Babies, builders, burning sun & bloody fab veges

Bulgaria 22/05  

Sue Mercer – baby furniture….not words I ever thought I’d see in the same sentence, but then again, there’s been many a thing I didn’t expect happen to me in this country.  And before you start thinking I’ve gone off and got pregnant, relax…if I was, it would be another immaculate conception.  No, this is just about running a B&B in the wilds of Bulgaria.  I’ve got customers coming with a baby….Eeek…and this means that the Big Hoose needs a cot and a high chair.  I don’t even know where to start…I’ve never bought baby stuff in my life….Help !!!I was in town with Stefka last week and she took me to a couple of baby shops…..Christ, I felt like a fish out of water.  Liked the huge soft toys, but I wasn’t there to buy those, I was there to get proper baby things, but it all got a wee bit too much for me and I left the shop saying I had until July to get them organised. I got the feeling Stefka thought I needed to get a grip, but it was scary in there 🙂I’ve got a couple of guests in the house just now and it’s been very pleasant indeed.  It’s another Scottish couple… this seems to be becoming a habit…and they were sent to me by another Scot. I tell you, the Scots are like Australians…the buggers are everywhere. I do know one thing though, I’m ready to take more customers.  I was a wee bit doubtful following the operation, but I’m feeling like a million dollars and finding that I’m having no difficulty managing….so bring ‘em on, I say.

The weather has been spectacular, very warm…hot, in fact and the garden is looking a treat.  I’ve got zillions of carrots, lettuces and shallots coming up so it’ll be thinning time very soon.   No sign of the chillies, and they’de best get a move on.  I’m running out of sweet chilli sauce and am going to have a crack at making my own ….Ah yes, the domestic goddess is stirring. I never got my apricot tree in as I got sick and never got it into the ground.  I was  in today, and saw three huge apricot trees, so I’ve asked permission to go get the fruit when it ripens so I can get the years apricot jam done as well.  Let’s hope I can remember how to make it.

Another failure with the cucumber though…not sure if it’s something to do with the corner of the garden I’m planting them in. The pumpkin, which is living next door to the cucumber, is thriving…..the cucumber is as dead as a doornail….  Ne razbiram.

I’m going to give it another go.  There’s plenty of plants still available at the markets, so I’m going for the largest I can find and I’ll put it in another corner of the garden and see what transpires.

Eleven pea plants have appeared, though I have no idea if they’re snow peas or sugar snap peas…I planted both so lets hope I get some of each.  No sign of any of the flowers though.  I think the chooks might have got the best of those seeds…bastards !!!

And, of course, Ivan and his guys continue to please me daily…..with the building works !!  🙂

Couldn’t resist this pic of Mitko after a hard days sanding… [photopress:Mitko_Sanding.JPG,full,pp_empty] And in true Bulgarian style, as soon as the camera appeared, the rest of ‘em lined up…they do love having their pic taken in this country

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Mitko, Ivan & Stoyan

My voice is returning with gusto…..I still get a bit of a surprise when I hear it sometimes and every now and again a really loud sound bursts forth from me that even gives me a fright.  So I’m not sure what’s happening down there in vocal chord corner, but things do appear to be getting better every day.  I’ve been listening to some old tapes of me on air when I worked for the ABC and I also took a listen to my answer message on my mobile phone.  I just didn’t realise how bad my voice had become.  The difference in it from 1992 to 1998 and then to last year when I recorded my answer message is astounding.  I really didn’t remember what I sounded like, but I think the sounds coming from me now are much closer to what I should sound like.

I’ve also now indulged in a couple of glasses of wine and the fab news is, I didn’t want a fag.  I spent the afternoon socialising today and everyone around me was smoking.  Even with a glass of wine in my hand, I never once felt that I wanted to smoke…..isn’t that fantastic !!  🙂 I guess the spectre of throat cancer does that to you…….

Got to be up early to get my guests breakfasted and into Yambol tomorrow, so for now I must say Leka Nosht

 

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