Day to day musings of a cat minder/ sitter in North Tyneside and Newcastle upon Tyne . For details of services go to http://www.catminders.biz

Welcome to CatMinders

Welcome to CatMinders


Tuesday, 18 December 2007

Images of Barcelona







Reality?

I'm not sure what reality is yet ?
I get back from Barcelona on Sunday and I'm still reeling . Cardiogirl has admitted herself to a psychiatric ward and Guilty Secret has left Baddie . Bead Lady has posted some pictures of some great silver jewellry . My sister is at my house and Alice and the cats and the guinea pigs all seem thrilled to see us . It being that odd pre Christmas time though there 's an odd feeling everywhere that I can't quite get my head around and I'm not sure its my brain fighting on a daily basis to stave off migraines ( and largely succeeding ) .
Today is the exception though its nowhere near as bad as it would have been pre Topamax and I still mamange to do the wor( Day Job) I need to , just not quite at the right times . Since we took the flight last Thursday , when I close my eyes I get wierd images , flickerings in my eyes and the feeling that a migraine is imminent but I manage to stave it off and thats some relief . Last night when I closed my eyes I got huge psychedelic shapes , these are new and strangely scary , and they fade as my eyes open and the darkness recedes . I accustom to them but not to the feeling that something is imminent . I wonder , not for the first time , if I should be driving , but I need to be up the coast this afternoon and it all goes according to plan .

Thursday, 13 December 2007

mental health days ?

By the way , can ayone explain to me what a mental health day is ? I keep reading them on blogs . We dont have them here ( UK ) . It sounds like a day off to take care of your mental health ?

Barcelona !

Its official , we re off to Barcelona tomorrow..... and not only that but I also got tickets to see Elton John in July !Welcome to Casa Camper Hotel Barcelona Last year we went to Barcelona for my birthday but I wasnt well and I had said it would be great to return at some stage , but I hadnt anticipated it happening so soon after our holiday to Menorca , and looking at the temperatures it looks like its going to be a lot warmer than here . I cant wait ... though as yet Ive had a really laid back day and the packing has not even been contemplated yet , though I have done one thing in preparation , changed Nat s bed in case my neice Felicity wants to stay there whilst we are away . Laura is coming to take care of things but doesnt need much preparing for , so I took myself off to town determined not to get embroiled in Christmas shopping and instead to take my time getting some euros and just having a wander , bliss so close to Christmas when it really isnt ok not to be rushing yet its what everyone wants to do ( either that or take off back to bed ) . In the end the air of relaxation was entirely conducive and I did buy two presents ( thats a lot for me ) .
The wish list for Barcelona includes several strolls in Las Ramblas , for Nat its a trip to the Hard Rock Cafe , the Christmas markets were wonderful last year too and Im wondering if we might find Alice some stylish and warm coats and snoods as she is feeling the cold and has been wearing one of my snoods ( mass hysteria sets in here ...... ) as I seem to recall a big pets market in the middle of the city .
Is it time to start packing yet , or shall I put off the evil moment ?

Tuesday, 11 December 2007

This much I know

Its my birthday on Thursday and I know there s a plan afoot . I think its a weekend away plan . This much I know , that Laura is drafted in to stay the weekend and look after things here , that I've been advised to cancel my Christmas night out with work on Friday as we will " definitely not be here " , that we will have time to walk the dog very early on Friday and I won't have to cancel a short notice CatCall I arranged (unwittingly ) earlier this week but which is practically on the dogwalking route anyway , but that then we will be leaving the house early on the Friday . Apart from that I know Nothing .

Its really exciting , also means I feel Inclined to place all Christmas plans on hold , until After the Weekend . Just an excuse I know , but a good one all the same .

Everything went wrong at the weekend just past . I had all sorts planned but none of it worked out , and the worst was D hurting his back and fretting that he may need surgery again .

On a less serious but louder note , as I sat reading other people s blogs on sat am at around 6 30 am , with Alice companionably beside me , the Freebox box exploded but as my head was down at the time , I was unsure where the bang originated from ... I asked her ( as you do ) , what was that Alice , and quick as a flash she stood up , shook herself , trotted over to the tv and pointed with her nose at the box . I walked over and touched the box myself and felt it was hot and as I did so a plume of smoke rose , so I knew she was right . the dog is a genius .

An e mail has just come through to announce that my cousin has had a stroke . I must go to make some calls .
What a wierd post this is turning into .
I should have stuck to reading blogs .

Friday, 7 December 2007

I'm thinking a lot at the minute and that makes it hard for me to write . Its also unusual for me .(Ha!) The canooist story has set me off on a train of thought about what are the universal things we all crave , we all like to ponder on , all enjoy reading about . The canooist story for those of you who who arent in the UK is the story of a local man from the north east who sailed off in his canoo some seven years ago and didnt re appear , was missing , declared dead at an inquest some thirteen months later ( quite a short time as these things usually pan out ) , his wife appears to have cashed in some insurance policies and got on with life , continuining to live and work locally until a few weeks ago when she up and moved to Panama , apparently on a whim after a holiday there , and after a flurry of financial acivity when she sold both of her properties .
Earlier this week her " dead " husband showed up at a police station in London saying " I think I'm missing but I've lost my memory so I'm not sure " . Both of the couple' s sons interestingly also gave up their jobs recently .
And the final twist , a photo of both Mr and Mrs has been found on a website for happy families relocating to Panama , purporting to have been taken last year . Last Year ! When he was still missing ! And his father , and sons , still ( allegedly ) grieving him ? All very wierd .

But the point of my ponderings is the occasional universal attractiveness of the idea of disappearing , to a new life . I guess its the stuff of Holidays . Our plans to go somewhere different , see new things , leave the phones behind , wear different clothes , eat new food , exchange everything in fact ......

And yet , at 5 30 am , as I stand in my kitchen , emptying the dishwasher , I ponder my routines and how much I love " all that " . I love the fact that Alice wakes me at the same time each morning . That I come down just as the heating is kicking into action ( and wonder if BetteJo's heating is working ok now , and recall last Christmas when we had no heat and no hot water and I was ill and off work and ..... ) and the kitchen is warm , and Alice stretches hugely , her long skinny legs straightening and clicking and then she bends forwards and then up again then is ready to face the day and I open the door and let her out and at that point , as the Pigs feel the draught of cold air they squeal in annoyance , which changes to glee as they see me coming with their cereal , and as Alice charges at full blast back up the yard and slides along the kitchen floor once her brakes are on and I'm onto the coffee pot stage , enjoying the aroma of the fresh coffee and the ritual of the machine and the noise it makes and then the tussle to keep Alice out of the cupboard where her food is kept whilst I load up her bowl with biscuits then take the chicken out of the fridge .( greyhounds are so strong when they are determined on getting to their treats ). All on a kind of automatic pilot . And the soooner all this is done the sooner I can sit on the sofa and she next to me and I can read blogs at 5 45 am and she can sigh and enjoy relaxing until her walk .
Peace until the rest of the household awakes .
And the day goes on , and where would I be without my routines , the little things built up that I love , that are this life here, now , that unwittingly I create wherever I am and whatever the circumstances .
So I guess that running away to a new life for any of us , would raise the question for me at least , would would that life be . how different would it be , what would I take with me ?

Tuesday, 4 December 2007

Water bed .....


this great bed and this amazing cat tucked up in the corner where it stays permanently warm .
Ive been free of migraines now for several days , since I started a low dose ( again ) of the topamax and a higher dose of propranolol . Its going fine though my nine pm plus nocturnal commentings are the subject of some family mirth . I go to bed early to read , fall asleep over the book , wake then talk nonsense over anyone who will listen .
Im also very sleepy earlier , so much so thats its hard to keep up with everything I need to do , including the blog , reading blogs etc .
But I will acclimitise .
And its great not to have that awful pain all day every day . At last thats how it was beginning to feel .....

Migraine Days

Migraine Days

Flower and Bee on a Sunday

Flower and Bee on a Sunday

art on a sunday

art on a sunday