Mark Jervis
@jervism.bsky.social
Writer/teacher.
Website:
http://www.markjervis.com
Sofia Drabbles:
https://sofiadrabbles.blogspot.com/?m=0
Bulgarian Village Garden:
https://bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/?m=1
Website:
http://www.markjervis.com
Sofia Drabbles:
https://sofiadrabbles.blogspot.com/?m=0
Bulgarian Village Garden:
https://bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/?m=1
It's got a snout, whiskers, & a piebald coat. The other animals in the collection are a blue raccoon, a green owl, a pink mouse, & a yellow cat.
It's clearly a dog.
Wife: insect.
It's clearly a dog.
Wife: insect.
November 1, 2025 at 6:10 PM
It's got a snout, whiskers, & a piebald coat. The other animals in the collection are a blue raccoon, a green owl, a pink mouse, & a yellow cat.
It's clearly a dog.
Wife: insect.
It's clearly a dog.
Wife: insect.
At a work training day, we were given 5 mins to come up with a list of 5 things that bring us joy. Here's mine:
1. Sunday mornings between feeds
2. Boys' walks exploring the neighbourhood
3. Guinness after gardening
4. Making & eating gouveche
5. Autumn gloaming walks in the village
1. Sunday mornings between feeds
2. Boys' walks exploring the neighbourhood
3. Guinness after gardening
4. Making & eating gouveche
5. Autumn gloaming walks in the village
October 22, 2025 at 10:49 AM
At a work training day, we were given 5 mins to come up with a list of 5 things that bring us joy. Here's mine:
1. Sunday mornings between feeds
2. Boys' walks exploring the neighbourhood
3. Guinness after gardening
4. Making & eating gouveche
5. Autumn gloaming walks in the village
1. Sunday mornings between feeds
2. Boys' walks exploring the neighbourhood
3. Guinness after gardening
4. Making & eating gouveche
5. Autumn gloaming walks in the village
We're seeing 'Billionaire's Bunker' through to its/our bitter end & my wife has a theory: it's been written by AI.
October 9, 2025 at 1:09 PM
We're seeing 'Billionaire's Bunker' through to its/our bitter end & my wife has a theory: it's been written by AI.
The grumpiness & trouble sleeping are kind of worth it for the range of new expressions that come when the tooth eventually breaks through.
#Teething
#Teething
September 5, 2025 at 3:21 PM
The grumpiness & trouble sleeping are kind of worth it for the range of new expressions that come when the tooth eventually breaks through.
#Teething
#Teething
At least once a year, entire districts of Sofia will be without any hot water for at least a fortnight - I'm sure it's the same in all capital cities of EU member states. This year, my district's fortnight aligns perfectly with the start of the school year & my son's top 2 front teeth coming through
September 2, 2025 at 9:16 PM
At least once a year, entire districts of Sofia will be without any hot water for at least a fortnight - I'm sure it's the same in all capital cities of EU member states. This year, my district's fortnight aligns perfectly with the start of the school year & my son's top 2 front teeth coming through
Me: I've been quite lucky as it sounds like the Rotherham matches I've missed have been crap anyway.
Wife: That's not luck, that's just ALL Rotherham matches.
Wife: That's not luck, that's just ALL Rotherham matches.
August 30, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Me: I've been quite lucky as it sounds like the Rotherham matches I've missed have been crap anyway.
Wife: That's not luck, that's just ALL Rotherham matches.
Wife: That's not luck, that's just ALL Rotherham matches.
In a cloud of house martins
August 29, 2025 at 8:06 AM
In a cloud of house martins
New mower - the fourth. Electric again. The extension cable is a pain but at least you know what you're getting.
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/08/new-...
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/08/new-...
New Mower (4th)
- New bird: Gray Heron - Storks still here - Little Owl active at night - New mower: Gardena Power Max 32/1200 G2 (electric) - Mowed lawn - ...
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com
August 3, 2025 at 8:44 PM
New mower - the fourth. Electric again. The extension cable is a pain but at least you know what you're getting.
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/08/new-...
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/08/new-...
Village stork on the neighbour's chimney
July 18, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Village stork on the neighbour's chimney
After a bit of work, the roses are coming back to life.
July 17, 2025 at 5:58 PM
After a bit of work, the roses are coming back to life.
Lawn area up to date but spent about 2 hours trying to bodge a repair to the broken drip-pipe junction when I could have found an easy fix if I'd spent a bit more time farting around with the app.
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/fun-...
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/fun-...
Fun with Plumb
- Swept yard - Delosperma gone - Primroses gone - Attempted to fix junction 3 drip-pipe - Trimmed, pruned & tied lawn roses - Trimmed, prune...
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com
July 16, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Lawn area up to date but spent about 2 hours trying to bodge a repair to the broken drip-pipe junction when I could have found an easy fix if I'd spent a bit more time farting around with the app.
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/fun-...
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/fun-...
I really like hearing the sound of children playing in the village. It's a lovely reminder that we're on summer holidays & I don't have to teach again until September.
July 14, 2025 at 11:03 AM
I really like hearing the sound of children playing in the village. It's a lovely reminder that we're on summer holidays & I don't have to teach again until September.
Sick of raking. It feels a bit like clearing the table after somebody else's meal.
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/raki...
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/raki...
Raking Progress
- New bird: European Bee-eater - Raked rest of lawn - Big, unidentified burrow in middle - Carnations gone - Tested watering system
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com
July 7, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Sick of raking. It feels a bit like clearing the table after somebody else's meal.
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/raki...
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/raki...
I can live with the dash & I kinda like 'happycooks' as one word, but the picture... Either Bulgaria is more liberal towards LGBTQ issues than I gave them credit for, or the illustrator hasn't thought through what a mommy lion looks like.
July 5, 2025 at 2:03 PM
I can live with the dash & I kinda like 'happycooks' as one word, but the picture... Either Bulgaria is more liberal towards LGBTQ issues than I gave them credit for, or the illustrator hasn't thought through what a mommy lion looks like.
Cheated & got a guy in to cut most of the foliage back. There's still an incredible amount if work to do though - this is just a fraction of one bit.
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/star...
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/star...
Start of the start: top of lawn
- New bird: Golden Oriole - Got a guy in to cut everything back. He did: - the wildside - the lawn - the veggie patch - the herb gar...
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com
July 4, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Cheated & got a guy in to cut most of the foliage back. There's still an incredible amount if work to do though - this is just a fraction of one bit.
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/star...
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/star...
Yes, the garden is a shitshow but, if it's a choice between that and sorting it out in the time I could be otherwise spending with the Boy, that isn't really a choice at all.
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/bugg...
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/bugg...
Back to the start
- Everything completely overrun after 2 months away - Orange Day Lilies out - Yukka flowers out - Begonia ressurected - New bird: Syrian Woo...
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com
July 2, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Yes, the garden is a shitshow but, if it's a choice between that and sorting it out in the time I could be otherwise spending with the Boy, that isn't really a choice at all.
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/bugg...
#BulgarianVillageGarden
bulgarianvillagegarden.blogspot.com/2025/07/bugg...
Reposted by Mark Jervis
“All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”
On Orwell's birthday, artist Ralph Steadman's magnificent illustrations for the 50th anniversary edition of Animal Farm www.themarginalian.org/2014/04/25/a...
On Orwell's birthday, artist Ralph Steadman's magnificent illustrations for the 50th anniversary edition of Animal Farm www.themarginalian.org/2014/04/25/a...
George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” Illustrated by Ralph Steadman
“I do not wish to comment on the work; if it does not speak for itself, it is a failure.”
www.themarginalian.org
June 25, 2025 at 5:07 PM
“All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”
On Orwell's birthday, artist Ralph Steadman's magnificent illustrations for the 50th anniversary edition of Animal Farm www.themarginalian.org/2014/04/25/a...
On Orwell's birthday, artist Ralph Steadman's magnificent illustrations for the 50th anniversary edition of Animal Farm www.themarginalian.org/2014/04/25/a...
It's this part of the year when the actual teaching part of my job as a teacher gets in the way of the paperwork & the grading.
June 13, 2025 at 11:30 AM
It's this part of the year when the actual teaching part of my job as a teacher gets in the way of the paperwork & the grading.
First trip to the mall with The Boy. He behaved impeccably: patient, calm & smiley - much better than the people there, in fact. Especially...
1/4
1/4
June 11, 2025 at 8:35 PM
First trip to the mall with The Boy. He behaved impeccably: patient, calm & smiley - much better than the people there, in fact. Especially...
1/4
1/4
A team is tasked to research a specific topic & make recommendations to a manager who will analyse them & make further recommendations based on the results.
1/10
1/10
June 5, 2025 at 9:00 AM
A team is tasked to research a specific topic & make recommendations to a manager who will analyse them & make further recommendations based on the results.
1/10
1/10
More student feedback, this time in the form of a picture. I think it's me with George Orwell next to a crying baby who I assume, is my son. I'm saying: 'George, don't you think they should shut their face?' and George is replying: 'Absolutely, Napoleon'.
May 29, 2025 at 12:57 PM
More student feedback, this time in the form of a picture. I think it's me with George Orwell next to a crying baby who I assume, is my son. I'm saying: 'George, don't you think they should shut their face?' and George is replying: 'Absolutely, Napoleon'.
I remember watching The Chart Show on a Saturday morning in what must have been about 1991. It was a week when they were doing the Indie countdown & I was amazed to see the actress who played Laura Palmer in 'Twin Peaks' in the video for 'Funny How' by Airhead.
1/6
1/6
May 28, 2025 at 1:26 PM
I remember watching The Chart Show on a Saturday morning in what must have been about 1991. It was a week when they were doing the Indie countdown & I was amazed to see the actress who played Laura Palmer in 'Twin Peaks' in the video for 'Funny How' by Airhead.
1/6
1/6
Although we probably shouldn't have eaten it in front of him, the look of abject longing made it taste bitter.
May 26, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Although we probably shouldn't have eaten it in front of him, the look of abject longing made it taste bitter.
Is this monkey creepy? My wife says no, I say definitely yes.
May 17, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Is this monkey creepy? My wife says no, I say definitely yes.