Goodbye Pussycat

We had an awful day today, our sweet pussycat Blue died whilst we were taking him to the vets - he died from his asthma which we had managed to control for the past few years but this morning he just couldn't breathe any more and he died whilst Mark was holding him.  He was only six. We are just heartbroken; because we don't have children, our cats are our closest family and this has broken our hearts.  We wish we had done so many things so differently, but it doesn't change the fact that lovely Blue has died.  We buried him in the garden.
I guess there is not much else I can say about this, I can only hope we can eventually look back with happiness on his short life.   There will never be another Blue.  Goodnight Pussycat, Sweet Dreams in Pussycat Heaven x

Harry Helps Out...

Harry (A.K.A. 'Harry the Bugger') likes to stop us working in any way he can.   He likes to lie in front of the photography lights.  He likes to play with the beads.  He likes to lie in the packing baskets.  He likes to lie on top of the laptop.  His favourite activities are watching TV, biting, sleeping, eating, climbing up the chimney and generally getting in your face.   But I still love him.

My Baby, Harry...

Time for a little 'ahhhhhhhhh' moment; here we have Harry in one of the brief moments he is not actually being naughty or doing something he shouldn't.   I think you can see why it was love at first sight...I'm just wondering...is that a smile on his face?

My boy

It was an idyllic evening at the stables tonight - When I called, Merlin came straight to me, despite there being lots of lovely lush soft green grass to munch on.  He looks well - look at the shine on that coat, he looked so good my heart flipped.  

As I mucked out the stable, he was watching me from the barn door (complete with strand of hay dangling from his ear), he's content and safe and happy; we are so relaxed at our new home, hanging out with the horse is a pleasure once again.

Blue, making a flipping nuisance of himself again....

As everyone knows, this is Blue.  Blue loves to run up the pull out stairs to the loft (and then hide), he loves to drink from the toilet and he loves to sit in boxes, any box he can find.   He IS a pain in the derriere but we wouldn't have him any other way.....

St. George's Day...

Its our National Day today, the day that St. George slew the dragon (or didn't, as the case may be!) - here's a quick picture celebration of England...

All these pictures are of the lovely Derbyshire countryside which I love more than any other part of the country - top is a photo of one of the dams, middle is Wynnatt's Pass near Castleton and bottom is Chatsworth House - if you've ever seen the film 'The Duchess' then this is where Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, lived.

My Dad's Birthday Cake...

We had a party for my Dad's 70th birthday today, I just wanted to share a pic of this fabulous cake that my Mum had made, and also a pic of my fabulous Dad too!!   The cake had a figure on it which was my Dad on his favourite classic motorbike, and its correct in every detail even down to the numberplate - it was a masterpiece, and made my Dad very very happy!

The Day My Daddy Turned 70....

Its's official, my Dad is finally a grown up.   Not that he actually ever acts like it.   You know when you are little and everyone over 23 seems like a dinosaur???   Well, I remember asking my Nona (my maternal Grandmother) once if she used to wear crinolines in the the Victorian times - and I really did think I was being nice.  She was slightly ruffled and soon put me right.   Bless her.

Well, Dad turned 70 today, and I just can't quite get my head round it.  He's one of those people who's as healthy as a horse (well,

Its a hard life...

Just wanted to share this picture of Her Royal Highness Mia....it is a hard life, being a cat, isn't it?

Currently reading...

Books I am currently reading...

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell - this is so beautifully written, a story about a young woman who finds out she has an aunt who has been in a mental institution most of her life, just as the institution is about to close.  Despite not wanting to, she becomes drawn into the story of Esme and the resulting story is wonderful, happy, tender and so worth spending the time reading.
Creative Time And Space by Rice Freeman Zachery - Rice's books are always a visual treat, and this new one is no exception....the writing is pretty darn good too!  I have a billion and one things to do for work right now, and all I have managed to do is flick through and bookmark here and there but I am constantly distracted by it...visually it draws the reader in; it truly is a work of art in itself, I managed to read a bit of it whilst the equine dentist was looking at my horse's teeth a few days ago (which is probably a first for this book generally!) - this is a beautiful book that artists of all kind will enjoy and use constantly.Goodbye, Dear Friend - Coming To Terms With The Death of A Pet by Virginia Ironside...I am sad to be once again reading this book; I am struggling with grief following the death of my beautiful pussycat Cleo who was my constant companion.  This book has gently guided me through the loss of other deeply loved feline companions in the past, and I am working through its wisdom again.   I miss my pretty girl every day, and my heart is breaking from the sadness.   This book is a much needed resource; this is one to remember for times like these.    
Becoming Queen by Kate Williams...this author writes wonderfully - her style is faultless, beautiful and readable...I loved her previous book about Emma Hamilton, the mistress of Lord Nelson and this one is every bit as good...the book, whilst about Queen Victoria, begins with a the fascinating and tragic story of the previous heir presumptive, Princess Charlotte which was a rather unusual start to a book about Queen Victoria...but as I had not read anything on Charlotte before, I found this in itself very interesting.  The ensuing work on Victoria is very good too. 

Adventures of The New Fur Baby

Mia is settling in well, she loves to snuggle up next to me in bed, which will be handy in the wintertime if we have no electricity when the entire nation goes on strike.  

"One cat just leads to another"

This is Mia, the new addition to our family....

Starting a new Journal page was one way to draw a line under September. The distressing death of my lovely pussycat Cleo affected me dreadfully and I was glad when the month came to a close. I imagine readers will fall into two categories - those who get the whole pet thing, and those who don't - well, I guess because I don't have children and having tried so hard to save her, it hit hard and I ground to a halt in terms of new creativity for a little while, though orders went out just as normal.