here there and Bulgaria

 So... what did you do with your feeding trough today?

Here we burned some rubbish... Feeding troughs are certainly multifunctional... especially one has no livestock to feed. 

Different building challenges..

 So we had something for dinner that was just like boerewors rolls... excepting it was not boerewors and neither were there rolls...

 Enroute to the market in Sevlievo on Good Friday... which just so happened to fall a week later than when we were expecting

Had to try the other fireplace as the wood burning stove went to its owner...

 Tulips - extremely interesting blooms

 Testing the strength of his handywork

 bathroom plumbing emerging in the kitchen? go figga!

 Temporary lounge cum kitchen cum.... yeah, Come lounge, come kitchen!

New friends!

Pizza Bulgarian style! One is obliged to douse pizza with ketchup and mayo here.... it's just the way it's done! Then when one gets to South African soil... one wonders why one did it!

 The village after a rainshower and now a rainbow... aw.

Steel being strapped to the tried and tested roofrack!

my Boys!

 Well it would seem we are not the only ones who approve of our present home...

This is the cat who has decided to adopt us while we are here, she is extremely verbal and even more affectionate.

 This week held some more Firsts for me: I took a local bus from Dryanovo to Gostilitsa. It was tough trying to find out where the bustop actually was as there are no markings in neither Bulgarian or English... you either know where it is or you ask. Well it wasn't long before I found myself cocooned in a rattling affair surrounded by old men with watery eyes, smelling of woodsmoke and whiskey careening down the road back to the place I know. Then, our British neighbours who had been out on their holidays were returning to their home in Yorkshire and so she gave me all her 'leftover' from her fridge.... now you do recall , we have no fridge, right? Anyhooo, with new ingredients that needed using and a roaring fire in the woodstove.... I BAKED A SOMETHING BULGARIAN.

 As much as we are experiencing an absolute plethora of changes.... some things are as constant as the fish in the sea...

 Electrical adjustments and improvements happening at night. We are so grateful that we have a longlead heaving itself across the street all the way into our kitchen! Thank you Krasi and Iva for your generosity.

We would've been in a somewhat different emotional state without the blessings your electricity brings with it.

 It was a little cold to be sitting outside of an evening... so my clever boys have brought our lounge into the kitchen.... Abu Kote' approves.

 even though its cold outside... that does not stop a treat from the Lidle Store in Veliko Tarnovo... icecream travelled 40 minutes and waited for the chairs to be strung before being enjoyed.

 Things are starting to move towards projects that need  doing... it's getting easier to think that way when one has the tools to be able to accomplish them...

 Slacking off on a Sunday afternoon, what am I going to do with him?

 No matter what tools are bought, made or yearned for... TEETH still come in handy! In fact, my suggestion was dump the purchasing of expensive tools and just do all the work with TEETH.  Needless to say that was one of my 'not so well received' suggestions...erm.

 This is what five cubic meters of firewood looks like!

and this is what two wonderfully hardworking men look like!

...times and ... measures

We are truly experiencing interesting times. Weather is topsy turvy, it actually snowed yesterday! And yes of course we were feeling the cold! But we are eternally grateful for the woodburning stove that is in The House. Snow capped mountains in the distance certainly bring home the realization that we are not in Sunny South Africa!

The sky dawned clear and blue this morning but the air was certainly chilly.... and we were all trussed up when we boarded the great big yellow van to go into "town" today. Erm... the white one died a rather sudden and unexpected death while carroussing about in the then still rain.... which later turned into wet white blobs falling from the sky that is...

 What an absolute treat to have capless internet at a fraction of the cost we pay at home at a speed that even I notice the difference!
Having some hiccups with banking and paying the debit orders to the respective missionaries... but thanks to dear friends on the same banking system, we are able to get around this little stone... yes that does mean, I will be making contact with the bank fella in SA and attempt to sort out the hiccup.

Cooked some meat this evening for dinner... cannot be sure what it was due to language limitations, but Jordan said, "I don't know what part of which beast it was, but gee it was good, Mom" so... nuff said.
And... We now are no longer in desparate need to open up the windows when I start the fire... small sense of achievement here.

And even managed to give Mister a breakfast in bed!( no coughing and spluttering aiming outside for the cold but fresh breathable air!)

out with the old and in with the NEW!

'THEY' say that you can tell whena girl writes by the anount of exclamation marks that punctuate her sentences!!! it's true... I AM A GIRL! With much to exclaim about!
heating water over a fire outside to drag to the 'bathroom' - is now a thing of the past!
Cooking on a woodstove... also a thing of the past!
Filling the kettle...you guessed it... A THING OF THE PAST!
Bathing from a bucket/makeshift shower doodah... a thing of the past!
Being cut off from the world... woo hoo!! ANOTHER THING OF THE PAST!
!!!!!LOTS TO EXCLAIM ABOUT!!!!!
Nowifonlymyspacebarwasnotathingofthepast!!!

The House

 Getting ready for bath time... find and chop firewood, make fire under pot... take out and water with bucket and syphon water through shower rose.... erm - and Shower!

 Dinner.... is tricky! But Pioneers have taught us well! And now we just need to see how the oven side works, and do some baking.... NOT! oh... note to self, the top of the woodstove is NOT A SURFACE TO PUT DOWN PLASTIC CUPS!

 My hunter-gatherers doing their thing and gathering wood! They are so good!

 A little something pretty... They were courting  it is Spring here after all...

 

 After a long day of hard work, a little rest in my chair goes down just fine!

Rickety wheelbarrow ... such a blessing! in fact we have been so blessed repeatedly as there are usable tools here. Sure they might look slightly different to what we are used to, but they work none the less!

So until we have connection these postings might continue to be a little sporadic. 

We are working our coms mostly from our mobile phones.

moving right along...

 Just a short walk from The House...Gostilitsa, then take a look at the "Guest House " sign below, and not that the Stambolov Guest House, can you see Gosti? House of Guests.

 Well.... we have bought some beds! And bedding. And... a kettle, now for the electricity connection and we could probably manage some tea!

 Looking for cars is a little trickier than browsing the internet, one also needs to see past the white dust...

Well ... previously when we were here, we were unable to see our neighbours at all, as there was too much greenery. Well winter has certainly changed all that.

 At least now we are able to really see how much work is needed...

 A last puddle of frozen snow!

The view from our room...

Breakfast at Tiffany's... not!

The staple meal of the breakfast table... olives, cucumber, sausage , hard boiled eggs and bread.
This is what we have each morning. We have our own kettle and all the goodies to build a cup of tea to accompany the meal.
The hostel also provides a 'pasta service' each evening. Which, of course, translated means they serve pasta each evening. Though to be honest, its not something we look forward to and rather prefer the local fare elswhere for our dinner.

Talking Turkey

 The skies are blue, the air is fresh... no, rather the air is a cool 7 degrees Cel during the 'heat' of the day and I cannot read the signs...

 Plans are being made and money spent in obtaining tickets to Bulgaria from Istanbul, where it turns out we will be crossing the border at a 'cool' Three AM and changing over from bus to train at that stage. Interesting travel times...

 I am fine with looking at the water and eyeing the seagulls but rather hesitant t get my feet wet. We are quite happy to join in with the fashion statements here being jackets and gloves. Ears get cold so when we go out tomorrow we will be taking our beanies along!

 Pretty lights in Taksim

The passage to "Home" scary huh?

She hangs her head in shame.....

Its been quiet for a while it's true to be sure
So much going on, including manure
Though good stuff abounds and things get done
Shortage of time though, is making us run.

Geysers are popping and drains going bust
builders are building, always covered in dust
Fences are ticking and sparks sometimes fly
Things keep breaking and we're wondering why?

Look on the bright side she says to JP
if its on the blink now, then you will see
you fix it and mend it so that when we are gone
nothing will will break because its already done.

So back to the kitchen and off she goes
Prepares food for 20 new missions heroes
She says that in faith and believes it is true
Mapping Point is here again... where are you?

A WORLD --ASS AFRICAN CITY

Leopard crawling and exhausted after what seems to be an endless 27 month battle with City of Jo’burg Billing Department, our family can no longer continue. Since November 2009 we have been pushed from one incompetent employee to some or other inadequate department head. On the receiving end of countless, pointless reference numbers which amount to absolutely nothing apart from, being handed some more. Inane suggestions from uninformed minions as how we should simply pay up to solve the problem have come our way in abundance. Well, as volunteer workers, our budget simply cannot accommodate an exorbitant bill of what now stands at a whopping R150 000.00! In November 2009 our water bill shot from an average of R350.00 per month to what we believed at that point was an astounding R33000.00.
We have driven from one office to another where the ‘powers that be’ have little or no understanding or ability to rectify their mistake, countless telephone calls, change in systems, training for said system changes and a mass action strike have been but a few obstacles to overcome. We have submitted photographs our meter, handed over billing records and anything else that has been required of us. We have been pleasant, understanding even friendly, passing the time of day with City of Jo’burg officials in the helpless hope of getting the attention needed to get things sorted. We are now regular recipients of threatening text messages to pay the outstanding monies, where initially we were advised not to pay anything until it was corrected. The outstanding bill is nearly equal to what we paid for our property initially and the cost on our family’s well being and health has been beyond that. Who would be able to cope with a staggering bill like this hanging over their heads like the Sword of Damocles? We desperately need for someone to step forward and truly help us here. (Either that or a personal trainer who specialises in endurance training).
To City of Jo’burg Billing department: Our invoice is being billed for a meter which is located over the road from ours. Yes, before you make the suggestion again, we have checked and ascertained which is our meter. Now, with a few strokes on your system’s keyboard, you should be able to change the details on your incomplete records, one does not need to be a space engineer to do this.