wrap myself as soon as I had stopped work.  She gave me a very jaundiced look, made a few tutting sounds and departed.

Today, the weather is absolutley beautiful. Warm and filled with sunshine…God, it’s so good for body and soul.

I’ve got young Tio and his mate, Krassie (sic) here pruning back the nightmare that is my trees, grapevines and roses.  They’re working like the men possessed and have made huge inroads into the garden… the place is looking terribly bare at the moment where they’ve already been, but Tio assures me that everything will grow back with gusto and the place will be looking good for summer.  A lot of the grapevines are in very poor condition, so I’ve told them to rip out the bad ones and I’ll get some replacements.

Tomorrow I’m taking Christina into Yambol for a medical appointment (at last I get to do something for her) and Krassie is coming to the markets with me while I’m in town to help me buy more grapevines and fruit trees. He seems to be a font of knowledge on what’s good and what’s bad and I’m always happy to take advice from anyone who can help me here.

And speaking of Christina…she just sprang me without socks on …again….and proceeded to regale Tio & Krassie with tales of my recent illness and berate me, through them about the fact that I wouldn’t rug up warm enough. 

Tio’s response…. ‘My grandmother does this all the time…if she sees me without socks on, I get into trouble’

I asked Tio to explain to her that I was still cleaning the house and was very warm….that received a very dismissive shrug from Christina….Ooops.

Also had a visit this morning from a young fella about solar hot water. I’m still exploring the possibility of affording it. I’ve heard that when they shut down the Nuclear power plants, which is due to happen in the near future, electricity costs are going to double so solar is something I really need to make sure I can afford. 

Electricity is already quite expensive here and if I have a houseful of people using hot water, the costs could get out of hand.

His quote was far better than the first one I got and this guy’s up front about all the costs, not telling me one thing and then presenting a quote that’s outrageous, as the last company did.  Even so, it’s going to be a squeeze and may mean the fourth floor never gets done…….try and publish my diary and hope that someone buys it ? Sell my soul to Satan perhaps ?  I did think of other money raising ideas, but not sure what I was thinking about would be legal here  🙂

Later on: the lads have finished and the place is looking as bare as a new born babies bum.   

I’ll just wait for everything to start sprouting….fingers crossed.  Both these guys have degrees in agriculture and they’re both Bulgarian, so I’m hugely optimistic that they know exactly what they’re talking about and the place will be looking much better in about a month. I’ve got a mountain of offcuts so now I just need an excuse for a huge bonfire. They both took a look at my sorely damaged indoors plants…you know, the ones that froze inside the house last month….not a lot of optimism there I’m afraid. Advice from both is that I chuck ‘em and start again….and that could include the lime tree…….BOO !!

The wind’s sprung up and there’s doors and windows slamming all over the house.  I’d best away and secure the place before things start smashing.

Until next time

Dovsihdane

(a much healthier)  mercer