the quiet before the buzz

so I haven't blogged for nearly a week... well, we
should have enjoyed the peace and quiet instead of being worried about it...
As soon as Alan'd sent an enquiry about the lack of bookings, we got two set
of them in a couple of hours, so we'll have some adventureous oz hostel
guests from tomorrow, followed by more of the same; as well as sms, Eira and Cuilian,
who kindly decided to visit us as originally planned, in half-term; they are sitting in Pecs waiting for their bus to Ujpetre, as we speak... I'm cooking rice pudding with lots of fruit, I expect a very late supper...
Alan is diligently waiting for them in Ujpetre, in the Dark Dog...
Another goat kid found a good home, where a whole family from great-gran to
great-grand little boy are adoring it. So Cleo is treated as a pet, she is.
Otherwise it was work, work, work, Alan was collecting hay - the all village seem to want him to have some of theirs, as well as our own, the Canadian wwoofers, Liam and Breagh, expected the day after Lois, will be very welcome...
I was making cheese - the flour/water mix coating seems to work so far, if not particularily pretty... hm, picture... next time, I cannot be bothered now...
was processing sorrel and spinach. gave 2 English lessons, and looked at my still
horrid looking toe worriedly.
Also, Alan's allergy was kept in line for the last 3 weeks, he was taking
an anti-fungus tablet (I mistakenly thought they were allergy tablets left from last year...) anyway, with Nivea cream and frequent cold wash-downs, there was a little reddening and itching of the eye-lid, nothing else... and since Thursday, he has been actually taking the right tablet...

workday monday

got some more of Nora s early cherries, I must have eaten a kilo...
(with permission!) One of the billies were bought and taken away today by curly
Jozsi, for a good life with a nanny goat. Bit more room in the goat-house,
those little goats are gettting quite big really... that was Nigel, Alan is pleased it wont get the chop, it is the one without the horn, the clever, friendly one he says; he was certainly smart enough to take the move calmly, leaving in the arms of the proud new owner. My student, Anasztazia failed to materialise today, i think she has problem with mondays, even in the afternoon, same happened last week. She came on friday, and we did quite a lot getting ready for those end-of-the-year exams. No hostel bookings, even thought they re usually come when the internet is down; and it was down for 24 hours.
I am using loads more semmi-colons; I read an article that they are protected... people are nut using them enough!!

departures, quiet

nothing much to report as such. Lovely slow sunday.
Processed a portion of spinach,
today s English lesson cancelled; Jen and Evan left yesterday,
and probably having a great time in Budapest. Here s the picture of the lovely
sign they made for us. It s overcast and warm but not too hot, I might do some weeding peas or something like that. Or I might not. We watched the cup final yesterday, this
digi telly is proving to be a good investment - it cost us with the fixing of all parabolas and areals cca 10K and we have now two decoder satellite setup as well as
more than 5 decent land channels. Roll on the winter...
I still cannot work out how the apostroph works on this blogger editor, never mind.
And worried about the world of Berlusconi, Brown, Bush... looks so dismal today...
I don t feel like going to Naples this year with the girls, Italy and Naples somehow
doesn t seem inviting anymore. Should stay home to make enough cheese to last for bad times to come...

toe view

yes, I'm lazing about with raised foot while Alan is labouring
hard... he spent all day bringing in hay with the toyota,
every hour rinsed his face, put on cream, and he's been taking his allergy tablet
for about 5 days. So far so good. And he is looking after me besides all this,
and shouts at me if I move from the couch. Pictures show couch views, as well as some of the stuff made earlier.
Yesterday's laser operation of ingrown nail went ok, got a taxi home, can't put any weight on foot for two days and have to keep foot raised and have to change bandages every night, so it is a bloody pain, but it is not actually hurting.

busy busy

Yes, it is haymaking, weeding, more planting. We have tons of lettuces, sorrel, spinach, reddish...
wwoofers Jen and Evan are lovely and doing tons of work, including making that roadsign that Szabi promised and never delivered... I put it on blog when ready. It is Jens creation, just as the sandwich she is pictured with...
I have horrid in-grown toenail again, Im going to a private laser treatment that allegedly will make the nail grow thinner which somehow solves the problem for the future. I am a bit worried, the last operation (dental) that was not provided by the national health here but was strongly recommended by the specialist doctor, was a painful and totally useless fiasco. Ill get them to explain to me carefully what is involved... I might just go back to the clinic and get the usual chop-it-all-out deal...

may days

the wwoofers Jen and Evan arrived - yesterday late, and as they are extremely polite
people, they decided not to disturb us - and slept rough under the Kiskassa bridge,
they said it was great... I spotted them on my way back from the shop this morning,
and couldn't figure out which bus they could have been on... anyway, thay are over their first goat-mucking-out, first midday meal and afternoon wedding. This one was done all here, in the mayor office and in the church. With lots of sweetbread and wine for bystanders... Now there is some serious hay-making while I'm messing printing out some photos for Marika, so you might as well see Ilonka neni with greatgrandkid... We had a pleasant evening at Pali's and Erika's in Pecs last night. Nice food, lots of noisy discussions mostly involving grande business schemes
and the terrible state of the world, with very drinkable wine, which will be supplied to us in the future, by the 10liters, hopefully.

the crowds nearly gone

Yes we had full house with 7 guests for 2 days! We still have a czech father and daughter, who came to a tennis tournament in Pecs, and asked if they can stay longer if she gets into the finals - and yes, she got in, and they are staying. The german-pakistani family with the three beautiful daughters also stayed an extra day, and looked at some houses with the view of buying in the village.
Otherwise spring is going on, we have loads of lettuces, sorrel, and the spinach is doing ok. Just as well, as we are expecting vegetarian wwoofers from the US tomorrow.
The cheese making is struggling for harder cheeses - they turn green outside.
I should read up further in that book Alan says, improvising won't work at this point... but we'll need a cool place to hang them eventually, Alan thinks the cellar is cold enough.

Lois will love this... cheesemaking technologies....

... separation, press, and hanging... if anyone has better ideas without all
them specialist expensive, not-accessable cheesemaking tools... let us hear it...
so far so good, all of them been nice
and not even one little tummy upset. My favourit is the creamcheese.
Prefer it to bear!
I didn't want to let Alan know that Clover was limping a bit for a couple
of days, but all it is, long nails that need cutting, when he's back.
And Cattoo disappeared for a couple of days - but reappears now every morning at about 11 looking extremely full of food. I think somebody is trying to sweaten her away from us, but then that's my conspiracy-making. The guests - a couple with 3 beautiful girls 3 - 14 are very impressed (so far) with our living stock...
I continued with my dropping glassware on stone-floor - very annoying, what's going on?? My last backcherry jam, I nearly cried... but have a few of Magdi's yet - but they are not as nice as mine (were) honest.
The helping milking crew insist coming in some onearthly hours such as 05:30 still,
as all these long-weekend days are market days. Never mind, only two more mornings
all being equal... I rather would get on with it myself, but they insist, as they are coming anyways to feed Anna's multitudes.

majális pictures 2

for rest see previous post. Note that two may-trees at a house means two unmarried maidens therein...

majális picture show 1

the picture with the church and the may-tree looks rather good
if I say so... there are a big pot babgulyás cooking with Marika, a small
traditional fare, all before the judging - Margit already sniffed all
the participant couldrons. I walked back, as I wasn't in party mood and clouds are a-gathering...