winterising

Most apartments here in Turkey are not designed for winter living, so I have spent quite a bit of money winterising mine. The one thing this place didn't have was a chimney and getting one installed has not been plain sailing. The first guy we called (a friend of MHTTB) came and gave us a price, he asked us to provide him with some money so the metal welder could get to work on the outside chimney. Not a problem you would think? Sadly, he waltzed off with 500 lire of my money and so far has not returned any of MHTTB's calls. MHTTB is very embarrassed, but for some reason, I'm not surprised, as with anywhere, there is an element of dishonesty. It's taught me a valuable lesson, I no longer hand over money first. He has another friend, Berhat, he now gets all my jobs around the house. He is a carpenter by trade, but is very handy at everything, something MHTTB is not. He's had to replace a support that holds up the balcony roof, water had got in the bottom and rotted. Berhat was the person, who finally got the chimney installed and now we are snug and warm with a log burner

I have a first date in my diary for a visitor. My daughter is arriving on the 13th of April, with one of her friends. I can't wait to see her, it's funny, I used to get excited about coming over to Turkey, now I find myself getting excited about someone else coming instead. I thought all the longing would stop once I got here full time. Of course, there is the bonus of being able to supply her with a list of stuff I need, and it has saved me from getting the remainder of my clothes transported over!! So far I still have Cadburys chocolate in the fridge but that will be long gone by April and luckily they sell huge bars of it in the duty free shop. 

We've had unseasonably warm weather here this January, the other day, we popped down to the beach to do some fishing (Where MHTTB ends up just feeding the fish!) and I was in a blouse and Birkenstocks, the temperature on my phone was telling me 20 degrees. A lot different from the same time last year, when my adventure began. I spent a week with MHTTB to see if we could make a go of things. We rented an apartment up in Ovacik and it was bloody freezing. We had to stay in the smallest room to keep warm, which just happened to be the bedroom, it was so cold I don't think we ever ventured into the kitchen lounge area except to enter the apartment. During the day I had to wear a big coat and waterproof boots!! what a difference a year makes eh? 

Someone has been to see my dad's house. My sister is dealing with the probate so we can't sell it yet, but just the thought that it is going was enough to give me a major melt down. That house has been a constant my whole life. It's always been there. I remember a friend telling me she can no longer go to the street where she grew up as she finds it too upsetting knowing her parents are no longer there. My daughter did ask the guy, that if he buys it, would he show her what he has done to it and he seemed happy to do that. He is a developer, it used to be two flats until my dad bought it, and now it looks as if it could possibly go back to being two flats again if he decides he wants it.