Blogging hasn't happened since May 2012, as most of our family and friends have been following our progress on Facebook but we've recently had requests for updates from friends who don't use social networking sites.   This post  is intended as a quick bring up to date and then I will try to make time to update on a semi regular basis.

We have now been living and thriving in Bulgaria for 21 months, during which time we've made mistakes (not many and none serious), learnt new skills, found new inner strengths and laughed a lot.

Friends and family have visited, some loving it and planning return trips, others we'll have to visit in order to see again.

The house is still not fully renovated which can cause stress at times, but then I remember hearing of people who have completed the renovations quickly only to be dissatisfied with room layout, or more seriously location.    We considered 4 possible rooms as the bathroom before we decided on it's final location 

We removed 30 bags of mud flooring before installing a wood floor

 

 

 

 

Another view from bath, bookcase made by one of our volunteers

Back of bathroom door, painted by my sister and nephew

  

Most of the house windows, there are a lot, have been stripped back to bare wood and repainted.  

 Rewiring is being done in stages with separate distribution boards covering each area as done.    Bulgarian electrics are 'interesting'.   On the good side we no longer get electric shocks off appliances.

We have had 2 successful growing seasons and our cellar is now looking well stocked with preserved produce.    The freezer is well stocked with animals we have reared and slaughtered - yes we kill and butcher ourselves.   Currently we have 2 sheep, 7 rabbits, 6 chickens, 1 goose and 7 cats, although these numbers fluctuate depending on births and our requirement for meat.

Garden - as was

The coming year will see new techniques tried in the garden (assorted raised beds) and hopefully the garden terraced with flat paths and wide steps - I have slipped and fallen a few times on the slopes.

This will be the base for the pool.  Off the picture you have garden to left, fodder field to right

The vines are being removed and new vines established in the bottom corner of garden as they attract too many stinging insects, for me to be comfortable - although we were impressed with A & E when I got stung last year.


No doubt in future posts I will make reference to things I should have mentioned here and you'll be thinking WTF but you'll just have to ask, if it doesn't make sense.

Love and Laughter to all who read.  xx