Two birds keeping an eye on things and Iggy , keeping an eye on them .....
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Let me out of here ....
Gem the Border Collie gets so tired of me and Jane talking on the beach whilst Alice tries to steal her ball , that she digs a big hole and when its big enough , gets into it and lies down , complete with ball .
Nat and I are driving to town . Kate Nash comes on the radio and with half an ear as I weave through the traffic , I stare round at Nat as we come to a halt in a snarl up .
"What's she saying there ? " ( aghast look on face )
Nat ( unplugging her ipod ) "What?"
"What is she singing ? "
" I just want your kiss boy " ....." Like .... obviously .... "
I go quiet .
" What did you think she said ? "
" Mm . I thought she said I just smellt your piss boy "
" Mother !"
Radio 4 News announces a two year wait on the NHS for hearing aids .
"What's she saying there ? " ( aghast look on face )
Nat ( unplugging her ipod ) "What?"
"What is she singing ? "
" I just want your kiss boy " ....." Like .... obviously .... "
I go quiet .
" What did you think she said ? "
" Mm . I thought she said I just smellt your piss boy "
" Mother !"
Radio 4 News announces a two year wait on the NHS for hearing aids .
Saturday, 29 December 2007
3 47 am
I fall asleep with half an ear for my neice letting herself in after a nights clubbing . We have left a note stuck to the inner door welcoming her and advising her which bed to sleep in .
At three am D is restless , I realise I too am awake , and we wonder if F has arrived though we think not . On returning from the bathroom I announce proudly to D that I have unplugged the hair straighteners which were stretched as usual across the landing . We are all used to them and step over , but F may not .
Me ( self important ) " Ive unplugged the hair straighteners "
D " Did you do a risk assessment ? "
For some reason this strikes me as incredibly funny and I am awake for some considerable time longer , recalling past episodes when F came to stay and .... I wont go into details ..... a text arrives . I decide it can wait till morning , too late to drag myself from sleep . then I know I have to do the dragging . She may be in need somewhere .
" Sorry , its F I'm sleeping at J s see you tomorrow " . Message timed at 3 47 am .
Phew , thats that then ..... can plug the straighteners back in then !
At three am D is restless , I realise I too am awake , and we wonder if F has arrived though we think not . On returning from the bathroom I announce proudly to D that I have unplugged the hair straighteners which were stretched as usual across the landing . We are all used to them and step over , but F may not .
Me ( self important ) " Ive unplugged the hair straighteners "
D " Did you do a risk assessment ? "
For some reason this strikes me as incredibly funny and I am awake for some considerable time longer , recalling past episodes when F came to stay and .... I wont go into details ..... a text arrives . I decide it can wait till morning , too late to drag myself from sleep . then I know I have to do the dragging . She may be in need somewhere .
" Sorry , its F I'm sleeping at J s see you tomorrow " . Message timed at 3 47 am .
Phew , thats that then ..... can plug the straighteners back in then !
Thursday, 27 December 2007
Roomba
Does anyone out there have a Roomba ?
I can't believe Ive only just heard about these things with my menagerie full of animals and attendant swathes of pet hair clogging up the Dyson not to mention the cats scattering their wood based kitty litter from here to kingdom come just for fun . ( I know , I see them do it , they climb aboard , turn several times after the performance is done , then scoot , the back legs buck jump and the litter is up the walls , down the cracks of the skirting boards , you name it . ) And although Alice has tiny short greyhound hair which doesnt seem to come out onto the floors or furniture , she s quite capable of spreading Bonio crumbs and Gravy Bones and other tasty morsels about the carpet in her vicinity .
We have or had various Dyson vacuum cleaners standing to attention around the house over the years but they have dwindled now to two , one in the hall cupboard seeing active service most days and the other in the attic awaiting a replacement belt ( don't watch this space ) . By the time I drag the yellow one up to the first floor and try to make it do its duty along the cat hair I am usually so cross I am not speaking to myself , recalling the halcyon days when it( or its predecessor) was first purchased and it glided through a pile of everything making a lovely lawn like stripe and making me feel like a proper person whose carpets would now be clean . These days when I apply myself diligently to the carpet , going over and over the same spot repeatedly and finally getting down on my hands and knees to pick up the crumb I have spotted by hand , tripping over the wire and thinking this is not how its supposed to be , occasionally the thought of throwing in the towel and simply buying a new vacuum cleaner when there's nothing really wrong with this one pops into my head and then brings me out in a cold sweat . The very idea .
And now , someone has brought to my attention , the Roomba . I had no idea what this creature was . But immediately I had an inkling it was something I was going to start to crave . I googled it and Yes , thats right , I want the Discovery version , yesterday if possible , though I am of course prepared to drive considerable distances to view it operating and hand over the cash . Its the paddock boots ( too stiff when I finally sourced them ) all over again .
I spend a happy half hour reading Roomba reports , noting that if it meets a tennis ball it will happily send it on its way , thus providing a friend for the family dog too , ( Alice is not much of a ball dog though , wonder if it does seaweed ? ) And then sending aforementioned reports to my sister and to D , who will no doubt have an opinion . How will he feel when the Roomba starts up cleaning whilst he is working ? Will he feel Put Out , his position usurped ? or is it Tidying after all that is his forte , rather than cleaning . I reassure myself we are on safe ground here , so long as it does not try to indulge in Desk Wars and try to climb onto his desk , though even he is missing Kitty's constant squabblings of late , so maybe a Roomba would constitute a welcome diversion ?
Obviously it would need to have a name . And so far I have not researched the cost , not wanting to spoil my reverie .
And Nat has returned home from the sales having forgotten my pasta sauce ! Major logistical problem here now !
I can't believe Ive only just heard about these things with my menagerie full of animals and attendant swathes of pet hair clogging up the Dyson not to mention the cats scattering their wood based kitty litter from here to kingdom come just for fun . ( I know , I see them do it , they climb aboard , turn several times after the performance is done , then scoot , the back legs buck jump and the litter is up the walls , down the cracks of the skirting boards , you name it . ) And although Alice has tiny short greyhound hair which doesnt seem to come out onto the floors or furniture , she s quite capable of spreading Bonio crumbs and Gravy Bones and other tasty morsels about the carpet in her vicinity .
We have or had various Dyson vacuum cleaners standing to attention around the house over the years but they have dwindled now to two , one in the hall cupboard seeing active service most days and the other in the attic awaiting a replacement belt ( don't watch this space ) . By the time I drag the yellow one up to the first floor and try to make it do its duty along the cat hair I am usually so cross I am not speaking to myself , recalling the halcyon days when it( or its predecessor) was first purchased and it glided through a pile of everything making a lovely lawn like stripe and making me feel like a proper person whose carpets would now be clean . These days when I apply myself diligently to the carpet , going over and over the same spot repeatedly and finally getting down on my hands and knees to pick up the crumb I have spotted by hand , tripping over the wire and thinking this is not how its supposed to be , occasionally the thought of throwing in the towel and simply buying a new vacuum cleaner when there's nothing really wrong with this one pops into my head and then brings me out in a cold sweat . The very idea .
And now , someone has brought to my attention , the Roomba . I had no idea what this creature was . But immediately I had an inkling it was something I was going to start to crave . I googled it and Yes , thats right , I want the Discovery version , yesterday if possible , though I am of course prepared to drive considerable distances to view it operating and hand over the cash . Its the paddock boots ( too stiff when I finally sourced them ) all over again .
I spend a happy half hour reading Roomba reports , noting that if it meets a tennis ball it will happily send it on its way , thus providing a friend for the family dog too , ( Alice is not much of a ball dog though , wonder if it does seaweed ? ) And then sending aforementioned reports to my sister and to D , who will no doubt have an opinion . How will he feel when the Roomba starts up cleaning whilst he is working ? Will he feel Put Out , his position usurped ? or is it Tidying after all that is his forte , rather than cleaning . I reassure myself we are on safe ground here , so long as it does not try to indulge in Desk Wars and try to climb onto his desk , though even he is missing Kitty's constant squabblings of late , so maybe a Roomba would constitute a welcome diversion ?
Obviously it would need to have a name . And so far I have not researched the cost , not wanting to spoil my reverie .
And Nat has returned home from the sales having forgotten my pasta sauce ! Major logistical problem here now !
King Edward Bay Tynemouth 9am
Even with the wind blowing a gale as it was this morning I cant resist this walk with Alice . And it pays off . The Bay is sheltered from the wind and the sun is just coming over the cliffs . No other greyhounds this morning for Alice to chase , but she's more than happy with a deflated old football we find .Only one CatCall today , with two more starting on Saturday .
Wednesday, 26 December 2007
Art at Tynemouth Station
Between the glass on the bridges at the station near the house there is an art space . The latest display recreates the seaside in former times . Glass jars hold little cut out paper figures , couples dancing .
There is a room set up like a seaside hotel , the landlady and her list of rules is almost there , breathing down your neck . But not quite . Instead an old photograph of two local beauties
" Are they a couple of transvestites or what ?" says D ( see top picture and click to enlarge )
A couple passing by with their dog glance in at the exhibits . " I don't know what they're trying to do in there " says the man . The woman walks on , inscrutable .
Art in Tynemouth on Boxing Day .
Sunday, 23 December 2007
King Edward Bay 7am
These landmarks at first light are great anchors when all else is madness and frenzy .
The hut is set against the cliffs , directly in front is a small bay with rocks , waves and the full complement of wheeling squealing sea birds . Without the greyhound I probably wouldn't have discovered its sanity restoring properties .
Saturday, 22 December 2007
T.
One of our longstanding CatCalls cats died this week , aged seventeen and a half . Always tough but for B and J it was so apparent that their cats were really part of the family and couldn't have been more treasured or loved . Affirming for us that the couple recognised that we would very much want to know the news and rang to let us know straight away . We're glad T had such a long and happy life and know that what B said was true , nothing else could have been done in her life to improve on it . Glad it was not long since we saw her and took care of her .
When its frenetic there comes a lull when suddenly everything is peaceful . Usually thats the time you fantasise about snow and looking out on a transformed world . Most of us will have a childhood memory of being shown out the back door , in my case into a garden, where snow was falling , on Christmas Eve . I'm told in England it happened very rarely , even in the north east where we had frequent snow , just rarely on Christmas Eve . But I know it happened once at least .
I've been trying to work out why it is that particular memories stand out and not others . I have a clear picture of us all at the farm , one Christmas night , before it was time to go home , the heavy red curtains pulled , the fire crackling , Laura and me reading a book called ( how can I remember this after all these years?) " The Boy Jesus " and drawn in muted shades, Greek style pictures , nativity scenes in turqouises and germolene pinks ( if you get my drift ) , with the occasional navy sky and silver stars . It was exquisite . We sat bunched on the sofa reading this book which was the present given to us three kids by our great aunt Gertie ( kids in families then got one shared presents from distant relatives , not one each . Our brother was no doubt playing on the floor with a toy tractor . We would have been surrounded by cats and collie dogs . The adults would have been talking , feeding the fire , passing sweets , dates and nuts , breaking open the latter with old fashioned crackers . Why this night and not a different one ? Nothing traumatic , nothing specially exciting .
Who knows ?
I'm amazed already at the things Nat doesn't remember that I thought she would .
I try not to think too hard of the things she will remember ........!!!
I've been trying to work out why it is that particular memories stand out and not others . I have a clear picture of us all at the farm , one Christmas night , before it was time to go home , the heavy red curtains pulled , the fire crackling , Laura and me reading a book called ( how can I remember this after all these years?) " The Boy Jesus " and drawn in muted shades, Greek style pictures , nativity scenes in turqouises and germolene pinks ( if you get my drift ) , with the occasional navy sky and silver stars . It was exquisite . We sat bunched on the sofa reading this book which was the present given to us three kids by our great aunt Gertie ( kids in families then got one shared presents from distant relatives , not one each . Our brother was no doubt playing on the floor with a toy tractor . We would have been surrounded by cats and collie dogs . The adults would have been talking , feeding the fire , passing sweets , dates and nuts , breaking open the latter with old fashioned crackers . Why this night and not a different one ? Nothing traumatic , nothing specially exciting .
Who knows ?
I'm amazed already at the things Nat doesn't remember that I thought she would .
I try not to think too hard of the things she will remember ........!!!
Friday, 21 December 2007
While I was at Debenhams ...( a tale of food sloppage and washing machines )
...the washing machine crashed . It made all the right noises , pretending to be doing its stuff but at the end of the cycle the clothes were all covered in bits of soap powder and some were wet and some were dry . Luckily Mr Westerby was contactable and in the area , six other washing machines in the area having taken the gee for Christmas , so he popped by , much to Alice's glee as he had just consumed a meat pie in the van and she was convinced a morsel was still lurking in his cheek somewhere .
His diagnosis was simple . The bearings had gone ,( and broken the drum ?) the belt had flown off and he wasn't commiting himself as to whether it was worth a repair , which would cost £90 . D shook his head but I was all for it . I like that machine , and I hate new machines , all those neon panels and parts that last even less time than the ones you currently have .
D asked when it could be done and ( looking straight at me ) Mr W joked " Eeh dont put me under pressure "
" Moi ? " I longed to say " Moi ? " Who washes perhaps two items per week and would happily do all my things by hand as I mostly wear sweaters anyway , and believe only jeans are tricky enough to really warrant a machine , and I know from experience that in an emergency they can be worn for several days ( weeks ? Hush your mouth woman you will have no friends ! ) without requiring the services of any kind of washing , so long as you fold them up nicely and pay close attention to your own personal hygiene ( come on we were all students once ) . And contrary to popular opinion I do change my personal items as frequently if not more so than other members of the household , I am simply more discreet , but that's another story .
Me ? I wanted to say ? put you under pressure ? For me after the New Year would be fine .
But not wanting to queer the pitch for N and D who have a load each a day and change outfits as often as I ( now I got some for my birthday ) reapply my Bobbi Brown lipgloss , thanks Nat, I keep my counsel . (Admittedly some of their frequent changing is due to their food sloppage . Not something in which I indulge )
Barely a meal passes without one of them disturbing the peace with a major outburst involving tomato ketchup , the utterance of expletives and a flurry of activity with a tissue or a wet floor cloth .)
So off he goes wheeling the machine with him , and I think back to last Christmas when by some strange quirk of fate we were without washer , dishwasher and heating ( though not the full system ) , and hot water , most of the time .
Isn't life grand .
Its that stage of Christmas where I have forgotten what I have bought .
I had started a list , which when I check . contains two items , bought way back in November , but that in itself is helpful as they were long forgotten .
But No Matter , we do have heating , the tree looks lovely , I got the things I needed today , I have a new book to read " Consequences " by Penelope Lively when I finish the Kate Morton book " The House at Riverton " and there is one of those wonderful tv things where drunk people are being picked up by the police for being incompetent on the roads which for some reason I am finding hilarious and Alice is sighing heavily at . ( oh look now she is so drunk she has jammed her hand in the car door. )
And best news of all . Kitty came downstairs tonight for a few minutes , first time since Alice moved in . Soon we will be back to normal , cats and all .
Bliss .
His diagnosis was simple . The bearings had gone ,( and broken the drum ?) the belt had flown off and he wasn't commiting himself as to whether it was worth a repair , which would cost £90 . D shook his head but I was all for it . I like that machine , and I hate new machines , all those neon panels and parts that last even less time than the ones you currently have .
D asked when it could be done and ( looking straight at me ) Mr W joked " Eeh dont put me under pressure "
" Moi ? " I longed to say " Moi ? " Who washes perhaps two items per week and would happily do all my things by hand as I mostly wear sweaters anyway , and believe only jeans are tricky enough to really warrant a machine , and I know from experience that in an emergency they can be worn for several days ( weeks ? Hush your mouth woman you will have no friends ! ) without requiring the services of any kind of washing , so long as you fold them up nicely and pay close attention to your own personal hygiene ( come on we were all students once ) . And contrary to popular opinion I do change my personal items as frequently if not more so than other members of the household , I am simply more discreet , but that's another story .
Me ? I wanted to say ? put you under pressure ? For me after the New Year would be fine .
But not wanting to queer the pitch for N and D who have a load each a day and change outfits as often as I ( now I got some for my birthday ) reapply my Bobbi Brown lipgloss , thanks Nat, I keep my counsel . (Admittedly some of their frequent changing is due to their food sloppage . Not something in which I indulge )
Barely a meal passes without one of them disturbing the peace with a major outburst involving tomato ketchup , the utterance of expletives and a flurry of activity with a tissue or a wet floor cloth .)
So off he goes wheeling the machine with him , and I think back to last Christmas when by some strange quirk of fate we were without washer , dishwasher and heating ( though not the full system ) , and hot water , most of the time .
Isn't life grand .
Its that stage of Christmas where I have forgotten what I have bought .
I had started a list , which when I check . contains two items , bought way back in November , but that in itself is helpful as they were long forgotten .
But No Matter , we do have heating , the tree looks lovely , I got the things I needed today , I have a new book to read " Consequences " by Penelope Lively when I finish the Kate Morton book " The House at Riverton " and there is one of those wonderful tv things where drunk people are being picked up by the police for being incompetent on the roads which for some reason I am finding hilarious and Alice is sighing heavily at . ( oh look now she is so drunk she has jammed her hand in the car door. )
And best news of all . Kitty came downstairs tonight for a few minutes , first time since Alice moved in . Soon we will be back to normal , cats and all .
Bliss .
casa camper barcelona
Though still not quite sure what a concept hotel is , I am sure about one thing , the concept was one I would be happy to revisit . Casa Camper hotel in Elisabeth Street off Las Ramblas is ultra modern , zen like , all red black and white and situated in an ancient building . Twenty five rooms , most of which we guessed would face a brick wall were it not that the walls had been transformed into a vertical garden with giant aspidistras in pots in a square arrangement . Each room was big , with a splendid wet room with shower head like an Amazon rain forest , and immediately two steps across the corridor another room , with hammock , sofa bed , desk , chairs , flat screen tv etc etc . And possibly most revolutionary of all for a hotel , the twenty four hour provision of upmarket (free) snacks , displayed at all times and designed as we were advised by staff to help you feel " at home " . They were right , we behaved exactly as at home , grazing from morning till night , feasting though on a variety of goodies un heard of in our workaday kitchen . Freshly made soups , juices , cheeses , breads , pastas , salads , baked cheesecakes , chocolate brownies , and an array of nuts and seeds and fresh fruit .
Casa Camper Hotel came highly recommended according to the reviews and they were spot on .
Pearl wonders why the surplus furniture is still littering D s office ( cats not understanding the concept of the popped out disc one assumes ? ) , whilst Alice awaits our return from Malmaison last night having rearranged the contents of the sitting room somewhat including the demolition of the remains of a box of ferrero rocher ( dogs not appreciating that chocolate kills ?) . Butter wouldnt melt .
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Talking such Nonsense . The Tapir continued .
D has gone to London to see Bruce Springsteen at the O2 Arena . I wonder if my sleep talking will continue even when there is no one to talk to . Mostly it kicks off as he arrives in the bedroom later than me . I have a feeling the tapir exists whether it has an audience or not , and can probably conduct a full scale conversation for several minutes with a Birman cat in any event if necessary . There is also Nathalia in residence ; sometimes I understand it is a detailed question from her ( about her requirements for school the next day or some such ) which sparks off one of my one woman ( one tapir?) performances .
Even as I sleep talk , I am usually aware that I am not making sense and I feel like laughing at myself but somehow this is never quite enough to stop me . I remind myself of my grandfather when he was in hospital in his last years , when he would inform me with a smile on his face that he had been " for a ride on a motorbike today " . When I looked quizzical , he would smile again and maybe say "What am I talking about ? Not a motor bike , some other chariot ? A wheelchair they call them here ! " then later , musing , " I talk such nonsense sometimes . "
Yes , that's me and topamax . Talking such nonsense .
Even as I sleep talk , I am usually aware that I am not making sense and I feel like laughing at myself but somehow this is never quite enough to stop me . I remind myself of my grandfather when he was in hospital in his last years , when he would inform me with a smile on his face that he had been " for a ride on a motorbike today " . When I looked quizzical , he would smile again and maybe say "What am I talking about ? Not a motor bike , some other chariot ? A wheelchair they call them here ! " then later , musing , " I talk such nonsense sometimes . "
Yes , that's me and topamax . Talking such nonsense .
The Tapir
The Topamax has kicked in , though only last thing at night .
I am in bed . almost asleep , impersonating a tapir , using my right hand as the nose . D laughs out loud at me ( possibly partly his nerves kicking in ) and I say , crossly , " the tapir doesnt think its funny " .
Later , as the cat scratches at the wardrobe door ( wanting to examine the Christmas presents in there ) , I say " Jessie , you are not in Soft Furnishings now "
and D asks " where is she then ? "
And I say " she is not in that section of the department store . " and return to sleep .
I am in bed . almost asleep , impersonating a tapir , using my right hand as the nose . D laughs out loud at me ( possibly partly his nerves kicking in ) and I say , crossly , " the tapir doesnt think its funny " .
Later , as the cat scratches at the wardrobe door ( wanting to examine the Christmas presents in there ) , I say " Jessie , you are not in Soft Furnishings now "
and D asks " where is she then ? "
And I say " she is not in that section of the department store . " and return to sleep .
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
images of barcelona
Rose petals and champagne , fish stall in the market , mime artist las ramblas .
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 .
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 ?
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 .
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 ?
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 .....
Sunday, 2 December 2007
Topping up the water bed
The weekend has been much as last one with much clearing and carrying upstairs , piles of boxes to be shifted , the never ending question of should they be sorted first or stored then sorted ( gradually ) ?. I personally feel that once stored they will be there till doomsday but D can't live with his office in chaos for one more day so doesn't agree . I fear for the feng shui of the house but anyone who knows me or the house knows I dont have much of a leg to stand on feng shui wise ( or any other wise really ) so he is carrying things extensively whilst I sit in his rocking chair ( in transit , waiting to go to Iain's , soon ) making sage comments and watching the dog chewing her bone as I think about the mess and the feng shui and wonder how easy it is going to be to top up the water bed which has a definite deficit in the water levels somewhere or other . After a preliminary discussion this morning with D whilst driving to my sister's( in order to avoid actually doing the task ) I've discovered a thing or two about Baffles ( the intersections in the mattress ) . Also the reason for purchasing the tap connector in order to top up ( my idea , after each time I climb onto the bed on my own , my knees sink onto the wood . This can't be right . Its fine when I'm sharing , with two bodies aboard , we are both laughing ( or rather floating ) but there is definitely not enough water when it's just me . perhaps 'cos Im such a tiny thing , such a feather weight ! Ha! ) I digress. To fill up without it would take hundreds of watering cans .... hundreds of gallons of water being needed .
We now have the tap connector , and could have been filling with the hose this afternoon . But somehow it all seemed too stressful so we went to my sister s instead , where Alice( the stick insect masquearading as Greyhound terrorised their little black terrier Grommit , who seemed however to adore her ( this was their first meet ), and ran about the farm , glancing at sheep and then rushing at Grommit again( who showed the whites of his eyes ) . Finally exhausted , she climbed into one of their cats tiny little fleece baskets , forcing herself into the space which would have suited perhaps a small poodle , legs sticking out and very happy .
I have to run . The hose is here , the tap connector is waiting , and the hot water is at the ready . We are about to fill the bed .
We now have the tap connector , and could have been filling with the hose this afternoon . But somehow it all seemed too stressful so we went to my sister s instead , where Alice( the stick insect masquearading as Greyhound terrorised their little black terrier Grommit , who seemed however to adore her ( this was their first meet ), and ran about the farm , glancing at sheep and then rushing at Grommit again( who showed the whites of his eyes ) . Finally exhausted , she climbed into one of their cats tiny little fleece baskets , forcing herself into the space which would have suited perhaps a small poodle , legs sticking out and very happy .
I have to run . The hose is here , the tap connector is waiting , and the hot water is at the ready . We are about to fill the bed .
Thursday, 29 November 2007
10am this morning ...
The arrival of the stuff from storage and the transformation of the room that was formerly D' s office ....Click on the picture for the full impact ( or not if you cant bear it ) .
But , upstairs there is now a fully functioning water bed as the waterbedman arrived on cue and pumped it full of water . Swings and roundabouts , and I'm sure there will be some other goodies amongst this lot . Some rather fine cutlery is already noted .....
If I dont re appear here , I'm in that bed !
But , upstairs there is now a fully functioning water bed as the waterbedman arrived on cue and pumped it full of water . Swings and roundabouts , and I'm sure there will be some other goodies amongst this lot . Some rather fine cutlery is already noted .....If I dont re appear here , I'm in that bed !
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Migraine all day , now no pain thanks to Immigran .
Our bed is now dismantled and re erected in Nats room thanks to D . The floor space under it has been semi cleaned and cleared , and N s mattress on our floor for us to camp out on pending the arrival of the water bed tomorrow .
N still got bug but bravely went to school this afternoon though still not well .
And everything is arriving tomorrow .... whilst the removal men are here I am at the dentist having half a tooth stuck back on .
Wish me luck .
More to the point wish D luck . He hates mess and disarray . I'm more used to it never having really known how to avoid or sort it until he moved in .
Our bed is now dismantled and re erected in Nats room thanks to D . The floor space under it has been semi cleaned and cleared , and N s mattress on our floor for us to camp out on pending the arrival of the water bed tomorrow .
N still got bug but bravely went to school this afternoon though still not well .
And everything is arriving tomorrow .... whilst the removal men are here I am at the dentist having half a tooth stuck back on .
Wish me luck .
More to the point wish D luck . He hates mess and disarray . I'm more used to it never having really known how to avoid or sort it until he moved in .
Monday, 26 November 2007
Blogging as displacement activity , and Migraine Management
I should be clearing out from under my bed but I really am not in the mood . I had a lovely weekend doing all the sorting and clearing and tidying , or rather I was on the fringes whilst D did it , and making the winter salad and walking the dog excessively , and going to town and blah blah , but I really felt it this morning ... felt like I hadn't had enough weekend and now back to work .
So Im having a rest now and refusing to clear under that bed . Tomorrow will do .
First thing this morning was an emergency appointment at the neurology dept . Not so much an emergency but more of an organised in a rush business .
I waited an hour , reading a migraine magazine and wondering would I want an injection into the head which blocks something , if I was offered . I think not , really , though suppose things are almost bad enough that I'd do anything . then read an article about getting fat hormonally or some such , which said just what Laura did earlier this week , that excercise is the solution . I should be ok then what with all that running about after a fit greyhound .
Then I was seen by the best neurologist Ive seen so far in my neurology career. ... he asked me things and told me things about how it is when I have a migraine that only someone who lives with them would know . Sure enough , he talked about his own experiences and wrote a big list of management strategies for me to take away ,, both acite and preventive strategies , including some new drugs which I will need to get on prescrition , and some stuff available at the supermarket . He also suggested I give the anti epilepsy drugs another whirl despite my beliefs that thats how I ended up ill with chest problems last Winter and this Spring . maybe at a lower dose this time . If I get ill again I can always stop and there are then some new ones I can try .
He also suggested a new Triptan which is in the form of a wafer which dissolves on the side of the mouth unlike my sumatriptan tablets which are wasted if one is already into the puking stage .
So I was there for ages and it all felt worth it . last time I felt I was simply upbraded for over use of triptans ( causing rebound headaches ) but when you are at your wits end with pain its almost impossible just to suffer in silence and ignore your medication thinking well I cant take anything today Ive had three already this month ....Which he of course understood hence the alternate strategies which mean the triptans are the final step on the road rather than the first thing to reach for which Ive been taught by previous doctors ( oh that's unless youve already had your quota ) .
And as a result I feel quite optimistic again , as I usually do when something new is suggested . Each new idea brings the promise of a life with less pain and more normality .
I will get there in the end .
So Im having a rest now and refusing to clear under that bed . Tomorrow will do .
First thing this morning was an emergency appointment at the neurology dept . Not so much an emergency but more of an organised in a rush business .
I waited an hour , reading a migraine magazine and wondering would I want an injection into the head which blocks something , if I was offered . I think not , really , though suppose things are almost bad enough that I'd do anything . then read an article about getting fat hormonally or some such , which said just what Laura did earlier this week , that excercise is the solution . I should be ok then what with all that running about after a fit greyhound .
Then I was seen by the best neurologist Ive seen so far in my neurology career. ... he asked me things and told me things about how it is when I have a migraine that only someone who lives with them would know . Sure enough , he talked about his own experiences and wrote a big list of management strategies for me to take away ,, both acite and preventive strategies , including some new drugs which I will need to get on prescrition , and some stuff available at the supermarket . He also suggested I give the anti epilepsy drugs another whirl despite my beliefs that thats how I ended up ill with chest problems last Winter and this Spring . maybe at a lower dose this time . If I get ill again I can always stop and there are then some new ones I can try .
He also suggested a new Triptan which is in the form of a wafer which dissolves on the side of the mouth unlike my sumatriptan tablets which are wasted if one is already into the puking stage .
So I was there for ages and it all felt worth it . last time I felt I was simply upbraded for over use of triptans ( causing rebound headaches ) but when you are at your wits end with pain its almost impossible just to suffer in silence and ignore your medication thinking well I cant take anything today Ive had three already this month ....Which he of course understood hence the alternate strategies which mean the triptans are the final step on the road rather than the first thing to reach for which Ive been taught by previous doctors ( oh that's unless youve already had your quota ) .
And as a result I feel quite optimistic again , as I usually do when something new is suggested . Each new idea brings the promise of a life with less pain and more normality .
I will get there in the end .
Sunday, 25 November 2007
Nat and Emily's cake
Nat and Emily's cake in front of the new storage jars we bought yesterday , to conceal biscuits , crackers and the like from a marauding greyhound .
Yesterday whilst we were out buying them , and some dog walking boots for D , she helped herself to a packet of Special K ( without red berries ) . Its not clear whether she had eaten any , or done more than stuck her snout into the packet , as she seems to colllect food items and line them up near her chair / bed " just in case " starvation sets in later perhaps . Though in the case of the sixteen flapjacks snaffled earlier in the week , they had moved up a notch from the Standby slot and were Gone by the time we were back . Only a plastic tub remained . But she looks so sweet and remorseful when you catch her out hat its impossible to be anything but amused ( and blame yourself for leaving goodies within reach ) . We just didnt realise quite how long her reach was ......and bingo , a packet of Golden Linseeds is added to the mix .
Winter Salad Kitchen
Just to make a change from clutter clearing ( there 's still under the king sized bed to do , as the water bed has no space under it for storage . I couldnt quite bring myself to bend down and look under the bed though today . I know the scene under there is going to be characterised by dust , fluff , assorted cat debris and old suitcases full of forgotten sundries. So I decided to get into the kitchen instead ) D picked all gthe green tomatoes , I went to town in search of storage jars , and he bought all the other ingredients ( apart from the green tomatoes that is ) to make Winter Salad . I've never made this before so had to ring my mother for her recipe to be e mailed , with various bits of advice to go alongside . The picture denotes about a third of the quantity that resulted and we still have about the same amount of tomatoes all over again .
Then , whilst we were winter salading and D was cooking the Sunday Dinner Nat went to Emily's and they made three chocolate cakes , complete with eight eggs .
One of these is pictured somewhere too .
the chest of drawers is perfectly tidy inside each individual drawer ( thanks to D and his organisational skills . I take everything out of each drawer , stare at it a bit , then put it back hurriedly so its as well Im not in charge . ) Soon the room too will be clear . No more piles of stuff on top ( now all gone , it was piled high ) , piles of spare chairs to the side , books in a stack and waiting to be moved on , picnic baskets to the fore . By next weekend maybe ? But hang on all the extra stuff hasnt arrived yet ???
This is the house only half full .
Order restored ....the cats are back
Jessie at least back at the helm
, last night's clearing of the chest of drawers was too much for her , and later , as we surveyed the scene after we were done , and every
drawer was back in place , she couldnt resist climbing back up to the desk where pre Alice she and Kitty fought over the best position at the desk .
Later , despite Alice sharing the sofa with D and me , Pearl came in and settled for the first time on Jess ( teenager not cat this time ) as the most comfortable person to share a chair with .....
Nice to have some of the cats downstairs with us again though .....
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Preparing for the New Arrival
Last weekend was the clearing of the clutter from N s room . Monday night clearing from under the eaves in the attic . Friday am ( yesterday ) clearing the junk from the shed , including the placing of a ton-weight kiln and a gas heater in the back lane to find them gone within minutes . A useful disposal system that , saved a trip to the dump or a call to the council .
And , finally ( or not quite finally ) the clearing out and weeding of the coats in the downstairs hall cupboard . Another bag for the greyhounds charity shop and we each now have a peg with two or three coats on . Eminently sensible . Previously opening the cupboard was a heavily stressful experience , attempting both to unhook a coat , pull it through the darkness past sixteen wool scarves , five denim jackets and a hat ,whilst at the same time keep Alice from helping herself from the little bag of Gravy Bones situated on the floor . She would snaffle a few , dump them on the sofa and work her way through them as you finsished the coat retrieval process.
This morning was a dream , door opened easily , cast an eye in , select the right coat suited to the grey skies and freezing temperatures rather than just the only one that would come out , unhook it in one single handed movement , close the door and apply said coat . Alice didnt even try to grab a treat , seeing that everything round here is changing . Result !
What's it all in aid of though , you may wonder. I myself wonder why we don't do this clutter clearing more than once in a blue moon . Its a task , there s no doubt , but how much time does it really take once you stop procrastinating and dig out a pile of heavy duty bags . The charity shops win , storage space increases ten fold and you feel somehow Light and Airy as you waft through the house .
Its in aid of the fact that having paid to have stuff ( and a lot of it ) in storage for over a year , we have now faced the fact that unless we take deciseive action this Stuff would still be in storage at the time of our demise sometime when . Seemed to make sense to shift a few things round . Most of the stuff ( which originally lived in D s cottage ) is long since forgotten , though I have a distinct memory of the gigantic water bed , which is my incentive to put pressure on to take action , and now the cold weather is upon us he can recall a warm padded coat . We also recall a washing machine , a large sofa and a million bits and pieces of this and that .....
So there you have it !
All will be revealed when the van rolls up on Thursday at nine thirty . A man is booked to fix up the bed , a complicated process involving hot water and pumps .
Oh but before that we have to dismantle the king sixed wrought iron framed bed from our room and transfer it to N s room , having first dismantled her bed and stored it somewhere ( eek ) . On Wednesday night . Foreseen hitch , where will we sleep on Wed night ? A mattress somewhere perhaps ? On a sofa with Alice ? Who knows .
I'm also amusing myself with thoughts of how much the cats are going to adore the permanent warmth of the water bed , and how much they may resent the way it rises and falls like a lake when a new body climbs aboard .
Watch this space .....
And , finally ( or not quite finally ) the clearing out and weeding of the coats in the downstairs hall cupboard . Another bag for the greyhounds charity shop and we each now have a peg with two or three coats on . Eminently sensible . Previously opening the cupboard was a heavily stressful experience , attempting both to unhook a coat , pull it through the darkness past sixteen wool scarves , five denim jackets and a hat ,whilst at the same time keep Alice from helping herself from the little bag of Gravy Bones situated on the floor . She would snaffle a few , dump them on the sofa and work her way through them as you finsished the coat retrieval process.
This morning was a dream , door opened easily , cast an eye in , select the right coat suited to the grey skies and freezing temperatures rather than just the only one that would come out , unhook it in one single handed movement , close the door and apply said coat . Alice didnt even try to grab a treat , seeing that everything round here is changing . Result !
What's it all in aid of though , you may wonder. I myself wonder why we don't do this clutter clearing more than once in a blue moon . Its a task , there s no doubt , but how much time does it really take once you stop procrastinating and dig out a pile of heavy duty bags . The charity shops win , storage space increases ten fold and you feel somehow Light and Airy as you waft through the house .
Its in aid of the fact that having paid to have stuff ( and a lot of it ) in storage for over a year , we have now faced the fact that unless we take deciseive action this Stuff would still be in storage at the time of our demise sometime when . Seemed to make sense to shift a few things round . Most of the stuff ( which originally lived in D s cottage ) is long since forgotten , though I have a distinct memory of the gigantic water bed , which is my incentive to put pressure on to take action , and now the cold weather is upon us he can recall a warm padded coat . We also recall a washing machine , a large sofa and a million bits and pieces of this and that .....
So there you have it !
All will be revealed when the van rolls up on Thursday at nine thirty . A man is booked to fix up the bed , a complicated process involving hot water and pumps .
Oh but before that we have to dismantle the king sixed wrought iron framed bed from our room and transfer it to N s room , having first dismantled her bed and stored it somewhere ( eek ) . On Wednesday night . Foreseen hitch , where will we sleep on Wed night ? A mattress somewhere perhaps ? On a sofa with Alice ? Who knows .
I'm also amusing myself with thoughts of how much the cats are going to adore the permanent warmth of the water bed , and how much they may resent the way it rises and falls like a lake when a new body climbs aboard .
Watch this space .....
Friday, 23 November 2007
First snow
First snow spotted at 3 am this morning , lying onthe ground and on the cars , although all gone by the time I let Alice out the back at 5am there was the odd drift of slush on the cat windscreens .
As we left the park at 8 m I thought I felt a flake of snow . By the time we were back home , almost as we closed the front door and D dried Alice's paws off and removed her coat ( first time of wearing it in earnest today rather than as a try out previously ) the snow was falling for real ....
As we left the park at 8 m I thought I felt a flake of snow . By the time we were back home , almost as we closed the front door and D dried Alice's paws off and removed her coat ( first time of wearing it in earnest today rather than as a try out previously ) the snow was falling for real ....
Thursday, 22 November 2007
Happy Birthday Bett
Its Bett s birthday today . 71 and counting , she said when we met her coming round to say thanks for the little present I pushed through her door at seven forty as I took Alice out ( we ordered some greetings card made out of a photo of her beloved cat William ( he 's a Birman too, and Pearl 's third son so he's quite dear to our hearts too ) .
Bett is a truly amazing person . She has lived on the same road as us for several years and nursed her husband Les at home until he died the winter before last .
Bett is a great gardener and " does " many of the gardens round here , including a long stretch of the council owned grass in front of all of our properties . In Summer she is out from early morning till the light is done , and as she gardens she makes everything look easy . Despite her years she manages always to make living look like a joy , always a smile and a word for all passers by . She rarely gardens alone , either . Before her four grandchildren were in school she childminded all four of them on a regular basis , so she would do her planting , watering and tending with her little girls in tow. Now that she looks after the girls pre and after school only , she usually has a dog or two with her . Bett is a true animal lover and would rather her neighbours' dogs were out with her , under her watchful eye , than alone indoors . She has already taken Alice to the park for us one day when D wasn't at home all day . Often one of her cats will sit on the wall watching her progress and looking disgruntled as the dogs race around having fun . Bett doesn't just garden , she muti tasks out there , throwing balls for the dogs as she goes .
Before we had the Birmans we had two elderly cats , both of whom as their days drew in chose to move in with Bett and no amount of persuasion would bring them home . We joked that with Bett feeding three times a day and being " always there " it was no wonder they left us , although both of them spent a final night with us , saying goodbye before they died .
Being "always there" is the thing I connect with Bett . When my ex left , completely unexpectedly and left N and I shell shocked and traumatised , she was always there , and seeing her out in the gardens , bent over the earth , she would give me the strength to go on .
Happy Birthday Bett .
Bett is a truly amazing person . She has lived on the same road as us for several years and nursed her husband Les at home until he died the winter before last .
Bett is a great gardener and " does " many of the gardens round here , including a long stretch of the council owned grass in front of all of our properties . In Summer she is out from early morning till the light is done , and as she gardens she makes everything look easy . Despite her years she manages always to make living look like a joy , always a smile and a word for all passers by . She rarely gardens alone , either . Before her four grandchildren were in school she childminded all four of them on a regular basis , so she would do her planting , watering and tending with her little girls in tow. Now that she looks after the girls pre and after school only , she usually has a dog or two with her . Bett is a true animal lover and would rather her neighbours' dogs were out with her , under her watchful eye , than alone indoors . She has already taken Alice to the park for us one day when D wasn't at home all day . Often one of her cats will sit on the wall watching her progress and looking disgruntled as the dogs race around having fun . Bett doesn't just garden , she muti tasks out there , throwing balls for the dogs as she goes .
Before we had the Birmans we had two elderly cats , both of whom as their days drew in chose to move in with Bett and no amount of persuasion would bring them home . We joked that with Bett feeding three times a day and being " always there " it was no wonder they left us , although both of them spent a final night with us , saying goodbye before they died .
Being "always there" is the thing I connect with Bett . When my ex left , completely unexpectedly and left N and I shell shocked and traumatised , she was always there , and seeing her out in the gardens , bent over the earth , she would give me the strength to go on .
Happy Birthday Bett .
Migraine Days ( again )
All I can say is , I am so glad I stopped working five days a week . I had a migraine starting yesterday and its not responding to naything at the minute . Makes me wonder if I also have some virus as usually the sumatriptan will knock it our for a while ( which it did yesterday , long enough for me to finish a report in the afternoon ) but overnight nothing has worked .
Alice has had her half hour in the park , so Im back to bed for a couple of hours to see of sleep will help . This is a wierd life sometimes , but hopefully it will go by tomorrow ?
Alice has had her half hour in the park , so Im back to bed for a couple of hours to see of sleep will help . This is a wierd life sometimes , but hopefully it will go by tomorrow ?
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
I get up at three am to let Alice out . Despite the rain , she agrees to going out in the yard and now gets the message that if she puddles out there she gets a gravy bone . So I am not out there too long though I have to put on the Uggs and a coat and accompany her ( she s still scared of the dark ) .
So , I'm back in bed by three fifteen , and reading Instances of the Number Three ( Salley Vickers ) till three forty five and finally squeeze down amongst the three attendant cats ( Kitty being with N ) and sleep , only to dream I am inspecting my lower right leg and on the inner calf note that I am growing a nipple . I wonder how I will get my socks over it , and how it will rub along with my new ( dog walking )boots.
So , I'm back in bed by three fifteen , and reading Instances of the Number Three ( Salley Vickers ) till three forty five and finally squeeze down amongst the three attendant cats ( Kitty being with N ) and sleep , only to dream I am inspecting my lower right leg and on the inner calf note that I am growing a nipple . I wonder how I will get my socks over it , and how it will rub along with my new ( dog walking )boots.
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Memories ...
Clearing out clutter brings back all sorts of memories and having weeded loads of toys , games and clothes , I was standing in the kitchen preparing ahead for tomorrow's after work dinner ( cheese crust vegetable pie ) and as I mixed the pastry I caught sight of the pictures which have been exhibited on the kitchen wall since N was , what , three , four by the looks of them . I think the drawing on the left ( of Moi ) was done for Mothers Day in recpetion class an dthe two on the right are perhaps vintage 98 or 99? Who knows . But the one on the left has been systematically eroded , as you will note , by Kitty and Pearl who like to stand on their back legs from a position on the kitchen bench and rip pieces off it and chew them . I think its all about " why are our works not on display ?" or some such . Having noticed that an even greater piece of my left face was missing than I had known , I thought a photograph for the blog would preserve these masterpeices for posterity . And , after all , N s cousin Oliver --: Oliver Jeffers :-- is a well known ( I think, certainly gifted anyway and his books are all on the front desk in Borders ) children s artist so maybe one day N too will be gifted and her early works coveted .
I will always love them anyway and Im sure they will stay up there on the kitchen till they are in shreds . But its nice to have them on record in the ether too .
Clutter Clearing ...
Today we are emptying N s room as part of a Grand Plan which involves moving a pile of things here from storage .
Kitty .... " This is the most fun I've had in weeks . Ever since that Giant Stick Insect moved in and Took Over . ( Click on the second picture for a closer look at her expression , if cat expressions mean anything to you ! )
Well , better get on . Its mid day and about a quarter done ...
Saturday, 17 November 2007
afternoon walk
Took Alice to the beach at Cambois up the coast this afternoon , also in celebration of finding the perfect walking dog boots , plus a pair of great ankle boots not for dog purposes . Daniel footwear at Royal Quays came up trumps after I had searched Newcastle and various riding establishments over the last few days . And after making my selection I then discovered that the dog boots were reduced from £75 to £30 odd and the posh ones reduced to £27 despite being marked at £55 , so I didn't do too badly .
I may have to photograph them later .
pants
Sparling antidote to the week that was .... an article about mens underpants in the Times this morning ......not to be missed .Bargainhunter - Times Online
Friday, 16 November 2007
Strange Days
Strange Days , these last ones . The day job was dominated by an air of expectation on Wednesday morning . I had convinced myself that A would survive as she had kept going through two nights of surgery . I was unable to grasp that someone of her age , with two children , could not survive .
But on Wednesday morning we got a message through that she died the previous night .
It was like that moment in the middle of Winter when the snow starts falling outside and everyone looks out and there is a hushed silence , a sense of awful wonder and amazement that this has happened . We all know snow , we see it , we either love it or hate it but each time its there , its new and we all look at it with a fascination . And it brings an odd , eerie silence with it .
That's how it was .
Only there is nothing wonderful about death .
We spoke to each other , we decided things that needed to be done , but it was all new . Every one of us there has been bereaved , we all know this place , where it takes us , yet each new journey into loss is different .
Then , the news that one of our other colleagues who has had a chest infection for three weeks and has been home , has been diagnosed as possibly having TB .
At four fifteen I left the office , before time but with a pile of work to do at the weekend .
This was the first day both D and I had been out together and Nat was going in to walk the dog herself after school .
As I drove my phone rang , N on the phone in tears saying the dog was attacking her and she was frightened . I asked what she meant and she said the dog was over excited , would not calm down and was growling and scaring her . I was very close to home so told her to get out of the house straight away , pick up her mobile and her keys and go out into the front away from the dog and I would be home in two minutes .
I was stopped at every red light , rang her while at one and she said she was sitting in the porch .
And when I got there , there she was , looking small and lost , and near her , a spider . N is not a fan of spiders . But I guess the spider was less of a threat than a marauding dog .
I listened whilst she told me what had happened . Alice had been out with her for a walk then on their return she had got very bouncy , jumping from sofa to chair and when N told her to calm down she started pushing N around , paws up on her arms and coming at her from behind . She had growled and frightened her beyond belief , so much so that she couldnt move .
We agreed that Alice is a pack animal and was probably trying to work out her place in the pecking order and that she thought she might come higher up than N .
That it was important she saw that she had made a mistake and that N was boss over her . N agreed that she wanted to go in , so we approached her and I encouraged N to do what I had seen dog trainers ( and our neighbour Sam do with her dog recently ) , make her lie flat down and realise we were boss . We told her in no uncertain terms that we were in charge and she would not behave like this . N was great , very brave after she had been scared and we talked about whether we could keep Alice , though I was clear that I thought we could manage this and N was clear that she loves Alice and if she had known what to do she would have been ok .
Alice responded well , was affectionate to N again , calm and silly . Its hard to imagine that she had been so over bearing but on a couple of occasions she has been like this with me and has responded immediately when Ive spoken to her and told her to calm down .
I rang our neighbour who had agreed to walk her at lunch time and she had had no problems at all . Alice had been calm and friendly with her . I guess ed my theory about the pecking order was probably right and my sister has often talked about how their dog regards her partner Peter as Top Banana , with the boys in the family coming next , then Laura at the bottom of the pile .
Ive seen this in action myself as Grommet( who is a terrier) has a party trick. If you leave a ten
pound note sticking out of your pocket Grommet will slide it out and trot over to Peter and quietly present him with the booty . If Peter isn't present it goes to George , then Harvey comes next . Laura rarely gets a look in , even though she both walks and feeds him .
Since then peace is restored on the home front .
Alice s future is safe with us . She has worked out our routines mostly and the puddles have stopped ( three in total in fifteen days is probably not bad ). She has made an effort to ingratiate herself with N ( going up to her in the kitchen and leaning up against her , staring at her and generally being a loving dog again ) .
As for things elsewhere , they cant be other than dire .
But on Wednesday morning we got a message through that she died the previous night .
It was like that moment in the middle of Winter when the snow starts falling outside and everyone looks out and there is a hushed silence , a sense of awful wonder and amazement that this has happened . We all know snow , we see it , we either love it or hate it but each time its there , its new and we all look at it with a fascination . And it brings an odd , eerie silence with it .
That's how it was .
Only there is nothing wonderful about death .
We spoke to each other , we decided things that needed to be done , but it was all new . Every one of us there has been bereaved , we all know this place , where it takes us , yet each new journey into loss is different .
Then , the news that one of our other colleagues who has had a chest infection for three weeks and has been home , has been diagnosed as possibly having TB .
At four fifteen I left the office , before time but with a pile of work to do at the weekend .
This was the first day both D and I had been out together and Nat was going in to walk the dog herself after school .
As I drove my phone rang , N on the phone in tears saying the dog was attacking her and she was frightened . I asked what she meant and she said the dog was over excited , would not calm down and was growling and scaring her . I was very close to home so told her to get out of the house straight away , pick up her mobile and her keys and go out into the front away from the dog and I would be home in two minutes .
I was stopped at every red light , rang her while at one and she said she was sitting in the porch .
And when I got there , there she was , looking small and lost , and near her , a spider . N is not a fan of spiders . But I guess the spider was less of a threat than a marauding dog .
I listened whilst she told me what had happened . Alice had been out with her for a walk then on their return she had got very bouncy , jumping from sofa to chair and when N told her to calm down she started pushing N around , paws up on her arms and coming at her from behind . She had growled and frightened her beyond belief , so much so that she couldnt move .
We agreed that Alice is a pack animal and was probably trying to work out her place in the pecking order and that she thought she might come higher up than N .
That it was important she saw that she had made a mistake and that N was boss over her . N agreed that she wanted to go in , so we approached her and I encouraged N to do what I had seen dog trainers ( and our neighbour Sam do with her dog recently ) , make her lie flat down and realise we were boss . We told her in no uncertain terms that we were in charge and she would not behave like this . N was great , very brave after she had been scared and we talked about whether we could keep Alice , though I was clear that I thought we could manage this and N was clear that she loves Alice and if she had known what to do she would have been ok .
Alice responded well , was affectionate to N again , calm and silly . Its hard to imagine that she had been so over bearing but on a couple of occasions she has been like this with me and has responded immediately when Ive spoken to her and told her to calm down .
I rang our neighbour who had agreed to walk her at lunch time and she had had no problems at all . Alice had been calm and friendly with her . I guess ed my theory about the pecking order was probably right and my sister has often talked about how their dog regards her partner Peter as Top Banana , with the boys in the family coming next , then Laura at the bottom of the pile .
Ive seen this in action myself as Grommet( who is a terrier) has a party trick. If you leave a ten
pound note sticking out of your pocket Grommet will slide it out and trot over to Peter and quietly present him with the booty . If Peter isn't present it goes to George , then Harvey comes next . Laura rarely gets a look in , even though she both walks and feeds him .
Since then peace is restored on the home front .
Alice s future is safe with us . She has worked out our routines mostly and the puddles have stopped ( three in total in fifteen days is probably not bad ). She has made an effort to ingratiate herself with N ( going up to her in the kitchen and leaning up against her , staring at her and generally being a loving dog again ) .
As for things elsewhere , they cant be other than dire .
Thursday, 15 November 2007
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
A colleague at the day job has been missing for a couple of days . He works on another site so I dont know him that well . I heard yesterday that his partner went into hospital for a routine operation ( very minor as far as I can make out , the sort where I imagine she would have been thinking shall I even bother to have this done ? Oh well I ll be fine by Christmas if I get it done now ) , had the op , got an infection and is now in intensive care , organs failing , he has been told she may not survive .
She s in her mid forties I would guess , two children , dont know if she got a hospital type infection or it was something else . I've met her several times as she works in the same business . No words really .
She s in her mid forties I would guess , two children , dont know if she got a hospital type infection or it was something else . I've met her several times as she works in the same business . No words really .
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
On a mission
Im now on a mission for find the perfect dog walking shoes or ( preferably boots ) . Having walked for years on boots with a heel I now find it very counterproductive to walk any distance on flat shoes . Trainers are no good at all and recently after just twenty minutes on the gym treadmill ( the before Alice experience ) I had aching calves and wa s out of action except at a hobble, for a couplf of days .
Having experimented with some cheap flat sheepskin boots ( too flat , no support , too hopeless for words ) , Ive been wearing my Office ankle boots in black suede Office Shoes - Ankle Boots for her - Office (W) - JADA PIXIE BOOT GREY MICROFIand with silver buckles which both look good and feel great , purchased on recent trip to Edinburgh and desinged to get me through a day of teenage shopping and sightseeing ( more of the former than the latter , a challenge for the footsore ) . But theyre not much good on the beaches and in the mud and will be hopeless once we get real rain or real snow come to that .
Laura , sister with a shoe fetish rivalled only by that of Nathalia , has been texting with suggestions eg Clarks , M and S Footglove . I know it makes sense but I want to curl my lip in dismay .
But now shes talking .
Paddock Boots .
I had never heard of these delicious creatures , but they are waterproof , have a small heal and , oh joy oh bliss , are fabulously expensive and thus much more impossible and therefore covetable .
I'm on a mission .
Watch this space .
Having experimented with some cheap flat sheepskin boots ( too flat , no support , too hopeless for words ) , Ive been wearing my Office ankle boots in black suede Office Shoes - Ankle Boots for her - Office (W) - JADA PIXIE BOOT GREY MICROFIand with silver buckles which both look good and feel great , purchased on recent trip to Edinburgh and desinged to get me through a day of teenage shopping and sightseeing ( more of the former than the latter , a challenge for the footsore ) . But theyre not much good on the beaches and in the mud and will be hopeless once we get real rain or real snow come to that .
Laura , sister with a shoe fetish rivalled only by that of Nathalia , has been texting with suggestions eg Clarks , M and S Footglove . I know it makes sense but I want to curl my lip in dismay .
But now shes talking .
Paddock Boots .
I had never heard of these delicious creatures , but they are waterproof , have a small heal and , oh joy oh bliss , are fabulously expensive and thus much more impossible and therefore covetable .
I'm on a mission .
Watch this space .
Monday, 12 November 2007
Has she gone yet ?
Pearl checking through the stair rails .. have you lot got rid of that dog yet ? Is it safe for me to come down ?
This afternoon the three Birmans storm D s room and his desk , all three competing for space in a " B.....r the Dog ! " attitude .
Meanwhile Alice gets naughtier , piling shoes and slippers onto her bed , opening up the brabantia bin overnight ( I heard it wheeze slowly open in my sleep but was too whacked to come down to investigate ) and puddling on the floor despite a last walk (as always) near to midnight .
But doesn't she ( still ) look angelic ?
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Freddie Wills
I started writing this blog back in spring of this year when I was ill and off work and almost unable to get out of bed with all my chest problems . I was there for what seemed like weeks and had no idea how it was all going to turn out . ( Transpired I was probably reacting to Topimirate , an epilepsy drug I was taking , and the coughing I did resulted in me having broken 4 ribs hence the extreme pain in my chest , difficulty ,moving comfortably etc ) .
I read a letter in The Times from Tim Wills about blogging and the fact that he was blogging about his baby son Fred who was in hospital in Bristol with leukaemia . Like many others I logged onto the blog and was hooked . In fact reading Tim s daily life gave mine a focus and I was even brave enough to leave a comment at one stage , and delighted to receive an e mail back from Tim .
Tim was basically telling Fred's story until ( and a little beyond) May , including telling us all the heartbreaking news that Fred wasn't going to get better . Like many others I followed the blog until Tim stopped writing and it was this which inspired me to write my own blog .
Today Ive heard the news that Tim is abseiling in Dec to raise money for Clic Sargent ,and in Fred s memory , the organisation that offered Tim and Rachel accommodation during the time they were at Bristol hospital and away from their home . Clic Sargent was mentioned often in Tim s blog and coincidentally a good friend of mine Ali has recently started to work for them , working directly with children with cancer .
Justgiving - Tim's fund raising page
I'm including a link to Tim 's fundraising page if anyone wants to make a donation .
I only have to look over the side of a building or say the word abseil to go weak at the knees so Tim has my great admiration , as ever .
I read a letter in The Times from Tim Wills about blogging and the fact that he was blogging about his baby son Fred who was in hospital in Bristol with leukaemia . Like many others I logged onto the blog and was hooked . In fact reading Tim s daily life gave mine a focus and I was even brave enough to leave a comment at one stage , and delighted to receive an e mail back from Tim .
Tim was basically telling Fred's story until ( and a little beyond) May , including telling us all the heartbreaking news that Fred wasn't going to get better . Like many others I followed the blog until Tim stopped writing and it was this which inspired me to write my own blog .
Today Ive heard the news that Tim is abseiling in Dec to raise money for Clic Sargent ,and in Fred s memory , the organisation that offered Tim and Rachel accommodation during the time they were at Bristol hospital and away from their home . Clic Sargent was mentioned often in Tim s blog and coincidentally a good friend of mine Ali has recently started to work for them , working directly with children with cancer .
Justgiving - Tim's fund raising page
I'm including a link to Tim 's fundraising page if anyone wants to make a donation .
I only have to look over the side of a building or say the word abseil to go weak at the knees so Tim has my great admiration , as ever .
early start
An early start today . I was excited about the Stephen Poliakoff drama on bbc 2 last night but the start of a migraine meant I took off to bed at 7 30 hoping some pills would fix me up for 9pm . I did come down and sit propped in front of it for about ten minutes but after realising I was staring at a woman in a posh Poliakoff house with three large dalmatians who was monologuing at me and that I really had no clue what she was on about , I took myself back to bed and blissful sleep .
I hate having migraines but sometimes when youve taken the pills and your bed is warm and full of soft furry cats and you have no real responsibilities and there is someone there who knows how to operate the video recorder ( Ive never learned with our latest model ) , then it can be a delight just to succumb and accept you have to do this as you sink in and the cats start up their purring .
So 4 am I was awake and worried that Alice may need to be out . She is scared of the dark and makes a brief foray into the yard when commanded but she really has no intention of taking a chance and squatting in case a bogeyman jumps out at her . I make tea and collect a wholemeal bran biscuit with lemon curd and start back upstairs to Mr Golightley . Im taking ages to read this , I think Ive worked out who he is now , one of those vooks you have to savour .
Then 6 45 and up again to take Alice to the park . She is out for a run when Holly and Polly two large black creatures intercept her run and she scarpers in terror . Always though she escapes the pursuers ( she has so far out run every dog ) then she comes back to look for us . I guess it helps that upon every return she gets a biscuit .
I do catcalls and wonders , little Amber has returned and is safely inside and has eaten two pouches . Then , back to bed with the papers before another walk to the Priory at twelve .
Alice is much calmer this her second weekend with us .
The cats are still considering their verdict .
I hate having migraines but sometimes when youve taken the pills and your bed is warm and full of soft furry cats and you have no real responsibilities and there is someone there who knows how to operate the video recorder ( Ive never learned with our latest model ) , then it can be a delight just to succumb and accept you have to do this as you sink in and the cats start up their purring .
So 4 am I was awake and worried that Alice may need to be out . She is scared of the dark and makes a brief foray into the yard when commanded but she really has no intention of taking a chance and squatting in case a bogeyman jumps out at her . I make tea and collect a wholemeal bran biscuit with lemon curd and start back upstairs to Mr Golightley . Im taking ages to read this , I think Ive worked out who he is now , one of those vooks you have to savour .
Then 6 45 and up again to take Alice to the park . She is out for a run when Holly and Polly two large black creatures intercept her run and she scarpers in terror . Always though she escapes the pursuers ( she has so far out run every dog ) then she comes back to look for us . I guess it helps that upon every return she gets a biscuit .
I do catcalls and wonders , little Amber has returned and is safely inside and has eaten two pouches . Then , back to bed with the papers before another walk to the Priory at twelve .
Alice is much calmer this her second weekend with us .
The cats are still considering their verdict .
Saturday, 10 November 2007
Watching ...
.. the high waves boiling yesterday against the rocks .
Usually this spot is deserted unless its a weekend . There were people jostling for position yesterday to see the waves . I took a video which came out well but for some reason refuses to upload on here . The sound effects are great and it would be good to have a clip recorded for posterity .
Ive been grumpy today . I went down at five am to find a wet patch on the floor . Alice got frightened by a firework late last night on her last foray into the night , and then refused to do anything . We gave up in the end after several walks around the block then trying to get her out into the yard . So result this morning ! No matter , it cleans , though Im worried that if it persists we should really make her sleep in the kitchen where there is a wood floor . But shes not going to like that . And the kitchen wont like it either .
Last night as I gave Nat a lift somewhere she sneaked a large tin of Soya lecithin ( dont ask ) , off the bench , managed to open it and massacre the box , then snuffle up the contents ( a grainy powder ) . I was greeted by a sheepish black dog with a white face , white powder everywhere and the irony was it must have tasted so bad , and she had just eaten a huge quantity of chicken .
She now has a bad dose of the runs .....
My mood is lifting after several walks . Exercise , fresh air , the wonderful warmish air today despite the occasional drizzle ? the fact that Ive got two CatCalls this weekend?
Who knows why .
Friday, 9 November 2007
High Seas
Freak waves and high spring tides causing mayhem on the east coast .
the waves here are so high they obscure the lighthouse itself , usually visible at the end of the pier .
The Spanish battery was crowded this afternoon with spectators .
Alive enjoyed the attention as we took photos .
the sailing club beach
Click to enlarge and right in the background you can see the top of a massive wave .......coming right over the wall .....
Thursday, 8 November 2007
During the night this is what I found ....
I came down after going off for an early night , but came back down later as the tv had been left on , and I needed a slice of toast and peanut butter not to mention a cup of lemon and ginger tea .
Look at what I found , fast asleep on the sofa , Alice in the cockroaching position .
Greyhounds are just so amazing .
I had a great day today . Took her out at 8 on the Longsands and she ran some amazingly fast and huge circles on the hard sand near the old outdoor pool . She gets so much attention when she runs as she is just so fast and she runs so hard giving it everything she's got . She s a sight to behold ....
And the faces she pulls , when shes been asked to vacate a chair for human usage , she just manages to look both sheepish and put out all at once , leaving the chair very very slowly and glancing at the competition as she goes . At other times when shes all folded up on the sofa she will look sideways as you pass and her face is just so sweet .
Later I went into town and bought some cheap dog walking boots , a version of the sheepskin style Uggs , a bargain at £15 , and a couple of trendy hats for me and Nat . Over the weekend I shall go on a coat hunt for Alice as she really is starting to feel it and wants to hurry back in as soon as she can on her walks .... she 's not the only one .
CatCalls start again tomorrow , three cats for this weekend in two homes both quite close and one in particular with a delightfully playful cat who likes to chase silver paper balls and enjoys attention .
What will I find tonight when I come down I wonder .....
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
ooh look a nice white sofa too
Alice discovers there is a white sofa too , with re arrangeable cushions .
perpetuating lettuce
Funniest google search words that brought up on my blog this week ... perpetuating lettuce . Why ?
I can understand the ones that include Birmans , and now Greyhounds , even Makeover 2000 , a very popular one recently .
But lettuce ? perpetuating ? in November ?
I was faintly amused the last time I did such a search on my stats and found a google entry under John Lewis an dlaptops . Amused because my blog entry venting my spleen big style about JL s losing my laptop at the back of a cupboard then offering my twenty quids worth of vouchers as compensation for not having the laptop for three extra weeks when I needed it for business not to mention blogging , came high on the list of John Lewis own entries peddling their wares and ( of course ) boasting about various aspects of their product services depts etc . Ah well . Someone may just be put off buying . Or they may think Silly Old Witch and go ahead anyway . Which is what I would do . At bottom after all I like JL .....
I can understand the ones that include Birmans , and now Greyhounds , even Makeover 2000 , a very popular one recently .
But lettuce ? perpetuating ? in November ?
I was faintly amused the last time I did such a search on my stats and found a google entry under John Lewis an dlaptops . Amused because my blog entry venting my spleen big style about JL s losing my laptop at the back of a cupboard then offering my twenty quids worth of vouchers as compensation for not having the laptop for three extra weeks when I needed it for business not to mention blogging , came high on the list of John Lewis own entries peddling their wares and ( of course ) boasting about various aspects of their product services depts etc . Ah well . Someone may just be put off buying . Or they may think Silly Old Witch and go ahead anyway . Which is what I would do . At bottom after all I like JL .....
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
Cold weather ....
Iceberg Creations - Greyhound Coats and Accessories
Alice is less and less keen to go out as the weather cools ... we must get her a coat .
Ive started looking at the Greyhound Accessories online ..... check out this fleece ......what do you think ?
Alice is less and less keen to go out as the weather cools ... we must get her a coat .
Ive started looking at the Greyhound Accessories online ..... check out this fleece ......what do you think ?
Sunday, 4 November 2007
Minnie takes to the shelves
Successful visit to Grandma and Grandad ... we were able to let Alice off the lead in their garden and she was so happy , took off like a greyhound would, flying round and round being pursued by their two papillons ( tiny toy dogs in case you dont know ) who was screeching in fury at this intruder who was fleeing round like a mad thing . Hannah and Molly are tiny little things with huge voices and they cant stop themselves barking as loudly as they can when faced with any challenges .
Alice wore herself out in minutes and then flopped in front of the fire ( not before trying to snaffle various food items and delicacies at eye level ) , but the papillons were nowhere near finished and took a few pops at her when her leg strayed too near their favourite toy . I'm pleased to say she turned the other cheek and refused to be drawn . Made me realise just how tiny these cute little dogs are , and how tall is Alice by comparison .
Minnie the cat arched and postured a bit then took herself up to the top of the kitchen cabinets where she made faces for the afternoon , re appearing after tea time when she could tolerate no more and exploded in a flurry of claws and hisses unde rthe dining table . Again Alice just turned away slightly as if minding her manners whilst on a family visit ..... I was so proud of her .
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