Galia is now making good steps on her road to recovery from her first operation before having to endure another operation in a few weeks. I really to feel for her as she has been in pain throughout the ordeal, sometime you can't see the benefits ahead with this upon you. Reassured, time will see her through and the pain will have been a forgotten history in due course.This weekend, we relaxed in Skalitsa at the farmhouse, we both love it there and if it wasn't so far away from town we would both be living there full-time. It just takes too long and is far too expensive to commute to Yambol and back on a daily basis. I used to do this and know it is not practical, and Bulgaria is all about being practical.
So two days in the Skalitsa farmhouse what did we do?
The answer is quite simply, Galia did nothing, I wouldn't let her. She wanted to cook clean and all the usual things that Bulgarian women are brought up to do. She knew it was wrong right now to exert herself with these chores so she just lay down on the sofa bed and watched television, while I did my English thing of not being able to relax.While Galia was engrossing herself with Bulgarian television, I was drawn to the farm and land, big ideas again on the horizon about what to produce on this fertile land this year, I was almost in a trance as I walked around the grounds planning away. There wasn't much I could do outside right now, the ground was sodden and we all know there will be another major bout of snow and sub-zero temperatures before April, which is when work takes off here. I do have plans to start another blog about managing a farm in April when the new season starts, there will be a lot of work involved, but then who's scared of work? Back to today, there was one chore that could be done right now, that was to prune the fruit trees and a walnut tree that was impinging onto the summer house, so it was cutting and sawing branches for a couple of hours.
When I went back into the farmhouse to check up on Galia, she had dusted, vacuumed and mopped the whole house while my back was turned. I could never be angry with Galia, but just had to accept that not allowing, or trusting in my case, men to do housework is something that has been bred into women here for generations, so why be any different today? Galia also knew that when I did get back in the house after the pruning, I would have been doing these household chores instead of her despite her unwillingness to allow me. Well it was now all done and dusted and Galia was none the worse for it, seemingly. I was now in the house for the remainder of the day and was allowed to cook dinner that evening, something that I haven't done for a while.Having now both completed necessary work inside and outside the farmhouse respectively, we relaxed in our own company. Well actually relaxing with our laptops with no work other than top up the wood burner ever few hours, but that's not a chore that's a pleasure. There is the story about the supermarket chicken this weekend, but that will keep until the next post.
Posted while I was away? Let her do her work. She would not have done so if not capable of doing so. I'm sure many doctors will tell you it would all apart of healing, getting back to your life. Does Galia speak much english? It would be curious to know her thoughts and such. I do love your land. I would be out of Maryland in a heart beat if only I had saved money to move where I could be successful. Your English thrifiness is to be admired. Its bizarre that I could accomplish saving 6 paychecks or at least a few at a time and deposit them at once, and still not have a penny to show...well most of it anyhow. Bah..dwelling on it. None the less, I AM saving now. Damn hill to climb to get anywhere. Anyhow, I would of said most of that in an email.. BTW is it spelled SLiva or SIlva
ReplyDeletemore of my babbling later..take care
Hi Martin,
ReplyDeleteI'm really happy to hear that Galia's making such good progress! Maybe that cleaning was even therapeutic for her--I know it would be for me!
It will be very interesting to read your new blog when you get it going later!
You both take it easy and I'm wishing you both all the best, with continued healing for Galia!
William:
ReplyDeleteWherever you live you need money not just to survive but to have a life. You need even more as an expariate as you don't get all benefits of being a National (even though we are meant to be all equal EU citzens now, which is a catagoric lie!)
My position here is that I have to work to earn money, even being almost totally self-sufficient isn't enough. Life has been very tough financially for as long as I can remember and it certainly is no different here. We live on a day to day basis financially, that all we can do.
Answers to questions:
It is Spelt Sliva (plum)
Galia can speak very little English
I'm glad to hear that Galia is progressing along the path to recovery. I wish her all the best :)
ReplyDeleteAh, I thought Silva tree was unique. Now it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Hello Martin, Glad you got to get out of the city and out to the country side to enjoy some cold ,crisp, fresh air. I think a quick get away from time to time helps us out , body ,spirit,and soul . From the sound of things it did you both a world of good . Love your stories, and to hear you talk about you affection for Galia . Glad she is feeling a little better, and she is still in mine and Ciejay's prayers.
ReplyDeleteBy the way plant some good ole potatoes in the spring good crop , make a little money and not a lot of work .
Malcolm
A bit of house cleaning, hopefully at a gentle pace was possibly the pick up therapy Galia needs right now. After all the effort you've put in lately she is probably now feeling that she's back and able to contribute a little to your strong relationship. Both your morale's must be heading up right now.
ReplyDeleteI like Malcolm's potato idea, is it feasible ?
Good luck in your work search.
Thank you all for your kind and thoughful comments. You cul dhave easliy opened up a can of worms with the idea of growing potatoes and selling them. Funny, but manypeople have that idea when they first come here but what they don't realise is that everyone grow their own, there is no market for them int he village. In the town, the potatoes are grown by villagers who bring them in, the market is flooded throughout the year from home grown produce being sold in towns and cities. Any expatriate that wants to compete against this. We do grow all sorts of fruit and veg here, but for home consumption not for profit. Our home grown food has the same effect as selling it anyway; We profit from the food we eat, we don't have to spend to buy much.
ReplyDeleteCatch you later guys, the woodburner needs tending to...